Reports of Turner Sports President Harvey Schiller
joining the YankeeNets organization indicate the venture
"may be getting closer to creating a new" N.Y.-based RSN,
according to John Dempsey of DAILY VARIETY. One source
"close" to Turner Sports said that losing Schiller would be
"devastating" for the company and that TBS will not lose the
exec "without a fight" (DAILY VARIETY, 9/17).
PATRICK REACHES OUT: In Chicago, John Jackson writes
that ESPN flagship station WMVP-AM phoned "selected area
sports fans" with a pre-recorded message from ESPN's Dan
Patrick to "let them know about" his new radio show. The
message was "part of an aggressive marketing campaign," and
"several people" said that they "first thought it was really
Patrick calling them" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/17).
FOX/ESPN: ENOUGH, ALREADY! In N.Y., Phil Mushnick
writes, "It's a crime what ESPN and Fox Sports News are
doing to good, honest journalism in the name of self-
promotion." Mushnick notes the trend of both networks to
credit themselves with "scoops," despite the fact that other
outlets may have previously broke the story. One ESPN
staffer: "It's out of hand. The signing of a fourth-round
pick is reason to pat ourselves on the back, even if we
don't deserve it. And even if we did, who cares?"
Mushnick: "Soon, it will reach the point where no matter how
much evidence ESPN or Fox provides, no savvy viewer will
believe that either network is as capable of breaking a
story as it is of taking credit for one" (N.Y. POST, 9/17).
TYSON FIGHT SET TO AIR AGAINST WORLD SERIES: DAILY
VARIETY's John Dempsey cites sources as saying that Showtime
will pay approximately $12M to produce the October 23 Mike
Tyson-Orlin Norris fight, with Tyson "pocketing about" $9M
and Norris collecting $800,000. A spokesperson for Tyson
says that the fight will go on pay TV rather than PPV
"because it occurs on the night of the scheduled first game
of the World Series" (DAILY VARIETY, 9/17).
