Fox Sports Net and the Spurs announced a ten-year
extension of their cable TV rights agreement, keeping the
team on FSN through the 2009-10 season. FSN's Spurs TV
coverage increases 50% with the deal, from 20 regular-season
games to a minimum of 30 telecasts throughout the ten-year
agreement (FSN). In San Antonio, Roy Bragg writes that Time
Warner and Fox execs said that the deal "won't affect the
ongoing dispute" between the two companies over Spurs TV
coverage. Time Warner has refused to show a full schedule
of games on its cable systems because of a disagreement over
the costs of the extra games (S.A. EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/24).
TEXAS TWO-STEP: In Ft. Worth, T.R. Sullivan reports
that the MLB Rangers "are close to finalizing a deal that
would give" Fox Sports the TV rights for the team's locally
televised games. Team President Jim Lites said that "all
162 Rangers games will be shown" in the Ft. Worth-Dallas
area this season, with approximately 70 games on over-the-
air stations and the rest on FSN. Lites "declined to state
the length of the deal but said it involves a substantial
increase in rights fees" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/24).
