The Senior PGA Tour's decision to sign a four-year
agreement with CNBC that will result in the financial news
network airing 33 events starting in 2001 is a "strange
move," as it has the Tour leaving the "comfort" of ESPN "for
one that carries no sports on a regular basis," according to
Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. PGA Tour Commissioner
Tim Finchem said the Senior Tour "got solid treatment from
ESPN. But when you're the sports darling of CNBC, we
anticipate a high prioritization to make the franchise work.
Our demographics are closer to CNBC's than to ESPN's." NBC
President Bob Wright said despite the deal, "CNBC isn't and
won't be a sports network. This is a highly unusual
situation." Sandomir notes that CNBC will pay "at least"
25% more than ESPN to televise the Senior Tour (N.Y. TIMES,
4/26). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Michele Greppi cites sports
broadcasting sources as indicating that "under the barter-
plus-cash deal, CNBC would control perhaps 60% of the
commercial time in the coverage and pay a rights fee in the
neighborhood" of $12M per year (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/26).
DAILY VARIETY's Paula Bernstein notes CNBC's golf
programming "will replace paid programming, which CNBC airs
on weekends." One CNBC spokesperson, on the deal: "It is
not our ambition to put the Golf Channel or ESPN out of
business" (DAILY VARIETY, 4/26). In DC, Leonard Shapiro
notes that CNBC reaches 72 million U.S. HHs, which is "about
5 million fewer than ESPN." Shapiro adds that LPGA Tour
officials "have had some discussions" with ESPN "about
filling the golf void" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/26). Finchem
appeared on CNBC's "Power Lunch" to discuss the deal, and
said it "allows us to build a franchise together. ... The
great thing about the relationship is when we can play. We
can play our golf tournaments, schedule them where we want
to and have those airtimes on 6:00 to 8:00pm." Senior PGA
Tour player Jim Colbert said being on CNBC means the Tour is
"the show. It gives us a great opportunity for our own
identity" ("Power Lunch," CNBC, 4/25).
LET'S GO TO THE TAPE: In Jacksonville, Garry Smits
notes that "many events" on CNBC "will be tape-delayed,"
which Finchem called "live-to-taping." Finchem: "We're
actually on the air while we're still taping in most cases.
This allows us to decrease the number of overlaps with PGA
Tour programming" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 4/26).
