CBS Sports and the Sun Bowl have "agreed in principle
to keep" the game on the net through "at least" '05,
according to Andrew Seligman of the EL PASO TIMES, who noted
the current five-year deal expires with this year's UCLA-
Univ. of WI game December 29. Sun Bowl exec Jimmy Rogers
said that the event "will get a raise from the
approximately" $300,000 per game it was receiving from CBS.
The Sun Bowl is CBS' only bowl game (EL PASO TIMES, 12/15).
MARINERS RIGHTS FARMED OUT: KIRO-CBS in Seattle has
agreed to a "two-year joint partnership" with FSN to
broadcast Mariners games. FSN has the rights to 146
Mariners games under a ten-year deal, but under the new
partnership, KIRO will broadcast 33 regular season and two
preseason games, and FSN will carry 107 regular season and
four preseason games (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/16).
BOXING: In Pittsburgh, Chuck Finder reported that HBO
will move its late-afternoon boxing program, "KO Nation," to
a 10:30-11:45pm ET window. HBO Senior VP/Programming Kery
Davis, on the move: "The younger audience that is still
craving boxing, there are more of them watching at night
than at 4, 5 o'clock in the afternoon. That just means we
have to come to that audience" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE,
12/16). In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes that while "KO
Nation" is an "attempt to make the seedy world of boxing
look fresh, hip and young," the "effect is more like
sticking a nose ring on a 55-year-old executive. It's more
embarrassing than anything else" (TORONTO STAR, 12/18).
