Media Notes

Champ Car officially announced its ’05 TV package. CBS will air four races, NBC three and Speed seven. The first six races will be on a national network for the first time since ’97 (INDY STAR, 1/14). All of the agreements are time-buy deals (THE DAILY).

RIVALRY RENEWED: In Boston, Greg Gatlin reports six poker players from Boston are being selected to “square off” against six players from N.Y. for a Partypoker.net sponsored challenge. The event will be made into a nine-episode original series to be shot in February and aired in the spring on both YES and NESN (BOSTON HERALD, 1/14)....Also in Boston, Bill Griffith reports Chris Collins was named primary sports anchor at New England Cable News this week, becoming the first African-American lead sports anchor in the market (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/14).

Palmer To Be Guest Analyst For Rogers Sportsnet During Playoffs

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER: Fox Sports’ Tim Green, a former NFLer, has been tapped to host the news magazine show “A Current Affair,” which re-launches on Fox-owned stations this spring (Twentieth Television). The original "A Current Affair," “hosted by Maury Povich and a slew of successors, aired from 1986-96 and is the father show” of "Tabloid TV” (N.Y. POST, 1/14).

HE ACCEPTED THIS ROLE: In Ottawa, Rob Brodie reports Rogers Sportsnet hired Giants QB Jesse Palmer as a guest analyst for the NFL playoffs. Sportsnet News Dir Scott Morrison, on Palmer: “Obviously, he presents well (on television). But Jesse is also a very smart young man. He understands the game well and he's very insightful." Palmer, a Canadian, will “appear on Sportsnet News each Sunday until Super Bowl week, then join Jamie Campbell in Jacksonville for daily reports” from the Super Bowl (OTTAWA SUN, 1/14).