Media Notes

The suit filed by St. Louis-based CDM Fantasy Sports against MLB over who owns the stats of players and a company’s right to license fantasy products was examined on CBS’ “Evening News” last night. CDM Founder & Exec VP Charlie Wiegert: “Our belief is that in operating our game, the players’ stats are in the public domain. They’re printed inside every newspaper in the country.” But MLB.com CEO Bob Bowman countered, “We just don’t think folks can take a player’s name in this instance and use it for profit.” CBS’ Anthony Mason: “Fantasy league operators, especially the smaller, unlicensed ones, are watching this case very carefully because if (MLB) wins it could put them out of business. But a victory for baseball could also alienate some of it most rabid fans” (CBS, 8/7).

FOX-OUT: Fox has informed cable systems that it “will stop providing the station via satellite” on September 1, a move that “affects the few ‘white markets’ where operators rely on satellite feeds because no local Fox affiliate signal is available.” It is “unclear why Fox is making the change” (CABLEFAX DAILY, 8/8).

ONE STOP: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Sarah McBride examines Westwood One, which holds play-by-play rights to the NFL and NHL, among other events. Sports, “apart from stumbles like covering the Winter Olympics, which cost Westwood some $7[M] to cover and wasn’t as popular as hoped, help the company move a lot of advertising.” Its ownership link with CBS Radio, “which also provides management services under contract to Westwood, helps give the company access to some of the nation’s top radio stations and their talent” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/8).

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Cavaliers have opted not to renew the one-year contract of PA announcer Ronnie Duncan, whose work last season “drew extremely strong reactions — good and bad — from local fans, media and others” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/8)....Jim Carola, who was the PA announcer for the Oilers for 28 years and for the Texans’ first four seasons, will be replaced this season by David Brady, an events manager with the Texans’ Lone Star Sports & Entertainment who has called minor league baseball and Yale football on radio (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/8).