Media Notes

In N.Y., Andrew Marchand reports ESPN is “preventing its analysts from appearing on non-ESPN radio stations” in N.Y., Chicago, L.A., Pittsburgh and Dallas. ESPN Communications Coordinator Dan Quinn said, “It makes good business sense that ESPN should be the home of ESPN talent” (N.Y. POST, 12/15)....ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said that the net “will soon announce new licensing agreements for its wireless phone content.” Bodenheimer: “The Mobile ESPN application is going to be available to fans, just in a different method than how we started out” (REUTERS, 12/13).

EYE ON ‘08: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Geoffrey Fowler writes the Chinese government “has signaled it will try some new approaches to controlling and disseminating information” during the ’08 Beijing Games, including “taking lessons from the public-relations masters of Madison Avenue.” However, NBC Sports is “still figuring out technical aspects of covering the Games.” ESPN Senior VP & Managing Editor of Studio Production Mark Gross said that the net will have “six to eight staffers in China” and the focus will “be largely apolitical.” Gross said, “As long as we’re fair and we’re balanced, we’ll tackle difficult issues” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/15).

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: Around 160,000 Time Warner Cable (TWC) customers in Ohio could lose ABC and Fox on January 1. TWC’s contract with Sinclair Broadcast Group inherited from Adelphia, which grants TWC the rights to broadcast WSYX-ABC and WTTE-Fox, expires December 31, and the two sides “have been unable to reach an agreement extending it.” Customers have been notified they could lose the channels and the broadcast of the Florida-Ohio State national championship game on January 8 (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 12/15).

CANADIANS GET MAD IN MARCH TOO: Score Media has signed on for the exclusive Canadian TV rights for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament through 2010 (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/15). The deal involves “several platforms including online and mobile phone programming, plus a planned [VOD] partnership with Rogers Cable.” The Score will not stream live games, but will “provide alternative March Madness games to CBS’ schedule.” Score TV Network Senior VP & GM David Errington: “It’s our first multiplatform approach to programming. We will be doing highlights and stories online” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/15).

BIG BUCKS: The Bucks and FSN North have entered into a long-term TV rights deal making the net the exclusive home for Bucks coverage. FSN North will air at least 70 regular-season games per year beginning in ’07-08, up from 40. The net will also air first-round playoff games and select second-round games (FSN). The deal marks the first time in club history no games will be available on over-the-air networks (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 12/15).