Media Notes

ESPN Sees Ratings, Viewership Gains For College World Series

ESPN averaged a 1.1 coverage area rating and 1,408,000 total viewers for its coverage of nine College World Series (CWS) games, up 22% and 26%, respectively, over a 0.9 and 1,120,000 viewers for the net's five telecasts in '07. ESPN2 for its seven telecasts averaged a 0.8 coverage rating and 988,000 viewers, flat with last year's 0.8 rating and up 3% over 956,000 viewers in '07. ESPN and ESPN2's coverage marked the most-viewed CWS ever for both nets, and ESPN's coverage tied for the highest-rated with the '04 and '06 CWS. ESPN's coverage of Fresno State-Georgia CWS Finals Game Three marked the net's second-most viewed and second-highest rated college baseball telecast ever, behind the '06 Oregon State-North Carolina CWS Finals Game Three (ESPN).

SERVICE ERROR? In West Palm Beach, Craig Dolch reported NBC Saturday was "supposed to begin coverage of the third round" of the U.S. Women's Open at 3:00pm ET, but "instead remained with a third-round Wimbledon match." Coverage began on ESPN at 3:05pm and switched to NBC at 3:30pm. Dolch: "It certainly wasn't much of a show of respect for what clearly is the most important tournament in women's golf." USGA Dir of Broadcasting Mark Carlson: "We were caught in a tug of war between NBC and ESPN. There was a contractual argument between both ESPN and NBC about Wimbledon." Carlson said that the USGA "doesn't have a contract that mandates NBC show all six hours of the weekend coverage of the U.S. Women's Open" (PALM BEACH POST, 6/29).

NOTES: In Ottawa, John MacKinnon reports TSN Saturday night switched from coverage of the CFL Edmonton Eskimos-Saskatchewan Roughriders game to the IRL SunTrust Indy Challenge "for 30-35 stupefying minutes" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 6/30)....Texas-based KGNB-AM will drop its Sporting News Radio affiliation next Monday. The station will still carry Astros and Texans games, as well as "select Sunday NFL games from Sports USA Radio” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 6/28)....Denver-based KWGN-CW sportscaster Marc Soicher has been told that his contract will not be renewed when it expires on July 18 and that his position would not be filled (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 6/29)....Baltimore-based WMAR-ABC sportscaster Scott Garceau is leaving the station after 28 years. Garceau said that he would “‘pursue other broadcast opportunities’ locally and regionally” (Baltimore SUN, 6/28).