MLB Network Adds Leiter, Reynolds, Kusnierek, Mae To Lineup

MLB Network have added Al Leiter, Harold Reynolds, Trenni Kusnierek and Hazel Mae to its on-air lineup. The network will use Leiter and Reynolds as studio analysts and Kusnierek and Mae as reporters. Leiter comes to the channel after three years at YES Network, and Reynolds had been a commentator on MLB.com, SportsNet N.Y. and TBS in the past year. Kusnierek spent last season with the Brewers on FSN Wisconsin, following five seasons with the Pirates on FSN Pittsburgh. Mae had spent five years with NESN (John Ourand, THE DAILY).

SWINGING AWAY: MLB Network Senior VP/Affiliate Sales & Marketing Art Marquez participated in a Q&A with BROADCASTING & CABLE's David Goetzl. Asked if the economy's impact on the net's efforts to "reach deals with more distributors," Marquez said, "I don't know that it's affected us tremendously. ... When the economy is not doing well people tend to stay home. I don't think they disconnect with their video programming, so we become a very important part of our partners' channel lineups." Marquez added he believes the net will have "more than just the 26 games" already announced. Marquez: "That's what's public, but we're hopeful we'll have some extra Thursday afternoon games and a couple of pennant-chase games. Our affiliates and their ad sales departments are really going to look forward to the tonnage that they have to sell. They're goin to have some good inventory" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 11/10 issue).