Media Notes

Empty Seats At Citi Field Becoming Highlight On Telecasts

In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes camera shots of unoccupied seats at the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are "becoming a highlight of telecasts" on YES Network and SportsNet N.Y. Raissman: "When was the last time you saw seats in the first row, behind the plate, empty?" An out-of-market baseball TV director said, "You also never know where the baseball is going, so it's not like you can hide any sections of empty seats. On the other hand, there are ways to shoot around the holes (empty sections) when the ball is not in play." Raissman notes stories of "empty seats and ticket sales won't be told" on either YES or SNY, as there "will only be the inevitable visuals, like when a foul ball falls in an empty section and is not the object of a mad scramble" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/21).

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? In Dallas, Barry Horn wrote, "I have a strong feeling that the announcement that [KRLD-FM] will be the new radio flagship of the Cowboys will come by the end of the week." KRLD and Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) yesterday announced a five-year extension of their rights deal, which will pay TMS a "rights fee as well as promotional inventory." Horn: "I'm thinking that's for TMS allowing Cowboys games to horn in on dates that were once reserved for NASCAR." The NFL Draft begins Saturday and the Cowboys do not currently have a flagship radio station, and Horn noted the Cowboys in past years "made special accommodations for [KTCK-AM], their old home, to be the first to talk to draft picks" (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/20).

SWEEPS STUNT: SI.com's Peter King noted the '09 NFL season will mark the fifth straight year the Patriots and Colts will have played each other during November, which is the "autumn month that television ratings are most valued to the major networks." King: "So as long as [Patriots QB] Tom Brady and [Colts QB] Peyton Manning are active, and as long as there's a Brady-Manning game on the schedule, the league's going to match them in November" (SI.com, 4/20).

NBA TEAM RATINGS: FS Wisconsin averaged almost a 2.2 local rating for 70 Bucks telecasts this season, up 9% from the previous season (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/21)....CSN Chicago averaged a 2.03 local rating for Bulls regular-season games, up 16% over a 1.75 average last season. The 2.03 average is the highest Bulls average on the net since a 2.15 for the '06-07 season (CSN).