DAILY VARIETY's Stuart Levine cited sources as saying that CBS "has been in early discussions about televising" a new poker tour being formed by poker pro Annie Duke, former WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and Federated Sports & Gaming. The four-tournament series "will take place in August, September, December and January, followed by a championship round." All tournaments will be played at the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. NBC since '07 has aired "Poker After Dark" six days a week at 2:00am, and the network also "telecasts the Heads-Up Championship from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in the spring" (VARIETY.com, 2/22).
NO LONGER FIT: In N.Y., Keith Kelly reports Men's Fitness Editor-in-Chief Roy Johnson is "out ... following a 9 percent ad-page tumble." There will be "no replacement." Johnson said that he is "reviving his consulting business, RSJ Media." Seth Kelly, "who signed on as editor-in-chief of Muscle & Fitness and recently added Flex to his roster, will also oversee editorial at Men's Fitness." American Media Inc. Chair, President & CEO David Pecker, whose company publishes Men's Fitness, said, "It was an economic-driven decision" (N.Y. POST, 2/23).
UTE OUGHTA KNOW: In Salt Lake City, Scott Pierce reports the Univ. of Utah is "scrambling to try to get its game on TV" for the '11-12 academic year as the school moves to the Pac-12. Local stations, "to varying degrees," have expressed "interest in picking up Ute games." Details are pending, but Utah AD Chris Hill said that "he's 'optimistic' that a deal ... will be worked out for local telecasts of games that aren't picked up as part of the Pac-12's deals with ESPN and FSN" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/23).
PACKAGE DEAL: In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley reported Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has joined ESPN Radio 540 Milwaukee as a "regular weekly guest" during the NFL regular season and playoffs. Good Karma Broadcasting President Craig Karmazin said that the deal with Rodgers is "for more than two years," though he "declined to say how much the station is paying Rodgers." Karmazin said that the "time and day of Rodgers' spots has not been set" (JSONLINE.com, 2/22).
