ESPN has named VP/Programming & Acquisitions for College Football Dave Brown VP/Programming for the forthcoming Univ. of Texas network, while Senior Coordinating Producer Stephanie Druley will serve as VP/Production for the network. Brown will lead the strategic direction for the net's business dealings and content offerings. He will oversee the creation of new shows and concepts, scheduling, acquisitions and the network's business plan. Brown will report to ESPN Senior VP/College Sports Programming Burke Magnus. Meanwhile, Druley will oversee the overall production of the net, with responsibilities including studio and remote productions, the look of on-air content and hiring network talent. She will report to ESPN Exec VP/Production Norby Williamson. Both Brown and Druley will relocate to Austin (ESPN). In Austin, John Maher notes while "some academic-oriented programming will be aired, the bread and butter for the network will be sports broadcasts." Brown said, "Our goal is to get two football games. Men's basketball, we've got a minimum of eight, and we'll try to pick up a couple (more) and we'll have lots of women's hoops." Brown was "known as a college football match-maker" at ESPN, though he noted that he "likely wouldn't be setting up any football showdowns for Texas, since the Longhorns' schedule was pretty well set for the near future." Brown added that he has "been told there will be about 75 jobs to fill at the new network" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/2). Brown said that he "expects the network to sign on between Aug. 15 and Sept. 1, beginning with coverage of the upcoming football season, from studios in the university's communications complex on the northwest side of the campus in Austin" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/2).
