The GLOBE & MAIL's Bruce Dowbiggin reported the NHL Jets are "about two weeks away from announcing their regional broadcast package," and Rogers Sportsnet and TSN "are both still in the picture." TSN likely will "need to create a back-channel for the Jets as it did for the Montreal Canadiens regional English broadcasts." Sportsnet could "fit some games into the West channel, but would need a secondary channel for the rest of the inventory." NHL sources said that Winnipeg’s protected territory will include parts of "northern Ontario and Saskatchewan as well as Manitoba" (GLOBESPORTS.com, 7/13).
OFF TO A GOOD START: BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall Tuesday said that ESPN "has been instrumental in setting up intriguing matchups" as the team prepares for its first season as an independent program. Mendenhall: "The power of ESPN has absolutely amazed me to this point, of what teams will do to get on ESPN." ESPN VP/Programming & Acquisition Dave Brown said that BYU's "first five games this season will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2, while all but the Idaho State game on Oct. 22 (which will be televised by BYUtv), will be on the ESPN networks." He added that eight BYU games "are already scheduled to be televised next season" (DESERET NEWS, 7/13).
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU: In Portland, Kerry Eggers reported former Trail Blazers G Dan Dickau, "putting in some broadcasting work these days" for KXL-AM, is "in a peculiar spot." Dickau "hasn’t yet filed official retirement papers with the NBA, so he is technically still a player." Eggers wonders, "If Dickau were to attempt to interview a Blazer employee, would the league prohibit it? Would he be allowed on the premises of the Blazer practice facility or the Rose Garden complex?" (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 7/12).
THE BRITISH IS STAYING! TSN has signed a new deal with the R&A for the "exclusive Canadian broadcast rights to the British Open tournament through 2017." The renewal "includes the French-language TV rights for the RDS cable sports channel, and streaming rights for The Open Championship on TSN.ca" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 7/13).
