In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell notes nearly 1 million more HHs in the Carolinas "will have access to Charlotte Bobcats broadcasts this season." SportSouth Senior VP & GM Jeff Genthner said that potential viewers "will increase to over 2.8 million households, up from 1.87 million last season." Genthner: “We’re almost now at the point where anyone who lives in North or South Carolina will have access to Bobcats games through some (television) provider -- cable, satellite or telephone. At least one. Now any holes only exist to the extent of someone’s willingness or unwillingness to change service providers” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/19).
GET WELL SOON: Astros radio play-by-play announcer Milo Hamilton Monday said that he is "recovering from a recent illness and hopes to be back behind the microphone for this weekend's final homestand." In Houston, David Barron noted Hamilton missed the homestand with an undisclosed illness, and was "unable to make" the current road series against the Cardinals, but "plans to be on hand for games this weekend and next week against the Pirates and Cardinals" (CHRON.com, 9/17).
GRADING ON A CURVE: In Salt Lake City, Scott Pierce reviews ESPN2's Saturday telecast of the BYU-Utah college football game and writes the net "gets an A+ grade for showing viewers exactly what happened and why in the final seconds." However, ESPN2 gets "a C for their explanation" when Utah blocked a BYU field goal in the final seconds. TV replays "directly affected what happened on the field once in that final second." The net "explained what happened one other time" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/19).
JOINING FORCES: Entercom Communications and ESPN Radio yesterday announced that starting Oct. 5, Boston-area WEEI will split its AM/FM simulcast and begin broadcasting ESPN Radio on 850 AM in Boston. ESPN Radio 850 Boston will air ESPN’s entire national lineup. WEEI’s local lineup will now be broadcast solely on the 93.7 FM frequency. In addition, 93.7 FM will be the exclusive home of Red Sox baseball, Celtics basketball, Patriots’ Monday and Friday, NFL football and the NFL playoffs. Listeners will be able to access 93.7 WEEI’s live audio stream through the ESPNBoston.com website. ESPNBoston.com’s video channel will now power WEEI.com’s video player with ESPN video content (Entercom).
