THE BIG LEAD's Jason McIntyre cited sources as saying that ESPN's Jalen Rose has "been selected as the 4th member" of the net's "NBA Countdown" program. Rose will be paired with Bill Simmons, Magic Johnson and Michael Wilbon. A source said that Basketball HOFer Isiah Thomas "was briefly in the picture" to appear on the show, but Simmons "favored Rose" over Thomas. The source said that Simmons "thought the Isiah-Magic pair might skew old with viewers." McIntyre noted Rose will "be a busy man this winter" -- he has joined the "College GameDay" set for its basketball coverage and will "remain a co-host" of "Numbers Never Lie" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 10/15).
CUP HALF EMPTY: In Milwaukee, Dave Kallmann wrote if there was "concern about the future of NASCAR’s value to television, then the media rights extension announced Monday should help allay some fears." But there are reasons to "urge caution." There is "no assurance the Cup races will be on Fox, only on the Fox family of networks." There is "no guarantee that TV will even work in 2022 the way it does today, and I’m not convinced even the TV folks (or NASCAR) know what shape it will take." Also, "someone has to pay for all this programming," so fans should "keep an eye on your cable bill" (JSONLINE.com, 10/15).
NET GAINS: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds writes YES Network "is already seeing the benefits of the Nets' relocation on Madison Avenue." While Senior VP/Ad Sales Howard Levinson "reports that YES is in the process of finalizing deals with other clients, Verizon Wireless, Verizon FiOS, Cadillac, Geico, Nissan and, not surprisingly, Barclays will all expand their presence on Nets' game telecasts this season." The New York State Lottery also is "now part of YES's account roster" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 10/15 issue).
ROGER THAT: The FINANCIAL POST's Jamie Sturgeon reports Score Media shareholders yesterday approved "the sale of the company's television network and related properties to Rogers Communications," moving the C$167M deal a "step closer to completion." The vote was "unanimously in favour of the transaction." Passage of the vote "sets the stage for approval from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, expected later this week, and a final nod from regulators at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission." For Rogers, the deal "bolsters its Sportsnet group of regional channels with a third national platform behind Sportsnet One and Sportsnet World" (FINANCIAL POST, 10/16).
