Charter has signed a long-term distribution deal to carry FS New Orleans on an expanded basic tier, just in time to carry the Hornets' season-opener tonight against the Spurs. The deal with Charter, the area's third-largest distributor, gives FS New Orleans full distribution in the market with more than 2.5 million homes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Charter last year carried the Hornets' rights holder, Cox Sports TV, on a sports tier (John Ourand, THE DAILY). Meanwhile, the team yesterday announced an agreement with ESPN Deportes WODT-AM for the '12-13 season to broadcast all 82 regular-season games in Spanish. Emilio Peralta and David Lopez will handle the announcer duties, beginning with tonight's game (Hornets).
PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: Longtime Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan has joined NBA TV as a contributor and made his debut last night during the net's season preview show. Ryan will be featured in several authored essays that will air on NBA TV throughout the season (THE DAILY)....Basketball HOFer Nancy Lieberman on Friday will make her debut as the new analyst on FS Oklahoma's "Thunder Live" pregame and postgame shows. FS Oklahoma will televise 70 Thunder games in '12-13 (Fox Sports)....ESPN today announced it has added former NBAer Antonio Davis and former NBA coach Flip Saunders as NBA studio analysts. Other changes this season include bringing in former NBA ref Steve Javie as a regular contributor for rules analysis and signing former Trail Blazers GM Tom Penn to a long-term contract to offer up a management perspective (ESPN).
