The Univ. of Hawaii said that while other Mountain West Conference schools who play nationally televised football games on specific days of the week will "earn six-figure bonuses" this year, it "will not." In Honolulu, Ferd Lewis wrote UH instead will "keep all" of its roughly $2.3M per year local rights fees from Oceanic Time Warner Cable. UH officials said the school will see its PPV and local rights money "protected" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 3/9).
SIGNING OFF: SI.com's Richard Deitsch reported longtime ESPN Radio host Chuck Wilson is "no longer" with the company, and his last day on the air was Sunday. Wilson's contract "was not renewed" after he worked the last three years "on a freelance basis." He said that ESPN Radio Senior Dir Scott Masteller "told him they were moving in another direction." Wilson spent "nearly 17 years at ESPN Radio during multiple stints." Deitsch: "Here's hoping someone picks him up" (SI.com, 3/10).
ANSWER THE BELL: The GLOBE & MAIL's Bruce Dowbiggin reported English-language TSN Radio 690 Montreal "may disappear this year." As a result of Bell Media purchasing Astral Media, Bell "will now own four English language radio stations in Montreal," and the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission does not allow one company to "own more than three" in a single market. Bell is "launching an online petition to be allowed to keep" the station, which serves as the flagship station for the Canadiens and carries the MLS Impact (GLOBE & MAIL, 3/9).
