In L.A., Bill Shaikin writes, "If history is any guide, you might not get your Dodgers on SportsNet LA for another three to five weeks." Lakers fans "endured a similar wait two years ago, when that team moved its broadcasts" to Time Warner Cable SportsNet. The audience for Spring Training games "is very small" and, although the Dodgers open the season in Australia, it is "unlikely television providers would feel overly pressured to carry a game that starts" at 1:00am PT. The "deadline in this case, then, is March 30, when the Dodgers face the Padres in San Diego," which will be carried on ESPN (L.A. TIMES, 3/12).
RETURN TO SENDER: In Houston, David Barron reported the Astros have asked U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Marvin Isgur to return their civil lawsuit against Comcast, NBC Universal and former Astros Owner Drayton McLane to state district court, "where it originally was filed last November." The request "comes a week before Isgur is scheduled to hold a long-delayed hearing in the lawsuit, an offshoot of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case" involving CSN Houston. Meanwhile, the Astros on Monday "filed the final document in an exchange of briefs" related to the club’s "appeal of the order placing CSN Houston into bankruptcy protection" (CHRON.com, 3/11).
BEAR AIR: In Chicago, Ed Sherman writes WBBM-AM has "emerged as the leading candidate to become the new radio home of the Cubs." Sources said that the CBS-owned outlet is "using all of its local stations in a synergistic bid to land the rights to the Cubs" beginning with the '15 season. A Cubs move to WBBM "would end its long relationship" with WGN-AM dating back to '25 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/12).
BRING THE HEAT: GAMMONSDAILY.com's Bill Chuck reported the show "High Heat With Christopher Russo" joins the "daily lineup on the MLB Network starting Opening Day." Russo starting March 31 at 12:00pm ET "will host a one-hour live program every weekday with discussion on all 30 MLB clubs and interviews with players and club personnel." The move means that "'Power Alley,' one of the most enlightening, smartest shows on baseball, hosted by Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin, sadly will be shortened by an hour" (GAMMONSDAILY.com, 3/7).
