Dish Network CMO James Moorhead yesterday said that subscriber fees for Comcast SportsNet Houston "remain too 'exorbitant' for the satellite provider to carry it other than on a voluntary basis for customers." He added that the price "remains the sticking point" in the carriage impasse. Moorhead: "We are looking for creative solutions to carry the right content. That is why we are proposing, and are willing, to do it a la carte." In Houston, David Barron noted no major RSN in the U.S. that "carries major pro teams has agreed to a system such as that proposed by Moorhead and other CSN Houston holdouts" (CHRON.com, 6/24).
ON THE MIKE: CBS Sports yesterday announced the addition of former NFL referee Mike Carey to its broadcast team for its inaugural season of "Thursday Night Football," as well as for Sunday game broadcasts. Carey will provide rules analysis, interpretation and explanations on Thursday nights from the game sites, as well as from NFL Network's Culver City, Calif. studios. Carey on Sundays will be stationed at CBS HQ in N.Y. (CBS).
FEATHER IN THE KAP: In Chicago, Robert Channick reported WGN Radio and CSN Chicago are "teaming up to simulcast" WGWG-FM's morning radio show, “Kap & Haugh,” to cable viewers beginning July 21. The show airs weekdays from 9:00am-12:00pm CT. In addition to the live simulcast, CSN will "run the 'Best of Kap & Haugh' weeknights from 11 p.m. to midnight, featuring highlights from previous shows." Yesterday's announcement gives "greater visibility to the fledgling sports talk radio station, and a large block of live programming for CSN" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/24).
RIGHT ON TRACK: In Indianapolis, David Woods noted the USA Track & Field Championships open today in Sacramento, and TV coverage "will be shared" by NBC, NBCSN and Universal Sports. NBC is "close to a deal with USATF for exclusive rights to its events." That "won't cover all major meets because ESPN retains rights to the NCAA championships," but it "might help viewers if they don't have to channel surf and instead know track will be on NBC or NBCSN." In an era with "24-hour sports channels and a need for live programming, track can supply" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/24).
