Morning Buzz, March 6, 20002

DUPUY TO REPLACE BEESTON AS MLB PRESIDENT & COO

The AP reports that MLB Exec VP/Administration & CLO Robert DuPuy will replace President & COO Paul Beeston as "part of an administrative reorganization" MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will announce later this month. Beeston "plans to leave his job as the No. 2 official in the sport on March 15." Also, D'Rays COO John McHale will "join the commissioner's office and take over some of the areas that have reported to DuPuy" (AP, 3/6).

HORNETS' POTENTIAL SUITOR EMERGES; MAGIC TAKEN OFF MARKET

In a front-page story, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports that BET founder Robert Johnson said Tuesday that he "wants to buy the Hornets and keep them in Charlotte," but he "made a formal offer last week to Hornets' co-owner George Shinn and was turned down." Hornets' co-Owner Ray Wooldridge "reiterated Tuesday that the team is not for sale." All parties involved "declined to say how much Johnson offered for the team" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/6).

Meanwhile, the ORLANDO SENTINEL reports that Magic Owner Rich DeVos announced Tuesday that he's "had a change of heart," and the Magic "are not for sale." DeVos: "We're going to stay in town and keep the team." DeVos said that the decision to keep the team "was not contingent on getting a new arena or renovating the existing TD Waterhouse Centre. Instead, DeVos said he would concentrate on cutting expenses and filling empty seats in the arena" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/6).

WORLD CUP TV NEWS & NOTES

DAILY VARIETY reported, "Spanish satcaster Via Digital is attempting to renegotiate the price it paid [Kirch Group] for 2002 World Cup soccer rights." Via Digital "ponied up a reported $142 million for all Spanish media rights to the tourney in 1999." However, German-based ARD-ZDF paid Kirch for analog satellite rights to the games, meaning "the matches can be seen for free in Spain by anyone who owns a satellite dish" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/5).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reported Mexican broadcaster Grupo Televisa SA is "delaying final agreement on retransmission rights for the 2002 soccer World Cup with DirecTV Latin America." DirecTV Latin America VP Raul Reyes said that Televisa's "operations in satellite and cable-TV operations result in more complicated negotiations than with rival TV Azteca SA." TV Azteca has the rights "to broadcast a package of 18 matches, which include the games of the Mexican team." Reyes: "We need to limit Cablevision's and Sky's access to those games" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/5).

WITNESS SUGGESTS FOUL PLAY, TAMPERING IN WILLIAMS CASE

CNNSI.com reported that former NBA star Jayson Williams and another man "allegedly tampered with evidence in the shooting death of a limousine driver in an effort to protect Williams." A witness told "Sports Illustrated" that he "saw Williams and another person try to place [limo driver Costas] Christofi's palm print and fingerprints on the gun that killed him, apparently in an effort to make a 911 call more plausible." The witness also told the magazine that Williams and two other men "disposed of the bloody clothes that Williams was wearing at the time of Christofi's shooting" (CNNSI.com, 3/5).

OTTEN SURRENDERS HIS STAKE IN AMERICAN SKIING

The Portland (ME) PRESS-HERALD reported American Skiing Co. Founder Les Otten "defaulted on a multimillion-dollar loan and turned over his holdings in the company to ING Capital, LLC." Otten borrowed $15.2M from ING Capital in November of 1987, and used "those proceeds to acquire 833,333 shares of his company's common stock at $18 per share." On June 29, 2001, Otten "signed a mutual settlement release and then quietly turned over to ING the control of his entire Class A holdings in the company," giving ING the right to sell the stock. By February 11, 2002, "none of the 15,593,863 shares had been sold and all are owned by ING" (Portland (ME) PRESS-HERALD, 3/4).

ROMNEY SIGNALS INTEREST IN RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN MA

The BOSTON GLOBE reports former SLOC President Mitt Romney "has commissioned a poll of Massachusetts voters to help him make a decision as to whether to challenge Acting Governor Jane Swift in the GOP primary." Romney's advisers stated that he "decided to take the survey to test the waters for his candidacy and explore voters' attitudes toward Swift and Democratic gubernatorial candidates." Despite undertaking the poll, Romney's aides "caution he has not made up his mind" on whether to seek elected office (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/6).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

This week's cover of Sports Illustrated features Turner NBA analyst Charles Barkley under the headline, "Charles Unchained … Living Large and Holding Forth On Everything From His Golf, Money and Politics to Michael Jordan, TV Sports and Enron" (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, USA TODAY reports that Barkley "accused Augusta National Golf Club of 'blatant racism,' claiming the course has been lengthened to keep Tiger Woods from winning another Masters" (USA TODAY, 3/6).

The Tacoma NEWS-TRIBUNE reported radio station KJR-AM "was officially named the new flagship station for University of Washington [UW] football and men's basketball Monday." KJR replaces KOMO-AM, which "had been the home of UW sports for all but three years since 1976." Paul Allen's Action Sports Media "bought the rights to UW games for the next four years in December at a cost of $8.4 million." One holdup to the KJR deal was how to handle conflicts with Sonics games. During football season, "the Sonics will be moved to another station owned by [KJR parent] New Century, such as KHHO-AM in Tacoma. However, UW men's basketball games will be moved when there is a conflict with Sonics games" (Tacoma NEWS-TRIBUNE, 3/5).

Sonics Chair Howard Schultz told TBS announcer Marv Albert during last night's Timberwolves-Sonics broadcast, "I'm told you are the most loyal, passionate Starbucks customer in the country, and as a result of that, (TBS' Cheryl Miller) is bringing me over a great package for not only you but for (TBS analyst Mike Fratello), and inside is a Starbucks card with enough cash on the card to take care of you and Mike throughout the season." Albert: "This is very emotional" (TBS, 3/5).

The CP reports sprinter Bruny Surin "filed a $63,000 lawsuit yesterday against LifeMark Health Management of Toronto for allegedly reneging on a four-year endorsement deal" (CP, 3/6).

The MLS Fire announced yesterday its alliance with Aurora-based radio station WBIG-AM as the team's first official English language radio station. WBIG will carry a minimum of 18 live Fire matches during the '02 season. Chris Doran will act as producer and play-by-play announcer on WBIG (THE DAILY).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that the Allen Christian School in N.Y. celebrated "National Reading Month" yesterday as "sixth graders shared their book of the month, 'Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio,' with visiting stars New York Knicks guard Larry Robinson and Hot 97 radio host Miss (Tarsha Nicole) Jones" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/6).

TODAY'S EVENTS

Kings G Mateen Cleaves will discuss the importance of an education to students at Kohler Elementary School in North Highlands, CA, from 9:00-10:00am PT (THE DAILY).

The Dallas Mavericks Court Refurbishment Program, which has completed six courts in the past year and a half, will dedicate its most recent project at Bryan's House, a non-profit pediatric HIV/AIDS service organization in Dallas. C Shawn Bradley will lead the ceremony, which runs from 4:00-6:00pm CT (THE DAILY).

CART CEO Chris Pook and CFO Thomas Carter will host an investor conference and publish its financial guidance for '02 beginning at 11:00am ET (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

ADAGE.com reports that ad spending "took an even bigger hit in 2001 than originally forecast, according to an analysis … of full-year data from Taylor Nelson Sofres' CMR." Total measured media spending was down 9.7% to $98.21B in '01, from $108.81B in '00. Most industry forecasts issued in December "projected drops of 4% to 6% this year" (ADAGE.com, 3/6).

The WASHINGTON POST reports, "In just six days, one of television's most respected news divisions has been plunged into disarray." ABC News' Cokie Roberts said yesterday that she "is stepping down as co-anchor of 'This Week' in November," while ABC's Barbara Walters "took to the airwaves to criticize her network's handling of 'Nightline' host Ted Koppel" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/6). However, network officials "strongly denied a report Tuesday that George Stephanopoulos and Claire Shipman will replace Sam Donaldson and [Roberts] on the network's 'This Week' program" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/6).

Meanwhile, USA TODAY reports that, according to Gerard Klauer Mattison's Jeffrey Logsdon, ABC "will swing from a $150 million profit on $2.8 billion in revenue in 2001 to a $300 million loss on $2.6 billion in revenue in 2002" (USA TODAY, 3/6).

DAILY VARIETY reports that CBS, fueled by the return of "Survivor" and the Grammy Awards, "won the week among total viewers (14.05 million), besting second-place NBC (13.39 million)." However, NBC – backed by the strength of its "relentless onslaught of promos during the Salt Lake City Games – took the crown among adults 18-49 (5.3/14, vs. CBS' 4.7/12)" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/6).

FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Cabinet Positions."

"This original cabinet post, created in 1789, didn't get an accompanying department until 1870."

LAUGH TRACK

NBC's Jay Leno, on Paula Jones boxing Tonya Harding: "I'm glad she's doing it. Maybe people will finally start to take Paula Jones seriously now. [Jones] says yes to posing nude in Playboy, she said yes to fighting Tonya Harding on TV. You realize the only thing too sleazy for her was President Clinton." Leno said the fight is called "the Whaler and the Trailer." Leno: "Paula Jones is not the only one connected to the Clinton administration involved in this. Today, Janet Reno said she will come back this year and defend her title in the Toughman competition" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 3/5).

TUESDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Nets-Lakers.

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is the Attorney General?"

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