Media Notes
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany Thursday said, "We've made some progress with the Big Ten Network. Last year I stood here and we were in 17 million homes and we had 40 distribution deals. Today, we have both satellite companies, we have both telephone companies, we have 240 distribution deals, we have the largest distributor in the country. But, our job is not finished. We're only in about 7 out of 10 homes in the Midwest. We're having discussions and negotiations with the other major carriers. We're just going to continue to negotiate and move forward" ("Big Ten Tonight," Big Ten Network, 7/24).
KEEPING IDENTITIES: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's McBride & Schatz report XM and Sirius, even after the merger, "will retain their own programming identities." Both companies said that they will "have a new generation of radio receivers, called 'a la carte,' on store shelves within three months." The radios still will "force consumers to pick packages that are made up primarily of programming from one service or the other, with just limited ability to, for example, mix Sirius stations into a package of XM offerings" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/25).
OLYMPIC MEDIA ISSUES: CBC Sports Exec Dir Scott Moore said that "inconsistencies and sudden changes in the rules are playing havoc with" Olympic broadcasting crews in Beijing. Moore, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, said, "You're never sure what the final rules will be, because the rules change. Last Sunday, the folks who run the Bird's Nest (the Olympic stadium) suddenly decided you need an extra credential to get in and set up. That's not Olympic protocol, but they said it would take effect immediately. And by the way, you can't get the credentials for 24 hours. But Moore added that BOCOG seems to be "moving toward more accessibility rather than less." Moore: "At least on paper, going in, they're being far more open and accessible than they were going to be even a month ago" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/25).
NOTES: ESPN Int'l offered its most global coverage of an MLS all-star game in the league’s history. It broadcast the game in 87 countries and territories with more than 17 million homes. A tape-delayed broadcast will be distributed in another 19 countries and 22 million homes (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).....USA TODAY's Mike Clark reviews the "Boston Celtics: 2007-2008 NBA Champions" DVD produced by Warner and gives it 3 1/2 stars. Clark: "As with most annual DVD overviews, the result is only as good as the season itself. This one was a whopper" (USA TODAY, 7/25).
|
