Media Notes
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Will President Bush Stop By
"MNF" Booth This Season? |
On Long Island, Neil Best speculated that despite ESPN's announcement Wednesday that "Monday Night Football" this season will exclude in-booth guests, President Bush could be a guest ahead of the U.S. Presidential election. "MNF" Senior Coordinating Producer Jay Rothman: "We may pull something off the eve of the election, but if we do we'll do so at halftime." The November 3 "MNF" game features Steelers-Redskins in DC (NEWSDAY.com, 8/20).
DISPUTED CALL: BROADCASTING & CABLE's John Eggerton reported the FCC has given MASN until Monday to "file its response to Comcast, which was in turn responding to a program-access complaint filed against it by MASN." The complaint "appears related to the deal ... that was struck two years ago between Comcast and MASN for the carriage" of Nationals games. A source said that the complaint "boils down to carriage of the network" in Roanoke, Virginia, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Comcast said in a statement, "MASN has simply decided that it no longer likes the deal it made. Comcast has fulfilled its part of the bargain and intends to hold MASN to the deal it struck" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 8/20).
PLANNING AHEAD: In Orlando, Jerry Greene reported Sun Sports and FSN Florida have received "assurance from the Magic that their exclusive TV deal would not be hurt" by the NBA's plan to allow live local market video streaming of games. Sun Sports & FSN Florida VP & GM Cathy Weeden: "Through our relationship with the NBA and the Magic, we hold all rights to local live game video including streaming and television" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/21).
UNDER REVIEW: In Dallas, Barry Horn wrote Wednesday night's episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks," the third episode of the series, was the "best to date as it exposed more inner workings of training camp." Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart's "tirade against his lackluster unit was good theater" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/21).
LOSING HOPE: In Akron, George Thomas reported hope that a deal between the Big Ten Network (BTN) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) can be reached in time for the August 30 Youngstown State-Ohio State game "appears grim." OSU AD Gene Smith is "advising Buckeyes fans who want to watch the team to switch video service providers." Smith wrote in an open letter to OSU fans on the school's Web site, "While negotiations are ongoing with [TWC], it appears very unlikely that an agreement will be reached before the first game of the year and anything beyond that is problematical." Thomas noted OSU "will appear at least twice" on the BTN (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/21).
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