CBS Adamant That It Would Like To Retain Tournament Rights

NCAA Could Get Out Of Its 11-Year, $6B Contract With CBS After '10 Tourney

MAD ABOUT MADNESS: In DC, Tim Lemke cites advertisers as saying that the men's basketball tournament is a "safe place to spend money on sponsorships and commercials because of high viewership, particularly among the desirable young male demographic." And while CBS "lost several advertisers, particularly those from the battered banking and insurance sectors, it has managed to fill holes with new support from the film industry, fast-food restaurants and even some automakers." Audi will air "as many as 10 commercials during the tournament," and company officials said that the event is "seen as one of the premier opportunities to gain customer attention." Audi's tournament advertising, which is "tied to the launch of its new Q5 model, is an upgrade from last year, when the company chose to buy ad time in just the top 18 local markets." Meanwhile, Vitaminwater will air an ad featuring former Christian Laettner and Rick Pitino "reprising their roles" from the memorable '92 NCAA Duke-Kentucky game. Coca-Cola also has "several promotions, including one that allows fans to submit videos to show off their team loyalty," and Hershey's is "using the tournament to launch new commercials about its Reese's brand." Univ. of Central Florida DeVos Sport Business Management Program Associate Dir William Sutton: "The Super Bowl is a one day event, while this is a three-week window with network television, cable television and real heavy Internet" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/17).

MAN IN THE MIDDLE: On Long Island, Neil Best writes CBS men's college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg "stylistically should offer a middle ground in the vast Dick Vitale-to-Billy Packer continuum," as he "mostly is calm, but he can pick his spots." Kellogg, who is replacing Packer as CBS' lead game analyst, is "less apt to use jargon than Packer, and less apt to make headlines." Kellogg: "I'm not looking to stir things up. I don't begrudge anyone else's style, but I'm not interested in majoring in minor stuff, in filling airwaves with my voice" (NEWSDAY, 3/17).

SHOW STOPPER: In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes ESPN's Dick Vitale "stole the show Sunday night" during ESPN's "College GameNight" broadcast with his argument with the net's Jay Bilas over whether St. Mary's should have made the tournament. Raissman: "Whoever produced this show deserves credit. He or she knows how to direct traffic and knew exactly which lane Vitale was going to drive down" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/17).

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