Media Notes
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Blue Jackets Coverage Will No
Longer Feature Jim Day |
In Columbus, Aaron Portzline cites sources as indicating that FS Ohio broadcaster Jim Day "will no longer be part" of the net's coverage of the Blue Jackets. The news comes three weeks after FS Ohio Blue Jackets analyst Danny Gare was "told that his contract would be allowed to expire." Sources said that it was a "mutual decision between the network and the club," and that Day will "have other assignments during the hockey season." Portzline notes Day was "caught in the fray as the Blue Jackets' front office -- the business side, not the hockey operations department -- tries to gain more control over its broadcasters." FS Ohio is Day's employer, but the net "tries to appease the clubs it covers whenever possible" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 5/21).
COMING OUT SWINGING: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich reports TSN2's telecast of Blue Jays-Red Sox Tuesday "drew an average audience of 254,000 viewers." TSN said that the figure is a "record for digital TV" in Canada, including "all other digital broadcasts available on free preview." The telecast was also the "second most-watched sports event" in Canada Tuesday, behind only Blackhawks-Red Wings Game Two on TSN (TORONTO STAR, 5/21). Zelkovich noted Rogers Cable customers watching Tuesday's Blue Jays game as a result of the recently completed carriage deal for TSN2 between TSN and Rogers Cable were "no doubt taken aback when they got the Red Sox NESN broadcast." TSN sources said that the net initially "wasn't keen on paying $300,000 in production costs for what might amount to an audience of 50,000, which is what the games probably would have drawn had TSN2 not finalized its deal with Rogers." Thus, with the Rogers deal "still up in the air, TSN made the decision to pick up the NESN feed" (THESTAR.com, 5/20).
THE BIG MICROPHONE: ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said of the chances Suns C Shaquille O’Neal becomes a successful broadcaster when his playing career is over, “Everybody is going to want him. He’s going to be great in-studio, he’s going to be great analyzing games if he chooses to do that. I don't think of him as Bryant Gumbel or Bob Costas. ... But he can trash other players which is very good.” ESPN’s Michael Wilbon: “He's going to be great. You know he's smart, he’s funny, he’s edgy. Let me ask you something: If a player does get mad at something Shaq says, what's he going to do?” (“PTI,” ESPN, 5/20).
FM HOME? The N.Y. POST's Page Six reports the N.Y. Times Co. "may be inching closer to dumping" classical music station WQXR-FM. ESPN "wants an FM signal in New York, and now it's just registered three Web domains with ESPN and 96.3 in the name." A N.Y. Times rep said of talks about a sale or lease of the station, "You should ask ESPN about that" (N.Y. POST, 5/21).
SIRIUS BUCKS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Matthew Futterman reports Sirius XM, whose stock prices "plummeted last year," disclosed in its most recent quarterly earnings report that in February it "had paid MLB $120[M] that had been held in escrow to cover fees for the 2009 and 2010 seasons" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/21).
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