The Bullets and Capitals will switch their non-cable
telecasts from WDCA-20 to WFTY-50 for next season. Both teams
will remain on HTS for their cable telecasts, and HTS's parent
company, Group W, will do the production work for games on both
WFTY-50 and HTS. The Bullets will have at least 30 road games
telecast on WFTY-50. Financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed, "but it's probably similar to the deal with WDCA in
which the Bullets and Caps were paid straight rights fees." The
teams had considered bringing the broadcasts in-house, but
instead sold the rights fees (Richard Justice, WASHINGTON POST,
4/8).
ST. LOUIS: KPLR is negotiating with ESPN to televise the
Cardinals' opener on April 26. ESPN's contract with MLB
stipulates that no over-the-air stations can broadcast games on
Wednesday nights. KPLR had asked the Cardinals to move the game
to the daytime which would have allowed the station to air the
game, but the team won't change noting that a night game allows
school-aged kids to attend. The opening game is normally the
highest rated Cardinal telecast of the year for KPLR. ESPN is
unlikely to grant KPLR a reprieve (Dan Caesar, ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 4/9).
AND IN BOSTON: Since WSBK-TV in Boston could not find
enough sponsors to underwrite coverage of two Red Sox exhibition
games on the final weekend of the extended spring training, NESN
will carry all but one of the 12 Red Sox exhibitions scheduled
for TV coverage. ESPN has the rights to next Sunday's game.
WSBK's renegotiation of its $17.2M deal with the Sox this season
is unresolved. The station now plans 70 regular-season
telecasts, down five from '94 because of the late start. More
Red Sox telecasts could be lost if there are conflicts with
Bruins and Celtics playoff games (Jack Craig, BOSTON GLOBE, 4/9).
