The Senators signed a 10-year broadcasting and play-by-
play deal with the new Ottawa Sports Radio, OSR 1200, which
will be the city's first all-sports radio station. OSR will
begin carrying Senators games next season (Senators).
YEAR-ROUND EXPOSURE: Although financial terms were not
released, Senators President Roy Mlakar said that the deal
ranks "among the top-10 in radio rights deals for NHL
teams." The Senators had been carried by CFRA radio, and
although a year still remained on that deal, the team
"negotiated to dissolve that contract" in order to sign with
OSR (David Naylor, Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 6/16). In Ottawa,
Ken Warren writes that the new pact "makes the Senators the
major player on OSR and in position to control how much
Senators coverage is on the air" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 6/16).
OSR, which will be owned by Calgary-based Rawlco
Communications, will debut in early September and will "also
be known as Ottawa Senators Radio" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 6/16).
MAJOR LEAF DEAL: The Maple Leafs "are on the verge" of
announcing a new five-year deal with Molson worth about
C$23M a season. In Toronto, Rob Longley reports the deal,
which would give Molson the rights to 50-55 mid-week Leafs
games, "is expected" to be for a minimum of five years, with
the brewery holding an option to extend. Molson would sell
the broadcast rights to TSN "and retain a promotional
presence." Longley adds that if the deal is completed, TSN,
which recently lost the rights to "HNIC," will be "back into
NHL hockey in a big way" (TORONTO SUN, 6/16).
