YES Chair & CEO Leo Hindery writes a guest column in DAILY VARIETY: "I am thrilled ... about the outcome of the settlement. YES has overcome Cablevision's monopoly power and obtained a contractual guarantee that it will have a long-term carriage agreement ... that will be based upon the actual `fair market value of the YES programming' rather than upon Cablevision's anti-competitive control over cable distribution" (DAILY VARIETY, 4/9).
FUELED UP: Fox formally announced that its new action sports net will be called Fuel. The net, which launches in July, will cover both competitive and non-competitive action from sports such as skateboarding, surfing, motocross and snowboarding (Fox). Fox Senior VP/Emerging Networks David Sternberg, on not including the Fox brand in the name: "It was very consciously an effort on our part not to be seen as just another offshoot of the Fox empire, but something that is a start-up project that has its own personality and position, and isn't seen as overly corporate." The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Andrew Wallenstein writes Fuel will launch with 40% of its schedule comprised of original programming. The rest will be "licensed from international sources and companies that produce for distribution via specialty outlets" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/9).
NOTES: Game Two of the Devils-Bruins series Friday night will be broadcast on Metro in the N.Y. area — which is unavailable to RCN, Comcast, Time Warner or DirecTV subscribers — due to conflicts on MSG and FSNY with the Knicks and Mets (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/9)....While WSNR-AM in N.Y. no longer airs Sporting News Radio programming, sources said that sports programming "may eventually return, but only after the station gets a signal upgrade that could take three or more years." The station is now "carrying almost all paid programming" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/9).
