ACC Commissioner John Swofford said that the conference is being "quietly aggressive" on starting an ACC Network. Swofford: "Anything we do will be done with ESPN as our partner. I don’t really want to get into particulars of when that might be” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/5).
RADIO GAGA: In Tampa, Joey Knight notes in the wake of an ownership change to Beasley Broadcast Group, WHFS-FM "ceased its all-sports programming" Thursday at 3:00pm ET, with "several on-air personalities being let go." The station carried Univ. of South Florida football and men's basketball games with WHFS-AM "simulcasting football and most basketball games." Beasley VP & Market Manager for Tampa-St. Petersburg Kent Dunn in an e-mail wrote that USF sports "will continue being broadcast" on WHFS-AM. Knight adds the contract between CBS and IMG College Multimedia, "which owns broadcast rights to USF sporting events, extends 2 1/2 more years" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/5).
SPANNING THE GLOBE: In Boston, Chad Finn notes Alex Speier, who "built a loyal following in recent years with his insightful, prolific, and wide-ranging Red Sox coverage at WEEI.com, has been hired" by the Boston Globe. Speier’s work "will be featured primarily on BostonGlobe.com, where he will write about all of aspects of Boston sports, with an emphasis on the Red Sox" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/5).
