SPORTING NEWS’ Michael McCarthy notes ESPN’s John Clayton is leaving the net as “part of the sweeping layoffs.” Clayton has “served as a senior NFL writer and commentator at ESPN for 23 years.” He was inducted in '07 into the writer’s wing of the Pro Football HOF (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/31). Meanwhile, Pro Football Talk has hired former Ft. Worth Star-Telegram sports writer Charean Williams. She will officially start on Monday, June 5 (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 5/30).
KEEPING THE TEAM TOGETHER: ESPN has reached a new multiyear agreement with analyst Desmond Howard, who has worked with the net since '05. He will "continue to be part of 'College GameDay' on Saturday mornings, and will call some mid-week games in November" (MLIVE.com, 5/30). The net today also formally announced a contract extension for fellow "GameDay" co-host Lee Corso (THE DAILY).
THIS IS NOT A DRILL: In Jacksonville, Drew Dixon notes the "use of the Emergency Alert System tones in a television promotion" for the Jaguars last summer "will cost" Jacksonville-based WTLV-NBC and its parent company Tegna $55,000. The Enforcement Bureau for the FCC "reached a settlement agreement" with WTLV and Tegna for using the emergency tones. The EAS tones "played in the background with the sound of howling winds and other sound effects at the beginning of the promotion as a Jaguars player is shown running through blocking dummies at training camp" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 5/31).
