Let’s check out the links for today.
The Big Ten Network and Mediacom Cable are denying reports that a deal has been struck to have the channel carried in Iowa, but Scott Dochterman of the Iowa City Gazette reports that a source is saying that a deal is done. However, the story is different in Indiana where Purdue University fans are not going to be able to watch BTN as Jayson Bussa of the Marion Chronicle-Tribune tells us. Jim Carty of the Ann Arbor News reports that a Michigan public relations firm hired by Comcast has apologized for an intern posing as a fan posting on internet message boards criticizing the Big Ten Network. D & E Communications in State College and nearby Lewisberg, PA will pick up BTN for fans living in and around Penn State. And Mark Wogenerich of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says the talks between Comcast and BTN are still ongoing.
The Dodgers, Angels and Galaxy are all changing their Spanish language radio stations for next year as Larry Stewart of the Los Angeles Times tells us.
Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw says he’s enjoying the ESPN mini-series “The Bronx is Burning”. Is that still on?
Mark Berman of the Roanoke (VA) Times talks with ESPN’s Lee Corso about the upcoming college football season.
Jeff Elliott of the Florida Times-Union has an interview with ESPN’s college football analyst Mike Gottfried.
Bill Doyle of the Worcester (MA) Telegram-Gazette writes about the blogging Most Valuable Network which was started by a local resident and has now grown to one of the largest sites.
Jeff Nelson writing in the Journal Review (IN) talks about his experiences working with ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS as part of their technical crews.
Martha McKay of the Bergen (NJ) Record talks about the new features DirecTV will offer for the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Some NHL related links. The Minnesota Wild will have 70 games locally televised on three outlets including FSN North and KSTC. Lorenzo Perez of the Raleigh News & Observer reports the Carolina Hurricanes will have 60 games on FSN South this season.Brian Biggane of the Palm Beach Post calls the move by the Florida Panthers to elevate Randy Moller from color to play-by-play on radio broadcasts “downright dumb”. Two hours after he made that post in his hockey blog, Biggane says maybe he was a bit hasty. LOL. Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel talks about Bill Lindsey who will take Moller’s place in the analyst chair.
Evan Weiner in the New York Sun says even with the Michael Vick situation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is enjoying success with the league and could even put the NFL Network on a broadband platform to make an end run around the cable companies.
Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post wonders if the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff run is just all talk.
Those are the links for now. Lots of stuff for a Thursday.
