Free Republic

...News Corp., the giant media conglomerate run by billionaire mogul Rupert Murdoch, has made sports a key component of the company’s portfolio. But this deal, which values YES at a whopping $3 billion, takes the company’s sports position to a new level, for three reasons. First, News Corp., which also owns cable news leader Fox News Channel, Hollywood stalwart 20th Century Fox, and 20 regional sports networks, gains a nearly 50% stake in YES, the country’s most valuable regional sports network. Second, the deal puts the media giant firmly in bed (so to speak) with the New York Yankees, arguably...

Another all-sports radio station will launch in San Diego on Oct. 28, according to an internal memo sent out last night by a Clear Channel San Diego vice president. The station currently operating as KLSD-AM 1360 will become XTRA Sports 1360 and feature live and local programming each weekday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Starting Monday, Oct. 29, Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth are expected to fill the 6-10 a.m. slot, with updates from Mike Costa. At 10 a.m., Josh Rosenberg will host a two-hour show called "The Sportspage.'' At noon, Chris Ello will begin a three-hour show, while...

(More below, too) Sources close to the negotiations say a possible new home for radio talkmasters John Dennis and Gerry Callahan is WCRB-FM (99.5), the classical music station that is considering a switch to an all-sports format. Dennis and Callahan, whose contracts expire next month, have had the 6-10 a.m. shift on WEEI-AM (850) until last week, when they were told not to return. Dennis was on vacation last week; Callahan has been out since May while recovering from throat surgery.

"When is sports talk radio not just sports talk radio? When you tune into sports talk shows in major cities around the country and find talk that is not all sports, all the time. You still get sports chatter, but in morning and evening drive-time hours on these stations, you will find something different, something called ''Guy Talk" radio. ..."Ordway says there is a formula that all sports radio stations use: Target the 25-54 male group and then try to draw others in, but always be aware of the core group. ''In Boston, it's Red Sox and Patriot fans," said...

James Carville, Luke Russert to host new sports talk show (XM) RUSSERT: James Carville, before you go I understand that politics may be part of your past, that you're going to go on XM Satellite Radio and do sports? CARVILLE: Well, Mr. Russert, I can't talk about that too much, but I think there's going to be a story in tomorrow's paper. Tomorrow night I'll be on the Jay Leno show on NBC, and we'll be talking about some exciting new developments and maybe a new twist on an old career. RUSSERT: With anyone I know? CARVILLE: Maybe you would...

The Fan brings in 96 rock ex-host Rodney Ho - Staff Friday, September 12, 2003 Sports radio station 680 The Fan is bringing on Christopher Rude, the beer-and-babes morning man at 96 rock before the Regular Guys took over in 1998. Rude will replace Arnie Spanier, who came from Los Angeles a year ago but was unable to lift The Fan's modest ratings against rival 790 The Zone's morning show. 96 rock dumped Rude after four years as the highly paid afternoon host late last year for salary reasons. Rude subbed for 680 afternoon guy Buck Belue for a week...

And this is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning and it was amazing!" (Pat Glenn - weightlifting commentator) "Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Darryl Gibson comes inside of him." (New Zealand rugby commentator) "This is really a lovely horse. I once rode her mother." (Ted Walsh - horse racing commentator) "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body." (Winston Bennett) "The lead car is absolutely unique, except for the one behind it which is identical." (Murray Walker - F1 racing commentator) "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my father and...