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KMSP likely to get lineup strong in national sports

CHANNEL 9 from | D1 KMSP likely to get lineup strong in national sports But where does the ownership leave the current Fox affiliate, WFTC-TV, Channel 29? "There are several business deals pending . . . but I'm under a gag order," said Steve Spendlove, general manager at WFTC. One possible scenario calls on WFTC's owner, Clear Channel Communications, to trade WFTC for the News Corp.-owned NBC affiliate in San Antonio, Texas. Such a move would give News Corp./ Fox a bigger presence in the Twin Cities, possibly carrying Fox programming on Channel 9 and UPN on Channel 29. Clear Channel, as WFTC's current owner, is unlikely to be left out in the cold. The vast company, in which Vikings owner Red McCombs has a 2.5 percent ownership stake, has seven radio stations in this market. Earlier this month, WFTC announced it had signed a three-year contract to carry Minnesota Timberwolves basketball beginning next season. Does the potential programming change concern the Timberwolves? "Absolutely not," said Rob Moor, Timberwolves' president. "Our deal is with Steve Spendlove and the great folks there," he said. The Timberwolves wouldn't presume to tell the station how to select programming, just as "we wouldn't consult with them on a player trade," he said. For KMSP, the ownership change likely will add a strong national sports lineup. The station is poised to inherit Fox's National Football Conference package, which will include 11 regular-season Vikings games this season as well as the Super Bowl. The network also has carried Major League Baseball since 1996 and last September signed a six-year, $2.5 billion deal to air baseball's postseason and All-Star Game through 2006. In addition, Fox began airing a portion of the NASCAR package this spring. KMSP currently carries the Twins and Wild as well as several high school tournaments. The Wild and KMSP agreed to a five-year deal before last season. KMSP's deal with the State High School League goes through 2005 and includes football Prep Bowl, the championship game of the girls' hockey tournament and games from the boys' hockey tournament and boys' and girls' basketball tournaments. It's possible that the local sports programming could be shifted to Channel 29 as Fox seeks to build a reputation with national sports. The shakeup in programming also could affect the two stations' news efforts. WFTC's parent spent more than $5.5 million to launch a 9 p.m. newscast earlier this year that competes with KMSP. Stu Schwarz, general manager of KMSP, and Dana Benson, news director, were unavailable to comment. The other Chris-Craft stations involved in the $4.4 billion sale include WWOR-TV in New York City and properties in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Orlando, Portland, Baltimore, San Antonio and San Francisco. FCC approval of the yearold deal was no slam-dunk. Two of the five commissioners rejected it, citing concerns about concentration of ownership and foreign ownership. Terms of the deal triggered federal restrictions on the number of TV stations a company can own and a ban on common ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers in the same market, but the commission granted temporary waivers. News Corp. will own TV stations that reach nearly 41 percent of the national audience, above the 35 percent limit set by federal law. Fox and other networks are asking the courts to eliminate the limit. - • Ann Merrill is at amerrill@startribune.com. - Judd Zulgad is at jzulgad@startribune.com
Article from 26 Jul 2001Star Tribune(Minneapolis, MN)
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