Posted by Jerome J. Slote on October 13, 2009 at 05:27:57:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Should CBS Move the Yankees to WFAN for the Rest of the Year? posted by Bob Frable on October 12, 2009 at 22:14:31:
>they're contending that the Yankees' local rights belong to CBS Radio Inc., not specifically to WCBS, allowing them to be temporarily reassigned to WFAN...ESPN's exclusivity only actually applies to the World Series, and only to markets outside that of the team.
The local broadcast itself claims to be a co-production of WCBS and the Yankees. If the Yankees Radio Network were permitted to add or substitute stations in the post-season, it could put dozens of temporary affiliates in direct competition with the local ESPN.
With eight teams making the postseason each year, and ownership clusters in every market, have there been any instances of groups upgrading the flagships or distant affiliates of a contending team's own radio network for greater reach in postseason? I'd think it'd be quite a boon to move the play-by-play to FM in many instances; and that would cause the local ESPN -- got to mention the *telecasters* -- enormous grief if it were permitted. (I can't imagine MLB allowing its radio rights to be devalued in that way, but defer, as always, to anyone who really knows.)
Does the ESPN exclusive for "markets outside..." mean that a local WS broadcast would be 880 only, or some subset of the full-season Yankees Radio Network?