Media
ITALY SOCCER WANTS MURDOCH, GOVT WARY
The Italian government is increasingly worried that media baron Rupert Murdoch might take control of a pay-TV venture planned with Telecom Italia but the Football League was more welcoming.
DAVIS CUP REFORMS CONSIDERED ON EVE OF CENTENARY
Organisers are considering radical reforms to the Davis Cup on the eve of its centenary in a bid to enhance its appeal and make the top players take it seriously, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said.
ASIA CRISIS HITS OCA MARKETING PROGRAMME
Asia's financial crisis has cost the Asian Games $12 million in lost marketing revenue, the region's Olympic chief has said.
SCOTTISH CLUBS FACING EXTINCTION SAY PLAYERS UNION
Scottish soccer is facing a crisis with clubs in the first division worried about the increasingly possible threat of extinction.
SPONSOR NIKE STANDS BY SHANE WARNE
Australian cricketer Shane Warne's major sponsor Nike has said it did not condone Warne's actions in accepting money from an Indian bookmaker, but added it stood by the tarnished star.
INDIA EXPERTS SAY BETTING IS NOT FIXING
Indian cricket officials, reacting to the Australian scandal in the sport, has said betting on cricket was common but involvement of players in match-fixing was a serious and so far unproved offence.
EURO CHAMPIONS TO BANK $52 MILLION
Future winners of the European Champions' League could collect up to 70 million Swiss francs ($52.0 million) in prize money, according to figures released by European soccer's ruling body UEFA on Friday.
ICC POISED TO OPEN PROBE INTO MATCH-FIXING
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is poised to appoint a commission to investigate allegations of betting and match-fixing, and it has vowed to take tough action against anyone found guilty.
TELECOM-MURDOCH TV DEAL NOT DONE YET-SOURCE
Telecom Italia shareholders gathering in Turin are likely to be disappointed if they expect to hear that a digital pay-TV deal with media baron Rupert Murdoch has been wrapped up, industry sources said.
IOC VOWS TO EXPEL GAMES IOC
President Juan Antonio Samaranch has said the IOC would expel members from the organisation if they were found guilty of wrongdoing in the scandal over allegations that votes to win the games are for sale.
NEWCASTLE UNITED HAS TAKEOVER APPROACH
Newcastle United Plc has said it had received a preliminary approach which may lead to a 160 million pound ($270 million) takeover bid for the English premier league soccer club.
FORMULA 1 UNDERWRITER DENIES BOND TAKEOVER REPORT
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, underwriter of a planned bond issue for Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One motor racing company, has said reports that other banks would take over the bond were inaccurate.
GERMAN BANK LAUNCHES BID IN F1 BOND SAGA
A German bank has offered to purchase all of motor racing tycoon Bernie Ecclestone's planned bond issue provided conditions including a reduction in the deal's size are met, bankers in London has said.
TELEPUI CONFIDENT RIGHTS DEAL WILL ENDURE
Pay-TV broadcaster Telepiu says it is confident contracts it signed for the digital rights for seven top Italian soccer clubs are unbreakable even if Rupert Murdoch makes a rival offer.
N.KOREA SAYS NOT BEEN ASKED FOR 2002 HELP
Isolationist North Korea has never been officially approached about the possibility of hosting matches during the 2002 World Cup, a top Pyongyang sports official has said.
TPS TO LAUNCH INTERACTIVE SOCCER NEWS SERVICE
French digital satellite TV service Television par Satellite (TPS) said on Wednesday that it will launch an interactive soccer news channel from December 19.
ISL AND REDE GLOBO IN BREAKTHROUGH WORLD CUP RIGHTS DEAL
ISL Television has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Brazilian broadcaster Rede Globo for rights to the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.
DILLER’S WAMI-TV PAY FOR MARLINS
Reinforcing its image as South Florida's pre-eminent sports carrier, Barry Diller's local programming station WAMI-TV has bought a six-year exclusive broadcast rights to baseball's Florida Marlins.