Media

ABC Sports has gone inhouse for Don Ohlmeyer's replacement as producer of ``Monday Night Football,'' tapping Fred Gaudelli, producer of ``Sunday Night Football'' on ABC's sister network ESPN.

Debt-ridden English third division side Hull City's football league future now looks more secure after Leeds United commercial director Adam Pearson resigned his position to take over as chairman and chief executive of the club.

Digital audio company, Radio First, has entered into a five-year agreement with British Sky Broadcasting to broadcast, regionally, Radio First?s network of football club-related digital radio stations on Sky digital.

Fanball.com, the fantasy sports media company, has signed agreements with several radio stations across the USA to provide its ?Million Dollar Bracket Madness? game to the stations' listeners.

Talks between Canal Plus and RTL over the merging of the two companies? sports rights units are ?ardently, to be concluded as soon as possible,? according to Canal Plus CEO Pierrre Lescure.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has guaranteed that key matches during World Cup 2002 will be available to free-to-air viewers, including the opening game, the semi-finals, the final and all matches involving national teams.

South Korea plans this week to discuss cultural and sports exchanges with North Korea - including sharing of some 2002 World Cup soccer matches.

Athoc 2004, the organising body for the Athens Olympics, is setting up an online management information system to cover more than 130 games-related projects being launched this year.

IOC delegates have heaped praise on Toronto's plans to stage the 2008 Olympics, saying they were impressed with the city's athlete-oriented focus and dismissed detractors who sought to cast a pall on Toronto's squeaky-clean reputation.

XFL owner Vince McMahon has insisted his league will survive long term even though uncertainty over its viability has caused WWF stock to plummet 35 percent since its February 3 debut.

Two of Europe?s broadcast giants are in talks to merge their sports operations, according to paytvtoday.com.

While Beijing sprayed its grass green to impress Olympic Games inspectors, Toronto is about to greet the officials with a thick blanket of new snow as it makes its pitch to host the 2008 Summer Games.

Germany's Kirch Group and public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have reached a television rights agreement for the next two World Cups after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder asked them to work out a deal.

Britain will not restore terraces at soccer stadia after studying a report into standing accommodation in Germany, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary of State Chris Smith said in a statement.

England Premiership soccer club Leeds United has launched LUTV, a behind the scenes insight into the club through their official website.

The Melbourne Cup, Australia's most famous horse race, will carry a purse of US$2.12 million this year, the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) has said.