Media

Austrian state broadcasting organisation Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) reports that its TV coverage of the Euro 2000 semi final between France and Portugal attracted 1.13 million Austrian citizens while 1.369 million watched the match between Italy and the Netherlands. Women accounted for 30% of this figure.

Local media reports suggest Great American Insurance Co. is in negotiations to buy naming rights to the Cincinnati Reds' ballpark.

The European Broadcasting Union has bestowed its highest distinction on Albert Scharf, head of Bayerischer Rundfunk (the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation), for his ?outstanding contribution to broadcasting? ? among which has been his ability to secure key sports rights.

CART has teamed up with the SFX Sports Group for the negotiation of television rights to its FedEx Championship Series.

Two high-tech firms specialising in enhancing sport broadcasts have joined forces in a multi-million dollar deal.

Speculation is mounting that Brazil is on the verge of pulling out of the race for the World Cup ? with an announcement on its bid due later today from the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

After taking bets for over two years on who will win the right to stage the World Cup 2006, UK betting firm William Hill have finally closed their book ? just days before the FIFA executive committee finally votes on who will stage the tournament.

Sportel, the international meeting place for the television distribution and programming market, is expanding its outreach to new media and advertising companies for SPORTEL's 11th International Sports Television Convention, to be held in Monte Carlo November 5-8, 2000.

Entertainment specialist Haymarket Advertising, the media arm of Global Entertainment Media, has completed a merger with North American entertainment agency Echo Advertising + Marketing - a move which will consolidate the companies? sports client interests.

Real Madrid presidential candidate Florentino Perez was quoted as saying on Friday the Spanish club was 42,910 million pesetas ($247.2 million) in debt.

The Extreme Group and United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC), the joint venture partners in the Extreme Sports Channel, have signed a distribution agreement with Germany's third-largest independent cable network operator PrimaCom AG.

Sydney passed its final inspection before this year's Summer Olympics with flying colours, winning rave reviews from the International Olympic Committee for its preparations.

Barry Snellgrove has joined John Taylor International, the sports sponsorship consultancy, as business development director to head up the agency's new business drive.

FOX Sports World Espanol, the only 24-hour, Spanish-language sports network in the United States, is to distribute its programming to more than 117,000 Time Warner Communications' subscribers in El Paso, Texas.

European soccer's governing body UEFA issued an official apology on Wednesday after a report on its media information website attacking England's Euro 2000 performances caused a major stir in Britain.

NBC and Fox's hardball efforts to negotiate new baseball rights have thrown the bidding process wide open, according to Variety magazine.