The Philadelphia Phillies and CBS Radio announced in October that they would extend their five-year contract, thereby keeping WPHT-AM 1210 as the team's flagship station through at least next year.
The exact length of the deal was not disclosed, but Philadelphia Inquirer sources pin it at only one year: the 2010 season. That could be bad news for listeners in our area.
The Inquirer reported that WPEN-AM 950 ESPN — which has been simulcasting on the former WNUW-FM 97.5, last month renamed WPEN-FM — plans to bid on the Phillies broadcast rights.
WPHT-AM 1210, a 50,000-watt station, has a strong signal. It and WLBR-AM 1270 in Lebanon are really the only sources to listen to the team locally. I get 1210 in my car throughout the county. Reception on 1270 is a little more spotty.
Both 97.5 and 950 have static and do not come in clearly.
A switch of flagship stations might put an end to listening to Phillies radio broadcasts, which have the team's best announcers, Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen.
High marks: This year's World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies was the most-watched Fall Classic in five years.
The six-game series averaged about 19.4 million viewers and a 6.2 rating among adults 18 to 49. Both figures are big improvements over last year's Phillies-Tampa Bay Rays series, which drew 13.6 million viewers and a 4.4 rating in the same demographic.
This year's series peaked at Game 4 with 22.76 million viewers. The Game 6 clincher Nov. 4 drew 22.34 million viewers and blew away the Wednesday competition — CBS's "Criminal Minds" (12.55 million) and "CSI: NY" (12 million) were well below their season averages, and "CSI: NY" hit one of its lowest marks ever among adults 18 to 49 (2.8).
New HD channel: Comcast Lancaster and Elizabethtown now have MLB Network in HD on channel 252.
Hume heads news: WHP-TV CBS 21 and WLYH-TV CW 15 in Harrisburg have hired Craig Hume as their news director. He was previously a news director in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla. He replaces Caroline Imler, who is leaving to be closer to family in North Carolina.
Numbers game: CBS's recent decision to cut the episode order for "Numb3rs" from 22 to 16 was a signal that the show will not be returning for a sixth season, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The producers of the Friday-night drama have been given notice and have accepted the end date as an opportunity to wrap up the story lines.
Reality show about Jacksons: According to The Associated Press, a reality-show miniseries about the Jackson family will premiere Sunday, Dec. 13, on A&E. Back-to-back hourlong episodes will air beginning at 9 p.m.
"The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" focuses on brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon as they prepare to reunite for a concert tour. It also chronicles their lives as they cope with brother Michael's drug-induced death.
There will be six episodes, the network said. It remained unclear whether Michael Jackson or his children, Paris, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II (also known as "Blanket"), will appear in the shows.