In Melbourne, Caroline Wilson reported Australia's Ten Network next month is set to unveil an HD channel that will "televise Australian and international sport 24 hours a day." The channel will begin broadcasting next year. Ten has outbid Australia's Nine Network "to win the television rights to Australian swimming," and also holds rights to the NBA and MLB. Ten also holds rights to the U.S. Open tennis and golf championships and The Masters, and the channel also recently signed a reported five-year, $10-15M deal for the rights to India's Twenty20 cricket league ( Melbourne AGE, 10/28 ). TIME CHANGE : In N.Y., Tim Arango reports Time Inc., the world's largest magazine publisher, "plans to cut 6[%] of its work force -- more than 600 positions." The layoffs "will begin in about two weeks," and no magazines "are scheduled to close, but some are likely to be severely cut back." Time's 24 U.S. magazines and their Web sites will be organized into three divisions: news, which will include Sports Illustrated; lifestyle titles; and style and entertainment. Execs said that the reorganization "was intended partly to allow Time Inc. to focus on its big brands," including publications like SI ( N.Y. TIMES, 10/29 ). GM FOR A DAY : 2K Sports in January will release "MLB Front Office Manager," another extension of the video game publisher’s official baseball video game license that already includes the core MLB 2K title, "The Bigs," "MLB Power Pros," "MLB 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars," "MLB Stickball" and the forthcoming "MLB Superstars." The Front Office game simulates the life of a GM with amateur and Rule 5 drafts, scouting, trades, and minor league development all part of the game. The title was developed in part by A’s GM Billy Beane. Yankees GM Brian Cashman, standing in for Beane yesterday at a promo event in Manhattan, said, “I’m astounded at what they’ve done with this. It’s definitely a realistic representation of what our life is like” ( Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal ). NOTES : The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Kimberly Nordyke reported ABC Family is "handing out a pilot pickup to a project set in the world of competitive gymnastics" titled "Perfect 10." The hourlong drama "follows a group of teen Olympic hopefuls as they train and prepare for their day in the spotlight" ( HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/28 )....The CBC has spent almost $24M on two broadcasting trucks so the net "can show hockey games and cultural events" in HD ( TORONTO SUN, 10/28 )....Cox Sports Television (CST) has reached a carriage deal with CMA Communications that will see a change in CST carriage from digital to expanded basic for customers of CMA's system in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. CST's viewership is now nearly 2 million ( CST ).
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