MOUSE Cleaning -- ESPN To Manage Operations At ABC SPORTS

(From Sports Business Daily)

ESPN said Thursday that under steps to further consolidate the operations of ESPN and ABC SPORTS, the non-production operations of ABC SPORTS will be managed by ESPN.

The ABC SPORTS PRODUCTION GROUP will continue to be part of the ABC TELEVISION NETWORK, and THE ABC SPORTS BRAND will continue as the company's national broadcast platform.

MEDIAWEEK's JOHN CONSOLI reported that in addition to programming, ABC SPORTS' "marketing, communications, finance and legal units, among others, will now be merged and managed by ESPN."

ESPN Executive VP/Programming and Production MARK SHAPIRO will now "oversee programming on ABC SPORTS."

ESPN Senior VP/Consumer Communications CHRIS LaPLACA noted ESPN "has already been taking the lead in the negotiating area" for ABC SPORTS since ESPN and ABC SPORTS President GEORGE BODENHEIMER added ABC duties in 2003.

Bodenheimer was the lead negotiator in the NBA TV-rights deal for both nets.

LaPlaca said that the consolidation will "eventually result in some 'modest' personnel cutbacks." One source said that the move is "another step in the de-emphasis of sports programming on broadcast networks, and its growing importance on cable."

A rival network executive said, "Mark Shapiro overseeing programming on ABC SPORTS is a big deal."

But Bodenheimer said, "Anybody looking for the demise of ABC SPORTS is barking up the wrong tree."

In HOUSTON, DAVID BARRON writes while the move will not have "much of an impact on some viewers," it marks a "milestone in the history of sports TV."

ABC SPORTS Executive Producer MIKE PEARL will continue to oversee on-air productions. He will report to Shapiro.