Backchannelmedia

Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.

Comcast SportsNet is coming soon to a cable channel near you, but don't make the mistake of thinking you've seen anything like it before.

This is not your father's SportsVision. Or SportsChannel. Or Fox Sports Chicago. Or Fox Sports Net, for that matter.

There's a perception among viewers that the new channel carrying the White Sox, Cubs, Bulls and Blackhawks, along with college sports, will be merely Fox Sports Net dressed up with a new name beginning Oct. 1.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. It's an entirely separate and brand-new operation," said Jim Corno, senior vice president/general manager of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. "Nothing on this scale has been done locally in Chicago - ever. I think people will be shocked and pleased by what they find.

"Just to give you an idea, our news director, Michelle Murray, was news director at WCBS in New York. We are going to be a sports news station, dedicated to covering the stories beyond the sporting events we'll be televising."

Among other features, Comcast SportsNet also will offer:

- All home games in high definition.

- A live, one-hour talk show hosted by Chicago TV and radio veteran Dan Jiggetts, Monday-Friday at 5:30 p.m. On board is CSN executive producer Lissa Druss Christman, a 14-year veteran of Channel 2 and the driving force behind the late Tim Weigel's "Face2Face" roundtable.

- At 6:30 p.m., "SportsNight" offers a local sports news show, a la SportsCenter, and on many nights will incorporate a pregame element.

Like in the past, postgame shows will be live and long, but don't expect harsh analysis.

"We're not sports talk radio, and we're not going to be controversial for the sake of it," Corno said. "We'll be honest and candid and fair, but we're not going to try to run anyone out of town."

Comcast Chicago controls 30 percent of CSN, while the rest is owned by the four sports teams.

- At 10 p.m., another hour of live sports news.

- At midnight, a 30-minute live newscast, wrapping up the day's events.

- From 5-9 a.m., an updated version of the 30-minute midnight show, and that program will air as a simulcast on the Score from 5- 5:30 a.m.

- That show will be repackaged and updated again for a noon broadcast.

- Even though CSN doesn't carry the Bears, it will produce a 90- minute postgame show after each Bears game and carry live twice a week (Mondays and Wednesdays) the head coach's news conference.

- Any time, anywhere, CSN will break in with news and a news conference if something big happens in Chicago sports.

The only city where this now exists is sports-crazed Philadelphia, and it has been a big hit.

"We believe this makes us the destination for Chicago sports fans, 24 hours a day," Corno said. "In Philly, they do tremendous numbers with the Eagles postgame show. Heck, they did the Terrell Owens signing and got a big number.

"Give us a shot Oct. 1 and let us work out the bugs, and I think you're going to love what you see."

Getting on board

CSN hopes to have the same channel number on every Comcast system, with the early speculation focusing on Channel 37 across the board.

"It would be best if we had one," Corno said. "But we don't have anything to announce."

Corno is optimistic that CSN will have a deal in place with the dish companies and other cable systems so that everyone can get the channel by Oct. 1.

Bearing down

From e-mailer Bob K. in NW Chicago: "I strongly support the trade for Adewale Ogunleye. Let me also say that the only thing worse than a team that drafts poorly and tries to make up for it in the free- agent (or trade) market is a team that drafts poorly and doesn't try to make up for it in the free-agent (or trade) market. For the Bears, this is real progress. But keep in mind the reason the Bears had to spend big bucks in free agency is the drafts that brought busts like Marc Colombo, Anthony Thomas and Michael Haynes."

Closing time

From Libertyville e-mailer Scott Phillips: "Switch Carlos Zambrano to closer, LaTroy Hawkins goes back to being a premier setup man, and Glendon Rusch becomes a permanent part of the rotation. Zambrano is young enough and strong enough to pitch 1 or 2 innings night after night. If this doesn't work, sign Lisa Fernandez!"

Flipping

While Athens stands to lose billions from the Summer Games, NBC's early estimates are for a $70 million profit. Not bad considering the critics all said the Peacock would take a Grecian bath.

And finally ...

From comedian Alex Kaseberg: "It's a good thing the Olympics are over. If I had to see one more commercial for NBC's 'Joey,' I was going to put on a red kilt and tackle a marathon runner."