Broadcasting News. Wait, Isn't That A Movie?

The Post has some speculation on what the television options are.

One option appears to be the creation of a regional sports network partnership between baseball and either Fox SportsNet or Comcast SportsNet, and which could also include the Orioles, under which all three entities -- the Nationals, the Orioles and the broadcaster -- would share profits and ownership.

The second option, according to sources, would be the more conventional approach of selling the Nationals' broadcast rights for a set fee to either Comcast or Fox....

A third option, which sources said is not likely, calls for baseball to form its own Washington regional sports network. Sources said baseball would rather partner with a broadcaster or cable company in order to spread the risk....

Before a television deal can be struck, baseball will have to determine the Nationals' television territory and how close to Baltimore that territory will extend, according to sources. Baseball grants certain geographic regions around teams as "exclusive" broadcast rights for that team only, while outer regions are often termed "shared." Angelos and baseball appear to disagree on how far the Orioles' exclusive area extends.

For example, the league doesn't want New York Yankees games regularly televised in Philadelphia, where it could hurt the Phillies. Nor does it allow the Boston Red Sox to consider New York City part of its exclusive region. But there are certain parts of Connecticut where the broadcasting overlaps and both Red Sox as well as Yankees and New York Mets games are available.

Angelos has emphasized to MLB that the cable TV rights he would be obliged to share with the Nationals have been his team's property, which came with the purchase of the franchise in 1993 for $173 million.

Baseball maintains it never gave such a guarantee, according to sources.

Also, thanks to DCRTV, Clear Channel has begun looking for sales execs for Washington Nationals broadcasts. I'd say that that's a good sign that they're close to announcing a deal! ;)