TNN Catching March Madness Fever

The New TNN will televise six highlight shows from CBS' March NCAA
men's-college-basketball-tournament coverage, but it could end up with actual
live game coverage if a U.S-Iraq war breaks out later this month.

TNN is scheduled to air the CBS-produced, half-hour NCAA tournament highlight
and wrap-up shows at 12:30 a.m. March 27 through 30, as well as April 5 and 7,
network executives said. The tournament runs from March 20 through April 7.

But TNN executives are in talks with CBS to potentially inherit the lion's
share of the broadcast network's live NCAA coverage if CBS moves to live
coverage of a potential war.

Last week, CBS Sports president Sean McManus mentioned that TNN was one of
several Viacom Inc.-owned networks that CBS could shift games to in an event of
war.

"There's been discussions about it, but there's been no official word [of a
resolution]," a TNN spokeswoman said.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.