Will WIP pull the plug on Cataldi?

Could today be the final "Wing Bowl" for WIP 610-AM star Angelo Cataldi? His contract expires at the end of the year, and Cataldi says it's only a "50-50" chance he'll be back with the station in which he's been on the air for over a dozen years.

"CBS is trying to cut down on expenditures," he said. "If it doesn't work out here, I'll go to another radio station."

Added the part-time television host: "I won't try to make a living off my face."

Kalas no no-show

Phillies announcer Harry Kalas denied a report that said he was a "no-show" for the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet last week.

"I told them months ago that I wouldn't be able to make it this year," said Kalas who has been the master of ceremonies for the past few years.

Mail bag

Last week's article about Comcast SportsNet's refusal to allow its product to air on satellite TV provoked some responses:

Ms. Nachman,

Comcast's ability to legally deny access to DirecTV has been a source of great frustration. I am a transplanted Philadelphian. I grew up rooting for Philadelphia sports teams. I have access to 25 regional sports networks. The only one I can't get is, of course, Comcast. I subscribe to DirecTV. I appreciate your attention to this issue. I do not think enough criticism is placed on Comcast. Obviously it is a matter of dollars, but it is a lousy deal for DirecTV subscribers. It's definitely anti-competitive. By owning the teams and some of the venues, the word monopoly comes to mind. Please re-visit this issue! The level and the passion of frustrated relocated Philly sports fans is shamefully understated by those empty suites and Comcast.

M. Green
Washington, D.C.





Laura,

I now live in NYC and am still a Philly fan but am forced to glean and scour episodes of SportsCenter for any news on Philly teams. Depressing. If, for instance, you buy the regional sports coverage package from DirecTV, you get almost every major market's coverage EXCEPT Philly. Isn't this just bad for fans of Philly teams everywhere? The games would, as usual, be blacked out and subject to the purchase of say an NBA League Pass account, but the Comcast SportsNet great talk and other content would be the best thing to see. Without it, I feel isolated from much of the dialogue in the Philly area about sports. Maybe Angelo Cataldi will pressure Comcast into relenting, knowing for sure he could be a national personality - or maybe even the nation somehow could learn to love Bill Bergey's football reminiscences. But unless Comcast decides to share, we'll never know. It's not like I wouldn't subscribe to Comcast cable service if I could, but it's not available here in NYC, so what's the big deal? How can it hurt them?

Harry Nagle
New York City

China Bowl
Eagles tight end Chad Lewis, who is fluent in Mandarin will be the color analyst for the first-ever Chinese broadcast of "The Super Bowl."  How do you say "drop" in Chinese?  

Laura Nachman covers television and radio sports for the Courier Times. She can be reached at bradyresident@aol.com.

January 30, 2004 6:20 AM