Chicago - A message from the station manager

Sinclair’s Cubs Network Names Complicit GM

By Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

Marquee Sports Network announced Michael McCarthy as general manager Tuesday. As a key member of the network’s senior leadership team, McCarthy will be responsible for driving the success of the Marquee Sports Network, set to launch in February 2020 in partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
McCarthy served as president of MSG Network, where he was responsible for revenue and content across all platforms, winning over 75 Emmy Awards and helping launch the careers of nationally known broadcasters such as Mike Breen, Gus Johnson and Doris Burke.
McCarthy also served as vice chairman and CEO of the St. Louis Blues and was the COO of the Milwaukee Bucks. Since last August, McCarthy has served as a consultant to the Chicago Cubs in the evaluation and formation of the Marquee Sports Network launch strategy.


“We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Mike and his proven ability to drive results over the past several months at Marquee,” said Crane Kenney, Cubs president of business operations. “With his combined sports and media background, Mike is the right person to bring our network online and deliver unprecedented Cubs coverage for our fans.”
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the launch of the first independent regional sports network for the Chicago Cubs,” said McCarthy. “The recent transformation of this iconic brand is incredibly impressive and the next big effort to better serve Cubs fans is the launch of Marquee. For years, I watched the Cubs become a nationally recognized brand. For that reason, I’m honored and intensely motivated by the confidence the Ricketts family, Sinclair and the Cubs have placed in me to add to the incredible broadcasting experience enjoyed by fans for the past 70 years.”
About Marquee Sports Network
Marquee Sports Network, a new regional sports network, will be the exclusive television home of the Chicago Cubs starting in February 2020. Marquee Sports Network will feature live game broadcasts from Chicago Cubs broadcasters, Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies, extensive pregame and postgame coverage, in-depth unique Cubs content and other local sports programming. Sinclair Broadcast Group is the network’s broadcast partner.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (“Sinclair”) is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country. The Company owns, operates and/or provides services to 191 television stations in 89 markets. Sinclair is a leading local news provider in the country and is dedicated to impactful journalism with a local focus. The Company has multiple national networks, live local sports production, as well as stations affiliated with all the major networks. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
About the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs franchise, a charter member of Major League Baseball’s National League since 1876, has won the National League pennant 17 times and was the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles in the 1907 and 1908 seasons. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history again when the team won its first World Series in 108 years, ending the longest championship drought in North American sports. Known for its ivy-covered outfield walls, hand-operated scoreboard and famous Marquee, iconic Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916 and is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. In 2009, the Ricketts family assumed ownership of the Chicago Cubs and established three main goals for the organization: Win the World Series, Preserve and Improve Wrigley Field, and Be a Good Neighbor. For more information, visit www.cubs.com.

Previously in Sinclair:
* Item: Former Trump Aide Joins Sinclair.
* Trump’s FCC Chair Continues To Shaft The Public, Offer Major Handouts To Big Media.
* Trump-Friendly Sinclair’s Takeover Of Tribune TV Stations Brought To You By Trump’s FCC Chairman.
* Jonathan Pie, TV Reporter! Make The Air Fair.
* ‘Maybe The Worst FCC I’ve Ever Seen.’
* A Pair Of Decades-Old Policies May Change The Way Rural America Gets Local News.
* Tribune’s Disastrous Sale To Sinclair.
* Lawmakers Demand Answers About FCC’s Favoritism Toward Sinclair.
* Can Anyone Stop Trump’s FCC From Approving A Conservative Local News Empire?
* Sinclair’s Flippant FCC Ruling.
* FCC Presses Sinclair For Answers On Tribune Merger.
* Trump FCC Eliminates Local Broadcast Main Studio Requirement In A Handout To Sinclair That Will Harm Local Communities.
* Trump’s FCC Chairman Announces Plan To Scrap Media Ownership Limits Standing In Way Of Tribune-Sinclair Mega-Merger.
* Lisa Madigan et al. vs. Sinclair-Tribune.
* Local TV News Is About To Get Even Worse.
* Trump’s Secret Weapon Against A Free Press.
* With Massive Handouts To Sinclair, FCC Clears Path To New Wave Of Media Consolidation.
* Trump FCC Opens Corporate Media Merger Floodgates.
* FCC Wraps New Gift For Sinclair.
* FCC Inspector General Investigating Sinclair Rulings.
* Behind Sinclair’s ‘Project Baltimore.’
* Don’t Be Fooled By Sinclair’s Shell Games.
* Free Press Sues The FCC For Dramatic Reversal Of Media Ownership Limits That Pave Way For Media Mergers.
* Thanks, Tribune Media, All You Did Was Weaken A Country.
* Sinclair-Fox Station Deal Enabled By FCC Is Dangerous For Democracy.
* The Sinclair Sham.
* Debunking The Broadcast Industry’s Claims About Sinclair’s Tribune Takeover.
* Surprise FCC Move Maims Sinclair-Tribune Merger.
* Sinclair Makes Last Ditch Effort To Salvage Tribune Merger. Will FCC Bite?
* Sinclair-Tribune Deal On Life Support.
* Sinclair-Tribune Deal Is Dead.
* Tribune Media Lawsuit: Belligerent Sinclair Blew A Sure Thing.
* Tribune Executives Will Get Bonuses After Sinclair Deal Collapses.

See also:
* Sinclair Broadcast Group Solicits Its News Directors For Its Political Fundraising Efforts.
* FCC Plans To Fine Sinclair $13.3 million Over Undisclosed Commercials.
* Sinclair’s New Media-Bashing Promos Rankle Local Anchors.
* Sinclair’s Latest “Must-Run” Segment Defends Tear-Gassing Refugees.
* Nexstar-Tribune Deal Is Bad News For Communities And Local Media.
* Dear FCC: Further Weakening Media-Ownership Limits Isn’t The Answer.
* Free Press To FCC: Revoke Sinclair’s Licenses If They Lied To You.
* Sinclair Broadcast Group To Acquire 21 Regional Sports Networks From Disney At A Valuation Of $10.6 Billion.

Comments welcome.

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Posted on May 22, 2019