CSTV Plays Name Change Game
As Part Of Reorganization, CBS College Sports Network Tips Off In March
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 2/12/2008 6:57:00 AM
Following a change in leadership last month, College Sports Television is being reorganized into CBS Sports, melding the cable, broadcast and online activities of CSTV into its brand.
Starting next month and in time for the college hoops Madness that is March, CSTV will morph into CBS College Sports Network, across various platforms, including CBSSports.com.
Moreover, CBS Sports will commence developing proprietary program for the cable network. As the college network moves toward more original fare, its first manifestation is College Sports Tonight, a news and information assessing the day’s events that will air twice. Additional programming is expected to be announced shortly, according to network officials.
The moniker modification, which will include the full integration of the CBS Sports on- air style and graphics, follows the re-branding of the former CBS Sportsline.com to CBSSports.com last August. During the month following that change, CBSSports.com earned a 27% increase in users, the highest growth rate among major sports sites, according to network officials.
Under the reorganization, CSTV's extant lineup of online properties, including MaxPreps, the most-recognized information in high school sports, will be integrated to produce incremental value to CBS's online audience.
“The ability to bring unity to the CBS Sports brand across all media -- broadcast network, cable, online and mobile -- is something we know audiences and advertisers will continue to embrace,” said Tony Petitti, executive vice president and executive producer, CBS Sports, who oversees day-to-day operations of the network, in a statement. “CBS College Sports Network will now be easily recognized as an asset of an already proud brand and distributor of the highest quality sports programming.”
Oversight of CBS College Sports Network -- CBS Corp. acquired CSTV for $325 million in November 2005 -- is in the hands of Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports. Petitti succeeded CSTV founder Brian Bedol in running the network on a daily bais.
