It sounds like the Cubs are trying to get their own TV station when their contract with WGN ends.

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and titles will certainly follow.


Looong overdue

While they might, one thing I would like to see is the bidding start NOW!

Ricketts has been caught late to the party on every step he has made since owning the team....and before it.

Things have worked themselves out int he long run on a number of issues, but every single one of them should have been done in a more timely manner.

2 years, is not that far away when dealing with such a large $$$$ contract.

And while they might or might not, have their own station, they need the illusion that they will start one as I am sure some other owner and business partner will have an issue with them creating such a dominating cash flow venture.

Unless the Comcast Sports contract makes them a partner only while they are broadcasting with them, then it is kind of a conflict of interests to own part of a TV station and negotiate another deal, especially with the numbers the Cubs can post if they are decent.

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If the Cubs leave WGN-TV, it won't be until after 2014, the end of their current deal with the Tribune-owned outlet. The Cubs' deal with Comcast SportsNet Chicago actually lasts until 2019, but I'm not sure there's an out clause in the Cubs/CSNC deal should the Cubs start up their own channel.

The talk about a Cubs-owned channel has been discussed for many years, but I think the reason why it hasn't come to fruition had a lot to do with the recent economic recession. If the Cubs do start up their own channel, they better have not only original programming, but they might want to have another team to broadcast the games in addition to a bulk of the Cub games that would likely air.

What I mean by that is that even though it's called the YES Network in New York, the Yankees aren't the ONLY team that airs their games. Even before their move this season from New Jersey to Brooklyn, the Nets also broadcast the bulk of their games during the winter on YES. The YES Network is considered the business model for what regional sports networks are now.