Various Press Releases for the Weekend

I think I’ll do three releases for you that previews programming for this weekend.

Here’s NBC talking about the first figure skating tournament it’ll air this season.

GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND ON NBC SPORTS AND UNIVERSAL SPORTS

NBC Sports & Universal Sports Combine to Present 11 Hours of Coverage From Paris

NEW YORK -- October 15, 2009 -- NBC Sports presents coverage of the first stop of the 2009 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series this Sunday from Paris, France. Skaters from Team USA will compete against athletes from 13 other countries, all vying for points and prize money and ultimately spots representing their country at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Coverage on NBC Sports begins Sunday at 1 p.m. ET and coverage on Universal Sports begins Friday at 5 p.m. ET.
 
NBC Sports' broadcast will feature coverage of the ladies and men's free skates and Universal Sports will carry coverage of the pairs and ice dancing finals and the men's and ladies short programs.
 
NBC Sports' ladies' coverage highlights reigning two-time World Junior silver medalist and 2009 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang competing against 2008 U.S. Junior gold medalist Alexe Gilles of France. On the men's side 2007 U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley and reigning two-time World Junior champion Adam Rippon compete. Bradley won the silver medal at 2008 Skate Canada and finished fourth at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships. 

Andrea Joyce and four-time world and U.S. champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton will call the coverage for NBC Sports from the Universal Sports studios in Los Angeles. They will be joined by 2002 Olympic gold medalist David Pelletier who will report from Paris.  

UNIVERSAL SPORTS COVERAGE: Universal Sports, available in more than 56 million homes, will broadcast more than 50 hours of Grand Prix coverage, including live and near-live taped programming and rebroadcasts of the featured programming that appears on NBC Sports. Universal Sports coverage details of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating -- France are below (all times ET):
Friday, Oct. 16, 5-7 p.m. ET/Encore Presentation: 8-10 p.m. ET
Sat., Oct. 17, 5-7 p.m. ET/Encore Presentation: 10-11 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m. ET

Joyce and three-time U.S. pairs champion and 1984 Olympic silver medalist Peter Carruthers will handle the call for Universal Sports from L.A. with Pelletier reporting from Paris.

CBS airs the “US Open of Supercross” on Saturday.

CBS SPORTS BROADCASTS “U.S. OPEN OF SUPERCROSS” ON SATURDAY, OCT. 17

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR broadcasts the ROCKSTAR ENERGY U.S. OPEN OF SUPERCROSS on Saturday, Oct. 17 (1:30-3:00 PM, ET). Some of the world’s top Supercross racers, including past winners James Stewart and Chad Reed, will take to the track at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a head-to-head, one lap race. The winners of each of the three heats will be awarded one point to their two-night racing totals, with the overall winner receiving the coveted $100,000 prize. A new twist this year will be the MMI Mechanics Challenge, featuring the mechanics of the top three finishing riders of each race. They will compete to remove and replace their bike’s back wheel before dashing to the finish line. The winning mechanic will earn a point towards their rider’s overall two-night total. John Sherlock, Jason Weigandt, Jim Holley and Erin Bates will call the action for CBS Sports. CBS Sports’ Sellers Shy serves as coordinating producer.

Harold Bryant is Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

CBS News’ Armen Keteyian will unveil some new information on Monday regarding the death of Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair who was found shot to death in July of this year.

CBS NEWS INVESTIGATION REVEALS SURPRISING NEW INFORMATION SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF FORMER NFL SUPERSTAR STEVE MCNAIR – THE TWO-PART “EARLY SHOW” INVESTIGATION WILL BE BROADCAST BEGINNING OCT. 19 ON CBS

Nashville police say former NFL Superstar Steve McNair was killed in the early morning hours of July 4 by his 20-year-old girlfriend who then took her own life. After a three-month investigation, CBS News’ Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian has discovered surprising new information that exposes critical flaws in the police investigation and raises troubling questions about the events leading up to the two deaths. Keteyian’s exclusive, two-part investigation, “Steve McNair Murder Mystery,” will be broadcast on THE EARLY SHOW beginning Oct. 19 (7:00-9:00AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

And I’ll end it there for now.