Wilmington Evening Journal - March 2, 1980

Delaware (excerpt)

By Al Cartwright

The annual meeting of the Chicago Cubs, held in Wilmington because the baseball club is incorporated here, had a fresh topic on the agenda. Surfacing for the first time was a move to show two-minute highlights of each major-league game.

The bid was circulated in a letter to club owners by Ted Turner, the Atlanta owner-promoter, on behalf of his Cable News Network, which is scheduled to begin service in June. His deal would not include compensation, presumably because it would serve as "sports news" coverage. Bill Haganah, president of the Cubs, said his club probably will go for the idea if it doesn't conflict with its TV broadcast contract.

I checked with the Phillies. Veep Bill Gilo said that he turned Turner down. "Couple of reasons. We felt we should get paid. And we saw a possible conflict with the ‘This Week in Baseball' syndicated show that our TV channel, 17, shows each Friday night."

The Cubs' meeting disclosed a 1979 profit of $12,975, which hardly seems worth the effort. But then, the Cubs themselves hardly seem worth the effort.