Mike Allen, VP of interactive services for the NBA, helped the league take a major step towards an iTV future where fans can find an online experience designed specifically to complement TV viewing. Known as NBA TV Companion, the service will allow fans to fire up a laptop or computer and do everything from keep up-to-date on statistics and shooting charts, engage in social networking, and watch videos during halftime and the post-game.

The new year will bring a new home for Universal Sports. A fortuitous new partnership will enable the 24-hour Olympic Sports network to move into a state-of-the-art, HD-ready facility — one that has been standing mostly idle for two years.

MOOV, a broadcast-graphics specialist based in the United Kingdom, will use Chyron’s Lyric PRO on HyperX graphics-software platforms for all of its presentation graphics and design for BBC Sport during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February.

The Phoenix Suns and Txtstation have agreed to a two-year partnership that brings real-time mobile interactivity to both fans at US Airways Center and TV viewers watching the games from home.

The Olympics are the quintessential athletic competition. But beyond athletics lies a network of investment, organization, and case studies in leadership. For sponsors, a key byproduct of these networks is a strong brand. SVG Members are invited to attend Sobel Media’s latest event, produced in conjunction with SVG, an evening with “Mr. Olympics,” Rob Prazmark.

PNC Equipment Finance and National City Commercial Capital Company (NC4) have joined under one name as PNC Equipment Finance. Vincent Rinaldi, formerly chief executive officer of NC4, was appointed president and chief executive officer of PNC Equipment Finance.

Universal Sports is using Spinnaker encoding solutions and the Armada work-flow-management system from Inlet Technologies to power UniversalSports.com’s live and on-demand coverage.

Mayoral candidate Gene Locke embraces a new professional soccer stadium for Houston as an engine of economic growth. Rival Annise Parker holds it at arm’s length while assessing its economic risk. The next mayor of Houston is likely to be a central player in how soon or even whether a Major League Soccer stadium gets built just east of U.S. 59 downtown. Under Mayor Bill White, the city has spent $15.5 million to acquire the land. White has also proposed $10 million in redevelopment money toward the project. White’s deal would have the county contribute $10 million in redevelopment money and the Dynamo soccer team $60 million toward the stadium…

The Sports Video Group is pleased to welcome our newest premier sponsor, Globecomm. Most of the world’s television and radio broadcasting moves through digital transmission systems, networks, and studios designed by Globecomm.

The Sports Video Group is pleased to announce that Ascent Media has renewed its corporate sponsorship. Ascent drives the global digital media supply chain with more than 40 united facilities worldwide.

Nucomm, part of The Vitec Group’s RF Extreme business unit, said its CamPac2 wireless-camera transmitter and Newscaster DR1 diversity receiver were used by China Central Television (CCTV) for its coverage of the Chinese National Day Parade Oct. 1.

Turner Broadcasting System’s Turner Studios division is using the Broadcast Pix Slate 3000 integrated production system with Fluent work-flow tools to produce a second-screen experience for fans watching its coverage of the National Basketball Association and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing on TNT.

The Indianapolis Colts’ 35-34 comeback victory over the visiting New England Patriots on NBC’s Sunday Night Football drew the second-best overnight rating for NBC’s Sunday-night National Football League games this season, trailing only the New York Giants’ 33-31 triumph over the host Dallas Cowboys during week two.

The Instigators Presented by Cadillac Village of Norwood will return for its second season on NESN Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

The New Jersey Nets have yet to win a game but they made a winner out of the HD RED camera as m2’s creative team used the camera for a new video opening played in the IZOD Center. Creative Directors Warren Oliver and Donnie Murphy created a forty-five second game open using a combination of green screen footage, game highlights, and 2D/3D graphics and animation.

Comcast SportsNet will debut half-hour special 25: The Ben Wilson Story Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m., with an encore presentation at 11 p.m., and CSNChicago.com will offer video excerpts from the special immediately following its premiere.

ABC aired the 43rd Annual CMA Awards live in 5.1-channel surround sound Wednesday, Nov. 11, from the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN, and the event featured more than 250 microphones from Audio-Technica, both hard-wired and Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF wireless systems.

Cisco Systems elevated its original $3 billion bid for Tandberg, announced Oct. 1, to $3.41 billion, Lance Whitney of CNET reported.

The National Hockey League and National Basketball Association are taking on swine flu, John Ourand and Tripp Mickle of SportsBusiness Journal reported.

Comcast is responding to ESPN’s launches of local Websites by bolstering news operations at its regional sports networks, reports John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal.

“This is tough. You have to consider all the women working at the network. Someone with Steve’s issues could be putting the company at risk. Now you’re talking about potential lawsuits and potentially millions of dollars on the line. Considering what Steve is coming back from, not only would you be putting your company at risk, you would be putting your own job at risk.”

Former National Football League head coach Jon Gruden agreed to a multiyear extension to remain with ESPN as an analyst on Monday Night Football, ESPN.com reported.

Veteran sportscaster Bob Costas spoke with Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable on a wide range of topics, including the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games and the state of Major League Baseball.

Qualcomm will offer its FLO TV Personal Television device via retail outlets, at a list price of $250, which will initially include six free months of service, to supplement its distribution agreements with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, Todd Spangler of Multichannel News reported.

ESPN and Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW-TV teamed up with the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns and Bud Light to purchase the remaining tickets for Monday night’s game, when the Browns host the Baltimore Ravens, and ensure that the game will not be blacked out locally on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable reports.

The National Football League is not thirsty for Captain Morgan spiced rum. Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life reports that the league threatened huge fines for any NFL player who mimicked the Captain Morgan pose after scoring a touchdown.

WWE Monday Night Raw will remain on USA Network through 2014 following an extension of the agreement between the cable network and World Wrestling Entertainment, Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable reports.

It's not often that you see an existing handset remixed with entirely different kinds of radios built in, so color us a bit surprised this week to see Nokia announce a new version of the 5330 slider this week sporting DVB-H mobile TV tuning compatibility. Knowing what we know of DVB-H, its presence signifies that a North American release is a straight-up no-go, which is actually a bit of a shame -- it's a slick-looking Series 40 handset with a 3.2 megapixel cam and 3.5mm headphone jack for €155 (about $230) without a hint of contract or subsidy. Then again, just how badly do we want to watch football on a 2.4-inch display?

On this side of the Pacific, Norwood, MA-based Analog Devices (ADI) and San Jose, CA-based SiTune aren't wasting any time jumping into the ATSC mobile TV tuner market.

Last week at the SEMA automotive show, Concept Enterprises debuted an in-vehicle ATSC mobile TV tuner built on LG's ATSC-M/H chip. The size of a cell phone, the receiver has a 1in roof-mount antenna base and 6in antenna wire. The tuner works with any aftermarket and OEM monitor equipped with RCA outputs, the company says, and is expected to be available early in December with a retail price around $500.

Because a story on the OMVC's mobile TV resources was very popular in last month’s in “Mobile TV Update,” here's a list of other useful sites for information about mobile TV. The list is in alphabetical order.

Since the first CATV system was built in 1949, originally called Community Antenna TV, cable, satellite and wireless operators have been eating into North American broadcasters' audience, and with it, broadcasters' revenues. But with ATSC mobile TV rolling out, the pendulum is swinging the other way, says Jim Ocon, VP of technology at Gray Television, whose NBC affiliate in Omaha, NE, WOWT, launched one of the first North American mobile TV channels last July.