Boston Red Sox, Boston Globe, and NESN: What Happens When One Entity Owns them All?

Fascinating piece by Ian Donnis of the Boston Phoenix about the "growing synergistic cartel" of the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Globe, and the New England Sports Network (NESN), the regional cable station that broadcasts over 150 sox games. (Donnis, "Inside Baseball," Boston Phoenix, Aug. 4, 2005). The common link among the three is the New York Times Company, which owns the Globe and which is a minority investor (17 percent) in the Red Sox, which itself owns 80 percent of NESN. Donnis examines whether this affiliated relationship might affect purportedly "objective" news coverage of the team. He notes, for instance, a Globe editorial in 2002 that favored an enclosed free-keg zone on Yawkey Way next to Fenway Park. The Globe did not disclose its financial stake in the matter. He also reveals other circumstantial facts, such as Globe (and NY Times) executives receiving World Series rings, and how the Red Sox and Globe use the same law firm and bank. Of course, none of these actions appear to reflect "illegal" activity, but collectively, they illuminate increasing consolidative behavior among corporate entities, and how that trend appears to be affecting the sports world.

For more on this story, Ian Donnis will be interviewed tonight on David Frank and Scott Gilefsky's Sports Court, which airs on Sporting News Radio Boston 1510 AM at 5 PM, and which may be heard live at this link. David and Scott will also be interviewing Attorney Jon Kamin, who will discuss the recent plight of Harry Bowers, an autistic 9-year old from Pittsburgh whose little league coach paid another player $25 to throw a baseball at Bowers' head so that the coach wouldn't have to play Bowers in a game. It's depressing to think that someone like this little league coach could actually exist.

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