• Chicago Tribune, Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:15 AM

Could a new owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team start a new cable TV channel devoted to the team? That's one of the enticing ideas the Tribune Co, is floating as part of its planned sale of the Cubs, Wrigley Field and its 25% stake in Comcast SportsNet. Opening bids for the team are due by Friday.

After Comcast SportsNet's rights to broadcast Cub games expires in 2019, a new owner could conceivably create a new sports network dedicated to the Cubs.

The idea is a tempting prospect, say observers, considering the size of the Chicago media market, the popularity of the Cubs and the success of other regional sports networks in large markets. Comcast SportsNet, created in 2004, is jointly owned by the owners of the teams and Comcast.

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