Another NBC Departure; Tour TV Negotiation Underway?

John Ourand reports on the retirement of Ken Schanzer, the longtime, golf-friendly NBC Sports #2 man and suggests Schanzer is staying on briefly to be part of PGA Tour television pact negotiations which may now be underway.

Schanzer has agreed to remain at the network through the summer to ease the transition to MARK LAZARUS, who took over as NBC Sports Group Chair last week after Ebersol resigned. NBC is in the midst of negotiating rights to Wimbledon and just starting negotiations for the PGA Tour -- two relationships that Schanzer has handled for years. "I'd like to be involved in getting those resolved favorably," he said. "I've dealt with both entities for a long time." Schanzer, who had been president of NBC Sports since '98, was a close confidant of Ebersol's and said he decided to leave soon after he learned of Ebersol's resignation. "I began having conversations with [NBC Universal CEO] STEVE BURKE almost immediately," he said. "Steve has been great and sensitive to what I wanted to do. I couldn't be more grateful."