Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer
VERO BEACH, Fla. - Despite a report due in Monday's Los Angeles Business Journal that New York businessman Dave Checketts is on the verge of buying the Dodgers from News Corp., sources close to the negotiations said a deal is not near.
Complicating any purchase of the Dodgers is the unwillingness of News Corp. to include Fox Sports Net or Fox Sports Net 2 in the deal, sources said.
Reached late Friday, News Corp. spokesman Andrew Butcher would not comment on the matter.
According to the upcoming issue of the Business Journal, an agreement has been reached and ``an announcement could be made within the next several weeks.'' Checketts reportedly will pay $620 million for the ballclub, Dodger Stadium and 80 percent interest in Fox Sports Net 2, which airs Dodgers games.
However, sources said a price has not been settled upon and the cable station isn't to be included. The Dodgers, bought by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. from the O'Malley family in 1998 for $317 million, lost $40 million last season, and the inclusion of one of the cable stations could offset the deficit.
The Dodgers might not be Checketts' only target. According to sources, Checketts also is negotiating a possible deal with AOL Time Warner about purchasing the Atlanta sports teams.
Checketts, the former president and chief executive of Madison Square Garden, the NHL's New York Rangers and NBA's New York Knicks, is trying to gather financial backing for his endeavor. He has less than a $100 million commitment from financier George Soros and also has commitments from two banks - J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. and FleetBoston Financial Corp. However, Major League Baseball frowns on debit financing transactions.
