The Media Learning Curve: March 10-24

Looking for work in the sports journalism business? Check the ESPN want-ads.

It shouldn't be a surprise to see the story that ran on the Associated Press wire servies earlier this week reporting that ESPN will add 125 jobs at its Bristol, Conn., headquarters this year, primarily by moving jobs from its publishing division in New York.

Ed Durso, executive vice president for administration, said consolidating ESPN's operations makes "tremendous business sense."

"We've been able to build a very unique thing here in Connecticut over the last 30 years, which is a production capacity on news and information and event coverage that is really in our view second to none," he said.

ESPN is seeking to consolidate in one place its work developing programs for TV, the Internet, phones and electronic tablets, Durso said.

Interestingly, ESPN said it also anticipates hiring up to 70 employees for a child care facility it opened last year.

There's something about ESPN needing more babysitters that seems to make the most sense in all of this story.

More after today's media column where we successfully bash Charles Barkley's barking on the wrong side of the fence (linked here):

== A David Letterman Top 10 list that you've been watching too much college basketball -- including on CBS:

10. "Answer the phone 'Hellohio State?'"
9. "Been having erotic dreams about Verne Lundquist."
8. "Named your kids Xavier, Duke and Notre Dame."
7. "You've started injecting nacho cheese intravenously."
6. "Begin each day by inflating your pants."
5. "Ask your girlfriend to marry you using a dry erase board."
4. "No number four - writer at Buffalo Wild Wings waiting for games to begin."
3. "Actually know what TruTV is - honestly, people, what the hell kind of a name is that?"
2. "You've spent thousands on plastic surgery to look like Jim Boeheim."
1. "Your wife refers to your fat ass as the 'Big South.'"

== CBS' "60 Minutes" plans a profile of fabled high school basketball coach Bob Hurley from St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J., with Steve Kroft doing the piece (Sunday, 7 p.m.).

== Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket team up to carry the CIF state basketball championships this weekend, with Paul Sunderland doing play-by-play on four broadcasts. It starts tonight with the girls DII final between St. Mary's of Stockton and Rialto at 6 p.m. (streaming on foxsportswest.com; delayed at 10:30 p.m. on Prime with Sunderland and Tracy Warren. The boys DII final of Archbishop Mitty in San Jose against Summit of Fontana airs live at 8 p.m. on foxsportswest.com and at 10:45 p.m. delayed on FSW with Sunderland and Dan Belluomini. On Saturday, the girls DI final between Mater Dei and Berkeley airs at 6 p.m. live on foxsportswest.com and then delayed at 10 p.m. on FSW with Sunderland and Warren. The boys DI final between Mater Dei and Concord's De La Salle goes live at 8 p.m. on FSW with Sunderland and Belluomini.

== Fox's coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Car Auto Club 400 from Fontana (Channel 11, Sunday) starts with the 11:30 a.m. prerace show (Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond) from the Auto Club Speedway infield, while Mike Joy has the call with Waltrip and Larry McReynolds, with Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum in the pits starting at noon.

== The first column for ESPN.com by Poynter's Kelly McBride (linked here) explains that she and Regina McCombs will write a monthly column, as well as a couple of shorter installments "as developments warrant." She says "it's no surprise that there are conflicts of interest and competing loyalties" as the company continues to grow and economic factors come into play, along with the changing landscape of journalism.

== Ian Darke and John Harkes call the U.S. men's national team game against Argentina on Saturday (ESPN2, 4 p.m.) from East Rutherford, N.J.

== Showtime's documentary series on the San Francisco Giants called "The Franchise," which doesn't debut until July 13, has a 30-minute preview set for Wednesday, April 13 at 9:30 p.m.

== This was the lead to an actual press release sent out by ESPN:

ESPN Strikes Deals for Unprecedented Multiplatform Cricket Coverage in the U.S. through 2015, Including the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Two four-year agreements to bring Champions League Twenty20 and major ICC events exclusively across TV, online and mobile

Furthering its commitment to cricket, ESPN today announced it has reached two multiyear rights agreements for exclusive live coverage of matches from Champions League Twenty20 and International Cricket Council (ICC) events, including the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, one of the most watched sporting events globally. The deals, signed with global rights holder ESPN Star Sports, will dedicate more than 1,000 additional hours of exclusive live cricket in the U.S. to ESPN3.com's programming lineup.

"It's a big day for cricket fans in the U.S., and we're thrilled to be the network offering this passionate and underserved audience more cricket coverage than ever before," said Damon Phillips, Vice President, ESPN3.com. "We're removing the traditional pay per view barrier and making these world class events available to millions of fans."

== AND FINALLY:

== FunnyOrDie.com has created "Great Moments in History with Gus Johnson" with the explanation: "March Madness is nothing without Gus Johnson, but none of these great moments in history would have been that important without him covering them either":