WWE shopping around for new cable partner
Wrestling magnate Vince McMahon is searching for a new tag-team partner in television. McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment recently held preliminary discussions with cable groups including Turner Broadcasting, NBC Universal and FX Networks, according to sources, about relocating top-rated weekly program "WWE Raw" and its other series from Spike TV when their contract expires in September. Ironically, one of the front-runners to land the WWE is said to be NBC Uni's USA Network, the WWE's cable home before Spike TV. Their split sparked a bitter legal battle between USA Network and WWE in early 2000 when USA was then controlled by Barry Diller's USA Networks Inc. Kurt Schneider, executive vp marketing at WWE, confirmed the wrestling empire might enter the ring with a different channel but characterized the talks as pro forma. (Andrew Wallenstein) FULL STORY
