Cbs

Looking for new live sports for its 24-hour national sports channel, CBS Sports Network has reached a two-year rights deal with the Arena Football League. Terms were not disclosed, and the contract is much shorter than those for the NFL, Major League Baseball, and major college sports. The deal "satisfies the nation's hunger for football, especially in the spring," said Dan Weinberg, senior vice president of CBS Sports Network. Arena games, including those of the Philadelphia Soul, are played between March and July.

IT TURNS OUT that Alycia Lane tried to return to work in Philadelphia before she recently re-signed with KNBC in L.A. We learned that Lane's agent, Gregg Willinger , contacted Fox 29 and NBC 10 to gauge their interest in the former CBS 3 anchor. Lane referred our inquiry to Willinger, who told us that "several stations in Philly showed interest in Alycia when her contract was coming up with KNBC in Los Angeles. She still has warm feelings for the people of Philadelphia and still has many friends there as well.

So Made in Jersey starring Janet Montgomery was the first series to get canceled. I suppose I should have seen that coming. If there's one thing the last decade of television has proven conclusively, it's that American audiences simply will not put up with a TV show that has a British or Australian lead actor pretending to be one of us. The series also featured as the law firm's chief partner Kyle MacLachlan, who is something of a show-killer....

* MADE IN JERSEY. 9 p.m. Friday, CBS 3. * FRINGE. 9 p.m. Friday, Fox 29. IT TAKES only about two minutes for "Made in Jersey" to get its lead down to her pretty bra. I don't know if that's a record, but it says a lot about how deftly CBS' newest drama handles the introduction of Martina Garetti (Janet Montgomery), Jersey-girl-turned-Manhattan-lawyer, that women should be able to relate to her, even in her undies. I suspect guys will be fine with her, too. Montgomery ("Black Swan")

HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Monday to Ukee Washington, who'll wake up with the city (or, as he says, his "morning family") by celebrating his 54th on "Eyewitness News This Morning. " The West Philly-born news vet's been at Channel 3 since 1986, first as a sports anchor, now as the anchorman for both "This Morning" and "Talk Philly. " (You can also catch him on the CW.) Recently recovered from a left-hip replacement, Washington has a big year ahead of him, starting with a few more squats and lots more fabulous Fridays.

NEW YORK - As the Big East prepares to negotiate a television contract that could make or break the conference, it has chosen a man who has been part of some of the biggest media rights deals in college sports to be its new commissioner. The Big East on Tuesday hired CBS executive vice president Mike Aresco as it continues to rebuild from a tumultuous year of defections. "I'm not daunted by it all. I embrace the challenge," Aresco told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.

CAN WE get a "whoo hoo!" for Pat Ciarrocchi ?  The Channel 3 anchor and midday "Talk Philly" co-host turns the big 6-0 today. She's graced local airwaves longer than any other female anchor in Philly, celebrating her 30th anniversary at the station this year. Popularity, self-confidence, balance at work and home — it's looking good as she starts another decade personally and professionally. Legendary DJ Jerry Blavat, a/k/a the Geator with the Heater, celebrates 72 Tuesday at his club, Memories Lounge in Margate, N.J.; the party continues here Wednesday at SugarHouse Casino from 5 to 7 p.m.  Upper Darby's own funny man Kevin Hart turns 32 the same day. — Jenice Armstrong

CBS, or, as it likes to call itself, "America's Most-Watched Network," is already holding a strong hand as the 2012-13 TV season draws to a close. On Wednesday, the network revealed some subtle but significant moves to improve its advantage at its Upfront Presentation to advertisers at Carnegie Hall in New York — an annual ceremony that this year saw LL Cool J rapping with opera singer Danielle de Niese and New York Giants QB Eli Manning brandishing the Lombardi Trophy. (CBS carries the Super Bowl next season.)

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But what if people create a show for ABC called "The Glass House" and it's surprisingly like a show called "Big Brother" on CBS? Can CBS throw stones? Can the network sue? Attorneys for CBS have sent ABC executives a letter warning that "The Glass House" is "strikingly" similar to "Big Brother. " CBS also notes that ABC may be benefiting from the fact that 18 former "Big Brother" staffers and executives are now working on the planned ABC show.

So why did the 76ers abruptly leave CBS Radio for 97.5 The Fanatic last Saturday? A breach of contract by CBS Radio, says a source familiar with the deal. This divorce saga all started on April 3, when the Sixers played the Miami Heat in a game that ended up being broadcast on 98.1 WOGL rather than one of the team's usual radio homes — 610 WIP or 94 WIP. The Sixers were notified of the move just one day before the game, though their contract stipulated they be given a longer notice, we're told.