News & Notes: ESPN, Tim Brando

• ESPN has announced a major organizational overhaul to this management staff.  John Whidhack has been named the new Executive Vice President of EVP Programming and Production and will report directly under ESPN President John Skipper.  This is in leau of Vice President and Director of News Vince Doira's announcement of early retirement in early 2015.  Rob King will move from the head of digital print media to SVP of SportsCenter.  You can see all the changes in the release and analysis from John Ourand at Sports Business Daily.

• In a stunning departure, Tim Brando has left CBS after 16 years.  Brando made the announcement on his Facebook account earlier today.  Brando's radio show on CBS Sports Radio was replaced with the simulcast of the New York syndicated Boomer & Carlton show and it appeared to not sit well with the long time CBS anchor.  Brando worked for CBS's college football and basketball coverage and appeared to be the heir to take over the booth from Verne Lundquist on CBS on SEC coverage.   Brando will remain on Sirius Radio, but is a television free agent.
  
  The move appears to put a lot of pieces in motion for CBS and ESPN.  With Brent Musburger's contract expiring, and Rece Davis and Chris Fowlers ambitions to move up the CFB broadcast both, CBS may make a major hire as a new successor for the 73 year old Lundquist.  Also, you will likely see the profile of two future stars in the CBS ranks in Andrew Catalon and Adam Zucker getting prime spots on CBS's college coverage.
  
• As noted in our previous post, NBC has made their Olympic talent roster in Sochi official in their release.  One notable omission: Michelle Beadle.

• NFL playoff ratings saw increases in three of the four games.  The Chargers-Broncos on Sunday easily had the best rating at 25.1, up 6% from the previous post season.  49ers-Panthers from earlier in the day was second with a 21.3 (+ 2%).  Saturday nights Colts-Patriots game had 19.4, up 4%, but the Saints-Seahawks from earlier in the afternoon had a 10% decrease from the previous years Ravens-Broncos classic.