ANGELS NOTEBOOK: FSN WEST TALKS HIT SNAG.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth and Doug Padilla Staff Writers

The Angels decided to end talks with FSN West about a long-term extension on their current contract and an announcement could come today on how the team's 2006 television schedule will finally sort itself out.

Last month, it was reported that the Angels and FSN were about to forge a 10-year contract worth up to $500 million that would guarantee 150 games a year. That would also quiet Angels owner Arte Moreno's overtures of starting his own cable network. FSN and the Dodgers have a 10-year, $320 million deal but that is only for 100 games a year, and the Angels reportedly turned down a 10-year, $340 million deal last October.

Since any kind of extension would have affected the number of games FSN West added to the upcoming season's slate - it is obligated only to do a minimum of 50 games a season, through 2008 - the Angels have not issued a completed TV schedule, even though the season is less than a week away.

As of Wednesday, the Angels only knew that its exhibition game tonight at San Francisco would be on FSN West 2, its exhibition game against the Dodgers on Saturday would be on Channel 13, and several Saturday games were part of Fox Channel 11's regional schedule.

``Both parties worked diligently over the last several weeks of negotiations (on the extension),'' said Angels president Dennis Kuhl in a statement. ``In looking to the future, we feel there are a wide variety of opportunities that will be available to us. Our goal remains providing maximum television coverage of Angels baseball both in 2006 and the years to come.''

KCAL Channel 9 ended its over-the-air contract with the Angels after last season - eventually taking in the Dodgers - so the Angels games that are not on FSN West, Fox Channel 11 or ESPN will likely be distributed to KCOP Channel 13 and KDOC Channel 56. It will be difficult for the Angels to now get close to 150 of its games televised this season, unless FSN West finds a way to add more.

FSN West will more than likely have the Angels' season opener Monday in Seattle at 2 p.m. as well as the home opener against the Yankees on April 7.

``The goal has been and continues to be for FSN West to reach a new partnership deal with the Angels,'' the network said in a statement. ``In any long-term agreement, both parties need to reach terms that are in the best interest of their respective businesses, and those terms go beyond the financials.''

--Start him up: It was not the greatest start to Bartolo Colon's outing Wednesday - not that the Angels are complaining about their starting pitching.

Colon gave up three runs (all in the first inning) on eight hits in six innings against the Chicago Cubs and is the first Angels starter to complete his spring pitching responsibilities. His next start will come Monday on Opening Day at Seattle.

With spring training coming to a close, manager Mike Scioscia knows the pitching situation could have been worse. Colon entered this spring coming off a shoulder injury, Kelvim Escobar had surgery last season for a bone chip and a bone spur in his right elbow and John Lackey developed a sore right shoulder in camp. When pitchers and catchers arrived in Arizona, the final rotation spot still was undecided.

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- Doug Padilla