The Phils and CBS announced this week that they had signed an extension to their five-year contract, keeping WPHT (1210) as the team's flagship station.

The length of the extension was not disclosed, but my sources pin it at only one year: the 2010 season.

John Fullam, who runs Greater Media's Philadelphia stations, said he was hot to "sit at the table" next year to bid not only for the Phils but the other major area teams - all of which have radio deals with CBS. (No other deal is coming up soon.)

Last week, Greater Media added a 97.5 FM simulcast to WPEN (950), its sports-talk station. WPEN, also known as 950ESPN, is gunning for the audience of CBS sports-talker WIP (610).

The Phillies have a long history with WPHT. Their games were heard on the 50,000-watt station from 1982 to 2001. From 2002 to 2004, the Phils jumped to the 5,000-watt WPEN, which was still a music station. Complaints of static were frequent then, but 97.5 throws a decent FM signal across the region.

CBS wrested back the Phillies with a five-year deal starting with the 2005 season.

WPEN carries postseason games through its affiliation with ESPN - including the Phillies games. All Major League Baseball games also are heard on XM.

Not this time

According to his blog, maintained by brother-in-law Brian Hart, he has run into "a real slugfest in soft sand," making it hard to pull his hand-built equipment cart.

Carmichael, co-owner of La Colombe coffee, set out from the Mojave Desert town of Baker, Calif., on Friday. The blog says he has reluctantly called for a pickup at midday today.

House-sold words

Sale price of former CBS3 anchor Alycia Lane's Washington Square condo was $900,000, according to city records recently made available. She paid $675,000 in 2004, but made considerable upgrades. The unit went on the market in January 2008 at $1.3 million. Lane now anchors for the NBC station in Los Angeles.

Briefly noted

As you might imagine, the Mural Arts Program keeps an eye on the weather. Anticipating a raft of rain Saturday, organizers have rescheduled Muralissimo at the Piazza, the 25th-anniversary outdoor party planned for the Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties, to Oct. 24.

Jack Mackenroth, an HIV-positive fashion designer and personality from Project Runway, is scheduled to walk all 12 kilometers of Sunday's AIDS Walk Philly and speak to the assembled. Mackenroth's national HIV and AIDS education campaign, Living Positive by Design, is a partnership with Merck & Co. The walk starts on Kelly Drive at 9 a.m.

Reality star Jon Gosselin, visiting the Main Line prior to a court date in Norristown with his estranged wife, Kate, ate at the bar at Radnor's 333 Belrose on Tuesday with a male friend. Their meal included beef sliders and Old Bay fries (and one Crown and ginger for him). Tab was $35, and he left a generous $15. That was before the hearing, where he supposedly was ordered to return $180,000 in marital funds by Oct. 26.