HOT CORNER

A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, heard, observed, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here. One exception: No products will be endorsed.

What: “DIG”

Where: Fox Sports Net 2, Saturday, 10 a.m.; Fox Sports Net, Sunday, 7 p.m.

It was announced earlier this week that Fox Sports Net, along with NBC, had entered into a business partnership with the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals. So it comes as no surprise that Fox Sports Net has created a half-hour weekly series to promote the AVP pro beach volleyball tour.

“DIG,” an eight-show series that makes its debut this weekend, offers lots of skin and plenty of fluff. What other show could get away with having its host, former college volleyball player Mary Strong, wear a bikini?

“DIG” has some good production qualities and should appeal to beach volleyball fans, even though, along with lots of hard bodies, the show consists of mostly soft features.

For example, a feature in the first show on Holly McPeak, reported by Dawn Heusser, only skims the surface. Viewers don’t learn much more about McPeak than that she has just turned 34, has been playing on the tour 13 years, works out hard, and has won 66 tournaments and more than $1 million. It’s never mentioned that she is married to AVP Commissioner Leonard Armato.

A feature on competitors who attempt to qualify for the main draw each week is too tightly edited.

There is also a feature on the AVP tour teaming up with Sports Illustrated for the “Fresh Faces Swimsuit Model Search.” No tight editing here, only tight shots.

-- Larry Stewart