This morning's FINANCIAL TIMES carries an extensive survey
of new communications media that covers cable, business
television, pay television, UK cable, radio, satellites, and the
Internet.  Raymond Snoddy, survey editor:  "When it makes little
difference whether business news is obtained from a computer
screen or a TV screen, it is clear that the importance of the new
media goes far beyond extra channels of entertainment.  There are
frequent signs that the long-predicated covergance between
entertainment, computing and telecommunications is at last
happening, even though the electronic superhighway probably
excites politicians more than consumers at the moment.  Cable,
satellite, and video cassettes will have a growing number of
rivals to communicate words, pictures and ideas" (FINANCIAL
TIMES, 10/4).

     In this morning's WASHINGTON TIMES, John Hawkins reports on
plans for The Golf Channel, scheduled to launch in January 1995.
(1) Tour Programming -- "the handful of PGA Tour events that
currently aren't televised ... most likely will become the Golf
Channel's.  Otherwise, live coverage probably be limited to Nike
Tour events, with a sprinkling of LPGA, Senior Tour and various
foreign tours carrying the balance."  (2)  "Golf Center" -- this
"evening centerpiece" will provide pre- and post-tournament
programming, "although there's some question as to whether the
Golf Channel will limit those wraparounds to the tournaments it
televises live." (3) Other Programming will include "visual
lessons, the celebrity-golfer gamut, lots of resort travel
features, and as much news as the game can generate."  (4) Viewer
Cost -- "the Golf Channel is treating itself as a 'premium'
channel, although there's a lingering suspicion it may have to
settle for 'tiered' status."  Mark Watts, premium product manager
for Comcast:  "From a cable marketing standpoint, their success
seems predicated on what makes them any different from CBS or
ESPN.  The key is to give people a reason why they should spend
an extra $5 on it" (John Hawkins, WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/4).

     CBS' 8.1 preliminary rating from Sunday night's movie is
half of last year's average rating.  CBS exec VP of Research
David Poltrack:  "We can't promote a movie to male viewers
without football."  Poltrack believes CBS' Harlequin romance
movies might fare better in prime time by drawing a female
audience.  CBS will finish third among the nets for the second
week in a row (N.Y. TIMES, 10/4)....Cap Cities/ ABC is buying
stations in Flint, MI and Toledo, OH from SJL Broadcast
Management Corp. for $155M.  NBC and Fox were also interested in
purchasing the affils.  ABC programming in Toledo will switch
from WNWO to WTVG, which is currently an NBC affil.   WJRT in
Flint is already an ABC affil.  The purchase brings ABC's station
ownership to 10 stations with 24% national viewing audience,
while the federal limit is 25% (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/4)....CBS
and Fox are switching affils in Austin, TX.  CBS will be
associated with KBVO, which is being acquired by Granite
Broadcasting Co. (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/4)....Former Disney
exec Jeffrey Katzenberg "flatly denied" he will go to work for GE
at a new NBC movie production studio (N.Y. POST, 10/4)....SF
Broadcasting, which is funded by News Corp., filed a complaint
with the FCC in response to NBC's complaint that Fox is side-
stepping federal requirements on affiliate acquisition (WALL
STREET JOURNAL/N.Y. TIMES, 10/4).

     In this week's ADVERTISING AGE, Diane Mermigas reports on
Wayne Huizenga's plans following last Friday's merger between
Blockbuster Entertainment and Viacom.  Huizenga:   "People think
I have something else up my sleeve, but I don't ... I can't work
for someone else.  I am not an employee, I'm an entrepreneur. ...
I like the entertainment industry. It's a lot of fun.  While
there aren't too many voids left to fill in the entertainment
industry, there are still opportunities."  Huizenga will remain
in south Florida, continue to oversee his assets -- including the
Dolphins, Panthers, and Marlins -- but "doesn't expect to expand
his sports interests" (AD AGE, 10/3 issue).