While "Monday Night Football" celebrates its 25th
anniversary this season, fans in Portland and Seattle continue
their 25th year of aggravation.  Because stations KOMO in Seattle
and KATU in Portland refuse to "give up" their local and national
news between 6pm and 7pm, viewers see MNF on tape-delay.  While
football fans have vocally opposed the practice for a quarter-
century, there's little chance for a change.  The NFL "didn't
know about it" until contacted by THE SPORTING NEWS.  The league
was not even aware of the stations' policies.  But NFL
Communications Dir Greg Aiello explained:  "It's a situation that
has been grandfathered" (Ted Rogers, THE SPORTING NEWS, 12/12
issue).

     In a joint announcement by SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer and
ESPN Senior VP/Programming John Wildhack, ESPN and the SEC have
reached an agreement for the network to televise football and
basketball through the 2000-2001 season.  The deal calls for 12
football games per year on ESPN and up to eight additional men's
and women's basketball games, with the women's championship on
ESPN2 (ESPN).

     John Labatt, Ltd. announced yesterday that it took a $13M
loss on its second quarter earnings because of the baseball
strike.  Labatt is looking to "spin off" up to 49% of its sports
and entertainment assets.  Labatt President George Taylor said in
a conference call that the company is exploring "several -- both
Canadian and international -- possibilities for making a deal
with a partner."  There was discussion earlier of a public
offering, but Taylor said a "relationship with a strategic
partner is a stronger possibility" (Bertrand Marotte, OTTAWA
CITIZEN, 12/9).  Labatt owns The Sports Network, Canada's
national cable channel, 80% of the Discovery Channel, 90% of the
Blue Jays, and 41% of the SkyDome.  The "lure" for prospective
buyers are the TV licenses the company has, and Taylor admitted
the TV properties have "attracted outside interest."  Taylor
announced that, surprisingly, the NHL lockout and baseball strike
have not hurt earnings at TSN and they were "extremely successful
in minimizing losses in advertising commitments" (Art
Chamberlain, TORONTO STAR, 12/9).

     Gannett is shutting down Usa Today/Sky Radio, its two-year-
old in-flight news and information service.  The company cited
insufficient ad sales (WASHINGTON POST, 12/9). ....In L.A., Larry
Stewart writes that the Diners Club Matches "figure to become
another popular television golf event."  The match-play event was
created by Jack Nicklaus and Terry Jastrow, the former ABC Sports
senior golf producer who heads Jack Nicklaus Productions (L.A.
TIMES, 12/9)....NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol refused to
gloat about the AFC leading the NFC on Fox through 14 weeks.
Ebersol cited the "great god of good games" and the big-name QBs
in the AFC --Marino, Kelly, Montana, Elway and Esiason:  "With
everything on TV, the questions are:  Is it exciting?  Does it
have stars" (Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY, 12/9).

     Cablevision's investment in Madison Square Garden "triggered
a clause that allows NBC to relinquish" its 50% stake in the
Sports Channel and another jointly owned cable program, News 12
Long Island.  And according to Cablevision Senior VP of Finance
Barry O'Leary, NBC may sell its stake to its partner, Cablevision
Systems Inc. for $92M.  But O'Leary did say he was not sure
whether NBC "plans to go ahead with the sale."  NBC has until 30
days after the close of the Garden sale, expected at the end of
the year, to make a decision (BLOOMBERG BUSINESS NEWS/N.Y. POST,
12/9).