CBS' ratings for college basketball are averaging 2.9, down
slightly from last year. This past weekend, UConn-Villanova
received a 2.4 and 6 share. The game lost out to both of ABC's
Saturday offerings, the Pro Bowlers Tour (3.3/9 share) and Wide
World of Sports (4.0/10), as well as NBC's golf coverage (2.5/8).
Milton Kent offers a theory: "The glut of games simply has
diluted the market by the time CBS gets on the air Saturdays and
Sundays" (Baltimore SUN, 2/22)....The Family Channel is
broadening its sponsorship of NASCAR Winston Cup by developing a
weekly half-hour program titled "RaceWeek." Airing Fridays at
11:00pm and Saturdays at 11:30am, "RaceWeek" will debut March 10
(Family Channel)....In Dallas, John Kirkpatrick examines TCI's
move into the Dallas cable community. In '88, TCI did not
control any cable systems in the area. But if TCI succeeds in
buying systems in Ft. Worth and other cities, TCI would serve
close to 580,000 subscribers, making Dallas-Ft. Worth the MSO's
largest market (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/21). In other TCI news, a
report in this morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL notes that a
consortium of companies that includes TCI is emerging as a
serious bidder for the cable systems of Sammons Enterprises.
Sammons controls some 78 cable systems scattered in 18 states
(WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/22)....The U.S. House voted to repeal a
tax break favoring minority broadcasters, potentially dooming
Viacom's planned $2.3B cable TV sale to a minority controlled
company. The bill still has to pass the Senate (WALL STREET
JOURNAL, 2/22)....Fox's NHL promos began running this week during
the network's prime time shows. The 30-second spots feature NHL
stars explaining some of the rules of the game (Steve Zipay, N.Y.
NEWSDAY, 2/20).
