SportsFan Radio Network has signed a deal with the NHL to
syndicate the national talk show, "In the Crease."  The show will
feature live reports from NHL games, team profiles and interviews
with players and coaches.  The deal "marks the first national
radio show for the NHL officially licensed by the league"
according to SportsFan and NHL officials.  The hour show debuted
last week and the network plans to syndicate the show to some 70
affiliates in the U.S. (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 2/27 issue).

     ESPN's Chris Berman led last night's "SportsCenter" with a
report that ESPN "GameDay" analyst PHIL SIMMS will be sign play
QB for the Browns (ESPN, 3/1)....Viacom Chair Sumner Redstone and
CEO Frank Biondi are interviewed in this morning's USA TODAY.
Redstone says the repeal of the tax break for selling cable
franchises to minority investors could "unravel Viacom's truce
with TCI."  TCI is helping with the cash in the deal that would
allow black entrepreneur Frank Washington to purchase the Viacom
franchises.  As part of TCI's involvement in the deal, Viacom had
planned to withdraw a lawsuit it launched against TCI because the
company would not guarantee carriage of its Showtime channel.
Biondi says dropping the lawsuit is "all tied to the cable deal
going through" (USA TODAY, 3/2)....     SportsChannel New England
has announced plans to televise "A Night of Unity" honoring the
late-Celtic Reggie Lewis, live from Northeastern University on
March 21 from 8-9pm.  The program will raise money for the Reggie
Lewis Foundation (SportsChannel New England)....Yesterday's
BOSTON HERALD chronicled the making of the Fox NHL promotional
spots which will feature Bruins' Cam Neely, Adam Oates and Don
Sweeney (BOSTON HERALD, 3/1).  Fox ran another promo for its
April NHL schedule during last night's episode of "Beverly Hills,
90210."  The Capitals Joe Juneau explains the fine points of
checking ("Beverly Hills 90210," Fox, 3/1)

     This morning's N.Y. POST reports that publishing giant
Harcourt General Inc. has joined the "growing throng" of possible
bidders for CBS.  But Wall Street is skeptical.  Media analyst
Dennis McAlpine: "It's a little out of left field but the name
has come out before.  They were supposedly playing for NBC so why
not CBS" (Jonathan Auerbach, N.Y. POST, 3/2).  As for Turner
Broadcasting's interest in CBS, both the N.Y. POST's John Durie
and ATLANTA CONSTITUTION's Charles Haddad write that NBC is a
better fit.  Durie writes Ted Turner "will be wrong if he hopes
that by talking with CBS' Larry Tisch he may get [GE Chair Jack]
Welch worried and force him to back down" on who would control
NBC under a merger (N.Y. POST, 3/2).  Haddad:  "This much is
clear.  The 'for sale' sign has been taken down at NBC and tacked
up at CBS" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 3/2).

     The NBA has signed a five-year agreement with Nielsen Media
Research through which the league will have access to a broad
range of national and local TV audience information.  For the
first time, the NBA will have access to customized marketing data
on broadcast and cable TV across Nielsen's national and local
services, on both a league and team-by-team basis.  NBA
Television Ventures President Ed Desser: "The Nielsen
relationship will help us understand the needs and desires of our
fans.  Also, we will be able to better serve advertisers,
networks, teams and other business partners."  Robert Taragan,
Exec VP/Marketing Nielsen Media Research:  "By this agreement,
Nielsen has literally broken the mold in how we deal with the
unique needs of modern sports and entertainment organizations
such as the NBA.  In order to be responsive to these
organizations, Nielsen has created a new Sports Marketing Service
capable of providing customized reports with open access to
information such as age, sex and income delivery that cuts across
all of Nielsen's national and local services" (Nielsen/NBA).
     NUTS AND BOLTS:  Nielsen spokesperson Jack Loftus told THE
SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY that the NBA will not only have access to
information such as what age groups are watching NBA telecasts,
but also specially designed breakdowns of on demographics and
consumer attitudes.  For example, Nielsen could tell the NBA how
many many people watching games have not bought a car in more
than three years.  Loftus noted that 12 NBA teams subscribe to
the customized service on a local level.  Nielsen can track what
visiting teams or visiting superstars attract the biggest
audiences.  According to Loftus, the NBA came to Nielsen and
asked for a more customized service that cuts across all of the
various services Nielsen offers, such as ratings among different
ethnic groups.  Some of the data the NBA receives from Nielsen
will be made public, but more detailed numbers will not be
available.  Nielsen is also in discussions with the NFL, NHL and
NCAA.  They were in "very active discussions" with MLB, but the
labor strife has put those talks on hold.  Other clients to
Nielsen's Sports Marketing Service include a number of ad
agencies and major sponsors, ESPN, numerous TV stations and
regional cable networks (THE DAILY).

     Microsoft's foes launched a potent new attack that has
opened yet another inquiry into Microsoft's business tactics."
America Online, Compuserve and Prodigy, "the Big Three home-
oriented online services," charge that Microsoft's impending
entry into the on-line market  "constitutes an unfair advantage."
The on-line services fear "devastating competition" from
Microsoft, which intends to incorporate its own on-line service
into the next version of its DOS/Windows operating system, which
now controls 80% of the world's personal computers.  Microsoft
spokesperson on legal affairs Greg Shaw:  "This is to be
expected."  Shaw noted that the company has anticipated for
months that federal investigators will review the company's on-
line plans.  In other on-line news, America Online announced that
German media conglomerate Bertelsmann's $50M investment will give
them a 5% stake in the service.  The two companies' planned
venture to provide on-line services in Europe will be split 50-50
(James Coates, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/2).