HEARST/ESPN LAUNCH MAGAZINE; MURDOCH NOT FAR BEHIND

     In what had been rumored for weeks, Hearst and ESPN
officially announced the launch of a new sports magazine this
August.  "ESPN Total Sports" will roll out with four test issues
this fall.  Three of the issues will focus on a different sport,
with a year-end roundup issue of the year's sports events in
December.  Hearst and ESPN said ESPN Total Sports will be sold on
newsstands only and will become a monthly if the four test issues
succeed.  Meanwhile, News Corp.'s Murdoch Magazines may soon
launch a sports magazine said to be targeting upscale males in
their 20s and 30s.  With a publishing frequency of every two
weeks, the magazine, with a working title of "The Score," would
be a "more direct challenger" to Sports Illustrated.  Michael
Caruso, a former top Vanity Fair editor, is leading the News
Corp. project (Patrick Reilly, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/10).