This past Tuesday marked the launch of "Hispanos en el
Beisbol," the first monthly magazine geared to the Hispanic
community.  Louis Cepeda and Carlos Bido, the Rockies' play-by-
play announcer on Spanish-language radio, are the paper's
publishers.  "Hispanos en el Beisbol" will focus on Latino
players in MLB and be published year-round, according to Hank
Caltabiano of the Hispanic Marketing Group, Inc., a Denver ad
firm "producing the tabloid."  Every article in the newspaper
appears in both Spanish and English.  Hispanic Marketing Group
"produced 20,000 copies of the first issue, which will be
distributed free at Coors Field and in stores and restaurants
primarily in Hispanic neighborhoods in metro Denver."  Early
advertisers include the Rockies, Coors Brewing, the Denver Rapid
Transit District, and Auto Accessories Mexico (Jeffrey Leib,
DENVER POST, 7/5).

     "Making a second effort within 10 years to produce a
universally acknowledged world champion," HBO Sports is
negotiating with Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman,
Michael Moorer, Evander Holyfield, Herbie Hide, Ray Mercer, and
Tommy Morrison "for a big-money tournament to start in October"
and end in June 1996.  All the fighters HBO seeks to sign are
current or former champs of the WBC, WBA, IBF, or WBO, and "none
is under contract to promoter Don King."  HBO Sports President
Seth Abraham "said the seven-fight tournament would generate $75
million-$100 million in television rights fees" and that he "was
confident the tournament would take place."  Abraham:  "We're
very far down the road.  The fight community responds to two
things:  money and money, and everything else is tied for last
place."  More Abraham:  "The fans don't really care about the
organizations anymore.  Their champions don't mean anything. ...
No longer is the No. 1 the best fighter.  He is now the best
politically connected" (AP/ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 7/6).  Abraham
did note, "A signed contract is only the first round of
negotiation" (THE DAILY).
     EARLY REAX:  In this morning's Baltimore SUN, Milton Kent
says HBO's move "is a brilliant one, on two counts."  Kent:
"First, it has arranged a solid block of programming with
fighters the public wants to see.  More importantly, the network
will assure itself a piece of the [Mike] Tyson gravy train at the
tournament's end, since the winner will have some form of title"
(BALTIMORE SUN, 7/6).

     In Vancouver, Alex Strachan writes, "Nearly two million
viewers in Canada watched [playoff] hockey on CBC, while 3.5
million viewers in the U.S. watched hockey on Fox.  Given the
difference in the number of potential viewers in the two
countries, that has to be a reality check for executives who
believe hockey's salvation lies with the American television
audience (Vancouver SUN, 7/6)...."An ESPN mix-up" yesterday
caused many Southern CA viewers to miss the first two innings of
the Dodger-Braves game featuring Hideo Nomo, "although it is
unclear why the unscheduled blackout occured."  ESPN had been
running Nomo promo's for several days, but "viewers initially got
the alternate game, San Francisco at Cincinnati."  ESPN
spokesperson Chris LaPlaca:  "We're just as upset as anyone else"
(L.A. TIMES, 7/6).... This week's SI features an article by
Austin Murphy who bunkered himself in a room at The Bay Hill Club
and Lodge in Orlando and watched the Golf Channel for "48
straight hours."  Murphy:  "I am not the Golf Channel's target
audience, that's my problem.  The station's programming is aimed
at the kind of person who is apt to liken a golf course to a
cathedral. ... It is for the best, I think, that my room contains
no minibar" (SI, 7/10).... SportsChannel Florida has reached an
agreement with Creative Sports to carry Univ. of Miami men's
basketball, as well as 30 to 40 football and basketball games
from the Big East, Big 10, Big 12, and Conference USA
(SportsChannel Florida)....ATTENTION SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY
SUBCRIBERS:  Later this year, a new venture called "Juno" will
provide free electronic mail service to anyone with access to a
personal computer and a modem (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/6).

     Next Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game on ABC "has generated
robust sales of commercial time despite sagging attendance at
ball parks" and the dissolution of The Baseball Network,
according to the AP's Skip Wollenberg.  Sales by TBN have hit
about $18M -- up 24% from the estimated $14.5M generated from ad
sales on '94 Game.  Wollenberg writes, "Ad buyers say a resurgent
advertising marketplace and the lack of competing sports
showcases such as the Olympics helped baseball overcome the
legacy of unresolved labor problems, at least for one game"
(AP/TORONTO STAR, 7/6).
     WHAT'S NEXT?:  Wollenberg also says "advertisers will be
watching" the ratings for sign of fan disenchantment already
evident in the 23% decline (through July 4) in average attendance
at MLB parks.  Ratings for MLB's All-Star Game have risen in each
of the past two seasons (AP/TORONTO STAR/AP, 7/6).  Arnold Chase
of Vitt Media International says MLB has benefited from its
multiyear contracts with "big advertisers like Anheuser-Busch,
General Motors, Toyota, and MCI on the All-Star Game," but is
cautious about the rest of the season.  Chase:  "Baseball has
major problems after the All-Star Game.  Most local market
baseball is going begging" (AP/WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/6).
     ON THE RADIO:  CBS Radio Networks carry three MLB games each
week, "but advertising is down, as are the number of stations
carrying [baseball], to 275 from 300 a year ago."  Bob Kipperman,
GM of CBS Radio:  "A number of advertisers have put their money
in other areas" (AP/Balto SUN, 7/6).