Former Piston Bill Laimbeer has signed a deal with PASS
cable to do a sports program. Laimbeer's show will be featured
monthly (DETROIT NEWS, 12/22)....NHL Senior VP Steve Solomon,
formerly of ABC, "downplays reports" he is a candidate to be
President of CBS Sports (USA TODAY, 12/22). ...."Hoyt 'n' Andy's
Sportsbender," ESPN's planned animated program, has been
"postponed indefinitely from its planned Christmas day start"
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/22)....USA Network announced their planned
fight for Tommy Hearns has been cancelled. Hearns' fight would
have been his second in four months, and the network "no longer
wishes to be a party to his diminished capacity" (Phil Mushnick,
N.Y. POST, 12/22). ....Radio stocks were up yesterday upon news
an emerging telecom bill could lead to a wave of mergers.
Infinity Broadcasting was up 3 3/4 to 36 1/2, Evergreen Media was
up 3 5/8 to 27 1/2, and American Radio Systems was up 4 1/4 to 25
1/2 ("Moneyline," CNN, 12/21)....Jeff Cockin, TV negotiator for
CART's U.S. 500, said Fox wants a prime time start, but the
Michigan course doesn't have the lights. CBS is said to have
changed its mind "a couple times" (USA TODAY, 12/22).