NBA EYES BETTER RESULTS IN SECOND EFFORT IN GREAT BRITAIN

     After a "brief, disastrous experiment" in Britain during the
'80s, the NBA is back with games and highlight shows shown
several times a week on Channel Four, a commercial rival to the
BBC.  The "difficult" task for announcers is to make the game
"understandable and interesting" to a population that doesn't
fully grasp pro basketball.  The telecasts have an MTV-style
flavor, with "weird camera angles, quick music, quick cuts and
quick chat."  But Sarah Lyall of the N.Y. TIMES writes the "time
might be ripe for basketball in Britain," as more marquee players
are recognizable and the game is played more in schools and
cities.  Lyall writes "it is still too early to tell how
successful Channel Four's experiment" will be.  Steve Pinder, a
spokesman for the channel, said the shows have averaged close to
a million viewers (N.Y. TIMES, 2/26).