CBS hopes to rebound from a 22% drop in NCAA tournament
ratings since '93. CBS Sports Exec Producer Rick Gentile said
they have "legit excuses" for the drop, citing the O.J. trial and
Michael Jordan's return to the NBA last year, and the lack of
close games in '94. But Grey Advertising's Jon Mandel said CBS
"has the potential to fall again" because of the loss of many
star players to the NBA. Mandel: "But even if the NCAA's are
below break-even, it's a good event. Nothing else is comparable
for male viewers at this time of year, and it shows that CBS
still is in the game" (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 3/14). In
Baltimore, Milton Kent writes CBS "needs this tournament to
produce in a big way to promote its flagging prime-time lineup"
(Baltimore SUN, 3/14). CBS Sports President David Kenin said he
had "no specific" rating in mind, but expects to be "about where
we were last year" (Michael Starr, N.Y. POST, 3/14).
MAS MADNESS: Prime Deportiva will broadcast the entire
tournament live to Latin America for the first time (Prime
Deportiva)....CBS Radio's home page on the Web -- http://
www.cbsradio.com -- also will provide coverage (CBS Radio).
