ABC took out a full-page ad in this morning's N.Y. TIMES to
hype "Monday Night Football" and the network's overall
performance among 18-49. The ad is a picture of the "MNF" trio
of Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford with text
promoting the show ("a Top 15 Primetime performer in households
for the past seven years and the Number One regularly scheduled
sports series for 27 years") and the network ("among [adults 18-
49], ABC has won more Primetime half-hours than any other network
this year. ... So put your brand on ABC. And score big this
fall" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/15).
COLLEGE GAME: INSIDE MEDIA's Brockinton & Reynolds report
that ABC "appears to be reasonably well-off in terms of ad sales"
for college football. Anticipating CBS' debut of its SEC and Big
East packages this fall, ABC cut a number of two-year deals prior
to last year. Also, with the Sugar and the Rose Bowls, ABC is
assured of the title game, no matter which teams are No. 1 and 2
(INSIDE MEDIA, 5/15).
HBO HAS ITS MAN: HBO Sports Exec Producer Ross Greenburg
has selected Jerry Glanville to replace Jimmy Johnson on "Inside
the NFL." Glanville was chosen over Ronnie Lott, Sam Wyche and
Jackie Slater (USA TODAY, 5/15).
NEW LEAGUE WAITS: Organizers of the All-Star Football
League say they will push back the new league's start date until
September '97, according to BROADCASTING & CABLE. BKS/Bates
Entertainment, a joint venture of ad agency Bates USA and
"syndication veterans" Tony Brown, Len Koch and Bob Silberberg,
planned to distribute the games "on a barter basis." Eric
Parton, CEO of Team Dynamics (owned by league Founder Joe Kapp)
said they are close to an alliance "with a station group that
will take an equity stake" in the league (Cynthia Littleton,
BROADCASTING & CABLE, 5/13 issue).
