LPGA STAYS WITH MAY: The McDonald's LPGA Championship will
stay in its May time-slot despite weather problems this year.
The tournament's contract with CBS expired this year, but USA
TODAY reports the LPGA kept the May date to fit into CBS'
schedule (Jerry Potter, USA TODAY, 5/16).
FOX READY TO PLAY BALL: BASEBALL AMERICA previews Fox's
coverage of the sports, which kicks off on June 1. Their
attitude, according to BA's Will Lingo: "You can have your game
and ratings too" (BASEBALL AMERICA, 6/9 issue).... In addition to
microphoned bases, Fox is testing mikes on the outfield walls
(N.Y. POST, 5/16)....Ken Singleton was dropped by TSN as an Expos
analyst because of his Fox work. Singleton said he would have
turned down Fox if the Expos had a more extensive TV schedule
(GLOBE & MAIL, 5/16).
NEW LOOK IN BALTIMORE? Milton Kent examines the future of
Orioles' TV and radio rights after the hiring of Michael Lehr as
the team's Dir of Broadcasting and Marketing. Lehr oversaw the
in-house broadcast operations of the Indians. Lehr: "That's an
option with every club, but just because it worked in Cleveland
doesn't mean that that's the way things will go here" (Baltimore
SUN, 5/16).
NO-HITTER A BIG HIT AT MSG: Ratings for Tuesday's Dwight
Gooden no-hitter rose as the night went on. According to Phil
Mushnick of the N.Y. POST, at 8:30, it was a 2.9; 9:30 -- 3.3;
10:00 -- 4.5; and at game's end -- 6.2. The game is replayed on
MSG tonight (N.Y. POST, 5/16).
BULL MARKET: SportsChannel Chicago reported record-
breaking ratings for Game 5 of the Knicks-Bulls series. The game
gained a 24.6 rating and a 35 share, topping the 23.1/32 from
Game 2 on May 7. The "SportsChannel Report" posted an 11.0
during post-game (SportsChannel Chicago).
NO PPV BLUES IN ST. LOUIS: Charter Communications, the St.
Louis area's largest cable operator, estimates that when the
counting is done, the Blues' Game 6 against the Red Wings will
have generated 13,000 pay-per-view sales at $14.95 each. That
would be more purchases on one system than any previous Blues PPV
telecast has generated in the entire area (Dan Caesar, ST. LOUIS
POST-DISPATCH, 5/16).
HOCKEY TALK: "Good Morning America" special correspondent
Brendan Shanahan, a Canadian-born player on the Whalers, examined
his country's national pastime, and why so many Canadian teams
have moved to the U.S. Citing Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto and
Montreal, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman refused to view
relocation to U.S. cities as a trend: "We're not worried about
the remaining clubs. We think we're going to be fine" ("GMA,"
ABC, 5/16).
