ESPNET SportsZone and 1-800-PRO-TEAM has officially launched
the ZoneStore -- an officially licensed merchandise area on
ESPN's Web site. Mike Slade, President & CEO of Starwave Corp.,
co-producer of SportsZone: "This is the final piece of the four-
pronged revenue picture we envisioned. We began with
advertising, subscriptions, and online fantasy games. Now we
have a terrific apparel offering" (ESPNET)....The CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER reports the SI issue with Marge Schott on the cover is
"selling briskly" in the Cincinnati area (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER,
5/16)....SportsFan Radio is running a promotion tied to "MLB on
Fox" coverage which begins June 1 (SportsFan)....ABC, ESPN and
The Golf Channel "were tight-lipped" on the possibility of ESPN
buying the all-golf network. While a TGC spokesperson said ESPN
had not spoken with them, an ESPN spokesperson said they are
always evaluating "new business opportunities" but that they
"have nothing specific to announce at this moment." INSIDE MEDIA
cites sources that say ESPN would relaunch the channel as "ESPN
FORE" (INSIDE MEDIA, 5/17).... ....Time Warner Chair Gerald Levin
was in "the hot seat" at yesterday's stockholders meeting, facing
questions about the proposed $7.5B merger with Turner. Levin,
who "appeared agitated several times": "The fundamentals of our
business are stronger than ever" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/17)....
CNN/SI's Andy Mitchell reports SI writers Peter King and Jackie
MacMullan will appear on the new channel when it debuts in
December -- King on football and MacMullan on basketball (Jack
Craig, BOSTON GLOBE, 5/17).
