Fox and CBS are both interested in broadcasting an NBA game
of the week, possibly on Monday nights, starting in the '98-99
season, according to Steve Zipay of NEWSDAY.  The current four-
year, $1.1B NBA national TV deal, shared by NBC and TBS, expires
after '97-98.  CBS Sports Senior VP /Production Rick Gentile:
"We've been in discussions with the NBA and we will continue to
have conversations with them."  Fox Sports President David Hill
has also met with NBA Commissioner David Stern regarding a
package.  Zipay notes the NBA "could tip off the first of up to
15 weekly prime-time games once ABC's Monday Night Football
telecasts end in late December."  Sources indicate if the league
"is worried about overexposure ... Stern could reduce the number
of cable games and retain the same overall number" (NEWSDAY,
11/5).  But USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes interest by other
networks "might be geared to forcing NBC to pay a premium to
retain network exclusivity" (USA TODAY, 11/5).
     THE PROFIT: Despite claims by Fox that the network made a
profit in its inaugural season of MLB coverage, ad buyers "find
the profit claim for the whole season suspect," according to
Dupree & Freeman of ADWEEK.  One broadcast negotiator: "Even at
$250,000 a unit, which they didn't get from everyone, they'll
only clear $80 million.  That's a long ways from the $120 million
just in rights fees they paid."  World Series sales at the
affiliates and other O&O's were "apparently good" (ADWEEK, 11/4
issue).

     CBS Sports President David Kenin "is out" after two-and-a-
half years, according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES.  CBS
execs said Kenin "has been asked to consider" running CBS' new
cable venture, Eye on People, "but he may leave the company."
The "top candidate" to replace Kenin is Sean McManus, Senior VP
at Trans World International, the sports programming arm of IMG.
McManus is the son of ABC Sports' Jim McKay.  Under Kenin, CBS
Sports "slowly recovered" from losing its NFL package in '94, but
Sandomir notes, with NFL deals coming up next year and CBS
looking to get an NFL package, CBS President Peter Lund
"apparently wanted another leader with better connections" (N.Y.
TIMES, 11/5).  USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes CBS "wanted someone
with a higher negotiating profile to compete in the TV
marketplace with ABC/ESPN's Steve Bornstein, NBC's Dick Ebersol
and Fox's David Hill (USA TODAY, 11/5).

     The St. Jude Liberty Bowl has signed a multi-year deal with
ESPN.  The contract runs past 2000.  AutoZone and FedEx are two
new sponsors of the game (St. Jude Liberty Bowl)....TBS will
provide prime time coverage for the MasterCard PGA Grand Slam,
featuring the winners of golf's four major events, next Tuesday
and Wednesday from 7:05-11:05pm ET.  Ben Crenshaw will make his
TBS announcing debut (TBS)....VARIETY reports that when the
Westinghouse Electric board of directors meets Tuesday it will
consider "spinning off its entertainment operation from its
industrial businesses" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/5).

     Longtime Orioles play-by-play announcer and Bay Area native
Jon Miller has signed a five-year deal to serve as lead play-by-
play voice of the Giants.  Miller replaces Hank Greenwald, who
retired this year after 16 seasons with the club (Giants).
Miller is expected to broadcast between 110-115 games, both KTVU-
TV and KNBR-AM.  He will continue to work ESPN's Sunday Night
Baseball broadcasts (Thom Loverro, WASHINGTON TIMES, 11/5).
Nancy Gay of the S.F. CHRONICLE writes Miller's contract is
estimated to be "in excess of" $2.5M -- compared to the $425,00 a
year he was paid by the Orioles (S.F CHRONICLE, 11/5).  In
Washington, Mark Maske reports Orioles Owner Peter Angelos and
other club execs become "increasingly annoyed" with Miller's TV
work on ESPN and his "willingness to criticize the Orioles on the
air" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/5).  Miller said he did not want to
leave the Orioles, but did so when he "perceived the Orioles no
longer wanted him," according to Milton Kent of the Baltimore
SUN.  In response, Angelos "took shots" at Miller and his agent,
Ron Shapiro, saying it was "sheer dishonesty" to say Miller he
was forced to leave. Angelos: "He says he's leaving and the
following day there's a five-year deal?  That's a little fishy,
isn't it? ... The Orioles will go on for the next 100 years
without him. ... Am I worried?  The answer's no.  Hardly"
(Baltimore SUN, 11/5).

     Eyemark Entertainment and Sports Illustrated TV will create
the "SI for Kids Show," a half-hour, live-action, weekly series
based on SI for Kids.  CBS Enterprises Division, which includes
Eyemark and CBS Broadcast Int'l, has worldwide rights to the
series.  The "SI for Kids Show" marks the first weekly series to
be produced by SITV and the first original entry in to the
children's genre for Eyemark.  Targeting viewers age eight and
older, "SI for Kids Show" will use sports to "encourage learning
and positive values, as well as spark interest in math, the
sciences and world events."  Paulette Douglas will be the show's
Exec Producer and Eyemark Senior VP/Programming & Development Jim
Dauphinee will oversee production (SITV).  The show is expected
to launch in fall '97 and would qualify as "educational"
programming.  A broadcast network could count it among its three
hours of educational kids programming a week required by the FCC
(T.L. Stanely, MEDIAWEEK, 11/4).