The debut of Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu "propelled"
local broadcast carrier WPIX-TV to it's second-highest
rating for an MLB game since '88, according to Steve Zipay
of NEWSDAY. Thursday's Yankees-Tigers telecast earned an
11.2 rating/19 share, "topping all programming" in NY from
7:30 to 10:45pm. Since a Yankees-Red Sox game in '88 that
earned a 14.5/24, only June 17's 11.9/19 for Yankees-Mets
has been higher for a WPIX telecast (NEWSDAY, 7/12).
ANGELS/DUCKS: The L.A. TIMES reported that the Angels
and Ducks "are expected" to announce today that broadcasts
of the teams' games will be moved to KRLA-AM from KTZN-AM,
beginning next season for both teams (L.A. TIMES, 7/12).
ORIOLES: Orioles Owner Peter Angelos has exercised the
option in radio broadcaster Jim Hunter's contract for the
'98 and '99 seasons (WASHINGTON POST, 7/12).
CANADIENS: Former Whalers coach Pierre McGuire will
join CJAD as the radio analyst for Canadiens broadcasts for
the upcoming season (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 7/12).
WARRIORS: KICU-TV will show up to 70 Warriors games
next season, under a new five-year agreement. The team has
not reached a deal with SportsChannel, which carried 39 of
the team's games on cable last season, or with KPIX, which
carried another 20 (S.F. EXAMINER, 7/10). In S.F., Bruce
Adams wrote to expect SportsChannel "to bargain with [KICU]
to regain a good chunk" of the package (EXAMINER, 7/11).
