Through eight games on Fox Sports Arizona, the Coyotes
     have averaged a 2.0 cable rating in the Phoenix area, an
     increase of 220% from last season's 0.9 rating during the
     same period (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/9)....MSNBC's Keith
     Olbermann will host "SI's Year in Sports '97," a one-hour
     special produced by SITV and scheduled to air December 27 on
     NBC.  Toyota is the program's presenting sponsor (SI)....In
     N.Y., Michael Shain wrote that a book by Martina Hingis, co-
     written by Swiss sports editor Mario Vidmer, will be
     "submitted to publishers soon" (N.Y. POST, 11/9). 

          ABC's Barbara Walters interviewed Marv Albert Friday on
     "20/20," marking the former sportscaster's first interview
     since pleading guilty to assault charges in Virginia. 
     Albert, when asked if he has any "assurances" from either
     NBC or MSG that he can resume his broadcasting career:  "No. 
     I received a number of offers, actually, hundreds of offers.
     ... But I think it's going to be a while.  I feel I have to
     go through the counseling that I have begun.  I would like
     to sit it out for a little while."  Albert, on public
     perception of him: "No matter what I say here or elsewhere,
     I know that this is a stigma that will be out there.  I have
     to be able to deal with that.  And I'm a big boy.  And I
     have to deal with it" ("20/20," ABC, 11/7).  Albert also
     spoke to New York TV columnists over the weekend.  Asked by
     Phil Mushnick about his relationship with NBC and MSG after
     "lying, for telling your bosses you were totally innocent,"
     Albert said, "They felt betrayed, and I understand that.  I
     hope to be able to explain it all to them" (N.Y. POST,
     11/9).  Albert told NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay he hopes to return
     to sportscasting by next fall.  He also defended the timing
     of his appearances: "Should I just sit back and accept what
     have been lies?" (Steve Zipay, NEWSDAY, 11/9). 
          REAX: On "The Sports Reporters," Mike Lupica's "Parting
     Shot" was on Albert: "Telling your side of things once is
     enough, more than enough if you watched some of Barbara
     Walters.  But you do as many shows as Albert is doing this
     week, and you start to look as if you're running for
     something, or away from something -- maybe the truth" (ESPN,
     11/9).  Lupica, from his N.Y. DAILY NEWS column: "He wants
     to work and has a right to work. ... More than anything,
     Albert tells people he wants to work his way back to Madison
     Square Garden.  This is not the way."  Lupica added, "I keep
     hearing Marv is about to get a big offer from CBS and WFAN"
     (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/9).  In Hartford, Jeff Jacobs writes
     that Friday night "before a national ABC audience," Albert
     "became a cliche," and added that he spoke "arrogantly,
     disingenously."  Jacobs: "[F]or Albert to accept a plea
     bargain and immediately launch a prime-time debate defense
     is disgusting" (HARTFORD COURANT, 11/10). 
          MANY VIEWERS HAVE 20/20 VISION: Friday's "20/20" earned
     a 13.5/23 overnight rating, and "if the figures hold when
     national ratings are released Monday, it will be the most
     watched '20/20' of the season," according to Stephen
     Battaglio of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.  But Battaglio adds
     that ABC News "was likely anticipating a bigger audience." 
     On Friday, Walters anchored the show alone, as co-anchor
     Hugh Downs "decided to sit out the program" after stating
     earlier that the show would never do an Albert interview,
     "claiming it was too tawdry for the program."  Downs issued
     a statement later saying, "As I had gone on the record with
     my reservations about covering Marv Albert's story I felt it
     would be hypocritical of me to co-anchor Friday's broadcast. 
     Having watched the interview however, I thought Barbara did
     an outstanding job" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/10).