CA-based Callaway Golf "just keeps growing and
     growing," according to Michael Johnson of GOLF WORLD.  The
     company is now planning to enter the publishing business,
     with the formation of Callaway Golf Media Ventures.  The
     venture is "still in the embryonic stage," and Callaway
     President & CEO Donald Dye says the company is "exploring a
     number" of media-related "possibilities," including a
     "Callaway Golf Guide," which would be produced with Callaway
     Golf Editions.  Dye: "This will not be a vanity piece.  It
     will be a newly created series of books that will have true,
     hard writing about golf."  With the new projects, Dye
     "dismisses" talk that the company "might be getting away
     from its core business."  Dye: "It's not like we're headed
     into tennis, skiing or running shoes. ... We define our
     business as golf and anything that relates to it.  This is
     merely an extension of the way we currently do business. ...
     [W]e're not getting into other things out of concern (about
     the club business)" (GOLF WORLD, 10/31). 

          Marv Albert will return to NBC in an appearance on the
     "Today" show on November 13, according to Richard Huff of
     the N.Y. DAILY NEWS.  Albert is "expected" to appear during
     the show's first hour and stay for a "lengthy" interview
     with Katie Couric.  Albert will appear on ABC's "20/20" on
     Friday, CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday, and CBS' "Late
     Show" on Wednesday (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/5).  USA TODAY's
     Rudy Martzke writes that some sports agents "doubt" that
     Albert is taking the "correct path back to broadcasting"
     following his conviction last month.  IMG Senior VP Barry
     Frank: "I just think it's best to do nothing in these
     instances and let it blow over.  The more you rehash it, the
     more you keep it out there."  RLR Associates' Bob Rosen:
     "Perhaps Marv's still in a state of denial."  But Albert's
     agent, Evan Bell, defends the appearances because people
     "want to know what happened" (USA TODAY, 11/5).

          M'S TV DEAL: The Mariners have agreed on a three-year
     contract with KIRO-TV for the station to continue as the
     over-the-air rights holder for game telecasts through the
     2000 season.  The new deal calls for 62 to 65 over-the-air
     telecasts, with some of the games being carried by KSTW. 
     The team also announced that both Rick Rizzs and Ron Fairly
     will return to the Mariners broadcast team next season,
     joining Dave Niehaus in the booth (Mariners).
          NOTES: NC-based A&J Sports, publishers of ACC Athlete
     Magazine, will receive "up to" $5M in new financing from
     Duke alum Jim Gills through Gills' diversified holding
     company, FL-based Jireh Inc.  A&J co-Founder Alan Rodgers
     said the company will use the money to launch three other
     conference magazines -- for the SEC, Big Ten and one
     "undisclosed" conference -- and to increase marketing
     efforts throughout the ACC (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 11/4).
          NFL NOTES: ESPN's Sunday night Lions-Packers game drew
     "nearly" 7.2 million households to lead all basic cable
     programs, while ESPN's "NFL PrimeTime" drew 2.95 million
     households to rank eighth on the week (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
     11/5)....ABC's "MNF" Steelers-Chiefs game earned a 15.7/26
     rating.  A special "Primetime Live" with Mike Tyson/Michael
     Jordan earned a 7.2/12 (WASHINGTON POST, 11/5).

          Fox/Liberty Networks launched Fox Sports World last
     weekend, but it "could be some time before many viewers will
     be able to watch the network," according to Richard Katz of
     MEDIAWEEK.  MSO operators, "smarting from recent tough sales
     tactics on behalf of Fox/Liberty's regional sports
     channels," said that they "are not overly bullish" on the
     new channel.  MediaOne Programming Dir Rob Stengle: "I think
     they might be a tad shy about coming to us after jamming us
     with massive rate increases on regional sports networks." 
     Stengle also "expressed reservations" over the new network's
     "programming quality."  However, Fox/Liberty Exec VP Rich
     Battista said that he is "confident" that cable operators
     won't punish Fox Sports World for the "deeds of its sister
     networks" (Richard Katz, MEDIAWEEK, 11/3 issue)
          "SUNDAY TICKET" COULD COST MORE: The threat of a "sharp
     escalation" in copyright costs to all DBS providers "could
     put a damper on the industry's collective growth," according
     to Michael Burgi of MEDIAWEEK.  DBS "could be hit by a move
     last week by the Librarian of Congress to quadruple the fees
     it pays broadcast networks and superstations" from the
     current $.07 a subscriber to $.27.  Burgi writes if the DBS
     industry "sees its costs go up, it will likely pass those
     costs onto subscribers" (MEDIAWEEK, 11/3 issue).