CFL OWNERS LOADED FOR BEAR AWAITING NEW TV DEAL

          The CFL begins its Board of Governors meetings today,
     and one item on the agenda is a new TV deal, according to
     Joanne Ireland of the EDMONTON JOURNAL.  With CBC's five-
     year deal expired, reports state that CTV has offered the
     CFL C$6M-a-year, "almost double the amount the league
     collected from CBC."  The contract would run for five years
     with CTV broadcasting 25 regular-season games, the playoffs
     and the Grey Cup.  Ireland writes that with another C$1.7-
     million from TSN, plus some money from ESPN/ESPN2 and the
     "possible influx of new dollars" from Rogers Communications,
     the CFL is going to see its own "windfall."  Ireland says
     the CFL is marketable because the "league is not on its last
     legs; CTV, which recently scooped the NHL from TSN, is
     looking for sports properties; and the Grey Cup is the
     hottest commodity in the country," with 30-second spots
     selling for an average of C$43,000 (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 1/21).