SILVER KING ENTERS SPORTS MARKETPLACE WITH HEAT TV DEAL

          The Heat have linked with Silver King Broadcasting, new
     to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market, on a five-year, over-
     the-air TV deal.  Silver King's new CityVision format will
     launch on WYHS this spring, and will feature sports, news
     and other entertainment programming.  The new partnership,
     starting next season, will include expanded pre- and post-
     game shows, Heat highlight programming and other promotional
     opportunities.  Silver King is a division of Barry Diller's
     HSN, and WYHS is the first station to launch its new
     programming format.  The Heat also announced a five-year
     agreement that will keep its games on Sunshine Network,
     which has held its rights since '91-92 (Heat).  
          DETAILS: Heat Exec VP Mike McCullough said that Silver
     King "offered more ways to promote the team" than WBFS-UPN,
     the team's over-the-air home for five years.  Silver King
     said that game days will be touted as "Heat Day on its
     station."  Sunshine and Silver King are each "expected to
     show 30 to 40 games," and will use a joint production team
     "to promote continuity" (SUN-SENTINEL, 12/24).  
          MORE SPORTS: Silver King Exec VP Adam Ware: "Several
     (sports) organizations have shown interest in our
     programming concept. ... We are the new player in local
     sports rights."  Ware said that Silver King, which owns 11
     stations in 10 markets, "is offering a lot more to teams"
     than regular affils.  While NBA restrictions on national
     distribution will "probably prevent" games from airing on
     Diller's USA Network, Ware said that they "may use the Heat
     as the basis for other programming that would eventually air
     on other Silver King stations and USA."  Ware: "We could
     develop a show with Pat Riley that would be filmed in Miami
     and there's no reason that couldn't be syndicated by
     Universal or put on USA" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/30).
          BIG TIME: Diller's media empire is profiled by Phyllis
     Furman in the N.Y. DAILY NEWS: "Diller is the No. 1 media
     mogul to watch this year as he tries to scratch his way back
     to the top of the media business" (DAILY NEWS, 1/5).