TV: ESPN Star Sports has signed an agreement with the
Augusta National Country Club to broadcast the '98 Masters
Tournament in Asia. The deal gives ESPN Star Sports
exclusive cable and satellite rights across the region for
the tournament (AD AGE DAILY, 3/18)....Kobe Bryant will make
his "acting debut" on an episode of UPN's "Moesha," airing
later this month. Bryant plays a high school basketball
star "who's worried about taking his SAT" (Phil Rosenthal,
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/18)....In Houston, a news conference
has been scheduled for this afternoon, "apparently to
announce" that KNWS-51 has acquired the rights to broadcast
66 Astros road games this season (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/18).
PUBLISHING: In N.Y., Michael Shain reports that Mike
Tyson is "quietly looking for a publisher for his tell-all
biography," and is seeking a "big-money" deal. One editor:
"[T]hey made it pretty clear that they're looking for seven
figures" (N.Y. POST, 3/18). ...Ballantine Publishing
released John Feinstein's new book, "The First Coming --
Tiger Woods: Master or Martyr?" The book explores Woods'
first year on the PGA Tour (THE DAILY).
WEB NOTES: NHL Interactive CyberEnterprises (ICE), a
joint venture between the NHL and IBM, launched
nhl4kids.com, a new Web site designed and created for kids.
The site combines interactive and educational games with
hockey features, contests and giveaways and access to the
nhl.com store (NHL ICE)...CBS Cable's country.com generated
2.3 million hits on February 22 for its coverage of the
Goodwrench Service Plus 400 Winston Cup race (CABLE WORLD,
3/9 issue)....echl.com has launched the Bud Ice/Kelly Cup
Challenge. The contest, which allows fans to win prizes for
choosing the winner of the ECHL championship, will run
through the second game of the Kelly Cup finals (ECHL).
