NO PACKER BACKER HERE: SI's "Scorecard" noted CBS
Sports analyst Billy Packer's criticism of "60 Minutes" and
past comments he made criticizing a KY paper's Pulitzer
Prize winning stories on the myriad abuses in the Univ. of
KY basketball program in the '80s, calling the reports "a
major disservice" to the program. SI notes Packer has
"admitted to being a 'walking conflict of interest' based on
his involvement in numerous business deals with the coaches
and sports executives he covers." In addition, "Scorecard"
notes Packer "goes out of his way to bash women's sports."
SI: "We'll say this for Packer: He's a guy who knows sleazy
and shortsighted" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 3/30 issue).
PERSONALITIES: The NHL Stars signed color analyst Daryl
Reaugh to a new three-year contract that will carry through
the 2000-2001 season (Stars)....Comcast SportsNet anchor Ron
Burke will host the first-ever TV show celebrating PARADE
Magazine's High School All-America basketball team. The
half-hour show will air nationwide next week on all RSNs
that carry Fox Sports Net (Comcast SportsNet).
NOTES: News Corp. "has been excluded" from the
Australian market for terrestrial digital TV broadcasting
for "at least another decade." The Australian government
decided to give the country's three commercial broadcasters
and two public broadcasters "exclusive rights for 10 years
to begin free digital TV broadcasting" (FINANCIAL TIMES,
3/26)....In Boston, Howard Manly writes that it "will be
difficult" for the Red Sox to get a significant increase
when WABU's contract expires next year, "largely because
most of the local stations do not have enough air time to
show" all of their games. Manly adds that the Celtics,
whose rights on Fox Sports New England and WSBK are up after
this season, "are in a similar situation" (BOSTON GLOBE,
3/26)....The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids "urged" SI in a
letter "to refuse tobacco ads," citing its high youth
readership. It said more than 10% of all page ads (or
equivalent) in its recent swimsuit issue were for tobacco
products (AD AGE, 3/24)....SportsFan Enterprises and the
Street & Smith's Publications Group signed a multiyear
extension of their licensing agreement, allowing SportsFan's
interactive properties the right to display editorial from
the Street & Smith's MLB, NFL, NBA, College Football and
College Basketball Annuals. SportsFan will also broadcast
pro and college football programs and segments co-sponsored
by Street & Smith's (Sports Fan Enterprises).
