KNOCKED OUT: "USA Tuesday Night Fights" will end its
17-year run on USA Network on August 25. USA Net President
& CEO Kay Koplovitz said it is "focused on reaching a
younger demographic and feel the time is right for a shift
in our targeted audience" (USA Sports). "Tuesday Night
Fights" is averaging a 1.9 rating this season in USA's cable
universe of 73 million households (N.Y. POST, 3/31).
NOTES: Comedy Central will air some behind-the-scenes
specials leading up to the NBA Finals, hosted by "two young
comedians who love basketball" (USA TODAY, 3/31)....In
GOLFWEEK, "The Forecaddie" hears that Tiger Woods "declined
a request to be on the premier cover of fledgling ESPN
Magazine alongside fellow sports phenoms Kobe Bryant,
Kordell Stewart, Alex Rodriguez and Eric Lindros" (GOLFWEEK,
3/28)....In N.Y., Rich Katz reports that Nielsen Media has
formed a "new service to better help its national advertiser
clients deliver more effective campaigns and respond more
quickly to competition" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/31).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: As part of Fox/Liberty's one-third
purchase of Speedvision and Outdoor Life, TCI, Liberty's
parent, has agreed to expand its limited distribution of the
nets on its systems. TCI, which offers the two nets about
500,000 subscribers each, has committed to increase that
"about eightfold" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 3/30 issue). Times
Mirror (TM) and Outdoor Life Network are currently
developing a weekly 28-hour themed programming block, set to
premiere tomorrow (MEDIAWEEK, 3/30 issue).
