ESPN will televise ESPN The Magazine, at 7:30pm ET on
     Wednesday March 11, a half-hour look at its new magazine
     unit the day before it debuts nationally (ESPN).  NEWSWEEK's
     Richard Turner profiles the magazine's launch, which is a
     "true frontal assault on SI's turf."  ESPN Magazine's "credo
     is a variation on what has been the rap (partly unfair,
     partly out-moded) against SI for decades: too old, too
     white-guy, too country-club.  Your father's magazine, with a
     slightly moralizing tone.  On oversized pages, ESPN will be
     closer to the feel of a Nike ad or MTV.  It will 'celebrate'
     sports and be a fan, not a paunchy, cynical sportswriter." 
     Disney "expects to spend" $75M on the unit, which has a
     first issue guaranteed circulation of 350,000, which Turner
     calls "a good start" (NEWSWEEK, 3/16 issue).
          WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: ESPN Magazine Editor John
     Papanek said the publication will be forward looking and not
     "a news magazine."  Papanek: "We're going to assume the
     readers of our magazine know the results, have seen the
     highlights, seen 'SportsCenter,' heard the analysis"
     (HARTFORD COURANT, 3/8).  In N.Y., Keith Kelly reports that
     ESPN "is aiming" for an average reader of 29-years-old.  It
     will launch with 108 ad pages, "joining an elite group of
     magazines," and hopes to hit 500,000 subscribers by
     September.  While the SI "franchise" today clears more than
     $100M-a-year in profits, insiders say Disney doesn't expect
     to make a profit on the ESPN unit "until 2003" (N.Y. DAILY
     NEWS, 3/9).  Also in N.Y., Paul Tharp puts the magazines ad
     pages at 107 and worth $2M.  Tharp: "Media experts say that
     the oversized format of ESPN will sit on the stands for two
     weeks and could grow stale in the fast-changing world of
     sports" (N.Y. POST, 3/9).  In previewing the launch, Lisa
     Magenheimer cites a recent survey showing that 78% of
     American adults "recognize the name" ESPN and each week 42%
     of all "men tune in to the ESPN network" (TAMPA TRIBUNE,
     3/8).  In publishing weeks, ESPN Magazine will reach
     subscribers on Wednesday and Thursday (L.A. TIMES, 3/8).   
     

          Fox Sports Pittsburgh (FSP) will "continue to broadcast
     Penguins games at least through the end of this season,"
     while the network and team "battle over disputed" TV rights,
     according to David Brown of the Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW. 
     On Friday, Judge Judith Friedman "continued a temporary
     restraining order" that blocks Pittsburgh Hockey Associates,
     owner of the Penguins, from "immediately" dropping FSP and
     broadcasting its team's game on its own cable network. 
     Friedman also established a schedule of legal action in the
     dispute that could lead to a trial "no sooner than June 1." 
     After the ruling, both sides "claimed a degree of success,"
     with FSP attorney Greg Jordan saying the injunction was
     upheld because the network's case is "very strong."  Brown
     wrote that the ruling does not restrain the newly created
     Marino Sports Television "from promoting, developing and/or
     operating as a regional sports network."  Yale Gutnick, an
     attorney for Penguins Owners Roger Marino and Howard
     Baldwin, said the owners "intend to move forward with their
     [TV] business aggressively" (TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 3/7).  
          CRITICAL OF TEAM: In Pittsburgh, Steve Sampsell called
     the dispute "unsettling."  Sampsell: "Here's a hockey team
     that wants its players to honor its contract and its trying
     to break its arrangement with the existing regional sports
     channel."  Sampsell, on the decision to name its channel
     after Marino, who is from Boston: "That'll really help build
     ties with the region.  What's wrong with Pittsburgh Sports
     Television?" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 3/8).  

          RDV Sports, the parent of the Magic and the IHL Solar
     Bears, has extended both teams TV deals with the Sunshine
     Network.  The Magic's deal will continue through the 2000-
     2001 season, and will provide Sunshine with rights to a
     minimum of 44 regular season games, plus two preseason games
     and available playoff games.  The Solar Bears agreement runs
     through 2002, and includes a minimum of 20 regular season
     games, plus available playoff games. RDV Sports' partnership
     with Sunshine also includes additional programming as well
     as promotional and advertising tie-ins.  RDV Sports, with
     assistance from Sunshine, is constructing a 5,000 square-
     foot TV and radio production facility, opening in September
     '98, at its recently opened RDV Sportsplex (RDV Sports).  

          Chiefs RB Marcus Allen, who has a year left on his
     contract, "discussed" a job on CBS's NFL studio show with
     network officials last week (K.C. STAR, 3/6)....Tim Ryan is
     leaving CBS shortly to join Fox and NBC Sports.  Ryan will
     call NFL games for Fox, and will work the 2000 Summer
     Olympics, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the world skiing
     championships for NBC (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 3/7).
     ..In BUSINESS WEEK, SportsLine USA CEO Michael Levy said
     that he thinks his Web site's Olympic ratings were
     "undercounted," but he remains "optimistic" about the Web
     site's  future.  Levy: "We have momentum, and CBS picking up
     NFL is another big plus for us" (BUSINESS WEEK, 3/16).....On
     "The Sports Reporters," Mike Lupica defended Jim Nantz's
     Olympic performance: "Nantz got blamed for everything except
     El Nino.  I haven't seen such hateful reviews since Howard
     Cosell was in his prime" ("The Sports Reporters," 3/8).