RATINGS FOR LAST WEEKEND'S NETWORK SPORTING EVENTS

          The following lists ratings for select sporting events
     from last weekend.  All times are EDT.  The numbers are from
     the networks (THE DAILY).

EVENT                             DATE  NET  TIME         RAT/SHR
Indianapolis 500 Time Trials      5/16  ABC  1:00-2:00pm  1.4/5
PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic    5/16  ABC  2:00-4:30pm  2.3/8
Horse Racing: Preakness Stakes    5/16  ABC  4:30-6:00pm  3.6/11
CBS Sports Spect: Gymnastics      5/16  CBS  1:00-3:00pm  1.8/7
CBS Sports Spectacular: PBA Tour  5/16  CBS  3:00-4:00pm  1.6/6
LPGA Championship                 5/16  CBS  4:00-6:00pm  1.2/4
"NBA on NBC": Lakers-Jazz         5/16  NBC  3:30-6:00pm  5.3/17
Indianapolis 500 Time Trials      5/17  ABC  1:30-3:00pm  1.5/5
PGA Tour: Byron Nelson Classic    5/17  ABC  3:00-6:00pm  2.8/8
CBS Sports Spect: Gymnastics      5/17  CBS  3:00-4:00pm  2.5/8
LPGA Championship                 5/17  CBS  4:00-6:00pm  1.3/3
"NHL on Fox": Blues-Red Wings     5/17  FOX  2:00-5:00pm  1.5/5
"NBA on NBC": Pacers-Bulls        5/17  NBC  3:30-6:00pm  8.9/24

          NHL RATINGS NOTES: Fox's 1.7/5 average rating through
     four weeks of its NHL playoff coverage is down 15% from last
     year's average for the same period of 2.0/5 (THE DAILY).  In
     N.Y., George Vecsey notes the decline of NHL ratings under
     the header "Whatever Happened To Hockey?" (N.Y. TIMES,
     5/22).  The Caps-Senators series, which featured four games
     on HTS, had a 2.0 rating, "pushing the team's playoff
     ratings to a cumulative 1.73."  For comparison, the Orioles
     are averaging a 2.2 for the season (WASHINGTON POST, 5/22).
     ....The final Caps-Senators game last Friday night on CBC
     drew "a disappointing" 928,000 viewers in primetime.  On
     Saturday night, the Oilers-Stars drew 1.14 million, also a
     "below-average playoff number" (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/22).  In
     S.F., Susan Slusser examines NHL ratings, writing,
     "Nationally, hockey is an ice-cold television proposition. 
     Locally, hockey is a hit" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/22).
          NBA RATINGS NOTES: Through 16 telecasts, NBC's NBA
     playoff coverage is averaging a 6.1/18, down 3% from last
     year's 6.3/18 (THE DAILY)....Tuesday's Pacers-Bulls game
     gave Fox Sports Chicago its season-high rating with a 20.7. 
     The rating also topped the time period encompassing pregame,
     game and postgame shows -- a period that included the season
     finale of ABC's "NYPD Blue" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/22).