RATINGS: In Boston, Howard Manly writes that NBC's U.S.
Open coverage "was great, and even the network couldn't have
scripted a better ending than Lee Janzen's five-stroke
comeback to beat Payne Stewart." Manly calls NBC's ratings
"solid," noting that the 5.9 two-day average was second-best
since '89, but down 18% from last year's 7.2 (BOSTON GLOBE,
6/23)....In Houston, the WNBA Comets' first game on KHTV on
Sunday earned a 5.8/10, down from last year's debut, which
received a 9.0/14 (David Barron, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/23).
NOTES: In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes that the Yankees-
Mets interleague series finale will only be aired on ESPN
and not seen on a local broadcast outlet: "When it
negotiates its next cable-TV contract, MLB should seek a
provision where interleague games must be aired on free TV
in the markets of the participating teams" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
6/23)....The Packers' radio broadcast team of Jim Irwin and
Max McGee announced that they will both retire at the end of
the '98 season (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/23).
