HOME RUN DERBY: HarperCollins' HarperEntertainment and
MLB have reached a deal to release "Race for the Record," a
new book due "just in time for the World Series." The book
will feature the HR chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy
Sosa, and will be written by veteran baseball writer Lee
Schreiber. The Sporting News is also planning to release a
McGwire commemorative "as soon as possible" (N.Y. DAILY
NEWS, 9/23)....The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said it received
more than $1M in extra advertising revenue and $600,000 in
circulation revenue and poster sales after McGwire broke
Roger Maris' single-season MLB HR record (L.A. TIMES, 9/23).
OTHER NOTES: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that
Saturday's Evander Holyfield-Vaughn Bean fight drew a 10.8
rating for Showtime, the highest for any program for the
night in Showtime's 18.8 million homes. Showtime's Jay
Larkin said that the fight was "second all-time only to"
Holyfield-Tyson I (USA TODAY, 9/23)....CBS has sold "almost"
85% of its ad time for the AFC Championship Game, at
$550,000 to $600,000 per 30-second spot (Langdon Brockinton,
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/21 issue)....A media partnership
which includes Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is "eyeing a
total investment of about" $2B for 20-25% of Germany's Kirch
Group. If a deal is completed, Kirch would reorganize and
"probably go public" in early '99 (DAILY VARIETY, 9/23).
...In L.A., Larry Stewart reviewed ESPN's "NFL Films
Presents," and called it "one of the best sports shows on
television, maybe the best" (L.A. TIMES, 9/22).
HURRICANE WATCH: Fox Sports South will air 40 pre- and
regular-season Hurricanes' games this season (FSS). The
Hurricanes full TV package features a total of 50 games --
up from 29 last year. Ten games will be seen on over-the-
air WKFT-TV in Raleigh (NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/23)....Fox Sports
Pittsburgh has given WB22-TV rights to 10 Saturday Penguins
games this year. FSP will air 63 Penguins games (FSP).
