FROM THE NORTH: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes that
"The New Ice Age," the CBC's C$2.3M six-part series on the
NHL, "breaks new ground with an inside look at every aspect
of the NHL" and "may be the best hockey documentary ever
made." The series starts Tuesday (TORONTO STAR, 9/25).
...Zelkovich adds that "insiders" say the Blue Jays' deal
with CTV SportsNet for 42 games next season is worth "at
least" C$6.5M to the team (TORONTO STAR, 9/25)....CTV Sports
inked a four-year extension with the Int'l Skating Union for
Canadian broadcast rights to its events, starting in '99-
2000. CTV Sports will also hold another four-year option on
the deal (OTTAWA SUN, 9/25).
NOTES: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes that ESPN's "Sunday
Night Football" looks "an awful lot like ABC's 'Monday Night
Football.'" Hoffarth: "The word awful is used
intentionally." Hoffarth goes on to detail the ABC/ESPN
ties, adding, "It's creepy and it's kooky. Mysterious and
spooky. It's altogether Goofy -- the Disney family" (L.A.
DAILY NEWS, 9/25). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes that
while ABC's "Monday Night Blast" is a work "in progress," it
is "improving, becoming less frantic and more
comprehensible" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/25).....Dan McLaughlin, 24,
has been named the host and sidelines reporter for Blues
telecasts on Fox Sports Midwest and KPLR-WB. McLaughlin has
been a contributor to MLB Cardinals pregame shows and a
motorsports program on FSM (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/25).
