FERRALL OFF THE BENCH: Sports radio talk-show host
Scott Ferrall appeared on the "Late Show" with David
Letterman last night wearing a '97 North American team NHL
All-Star jersey. Ferrall, on his new job: "It looks like
I'm going to be going back to Atlanta, Georgia, to be the
first voice of the Atlanta Thrashers and I'm gonna be
workin' for [Time Warner Vice Chair] Ted [Turner]. I'm
thinkin' dinners with Ted every night. Workouts with Jane
[Fonda] by the day" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/14).
MORE ACTION FOR REAL SPORTS: HBO's "Real Sports with
Bryant Gumbel" has added four new correspondents for the '99
season: Bernard Goldberg, Derek McGinty, Bryan Burwell, and
Jack Whitaker. Goldberg and McGinty will make their debuts
on the January edition (HBO). In related news, the L.A.
DAILY NEWS' Tom Hoffarth writes that "Real Sports"' Armen
Keteyian has been putting together a "sizzling" piece on the
Disney-Fox "battle" for TV "sports domination" which should
air sometime next month (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/15).
MORE ON ESPN V. FOX: In L.A., Larry Stewart reports
that Fox Sports Net execs have "been pounding their chests"
over the hiring of Keith Olbermann. But "here are some
numbers that may humble them a bit." In December, ESPN's
11:00pm "SportsCenter" was seen in an average of 1,074,000
homes each night, while CNN's "Sports Tonight" was seen in
245,774, and "Fox Sports News" was seen in 106,000. In
L.A., Olbermann's January 5 debut was seen in 5,000 homes,
while "SportsCenter" was seen in 30,000 homes. Stewart
notes an "informal survey" showing that viewer recognition
is low that may indicate that FSN "has an identity problem"
(L.A. TIMES, 1/15)....In Boston, Howard Manly notes that
ESPN spent $35M on its "unbelievable" "SportsCentury" series
which debuts next Friday (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/15).
