ARE CANADIANS GIVING HOCKEY A COLD SHOULDER?

          A Gallup poll commissioned by CBC indicates that 50% of
     Canadians "never watch hockey on TV" and even more "consider
     NHL stars overpaid," according to the CANADIAN PRESS.  The
     poll, conducted in December among 1,014 respondents, also
     showed that 56.5% never watch CBC's "Hockey Night In Canada"
     program (VANCOUVER SUN, 1/25).  In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich
     reported that a special "HNIC" forum on Sunday focused on
     the poll's results and featured a dozen industry execs,
     including agents, owners and broadcasters.  But the forum
     "went nowhere" as it "could have used a few more divergent
     points of view."  While the poll "provided plenty of
     ammunition" for discussion, the debate "was all pretty tame
     and quite predictable," as "everyone on the panel had a
     stake in the status quo" (TORONTO STAR, 1/25).