MORE ON SI AND MARV ALBERT: In Long Beach, Bob Keisser
questions whether SI can "have it both ways," as it "turn[s]
out a story on rogue male athletes who beat their spouses
one day and paint swimsuits on women the next." Keisser:
"It wants to. I'm not sure it can or should" (L.B. PRESS-
TELEGRAM, 2/17). In Jacksonville, Mike Bianchi writes that
the "insanely popular SI swimsuit issue crossed the line of
good taste" by featuring "naked women in the nation's
largest sports magazine." Bianchi adds that Turner Sports
"did SI one worse" by hiring Marv Albert to do its national
NBA telecast (FLORIDA TIMES UNION, 2/17). USA TODAY's Rudy
Martzke reports that Albert's new contract with Turner will
pay him more than $400,000 annually and is "prorated for
this abbreviated season" (USA TODAY, 2/17).
CUTS AT NEWS CORP.: DAILY VARIETY's Jenny Hontz writes
that News Corp. has "ordered" a 3% across-the-board
reduction in operating costs, which has "already led to a
handful of layoffs" at Fox. "Insiders" say each News Corp.
department will "be allowed to use its own discretion on how
to cut costs" (DAILY VARIETY, 2/17)...."Fox Sports News
Tonight" moves from 6:30pm to 6:00pm starting March 1. Jim
Rome's "The Last Word" will move to 6:30pm (Fox Sports Net).
NOTES: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that ABC execs
are "considering" moving back the start of "MNF" from 8:20pm
ET to 8:35pm ET, which "might improve ratings on the West
Coast." "MNF" ratings dropped 7% this year "to an all-time
low" of 13.9., and ratings in the PT zone "tumbled 14%" from
18.5 in '97 to 15.9 this season (USA TODAY, 2/17)....TENNIS
WEEK's Lawrence Jeziak reviews ESPN's coverage of the
Australian Open, calling the event "mishandled or simply
ignored" as ESPN's "ragged" presentation of the Finals
"added fuel" to "demands for a Tennis Channel" (TENNIS WEEK,
2/11)....In Indy, George McLaren reports that Simon Property
Group, the U.S.'s "largest owner of shopping malls," has
joined with Time Inc. to provide a free magazine to
customers at Simon's 240 malls. The title, called "S," will
begin distribution next month and feature articles reprinted
from Time Inc. publications like SI (STAR-NEWS, 2/17).
