The Mets are "are off to a solid ratings start" on
WPIX-WB, while the Yankees continue "to do well" on new
carrier WNYW-Fox, according to Josef Adalian of DAILY
VARIETY. WPIX averaged a 4.3/9 Nielsen rating for its
broadcasts of two Mets game last weekend, a 10% jump from
the 3.9 rating the team averaged on WWOR-UPN last season.
Meanwhile, the Yankees' "three-day homestand" averaged a
"healthy" 7.3/19, with Sunday's game against the Tigers
scoring "a whopping" 8.4/19, outrating all of the team's '98
weekend games on WPIX last season and improving on the
team's '98 weekend average by 35% (DAILY VARIETY, 4/13).
IN THE BOOTH: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir profiles new
Mets/WPIX announcer Tom Seaver, and writes that Seaver, "if
not yet memorable in the booth ... seems at ease," adding
that Seaver and partner Gary Thorne "have rapidly meshed
into a functioning team" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/13).
NOT A PRETTY PICTURE: In Dallas, Barry Horn reviews
Southwest Sports Group's presentation of MLB Rangers games
on KXTX-CBS, saying that the "screen looks awfully crowded"
with "omnipresent graphics and logos." A "Rangers Baseball"
logo appears in the upper left-hand corner, along with the
score, while the transparent logo of Tom Hicks-owned
Southwest Sports Group is presented in the upper right-hand
corner. Horn: "Just about the only thing missing has been
someone in a Rangers uniform who can get opposing batters
out." Southwest Sports Group President of Production Lee
Spieckerman, on the group's identification: "We are laying a
foundation. We want people to know we are all under the
same umbrella" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/13).
STILL WORKING ON IT: In Boston, Howard Manly writes
that JCS New England Network is "putting final touches on
several deals" with regional affils to make "sure that as
many fans as possible can watch the Red Sox." JCS
spokesperson Kevin Dunn said that JCS has reached deals with
stations in Providence, Hartford-New Haven, Portland, ME,
and Burlington, VT, with the "most notable" recent deal
being with MediaOne in Springfield, MA (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/13).
