CTV SportsNet "will eat" the C$100,000 it paid the Jays
to telecast Jays-Angels games on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday because of a "programming conflict" with its NHL
playoff schedule, according to Rob Longley of the TORONTO
SUN. CTV spokesperson Doug Beeforth: "We're not happy about
this, but we explored all of our options and there was no
way to get the game on" (TORONTO SUN, 4/24). Also in
Toronto, Chris Zelkovich wrote that CTV "attempted to place
the Blue Jays games on local stations, such as CFMT and
CHCH, but could not strike a deal" (TORONTO STAR, 4/24).
MORE WOES? CTV SportsNet started carrying yesterday's
Jays-Yankees game, then switched it to local affils to cover
NHL action, then went back to the game and stayed "through
part of" the 11th inning, but "switched away" before the
game ended. Earlier, viewers "had missed a key part" of the
ceremony honoring Joe DiMaggio, as when Paul Simon got to
his line about DiMaggio during "Mrs. Robinson," SportsNet
"went to a commercial" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/26). In
Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes that the moves don't "do
much for the network's image" (TORONTO STAR, 4/26).
