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NETWORK EXECS OFFER THEIR REASONS WHY NBA RATINGS ARE STEADY

          "Unlike the 1994 baseball strike, from which the sport
     still hasn't recovered on television, fans are tuning in to
     watch basketball games, even if many of them aren't very
     good," according to Ed Sherman of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. 
     Ratings for the "NBA on NBC" are "down just slightly" from
     last year, while TNT and TBS cable ratings are "actually up"
     6%. Turner Sports VP Kevin O'Malley: "I'm surprised we've
     done as well as we have right out of the box."  NBC Sports
     President Ken Schanzer: "We're really not surprised about
     this.  Even with Michael Jordan gone, this sport has
     residual strength.  We're buoyed by the ratings, but not
     stunned."  But Sherman writes that one area where NBC could
     take a hit is in the playoffs, minus Jordan.  Schanzer: "It
     will affect us late in the finals when all you had was the
     Michael Jordan effect" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/26)  
          SOME LOCAL NUMBERS: In Miami, Barry Jackson reports
     that WAMI's "average" Heat rating is a 4.6, "down only
     slightly" from UPN's 4.8 last season.  Meanwhile, the NHL
     Panthers "finished" with a 0.9 rating on SportsChannel FL,
     up from 0.7 last season, but "still well below Heat and
     Marlins cablecasts" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/26).  In DC, Leonard
     Shapiro reported that the Wizards averaged a 1.0 share in 17
     games on HTS, down from 1.6 last season.  The Capitals saw a
     "slight increase" for the regular season with a 0.6 rating
     on HTS, up from 0.4 last season (WASHINGTON POST, 4/25)
          NBC'S RIGHT MOVES? In Miami, Barry Jackson writes that
     NBC has "found the right mix this year -- Doug Collins with
     Bob Costas in a two-man booth on games, and Isiah Thomas
     with Hannah Storm and Peter Vecsey in the studio."  Thomas
     has been a "success in the studio" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/26). 

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