RATINGS NEWS: CBC HOLDING OUT HOPE FOR THE LEAFS' SURVIVAL

          CBC ratings for the Maple Leafs' first two playoff
     games "are up" 64% over last spring, according to Chris
     Zelkovich of the TORONTO STAR, who writes that the average
     of 1.45 million viewers is the highest since the Maple Leafs
     were in the '95-96 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a first-round
     average of 1.52 million.  By comparison, last year's first
     two playoff game on CBC averaged "only" 883,000 viewers
     (TORONTO STAR, 4/29).  In Toronto, Pierre LeBrun notes that
     "Hockey Night In Canada" has lost "two-thirds of its
     Canadian content" with the loss of the Senators and Oilers
     and network execs "must be keeping their fingers crossed"
     that the Maple Leafs "survive their first-round" playoff
     series against the Flyers (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/29).
          SPRINGING FORWARD: CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" received a
     .47 rating for the month of April, its highest monthly
     rating since July '96.  The show also scored its highest
     household rating (359,000) since October '95.  Last April,
     "Sports Tonight" averaged a .31 in 224,000 HHs (CNN/SI).