AROUND THE RINK: In Detroit, Joanne Gerstner writes
that "more than half a million (Red) Wings-related Web sites
can be found," and Geocities "estimates that 606,683 of
their total 40 million member-created sites are at least
partially dedicated to the Wings" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/13).
...Coverage of Tuesday's Maple Leafs-Penguins Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference semifinal earned Fox Sports Net
Pittsburgh a 14.2 overnight Nielsen rating, making it the
evening's highest rated prime time telecast in the
Pittsburgh DMA (FSNP)....In Toronto, Ken Davidoff writes
that CBC's "HNIC" is averaging 1.34 million viewers for its
coverage of the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup
playoffs, up 1% over last year's Stanley Cup second round
which featured three remaining Canadian teams compared to
one this year (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/13).
NOTES: USA TODAY's Skip Wood profiles NASCAR
VP/Broadcasting & Special Projects Bray Cary, and writes
that Cary believes prime time broadcasts of NASCAR might be
"one of many scenarios soon to be tossed around once
negotiations with network suitors begin in earnest" (USA
TODAY, 5/13). ...GOLF WORLD's Bill Fields profiles The Golf
Channel's Peter Kessler and writes that "though Kessler will
ask the tough questions ... his style is more gentle than
guard-dog." NBC Sports Exec Producer Tommy Roy: "He's
almost like The Golf Channel brand" (GOLF WORLD, 5/7
issue)....The AHL 2000 All-Star Game, set to air on ESPN2 on
January 17, will have a 4:00pm ET start "to fit the
available window on ESPN2." The AHL feels that ticket sales
"won't be hurt by an afternoon start." AHL President Dave
Andrews: "The event was originally built for TV and we need
to satisfy the network" (DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 5/10).
