ABC TOOK NO RISK THAT FOX WAS A PHANTOM MENACE ON INDY DEAL

          ABC has renewed its TV rights pact for the Indy 500
     from 2000-2004 in a deal "averaging" $12-13M annually,
     according to USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke.  Martzke notes that
     ABC "originally balked" at the increase in current rights
     fees of $9-10M a year.  But new ABC Sports President Howard
     Katz "stepped up to the" $12M-plus level "by including in
     the Indy 500 deal the nine IRL races that had been televised
     by Fox and Fox Sports Net in 1999 on a time-buy basis."  ABC
     will televise five of those races, while ESPN will pick up
     the remainder (USA TODAY, 5/19).