NBC's coverage of Sunday's Game Five of the Kings-Jazz
playoff series received an 8.5/18 national Nielsen rating,
making it the sixth highest rated first-round NBA playoff
telecast of the '90s (NBC). Meanwhile, the Kings-Jazz Game
Five earned a 37.5/67 rating in the Salt Lake City market
(DESERET NEWS, 5/18). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that
NBC is "only 12%" off last year's ratings for its second
weekend of NBA playoff coverage, compared to the previous
week's drop of 21%. NBA Commissioner David Stern: "NBC
projected the ratings to be down somewhat. They're where we
expected, in a good position. The first round was the most
competitive in years" (USA TODAY, 5/19).
PEACOCK FINALLY LIKES THE HAWKS: In Atlanta, Prentis
Rogers writes that NBC has "a history of snubbing the Hawks"
from its playoff coverage, but the net will show Game Three
of the Hawks-Knicks series on Sunday. NBC Sports VP/Press
Information Ed Markey explained how the net decides which
teams to cover in the playoffs: "There is not a specific
formula, or a checklist that we look at and say this team
got A, B, C, and D. A major key is advancing deep into the
playoffs -- that's the big step" (ATL. CONSTITUTION, 5/19).
NO NBA MANIA? The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Scott Hettrick
writes, "By dropping wrestling in favor of the early games
of the first round of the NBA playoffs last week, TNT not
only conceded the Monday night wrestling audience to USA
Network but lost most of its own viewers in the process."
TNT's broadcast of two NBA playoff games on May 10 failed to
make the list of the top 50 highest-rated cable programs
last week (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/19).
LOCAL HEROES: FSN Midwest's coverage of Monday's Game
One of the 76ers-Pacers series earned a 10.1 rating in the
Indianapolis DMA, making it the net's highest-rated Pacers
telecast ever (FSNMW). The Bucks-Pacers Game Two earned a
22.4 local rating on Indianapolis' WTTV-WB, a team record
for a first round playoff game. Game Three earned a 17
rating (STAR-NEWS, 5/19)....The Sunshine Network pulled a
final season average rating of a 7.6 for its coverage of the
Magic in the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne DMA, up 19%
over last season's average of a 6.4 (Sunshine Net).
