TV MONITOR: Last night, the 11:00pm edition of "Fox
Sports News Primetime" (NESN) led with the Marlins-Cubs,
followed by the Giants-Cardinals. ESPN's "SportsCenter"
(ESPN2) led its 11:00pm ET edition with the Stars-Avalanche,
followed by the Red Sox-Yankees. CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight"
led with the Rangers-Devil Rays, followed by Mariners-Twins
highlights (THE DAILY).
AROUND THE RINK: CBC's "Hockey Night In Canada" Exec
Producer John Shannon says that the Maple Leafs' performance
in the NHL playoffs "has created a ratings bonanza" for the
network. Around 2.5 million viewers are tuning in for every
game, an increase of "nearly" 50% over '98. Shannon: "When
the Leafs are playing, we outdraw Fox. Now that's for a
country of 28 million. We're getting more viewers than Fox
does in a country of 275 million" (DETROIT NEWS, 5/27).
...Through May 24, ESPN's NHL Stanley Cup playoff ratings
are up 15% over last year, from a .81 to a .93 (ESPN).
NO HINT-ON OF TROUBLE IN INDY: In Baltimore, Milton
Kent writes that ABC has said the IRL "hasn't implicitly or
otherwise imposed its will upon what [they've] tried to do
during the 35 years they've shown the race." ABC Sports
Producer Bob Goodrich: "The directive I've been given is to
go realistically cover what needs to be covered and do it in
good taste. That's really the only guideline I have, and
that hasn't changed with Howard Katz" (Baltimore SUN, 5/27).
MORE NOTES: In DC, Leonard Shapiro profiles the PGA
Tour Radio Network and writes that the network is owned by
Santa Rosa Radio, which pays the Tour "about" $1M in rights
fees to broadcast events on the PGA and Senior PGA Tours.
There are 16 minutes of ads in each hour of tournament
coverage, with Santa Rosa selling half of the spots and the
local stations selling the rest. PGA Tour Radio VP/Affil
Relations David Wynn said that the latest Arbitron numbers
indicate the broadcasts are reaching "just over" one million
listeners "in the all-important adult 18-54 range"
(WASHINGTON POST, 5/27)....The summer issue of SI For Women
features Julie Foudy and the U.S. Women's World Cup team.
In certain WNBA markets, including Houston, Detroit and
Charlotte, Comets G Cynthia Cooper is on the cover (SI).
...SI writer Sonja Steptoe testified yesterday in Tex Cobb's
libel suit against SI. Steptoe said that she had "little
hard evidence" that Cobb "knowingly participated" in a fixed
fight with Sonny Barch, as her information "came primarily
from lengthy interviews with" Barch, who "cannot be found to
testify" in Cobb's case. Barch was paid $15,000 by SI for a
first-person account of the fight that was part of Steptoe's
article in '94 (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 5/27).
