Fox's broadcast of last night MLB All-Star Game pulled
a 13.2/23 overnight Nielsen rating, down 8% from last year's
14.4/25 overnight rating on NBC (Fox). In Boston, Howard
Manly writes that Fox "didn't miss anything" with last
night's telecast, as Coordinating Producer Michael Weisman
"showed that he is the best baseball producer in the game
today." Game replays "were exceptional," and the net's use
of 64 microphones captured the sounds of the game "better
than any broadcast in recent memory" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/14).
USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that Fox "captured the
attention of fans young and old" and announcers were in
"midseason form" (USA TODAY, 7/14). Meanwhile, Fox Sports
showed actors Jay Mohr, Scott Bairstow and D.B. Sweeney
attending last night's All-Star Game. All three are
starring in Fox shows for the upcoming season (THE DAILY).
HOME RUN RATING: ESPN's telecast of Monday's Home Run
Derby was seen in an average of 5.718 million homes, giving
the event a 7.51 Nielsen rating. The audience was ESPN's
largest of the year, beating its previous high of 3.751
million homes for the April 11 telecast of NASCAR's Food
City 500 (ESPN). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that after
the high rating, "you'd figure a live Home Run Derby is here
to stay." In the Boston market, the telecast earned a 14.7
overnight, the "highest for a show on any network" in that
DMA (USA TODAY, 7/14).
WAS BERMAN TOO MUCH? In Toronto, William Houston writes
that ESPN's decision to put Chris Berman "behind the
microphone" for the Derby "was like winding up a talking
doll. Whack. 'Back, back, back!' Whack. 'Back, back,
back!' Enough already!" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/14). In
Boston, Jim Baker, on ESPN picking up curse words with field
mics during the HR Derby: "The language heard was a far cry
from Mickey, Minnie and Goofy" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/14).
