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CAN'T SAY THERE IS A LACK OF NFL PROGRAMMING FOR NEW SEASON

          The NFL kicks off its season Sunday, and in DC, Eric
     Fisher wrote that the league "is not making any ratings
     predictions for this season."  NFL Senior Dir of
     Broadcasting & Scheduling Joe Ferreira: "I hate to get in
     that game, because I'm usually wrong" (WASH. TIMES, 9/9). 
          FEAR THE UNDERTAKER, BOYS! BLOOMBERG's Shinkle & Newman
     report that ABC's "MNF" saw its lowest ratings in 30 years
     last season and some attribute the 7% drop to competition
     from wrestling on cable.  Pilson Communications President
     Neal Pilson: "If you're ABC, you have to fear professional
     wrestling.  It's taking some of your audience out of
     circulation on Monday nights."  "MNF" Producer Ken Wolfe: "I
     don't think we have anything to worry about as far as
     wrestling is concerned" (DETROIT NEWS, 9/10).  
          WHERE THE BOYS ARE: In Chicago, Ed Sherman notes the
     new NFL rules allowing networks to "select one game where it
     can place a camera and microphone in the locker room before
     kickoff" and allowing one player to be miked during pregame
     warmups.  CBS Exec Producer Terry Ewert: "We're taking a lot
     of small steps here, but it helps the telecast."  Sherman
     adds that the NFL "still operates as a dictatorship," as it
     is giving teams the right to decline the networks' requests. 
     Jets coach Bill Parcells and Saints coach Mike Ditka both
     reportedly said no to requests (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/10).  
          OVERSEAS AND ONLINE: The NFL states that 183 countries
     and territories will receive league programming this season,
     totaling approximately 56,625 hours of coverage.  Among the
     NFL's int'l programs are "NFL Bloopers" and the "NFL Week in
     Review" (NFL).  Meanwhile, NFL Interactive Senior Dir of
     Programming & Marketing Jaan Janes says the league expects
     more than 500,000 fans to log-on to the relaunched Web site
     at http://www.NFL.com each Sunday this season.  The site has
     added a new NFL shop, additional multimedia packages and
     expanded team sections (NFL).
          FEELING THE HEAT? In Boston, Howard Manly reports on
     the multiple NFL shows this season and writes that industry
     "observers worry about the NFL glut and its impact on sports
     journalism."  CNN/SI's Peter King, on the competition among
     NFL reporters: "To me it's become pretty much a ruthless,
     cutthroat, dog-eat-dog business.  Clearly, the competition
     is stronger than it's ever been.  And I think all of us who
     are in the information business right now look at it and say
     that if we don't bring our 'A' games to the table every
     week, we're going to get slaughtered" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/10). 
     The "NFL on Fox" pregame show host Terry Bradshaw, noting
     CBS' revamped pregame show: "I'm more aware of (the
     competition) this year" (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 9/10).  
          NEW DEALS WITH NETWORKS: CBS Sports has signed a multi-
     year agreement to use PVI's Virtual First Down Line
     technology in its NFL broadcasts, including post-season
     games and for Super Bowl XXXV (PVI).  Meanwhile, both
     college and pro football games televised on ABC, ESPN and
     Fox will use SportVision's 1st & Ten virtual line marker
     (SportVision).  Fox has "partnered with the Weather Channel
     to give up-to-the-minute weather forecasts during its
     pregame shows" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/10).  
          LOCAL NOTES: In Toronto, William Houston writes that
     Bell ExpressVu is "circumventing" the NFL Sunday Ticket PPV
     package, which is carried exclusively in Canada on Rogers
     Cable.  Beginning Sunday, Bell ExpressVu will carry, at "no
     extra cost to subscribers, at least" eight of 14 games on
     Sunday Ticket (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/10)....In St. Paul, Ray
     Richardson cites local TV sources as saying that KSTP-ABC's
     three-year contract with the Vikings, signed in March, will
     pay the club approximately $800,000 a year.  KSTP televised
     the team's four exhibition games and will also have a weekly
     highlight show (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/10)....The
     Chargers and KFMB-AM announced a five-year contract
     extension that will "ensure" Chargers games remain on KFMB
     through 2004.  A "highly placed source" said the deal, which
     also includes preseason rights for KFMB-CBS, is worth "in
     excess" of $17M (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/9).

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