TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Primetime" (Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh) led with the death
of Jim "Catfish" Hunter, followed by Reds-Cubs. The 11:00pm
ET edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" and ESPN's
"SportsCenter," which aired at 11:47pm ET due to Univ of WA-
BYU, both led with Reds-Cubs, followed by Astros-Phillies.
The first non-MLB story on "Sports Tonight" and
"SportsCenter" was news of Hunter's death, at 4:33 and 3:56
into the broadcasts, respectively (THE DAILY).
AN EASY BASKET FOR DISNEY? In N.Y., Richard Sandomir
writes that the combination of Disney's ABC and ESPN
"appears to present CBS's strongest challenge" for NCAA
basketball tournament rights. Fox "is interested, but it
cannot offer everything ABC/ESPN can," as FSN "cannot clear
out its busy" NHL and NBA schedules "to accommodate the
spring tournament as fastidiously as ESPN and ESPN2 can."
ISL "could help finance a network's bid" or "could buy the
rights to the entire tournament and sell half to one
network, half to another" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/10). USA TODAY's
Rudy Martzke writes that "some are grumbling that the bid is
tilted toward the Len DeLuca-structured Disney proposal,"
but CBS "isn't about to give up easily." NCAA President
Cedric Dempsey "realizes" that Viacom's purchase of CBS this
week "strengthens CBS financially" (USA TODAY, 9/10).
MORE NOTES: FIFA and Brazilian TV and marketing agency
Traffic Int'l "signed a contract Thursday, guaranteeing"
FIFA "at least" $39.71M in broadcasting rights for the first
World Club Championship (USA TODAY, 9/10)....Footage from
Bengals WR Carl Pickens' news conference, in which he wore a
CNN/SI cap, was shown on the 11:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Primetime" and the 6:00pm ET "SportsCenter," but not on
CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" (THE DAILY).
