TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's
"Sports Tonight" and ESPN's 11:00pm ET edition of
"SportsCenter," which aired at 11:30pm due to college
football, both led with Yankees-Indians, followed by Cubs-
Reds. FSN's 11:00pm ET edition of "Primetime" (Fox Sports
Net South) led with Cubs-Reds and followed with Yankees-
Indians. The first non-MLB story on all three shows was
Cowboys FB Daryl Johnston's season-ending neck injury, at
3:55, 5:30 and 6:48, respectively (THE DAILY).
INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE? NBC is investing $415M in
Paxson Communications, giving the network a 32% stake in the
company. As part of the agreement, NBC "will also have the
right to buy a controlling stake in Paxson after February
2002, if federal rules are changed" (AP, 9/16). As part of
the deal, NBC movies, miniseries and "other programs are to
show up as reruns" on Pax stations (WASHINGTON POST, 9/17).
In N.Y., Bill Carter writes that the move enables NBC "to
achieve a long-sought goal: a second national television
channel for entertainment programs" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/17).
NFL NOTES: In Miami, Barry Jackson writes that
eliminating the NFL's blackout policy "would be the best
possible move for fans," but "as a next best alternative,
why not make blacked-out games available" on PPV for a
"reasonable price." Jackson also writes that the "Fox NFL
Sunday" pregame show "has the most lively banter," and CBS'
"The NFL Today" is "somewhat improved." But ESPN's "NFL
GameDay" again "proved Sunday it's the most creative and
comprehensive of the pregame shows" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/17).
And in L.A., Larry Stewart writes that FSN's "NFL This
Morning" got "off to a roaring start" (L.A. TIMES, 9/17).
NOTES: In Las Vegas, Kevin Iole reports that Saturday's
Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad PPV fight is selling "fast."
Iole: "It appears De La Hoya and Trinidad are going to make
much more money than had been anticipated earlier" (LAS
VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/17). Fight promoter Bob Arum: "This
thing is a monster. The Hispanic community is at a fever
pitch over this, and it's selling well everywhere else, too"
(NEWSDAY, 9/17)....DAILY RACING FORM's Matt Hegarty cites a
racing exec as saying that ABC "is still in the running" for
TV rights to the Triple Crown series. The exec: "Believe
me, they want it, and so does NBC and CBS and Fox. There is
great interest out there" (DAILY RACING FORM, 9/17).
