TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET editions of
CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight," FSN's "Primetime" (Fox Sports Net
South) and ESPN's "SportsCenter," which aired at 12:00am ET,
all led with Cardinals-Cubs, followed by Astros-Pirates.
The first non-MLB story on "Sports Tonight," at 4:20 into
the broadcast, was an update on Saints RB Ricky Williams'
injury. The first non-MLB story on "Primetime," at 7:25
into the broadcast, was a report on the Broncos 0-2 start.
The first non-MLB story on "SportsCenter," at 6:30, was PGA
Tour golfer Brad Faxon's win in the B.C. Open (THE DAILY).
SEEKING PROPER PLACEMENT? In N.Y., Keith Kelly reported
that McCann Erickson "is now insisting" that magazine ads
for its client Coca-Cola "not appear adjacent to any stories
that involve hard news, religion, politics or diseases."
Kelly noted that SI had run $3.2M in Coca-Cola ads through
August 31, but SI President Michael Klingensmith said that
if SI "signed on the dotted line to get the ads, it's news
to him." Klingensmith: "Our policy historically is that we
don't sign stuff like that" (N.Y. POST, 9/20).
WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING ON NBC'S COVERAGE: In
Boston, Howard Manly notes that during Saturday's Michigan
State-Notre Dame game, NBC "spent more time" showing viewers
Muhammad Ali in a luxury box "and a nothing report from Jim
Gray on the sidelines than it did on the latest allegation
of corruption at Notre Dame" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/21).
MORE NOTES: In Dallas, Bill Campbell reported that
WFAA-ABC showed last night's Falcons-Cowboys "MNF" game in
HDTV: "It's hard to watch the game casually." HDTV's
"extra-wide screen offers more viewing area, therefore a
better sense of being at the game" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
9/21)....In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes that CNN's "'NFL
Preview' shines brightly for what it has, reliable
information, and for what it doesn't have, namely, phony
entertainment. And, on Sundays, before the kickoffs, those
are prized commodities to be sure" (Baltimore SUN, 9/21).
