TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Primetime" (Fox Sports Net South), CNN/SI's 11:00pm ET
edition of "Sports Tonight," and ESPN's 2:00am ET edition of
"SportsCenter" all led with Mets-Braves. "Primetime" and
"Sports Tonight" followed with Astros-Pirates, while ESPN
followed with Reds-Padres. The first non-MLB story on
"SportsCenter," at 12:48 into the broadcast, was an update
on Packers TE Mark Chmura's neck injury. The first non-MLB
story on "Primetime" and "Sports Tonight" was an update on
Falcons RB Jamal Anderson's torn ACL at 7:20 and 7:08,
respectively (THE DAILY).
JOHNSON SAYS FAREWELL: Fox Sports Net South (FSNS) MLB
play-by-play announcer Ernie Johnson Sr. called his final
Braves game last night. Johnson spent 50 years with the
Braves' organization and called the final innings with his
son Ernie Johnson Jr. Johnson Jr., to his dad: "I think I
speak for a lot of Braves fans. ... I love you and I thank
you, and when I grow up I want to be just like you" ("Mets-
Braves," FSNS, 9/22). Johnson's departure was noted by both
CNN/SI's Fred Hickman and FSN's Keith Olbermann (THE DAILY).
NET SCORE FOR ACNIELSEN: ACNielsen has formed a joint
venture with NetRatings to measure the online habits of
int'l Internet users. The new service will be called
ACNielsen eRatings.com and will track users in Europe and
other foreign countries. ACNielsen will also acquire a 10%
stake in NetRatings for $12.5M. An existing alliance
between NetRatings and Nielsen Media Research "won't be
affected by the deal" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/23).
COLLEGE GRIDIRON RATINGS ARE UP ON ESPN2: MEDIAWEEK's
Jim Cooper reported that ESPN2's first seven college
football telecasts averaged a 1.27 rating, up 63% from last
year's 0.78. The improvement "can be attributed to the fact
that ESPN2 has bigger games than last year." The September
4 WY-UT game was ESPN2's "highest rated college game ever,"
averaging a 1.82 rating and a household delivery of 1.19
million. Meanwhile, ESPN's first five college football
telecasts averaged a 2.25 rating, down 6% from last year's
2.39 for the season's first six games (MEDIAWEEK, 9/21).
GAME DEBATE: In Orange County, Mark Emmons reported on
Fox Sports Net's (FSN) pursuit of a national high school
football championship game and wrote that "coaches are
interested." Surveys were mailed to 106 of the nation's top
coaches, and only two said "they were not in favor of a
title game." FSN VP/Media Relations Michael Lewellen: "If
nothing else, we've started a lot of debate. Perhaps we
struck a nerve, to put it mildly" (O.C. REGISTER, 9/22).
MORE NOTES: USA Home Entertainment and NFL Films will
release the video "Blue Diamond: 75 Years of New York Giants
Football" on video September 21 (USA Entertainment)....In
L.A., Steve Dilbeck examined the impact of technology
advancements on the sports industry. IMG Senior VP/New
Business Development Rob Prazmark: "Let's say, I'm selling
the Olympic Games. I want to bring [sponsors] in a
presentation theater and have them do virtual-reality
experience as if they're going down the luge or walking
through the sponsor village. And we're pretty close to
that" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 9/22)....The NHLPA's "Be A Player!
The Hockey Show" will air a one-hour "Be A Player! Special"
on TSN September 24 at 7:00pm ET. Former NHLer Brett
Lindros will host (NHLPA)....In UT, Scott Pierce called the
launch of SportsWest no "big deal.": "It's not going to
increase national exposure. It's not going to bring the
Mountain West to a new level" (DESERET NEWS, 9/22).
