WEB OF CONTROVERSY: TV AFFIL'S WEB BROADCASTS UPSET MLB

          MLB "has put an end" to West Palm Beach-based WPEC-
     CBS's nightly sports simulcast on the Internet because it
     claimed that showing Marlins' highlights on the Web
     "violated" the league's copyright laws, according to
     Stephanie Smith of the PALM BEACH POST.  The station, which
     began showing its news and sports programs and offering
     archives on the Internet in June, "was among dozens
     throughout the country warned" by MLB, even though it
     "wasn't making money off the baseball footage."  WPEC GM
     Doreen Wade, who said that the affil is not challenging the
     league's action: "It's kind of silly in my opinion.  They're
     only hurting themselves.  We're like `OK, we won't show the
     sports segment (on the Web).'"  But MLB Enterprises New
     Media Counsel Michael Mellis said that "there are clear
     distinctions between showing game highlights over the
     airwaves or cable vs. the Internet" because the highlights
     can be archived.  MLB-licensed users for Internet footage
     include CNNSI.com and CBS SportsLine (P.B. POST, 9/25).