TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of ESPN's
"SportsCenter" led with the four-game suspension of Rams
WR/KR Tony Horne for violating the NFL's substance abuse
policy, followed by the Dolphins trading RB Karim Abdul-
Jabbar to the Browns. "SportsCenter" followed its NFL
coverage at 2:28 into the broadcast with Flames-Blues,
highlighted by Flames G Grant Fuhr's attempt to win his
400th game. FSN's "Primetime" (Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh)
led with "the morning after" the Red Sox' season-ending
loss, followed by the Indians expressing interest in both
George Brett and Orel Hershiser as their next manager.
"Primetime" followed its MLB coverage at 5:06 into the
broadcast with a report on the Cowboys' struggling offense.
CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" led with an update on Mets-Braves,
highlighted by Braves P John Rocker's automobile accident on
Monday, followed by reports of Buddy Bell possibly being
named the Rockies' manager. "Sports Tonight" followed its
MLB coverage at 3:09 with FL State Univ. WR Peter Warrick
plea bargaining in his grand theft case (THE DAILY).
NHL ON CBC: CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" is averaging
1.165 million viewers for its prime-time telecasts, up 5%
from last year. But CBC's coverage of its second "HNIC" NHL
game is averaging 629,000 viewers, down 22% from last year's
810,000 through the same weekend (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/20).
DEALS: The Cavs "are close" to announcing a TV schedule
that will have 25 games on WUAB-UPN and 40 games on Fox
Sports Net Ohio. The deal "likely will be for four years"
(AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 10/20)....The WNBA Shock have signed
a three-year contract with WYUR-AM, which will broadcast
"all of the team's" games (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/19).
NOTES: In Orlando, Jerry Greene notes that "MNF" has
"one game coming up that includes two teams with winning
records" -- Seahawks-Packers on November 1. Greene, on
"MNF" announcers Al Michaels and Boomer Esiason: "They
aren't bad so much as bland" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/20).
...Showtime's SHO.com will launch the first live boxing PPV
event Saturday, featuring five different camera angles of
the Mike Tyson-Orlin Norris fight (PIONEER PRESS, 10/20).
