TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET editions of FSN's
"Primetime," CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" and ESPN's
"SportsCenter" all led with the arrest of former Panthers WR
Rae Carruth in TN. "Primetime" followed with Bulls-Pacers
and its first NHL story, at 14:22 into the broadcast, was
Kings-Rangers. "Sports Tonight" followed with Jazz-Celtics
and its first NHL story, at 24:45, was Penguins-Hurricanes.
"SportsCenter" followed with Raptors-76ers and its first NHL
story, at 12:33, was an update on the health condition of
Flyers coach Roger Neilson (THE DAILY).
HOLYFIELD SPREADS THE GOSPEL: Evander Holyfield was a
guest on "Up Close" yesterday and talked about his new
gospel TV network called MBC Network that was launched along
with former MLB player Cecil Fielder in Detroit last month.
Holyfield: "Our program is another alternative for people
who may not want to hear the cursing [and] see the violence
and things like that so that the whole family can sit there
without putting their hands over the kids' eyes or over
their ears or have to bleep, bleep some notes out. ...
There's a lot of people supporting us. ... Now people are
asking us, `When is this network going to get out there?'
It's large now, so people just need to call their local
cable company and tell 'em, `We want MBC Network.'"
Holyfield added that he would make "a lot" of appearances on
the network's shows ("Up Close," ESPN, 12/15).
SHERMAN'S MARCH ON NBA.COM TV: In Chicago, Ed Sherman
profiles NBA.com TV and writes the league "is well ahead of
rival pro leagues in having its own network." NBC Sports
Chair Dick Ebersol, on NBC.com TV's studios in NJ: "No other
league has a facility like that. [NBA Commissioner] David
[Stern has] always been one step ahead of everyone else."
Sherman notes "there is a constant promotion" for current
League Pass games and NBC.com TV "encourages viewers to
switch" channels. NBAE President Adam Silver: "We're the
only network to acknowledge that we're not designed to be
watched for a long period of time." Future programming will
include basketball-themed films (CHI. TRIBUNE, 12/16).
NOTES: The Green Bay Packers Radio Network has moved
from its Green Bay-area carrier of 52 years, WNFL-1440, to
WDUZ-AM and WXWX-FM. The move marks the "first year" the
Packers will be on a Green Bay FM station (Green Bay PRESS-
GAZETTE, 12/15)....In Toronto, William Houston writes that
CTV "has problems," as the network has "invested heavily in
basketball, but generally the ratings have been weak."
Houston notes that last Saturday's Grizzlies-Lakers game
averaged 107,000 viewers: "That audience, for a national
main network telecast, isn't so much low as non-existent"
(GLOBE & MAIL, 12/16)....Avalanche ratings on Fox Sports Net
are averaging a 3.2 HH rating, up 60% from last year.
Avalanche games on KTVD-UPN are averaging a 4.5 HH rating,
compared to last year's 2.0 (DENVER POST, 12/16).
