TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Primetime" led with Jets-Cowboys, followed by Redskins-
Colts. The first non NFL story, at 14:15 into the broadcast,
was 76ers G Allen Iverson saying the team should trade him
after being benched during Saturday night's loss to the
Pistons. The first NHL story, at 41:07, was the Isles
reportedly trading G Felix Potvin to the Canucks. CNN/SI's
11:00pm ET of "Sports Tonight" led with Redskins-Colts,
followed by Jets-Cowboys. The first non-NFL story, at
10:05, was Lakers-Raptors. The first NHL story, at 28:14,
was the reported trade of Potvin. ESPN's 11:00pm ET of
"SportsCenter," (which aired at 11:19pm ET due to Sunday
Night Football) led with Redskins-Colts, followed by Giants-
Rams. The first non-NFL story, at 11:22, was Lakers-
Raptors. The first NHL story, at 13:28, was Potvin.
ISL PLAYOFF PLAN: In Houston, David Barron reports that
Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson is "cautiously
optimistic" that the Div. I-A college football playoff plan
of his client ISL will succeed over ABC's efforts to extend
its BCS deal. Pilson: "We don't believe ABC has been
successful in extending the BCS agreement. They deny that
they were making an effort to do so, but we believe they
approached some of the main college people about getting an
extension. ... It isn't that anyone within the college
community is pushing for this. It's the marketplace -- the
sponsors, the advertisers, the public -- that would like to
see a playoff created" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/20).
VIEWING TRENDS: In DC, Athelia Knight reported that a
new study by Miami-based Strategy Research Corp. showed that
44% of Hispanics said they watched NFL games on TV during
the past year, compared with 66% of whites and 70% of
blacks. The study shows that 12% of Hispanics, compared
with 27% of whites and 28% of blacks, listened to radio
broadcasts of NFL games (WASHINGTON POST, 12/17).
NOTES: FX Network President Peter Liguori said that the
network is "weighing whether to move" its MLB games from
Saturday to another night (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 12/20 issue).
...In Boston, Jim Baker writes that outgoing CBS announcer
Sean McDonough "doubts speculation" that Patriots Owner
Robert Kraft's "good relationship" with CBS CEO Mel Karmazin
"may have been a factor in McDonough's CBS exit" (BOSTON
HERALD, 12/19)....L.A. Times NFL writer T.J. Simers has
returned to the newspaper following an absence due to
medical reasons. Simers, on the condition, which he didn't
reveal: "It's not life-threatening, but doctors have
suggested to take it easy. ... The thing is, maybe it is
time to be more positive, to be more pro-NFL, to be more
reader friendly" (L.A. TIMES, 12/18)....Fox Sports Net Exec
VP Bob Thompson noted reports that the Ackerley Group's
plans for a newly formed RSN would include televising
Canucks games in the Seattle area. The Fox-related CTV
SportsNet currently holds the team's TV rights in Canada.
Thompson: "No. 1, the Canucks cannot be distributed in the
United States, period. No. 2, if all [of] a sudden the
league changes the rules, I'm going to make a pretty good
case that those are our rights" (SEATTLE P-I, 12/20).
