TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's
"Sports Tonight," ESPN's "SportsCenter" and FSN's
"Primetime" all led with Sunday's NFL Divisional Playoff
games. "Sports Tonight" and "Primetime" led with Vikings-
Rams, followed by Titans-Colts. "SportsCenter" led with
Titans-Colts, followed by Vikings-Rams (THE DAILY).
CLOSE TO A DEAL: The SportsBusiness Journal's Langdon
Brockinton reports in THE DAILY that sources say the bidding
team of NBC/Turner has emerged as the front-runner in the
pursuit of U.S. TV rights to Wimbledon. NBC/Turner's offer
is said to include a combination of rights fees and ad
inventory. Sources add that some commercial units on the
Wimbledon telecasts would go to the All-England Club, which,
in turn, would offer them to its sponsors (THE DAILY).
GOING LOCAL: In CA, Cecil Conley wrote that FSN Exec VP
Arthur Smith acknowledges that the network's decision to
create local news shows at 11:00pm in place of "Primetime"
(see THE DAILY, 1/7) "was in part because" FSN's national
show "wasn't doing as well" against ESPN's "SportsCenter."
In the Bay Area, ESPN was averaging a .61 rating at 10:00pm
PT and a .63 at 11:00pm PT, compared to FSN's .35 at 10:00pm
and .21 at 11:00pm (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 1/14).
