TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET editions of
CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" and ESPN's "SportsCenter" both led
with Raptors-Hornets. "Sports Tonight" followed with
Pistons-Knicks, and its first non-NBA story, at 7:20 into
the broadcast, was the Packers hiring Seahawks offensive
coordinator Mike Sherman as their new head coach.
"SportsCenter" followed Raptors-Hornets with Sonics-Lakers,
and its first non-NBA story, at 9:41, also was the Packers
hiring Sherman. The 10:00pm ET of FSN's "Primetime" led
with the Packers hiring Sherman, followed by a report out of
N.Y. that Bill Parcells told new owner Robert Wood Johnson
IV that he does not plan to return to coaching. The first
non-NFL story, at 9:41, was Sonics-Lakers (THE DAILY).
FAIR GAMES THIS FALL: MEDIAWEEK's John Consoli writes
that the late-September scheduling of this year's Summer
Olympics from Sydney is "playing havoc" with the broadcast
networks' plans for launching new shows this fall and with
advertisers' "strategies for the spring upfront buying
season." But Western Initiative Media Exec VP & Dir of
National Broadcast Tim Spengler believes that NBC's
competitors "will not 'roll over and play dead'" and that
"at least one network will begin its new season directly
against the Olympics" (MEDIAWEEK, 1/17 issue).
NOTES: CNN's Nick Charles, on the format of his weekend
show, "Page One": "We do things that 20/20 or NewsStand
(CNN) might run. I like that kind of style. I'm not a
schtick guy. I'm not knocking that, but highlights are not
my strong suit" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/18)....NFL INSIDER
magazine's 232-page premiere issue will serve as the
official game program of Super Bowl XXXIV. The magazine has
a rate base of 1.3 million readers and will feature 104 ad
pages (NFL Insider)....On TBS' NBA "Kidcast" of the Pistons-
Knicks game yesterday, TBS' Cheryl Miller and Dennis
Blanchette, a 16-year old participating in the "Kidcast,"
interviewed WNBA President Val Ackerman on the state of the
league. Ackerman: "It's going to be a great year. The four
new teams, the fan support is great. I think we're going to
have a great summer." TBS' "Kidcast" also featured an on-
line chat on NBA.com, courtside signs made by children that
used the NBA's slogan, 'I Love This Game,' and interviews by
the participating youths with Pistons F Grant Hill and
Pistons coach Alvin Gentry ("Kidcast," TBS, 1/17).
