TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Fox Sports News" and the 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's
"Sports Tonight" both led with Ravens LB Ray Lewis being
released from an Atlanta prison on a $1M bond, followed by
the Lions signing free-agent RB James Stewart. The first
non-NFL story on "FSN", at 6:03 into the broadcast, was
Sabres G Dominik Hasek announcing he will not retire after
the season. The first non-NFL story on "Sports Tonight", at
6:53, was the Univ. of CT-Seton Hall Univ. men's college
basketball game. Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of ESPN's
"SportsCenter" (late due to the ESPY Awards), led with Univ.
of CT-Seton Hall, followed by the Lewis bond hearing.
ANOTHER STORM BREWING: In Raleigh, Chip Alexander
reported that a "conflict" between FSN and Time Warner Cable
"will prevent cable viewers in the Charlotte area from
seeing eight of the last 10 Hurricanes' telecasts." FSN
"wanted Time Warner to share in the expense of broadcasting
the games and Time Warner refused" (NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/12).
SEEING REDS: NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay reports that after
the Reds acquired Ken Griffey Jr., Fox is adding "at least
three Reds games" to its Saturday afternoon MLB coverage
this season "and could add two more, bringing the total to
the maximum of nine." Zipay also questions ESPN's delay in
televising the Big League Home Run Challenge which was taped
last weekend in Las Vegas, but will not air until March 20.
While an ESPN spokesperson said the delay will "help build
anticipation for Opening Day," Zipay writes, "Come on. By
the time the Challenge airs, more home runs will have been
hit in spring-training games" (NEWSDAY, 2/15).
NOTES: CBS Sports VP/Communications LeslieAnne Wade
said that CBS' 8.0/17 overnight Nielsen rating for final-
round coverage of Sunday's Buick Invitational was the
"highest rating for a regular PGA Tour event in 13 years"
(USA TODAY, 2/15)....NASCAR Senior VP/Marketing Brian France
says he wants to hear more "constructive criticism" in the
TV booth this season, "like John Madden." But one veteran
TV broadcaster told the WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL's Mike Mulhern
that he is "a bit skeptical": "Yeah ... that would be a good
way to get a parking sticker for the infield" (WINSTON-SALEM
JOURNAL, 2/15)....In N.Y., Bob Raissman criticizes TNT
analyst Cheryl Miller for "flat-out rooting for" her Mercury
player, Jennifer Gillom, during Saturday's 2Ball Competition
on TNT. Raissman notes that when Gillom finished her round,
Miller "jumped out of her seat and hugged her." Raissman:
"This was embarrassing. It makes you wonder if anyone in
the TNT production truck had any control of Miller."
Raissman adds that TNT's Kevin Harlan was "out of control"
during the 2Ball coverage (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15).
