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 MLB's one-year suspension of
Yankees DH Darryl Strawberry for substance abuse. "Fox
Sports News" followed with Auburn Univ. G Chris Porter
admitting he accepted money from an agent. "Sports Tonight"
followed with Knicks-Heat. Last night's 11:00pm ET edition
of ESPN's "SportsCenter" led with Knicks-Heat, followed by
Sonics-Hornets. "SportsCenter" reported on Strawberry's
suspension at 8:32 into the broadcast (THE DAILY).
ICRAVE NIXED: Canadian Internet site iCraveTV.com has
agreed "not to rebroadcast" American TV programming to U.S.
audiences "without permission, settling a lawsuit filed by
movie studios, TV networks, the NFL and the NBA" (USA TODAY,
2/29). iCraveTV.com President & CEO William Craig: "Given
the virtually infinite resources of those rights holders, a
dot-com startup like ICraveTV was simply unable to continue
with protracted multifront litigation" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/29).
PETE'S PROMO: In N.Y., Peter Vecsey plugs TNT's Lakers-
Blazers game tonight, pitting the two top teams in the West:
He calls it, "The biggest happening in Oregon since Nike
hired an American factory worker" (N.Y. POST, 2/29).
NOTES: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' R. Thomas Umstead notes the
ongoing dispute between Fox Sports Net and Time Warner over
11 Spurs games (See THE DAILY, 2/9). In "an effort to
appease subscribers in the area, Fox Sports Net set up
viewing parties at several bars for its Feb. 20 and 21 Spurs
telecasts." Meanwhile, sources "close to the situation"
said that Time Warner "is expected to follow suit and set up
places for subscribers to see the lost games" (MULTICHANNEL
NEWS, 2/28)...Nielsen Media Research will add the Ft. Myers-
Naples, FL, TV market as its 51st metered market starting in
May 2001. The first clients for the service in the 81st
ranked market are WTVK-WB and WEVU-UPN. The move extends
Nielsen's ratings service to 67% of the U.S. (Nielsen).
