TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Fox Sports News" led with Raptors-76ers, followed by Nets-
Hornets. The 60-minute "Fox Sports News" had 9:35 of NCAA
Tournament and 1:03 of NIT coverage (10:38 total). Last
night's 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" also
led with Raptors-76ers, followed by Bulls-Knicks. The 30-
minute "Sports Tonight" had 8:04 of NCAA Tournament and :36
of NIT coverage (8:40). Last night's 11:00pm ET edition of
ESPN's "SportsCenter" led with T'Wolves-Celtics, followed by
Raptors-76ers. The 60-minute "SportsCenter" had 5:52 of
NCAA Tournament and 2:59 of NIT coverage (8:51) (THE DAILY).
NIELSEN SCHEDULE: DAILY VARIETY's Michael Schneider
reports that Nielsen "is expected to announce" that the
start of the 2000-01 TV season will be pushed back two weeks
to October 2. The move is "sure to ruffle" some execs at
NBC, as the date is "just one day" after the close of the
Summer Games, meaning that NBC's entire 18 days of Olympic
coverage will be kept "out of next season's ratings books."
The delay is seen as a "victory" for ABC, CBS and Fox, which
had "lobbied" for the change (DAILY VARIETY, 3/23).
GOLF: GOLF WORLD's Geoff Russell writes that Melissa
Lehman, wife of Tom Lehman, is "writing a book that will be
an inside look" on wives of PGA Tour players. Melissa Lehman
has "already sent questionnaires to fellow tour wives,
seeking their input" (GOLF WORLD, 3/24)....In L.A., Greg
Wilcox notes this weekend's "scheduling quirk" which results
in the LPGA Tour playing its first major of the year, the
Nabisco Championship, up against the PGA Tour Players
Championship. Wilcox: "That's too bad because [the LPGA's]
games can be just as entertaining as what's offered on the
other tours" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/23). But USA TODAY's Jerry
Potter writes that with Karrie Webb's play of late, "Maybe
she can help the LPGA's TV ratings" (USA TODAY, 3/23).
NOTES: Expos Majority Owner Jeffrey Loria, on the
team's pursuit of a radio rights deal: "[Radio rights] can't
be viewed as a marketing tool. ... You know what the
important marketing tool for this team is? The team. ...
There's always the Internet if there's no broadcasting"
(GAZETTE, 3/23)....In L.A., Larry Stewart profiled FSN's new
"Sports Geniuses" game show, which begins airing Monday, and
called host Matt Vasgersian "a perfect fit" (L.A. TIMES,
3/22)....SportsTicker will provide daily listings of online
sports chats and discussions from Yack (SportsTicker).
...Bucs S John Lynch, on ABC firing "MNF"'s Boomer Esiason:
"I think it opens your eyes, it's cutthroat like everything
else. ... I thought Boomer was doing a great job, but
obviously ABC's got a lot riding on it, the sponsors do.
They made a decision" ("Up Close," ESPN, 3/22).
