TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition
of FSN's "The National Sports Report" led with the final
game of retiring Rockets F Charles Barkley, followed by
Lakers-Spurs. Total NBA coverage on "The National Sports
Report" was 14:06, total MLB coverage was 9:41 and total NHL
coverage was 6:02. Last night's 11:00pm ET 30-minute
edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" led with Barkley's
final game, followed by Penguins-Capitals. Total NBA
coverage on "Sports Tonight" was 8:29, total MLB coverage
was 8:32 and total NHL coverage was 3:04. Last night's
1:00am ET 60-minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" (late
due to coverage of the NHL playoffs) led with Blues-Sharks,
followed by Penguins-Capitals. Total NBA coverage on
"SportsCenter" was 15:44, total MLB coverage was 13:43 and
total NHL coverage was 10:36 (THE DAILY).
RATINGS ROCKER: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Rick Westhead reported
that TBS' coverage of Tuesday's Phillies-Braves game, which
featured the return of P John Rocker, earned a 2.1 overnight
cable rating, making it the "highest among Turner's eight
Braves' regular-season telecasts this year, and about 24
percent higher than the cable network's average Braves'
rating last season." Braves telecasts on Turner are
averaging a 1.7 rating, "the same as last year's full-season
average for 90 broadcasts" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/19).
TAKING A WAL-TRIP WITH DARRELL: NASCAR driver Darrell
Waltrip confirmed to THE DAILY yesterday that he will work
as a race analyst during Fox's Winston Cup coverage next
year. Waltrip feels his years of experience on the circuit
will bring him instant credibility on the air: "When you
open your mouth and you don't know what you're talking
about, you lose your credibility" (THE DAILY).
NOTES: In Toronto, William Houston reports that
ExpressVu sold 8,500 subscriptions to its NHL Centre Ice
package during the '99-2000 season. During a recent
promotion for next season, ExpressVu sold an additional
7,000 subscriptions (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/20)....In K.C.,
Jeffrey Flanagan reports that former Royals CF Brian McRae
"is on the verge of signing a three-year deal with ESPN that
will include between 40 and 50 studio appearances for him
per season on 'Baseball Tonight.'" McRae will begin his
duties "within two weeks" (K.C. STAR, 4/20)....GOLF WORLD's
Michael Arkush writes, "Despite word that CNBC will take
over as the main carrier, ESPN remains a player in the
negotiations regarding the future of Senior PGA Tour
coverage." Arkush adds that ESPN "met with the tour last
week in New York." Also in GOLF WORLD, Tim Rosaforte
reports that former CBS golf analyst Ben Wright has "just
signed a deal to appear on the popular John Boy and Billy
Big nationally syndicated radio show" (GOLFWORLD, 4/21).
....In Chicago, Jim Kirk reports that former CNN/SI sports
anchor Eric Goodman will join FSN's Chicago-based regional
sports show. The move is "an important hire" for FSN's
"Regional Sports Report," which is "trying to cultivate an
image" as Chicago's "primary outlet for sports at a time
when competition is at an all-time high -- not only in
Chicago, but around the country" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/20).
