NBC's coverage of last weekend's first-round NBA
playoff action averaged a 5.3/13 overnight Nielsen rating,
which is even with last year's opening playoff weekend.
NBC's three games on Sunday averaged a 6.3 overnight rating,
up 7% from the first Sunday of the '99 playoffs, while
Saturday's three games averaged a 4.4, down 4% from last
year's 4.6 (NBC). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes, "Good
news for NBC Sports: after sagging regular-season [NBA]
ratings, the playoffs are providing a boost" (N.Y. TIMES,
4/25). NBA Commissioner David Stern: "Am I happy that the
numbers are up? Of course. Is it better than when they are
down? Of course, but I don't get too excited either way. I
am not disappointed when they are down, nor am I overjoyed
when they are up." Stern added, "I knew that we would have
about a two-year period of low ratings. But I thought the
brunt of the hit would occur last year during the shortened
season" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/25). Mediacom's Jon Mandel: "In
this day and age, for the ratings to be even with last year
is good. ... The product is great. They just have to
reacquaint the fans to that" (USA TODAY, 4/25). In looking
at this weekend's ratings, NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay writes the
"results" from the league's scheduling change "are
underwhelming." The change "was supposed to give Turner a
weeknight boost and NBC more weekend games." Zipay writes
it's too early to tell: "So to be fair, the jury's out until
next week or later" (NEWSDAY, 4/25)
CRITICS CORNER: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich wrote that
NBC "should be credited for putting aside its self-interest"
in Raptors F Vince Carter by calling Sunday's Raptors-Knicks
game "as it was." Zelkovich: "Carter had his worst game
ever and the NBC crew didn't try to hide it" (TORONTO STAR,
4/24). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser, on the NBA playoffs: "If
you're David Stern, and you have a wish list, certainly you
have Shaquille O'Neal in the Finals, but I think you have
Carter one and [Allen] Iverson two from the East. I don't
think you want the Knicks if you're David Stern" ("The
Sports Reporters," 4/23). In Toronto, Rob Longley: "Wasn't
[NBC's Bill] Walton a little annoying with his Toe-ron-TOE
pronunciation of our fair city's name?" (TORONTO SUN, 4/24).
HEAD OF THE CLASS? In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers wrote
that Turner Sports' "underrated" analyst Kenny Smith
"remains at the head of the studio class with a superb blend
of insight and humor" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/24).
DID THE FANS REALLY KARE? In Minneapolis, Zulgad &
Aschburner noted that NBC's decision to stick with Sunday's
late-running Raptors-Knicks game resulted in MN viewers not
being switched to the T'Wolves-Blazers game until 6:08
remained in the first quarter. NBC Sports Publicist
Jennifer Arnold: "Our philosophy has been that fans have
invested so much time in an exciting and compelling game and
we'll stay with that game" (STAR TRIBUNE, 4/24). Zulgad
wrote that if fans were "upset," they "didn't voice their
displeasure" to local KARE-NBC, as a newsroom employee said
that she had received "no complaints" (STAR TRIBUNE, 4/24).
TUNING DOWN THE HEAT: In Miami, Jackson & Richards
reported that WIOD-AM elected to air Saturday's Pistons-Heat
game on its sister station WINZ so it could stick with
coverage of breaking news on Elian Gonzalez. WIOD holds the
"right contractually to move the Heat to another station
when there is a major breaking news." Heat VP/Broadcasting
Steve Watson said that the team "did not object" to the
move. Meanwhile, WTVJ-TV pre-empted NBC's pregame coverage
but did air the game (MIAMI HERALD, 4/23). In Miami, Barry
Jackson notes that Saturday's game, facing "direct
competition" with the Gonzalez coverage, earned a
"respectable" 6.8 local rating, which ranked third during
that time slot behind news shows (MIAMI HERALD, 4/25).
