TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition of FSN's "The National Sports Report" led with Pistons-Heat, followed by Suns-Spurs. The first non-NBA report, at 8:48 into the broadcast, was the retirement of Chargers GM Bobby Beathard. Total NBA playoff coverage on "The National Sports Report" was 11:44, and total NHL playoff coverage was 2:18. There were two NBA playoff games last night, and one NHL playoff game. Last night's 11:00pm ET 30-minute edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" led with Pistons-Heat, followed by Suns-Spurs. The first non-NBA report, at 6:15, was Sharks- Blues. Total NBA playoff coverage on "Sports Tonight" was 4:24, and total NHL playoff coverage was 1:11. Last night's 12:00am ET 60-minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" led with Pistons-Heat, followed by Giants-Marlins. Total NBA playoff coverage on "SportsCenter" was 6:12, and total NHL playoff coverage was 5:44 (THE DAILY). ATLANTA HOT ON NHL? In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers reports that the local Nielsen rating of 4.2 on WSB-ABC for Sunday's Blues-Sharks game "trailed only St. Louis (12.1) and Detroit (4.3) among the major markets and was more than double the national" rating of 1.4 (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/26). CUBS DEAL: In Chicago, Steve Rosenbloom noted the Cubs' 92KISS-FM promo on May 2. Rosenbloom: "Whoa, a Cubs promotion with a radio station that isn't WGN-AM?" Cubs VP/Marketing John McDonough: "We talked to the WGN people every step of the way, and they understand what we had to do from a marketing standpoint" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/24). NOTES: This summer's championship game of the Cal Ripken Division of the Babe Ruth League on August 27 will be broadcast on FSN, marking "the first time that a Babe Ruth League championship has been telecast nationally" since '81, when ESPN carried the game (Baltimore SUN, 4/25)....In Boston, Michael Felger reports that Patriots coach Bill Belichick has prohibited players "from having their own regularly scheduled (i.e., paid) radio appearances this year." However, the rule "apparently doesn't affect the Pats' in-house production on WNRB, 'Patriots Monday'" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/26)....CBS Exec Producer Terry Ewert "has a new multi-year contract" (USA TODAY, 4/26)....In Las Vegas, Kevin Iole writes, "upset by what they considered to be a succession of inflammatory comments to the media by Floyd Mayweather Jr.," Time Warner execs "withdrew a multi- fight contract offer" to Mayweather for fights on HBO and TVKO PPV that would have paid him "at least" $12M (REVIEW- JOURNAL, 4/26)....In L.A., Bill Shaikin reported that the Angels have already "sold more than 13,000 tickets" online this season, compared to selling a total of 28,000 tickets online last season (L.A. TIMES, 4/25)....In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont examines the Internet's influence on NHL teams. Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis: "In a couple of years, the Capitals could be making more money off the Internet than off the sale of television rights. We'd better. Because right now, we're living in a fixed-revenue, expense variable world, and it ain't good" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/26).
