TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition
of FSN's "The National Sports Report" led with Mets-Padres,
followed by a report that the Yankees are interested in
signing Cubs RF Sammy Sosa after his contract expires next
season. The first non-MLB report, at 7:37, was Game Five of
the Avalanche-Stars. "TNSR" had 3:46 of NBA coverage and
7:44 of NHL coverage. Last night's 11:00pm ET 30-minute
edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" and the 11:00pm ET 60-
minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" both led with Game
One of the Knicks-Pacers, followed by Avalanche-Stars.
"Sports Tonight" had 3:31 of NBA coverage and 3:42 of NHL
coverage. "SportsCenter" had 11:32 of NBA coverage and 7:11
of NHL coverage. Note: Tuesday's schedule had one NBA
playoff game and one NHL playoff game (THE DAILY).
AM DEAL: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar reports that the
Blues "have picked pride over tradition by leaving KMOX,
which has been their flagship radio station for all but two
of their 33 seasons in the NHL, in favor of KTRS." Blues
Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Jim Woodcock said that
the team "held a subordinate spot to the Cardinals at KMOX,
being pre-empted even for spring training games while the
Blues were in a playoff drive." But the team will be the
"focal point" at KTRS. The three-year deal calls for a 30-
minute pregame show, "extensive" postgame programming,
Internet broadcasts of the games and some promotional
activities. Caesar writes that KTRS is paying a "straight
rights fee" in the deal (S.L. POST-DISPATCH, 5/24).
NOTES: WFAN's Bob Wischusen is leaving the station to
anchor Fox Sports Net's N.Y. "Regional Sports Report"
(NEWSDAY, 5/24)....In K.C., Blair Kerkhoff examines sports
viewership on TV and writes, "People aren't watching less
television -- we tune in about eight hours of prime-time
television (7-10 p.m.) per week, according to Nielsen Media
Research. But in some cases, we're watching much less
championship-level sports" (K.C. STAR, 5/24).
