Former Chargers QB Dan Fouts' place in the revamped
"MNF" booth "appears secure," according to USA TODAY's Rudy
Martzke, who reports that ABC could make an announcement of
the new broadcasting team "as early as Thursday." As far as
the identity of the third member to join Al Michaels,
Martzke writes, "Try checking Hollywood's casting lists." A
former CBS NFL analyst, Fouts has been an ABC college
football analyst for three seasons (USA TODAY, 6/21). NFL
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, on ABC's selection process:
"I've had a lot of conversations with ABC. Not so much
about talent in the booth, but more about the schedules we
give them, the way our teams present the games in the
stadium and the fact that it's a tremendous happening in the
community" (John Hoover, TULSA WORLD, 6/20).
TIME TO DO SOMETHING: CNNfn's Michael Okwu examined the
declining ratings of ABC's "MNF," as "viewers are flocking
to cable programs, especially wrestling, which has locked
down a key demographic." Schulman/Advanswers Exec VP Tom
DeCabia: "For the past five years, ["MNF"'s] ratings have
declined each year." DeCabia noted that the "WWF has
really cut into the ["MNF"] ratings, especially young males,
the teens, the 18-24 and the 18-34 male, which football
desperately needs to grow." DeCabia: "When it was the only
primetime game on the air, it was special. And now, with
ESPN on Sunday night, that really lessens Monday Night's
appeal a little." Okwu reported that ABC is looking for an
"edge," possibly by adding radio talk show host Rush
Limbaugh, who, "as a color man, could bring the faithful and
the curious." Sports broadcasting agent Steven Herz said to
get "exterior, fringe fans, you've got to create some sort
of interest, a side show" ("Business Unusual," CNNfn, 6/20).
ABC WON'T PUNT ITS EXHIBITION COVERAGE: In N.Y., Peter
Marks writes that ABC News will not pre-empt two preseason
NFL games scheduled for the opening nights of the Republican
and Democratic national conventions. Instead, the network
said it will provide coverage of the conventions during
halftime of the games. Paul Taylor, Exec Dir of Alliance
for Better Campaigns, which monitors TV political coverage,
criticized the move: "What has broadcast television come to
in terms of commitment?" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/21).
