TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition
of FSN's "National Sports Report" led with a 6:57 report on
the PGA Championship, followed by Rockies-Mets. "NSR" had
6:57 of total PGA Championship coverage. Last night's
11:00pm ET 60-minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" led
with a 10:20 report on the PGA Championship, followed by
Angels-Yankees. "SportsCenter" had 13:54 of total PGA
coverage. Last night's 11:00pm ET 30-minute edition of
CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" was pre-empted on CNN by coverage
of the Democratic National Convention (THE DAILY).
HOOPS NEWS: CBS "has extended by 10 years" its contract
for the right to broadcast ACC basketball games. The deal,
which takes effect with the 2001-02 season, allows CBS to
carry "at least nine games" featuring ACC teams. In
addition, CBS will be able to carry a Duke Univ.-Univ. of NC
game "every other year, alternating with ABC/ESPN," starting
in the 2002-03 season (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/18). In
Charlotte, David Scott notes the deal means that Raycom has
"wrapped up a package for the ACC that includes more
nationally televised men's basketball games than ever."
Beginning in 2001-02, the ACC's national TV roster will
include CBS (10 games), ABC (10 games), FSN (19 games) and
ESPN/ESPN2 (20-25 games) (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/18).
NOTES: CBS and Thomson multimedia's RCA brand have
entered into an advertising agreement for Thomson to
underwrite the costs of producing HDTV coverage of Super
Bowl XXXV, as well as four AFC playoff games
(Thomson)....BSkyB has "further strengthened its hold on the
internet football market" by signing a five-year deal with
West Ham United to develop the Premier League club's Web
site. Through the deal, BSkyB will "overhaul" the club's
current site and "introduce betting, video streaming and
ticket sales." It will also promote the site through
skysports.com (Netimperative.com, 8/17)....In L.A., Tom
Hoffarth notes the increase of Little League World Series
games next season on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC and writes, "Where
the Little League World Series title game was once a special
event on ABC's 'Wide World of Sports,' it's become a
television property hotter than an aluminum-bench seat on a
Saturday afternoon in July. Innocence left this game years
ago. Greed has taken over" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/18).
