In a story first reported in ELECTRONIC MEDIA and
followed-up in today's WALL STREET JOURNAL by Joe Flint,
sources say that NBC is "considering asking" its affils in
the Western U.S. to carry "Saturday Night Live" during prime
time early next year, in a "move designed to hang on to
young viewers who tune in to watch" the XFL. Flint reports
that NBC figures the demo of males ages 12-24 will "stick
around" to watch. Under the proposal, "SNL" would air live
at 8:30pm in the West. Additionally, affils in the Pacific
time zone would carry XFL games from 5:00-8:00pm and would
have to "pre-empt their local news programming, which is
where most TV stations generate the bulk of their revenue."
Many affils in the West "wanted to carry the XFL games on
tape-delay, but NBC said no" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/21).
ELECTRONIC MEDIA's Michael Freeman reports that NBC "has
been aggressive in its stance in requiring NBC stations to
air XFL games in-pattern on Saturday," despite the fact it
would pre-empt local news. One NBC west coast affil GM
said, "All I can say is that West Coast (non-NBC-owned)
affiliates are not happy about this. We will be giving up
about two hours of news and our prime access hour for 12
weeks to take unproven programming with scantily clad
cheerleaders cavorting on- and off-field" (EMEDIA, 11/20).
OH MOE! In Minneapolis, Robert Whereatt reports that MN
Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe asked state Attorney
General Mike Hatch to "determine whether" Gov. Jesse Ventura
"is violating the state's code of ethics" by becoming a
color commentator for the XFL on NBC. Moe said that if
Ventura is "considered a 'state employee,' he could be in
violation of the state ethics law." Ventura: "Even if it's
determined that I am or am not [a state employee], what
ethics have I violated?" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/21).
ABC's Dennis Miller, on Ventura: "He is a politician.
Anybody can get in the booth nowadays. We are football
announcers. What are they thinking opening up the
floodgates like that? I don't like it, Al. It's the wave
of the future, but I don't have to like it." ABC's Dan
Fouts: "You're a trendsetter, my friend" (ABC, 11/20).
XFL LEAGUE NOTES: ESPN Radio (WMVP-AM) will air the
Chicago Enforcers' ten games plus any playoff appearances
this season (Enforcers). In other news, Enforcers GM Rich
Rose said that the team has sold almost 4,000 season
tickets, and a "local marketing blitz is only now getting
under way." But CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS' Brian McCormick
writes that "questions remain about the ability to draw fans
into the cold" (CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS, 11/20)....In
Ottawa, Rob Brodie: "There is no reason to think the XFL
will be anything but a poor man's level of pro football.
Savvy football fans, ... will see the XFL for what it is
quick enough and stay away from it in droves" (OTTAWA SUN,
11/18). NJ-based 16W Marketing exec Frank Vuono, on the XFL:
"Sex and violence sell, but some of the stuff they are doing
is really over the edge" (CRAIN'S CHICAGO, 11/20). But The
Sports Business Group President David Carter said that NBC
"does not need staggering ratings nor does the league have
to sell out its stadiums to be successful." Carter: "They
have to make sure that they don't let the media critics
define what success and failure is for them. If NBC can use
the XFL to promote 'Saturday Night Live' and its NBA games,
and those programs get a boost in ratings, then the league
is working for the network. As far as all the sexual stuff,
that's a work in progress" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/19).
