QUOKKA TO CUT 90 POSITIONS AS IT LOOKS TOWARD PROFITABILITY

          S.F.-based Quokka Sports said that it plans to cut 90
     of its 460 positions as "part of a push to bring costs in
     line and turn a profit," according to August Cole of CBS
     MarketWatch, who reported that the move will help the
     company "meet production cost savings" of 30-40% "in light
     of its acquisition" of Total Sports.  Quokka "will take a
     one-time charge" of $1.8-2M for the layoffs.  Cole wrote
     that for Quokka, the move comes as it has "become more
     efficient at producing events and has set ambitious goals
     for coverage next year."  Quokka CEO Alvaro Saralegui:
     "We're fortunate in that we're able to lower our expenses
     next year and more than double the audience."  Quokka said
     that it wants to cover 5,200 events for 40 sports in 2001,
     up from 475 events this year (CBS MarketWatch, 11/29).  The
     HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Laura Randall reports that Quokka now
     "plans to shift its focus to ... mainstream sports," such as
     golf, basketball and football, rather than sports such as
     car racing and yacht sailing (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/30).  
     In S.F., Verne Kopytoff reports that the cuts were
     "primarily" Web designers and technicians (S.F. CHRONICLE,
     11/30).  Saralegui said that the cuts "had nothing to do
     with the soft market for Internet advertising."  Saralegui:
     "We acquired three companies.  After a while, you just have
     more people than you need."  Saralegui said that Quokka
     "discovered that Total Sports' back-end software system
     almost perfectly complemented Quokka's own technology." 
     After merging their software platforms, Quokka estimated
     that it will "use only seven to 10 staff members to produce
     an event next year, about half as many as it used in 2000." 
     But Quokka stated that it "plans to expand its sales and
     technology development staff" (UPSIDE TODAY, 11/30). 
          NEW MANAGEMENT HIRES FOR QUOKKA: Quokka named Mark
     Ellis as Senior VP/Sales, while Tom Newell was promoted to
     Senior VP/Production and Timo Lumme will serve as GM of
     NBC/Quokka Ventures (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/29).
          TAKING AN OLYMPIC BREAK: The WALL STREET JOURNAL
     ONLINE's David Sweet offered his "Hits and Misses" among
     sports Web sites, and wrote NBCOlympics.com "misses" for
     "being frozen in time."  The site still "maintains a large
     picture of Marion Jones and aging Summer Olympic coverage." 
     NBC Sports VP/Business Development Kevin Monaghan said that
     2002 Games coverage "will begin flowing" in January. 
     Monaghan said the Web staff "took a well-deserved post-
     Sydney break and are currently scrutinizing the content,
     production and sales plans for both NBCOlympics.com and
     SaltLake2002.com" (WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE, 11/29).