Media Notes

MR. POPULARITY? In Akron, Public Editor Mike Needs wrote last Thursday's front-page photo of LeBron James garnered "a high number of complaints." Needs: "'Sick and tired' was the most popular expression among the 15 callers, followed closely by 'this is ridiculous' and 'shoved down our throats.'" On the suggestion of an e-mailer, Needs examined the last 100 front pages and found that LeBron was on the front page three times: last Thursday, October 30 and September 9 "when he was photographed at an Akron elementary school in a Nike promotion" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 11/9).

CFL RATINGS: In Toronto, William Houston reports the CFL East Division final between the Argonauts and Alouettes Sunday drew 1.369 million viewers, the largest rating for an East final since '89. The West Division final between the Roughriders and Eskimos drew 1.564 million, the largest rating for a West final since '94 (GLOBE & MAIL, 11/11).

ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE: MULTICHANNEL NEWS reports Fox' Fuel net has launched on Time Warner systems in Cincinnati; Charlotte; Winston-Salem/Greensboro, NC; Portland, ME; Columbia, SC; and West Monroe, CA. Bright House Networks added it in Indianapolis, Birmingham and Bakersfield, CA. RCN Corp. made it available in L.A., S.F., and DC, while CableAmerica Corp. added Mesa, AZ (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 11/10 issue).