Media Notes
USA TODAY'S Michael Hiestand reported ABC has won the ratings battle on Saturday nights "five of the past six weeks" with its "Saturday Night Football" broadcasts. The national broadcast for four of those weeks has involved the Big 12 Conference, whose "top-ranked teams this season produced a weekly drama series." For the year, ratings for the show are up 23% (USA TODAY, 12/2). Below are ratings for the last six "Saturday Night Football" telecasts on ABC (THE DAILY).
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DATE
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MATCHUP
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RATING
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11/29
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Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
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5.7
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11/22
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Texas Tech-Oklahoma
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6.6
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11/15
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(regional)
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3.0
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11/8
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(regional)
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5.3
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11/1
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Texas Tech-Texas
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7.5
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10/25
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Penn State-Ohio State
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6.4
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10/18
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Missouri-Texas
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3.1
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TALE OF THE TAPE: MMAJUNKIE.com reported Spike TV and the UFC will combine for a series previewing the January 31 Georges St. Pierre-B.J. Penn fight called "UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn." The show will debut on Wednesday, January 14, at 10:30pm ET and run for three weeks. The show is being "modeled after the successful 'De La Hoya-Mayweather 24/7' series on HBO" in advance of their May '07 fight. However, it is "not being produced by Spike TV ... and it'll feature the slicker production values that have accompanied recent 'UFC Countdown' shows" (MMAJUNKIE.com, 12/1).
COMPENSATED FOR BLACKOUT: HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Scott Roxborough reported that German broadcaster ZDF has reportedly received US$631,000 "in compensation from UEFA ... for a technical malfunction" that occurred during the broadcast of the Germany-Turkey Euro 2008 semifinal match this past June. Turkish television and the European Broadcasting Union also received compensation (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 12/1).
ESPN NEWS & NOTES: MEN'S JOURNAL's Chuck Tannert reviewed several new remote controls on the market and wrote the ESPN Ultimate Remote displays "news headlines, TV listings, and sports scores." However, the screen is "so small we just got annoyed and walked to our computer," and inputting device codes "is a trial-and-error affair." He also wrote the remote is "uncomfortable to hold, with tiny, tightly packed buttons. Ultimately, not so ultimate" (MEN'S JOURNAL, 11/ '08 issue).... In L.A., Diane Pucin wrote ESPN.com's "Mayne Street" web series is "totally a creation of [Kenny] Mayne's skewed, cynical and very funny mind." Fans of shows like "The Office," "Extras" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will "appreciate" the project. The first few episodes have drawn an average of 2.5 million web hits (L.A. TIMES, 11/28).
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