USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand reports in his column today
that Ken Ochetti has signed 10 NFL cheerleading squads and will
make "the first national effort to market cheerleader spinoffs,"
including swimsuit calendars, trading cards, videos, and CD-ROM
programs (USA TODAY, 9/29)....The Knick's starting unit has
filmed commercials for Nobody Beats the Wiz. Frank Markward, Wiz
VP and Creative Director, said "they were all pretty good" and
"seemed especially pleased with Charles Smith" (N.Y. POST, 9/29).
....NationsBank has retained Bear Stearns "to help it explore a
possible bid for ITT Financial Corp." ITT may use the proceeds
of a sale to finance a possible bid for NBC (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
9/29)....Sega Enterprises has will acquire an 8% stake in Atari
and global rights to more than 70 of its patents (FINANCIAL
TIMES, 9/29)....Robert Earl, creator of Planet Hollywood, "is
trying to persuade" Viacom CEO Frank Biondi "to let him create
yet another theme restaurant -- the MTV Cafe" (N.Y. POST,
9/29)....The Smithsonian Institute will observe the NFL's 75th
anniversary with six sessions to give fans "a chance to question
men who were NFL superstars on and off the field." Pete Rozelle
and Paul Tagliabue will kick off the event and discuss the
league's evolution and future on October 5 (Dick Heller,
WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/29).