While the NHL lockout continues, ESPN is plugging gaps in
their programming with mountain biking, reruns of last year's
Stanley Cup, and rescheduled college football games. ESPN2 is
making do with minor league hockey and body- building, and Prime
Network is offering an eight-game Arizona Fall baseball League
package (AP/GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD, 10/15)....Viacom's
Paramount Stations Group has agreed to buy two independent
television stations from Combined Broadcasting, WGBS in
Philadelphia and WBFS in Miami (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
10/17)....Going into yesterday's game against the Patriots, the
Jets' average Nielsen rating in N.Y. has fallen four full points
since last year, which translates to a loss of 268,000 homes per
telecast (N.Y. NEWSDAY, 10/14)...."75 Seasons," the story of the
NFL which recently appeared on TNT, is now available from
PolyGram Video at video stores (The NFL).....The final Nielsen
rating for "Baseball" was a 5.1. PBS projects that 28M people
saw it all or in part (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/16)...."Inside Stuff"
profiled "Hoop Dreams," a documentary on two Chicago teens and
their basketball hopes ("NBA Inside Stuff," 10/15). An ad for
"Hoop Dreams" notes that Nike and Sports Illustrated are offering
group ticket rates through an 800-number.
