This week's BARRON'S includes an extensive piece on "The
Race for Smart TV: Video-on-Demand Appears Fast Approaching and
Software Companies Are Scrambling to Cash In" (Maggie Mahar,
BARRON'S, 1/9 issue)....N.Y. POST's Phil Mushnick writes on John
Madden's failure to criticize Emmitt Smith for taking off his
helmet for the TV cameras. "Either Madden is operating off a
double standard for stars or he came to the realization that the
video game carrying his name features computerized players who
rip off their helmets after a good play." Mushnick also took Fox
to task on their "McDonald's Game Breaks," adding they "are
nothing more than annoying, in-game commercials" (N.Y. POST,
1/9)....The Lifetime Channel made its "biggest venture into
sports" last night with a one hour documentary on the all-female
America3 America's Cup team. The channel has spent more than
$1M in sponsorship money for America3 and production costs for
two specials on women in sports (PHILA. INQUIRER, 1/7)....Seals
Communication has signed a new agreement with ESPN to continue
production of motorcycle sports for the cable channel. The new
agreement will allow Seals to handle the advertising for ESPN's
motorcycling program, "which is highly unusual" (ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 1/8)....SI airs a Valentine's Day swimsuit preview
show on NBC (EXTRA, 1/6).
