The NHL's "scramble to please" Fox "has some team executives
fuming." According to David Shoalts, one "potential schedule
sent out to teams" has the Red Wings and Canucks playing back-to-
back in each city (if the Canucks advance against the Blues) "so
Fox could televise Game 4 of the series on May 28 as part of its
Sunday afternoon package." This "would come at the expense of
Hockey Night In Canada on CBC, since it usually would have had
the Vancouver-Detroit game as the second half of its Saturday
night doubleheader" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/19)....NBC's NBA
playoff coverage has the highest cumulative playoff average in 18
years. NBC's national average is a 7.0 rating and 19 share.
That is the highest rating after the first three playoff weekends
since '77 when CBS posted an 8.5 for its eight telecasts
(NBC)....ESPN's baseball ratings are down 29% from last year --
"another piece of evidence baseball hasn't recovered from its
strike hangover" (USA TODAY, 5/19)....Prime Sports will broadcast
the '95 Pac-10 Baseball Championship tonight featuring Washington
State vs. USC at 7pm (Prime)...Liberty Sports will televise the
NCAA Division I, II, and III Women's Lacrosse playoffs live this
weekend on the Women's Sports & Entertainment Network, and on
tape delay on various Liberty regionals (Liberty)....Fox
Broadcasting and Western Pacific Airlines have unveiled the
carrier's first "flying billboard" -- a Boeing 737-300 adorned
with the faces of "The Simpsons" (AD AGE, 5/19).
