Richard Sandomir describes Monday's simultaneous coverage of
Wimbledeon by NBC and HBO as "absolutely fabulous ... but
flipping between them could get you unstuck in time, endeavoring
to discover what's live, almost live or taped." The networks did
not compete with live coverage as at all times during the three-
hour cross-over, one was broadcasting taped matches (N.Y. TIMES,
7/4). HBO's average national rating for their first four
Wimbledon broadcasts is up 78%, with a 1.6 rating and a 5 share.
Last year, they averaged a .9 rating and a 3 share. The
network's prime time evening highlight show is averaging a 2.1/4
(HBO).... Thomson Consumer Electronics is committing over $3M to
an advertising campaign for its RCA DSS system (Thomson)....The
Jaguars and Bullseye Marketing, a division of the FLORIDA TIMES-
UNION, are combining to produce a weekly official team newspaper.
The "Jaguars Inside Report" will include game stories, analysis
and features (Jaguars)....MSG network has reached an agreement to
add its coverage to the DirecTV regional sports network package
(MSG)....Mike Tyson's comeback fight August 19 could reach 1
million buys and challenge the 4-year old PPV-TV record of
Evander Holyfield and George Foreman. That fight was purchased
by 1.36M homes, and grossed $48.9M (WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/1)....A
consortium of 59 companies are planning to change the Internet's
most popular software, making it possible to create rating
systems similar to those used in the film and video game
industries (N.Y. TIMES, 7/3)....Two TV stations in Dallas are
going through an affiliate switch, and, if similar to the
affiliate switch in Atlanta, ratings and revenue for the new Fox
and WB affiliates will drop, while those for the new CBS
affiliate will rise, "at least at first" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
7/2)....NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman likes the Foxbots: "I've
heard stories about kids coming to games and asking when they
were going to see the robots. Part of our future and one of the
reasons I believe this sport is going to be so strong is we're
doing phenomenally with kids" (Hamilton SPECTATOR, 7/5)....
Microsoft is making contingency plans to cope with any Justice
Dept. move to separate the company's proposed on-line computer
service from its Windows 95 operating system (WALL STREET
JOURNAL, 7/3).
