In releasing their schedule of 125 Braves games this season,
TBS is "expecting a rise in advertising revenue of 25% locally
and at least 10% nationally" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
2/21)....Former NBC producer Harry Coyle died of heart failure in
Iowa. He was considered the "father of baseball broadcasting"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/21). NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol,
on Coyle: "He probably brought more sporting joy into more
households than any other American" (Baltimore SUN, 2/21)....WWJ-
AM in Detroit announced it will carry the U.S. 500 at Michigan
Int'l Speedway, and not the Indy 500. WWJ-AM had been the only
Detroit radio outlet carrying the Indy 500. Sources tell the
DETROIT NEWS that ESPN is expected to announce plans to cover
pole qualifying May 11 (DETROIT NEWS, 2/21).... Dennis Rodman
will be a studio guest during TNT's coverage of Orlando-Indiana
(USA TODAY, 2/21)....Steve Burke, 37-year old President of Euro-
Disney, has been named Exec VP at Cap Cities/ABC, the No. 2 post
reporting to Chair Robert Iger. Burke had been with Disney since
'86 (N.Y. POST, 2/21).... The L.A. TIMES reports Cap Cities/ABC
is considering NBC's Jamie McDermott to be President of ABC
Entertainment (L.A. TIMES, 2/21)....Barry Diller is profiled in
the current issue of TIME. Diller intends to build his Silver
King network "from the bottom up with local programming -- a
national network of distinct and separate voices" (NEWSWEEK, 2/26
issue). Diller is lure Fox Senior Exec Doug Binzak to assist in
marketing and scheduling (VARIETY, 2/12-18).... The "demise" of
UNLV has affected the Big West's TV opportunities. Since '89,
the conference has been on ESPN's Big Monday package, but ESPN
has reduced the Big West's schedule from eight to four and has
not guaranteed any Big Monday games next season (Jason Reid, L.A.
TIMES, 2/19).
