Canada's YTV premieres "NBA Dunk Street" on April 5. The
half-hour program will feature NBA players, history and
terminology with a Canadian spin (YTV)....Golfweek magazine will
expand its business coverage with a pull-out section called
"Strictly Business," beginning in the June 1 issue
(Golfweek)....News Corp. Chair Rupert Murdoch's latest quest is
launching digital TV in Europe (BUSINESS WEEK, 3/25).... TCI
"strengthened its position" as the top U.S. cable operator
yesterday when it bought Knight-Ridder's 50% stake in TKR Cable
for $420M. TKR has almost 500,000 subscribers in NY and NJ
("Moneyline," CNN, 3/18)....SportsTicker is expanding its sports
news coverage to include all of Business Wire's SportsWire news
releases (SportsTicker).... SportsChannel Regional Network
launches a Web site this week. The string of networks plans to
include scheduling, programming highlights, interviews with team
players, news, stats, information, trivia and contests on the
site. The address: http://www.sportschannel.com
(SportsChannel). ....GOLFWEEK's Dave Shedloski reports CBS'
transition from longtime golf producer Frank Chirkinian to Lance
Barrow "will not stray from the Chirkinian philosophy." Barrow,
who admits he will add his own identity: "If someone tells me our
show looks like a Frank Chirkinian show, it would be an honor"
(GOLFWEEK, 3/16 issue)....The IAAF will produce three shows in
connection with the World Cross Country Championships from Cape
Town, South Africa (USAT&F)....NBC's NBA games Sunday averaged a
3.6 overnight -- down 73% from last year -- Michael Jordan's
return which earned a 13.4 rating (USA TODAY, 3/19)....Richard
Sandomir criticizes SET's Tyson-Bruno announcing team for not
noticing the gash over Bruno's eye -- which occurred during Round
1 -- until 10 seconds before Round 2. On Tommy Morrison as an
analyst, Sandomir asks, "Was no knowledgeable analyst available,
rather than someone hired mainly because of his renown for
contracting the H.I.V. virus?" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/19).
