Super Bowl XXXI is a "prime target" for new media
content and advertising alliances, according to Robert
Silverman in INSIDE MEDIA. U.S. West, IBM, Yahoo!, Starwave
and SportsLine USA are all "making plays to capture audience
share" for the game and, this week, U.S. West, SportsLine,
VDOnet and Yahoo! are expected to announce a deal for a
Super Bowl XXXI web site, and the NFL's Fox/Starwave site,
Superbowl.com, "boasts one of the largest-ever sponsorships"
with sources telling Silverman IBM is spending "well into
six figures" for its presence (MEDIA CENTRAL, 1/15).
AROUND THE DIAL: In Boston, Howard Manly profiles
WCVB's status as the "official station" of the Patriots. As
such, the station can put cameras in the team hotel and is
guaranteed at least one interview per night, among other
"perks." Competing station, WBZ, Sports Producer Alan
Miller: "Journalistically, how can they be impartial if they
are the 'official' station of the Patriots? ... It's just
plain wrong for a TV news station to be in bed with one of
the teams" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/15)....Surgery last week for a
torn left quadriceps tendon will keep ESPN's Chris Berman
from attending the Super Bowl, for the first time in 16
years (USA TODAY, 1/15)....Dan Patrinos, senior editor of
electronic services for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Online, said the Packers' Super Bowl appearance has brought
the number of daily hits for the World Wide Web site up to
nearly one million (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/15).
