PROGRAMMING: On CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday, national
basketball scout Bob Gibbons "contends that big-name
athletic footwear makers are corrupting high schoolers --
even preteens, in some cases -- by giving them free
equipment that holds out 'a false dream of a pro career'"
(Michael Hirsley, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/24)....Penny Hardaway
will appear on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) next Tuesday
at 10:00pm ET. Hardaway will take fans' calls while selling
dolls of his commercial counterpart, Li'l Penny (HSN).
CABLE TV: MLS player Carlos Valderrama will announce
the MLS Cup '97 in Spanish for ESPN Int'l this Sunday (ESPN
Int'l)....In Toronto, William Houston writes that three
weeks into the NHL season, "Hockey Night in Canada's" (HNIC)
prime-time numbers "are in the cellar." HNIC, which
averaged "about" 1.2 million viewers in primetime last
season, has pulled in 917,000; 807,000; and 779,000 for its
three game so far (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/24)....ESPN ran a full-
page ad in USA TODAY touting its "Classic Sports From ESPN,"
which it acquired on October 9 (USA TODAY, 10/24).
TEAM: In Toronto, Josh Rubin notes an industry source
who says the Blue Jays "could see" a drop in radio rights
from C$4M per season to C$1.5M in its new deal. Jays
President Sam Pollock said that "there hasn't been any
official bid" for the rights (TORONTO STAR, 10/24)....The
Warriors "made their final offer" to SportsChannel Bay Area
in an effort to work out a dispute over the right of first
refusal in carrying the team's telecasts. Warriors Legal
Counsel Robin Baggett said that if the offer is rejected,
the team "will open negotiations with other outlets" (S.F.
CHRONICLE, 10/24).
NAMES: Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser "is
expected to sign a deal" with ESPN Radio and the new ESPN
Magazine (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 10/24)....SI Presents
will publish a special collector's issue in tribute to
former UNC coach Dean Smith that will hit NC retail outlets
today, and begin selling nationwide on Monday (SI).
