With ABC moving the starting time of "MNF" ahead one
hour next season, West Coast ABC affils are "concerned about
losing early newscasts and that football fans won't get home
in time to see the beginnings of games," according to Jon
Lafayette of ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Renard Maiuri, GM of KDRV-
ABC in OR, said the local news is "most in demand by
advertisers. We're losing a valuable program for us. That
hurts." KDRV has told ABC that it will show preseason "MNF"
games on a one-hour tape delay, and Maiuri said that for the
regular season, the station will see "what options are
available." Maiuri: "We could see about delaying the games.
We could discuss not carrying the pre-game segment." An ABC
spokesperson said that the net is "still discussing" the
situation with its affils (ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 4/20 issue).
NFL TV NOTES: VARIETY's Richard Katz reports that ABC,
CBS and Fox are "very unlikely" to get the "more than" 20%
increase in ad rates they need to break even on their new TV
deals. Media buyers, who are claiming they will "hold out
until the increases drop below 10%," say that the "added
supply of inventory ... and the current softness" of the
overall ad market are factors that "give them leverage" over
the networks (VARIETY, 4/20 issue)....In response to ESPN's
proposed rate increases to operators, U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin
(R-LA) is drafting new legislation "designed to give
consumers greater choice in monopoly markets." Tauzin said
that ESPN's rate increases "could help push new rate
regulations through Congress" (ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 4/20).
