CRITICS NOT "REAL QUIET" IN LAUDING ABC'S DERBY COVERAGE

          ABC earned a 6.7/17 overnight rating for its coverage
     of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.  For more ratings, see
     (#31).  In N.Y., Phil Mushnick credits ABC for not cutting
     away to commercials immediately following the race as it had
     done the previous two years, and adds that the audience was
     "rewarded with some wonderful post-race sights and sounds"
     (N.Y. POST, 5/4).  In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers writes that
     the net did "an excellent job" at capturing the emotions of
     winning jockey Kent Desourmeaux (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/4). 
     In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes that there was a "bit too
     much of Rick Pitino," but ABC "played the human stories to
     best advantage without stooping to cheap sentimentality"
     (TORONTO STAR, 5/4).  In Richmond, Jerry Lindquist: "ABC ran
     a strong race.  You were taken where you wanted to be"
     (TIMES-DISPATCH, 5/4).  USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand called
     ABC's coverage "solid, considering it had to create a 90-
     minute show for a two-minute event" (USA TODAY, 5/4).