STAR POWER: MLB Rangers/Stars Owner Tom Hicks
interceded in Tuesday's carriage dispute between Fox Sports
Southwest (FSSW) and Marcus Cable. Hicks, who is a friend
and business partner of Marcus Cable General Partner Jeffrey
Marcus, called Fox/Liberty CEO Tony Ball and asked that Fox
put the Rangers game back on the local cable system. FSSW
has "restored the games to Marcus Cable for a few weeks" as
talks on a new contract continue (STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/25).
OTHER NOTES: Former Sonics coach George Karl has
interviewed with TNT for a possible NBA analyst job (SEATTLE
TIMES, 6/24)....After a two-week absence due to an injured
back, Skip Caray returned to the Braves' announcing booth
last night (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 6/25)....In N.Y., Mary
Huhn reports that Weider publications has folded women's
fitness magazine Living Fit after four years due to "an
unreceptive and changing advertising environment" (N.Y.
POST, 6/26)....In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley reviews Peter
Vecsey's performance as a draft analyst on TNT last night.
He writes that Vecsey "made a prediction about the order of
the first five picks, actually six, that turned out like so
many Vecsey predictions turn out. It was wrong" (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/25)....In Miami, Barry Jackson writes,
"For the second time in two months, the Heat's new over-the-
air rights-holder has irritated team management." WYHS-TV
included a drawing of a Ku Klux Klan figure in a local
advertisement for an upcoming TV show. The Heat
"complained," and Michael McCullough, the team's Senior
VP/Sales & Marketing said, "We thought it was inappropriate,
and I didn't think it was funny." WYHS has since apologized
for the ad (MIAMI HERALD, 6/25)....Former WNBA coach Mary
Murphy makes her Lifetime broadcast debut on Friday and will
offer her "Murphy's Law" segment at halftime of the
Monarchs-Liberty game. Murphy will address league issues
and give injury updates and players features. The segment
is scheduled to air every two weeks (USA TODAY, 6/25).
