In CA, Greg Hardesty reported that after Petersen
Companies' acquisition of Surfer Publications, about 15
Surfer employees in the accounting and circulation
departments -- about 25% of the company -- "lost their jobs"
(ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/12)...."Fox Sports News
Primetime" drew its best rating ever on Fox Sports SW
Tuesday following the Astros-Brewers game, earning a 5.4.
With cable penetration in Houston at 56%, that translates
into a 9.6 cable rating, and was the second-highest rated
show on basic cable (FSSW)....In L.A., Scott Moe reviewed
"Six Times As Sweet," a new book on the Bulls by NBA Exec
Editor Publishing Ventures Jan Hubbard. Moe called it "nice
to look at with plenty of quality photos ... [But] an
insightful book full of information that the mainstream
doesn't know? No way" (L.A. TIMES, 8/12)....PA-based
Comcast cable exercised an option to purchase control of CO-
based Jones Intercable, the largest cable operator in the DC
area, for $700M (WASHINGTON POST, 8/13).
PERSONALITIES: Blues VP/Dir of Ticket Sales Bruce
Affleck was named the team's new analyst on Fox Sports
Midwest (FSM). Affleck, on his two positions being a
conflict of interest: "In order to have any credibility you
have to be honest. ... If anything, I'll get flak from my
(Blues) bosses for being too critical" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 8/13)....The Lightning will not offer a new
contract to radio voice Larry Hirsch, who had called the
team's games since its inception in '92 (Lightning).
ONLINE: In Ft. Worth, Tommy Cummings profiled Athlete
Direct (AD), which provides athlete sites on AOL. AD
President Ross Schaufelberger: "We view ourselves as the
primary company for athlete-oriented content. ... It's a
medium where the athletes can stay in touch with the fans"
(FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/10)....ATPTour.com received
120,000 page impressions, which translates into about 40,000
users, on Tuesday (CINCINNATI POST, 8/12).
