AND THE NOMINEES ARE: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Paula
Bernstein writes that the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for the 20th
annual Sports Emmy Awards. CBS Sports, "bolstered by its
coverage of the Winter Olympics," led the way with 30
nominations, followed by NBC (19), HBO (14), Fox (13), ESPN
(12), ABC (9), ESPN2 (6) and CNBC (3). The awards will be
presented April 21 in N.Y. (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/25).
IT'S "SHOWTIME": In Minneapolis, Steve Aschburner
writes that the T-Wolves' April 11 game against the Pistons
"will not be featured on NBC," despite previous adjustments
to the tipoff time to "fit the network's schedule."
Aschburner notes that the game was "apparently seen as a
less appealing ratings draw with Stephon Marbury gone"
(Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/25)....In UT, Scott Pierce
wrote that Jazz F Karl Malone saying that he will "never do
another interview with anyone from NBC" after the net bumped
them off Sunday's coverage in favor of the Lakers-Magic game
"is, well, rather silly." Pierce: "Maybe Malone was hoping
the national exposure would help him secure endorsement
contracts. In which case, perhaps he should be glad that
the Jazz's collapse against and loss to the Pistons wasn't
on the network" (DESERET NEWS, 3/24)....Last Sunday's
national rating for the "NBA on NBC" was the highest in
NBC's nine-year history on the second weekend of the NCAA
Tournament. The Lakers-Magic game earned a 5.1/14, up 50%
from last year's 3.4/9 for a regional telecast (NBC).
NOTES: In Toronto, Rob Longley writes that Toronto's
Talk-AM signed an extension with the Maple Leafs and Molson
Breweries to remain the team's flagship radio station
(TORONTO SUN, 3/25)....In Toronto, William Houston writes
that "Hockey Night in Canada"'s management-produced shows
are "losing viewers," as the show drew its lowest audience
of the season with last weekend's Maple Leafs-Devils game.
The game averaged 904,000 viewers, "well below" "HNIC"'s
prime-time season average of 1.18 million viewers (Toronto
GLOBE & MAIL, 3/25)....ESPN2 will televise the National
Lacrosse League's April 23title game via tape delay on April
27 (USA TODAY, 3/25)....Former MLB player Dennis Eckersley,
recently hired as an analyst for the A's broadcast team,
says his goal is to be "critical and honest when I need to
be, and not to keep saying stuff about when I played. That
will be tough" (BASEBALL WEEKLY, 3/24 issue)....In Richmond,
Jerry Lindquist writes that "publicly, ESPN pretends Fox
isn't a threat. Then why add another SportsCenter?"
Lindquist, on ESPN Exec VP Dick Glover's comments that the
new time slot provides "greater service" for West Coast
viewers: "Translation: Fox is cutting into our viewership,
and we had to do something about it" (TIMES-DISPATCH, 3/25)