Overnight ratings for the NCAA men's Final Four are
down 10% from a year ago, according to David Barron of the
HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Saturday's UConn-Ohio St. game earned a
9.4/20, compared to last year's 10.5. The Duke-MI St. game
received a 10.7/18, down from last year's 11.9 (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 3/29). In St. Petersburg, Ernest Hooper writes
that "breaking news" in Kosovo and competition from the
World Figure Skating Championships on ABC "might have had an
impact" on the ratings (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 3/29). CBS
VP/Communications LeslieAnne Wade: "There are changes in
ratings in all major sports events from year to year" (Rudy
Martzke, USA TODAY, 3/29). CBS's Jim Nantz: "I think sports
in general gets short-changed in the ratings game. Programs
like '60 Minutes' and 'Friends' aren't usually programs that
people get together and watch as a group like they do for a
sports event. Yet sports are rated on the same scale"
(Prentis Rogers, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 3/27).
GOOD REVIEWS: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes that "no
significant action was missed" during CBS's coverage on
Saturday (N.Y. POST, 3/29). In D.C., Leonard Shapiro wrote
on CBS tourney coverage and noted that there are "facets of
the coverage we could do without -- dumb shots of players
getting off buses, inane interviews with coaches at the end
of halves that add nothing." Shapiro added that Clark
Kellogg "has been terrific," and Jim Nantz "continues as a
very smooth, informed operator" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/27).
PACKING SUPPORT: In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich writes
that CBS's Billy Packer "proved himself to be one of the
best in the business, giving straightforward insights and
avoiding the hype." But Zelkovich criticizes CBS's promo
appearance of Craig Kilborn and shots of CBS actor Sammo
Hung in the crowd: "Just give us the game, please" (TORONTO
STAR, 3/29). In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers writes that
Packer's "insights on strategy were keen and insightful"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 3/29). But Duke alum and Pistons F
Grant Hill said that during the Duke-MI State game, Packer
had a "pro-Spartans bias." Hill: "He was so pro-MSU and
anti-Duke. And you know why? Because he couldn't get into
Duke and he had to go to Wake Forest" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/29).
DIRECT SUCCESS: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' R. Thomas Umstead
writes that DirecTV and CBS are calling DirecTV's inaugural
package of out-of-market tournament games "a success."
DirecTV Dir of Sports Marketing Jayne Hancock: "The package
was everything that we expected." DirecTV "would not reveal
how many buys it generated ... nor would it officially say
whether the package was profitable." CBS "would not reveal
specific numbers either" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 3/29).
