TV MONITOR: Last night's 11:00pm ET editions of FSN's
"Primetime" and CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" both led with
Kings-Heat, followed by Mavericks-Knicks. The first non-NBA
story on "Primetime," at 5:39 into the broadcast, was the
Univ. of Dayton-Univ. of KY college basketball game. The
first non-NBA story on "Sports Tonight," at 5:28, was
battery charges being dropped against Dennis Rodman and
Carmen Electra. The 12:00am ET edition of "SportsCenter" led
with an update of the Rockets-Grizzlies game, which was in
the fourth quarter, followed by Kings-Heat. The first non-
NBA story, at 6:40, was the Dayton-UK game (THE DAILY).
MONDAY NIGHT WOES? Last night's Packers-49ers "MNF"
game on ABC earned a 13.4/20 Nielsen overnight rating. In
Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley writes on last night's 20-3 Packers
win and states, "this was anything but must-see TV."
Wolfley calls the game "deadening" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL
SENTINEL, 11/30). In Chicago, Malcolm Moran writes under
the header, "Monday Night Football Doesn't Click Like It
Used To." Moran: "Once more, in a transition season with
too many stars conspicuously absent, ['MNF'] felt like 'Any
Given Sunday'" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/30). FSN's Jim Rome, on
speculation that Steelers coach Bill Cowher will leave the
team possibly to join the "MNF" broadcast team: "The guy's
not leaving in the prime of his coaching career to be a part
of that horrible 'Monday Night Football' schedule" ("Last
Word," FSN, 11/29). Meanwhile, in Dallas, Barry Horn notes
that during his appearance on "Fox NFL Sunday," Cowboys QB
Troy Aikman "showed he may have what it takes to be a Sunday
morning regular" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/30).
COMPETITION FOR CABLE: President Clinton yesterday
signed the bill allowing satellite companies to "beam local
TV programming to their customers" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
11/30). In DC, John Schwartz writes the bill will allow
"millions of people who get their television broadcasts via
satellite dish ... to receive local stations." DirecTV
"opened local service" in N.Y. and L.A. "immediately," while
Echostar announced that viewers in DC and 12 other cities
"could get access immediately" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/30).
