From a TV Revenue Standpoint, Kings Aren’t So Great Anymore

Sure, the Kings are saving millions of dollars, having traded away the high-priced Wayne Gretzky, but they’re also costing themselves a bundle in ticket sales, plus more than a million a year in television rights.

Before former King owner Bruce McNall made the trade with Edmonton for Gretzky in August 1988, he went to Bill Daniels, then the owner of Prime Ticket, for financial help.

Daniels agreed to bump up the yearly rights fee by one-third, an increase of $760,000 to $2.28 million.

Prime Ticket, which became Prime Sports under new ownership, now pays about $3.6 million a season for the Kings, but sources say the rights fee will drop one-third, or about $1.2 million a season, now that Gretzky is gone.

Kitty Cohen, Prime’s general manager, said that because of a confidentiality clause in the company’s contract with the Kings, she could not comment on any financial aspect of the Gretzky trade.

But Cohen did say there would be no reduction in the number of King telecasts. With the anticipation of Gretzky joining the Kings in ‘88, Prime increased its King telecasts from 37 to the current 60 a season.

Prime, which has a long-term agreement with the Kings, also is in the middle year of a five-year deal with the Mighty Ducks. That contract calls for telecasts to increase from the current 35 to 40 for the 1997-98 season, the final one of the contract.

The Ducks also are on Channel 9 20 times a season.

*

You have to feel a little for King announcer Bob Miller, who has worked more than 2,000 games over the last 23 years.

Miller had to endure so many down years before the arrival of Gretzky, and now it appears he will have to put up with some more.

“It’s a sad day when someone who brought so many thrills and so many memories is traded away,” Miller said. “And yet at the same time, as Wayne himself said, it was time for him to move on.

“And now it’s also time to get on with rebuilding this team and putting a winner on the ice.”

*

Prime will do its first telecast of the Kings without Gretzky Saturday night, when Montreal visits the Forum, but the “Break the Ice” pregame show at 7, with Bill Macdonald and Jim Fox, will be devoted to Gretzky.

*

A week ago, the Angels, Prime and new flagship station Channel 9 had a tentative agreement with Jeff Torborg. The former Dodger and Angel catcher who went on to a successful managerial career was lined up to work with new play-by-play man Steve Physioc as the commentator on Angel telecasts.

But then this week, because of a matter involving his family, Torborg, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., had to turn down the job.

So it’s back to the drawing board, with Dave Winfield apparently the new No. 1 candidate. But sources say it is wide open.

*

Recommended viewing: On CBS tonight from 9-11 will be a special, “Sergei Grinkov: Celebration of a Life,” devoted to the Russian figure skater who died of a heart attack on Nov. 20 in Lake Placid, N.Y., after a practice session.

The special was taped Tuesday night in Hartford, Conn.

Verne Lundquist, who was there with Tracy Wilson to do the commentary, said, “In my 30-plus years of broadcasting, this was one of the most moving events I’ve ever witnessed.”

CBS colleague Scott Hamilton, who took the night off from his commentating job to participate as a skater, said, “It was the most memorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

Many of the biggest names in figure skating were in the exhibition, which is highlighted by the return of Ekaterina “Katia” Gordeeva, Grinkov’s wife and skating partner, to the ice.

There were few dry eyes at Tuesday’s event, and there probably will be few among tonight’s viewers.

“I’ll tell you one thing, there will be less commentary on this event than anything else I’ve been associated with,” Lundquist said. “You can’t put this kind of emotion into words.”

The ending, in particular, is unbelievable.

All proceeds from the show, including those of CBS, will go into a fund to assist Gordeeva and 3-year-old daughter Daria.

TV-Radio Notes

Channel 13 is once again going all out in its coverage of the Los Angeles Marathon. More than 200 technicians will work the event, and 29 cameras will be used on the coverage that will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Dave Goetz, the executive producer of Channel 13’s Clipper telecast, is producing the coverage. “With the change of the start and finish, we’ve had to increase the crew and equipment by at least 15%,” he said. “This has to be the biggest undertaking by any local station. In fact, this may be bigger than any network undertaking for one event.” After the leaders cross the finish line, there will be a segment with Jackie Joyner Kersee and kayaker Cathy Marino Bradford on past, present and future L.A. Olympians.

Frank Belmont, a New Jersey free-lance producer and a close friend of Goetz, was not available to produce this year’s race because of other commitments. Barry Thompkins and Larry Rawson are back as the co-anchors, heading an announcing crew of 12. The crew includes Channel 13 sportscaster Tony Hernandez and Vic “The Brick” Jacobs, a former Channel 13 sportscaster who is now with radio station KIIS-FM. . . . Radio coverage of the race will be carried on KACD of Santa Monica and KBCD of Newport Beach, both which can be heard on FM frequency 103.1.

The Santa Anita Handicap, shown delayed by ABC in recent years, will be on Prime Sports and its affiliates live on Saturday. Coverage will run from 3:30-4 p.m., with Bill Seward, Kurt Hoover and Jeff Siegel providing commentary. Trevor Denman will call the race, which will go off as the seventh race at 3:47.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez joins ESPN’s Al Bernstein and Dave Bontempo ringside tonight to try his hand at boxing commentary. The 6 o’clock card from the Fantasy Spring Casino near Indio features James Toney against Richard Mason. . . . Magic Johnson will be Larry King’s guest on CNN at 6 p.m. Monday. . . . Ready for football in April? The Fox cable network fX will televise World League of American Football League games beginning April 13.