ABC Adds Graphic, TNT an Announcer

Two things that appear here to stay are the score-all-the-time graphic, which ABC is now using, and the three-announcer booth, which NBC went to last season and now has been joined by TNT.

TNT has added former Washington Redskin lineman Mark May, a studio analyst the last two seasons, to Verne Lundquist and Pat Haden. One wonders, why mess with a good thing? Haden was outstanding as TNT’s lone commentator.

But an exchange Haden and May had during a conference call with reporters this week shows there may be some positive aspects.

When May tried to downplay last week’s fight between Redskins Michael Westbrook and Stephen

Davis, saying, “These things happen all the time,” Haden jumped in.

“I disagree,” he said. “How many times do you see one player pummel another who is in a defenseless mode? I think the whole thing could have a big impact on how the Redskins start the season.”

Sean Jones and Keith Jackson, Green Bay Packer teammates a year ago but now on TNT’s pregame show, were also on the conference call. Jones sided with Haden, Jackson with May.

It was the kind of byplay that could make things interesting on TNT.

TNT will preview the season with a two-hour edition of “Pro Football Tonight” Saturday at 5 p.m., then will open its regular-season coverage Sunday at 5 p.m. with Washington at Carolina.

A SERVICE OR A DISTRACTION?

During another conference call, this one involving ABC’s “Monday Night Football” announcing team and producer Kenny Wolfe, one topic was ABC’s use of the score graphic first used by Fox.

No one was very excited about it.

Said Al Michaels, “Basically, I think it’s much ado about nothing. It may be a service for a few, but it is disservice to most. It just adds more clutter. The Washington Post’s Tom Shales called it a proliferation of logorrhea. I’ll leave it up to you to spell logorrhea.”

Said Wolfe, “It may be different on Sundays when viewers are flipping around from game to game. But on Mondays, they’re either going to be watching us or ‘Murphy Brown.’ I think giving the score [verbally or visually] every 45 seconds is enough.”

Steve Bornstein and Steve Anderson, who now head both ESPN and ABC Sports, decided to use the graphic.

“We didn’t have a vote,” Dan Dierdorf said.

Bornstein later said, “This is America, and everyone is entitled to a wrong opinion.”

Something else new on “Monday Night Football” will be the opening, created by Hank Williams Jr. and Broadway choreographer Savion Glover. ABC’s first game is Monday night, Chicago at Green Bay.

END OF A LONG CBS RUN

Pat O’Brien, who has been a mainstay at CBS since 1981, will leave after the U.S. Open to become co-host of NBC and Twentieth Television’s syndicated entertainment magazine “Access Hollywood.”

O’Brien will replace Larry Mendte, who is leaving to become a news anchorman at the NBC station in Philadelphia.

O’Brien is still under contract to serve as CBS’ late-night host at the Winter Olympics next year, but CBS spokeswoman Leslie Ann Wade said, “I don’t think we would hold him to that.”

The departure of O’Brien probably will mean more CBS assignments for Bill Macatee, who recently signed contracts with CBS and the USA network.

Macatee is working the U.S. Open for both.

His career showed tremendous promise when, at 26, he was hired as host of NBC’s NFL pregame show in 1981. But after six years at NBC, Macatee left to work on a syndicated show, “USA Today,” which was created by Gannett, the newspaper chain, and Grant Tinker. When that show ended after a 1 1/2-year run, Macatee sort of disappeared.

What he actually did was move to the Los Angeles area to continue a screenwriting career that began when he sold a script to CBS. He soon began hosting USA’s golf and tennis events. Now, with his new CBS deal that includes a host role at the 1998 Winter Olympics, he appears to be all the way back.

SHORT WAVES

NBC is first up with an NFL doubleheader Sunday. It will be Oakland-Tennessee at 10 a.m. and Kansas City-Denver, the network’s main game, in the afternoon. . . . Hope this isn’t a sign that NBC is going to give L.A. the Raiders every week. . . . Channel 11 left it up to a vote of viewers on which NFL game it would televise at 10 a.m. The landslide winner was Dallas-Pittsburgh.

Despite his legal troubles, NBC’s Marv Albert returns to work Sunday, announcing the Chargers’ game at New England with Randy Cross. Albert was at a recent NBC seminar and talked briefly about the sex charges he faces. “The whole thing is horrible,” he said. “I can’t defend myself. I have to wait for trial.” However, insiders believe the case will be settled before it goes to trial.

Fox Sports West 2 has added Sunday’s Dodger-Seattle game at Dodger Stadium to its telecast schedule. . . . Fox Sports West 2, continuing its battle with Century Communications, which refuses to carry the channel, this morning will carry “The Big Show” with hosts John Ireland and Steve Mason and a star-studded lineup from Hennessey’s in Hermosa Beach, Century territory. Fox Sports West 2, encouraging local residents to come out, will be giving out prizes, including a DSS DirecTV system.

The Mighty Ducks and Clippers announced their television schedules this week. Sixty of the Ducks’ 82 games will be televised--40 by Fox Sports West 2 and 20 by Channel 9. The Clippers will have 64 regular-season games televised--44 by Fox Sports West 2 and 20 by Channel 9. After one more season on Fox Sports West 2, the Ducks probably will move to a channel under the Disney umbrella, possibly ESPNEWS. The Angels will move after two more seasons. . . . Word is, Fox Sports West offered the Ducks and Angels more than $100 million to lock up rights for another 10 years, but the teams wanted to go it alone.

Angel announcer Bob Starr, hit with pneumonia earlier in the season, had to take some more time off but is said to be doing better. Replacing him on the Angels’ four-game trip to San Diego and Denver will be Geoff Witcher. . . . The Angels’ flagship radio station, KTZN, became Radio Disney this week, a kids’ station. The Angels will switch to KRLA next season.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for sports programs Aug. 23-24.

SATURDAY, AUG. 23

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Event Ch. Rating Share Baseball: Little League World Series 7 9.9 28 Baseball: Dodgers at Philadelphia 5 6.5 16 College Football: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma 7 5.0 16 Pro Football: San Francisco at Denver 11 4.9 11 Baseball: Boston at Angels 9 3.5 10 World Series of Golf 2 2.1 6 Golf: U.S. Amateur Championship 4 2.1 6 WNBA Basketball: New York at Cleveland 4 1.2 3 Tennis: U.S. Women’s Hardcourt Championship 2 0.8 2

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SUNDAY, AUG. 24

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Baseball: Dodgers at Philadelphia 4 6.5 18 World Series of Golf 2 4.6 13 College Football: Syracuse vs. Wisconsin 7 2.9 8 Tennis: Arthur Ashe Kids Day 2 2.4 7 Soccer: CONCACAF Champions Cup 34 2.2 6 Soccer: MLS, Kansas City vs. San Jose 34 1.3 4 Golf: U.S. Amateur Championship 4 0.8 2

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Note: Each rating point represents 49,424 L.A. households.