Networks Draw a Flag for This Kickoff

So NBC, during halftime of a basketball game, announces that it plans to start a new pro football league with Ted Turner in 1999.

That’s one way to slap the NFL in the face.

And talk about self-serving.

Wednesday night’s announcement could also be construed as manipulating the news.

“It was a way to get the word out to 40 million viewers,” NBC spokesman Ed Markey said.

Turner’s CNN made the same announcement almost simultaneously.

This is only a hint of what it will be like when media conglomerates take over the world.

One other thing. NBC and Turner should take note of ratings for NFL Europe and Arena football before getting too carried away.

WAITING GAME

Even if the Chicago Bulls close out the Indiana Pacers tonight, the NBA finals won’t begin until Wednesday.

Don’t blame NBC for this one. The way it was set up, once it was determined that one of the conference finals would go past five games, as was the case when the Pacers won two in a row in Indianapolis, the finals would begin June 3 instead of May 31.

WHAT’S UP WITH WEST?

Jerry West said last Friday, after turning down a request to appear on TNT’s pregame show before Game 3 of the Laker-Utah series, that he was through doing television interviews. “I’m going to go out quietly,” West said.

Also, Jerry Buss and West have an agreement to not do interviews regarding West’s status with the Lakers.

Yet, there was West, appearing on NBC’s pregame show Monday, saying, “I’m not so sure I want to be here anymore.” He had taped the interview with Jim Gray the day before, after the Jazz completed a sweep of the Lakers. It was the second time during the playoffs that West had sat down with Gray.

Gray says he and West have a special relationship, but sources within the Great Western Forum aren’t sure why West did the NBC interviews.

Magic Johnson, TNT’s halftime guest last Friday, continued to say he thinks the two Jerrys will work things out. “No one wants him to leave,” Johnson said.

SATURDAY GAME OF THE WEEK

Fox Sports, the over-the-air network, begins its Saturday Game of the Week series this weekend, with the Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds being shown here on Channel 11 at 1 p.m. It is one of four regional Fox telecasts. . . . FX, Fox’s entertainment and sports cable network, offers Saturday night games--this week featuring Mark McGwire and the St. Louis Cardinals against the San Diego Padres at 7 p.m. There is a Thursday night package on Fox Sports Net, carried here by Fox Sports West, plus Dodger games on Fox Sports West 2 and Angel games on Fox Sports West. . . . Guaranteed not to be seen on Fox Sports West Angel telecasts is the ESPN West sign in the outfield at Edison Field.

Disney-owned ESPN earlier this season took some heat for over-scheduling the Disney-owned Angels. Is Fox doing the same with the Dodgers? The Dodgers are among teams making nine appearances on Fox, the maximum allowed by baseball, but Fox spokesman Vince Wladika said that would be the case whether Fox owned the Dodgers are not. “The Dodgers have been a marquee team for television since the ‘50s,” he said. The same can’t be said for the Angels.

SHORT WAVES

The College World Series will be on ESPN and ESPN2, with CBS offering Saturday telecasts. USC’s first-round game against Louisiana State will be on CBS Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Radio coverage will be on KPLS 830, with Justin and Rod Dedeaux calling the action. On TV it will be Sean McDonough and former Trojan Fred Lynn. . . . Attention sports trivia nuts: Fox Sports Net will launch a nightly game show, “Ultimate Fan League,” later this year and soon plans to start a search for contestants.

CHARITY EVENTS

John Madden will receive the broadcaster of the year award at the 13th Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular at the Century Plaza Hotel on Sunday night. Al Davis will present the award. Among the other awards will be one for lifetime achievement to James Worthy, with Chick Hearn presenting. Jim Hill, Pat O’Brien, The Times’ Jim Murray and Tom Lasorda are co-chairmen of the event. . . . Lasorda will be the presenter at a Fox Sports West charity Monday night at the House of Blues. Luc Robitaille, Rick Fox, Todd Zeile (who will appear on tape) and actor Jimmy Smits are being honored. Actor Robert Wuhl will be master of ceremonies and Fox Sports News’ Van Earl Wright will be the auctioneer for the event that benefits the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Ticket information: (310) 286-0271, Ext. 14.

IN CLOSING

The Indianapolis 500 might be in trouble. The national overnight rating was only a 5.6, down 18% from 1996, the last time the race was run on Sunday, and 33% from 1995, the last year before the CART- Indy Racing League split. Last year’s race, which ran on a Tuesday afternoon after two days of rain, got a 5.0. Viewers weren’t too pleased with this year’s sugar-coated, commercial-filled telecast. Maybe they call it the Indy 500 because there are 500 commercials.

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for May 23-25, including sports on cable networks:

SATURDAY

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Event Channel Rating Share Pro basketball: Chicago at Indiana 4 7.9 25 Baseball: Dodgers at Arizona 5 4.2 8 Auto racing: CART Motorola 300 7 1.7 5 Golf: LPGA Skins Game 7 1.6 4 Bowling: Johnny Petraglia Open 2 1.0 5 Golf: PGA Colonial 2 1.0 3 Hockey: Buffalo at Washington ESPN 0.7 2 Baseball: Chicago at Atlanta TBS 0.5 1 Tennis: ATP World Team ESPN2 0.3 2 Baseball: Minnesota at Angels FSW 0.3 1 Auto racing: NASCAR Busch Grand National TBS 0.3 1 Track and field: Big 12 championships FSW 0.2 1 Golf: Senior PGA Bell Atlantic Classic ESPN 0.2 1 Arena football: New York at Albany ESPN2 0.1 0 Baseball: Chicago at Atlanta WGN 0.1 0 Baseball: Tampa Bay at Seattle FX 0.0 0

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SUNDAY

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Event Channel Rating Share Pro basketball: Utah at Lakers 4 12.0 33 Auto racing: Indy 500 7 5.3 17 Golf: LPGA Skins Game 7 1.6 4 Hockey: Detroit at Dallas 11 1.2 4 Golf: PGA Colonial 2 1.2 3 Boxing: Julian Jackson-Anthony Jones ESPN 1.0 2 Baseball: San Diego at Houston ESPN 1.0 2 Auto racing: NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 TBS 0.9 2 Soccer: Men, Kuwait-U.S. ESPN 0.6 2 Horse racing: Los Angeles Handicap 2 0.6 4 Golf: PGA Senior Bell Atlantic ESPN 0.5 1 Auto racing: Formula One FSW 0.5 1 Softball: Fresno St.-Washington ESPN 0.4 1 Softball: Arizona-Oklahoma St. ESPN2 0.3 1 Softball: Fresno St.-Washington ESPN 0.2 0 Football: NFL Europe FSW 0.2 1 Tennis: ATP World Team ESPN 0.2 1

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MONDAY

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Event Channel Rating Share Pro basketball: Chicago at Indiana 4 12.4 29 Baseball: Dodgers at Houston ESPN 2.7 6 Hockey: Buffalo at Washington ESPN 1.1 2 Baseball: Chicago at Atlanta ESPN 1.0 2 Tennis: French Open USA 0.4 1 Lacrosse: Maryland-Princeton ESPN 0.4 1 Softball: Fresno St.-Arizona ESPN2 0.3 1 Auto racing: Indy 500 victory banquet ESPN2 0.3 0

*--*

WEEKDAY RATINGS: Utah-Lakers, Friday, May 22, FSW, 9.7/17

Note: Each full rating point represents 50,092 L.A. households. Cable ratings reflect the entire market even though cable is in only 63% of L.A. households.