Time Change for ‘Monday Night’ Game

ABC’s one-year experiment is over. “Monday Night Football” will revert to a 6 p.m. PDT start next season, with a 6:07 kickoff.

ABC made the change official Thursday, when the NFL schedule was announced.

ABC had a 6 o’clock start for 28 seasons, then changed it to 5 last season. But ratings, particularly on the West Coast, took a big dip. The L.A. rating for “Monday Night Football” went from 18.9 in 1997 to 14.9 last season.

Teams making three appearances next season on “Monday Night Football” are Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Minnesota, Miami, the New York Jets, Green Bay and San Francisco. Arizona makes a rare Monday night appearance Sept. 27, playing host to the 49ers.

CREDIBILITY DEPARTMENT

News flash! Keith Olbermann may be returning to ESPN--as a “SportsCenter” anchor. Sources say Olbermann is tired of seeing his head on Fox Sports News billboards. Something about its shape.

OK, we made that up.

But Olbermann going back to ESPN--sure, anything is possible--is about as likely as Michael Jordan playing for the Charlotte Hornets next season, which Olbermann reported might happen.

Despite denials all around, Fox Sports News is sticking with Olbermann’s report.

“We feel good about our sources and feel good about the story,” executive producer John Terenzio said.

What else is he going to say?

Olbermann has a reputation for taking a “let’s-throw-it-against-the-wall-and-see-if-sticks” approach. It appears that’s what he did here in an effort to draw attention to Fox Sports News and himself.

As with any news-gathering organization, what Fox Sports News needs more than attention and billboards is credibility, and it may have taken a hit in that department.

NO. 32 IS NO. 42

As part of ESPN’s “SportsCentury” series, a half-hour profile of Sandy Koufax will be on tonight at 7:30. Koufax, who wore No. 32 for the Dodgers, was named the 42nd-greatest athlete of the 20th century. He is the only pitcher in the top 50.

The hard thing for ESPN was getting Koufax to agree to an interview. At first, he turned down all requests, but Charley Steiner finally persuaded him to do it. Steiner became friendly with Koufax after meeting him a year ago through Kevin Kennedy, Steiner’s ESPN radio partner who has since gone to Fox Sports Net. Kennedy is a longtime friend of Koufax.

Steiner did the interview in Florida, at a hotel near Vero Beach, but Steiner does not appear on camera. And as it turned out, little from the interview was used in the show. What others have to say about Koufax is more interesting.

REAL CELEBRITIES

We all know about celebrity golf events--a few big names mixed with mostly soap opera stars, washed-up comedians and has-been athletes. But the first Michael Douglas and Friends Celebrity Golf event, which was taped at the new Ocean Trails Golf Course in Palos Verdes and will be on ABC on April 11, Master’s weekend, truly earns the tag “celebrity.”

Nine of the biggest names in show business got together the weekend before the Academy Awards at the picturesque golf course that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and will be open to the public in early July. Kevin Costner, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Chris O’Donnell were in one group, Jack Nicholson, Joe Pesci and Andy Garcia in another and Will Smith, James Garner and Michael Douglas himself in a third group. Joining them were noted teaching pros Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter and Jim Flick.

“We had about $300 million worth of talent there in one place,” said Terry Jastrow, the former award-winning ABC golf producer and current head of Jack Nicklaus Productions who created the event. “The two-hour show [11 a.m.-1 p.m.] will be about personalties, humanity, and camaraderie, with a little golf mixed in.”

The event benefits the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which helps needy people in the film industry. Douglas, a member of the board of directors, said, “For everyone who makes it in Hollywood, there are thousands of people who are struggling.”

Douglas and Jastrow have been friends since Jastrow’s wife, Anne Archer, starred with Douglas in “Fatal Attraction.”

SHORT WAVES

Marv Albert makes his TNT play-by-play debut tonight at the Lakers’ game in Phoenix, working with Reggie Theus and sideline reporter Cheryl Miller. The game will also be on Channel 9 with Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz. . . . Kenny Albert, Marv’s son, who did a fine job on his first horse racing event when Fox televised the Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, is back in Arcadia this weekend for the Santa Anita Derby. He will again be joined by analysts Ron Ellis and Jay Privman. Suzy Kolber will serve as paddock reporter.

The presentation of the John Wooden Award will be nationally televised by Fox Sports Net and carried live by Fox Sports West today at 4 p.m. The one-hour telecast will also include the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Dean Smith. . . . Westwood One, not happy that Scott Ferrell took a job as a play-by-play announcer with Ted Turner’s Atlanta Thrashers NHL expansion team, has canceled his syndicated talk show. But Ferrell will still do occasional specials for KXTA (1150).

Filmmaker Bud Greenspan has been named artistic director for a sports film series by the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee. . . . HBO has won a Peabody Award for its documentaries. . . . Mark O’Meara discusses his victory at the Masters last year in a half-hour special on the Golf Channel Monday at 6 p.m. Preceding that at 5, Jack Nicklaus will be Peter Kessler’s guest on “Golf Talk Live.” . . . The Masters will be previewed Wednesday at 10 p.m. on the USA network.

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for March 27-28, including sports on cable networks:

SATURDAY

*--*

Over-the-air Channel Rating Figure skating: World Championships (women’s final) 7 9.0 NCAA tournament: Duke vs. Michigan State 2 6.3 NCAA tournament: Connecticut vs. Ohio State 2 5.1 Golf: Players Championship 4 3.7 Figure skating: World Championships (pairs final) 7 3.3 Boxing: Ed Mahone vs. Steve Pennell 9 3.3 Horse racing: Gallery Furniture.com Stakes 7 1.4 Auto racing: NASCAR Coca-Cola 300 7 1.0 Tennis: Lipton Championships (men’s final) 11 1.0 Golf: Nabisco Dinah Shore 7 0.7

Over-the-air Share Figure skating: World Championships (women’s final) 17 NCAA tournament: Duke vs. Michigan State 14 NCAA tournament: Connecticut vs. Ohio State 14 Golf: Players Championship 12 Figure skating: World Championships (pairs final) 9 Boxing: Ed Mahone vs. Steve Pennell 6 Horse racing: Gallery Furniture.com Stakes 4 Auto racing: NASCAR Coca-Cola 300 3 Tennis: Lipton Championships (men’s final) 3 Golf: Nabisco Dinah Shore 2

*--*

****

*--*

Cable Network Rating Share Pro basketball: Utah vs. Clippers FSW2 0.8 1 Swimming: NCAA Women’s Championships ESPN2 0.6 1 Auto racing: NASCAR Craftsman Trucks ESPN 0.3 1 Baseball: Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox WGN 0.3 1 Baseball: Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs WGN 0.2 1 College baseball: UCLA at Washington FSW2 0.1 0

*--*

****

SUNDAY

*--*

Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Pro basketball: New York at Lakers 4 10.8 24 Golf: Players Championship 4 4.2 12 Pro basketball: Seattle at Detroit 4 3.0 9 Baseball: Atlanta vs. Dodgers 5 2.9 8 Tennis: Lipton Championships (women’s final) 11 2.7 8 Auto racing: NASCAR Primestar 500 2 1.8 5 Hockey: Calgary at Mighty Ducks 9 1.4 2 Hockey: Kings at Colorado 11 0.9 3 Golf: Nabisco Dinah Shore 7 0.8 2

*--*

****

*--*

Cable Network Rating Share Women’s NCAA championship game ESPN 0.9 2 Baseball: Baltimore vs. Cuba at Havana ESPN 0.7 2 Prep basketball: Nike Hoops Summit ESPN 0.7 2 Soccer: MLS, Dallas at Galaxy FSW2 0.6 1 Soccer: MLS, New England at Miami ESPN2 0.5 2 Pro basketball: Chicago at Toronto WGN 0.4 1 Horse racing: Santa Anita Live FSW2 0.4 1 Auto racing: IRL Phoenix 200 FSW 0.2 1

*--*

WEEKDAY RATINGS: Monday--NCAA championship game, Ch. 2, 11.8/18.

Note: Each 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.