CBS Finds a Way to Make Some Noise

ABC made a big splash a couple of weeks ago by putting Dennis Miller in its “Monday Night Football” booth. Fox made a ripple this week, adding Michael Irvin to its early-morning cable pregame show, “NFL This Morning.”

So what could CBS, in need of a boost, do to make some noise?

The answer came Thursday with the announcement that its “NFL Today” pregame show was, as CBS Sports president Sean McManus put it, “adding not one cast member but dozens, hundreds or maybe even thousands.”

CBS is adding an audience, likely a loud and raucous one.

“NFL Today” is moving from its longtime New York home in Studio 43 at the CBS building to the GM building a few blocks away, and part of the show will be done outside in the plaza, where fans will be invited to watch and take part. Sort of like what takes place on NBC’s “Today Show.”

CBS will put Mike Ditka and Jerry Glanville out among them. “Glanville loves the idea,” McManus said.

He also said, “Someday, people may look back and say, ‘Remember when they did the show without a live audience?’ ”

People might also say those were the good old days. This could be as risky as putting a comedian in the booth, turning “NFL Today” into a madhouse.

“It’s up to us to see that the fans don’t get in the way of the show,” McManus said.

WILL IRVIN CATCH ON?

Irvin didn’t waste much time beginning his next career. The Dallas Cowboy receiver announced his retirement Tuesday, the same day Fox Sports Net announced he will be a regular analyst on “NFL This Morning,” joining Chris Myers, Marv Levy, Jackie Slater and Chris Spielman.

Irvin has some broadcasting experience, having hosted his own show in Dallas. But will his checkered past be a turnoff to some viewers? And what about when he has to comment on players who get into trouble?

Irvin, who faced felony drug charges in 1996, said he’ll have no problem talking about players who get into trouble. “I’ll be talking from experience,” he said.

That’s one way of looking at it.

STREET WISE

The NASCAR Featherlite Southwest race, the culmination of this weekend’s L.A. Street Race, will be televised live by Channel 4 Sunday from 3-6 p.m. The announcers will be veteran racing broadcasters Mike Storms and Dan Hubbard, with Channel 4’s Fred Roggin serving as host.

Televising a NASCAR street race is quite an undertaking, particularly for a local station. Phil Olsman, who knows something about doing big events on city streets, is in charge of the coverage. He produced Channel 13’s Los Angeles Marathon coverage the first seven years. Olsman later teamed up with Roggin to produce the nationally syndicated show “Roggin’s Heroes.”

Because of his ties with L.A. Street Race promoter Bill Burke, who also promotes the L.A. Marathon, and Roggin, Olsman approached Channel 4 General Manager Ray Heacox about doing something on the Street Race. Heacox approved the three-hour telecast.

BASEBALL WOES

It wasn’t a good time for baseball’s All-Star game to get its all-time lowest rating, a 10.1 with an 18 share. Baseball is in the midst of making a new network television deal and hoping to more than double its current take of $210 million a year.

NBC spokesman Kevin Sullivan blamed the low rating on the many injured players who sat out the game. “It’s bad luck,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports, said this low rating would be a topic of discussion, but the postseason ratings will mean a lot more.

NEW GAME SHOW

ESPN has announced it will begin televising a new game show, “Two-Minute Drill,” on Sept. 11. It will air Mondays at 4 p.m. before “NFL Monday Night Countdown.” Reruns will be shown on ESPN2 and ultimately find a home on ESPN Classic. The producer of the show is Michael Davies, the executive producer of ABC’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

The winner will receive some money, but Davies said, “It won’t be anywhere near $1 million.” Mostly, winners will get fantasy prizes, such as meeting a star athlete or receiving tickets to a major sporting event.

SHORT WAVES

David Norrie has been hired as a college football analyst by ABC. According to Norrie, details have not been worked out, but he has already given his notice to Fox Sports Net. . . . Fox Sports Net has hired XTRA’s John Fricke as a weekend anchor for its “Regional Sports Report.” Fox had hoped to make Fricke a main weekday anchor, but he couldn’t get out of his contract with XTRA. And that’s too bad. With Barry LeBrock and Gaard Swanson the main anchors, the shows have been amateurish.

Larry Kahn is no longer part of the Angel radio broadcast team. Play-by-play announcer Daron Sutton has taken over most of Kahn’s pregame and postgame duties. Kahn, in his second year with the Angels, was missing games to do Avenger broadcasts for KMPC (1540) and recently accepted a job to do Nevada Las Vegas football on radio, plus a Thursday night coach’s show with John Robinson, beginning Sept. 7. It became a case of too many conflicts. . . . Bob Thompson has been promoted to president of Fox Sports Cable Networks. . . . Reggie Miller will join play-by-play announcer Michele Tafoya as the commentator for Lifetime’s coverage of the Sparks-Houston Comets tonight at 6 from the Great Western Forum. . . . HBO offers a top heavyweight fight Saturday at 9 p.m., Lennox Lewis vs. Francois Botha. . . . The 100-meter qualifying heats highlight PAX’s coverage of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials tonight at 8 p.m., with the finals on NBC Saturday night.

IN CLOSING

CBS, which began covering NASCAR with the 1979 Daytona 500, takes its final lap Saturday with the Craftsman Truck Series’ Nazareth 200 before NBC and Turner take over. And, no, CBS will not be inviting a live audience to join Mike Joy, Ned Jarrett and Buddy Baker in the booth.

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for July 8-9.

SATURDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Tennis: Wimbledon, women’s final 4 5.9 22 Baseball: Dodgers at Seattle 5 3.8 8 Baseball: Colorado at Angels 11 2.5 7 Golf: Celebrity Championship 4 1.6 5 Golf: PGA Western Open 7 1.4 4 Basketball: WNBA, Phoenix at Indiana 4 1.1 3 Boxing: David Tau-Obed Sullivan (tape) 2 1.1 3 Soccer: MLS, Galaxy at Miami 52 1.1 3 Cycling: Tour de France 7 1.0 3

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Cable Network Rating Share Diving: U.S. Olympic trials PAX 1.3 3 Drag racing: NHRA Winston Showdown qualifying ESPN2 0.7 2 Soccer: MLS, New York/New Jersey at Kansas City ESPN2 0.6 2 Horse racing: Hollywood Park Today FSN2 0.6 2 Baseball: New York Yankees at New York Mets FX 0.6 1 Arena football: San Jose at Avengers FSN2 0.1 0

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SUNDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Tennis: Wimbledon, men’s final 4 6.1 20 Baseball: Dodgers at Seattle 5 3.7 10 Golf: Celebrity Championship 4 2.9 8 Golf: PGA Western Open 7 2.2 6 Horse racing: Hollywood Gold Cup 11 1.9 5 Basketball: WNBA, Utah at Sparks 9 1.2 3

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Cable Network Rating Share Baseball: New York Yankees at New York Mets ESPN 1.7 4 Auto racing: NASCAR Winston Cup Jiffy Lube 300 TNN 0.7 2 Drag racing: NHRA Winston Showdown ESPN2 0.7 1 Baseball: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs WGN 0.5 1

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WEEKDAY RATINGS: THURSDAY, July 6: Wimbledon, women’s semifinals, Ch. 4, 5.3/13. FRIDAY, July 7, Wimbledon, men’s semifinals, Ch. 4, 4.0/11. MONDAY: Home Run Derby, ESPN, 2.1/4. TUESDAY: All-Star Game, Ch. 4, 8.5/15.

Note: Each rating point represents 51,350 L.A. households. Cable ratings reflect the entire market, even though cable is in only 63% of L.A. households.