40 Dodger Telecasts in Jeopardy

Here we go again. Another cable war.

You may have gathered from newspaper ads and radio commercials that Fox Sports Net and Time Warner Communications are at odds.

Of course it’s over money. Isn’t it always?

Two years ago, when Fox Sports Net 2 was Fox Sports West 2, the number of Dodger telecasts was doubled from 40 to 80.

In turn, an increased surcharge of 21 cents per subscriber per month, or $2.52 a year, was passed on to cable operators. Time Warner was among four major companies that resisted back then, and Time Warner is resisting again, even though the surcharge has gone up only 23 cents a month, or $2.76 a year.

That may not seem like much, but figuring Time Warner serves about 350,000 homes in the West San Fernando Valley, Orange County, South Bay, South Pasadena and the Santa Clarita Valley, the annual cost is about $960,000.

But then it could be argued that is a small pittance compared to the total annual revenue of at least $170 million generated by Time Warner’s subscriber fees.

Time Warner says it is making a stand about escalating sports rights fees and has only its customers in mind.

“Most of our customers don’t want to pay have to pay for those games,” Mike Luftman, vice president of communications for Time Warner, said from the company’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn.

Deane Levinworth, an L.A.-based Time Warner spokesman, said that during the most recent rating period Dodger telecasts on Fox Sports Net 2 were averaging only a 4% share of the audience in Time Warner homes.

“We’re trying to reach an agreement that wouldn’t require us to raise cable prices for all our customers,” Luftman said.

If no agreement is reached by June 27, there will be no more Dodger telecasts on Fox Sports Net 2 in homes served by Time Warner. Instead of the 40 remaining Dodger telecasts on the schedule, those homes will get substitute programming.

The same households could also lose 20 Angel telecasts after July 25. But that’s a separate deal.

Going Public

Fox Sports Net made its dispute with Time Warner public last weekend. Newspaper ads read: “Rolling Black? Try Permanent Blackout.” Time Warner subscribers were asked to call a toll-free number to find out why they would be losing Dodger games.

Time Warner officials said Fox Sports Net was intentionally trying to inflame customers.

Said Fox Sports Net spokesman Dennis Johnson: “We had to let viewers know they won’t be getting those games. We’ve been trying to resolve this since last fall and there are no further discussions scheduled.

“All other cable operators have accepted our minimal rate increase of a few pennies. Time Warner was OK with it the past two years.”

Time Warner’s Luftman says, “We were reluctantly OK with it.”

He blames such surcharges on athletes’ escalating salaries.

“Teams keep paying the players more and passing along those costs to their television carriers, who in turn pass the cost along to the operators,” he said. “No one wants to say it, but eventually it is the consumer who pays.

“ESPN has increased its surcharge to operators 20% each of the past two years and we’ve been told there is another 20% increase coming this year.”

A Direct Hit

The dispute has not gone unnoticed by DirecTV. The leading satellite television provider begins an advertising campaign today directed at Time Warner subscribers, offering them free equipment and installation. DirecTV’s monthly fee for the package that includes the Fox regional networks is $31.99. DirecTV’s most expensive package, offering all available pay channels, costs $81 a month.

Luftman said he understands DirecTV’s approach.

“They are an aggressive, opportunistic company,” he said. “If the shoe was on the other foot, we’d do the same thing.”

Tiger and Mickey?

Tiger Woods’ new deal with Disney is not as broad in scope as envisioned.

“It’s basically for him to do TV golf programming,” Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, told Steve Elling of the Orlando Sentinel.

He’ll be participating in such events as the “Battle at Bighorn” July 30, a team event also involving David Duval, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb that will be televised by Disney-owned ABC.

However, Woods won’t serve as a celebrity spokesman for Disney’s theme parks and other endeavors. So, he and Mickey Mouse will not be paired.

Short Waves

Major League Baseball Productions has put together a one-hour Father’s Day special, “My Father, the Ballplayer,” that will be televised on ESPN Classic at 5 p.m. Sunday. Included in the show are Julia Ruth, the daughter of Babe, Sharon Robinson, the daughter of Jackie, and Roberto Clemente’s sons, Robert Jr. and Luis. . . . The first four games of the NBA Finals have averaged a 12.3 rating, an 11% increase over the 11.1 after four games last year. . . . With the Belmont Stakes getting a 4.5 national rating, the Triple Crown series averaged 6.1 on NBC, its highest since a 6.3 in 1992.

Wally Dallenbach has been hired as a NASCAR commentator by NBC and TNT. Those networks take over NASCAR from Fox the first weekend in July. The Pepsi 400 is July 7. Dallenbach joins analyst Benny Parsons and play-by-play announcer Allen Bestwick. This weekend Dallenbach will drive the No. 33 car for injured Joe Nemecheck at Pocono, Pa. . . . Fox Sports Net has entered into a deal with Irwindale Speedway to carry Thursday night racing for 20 weeks beginning July 5.

Showtime announced the creation of the new Saturday afternoon boxing series, “ShoBox: the New Generation.” It makes its debut July 21. Nick Charles, a former CNN sports anchor, will handle the blow-by-blow on the series. HBO tried its “KO Nation” series on Saturday afternoons for four weeks last year before moving it to a late-night slot on Saturdays. . . . Today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cabrillo Park in Santa Ana, Angel Spanish-language broadcaster Jose Tolentino will host the third “Way Out” baseball clinic for youths (ages 13-17) from the Joplin Youth Center, a juvenile correctional institution.

In Closing

Besides rain, NBC analyst Roger Maltbie said there is only one other way to slow Woods: “Make the hole smaller than the ball.”

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What Los Angeles Is Watching

A sampling of L.A. Nielsen ratings for June 9-10.

SATURDAY

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Over-the-air Channel Rating Share Tennis: French Open, women’s final 4 4.8 15 Horse racing: Belmont Stakes 4 4.8 13 Stanley Cup finals: New Jersey at Colorado 7 3.7 9 Baseball: Angels at Dodgers 11 3.1 9 Golf: St. Jude Classic 7 2.4 6 College World Series: Georgia vs. USC 2 1.9 6 Arena football: Avengers vs. Houston 9 0.8 2

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*

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Cable Network Rating Share Horse racing: Belmont Stakes Special ESPN 0.7 2 Horse racing: Hollywood Park Today FSN2 0.7 2 Auto racing: ARCA Re/Max FSN 0.6 2 Auto racing: IRL Texas 500 ESPN 0.6 2 Golf: LPGA Rochester International ESPN2 0.5 1 Baseball: San Francisco at Oakland FX 0.4 1 Golf: Senior NFL Classic CNBC 0.4 1 Prep track & field: Masters meet (tape) FSN2 0.4 1 Soccer: MLS, Galaxy at San Jose ESPN2 0.4 1 College World Series: Miami vs. Tennessee ESPN2 0.3 1 Track & field: Adidas Oregon Classic ESPN2 0.3 1

*--*

*

SUNDAY

*--*

Over-the-air Channel Rating Share NBA Finals: Lakers at Philadelphia 4 34.4 58 Golf: St. Jude Classic 7 3.9 10 Tennis: French Open, men’s final 4 3.5 9 Baseball: Angels at Dodgers 5 3.2 7 WNBA basketball: Houston at Phoenix 4 1.4 4 Track & field: NCAA championships (tape) 2 1.2 3 Track & field: U.S. Open (tape) 2 1.2 3 Horse racing: Brooklyn Handicap 2 1.0 3 NFL Europe: Berlin at Rhein 11 0.8 2

*--*

*

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Cable Network Rating Share Auto racing: Winston Cup 400 FX 1.7 5 Baseball: Atlanta at New York Yankees ESPN 1.0 2 Horse racing: Hollywood Park Today FSN2 0.8 2 College World Series: Tulane vs. Nebraska ESPN 0.5 1 College World Series: CS Fullerton vs. Stanford ESPN2 0.2 0 Golf: LPGA Rochester International ESPN 0.2 0

*--*

Weekday ratings: FRIDAY, June 8: NBA Finals, Lakers at Philadelphia, Ch. 4, 30.6/52. MONDAY: Texas at Dodgers, FSN, 1.6/3.

Note: Each rating point represents 53,542 L.A. households. Cable ratings reflect the entire market, even though cable is in only 63% of L.A. households.

Look Who’s Talking

Sports figures to be featured on TV and radio, today through Thursday:

Shaquille O’Neal (at Philadelphia Zoo), Pat Croce, Eric Snow and Toronto’s Jerome Williams--”NBA Inside Stuff,” Saturday, 10 a.m., Ch. 4

Fox Sports president Ed Goren, agent and AVP co-founder Leonard Armato--”The Irv Kaze Show,” Saturday, 6-7 p.m., KRLA (870)

Former agent William “Tank” Black--”America’s Most Wanted,” Saturday, 9 p.m., Ch. 11

Oscar De La Hoya, Johnny Tapia, Mando Ramos--”Ringside With Johnny Ortiz,” Sunday, 8-11 p.m., KSPN (1110)

Magic Johnson--”Up Close,” Monday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2

Charles Barkley--”SportsCentury,” Monday, 5 and 8 p.m., ESPN Classic

NBA prospect and Georgia high school player Kwane Brown--”Southern California Sports Report,” Monday, 10 p.m., Fox Sports Net

Michael Jordan--”SportsCentury,” Tuesday

Rick Fox--”Up Close,” Wednesday

Red Auerbach--”SportsCentury,” Wednesday

Magic Johnson--”SportsCentury,” Thursday