Jim Baker: Big Loss For TNT & NBC

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

              NBC, TNT could net                
              big NBA loss
              by Jim Baker
              Boston Herald
              10/30/98

              Neither Turner nor
              NBC is yet
              pressing the panic
              button over the
              NBA lockout that
              already wiped out
              all 16 TNT and TBS
              November games and
              threatens far
              more.

              But when you're
              committed to full
              payments for new
              four-year deals of
              $1.75 billion
              (NBC) and $890
              million (Turner),
              panic can't be far
              away.

              If the whole NBA
              slate is wiped
              out, Turner and
              the Peacock would
              be out close to
              $500 million for
              this season in
              their staggered
              deals. And the
              loss of cable
              revenue figures to
              cost NBA teams at
              least $100
              million.

              NBC officials
              aren't uptight
              because their
              first game isn't
              until Christmas
              and the next is
              Jan. 6. TNT was to
              open next Tuesday
              night with
              Celtics-Knicks,
              but that's out in
              favor of wrestling
              and the movie
              "Rain Man." Turner
              isn't panicking
              because such games
              can be made up,
              the network
              already owns the
              replacement
              programming and
              has no cost to
              produce a game.

              Kevin O'Malley,
              Turner's senior
              programming vice
              president, said
              the networks were
              vulnerable
              "because this
              league had never
              lost a game and
              were it not for
              the hair-brained
              (players') idea to
              litigate, the
              process wouldn't
              have been set back
              three months. ESPN
              offered more money
              than we did for
              three NBA nights
              and if NBC hadn't
              agreed (to pay for
              no play),
              certainly Fox
              would have."

              Turner is
              approaching its
              15th NBA season
              (with an 80-game
              slate), NBC its
              ninth. The Peacock
              more than doubled
              its NBA rights fee
              from $750 million
              to $1.75 billion
              for four more
              years.

              Fox Sports Net is
              also impacted with
              local-market
              rights to 26 NBA
              teams, including
              the Celtics. It's
              already lost 141
              games to the
              lockout and has
              arranged for
              replacement
              programming with
              at least one NBA
              classic game a
              week plus five
              from baseball's
              All-Star series in
              Japan with Nomar
              Garciaparra and
              Sammy Sosa.
              (Garciaparra is a
              finalist in the
              Players Choice
              Awards on ESPN at
              9 tonight.)

              Fox Sports New
              England will have
              Celtic classics
              the next three
              Wednesday nights
              at 7 starting with
              Larry Bird's
              team-record
              60-point game
              against Atlanta in
              New Orleans on
              March 12, 1985.
              FSNE's first Japan
              tour game is Nov.
              12.

              WEEI, the Celtics'
              radio flagship,
              will fill with
              Celtic classics
              and has arranged
              to replace some
              C's action with
              Boston College
              hockey. <snip>