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CABLE WORLD STAFF
Subway Series a Local Affair The Subway Series may not have played big for Fox outside the Apple, but New Yawkahs have certainly been tuning into the hardball contest between the Yankees and the Mets. In New York, each of the first four ballgames pulled in ratings of 41 or 42, with shares in the high 50s and low 60s.
Then, there were your hard-core fans, the ones staying up another hour or so after the games concluded after midnight (yawn) or thereabouts, taking in the extensive after-contest reports on Madison Square Garden Network and Fox Sports New York.
Running simultaneously on both networks, The Jeep Subway Series Post-Game Report averaged a combined 1.23 rating on the networks in the New York DMA through the first four games, translating into roughly 85,000 viewers.
The post-game shows, extending for more than an hour, furnished highlights, recaps, interviews and dissection of all keys plays and managerial moves. With both clubs involved, Mike McCarthy, EVP of MSG Networks, adopted a different tack for the Fall Classic.
"We thought about doing separate programs for each network, but decided that a combination of resources and airing the same show would serve fans better," says McCarthy. "We're glad we did because it has led to some juicy, heated exchanges between Howie Rose (FSN) and Al Trautwig (MSGN) and Michael Kay (MSGN) and (former Met) Keith Hernandez."
McCarthy called the Subway Series show "a natural progression" of what MSGN began doing 10 years ago, following national television presentations of New York Knicks basketball games.
AT&T: Despite the announcement of an elaborate plan to recast AT&T as four entities, which the company says will drive value, Ma Bell's shares continued to plummet last week to new lows.
Lucent: CEO Richard McGinn was ousted in a palace coup last week after the company warned it would post dismal earnings.
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