The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 46

D2 Akron Beacon Journal Tuesday, March 18. 1980 Channel 8 likely to drop Cavs telecasts next year The Cavaliers' contract with WWWE radio also is up. but as of now the station and the team expect to negotiate a new Snyder, the voice of the Competitors last year, is a candidate to join Grant. History might not repeat, but last season what Competitors telecasts lacked in professionalism they made up for in unintentional humor. As I said, this is a Sports on the air Sheldon Ocker title, Flynn says the figure was closer to 35 percent.

WITH Channel 8 apparently no longer interested, the logical next step for the Cavaliers is to work a deal with Channel 43, an independent station that does not depend on a heavy schedule of network entertainment shows. Channel 43 boss Jack Moffitt says he'd be interested in talking with the Cavs, but "I'd have to see what they want for the rights, how difficult it would be for me to sell (attract sponsors) and what the prospects of the team are for next season." VVUAB is airing 70 Indians games this year, and Moffitt says, "I want to get that off the Nolhinp; is official yet. but it's doubtful that Channel 8 will carry Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games next season. Viewer response "hasn't been that strong," is the way VVJKW-TV general manager Bill Flynn describes the situation, although he is not prepared to say definitely the Cavs are out. "It wouldn't be fair for them to read about this stuff in the paper before I've talked to them," Flynn says, "whether our answer about next year is yes, no or maybe." In bad times, like this season, Flynn says the Cavs attract fewer than 20 percent of the audience.

Five years ago, when Cleveland was winning a division THIS IS MORE of a warning than a recommendation: Beginning May 10 the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors professional slo-pitch softball team will return to television. Games will be aired at 10:30 Saturday nights on a delayed tape basis on Channel 43. Competitors' contests also were carried last season but at 1 a.m. when they could be more easily avoided. At least one member of the broadcast team will be former major league pitcher Mudcat Grant, who already has a checkered past, having once done color commentary for the Indians.

Bob ground before I worry about anything else. However, having the Cavaliers would give us a strong winter and summer sports identification, which is a plus. I'd certainly be glad to talk about It with the Cavs." Even if Channel 43 doesn't get the Cavaliers, Moffitt is bullish on basketball. WUAB's schedule of THE WHEELS at ABC already are turning to find a made-for-TV movie of the U. S.

Olympic hockey team's victory in the Winter Games. According to the producers, the three-hour film will center around the players, their families and their friends beginning six months before the Olympics when the team was selected. The film is expected to be placed on the 1981 winter schedule. Ohio State games this year "was as good as any sports programming we'd ever done," Moffit says. "If it's offered to us next year (and Moffitt figures it will be), we'll take it." MOFFITT CITES ratings for February to substantiate his satisfaction.

The Buckeyes pulled an 8 rating on Thursday nights (115,000 homes) and a 6 on Saturday nights (97,000 homes). And at times the rating reached as high as 10, or 130,000 homes. The rating indicates the percentage of all TV sets in a given area that are tuned to a particular show. By comparison, Moffitt says that when Channel-43 carried the Cavaliers several years ago, the games usually pulled a 3 or 4, and that Barons hockey and Notre Dame basketball used to draw 2s. That contrasts with WUAB's 9 p.m.

movie, which normally gets a 5 or 6. Browns preparing for draft Seiberling: uf -Seasons OodioS ALL WEATHER PERFORMANCE SIZE 18575-13 OS tight end Junior Miller. The Browns, who pick 15th would like to make a trade for a higher selection, said Rutigliano, but no serious discussions took place at the NFL meetings. "No ground was broken," he said. "I didn't come away from the meetings with the feeling that we definitely would be making a trade for a high draft pick." REPLACES Via A ZT BR78-13 mm 5'T FET SIZE PRICE Replaces 2.33 19575 14 ER78-14 $47.31 20575-14 FR78-14 $49.73 more for former All-Pro defensive end John Dutton fell through because Slusher, representing Dutton, would not agree to the Browns' offer.

Two other free agents in which the Browns might show some interest are defensive ends Carl Hairston of Philadelphia and Andy Dorris of Houston. More interest seems to be in Hairston, whose price tag might be high. WORD FROM last week's league meetings has it that the Detroit Lions received five offers for the No. 1 selection in the draft, but Coach Monte Clark indicated the Lions will keep it to pick Oklahoma's Billy Sims. San Francisco coach Bill Walsh said if the 49ers don't trade away their first-round pick the second in the draft it will be used to take Brigham Young quarterback Marc Wilson or Nebraska Continued from page Dl England Ail-Fro cornerback Mike Haynes.

However, their chances of signing him appear remote. First, Haynes has said he wants to become the highest paid defensive back in the league, which would put him in the bracket. That would mean the Browns would have to give up a first- and second-round draft choice as compensation, -and the Browns can't afford that this year because they are in desperate need of a defensive end. Another reason the Browns probably won't sign Haynes is because he is represented by Howard Slusher. To say the Los Angeles attorney is on the Browns' enemy list would be an understatement.

Slusher represented punter Tom Skladany, whom the Browns failed to sign after the 1977 draft. And last year, a trade with Balti 2.58 GR78 14 21575 14 $50.35 HR78-14 $52.88 2.81 22575 14 FITNESS PnCGHAf; HEALTH SPA SELF DEFENSE 21575-15 2.75 GR78 15 $52.03 2.93 $54.28 22575-15 3.11 IR78-15 $57.22 23575-15 FREE MOUNTING BALANCING JUDO KARATE SCHOOL, CS3-4433 HEALTH FITNESS CENTER, 6S6-9834 3223 COPLEY ROAD wmmXmmmmMWmm wmmmm wmmmm '1 mm ilPiiiii rrii result that the selling price of our stock and our earnings per share have continued to decline. This makes it difficult for us to raise the billions of dollars needed for plant construction to meet consumer demand in the Eighties and beyond. Sixty percent of this money must be borrowed from investors, at record-high" interest rates. We re working hard to hold down costs.

But the de- mand for electricity is still increasing, and new plants and other facilities will have to be planned and built now to meet uture needs. It's your future we're concerned about. A financially strong electric industry in Ohio insures that we will be able to provide ample electric power now and in the future. And this should be a concern we all share. The 1970's A troubled time for Ohio electric consumer' and electric companies.

fp' The 1980 An uneasy period that is difficult to predict. During the Seventies a combination of forces and events produced a series of energy crises that flrove electric rates up and electric company earnings down, These included the Arab oil embargo, a host of expensive new government regulations in the environmental, nuclear, and coal mining areas, runaway inflation, the coal strike, and unusually severe winters. The largest single factor in higher costs and rates was the sharp increase in the price of coal, which jumped from $5 a ton to more than $28. The cost of fuel mostly coal now amounts to nearly half of the cost of producing electricity. We enter tl te Eighties with most of the adverse factors still with us and even getting worse.

The year began with an inflation rate of 13.8 percent, and in January alone jumped to an annual rate of 18 percent. The unsettled situation in the Middle East seems certain to reduce oil supplies and thus push the price of coal even higher. None of this is good news for either you or us. Rate increases have not kept pace with soaring costs, with the Your Eiectnc Comnanies iff Tho Ohio Electric Utility Institute 10 South Third Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 ---ini.