TV/Radio

Remote patrol

By SHARON GINN
Published February 3, 2006

CHECK IT OUT

Super Bowl coverage starts at 6 p.m. Sunday on Ch. 28, with Al Michaels and John Madden calling what may or may not be their last game together, depending on whom you believe.

Media partners ABC and ESPN will have dueling pregame shows, and they promise their 91/2 hours of coverage will cover "every possible story angle." Even snacks. On ESPN, you'll be able to find that zany Kenny Mayne whipping up nachos with Martha Stewart.

Chris Berman will host ABC's pregame show, which starts at 2:30 and will be available in high definition. Expect plenty of features and human interest stories. ESPN plans to go with more hard-core X's and O's in its five-hour show, which starts at 11 a.m. and will be hosted by Stuart Scott.

Outdoor Life Network was scheduled to air the Lightning-New York Islanders game Monday, but it decided this week to drop the game in favor of a Dallas-Nashville matchup. Sun Sports is unable to pick the game up because of a commitment to air the Magic-Wizards game, according to the Lightning. It will be the only time this season the team isn't on TV. The game can be heard on 620-AM.

ABC has been promoting the Super Bowl using - wink, wink - the Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want as background music. This isn't the game the nation or the media wanted to see, but that doesn't necessarily forecast poor ratings. The key is a compelling game. The highest-rated Super Bowl of the past six years was the Rams-Titans in 2000, which matched teams from two mid-sized markets. The Rams won 23-16 and the game earned a 43.4 household rating.

Fox NFL Sunday analyst Howie Long presents his 12th annual Tough Guys Awards Sunday (2 p.m., Ch. 13).

Sirius satellite radio will offer 11 game calls of the Super Bowl in seven languages, including both teams' local radio broadcasts and the national Westwood One/CBS Radio broadcast. There will be two Spanish broadcasts, and one each in Russian, French, Mandarin Chinese, Danish and Japanese.

ABC's new NBA documentary series, NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad (1 p.m. Saturday, Ch. 28), provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Sacramento Kings' trade negotiations for Ron Artest.

The latest Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (10 p.m. Tuesday, HBO) focuses on the psychological issues faced by many pro athletes. Former Dodgers second baseman Steve Sax talks about his unexplainable troubles with overthrowing first base. Just where was he throwing, anyway? "Section J. Popcorn stands. Innocent little kids," Sax said. "I probably winged a few of them."

Sun Sports' newest installment of its series Under the Lights (7 p.m. Wednesday) will take an inside look at the FSU women's basketball team.

[Last modified February 3, 2006, 01:25:14]