This Putt's For You: Watching the Masters tournament without commercials was an education in the new era of advertising as far as I'm concerned. Even if you're not a golf fan, or even of you tuned out when Tiger Woods dropped off the pace, it was a compelling experience watching three plus hours of sports TV with no TV spots.

Other People's Riffs For The Week That Was: I'm Not Sure Editorial Objectivity Is A Big Selling Point For Mike These Days: On April 24, the first night of the sweeps period, the Fox Network will air "Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies," a two-hour special built around his family movies and a new interview with the star. Jackson hasn't yet been interviewed, according to several sources.

You Go Cosmmo Grrrrrrrrlllllll:It's got style. It's got it attitude.

On The Up-And-Up: I would like to personally thank Zenith Optimedia for doing its part to center the advertising business on what it does best and that is - advertise. We don't discuss the ifs, ands or buts of war very well.

Sand In The Gasoline: Before I even get into this one, let me say, that I in no way, shape or form believe that anybody at Chevrolet, GM or its Humvee division can be happy about the kind of exposure that its getting right now as the soldier's vehicle of necessity in the Iraqi conflict. No one asked for the Humvee to be plastered all over the TV from noon to midnight.

My Late Version Of Riff Awards For The Week: Best Acceptance Speech: Tina Brown, who was supposed start a new show on MSNBC. "Oh, well," she wrote in The Times of London.

April Come She Will: And after that May and June. I have to give props to FCC commissioner Michael Powell for promising to deliver the FCC decision on media ownership sometime in early June.

Search, Research: Suddenly research is the hottest ticket in town. It has always been a hot ticket in this business, but over the last month I have seen new research ventures I'm sworn to secrecy about.