Finally Over?

Cuban 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez is finally back in Cuba, but not before setting a new record: the case of the boy being reunited with his father was the biggest news event since the O.J. Simpson murder trial, according to a study by the Washington, D.C., based Center for Media and Public Affairs. Network media coverage of Elian was greater than the Columbine school shooting, the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, and the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Princess Diana combined. Discounting presidential election coverage, Elian coverage topped the combined coverage of the next six-most-covered stories: rising gasoline prices, the New York Senate race, Russia's war in Chechnya, Alaska Airlines Flight 261's crash, Pope John Paul's trip to the Middle East, and the Microsoft anti-trust case. (AP) ...And unlike fictional soap operas, you can bet you'll be seeing reruns forever.