HE'S A BILL FOR ALL SEASONS.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth Media

Tuesday afternoon, Fox Sports Net's Bill Macdonald was working, as usual.

But he was neither at a stadium, arena or ballpark. He wasn't hosting a pregame show, calling a game or doing a postgame interview. For cryin' out loud, he wasn't even carrying a microphone.

He found himself in a beat-up hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. Not waiting to take a private jet to his next assignment, but to watch the Arena League L.A. Avengers hold a practice, moved to the not-so-great indoors (which make sense, right?) because of the menacing weather.

This was Macdonald's time for prep work for his play-by-play duties on Thursday night's Avengers' regular-season home opener against . . .

What was that other team again?

Somehow, Macdonald keeps it all straight. Don't ask how.

A cable chameleon who manages to stay very tanned and rested at all times, Macdonald has been Fox's go-to broadcaster so often, he's occasionally on both Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports Net 2 at the same time. Followed by another show that he's doing.

From rinkside to roller hockey to rodeo, college football to NFL Europe, celebrity sports invitationals to Special Olympics, surfing to beach volleyball to anything else that involves water, wind or air, Macdonald has probably done it in his 15-year career at the cable channel.

More impressive, especially in this business, is that without an agent, publicist or even a business card, he's survived several owners and name changes because he's adept at adapting.

``Maybe the reason is I've never worried about making money, although I do make a good living, and there is such a thing as not taking yourself too seriously but taking the job seriously,'' said the 42-year-old who looks closer to 24.

Changing gears has been the key for him through his career.

After graduating from Corona del Mar High, he went to UCLA for two years, then finished up at USC.

He started selling season-ticket packages at the Forum and ended up buying time on a small San Gabriel Valley FM radio station so he could broadcast the Indoor Soccer League's L.A. Lazers games - as well as serve as the team's public relations director.

When Prime Ticket came into being in 1985, programming was needed to fill the all-sports format, and Lazers soccer fell right into place. Joel Meyers was hired to do play-by-play and Macdonald was his color man. It's been one giant kick for Macdonald ever since.

``He's such a jack-of-all-trades that I can throw him on to anything,'' said Fox Sports Net executive producer Jeff Proctor. ``If I get some last-minute programming, he's a phone call away. If I said, `I have camel racing tomorrow,' Bill would do it and afterwards say, `That was a lot of fun.'

``And I've never heard anyone who's ever worked with him say anything bad about it. Everyone just loves the guy.''

Show producer Dave Frederick, who works on about three quarters of the events involving Macdonald, says he gets the biggest kick out of people - fans, athletes and coaches - who come up to Macdonald at games.

``They'll say things like, `Hey, I saw you last night, what are you doing tomorrow?' '' Frederick said. ``Everyone knows him.

``And it's all ad-lib with him. He just goes with the flow, develops the story lines and makes those working with him look so good.''

Macdonald was one time also given a role on Prime Ticket's ``Press Box'' as a studio anchor and, of course, pulled it off with the best of them. But that made him realize that being chained to a studio chair and reading a TelePrompTer wasn't going to cut it for him.

``It was trial by fire, and I'm glad I did it, but nothing beats being out at an event where the action is,'' he said.

The action later this year will be in Sydney, Australia. A reward for his loyalty, Fox has allowed him to work for CNBC and MSNBC on its coverage of beach volleyball during the 2000 Summer Olympics.

And as for this weekend . . .

He actually has it off by some quirk of scheduling. So he'll no doubt find himself at his own ``Sports Roundtable'' with his three boys - twins who are 10 and another who's 7 - at his place in Newport Beach.

``I have very little social life, but fortunately with my job it allows me to be with them at times when others can't,'' said the single dad who refers to his ex-wife as ``still my best friend.''

If it all sounds too good to be true for Macdonald, it's because he makes it work that way.

``I'm a positive person,'' he admits. ``It's true, I've probably done about everything possible in every capacity. I just love doing what I'm doing and I don't take any of it for granted.''

``It's been pretty cool.''

SOUND BYTES

WHAT SMOKES

--KCAL Channel 9, committed to more live game coverage of the Southern California teams than any contraption this side of cable, begins a commitment this weekend to a half-hour block (8:30 to 9 p.m.) called ``Sports News Sunday.'' During the week, it'll be called ``Sports News Tonight.'' Kinda catchy, eh? KCAL sports producer Scott Henry says they're taking the success of ``The Final Quarter'' 15-minute sports show and building on it with more local coverage, including an interactive element with e-mail questions.

--An outstanding ESPN ``Outside the Lines'' show about hazing, which debuted last week, repeats Saturday at noon. Which is a good segue to remind everyone about the Sunday morning weekly edition of ``Outside the Lines,'' (7:30 a.m.) which this week examines religion in sports.

--The Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills presents a sports and TV seminar Monday called ``The Commissioners' Perspective,'' bringing together the bosses of the four major pro sports leagues (Bud Selig, David Stern, Paul Tagliabue and Gary Bettman) to discuss their relationships with the mediums. It originates from New York but will be transmitted live via satellite here from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Information: [phone] or www.mtr.org.

--On Sunday at 10 a.m., CBS replays the NCAA women's gymnastics championships, which was won last week by UCLA (Oops, did we give it away?).

WHAT CHOKES

--Ever heard of Barry LeBrock? How about Suzy Shuster? Neither have we. But they're part of the staff that Fox Sports Net's regional executive producer Milt Weiss decided have a great Southern California identity for the new half-hour ``Regional Sports Report'' segments for the cable network starting June 28. LeBrock, of late from WJZZ-TV in Jacksonville Fla., and a CNN/SI anchor, will serve as a weekend anchor. Shuster, whose background is more into producing stories and features on a national basis (never on camera), will be one of the field reporters. At least Lisa Guerrero, a reporter/anchor at Fox's KTTV Channel 11 affiliate locally (as well as serving as the ``Tool Time Girl'' on ``Sports Geniuses''), will be the other reporter and definitely has local recognition. All that's left is hiring a weekday anchor. If it's not Southern California-identifiable and available person, it seems to defeat the purpose. Former KTLA Channel 5 anchor Ed Arnold, for one, hasn't even been contacted about the Fox spot. ``As much as I hate to say it, my career in L.A. is over,'' he said. ``It's disappointing, but the Fox job was the one thing I'd love to have done.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: KCAL's ``Sports News Sunday'' team, John Ireland, Alan Massengale and Derrin Horton.

File Photo

Box: SOUND BYTES (see text)