WORTH NOTING ON TV

* THURSDAY

Olympics

CBS 8-11 p.m.: Men's figure skating: short program. Skiing: men's Super G.

TNT 1-6 p.m.: Hockey: US vs. Canada (live). Men's figure skating, short program (live). Alpine and cross-country skiing. Speed-skating.

In men's figure skating, America's Brian Boitano, Olympic gold medalist in the 1988 Calgary Games, competes against a powerful field including 1992 Olympic champion Viktor Petrenko of Ukraine and Canada's Kurt Browning.

Evening News From Moscow (C-Span, 6 -6:30 p.m. EST): A report in Russian with simultaneous English translation.

Praying for Rai (The Discovery Channel, 10-11 p.m.): When the worst drought of the century threatened some 120 million southern Africans with starvation, the people of Zimbabwe performed a heroic feat no other African nation managed single-handedly. Without involving a worldwide effort on its behalf, the country averted famine through a multifaceted program to maintain the water supply.

This documentary includes harrowing footage of the drought's effects, but it also records how the heartening task was accomplished and how vital its benefits were.

Please check local listings for these programs.