PRESS DIGEST - New York Times business news - Aug 25

Aug 25 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in the New York Times business pages on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* American natural gas production is rising at a clip not seen in half a century, pushing down prices of the fuel and reversing conventional wisdom that domestic gas fields were in irreversible decline.

* The executive changes at software maker SAP (SAPG.DE) has fed an irresistible narrative in financial markets: the software egghead is yielding to the uncompromising money maker.

* The extent to which the Internet served as a supplement to television was unprecedented, and there were two clear winners: NBC's Web site and Yahoo's Olympics section.

* Getting U.S. stars like Michael Phelps to perform live in prime time was just one of the moves that set up the spectacular success NBC achieved in the Beijing Games.

* Declining oil prices have eased inflationary pressures for the moment, but that hasn't halted the Federal Reserve's debate over whether to raise interest rates.

* CNN's decision to spend close to $100,000 on an aerial camera shot at the Democratic National Convention shows the steps networks are willing to take to compete for viewers.

* The leading players in the consumer electronics industry are revamping their audio and video equipment for a future centered around the Internet.

* Marvel Entertainment Inc (MVL.N) is teaming up with Madhouse, a Japanese animation studio, to create versions of its characters for four series that will premiere in spring 2010 in Japan.