TelevisionWeek articles from September 2004

TelevisionWeek archives from September 2004

One Time Is the Charm; An Appearance on `Tonight' Can Rev Up Comedians' Careers.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Shannon Peavey Special to TelevisionWeek During its five decades on NBC, "The Tonight Show'' developed a reputation among standup comedians as the ultimate springboard for success. From Lenny Bruce to Steve Martin to Billy Crystal...

Boosts Seen for Spader and Hurwitz; Roundtable Experts Size Up Impact.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: James Hibberd On the day after the Emmy Awards, network consultant Ray Solley of The Solley Group hosted his second annual roundtable gathering of experts to critique the show and offer predictions about how this year's winners...

Newsmakers.
September 27, 2004... ADVERTISING & AGENCIES Eric Kern to national sales manager, Adlink, from national sales manager, KTTV-TV and KCOP-TV, Los Angeles. BROADCASTING James Hamilton to Web manager, KPIX-TV and KBHK-TV, San Francisco, from lead Web...

Don Mischer's Olympian Emmy Efforts.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block Three days after Don Mischer executive produced the Emmy Awards for the ninth time, he wasn't ready to think about doing it a 10th time-even if they asked. "This is the wrong time to ask me that question,'' Mr....

Roving Eye @ The Emmys.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards drew industry luminaries to the red carpet for the Sept. 19 ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. 1. HBO's Sheila Nevins and Bill Nelson 2. HBO's Michael Lombardo and Carolyn Strauss...

Biz Briefs; Martha Stewart Signs New Contract With MSO.(Deals)
September 27, 2004... Byline: JAY SHERMAN Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has inked a new employment contract with its founder, but she won't be paid while she serves her five-month prison sentence that starts Oct. 8. Under the terms of the five-year...

Spectrum Vote Sparks Fallout; Paxson, Others Could Be Hurt by Compromise Measure.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Doug Halonen Five of Paxson Communications' 61 TV stations could be forced off the air if legislation approved by the Senate Commerce Committee last week is signed into law. That was the assessment offered by Dean Goodman,...

Battle Brews for Wednesday Night; 'Lost's' Big Win Overshadows 'L&O'/'CSI:NY' Skirmish.(TV Currents)(CSI, Law and Order and Lost all compete)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Christopher Lisotta "CSI: N.Y.'' edged out "Law & Order'' at 10 p.m. last Wednesday in their first head-to-head competition, but both shows were upstaged by the debut earlier that night of ABC's new drama "Lost.'' Since the...

Iger Suits Trend in Low-Key Executives; Board's Praise of Disney COO May Signal Shift From Mogul-Type Leaders.(Deals)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jay Sherman The fact that The Walt Disney Co.'s board of directors is considering a comparatively low-key executive such as President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Iger to replace CEO Michael Eisner could signal a new era for...

IFC Starts Film School Project; Aims to Cultivate Lifelong Movie Fans From Young Age.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jon Lafayette Independent Film Channel has greenlighted a public service program to develop high school students' appreciation for film and teach them film production skills. IFC aims to have its Film School Project, inspired...

HBO Savors Record, Focuses on Future; Pay Net Banks on Continued Long-Form Success.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jon Lafayette After winning more Emmys than any network ever, HBO has a tough act to follow. Again. "The excitement's worn off and we're already focused on what we're going to do next year,'' Colin Callender, president of HBO...

Tax Bill Wasn't a Surprise to the Lucky 276.(Blink)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block If you read news stories last week in Chicago and Denver papers, you would think the 276 "Oprah Winfrey Show'' audience members who were offered new Pontiacs at General Motors' expense had no idea they would be hit...

Ad Week Event Faces Red Ink; Expenses Outpace Revenues After Gathering in New York.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Bradley Johnson Advertising Age The inaugural Advertising Week in New York City, held last week, could come up short on one score-the money. The budget for the Sept. 20-24 event planned for expenses between $1.3 million and...

Agency Deploys LPM Data; Initiative Media's Alert System Flags Underdelivered Spots.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jon Lafayette One media agency is geared up to make good use of the data flooding in from Nielsen's controversial Local People Meters. Initiative Media's Overnight Alert System is designed to flag potential audience...

Paar: Father of the Show; 'The Tonight Show's' First Long-Term Host Set a High Standard for His Successors.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Tom Shales Jack Paar was the real founding father of "The Tonight Show'' as we know it-a program dominated by funny talk with a little music thrown in-but he wouldn't have embraced the title. He hated being considered a historical...

Ad Buyers Foresaw Shift on Thursdays; CBS Knocks NBC in Demo, Viewers.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jon Lafayette Some ad buyers predicted that CBS would overtake NBC's stronghold on Thursdays-the night when the most ad dollars are spent-and the first week of the season validated that outlook. CBS won last week's Thursday...

MAINTAINING NET STANDARDS NOT GETTING EASIER.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Michele Greppi At CBS News, the procedures for vetting stories before they are broadcast vary from show to show. In the case of the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes,'' it is the job of Senior Broadcast Producer Esther Kartiganer to...

Staying at MGM Until the End; Yemenidjian and McGurk Plan to See Company Through Sony Acquisition but Are Unlikely to Remain.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block MGM Chairman Alex Yemenidjian and Vice Chairman Chris McGurk have committed to stay on board to keep the studio operational for the next six to 12 months, until the $5 billion sale to a consortium led by Sony Corp....

Two New Additions to TVWeek's Staff; Teitle, Orenstein Join L.A. Office.(TV Currents)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Juliana Shallcross TelevisionWeek has added two new members to its Los Angeles staff this month, the publication's VP, Publisher and Editorial Director Chuck Ross announced. Sue Teitle joins TVWeek as advertising production...

Previews; The Race For President.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... President Bush sat down for an interview with Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, who presents the encounter on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That will prep you for Thursday evening, when the President faces challenger Sen. John Kerry in a...

'The Tonight Show' Through The Years.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PEAVEY Sept. 24, 1954 "Tonight'' premieres on NBC, hosted by Steve Allen October 1956 Mr. Allen begins hosting Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with Ernie Kovacs hosting Mondays and Tuesdays Jan. 25,...

His Crazy Way With an Ad-Lib.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Steve Allan and his great talent are shown)
September 27, 2004... Steve Allen, the first host (1954-57) of what was then titled "Tonight'' died in 2000 at the age of 78. Reprinted with permission from Mr. Allen's memoir "Hi-Ho, Steverino!'' published in 1992 by Barricade Books, Fort Lee, N.J. What is...

BILLY WILDER ON JOHNNY CARSON.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... The late Billy Wilder, the winner of six Academy Awards, wrote and directed a number of classic movies, including "Some Like It Hot'' and "Double Indemnity.'' This excerpt is taken from a profile of Mr. Carson by Kenneth Tynan that appeared...

Night Becomes Electric; Allen Apologized for the First Show's Length, but Each Host Has Made Staying Up Late Worthwhile.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Chuck Ross It started on this date--Sept. 27--50 years ago. It's 11:30 at night in Manhattan. The camera zooms in on the marquee of the Hudson Theatre at 241 W. 44th Street. The theater opened in 1903 with the play "Cousin...

Spot TV Strategy No Simple Matter; Determining Best Allocation Between National and Local Buys Is Starting Point for Decision--Making Process.(Media Planner)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Roger Baron Special to TelevisionWeek Since this section of TelevisionWeek is subtitled "The Idea Exchange for Planning TV Spots,'' it strikes me that it should, indeed, talk about how to plan spot television. While the subject is...

'Fear' of Reality in Syndication; 'Fear Factor' Has OK Debut; 'Pauley' Makes Corrections.(TV Currents)(reality television may be reaching the saturation point)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Christopher Lisotta Ratings for the first four days of "Fear Factor's'' debut in broadcast syndication were down compared with year-ago time-period averages and with the show's lead-in, leaving unanswered the question of whether or...

Adelphia in VOD, HD Content Deal; Cabler Looks Beyond Bankruptcy, Sale, Builds Services With Discovery.(Media & Technology)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney Even though Adelphia is heading down the path toward a likely sale, it still plans to bolster its lineup of new services, including video-on-demand and high definition. To that end, Adelphia recently signed a new...

Tech Briefs; Terayon Markets HD Splicing System.(Media & Technology)
September 27, 2004... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY Equipment provider Terayon's technology is making possible Fox's massive HDTV programming initiative to carry up to six football games a week in high definition, and the technology vendor said the solution could be...

News Briefs; Cassaro to Lead Comcast Network Ad Sales.(Briefs)
September 27, 2004... Comcast announced last week that David Cassaro will serve as president of Comcast Network Advertising Sales, a new department being established by Comcast's Programming Investments Division to oversee advertising sales for Comcast's national...

Clouds Hover at CBS News; Network Braces for Memogate Investigation.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Michele Greppi After two weeks of crisis, the outward calm that has settled over CBS News, the network and its affiliates promises to be short and fragile. It will last until results of an investigation into the inclusion of...

Humor That Defines Our Times; TelevisionWeek Names Jay Leno TV Entertainer of The Year.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Since Sept. 27, 1954, "The Tonight Show'' on NBC has been a part of American life every weeknight. It has had four major hosts-Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and, for the past 12 years, Jay Leno-each of whom defined the humor and...

Wright: 'Tonight' Backbone of NBC.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block To Robert Wright, chairman and CEO of NBC Universal and vice chairman of parent company General Electric, "The Tonight Show'' and its stars have been important in both a professional and a personal sense. "`The...

Feminism First for Mavis Leno.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Mavis Leno fights for the rights of Afghan women)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block Jay Leno loves that his wife has her own identity, and he feels lucky to have Mavis Leno after almost 24 years of marriage. She is not only his life partner and friend but also someone who has stepped up to use her...

Close-up: Steve Hackett, John Holdridge.(Newsmakers)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... King World Productions has promoted veteran sales executives Steve Hackett and John Holdridge to senior VP, regional sales manager. Both executives will report to Joe DiSalvo, president, domestic television sales. Mr. Hackett, who is based in...

Adelphia for Sale in Parts or as a Whole; Company Also Preparing Reorganization Should It Not Sell.(Deals)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jay Sherman Adelphia Communications officially hung out the "For Sale''sign last week, triggering a horse race in which as many as 20 interested parties-including some big-name cable operators-vying for some or all of the bankrupt...

The Insider; A Bash For Barbara.(TV Currents)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Michele Greppi Not everything was all about CBS News last week. There was, for example, a gathering of boldfaced names Wednesday at the "Good Morning America'' studio on Times Square in honor of Barbara Walters as she tries...

Kinder, Gentler Red Carpet A Winner for Star Jones, E!(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: James Hibberd Critics may have sniffed at her performance, but Star Jones' turn as a red carpet queen for E! generated ratings that were on par with those of past years and kept the network's promise to improve its relations with...

Quick Takes: Which shows are you most excited about for the fall season?(Press Room)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Scott Malbasa "It is wonderful for me to see more Asian Americans taking part in quality programs, such as Parminder Nagra and Ming-Na on `ER.' `Lost' is a promising new show, and I hope to see the characters played by Daniel Dae...

ABC Telecast Fails to Draw Big Numbers; Ratings Plummet to Near-Record Lows.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Wayne Friedman Ratings for this year's Emmy Awards show dropped like a heavy statuette. ABC's "56th Annual Emmy Awards'' hit the second-lowest audience numbers ever with 13.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media...

Guest Commentary: 'Cyclysm' Transforms Plain Old Bicycle Race.(Press Room)(the marketing of the Tour de France is a great success for NBC/Universal)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Lee Hunt In case anyone failed to notice, we just crossed a threshold in television advertising and promotion. We've witnessed the biggest promotional success in the history of television. NBCU's marketing of the Olympics across...

LENO A LINCHPIN FOR NBC.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(The Tonight Show is an institution that gets passed on through the generations)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block For Jeffrey Zucker, president of the NBC Universal Television Group, "The Tonight Show'' is a franchise that gets passed from one generation to the next, even as prime-time shows come and go. "Programs like `The...

Editorial: CBS Makes Itself An Issue in Election.(Press Room)
September 27, 2004... When the people who report the news become the news, it's rarely a good sign. But that's the predicament in which CBS News finds itself after a report it aired on President Bush's National Guard service blew up in its face. The Sept. 8...

Bits and Bites From 2004 Emmy Night.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA and JAMES HIBBERD Stewart: No `Late Late Show' for Me Backstage at the Emmys "Daily Show'' host Jon Stewart denied rumors that he might replace Craig Kilborn, who has stepped down as host of CBS's "Late Late...

BET originals.(Blink)(BET is looking for for new execs to head development)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: JAMES HIBBERD The BET Network is looking to amp up its original programming by creating a new bi-coastal development department. BET's Senior VP of Programming and Production Gina Holland said the African American-targeted...

Singing Forever.(Blink)
September 27, 2004... Byline: ALEX BEN BLOCK During Advertising Week in New York City last week, Coca-Cola and its ad agency, McCann Erickson Worldwide, held a brief memorial for songwriter Billy Davis, who died Sept. 20, and introduced the first ad they have...

Unlocking your inner hockey fantasy.(Blink)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... G4techTV is taking advantage of the National Hockey League employee lockout by offering U.S. and Canadian fans virtual simulations (similar to video games) based on real contests on ice until the actual season resumes. "Millions of die-hard...

Emmy Awards Governors Ball; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)(Column)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Alex Ben Block Presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Location: Shrine Auditorium Expo Hall, Los Angeles Type: After-party Stars who attended: Chris Rock, Larry David, Billy Crystal, Tyne Daly, James...

Jay Has a Few Things to Say; The Veteran Host of NBC's 'The Tonight Show' Opens Up About His Role as a Television Icon.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Jay Leno)(Interview)
September 27, 2004... Jay Leno was interviewed by TelevisionWeek Editor Alex Ben Block on the occasion of being named TVWeek's Entertainer of the Year. An edited version of the interview follows: TelevisionWeek: 'The Tonight Show' has a long history. How do you...

Carson Sidekick Loved the Life; McMahon Recalls Three Decades of Laughs, Hard Work.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Ed McMahon)(Column)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Ed McMahon Special to TelevisionWeek Johnny Carson and I started together on "Who Do You Trust?" and when he went to "The Tonight Show," he brought me along. I'll tell you what I asked him right at the beginning. His office...

Jay Leno takes over 'Tonight Show'.(Special Report: 'Tonight Show's' 50th Anniversary)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: SHANNON PEAVEY May 25, 1992 Jay Leno takes the reins as host of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" May 20, 1993 Leno takes the show on the road for the first time, for a live telecast out of Boston's Bull & Finch Pub,...

The Ratings Wizard.(Performance Tracker)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Naomie Worrell Monday, Sept. 13, 2004-Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004 TV Season Week No. 52 NBC won the week in adults 18 to 49 with a 3.9 rating/11 share. CBS won in total viewers with 10.5 million. Top Shows of the Week ...

Bebe Neuwirth Joins 'L&O: Trial by Jury'.(TV Currents)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Christopher Lisotta Emmy and Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth has joined the cast of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," the latest Wolf Films spinoff for NBC. Ms. Neuwirth stars as Tracy Kibre, a Manhattan assistant district...

Showtime Party; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Juliana Shallcross Hosted by Matt Blank and Bob Greenblatt Location: Morton's Restaurant on Melrose in West Hollywood Type: Viewing party and after-party Stars who attended: Emmy nominees James Brolin (with wife Barbra...

Fox Party; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)(Brief Article)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Christopher Lisotta Location: Spago in Beverly Hills Type: After-party Stars who attended: Sharon Stone, James Spader, William Shatner, Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter, Aisha Tyler, Portia de Rossi, Francesca...

'Et'/People Party; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Tom Gilbert Location: Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip Type: After-party Stars who attended: Simon Cowell, Fran Drescher, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Green, Allison Janney, Anthony LaPaglia, George Lopez, David Hyde Pierce,...

HBO Party; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: James Hibberd Location: Pacific Design Center courtyard in West Hollywood Type: After-party Stars who attended: Pretty much every actor from every 2004 HBO series, movie or special was in attendance. Unlike last year, when...

TV Guide Emmy Party; Afterward, It Was All About the Parties.(Emmy Central)
September 27, 2004... Byline: Jennifer Ciminillo Sponsored by Dell Location: TV Guide Central-a tented space built exclusively for the event, located across the street from the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood Type: After-party Stars who...

Correction.(Corrections)
September 20, 2004... The caption with Alex Ben Block's column "`24' Shakes it Up'' (TelevisionWeek, Sept. 13) swapped the identities of Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran. Mr. Cochran is on the left and Mr. Surnow is on the right.

Editorial: Technology Drives MGM-Sony Pairing.(Press Room)(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
September 20, 2004... Even before Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer agreed in principle to be acquired by Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Entertainment, the two studios had something in common. They were the last of the true independents. They were the only major studios left that...

Quick Takes: Do you think baseball on TV is entertaining?(Press Room)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Scott Malbasa "With baseball you really need to enjoy the sport, know the players and be a fan of one of the teams to enjoy watching it on TV because you miss out on the other experiences of actually being at the game. With...

Seattle Can Show the Way; Tech-Savvy City an Excellent Place to Test New Tools.(Special Report: Local Cable Ad Sales)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney Along with coffee and rain, Seattle is perhaps best known for high technology-which might explain why cable operator Comcast is optimistic about the next generation of local ad sales tools the company is introducing...

TOYOTA DEALER CREDITS CABLE FOR SALES RISE.(Special Report: Local Cable Ad Sales)(Brief Article)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY Bob Bridge Toyota has grown its share in a crowded marketplace by 2 percent since the Seattle auto dealer began spending $500,000 yearly on local cable ad sales three to four years ago. That's a significant rise,...

Forum Wants Its Influence Known; Campaign to Publicize Its Approved Television Series.(TV Currents)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Wayne Friedman The term "family-friendly programming'' is familiar to most TV programming and advertising executives, but it has little meaning for actual families. The Family Friendly Programming Forum, a 6-year-old group of...

Expanding Diversity in Cable; Spencer Kaitz is among the honorees at the 2004 Walter Kaitz Foundation Benefit Dinner, which funds the foundation's efforts to encourage, enhance and expand diversity efforts in the cable and telecommunications industries.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Lee Hall Special to TelevisionWeek Throughout the revolutionary transformation of the cable industry over the past two decades, one thing has remained constant. The annual fund-raising banquet for the Walter Kaitz Foundation endures...

Minority Advocate Becomes a Patron.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Lee Hall Special to TelevisionWeek The venerable Walter Kaitz Foundation embarks on its third decade with new leadership and a new mission. Once independent, the Kaitz Foundation now operates under the aegis of the National Cable &...

News Corp.'s Murdoch, Chernin Get Raises for 2004.(Deals)(News Corporation Ltd)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Rupert Murdoch received 22 percent more in compensation for the 2004 fiscal year than he did a year ago, according to News Corp.'s annual report issued last week. The media giant's chairman and CEO earned $4.5 million in salary, a $12.5 million...

News Briefs; Charter Announces COO Bellville Will Resign.(Briefs)
September 20, 2004... Charter Communications said last Friday that Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer Margaret Bellville will leave the company at the end of the month. Ms. Bellville joined Charter two years ago after serving as president and CEO of streaming...

Prickly Relations Becoming Norm; MSO-Programmer Negotiations Increasingly Contentious.(TV Currents)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: John Motavalli Special to TelevisionWeek "Hardball'' isn't just the name of a program hosted by Chris Matthews on MSNBC. It's the new watchword for cable operator/programmer relations. Business gets done, but the days of...

'Insider,' 'Danza' Jump Out to Lead Among New Strips; Paramount, Buena Vista Celebrate Strong Premieres.(TV Currents)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Christopher Lisotta Paramount's "Entertainment Tonight'' spinoff "The Insider'' led the pack among premiering syndicated shows last week, but only Buena Vista's "The Tony Danza Show'' was able to improve on its year-ago time period...

Burnett Ups Ante for Placement; Reality Guru Lands Huge Integration Deals for 'Contender'.(TV Currents)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Wayne Friedman Now that reality show producer Mark Burnett has wowed the advertising community with skyrocketing $1 million-plus product integration deals for NBC's "The Apprentice,'' he's going for a knockout punch with "The...

NAMIC's Focus on Diversity; Group Uses Kaitz Grant to Develop Leaders for Cable.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(National Association for Minorities in Cable)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Sherri Killam-Williams Special to TelevisionWeek "Embrace Diversity. Embrace Success.'' That directive from the Web site of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications clearly spells out the goal of the...

Women Remain Behind in Cable; WICT Survey Finds Progress Lagging in Pay, Advancement.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(Women in Cable & Telecommunications)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Sherri Killam-Williams Special to TelevisionWeek Women may have come a long way, baby, but not far enough, especially in the cable industry, according to data collected by Women in Cable & Telecommunications. With assistance...

Kathy Johnson Leads NAMIC Through Its Moves.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Sherri Killam-Williams Special to TelevisionWeek Being part of an evolving trade organization isn't daunting to Kathy Johnson, executive VP of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications. By the end of 2004...

Leaping to the Head of Her Field.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(Women in Cable & Telecommunications)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Sherri Killam-Williams Special to TelevisionWeek Setting goals and leaping hurdles is nothing new for Women in Cable & Telecommunications President and CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, a U.S. Olympic gold medalist in the 1984 Los...

New Kaitz Leader Has the Right Stuff.(Special Report: Kaitz Foundation Honors)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Lee Hall Special to TelevisionWeek Debbie Smith could be described as the picture of racial diversity. The daughter of a mother born and raised in Ireland and an African American father, Ms. Smith brings a unique viewpoint to her...

TW Cable Optimizes Demand Services.(Special Report: TV on Demand)(Time Warner)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney With digital video recorders available in 30 of its 31 markets and video-on-demand deployed in all its systems, Time Warner Cable hasn't played favorites with either new service. Rather, the operator has found that...

RAIN OR SHINE, MARINERS A DRAW.(Special Report: Local Cable Ad Sales)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney Despite a disappointing 2004 season in which the Seattle Mariners have won fewer than 40 percent of their games through August, the baseball team in the Pacific Northwest has propelled its TV home, FSN Northwest, into...

DVRs and VOD in Symbiosis; MSOs Find Digital Recorders Increase On-Demand Use, Rollouts May Be Complementary.(Special Report: TV on Demand)(Digital Voice Recorder System)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney Cable operators are hoping that when it comes to the new services video-on-demand and digital video recorders, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Many operators are aggressively rolling out DVRs and...

Previews; USC Diamond Jubilee.(TV Currents)(University of Southern California)(Brief Article)
September 20, 2004... Actor-comedian Will Ferrell, a 1990 graduate, will host the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television's 75th anniversary gala Sunday in historic Bovard Auditorium, the site of USC's first-ever film class, "Introduction to...

HBO's Gold Rush Off to a Fast Start; Pay Cable Network Is Top Dog at Creative Arts Emmys.(Emmys Central)(Home Box Office)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Scott Malbasa HBO took top honors at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last week, winning 16 awards-nine more than its closest competitor. HBO's drama "Deadwood'' led all shows, winning five awards. While that is how the scorecard...

News Emmys Gain Respect; Ceremony Has Glitter, Sponsors.(Emmys Central)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Michele Greppi The News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony produced by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is no longer the dowdy half-sister of the Primetime Emmy Awards produced by the Los...

Biz Briefs; Three Station Groups Downgraded.(Briefs)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: JAY SHERMAN Bank of America Securities analyst Jonathan Jacoby last week downgraded the stocks of Belo, Hearst-Argyle Television and LIN TV Corp. to a "neutral'' rating from a "buy'' rating, citing the difficulties that lie ahead...

Comcast Center Purveying VOD; Plans 400% Increase in Content; Extends Services to Other MSOs.(Media & Technology)(Vdeo on Demand)(Column)
September 20, 2004... Byline: Daisy Whitney Cable giant Comcast has been vocal about its sweeping video-on-demand strategy, including plans to increase content by 400 percent to 10,000 hours in a few years. However, little has been said about how the operator...

Tech Briefs; UPN Ups HD Offering to Six Hours.(Media & Technology)
September 20, 2004... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY Come November, all six broadcast networks will be on pace to begin delivering at least half of their prime-time schedules in high definition. That's because UPN will have the facilities in place in two months and is...