Broadcasting & Cable articles from August 2006

Broadcasting & Cable archives from August 2006

Where to be and what to watch...(television programs)
August 7, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, Aug. 7 Would you like to 'create an immediate impact on your multichannel performance?' Of course you would! So hop over to eTail 2006 in always sunny Philadelphia, as the online commerce confab goes down at...

The ENG Bonanza.(electronic newsgathering )
August 7, 2006... By Glen Dickson How a cellphone supplier is changing the news biz One vital link in the news-production chain is due for dramatic change over the next two years: the electronic newsgathering (ENG) equipment used to relay video from...

What's New in the Newsroom.
August 7, 2006... By Glen Dickson Integrated production tools help stations add newscasts without breaking the bank As stations look to produce additional newscasts for new media without increasing staff, flexible production tools are more valuable...

Why Local News Is in a Sharing Mood.
August 7, 2006... By Allison Romano With budgets tight, more stations are outsourcing their news to market rivals When WNYO Buffalo, N.Y., debuted a 10 p.m. newscast last spring, some viewers likely did a double take. The program features anchors and...

Getting Gibson: The Post-Rehab Sit-Down.
August 7, 2006... By Staff Mel needs damage control. PR and TV-news veterans weigh in on who will grab the 'get.' B&C sets the odds [TABLE OMITTED]

Thriving in the Valley.(evaluation of the cable market in California)
August 7, 2006... By Allison Romano A market grows in central California The Fresno-Visalia market, in California's fertile Central Valley, is in the midst of a growth season. New residents are arriving in droves, many from the wealthy Bay Area and...

Adventures Abroad.(Discovery Networks offers mobile service for pregnant women)(Lifetime Movie Network launches broadband service)(NBC Universal appoints George Kliavkoff)
August 7, 2006... By Anne Becker U.S. media firms look overseas for lessons in mobile video Expectant parents soon may be able to monitor the progress of their pregnancy via cellphone, thanks to Discovery Networks. On Aug. 7, Discovery is launching...

Fast Track.(Judith McHale leaves Discovery Communications Inc.)(Bravo Cable Network launches mobile service)(advertising of CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
August 7, 2006... By Staff Who Will Own Discovery And Who Will Run It? John M. Higins McHale's exit prompts big changes As Discovery Communications Inc. (DCI) looks to replace exiting CEO Judith McHale , the company could be facing an even...

Bad 'View'.(Meredith Vieira joins National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
August 7, 2006... By J. Max Robins Naturally, the Today show has big plans to welcome Meredith Vieira into the family. For her first day, Sept. 13, I'm told, the producers are prepping a 'Who is Meredith' feature that goes back to her early days toiling...

The Man Who Broke the 'Mad Mel' Story.(Mel Gibson)(Interview)
August 7, 2006... By Jim Benson In the race to serve up the juiciest scoop in Hollywood, the clear winner in the Mel Gibson DUI scandal last week was celebrity gossip Website TMZ.com, co-owned by Time Warner's AOL and Telepictures TV-production unit. The...

Madison Road Begins 'Christmas' Shopping.(Madison Road Entertainment)(Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen)
August 7, 2006... By Ben Grossman Studio eyes DVD for animation special Madison Road Entertainment (MRE) is moving beyond branded integration by bankrolling and producing Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen . Madison Road will begin...

Battle Over Freebies.(telecommunications regulations)
August 7, 2006... By John Eggerton Digital-conversion set-top plan rankles broadcast group The federal government wants to make sure a wide swath of TV viewers aren't left without reception when the plug is pulled on analog transmission in February...

Exclusive Expose of Breaking News!
August 7, 2006... By Paul Greeley There's been much discussion in the local-TV-news business and by those who watch it about the proliferation of 'breaking news' on stations. As Audrey Shelton, a viewer, complained to the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal...

The Right Balance.(acquisition of Adelphia Communications Corp.)
August 7, 2006... By Staff Time Warner and Comcast took over their new systems last week following the FCC's approval last month of their $17.4 billion purchase of the bankrupt Adelphia. It wasn't a pretty example of bureaucracy at work, taking 404 days...

Fates & Fortunes.
August 7, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV Staff Gail Sikevitz , executive director, Dolores Kohl Education Foundation, named director, educational programming, Weigel Broadcasting, Chicago. Cable TV Staff At Insight...

Accounting for Reality.(Joey Carson)(Biography)
August 7, 2006... By Jim Benson Carson expands Bunim/Murray's unscripted domain When Joey Carson was studying finance at Texas A&M University, his advisor urged him 'to be as accounting-centric as possible' to increase his marketability. There was...

Passion of the Newsmags.(coverage of Mel Gibson's case)
August 7, 2006... By Jim Benson ET, Insider, Access cash in on Mel Gibson The super-competitive world of syndicated magazine shows grew even more cutthroat last week as the programs scrambled to outdo each other to report on Mel Gibson's DUI debacle....

Media Stocks in a Mini-Rally.
August 7, 2006... By John M. Higgins Surge is welcome relief, but many companies are left behind Amidst the flood of bad financial news swamping the TV industry in recent weeks, a number of major media companies are experiencing something few expected...

NFL Goes Long.(NFL Network plans sports programs)
August 14, 2006... By Ben Grossman and John M. Higgins League's new network ignites a turf war with cable operators Like a rookie at the Super Bowl, the new NFL Network is center stage in a high-stakes match against the game's most fearsome competitors....

Deals.(cable television broadcasting industry)
August 14, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs KBSD(TV) Ensign, KBSL(TV) Goodland, KBSH(TV) Hays, KWCH(TV) Hutchinson, Kan. PRICE: $73 million BUYER: Schurz Communications Inc. (Franklin Schurz Jr., chairman/CEO) SELLER: Media General...

Desert Bloom.(cable operators compete in Arizona)
August 14, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations chase new viewers in southern Arizona Last May, CBS affiliate KOLD edged out the longtime news leader, NBC affiliate KVOA, to claim the top-rated 10 p.m. newscast in the Tucson, Ariz., market. But it was only...

Late to the Party.(beer industry makes use of online advertising)(Turner Network Television launches site)(MTV Networks acquires Atom Entertainment Inc.)
August 14, 2006... By Anne Becker Beer companies begin to embrace online advertising The Australian beer company Foster's may have forsaken advertising on American TV in favor of the Web, but don't expect big U.S. beer distributors like Anheuser-Busch or...

Fast Track.
August 14, 2006... Staff Everybody Dance: 'Ellen' Renewed Staff Telepictures ' The Ellen DeGeneres Show will go up against The Oprah Winfrey Show at 4 p.m. on WNBC New York. The first-run talk series has been renewed for three years by NBC...

Flash!(political aspirations of cable executives in Connecticut)(White Stripes band displeased with ad of CBS Broadcasting Inc.)(Emeril Lagasse whips up dishes for astronauts)
August 14, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Connecticut Candidate's Cable Connection Staff Ever since Hurricane Katrina catapulted him to the national stage, Ray Nagin , who ran Cox Communications ' New Orleans system before he became the city's mayor,...

Blame the Street, Not the Dolans.
August 14, 2006... By John M. Higgins Investors historically shrug off Cablevision's corporate scandals Wall Street taught Cablevision Systems an important lesson last week. Before the market opened, the cable operator disclosed that it has been caught...

The Paper Chase.(use of online video)
August 14, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations play catch-up with newspapers online When Denise Spidle graduated from the University of Kansas last December, the broadcast-journalism major landed a job anchoring and producing the news in Naples, Fla. But...

Live From the Battlefield: Fox News' Shep Smith.(Shepard Smith)(Interview)
August 14, 2006... By John Higgins Shepard Smith came to Fox News at the beginning, when the network launched in 1996. That's when Smith prefers to show up to cover big stories as well, famously reporting from New Orleans during the worst of Hurricane...

Wallace Still in the Hunt.(Mike Wallace)(Interview)
August 14, 2006... By Allison Romano Veteran newsman on his 90 minutes with Iran's president When Mike Wallace retired from CBS' 60 Minutes last spring after 38 years on the newsmagazine, the veteran reporter vowed he would still chase the big...

Strategy for 'Anatomy'.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. lines up programs)
August 14, 2006... By Jim Benson ABC fall campaign focuses on the hit's move ABC's tough fall promotion issues may not be eIudesperate,eIN but they are challenging. The network is introducing seven scripted series and would have liked to use its summer...

Did PBS Do the Right Thing?(Public Broadcasting Service fires Melanie Martinez)(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. opposes Gray Television Inc's plans)
August 14, 2006... By John Eggerton PBS ombudsman takes the network to task over Good Night Show host's firing PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler says he would have liked to see kids service PBS Sprout support freedom of expression by not firing Good Night...

Where to be and what to watch...(evaluation of television programs)
August 14, 2006... Michael Malone Monday, Aug. 14 Pick up a family-size bag of Doritos (Cool Ranch, please!) and a giant jar of salsa, as Weeds , Showtime's homage to suburban ennui and pot peddling, has its season premiere at 10 p.m. ET. Can...

The Medium Will Really Be the Message.(use of interactive television)
August 14, 2006... By Ian Eisenberg Viewers increasingly are abandoning the TV screen for the latest technology, and, to survive, TV must think outside the box. However, hope does exist in the form of an edgy new trend: interactive text TV. Text TV...

How To Remember 9/11.
August 14, 2006... Staff CBS will repeat its powerful documentary, simply titled 9/11 , one night before the fifth anniversary of one of the most traumatic and life-altering events of our times. The film, by two French filmmakers who just happened to be...

Fates & Fortunes.
August 14, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV Staff Mike McCormick , news director, WTLV Jacksonville, Fla., named news director, WKYC Cleveland. At CBS Television Stations' New England triopoly, WBZ Boston/WSBK Boston/WLWC Providence,...

The Man From ACME.(Doug Gealy)(ACME Communications)(Biography)
August 14, 2006... By Allison Romano Gealy looks forward to life with The CW If the demise of The WB and UPN signifies the end of an era, it is particularly so for Doug Gealy, president/COO of ACME Communications. It was nearly 10 years ago that Gealy, a...

Obituary.(Obituary)
August 14, 2006... Staff Talk-show host Mike Douglas died Friday, Aug. 11 in Florida, at a Palm Beach Gardens hospital, on his 81st birthday. At press time, cause of death had not yet been determined. The daytime talk show began in Cleveland at what was...

Country Showdown.(Great American Country looks to challenge Country Music Television Inc.)
August 14, 2006... By David Goetzl CMT, Great American Country duel for viewers CMT brass were exuberant in January when the newly reconstituted Miss America Pageant posted all-time-high ratings for the country-music network. But, for upstart challenger...

A Heavenly Chorus.
August 14, 2006... By David Goetzl Gospel Channel is growing, but there's still room in the pews When Allstate Insurance Co. searched for a platform to reach African-Americans, it put its faith in a channel that offered both inspirational programming and...

Go Where The Audience Is.(internet usage)
August 14, 2006... By David Goetzl MTV and rivals migrate to the Internet and keep a TV base When Jessica Simpson recently appeared on MTVeIUs Total Request Live to premiere her latest video, her mere presence generated a wave of excitement. But at the...

"Tyra" Sizzles in Summer.(Tyra Banks)
August 14, 2006... By Ben Grossman Banks up, Martha and Alex down Banks up, Martha and Alex down IteIUs a red-hot summer for Tyra and a little chilly in Martha eIUs world. Summer repeats were kind to rookie talk show Tyra Banks , which was up 7% on...

Time Warner Links Candidates.(live television programs)
August 14, 2006... By Glen Dickson Fiber-optic network simulcasts town-hall meetings in New York state Time Warner Cable customers in New York have a clearer picture of who's running for office, thanks to a fiber-optic network across the state. The cable...

Cable Tweaks VOD Pipe.(video on demand)
August 14, 2006... By Glen Dickson New products conserve bandwidth, protect content As video-on-demand becomes more popular, cable infrastructure suppliers are fine-tuning their products to help cable operators better deliver content. Tech giants like...

TV"s New Greenhouse.(use of broadband)
August 21, 2006... By Anne Becker Broadband Channels Provide Fertile Ground For Today's Video Talent Twenty-year-old college student Andrew Mathas had no hopes of TV stardom when he created an online spoof of popular music video 'Sugar We're Goin'...

Deals.(cable television broadcasting industry)
August 21, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs K45AA, K48AB, K52AC and K54BO Mercury, K42AA, K44AA, K49AB, K51AC and K53AE Pahrump, Nev. PRICE: $5,000 BUYER: Crown Castle Nevada LLC (Don Reid, secretary) SELLER: Mountain Union Telecom...

Miami En Vivo.(cable television broadcasting industry)
August 21, 2006... By Allison Romano Spanish-language stations lead in viewers, if not revenue With 44% of its residents of Hispanic origin, the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market has the nation's third-largest Latino audience. But while two of the market's six...

Protecting Their Turf.(video online)
August 21, 2006... By Anne Becker Networks race to push video online-cautiously On the eve of the fall season, networks have announced a flurry of deals to exploit their content on digital platforms. Fox Entertainment Group said late last week it is...

Fast Track.(Federal Communications Commission launches investigation of television stations)(NYC TV and WNBC, New York, New York offer locan programming)(CBS Broadcasting Inc. reveals its plans with Katie Couric)
August 21, 2006... By Jim Benson ATAS mails IRS warnings this week All Stars on the Hook Jim Benson When reports surfaced last week about the dreaded letter from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) reminding Emmy presenters that...

Flash!(marketing campaign of CBS Broadcasting Inc.)(Penny Johnson Jerald in The Path to 9/11)(Parents Television Council vs. Fox Networks Group)
August 21, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Katie in Your Face: CBS Taunts NBC Joel Topcik Even if you live under a rock, you're probably aware that Katie Couric will be the new anchor of the CBS Evening News beginning Sept. 5. Now CBS is making sure...

What It Means To Miss New Orleans.(broadcasting industry)
August 21, 2006... By John M. Higgins Ratings returned last week to a diminished market A cheer went up in the New Orleans media community last week over the return of something as vital as water in their business: ratings. For the first time since...

Self-Contained Dramas To Dominate "07.(television broadcasting industry)
August 21, 2006... By Jim Benson Unlike this year, closed-ended shows rule development Although a flurry of serialized dramas in the mold of Lost and 24 are premiering this season, it's the traditional, closed-ended formats that will likely rule the...

USDTV: Up From the Ashes.(bankruptcy case; NextGen Telecom)
August 21, 2006... By John M. Higgins Investor looks for way to keep it going The original investor behind USDTV is trying to rescue the broadcast wireless cable company from bankruptcy and keep the business going. USDTV's management and original...

Dawn of a New Network.(Interview)
August 21, 2006... By Allison Romano As a network veteran who has programmed Lifetime and UPN, Dawn Ostroff is well schooled in picking shows and marketing a new lineup. But, as the fall season approaches, she is facing her biggest challenge yet: to...

Where to be and what to watch...(television programs)
August 21, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, Aug. 21 Those blasted business trips! For every time you've been holed up in a Days Inn at O'Hare, here's a plum assignment for you: Hit Colorado for the Aspen Summit: Global Competition, Convergence &...

The Local Imperative.(local television programming)
August 21, 2006... By Scott Sternberg Good syndicated content is hard to find. In response, more and more local stations are developing their own programs-and rightly so. When you look at markets across the country, large and small, local content is more...

Calm and Cautious.(John Mark Karr)(JonBenet Ramsey case)
August 21, 2006... By Staff It appears at this moment that John Mark Karr could possibly be just a strange, troubled 41-year-old schoolteacher, but not the person who killed JonBenet Ramsey in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 26, 1996. We hope, for the sake of the...

Fates & Fortunes.
August 21, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV Melanie M. Clarke Dennis Wharton , senior VP, corporate communications, NAB, promoted to executive VP, media relations. Mark Hale , VP, technology operations, The E. W. Scripps Co.,...

Sherman Suits Up.(Thom Sherman)
August 21, 2006... By Ben Grossman A former Bad Robot rejoins the network team with The CW After two years as president of Bad Robot, the production company behind ABC hits Alias and Lost , Thom Sherman has returned to the world of the suits. The former...

Pretty, Scarce.(use of high definition television for advertising)
August 21, 2006... By Wayne Friedman HD programming grows, but despite spectacular images, advertisers stay away If high-definition television looks so great and great-looking commercials sell product, why aren't there more commercials in HD? Mainly...

HD On-Demand Stuck in Slo-Mo.(high definition television)(trends in the broadcasting industry)
August 21, 2006... By Craig Kuhl Capacity, content are speed bumps on the road The apparently natural progression of high-definition programming to the video-on-demand (VOD) menu is challenged by two key inhibitors: capacity and content. So, until...

What"s High-Def, Alex?(high definition television)
August 21, 2006... By Glen Dickson Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will be seen in this new format starting Sept. 11 Since the launch of digital television in the late 1990s, almost every genre has been offered in high-definition, with the exception of...

A New Dawn for "Today".
August 21, 2006... By Glen Dickson Studio's summer vacation allows for major overhaul Meredith Vieira won't be the only new thing at NBC's Today this fall. The perennial morning-news leader, sans Katie Couric, is launching in high-definition on...

Tribune Eyes New Strip.(Tribune Entertainment Co.)(Family Feud)
August 21, 2006... By Jim Benson Rather than retrenching, company steps up When Dick Askin, longtime president/CEO of Tribune Entertainment Co. (TEC), departed last spring, there was concern that the company would fold. But TEC is sending the message...

In Search Of Accidental Hits.(television programs forecast and trends)
August 28, 2006... By Jim Benson Some of TV's Top Shows started out with more hope than hype. What will be this year's breakout? We see it every fall. New schedules are unveiled with major networks lavishing precious resources upon a privileged few...

Deals.(contracts between broadcasting companies)
August 28, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs WTAJ(TV) Altoona and WLYH(TV) Lancaster, Pa. PRICE: $56 million BUYER: Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. (Perry Sook, CEO) SELLER: Television Station Group Holdings LLC (Ian Guthrie, VP/CFO) ...

On the Brink.(television broadcasting industry)
August 28, 2006... By Alison Romano Fall season could bring changes in a tight four-way race Stations in Philadelphia are entering a fall season that could tip the balance in the country's fourth-largest TV market. If NBC reclaims its past primetime...

Digital Impasse.(internet television and industry forecast and trends)
August 28, 2006... By Anne Becker Networks and outside-the-family studios are still at odds over distribution Nearly half the network shows on the primetime grid this fall are produced by third-party studios--independents like Sony Pictures Television...

Fast Track.(local television station in New Orleans plans special programming on Hurricane Katrina anniversary)
August 28, 2006... By Staff Unhappy Anniversary By Allison Romano Stations' plans for remembering Katrina One year after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and battered local TV stations, affiliates will mark the Aug. 29 anniversary with...

Flash!(NFL Network contracts director Bryan Barber)(Telepictures Corp. is producing a talk show ' The Dr. Keith Ablow Show')(CBS Evening News contracts Katie Couric as new anchor)
August 28, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik At CBS News, the Anchor Stays in the Picture Joel Topcik Give us 22 minutes, and we'll give you a lot of Katie Couric ." That seems to be the credo behind planned format changes to the CBS Evening News ,...

Murdoch"s Next Bet.(Rupert Murdoch)
August 28, 2006... By Jim Benson MyNetworkTV is set on risky programming scheme When News Corp. launches My Network TV (MNT) on Sept. 5, the company will be taking a hefty programming gamble. The netlet will go all-in on a concept never before tried on...

Rocking Their World.(MTV Networks Inc. prepares for MTV Video Music Awards)
August 28, 2006... By J. Max Robins If you're at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday night watching the MTV Video Music Awards, or catching the show from home, you might see something as culturally telling as anything you'd find onstage: Members of the...

CW Paints the Town (and Skin) Green.(The CW Television Network, marketing strategies)
August 28, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations use guerrilla marketing to promote new network Soon-to-be CW stations are coming up with fresh ideas to get word of the new network out. In San Francisco, three interns from KBHK, calling themselves the "Pod...

GMA"s General in the Morning-News War.(Interview)
August 28, 2006... By Allison Romano As the fall season looms, ABC News' Good Morning America is gearing up for its battle with a Katie Couric-less Today show on NBC. Last week, it added Primetime host/legal reporter Chris Cuomo as news anchor and WABC New...

Cable's Conundrum.(cable television audience ratings forecast and trends)
August 28, 2006... By John M. Higgins Ratings are up, but upfront was a yawn Cable networks will probably end the summer with their best ratings ever. Unfortunately, they're also finishing the upfront market with the weakest ad growth in years, sapping...

Watch Your @#$%ing Language!(telecommunications regulations)
August 28, 2006... By John Eggerton Little Leaguers, Janet and serious documentarians all share a common problem The indecency/profanity issue is getting more exposure than skin on South Beach. Broadcasters and the FCC prepare to battle in court over...

Where to be and what to watch...(Jack Black to host MTV Video Music Awards)(communications-marketing conference in New York 'Engagement: How Brands Are Built Now')(CMT to launch new television series 'Big Night Out' )
August 28, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, Aug. 28 The Emmys are over--nothing left to do but sit on the beach, curse that last Grey Goose-rocks you had while watching Pink at the TV Guide party, pick apart Conan O'Brien's performance, and lament...

The People and Katrina.
August 28, 2006... By Mason Granger My most resonant memory of Hurricane Katrina is of the people in the midst of the disaster. Human strength, character and valor were manifested in so many ways. A sense of belonging and shared purpose developed among so...

Valorous Duty.(Fox News Network L.L.C.'s Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig kidnapped)
August 28, 2006... By Staff Recent events have offered a fresh reminder of how dangerous covering a war zone can be. As of late last week, Fox correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig remained captive. They were kidnapped by the Holy Jihad...

Fates & Fortunes.
August 28, 2006... By Staff Broadcast TV Staff Rebecca Baldwin , editorial director, Zap2it, Tribune Media Services, Chicago, named general manager. Barbara Maushard , news director, WISN Milwaukee, joins WESH Orlando, Fla., as news director...

Kramer's Latest Platform.(Larry Kramer's professional career)(Biography)
August 28, 2006... By Anne Becker An online innovator enjoys a new chapter at CBS Most people are lucky to enjoy a second act in their professional life. Larry Kramer's on his third. After more than 20 years in journalism, Kramer revinvented himself as...

Cable's Pricey Ticket.(economic monopoly of sports networks)
August 28, 2006... By John M. Higgins Operators struggle against high-cost sports networks No battle in the TV business gets hotter than cable- and satellite-TV operators' struggle over the escalating cost of sports networks. Any operators resisting a...

Trench Warfare in the NFL.(NFL Network plans sports programs)(Tony Kornheiser on Monday Night Football.)(ratings of television networks)
August 28, 2006... By Ben Grossman Kornheiser, flex scheduling and NFL Network are this season's flashpoints As the NFL season prepares to kick off this week, TV rights to the games themselves are being passed around like an old pigskin. NBC snagged...

A Solid Net Game.(United States Open (Tennis)'s television viewership and advertising forecast)
August 28, 2006... By Stuart Miller U.S. Open attracts top advertisers, as it tries to find more viewers, too The U.S. Open tennis tournament, beginning this week and running through Sept. 10, is wildly unpredictable. There have been seven different...

'Chris Matthews' Turns 5.('The Chris Matthews Show' celebrates fifth anniversary)
August 28, 2006... By Ben Grossman Political talker reaches Sunday-morning milestone Chris Matthews' syndicated political talk show has its fifth anniversary next month. His MSNBC program Hardball may get more buzz, but The Chris Matthews Show , from NBC...

*Channel Builder* Helps Digital Shift.(Channel Builder: a "station-in-a-box")
August 28, 2006... By Glen Dickson "Station-in-a-box" launches KCRG's multicast Stations launching digital channels are getting a boost from a new product. Decisionmark, which provides program guides, scheduling software and signal-reception information...