Broadcasting & Cable articles from February 2008

Broadcasting & Cable archives from February 2008

Pilot Error at Networks?(Jeff Zucker's views on the television industry)
February 4, 2008... By P.J. Bednarski Zucker's NATPE speech: clarion call or empty threat? If the TV executives at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) conference left Las Vegas with anything last week, it was this: It's time...

Still in the Game.(efforts to increase television viewership)
February 4, 2008... Linda Haugsted NATPE panel explores the changing paths to syndication success It's still possible to come up with a hit idea for a daytime television show, but programmers can't just rely on a prominent host or star to launch a durable...

Deals.(Daystar Television Network., Salem Communications Corp., Cherokee Communications.)
February 4, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV WTVE (TV)/Reading, Pa. PRICE : $13.5 million BUYER : WRNN-TV (Richard French III, general manager) SELLER : Reading Broadcasting (George Miller, Ch. 11 trustee) FACILITIES : Ch. 51, 4,950...

Great American Market.(WKRC-Radio (Cincinnati, Ohio).)
February 4, 2008... By Michael Malone Clear Channel still the owner, WKRC still the winner in Cincy WKRC has long ruled the roost in Cincinnati, but with a clouded ownership picture, its rivals are poised to pounce. The market is rich with progressive,...

Name Game Blame.(Sci Fi Channel Inc., A and E Television Networks)
February 4, 2008... By Anne Becker Corporate cousins History and Sci Fi spar over rights to UFO Hunters An otherworldly battle is afoot between The History Channel and Sci Fi Channel over UFO Hunters -which ran on both networks on the same night at the...

Super-Duper Tuesday, or Just Simply Super?
February 4, 2008... By Michael Malone Stations hope for primary-palooza windfall during Feb. 5 blitz Local television ventures into uncharted waters as the 24-state primary/caucus madness dubbed Super Duper Tuesday approaches. Barring general...

Candidates Primp, Nets Prep for Super Tuesday.(ABC News Inc., CBS Inc. CBS News)
February 4, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Broadcast news divisions grab more primetime for primaries drama Television loves a good horse race. And so far, the neck-and-neck presidential race heats in the Democratic and Republican fields have created the...

Going Live: History in the Making.(interview with David Westin )(Interview)
February 4, 2008... Marisa Guthrie The pitched tenor of the 2008 campaign has sparked discussion inside broadcast news divisions grappling with how much airtime to dedicate to the primaries and caucuses. This is a departure from recent election cycles, when...

Where to be and what to watch-.(Calendar)
February 4, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, Feb. 4 Diddy -or 'Sean Combs,' according to the humor-challenged New York Times -shares the TimesCenter stage with former Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad to talk about A Raisin in the Sun and playwright...

CNN's Political Blitz.(Cable News Network.)
February 4, 2008... By Ben Grossman Nobody was happier to see John Edwards drop out of the presidential race last week than CNN. That's because it set up what many Americans-and CNN-wanted to see last Thursday: a one-on-one debate between Hillary Clinton and...

Nat Geo Beefs Up Broadband.(National Geographic Channel)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Anne Becker Five new 'channels' to compete with Discovery In a bid to grow Web traffic through better organization, National Geographic Channel is launching a broadband video Website with six subdivisions by genre. The...

OBITUARY.(Obituary)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Staff Edward Hobson , a vice president with technology consulting and systems integration firm National TeleConsultants of Glendale, Calif., died Jan. 28 in Nevada City, Calif. after a battle with cancer. He was 59. Hobson was a...

Gone but Not Forgotten.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. ABC Broadcast Group)
February 4, 2008... By John Eggerton ABC appeals FCC indecency fine over 2003 NYPD Blue ABC and its affiliates will appeal the FCC's proposed $1.4 million indecency fine against 52 owned and affiliated stations for a 2003 episode of ABC's NYPD Blue that...

Moment of Uncouth.
February 4, 2008... Staff The writers' strike is like a forest fire, as NBC Universal's Jeff Zucker described it at the NATPE convention, a disaster from which some good may yet come. So far, however, the model impressed upon networks by the strike has...

Open Mike.
February 4, 2008... Staff To FCC's Martin: 'Thanks for nothing' Editor: When is the FCC going to release its new rules on leased access? LAPers (leased access programmers) have it worse now than before their adoption. I've had to suspend programming at...

Home Is Where the Money Is.(Scripps Networks Inc.)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... By Brent Felgner Ad-man Gigliotti sells the dream of Scripps' lifestyle networks Steve Gigliotti, executive VP of ad sales and emerging media for Scripps Networks, learned the carrot-and-stick lessons of selling ad time even before...

Weather Channel: Winds of Change.(The Weather Channel Inc.)
February 4, 2008... By Glen Dickson Cable network readies hi-def studio for mid-year launch The Weather Channel is forecasting a busy spring as it puts the finishing touches on a new 12,500-square-foot, high-definition facility that will allow it to...

Small Scale for the Big Screen.(WeatherBug., Baron Services Inc., Accu-Weather Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Glen Dickson Local broadcasters can't bring viewers close enough to the weather. The adoption of high-definition technology by local stations is allowing weather-graphics and radar vendors to provide ever more granular information, as the...

Who Knew? Two New at NATPE.(National Association of Television Program Executives)
February 4, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Marie Osmond, Wizard unveiled Syndicators rarely use the annual National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) convention to launch a new show anymore, but last week, two new entries popped up. ...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointments at the broadcasting industry)
February 4, 2008... Staff CABLE Staff JOHN BARRETT , senior VP of finance and administration, Comcast Southern Division, has been promoted to senior VP. JACK POLISH , director of financial reporting, Cox Communications, has been promoted to...

Rough Reports For Broadcasters.(Media General Broadcast Services., Gannett Broadcasting Group., E.W. Scripps Co.)
February 4, 2008... By Michael Malone Promise of political ad spike didn't materialize in Q4 Three major station groups announced tepid earnings from the fourth quarter of 2007 last week, as the political advertising many stations were banking on largely...

Microsoft Wants Yahoo for $44.6B.(Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Glen Dickson In a move to better compete against Google, software giant Microsoft made a cash-and-stock bid for Internet portal Yahoo on Feb. 1 that valued the company at $31 per share, or $44.6 billion. That represents a 62% premium...

More 'Truth' For Fox.(Fox-13 Inc.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Ben Grossman Fox is adding a second run of Moment of Truth , ordering 13 more episodes of the lie-detector game show. Airing out of American Idol Wednesdays at 9 p.m., it has become the third-highest-rated series of the season...

'Lost' Won, But Were Some Lost?(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. ABC Broadcast Group)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie The highly anticipated and heavily promoted season premiere of ABC's Lost gave the network an easy win on Jan. 31. The fourth-season premiere of Lost was watched by 16.1 million viewers, scoring a 6.7 rating/16 share in...

Networks Back to Obscenity Court.(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By John Eggerton Fox, joined by CBS and ABC, has asked the Supreme Court not to review a lower-court decision that essentially took the FCC to the woodshed for failing to justify its crackdown on fleeting profanity. Fox and CBS have...

Diller, Malone Battle for IAC.(IAC/InterActive Corp., Liberty Media Group)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Staff In the latest episode of a bitter, public battle between media titans Barry Diller and John Malone, Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp is claiming that attempts by Malone's Liberty Media to oust Diller have hampered IAC's ability to...

CNN Debate Draws 8.3M Viewers.(Cable News Network.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie The first mano a mano showdown between Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was the most-watched primary debate in cable news history. CNN's Jan. 31 debate between Clinton and Obama attracted 8.3...

BC Beat.(Verizon Communications Inc., Cartoon Network L.P. National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Verizon FiOS: More Like Cable Than You Think Joel Topcik Verizon may want to put a disclaimer on the latest ad for its FiOS TV service that highlights its difference from cable. That's because FiOS TV is a...

BC Beat.(Fox News Network L.L.C., Channel National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
February 11, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Fox News, Obama Bound by Brotherly Love Joel Topcik Relations between Sen. Barack Obama and Fox News Channel haven't exactly been warm since the Illinois Democrat began his presidential campaign. A year...

Politics Unusual.
February 11, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie and Ben Grossman With hot races still ahead, cable networks reap ratings and rake in cash Just after 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Feb. 6, as a marathon Super Tuesday of primaries and caucuses in 24 states finally...

Deals.(CRC Broadcasting ,Sage Broadcasting Corp.)
February 11, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV K11VO/Fulton, Ark.; W06CQ & W12DE/Panama City, Fla.; K46IH/Keokuk, Iowa; K32IM/Topeka, Kan.; W02CO & W09CQ/Jamestown, Ky.; W11CX/Salisbury, Md.; W05CR & W11CZ/Escanaba & W26DG/St. Ignace, Mich.; W04DE &...

Desert Derby.
February 11, 2008... By Michael Malone Three-car race blazes on in Tucson No fewer than three stations hold legitimate claims to the bragging rights in Tucson. Cordillera-owned KVOA, Journal Broadcast Group's KGUN and Raycom's KOLD finished in a virtual...

Food's New Ratings Recipe.(Television Food Network G.P.)
February 11, 2008... By Anne Becker Courting younger demographic after cutting back on Emeril Much like one who tires of eating broiled chicken for dinner too many Friday nights, Food Network has lately felt the need to mix things up a bit. The big...

Martin Will OK DirecTV Merger.(DIRECTV Inc., Liberty Media Corp.)
February 11, 2008... By John Eggerton Answering critics, FCC chairman also previews agenda Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said Friday that he will recommend approval of the Liberty Media-DirecTV merger, subject to some conditions....

Ruff Crowd at Doggie Super Bowl.
February 11, 2008... Michael Malone The well-coiffed Shih Tzus, Brittanys and Salukis invade Madison Square Garden this week for the 132nd running of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Doggie TV is booming; besides USA and CNBC's live coverage of the...

Operators Duel Over 'Dual Carriage'.
February 11, 2008... By John Eggerton Programmers sue FCC over mandate to air must-carry stations in analog and digital if necessary Cable operators were divided last week over programmers' attempts to overturn an FCC decision requiring cable systems to...

Local TV Tries the Heart Sell.
February 11, 2008... By Michael Malone Love and marriage are big business for stations Big plans for Valentine's Day? If not, turn on the TV. Local stations, playing Cupid, are offering a bouquet of love-themed promotions and programming for Valentine's...

Where to be and what to watch-.(Calendar)
February 11, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, Feb. 11 The Cable Center kicks off its Cable Mavericks season with NBC Universal president of cable investments Doug Holloway speaking at his alma mater, Emerson College in Boston. Holloway shares anecdotes...

Ferguson Talks Back.(Craig Ferguson shares his views regarding the host of Late Show )
February 11, 2008... By Ben Grossman Brand-new U.S. citizen Craig Ferguson's American dream is to follow David Letterman on CBS for years to come. And if Letterman steps aside when his deal ends in 2010, Ferguson thinks the Late Show seat should go to-Jon...

TV News: Endangered Species?(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Staff With poignant timing, the funders of the new Newseum in Washington, D.C., last week said the newly constructed version would open April 11. The irony, of course, is that in the last few months, the newspaper industry, which forms...

Will Broadcasters Seize Their Mobile Moment?
February 11, 2008... By Nat Ostroff During the last decade American broadcasters have come to rely on wired services, such as cable, to reach their audience. It is estimated that 85% of a broadcaster's audience is currently wired. Now, a wireless service...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointments at the broadcasting industry)
February 11, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff JENNIFER PURTAN , senior VP of advertising sales and marketing, ABC Radio Networks, has been named VP of sales, WWJ-TV and WKBD Detroit. BRIAN OWENS , director of marketing and innovation, Nestle, has...

A Process of Re-Discovery.(Discovery Communications Inc. Discovery Channel)(Occupation overview)
February 11, 2008... By Allison Romano John Ford is back at the cable network that he helped build into a mega-brand The Discovery Channel is trying to reclaim its spot as the preeminent non-fiction cable channel with one of the company's most seasoned...

Preachers and the Presidency.
February 11, 2008... By Kevin Downey TV evangelists must tread lightly when discussing candidates In the last two decades, religion-in particular the evangelical right-has played a pivotal role in politics. Even in this year's primary battles, religion has...

Spiritual Syndicator's Gamble.(Faith and Values Media)
February 11, 2008... By Kevin Downey Faith & Values Media goes online to sell its fare For years, religious television has had its time and a place: Sunday, early in the morning. Most religious shows are paid programming, and most of them are heavy on...

Now He's a Firm Go.(Ed Wilson joins Tribune broadcasting Co.)
February 11, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Ed Wilson new Trib station boss For much of his professional life, Ed Wilson was an executive who sold programs to station groups like Tribune Co. Starting this week, as the new president of the Tribune broadcast...

Point-and-Click TV Ad System.(Backchannelmedia Inc.)
February 11, 2008... By Glen Dickson Backchannelmedia pitches setup to programmers, operators and media buyers A small Boston-based firm thinks it can achieve a long-desired goal for networks and advertisers-bringing point-and-click interactivity to the...

KOHD Taps Chyron.(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Glen Dickson KOHD, the all-digital ABC affiliate in Bend, Ore., is using a Chyron HyperX² graphics system for its news, except for weather. The system, which interfaces with the station's Avid iNews newsroom computer system,...

Hitachi Aids NESN hockey.(New England Sports Network )(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Glen Dickson New England Sports Network (NESN) is employing multiple Hitachi DK-H32 HDTV remote box cameras at TD Banknorth Garden to produce pre-game, intermission and post-game shows during its coverage of Boston Bruins hockey games....

WTVR goes With Pro-Bel.(WTVR-TV (Richmond, Virginia))(pro-bel America)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Glen Dickson WTVR, the Raycom Media station and CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va., has purchased an array of automation, routing and master control technology from Pro-Bel to aid its digital operations. WTVR broadcasts an HD pass-through...

Mackin Heads for Univision Post.(Univision Communications Inc. appoints Terry Mackin)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Michael Malone Hearst-Argyle exec will head Hispanic station group Hearst-Argyle Television Executive VP Terry Mackin is moving to Univision Communications to head up the Spanish-language broadcaster's station group, which includes...

STRIKE UPDATE.(Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers)(Writers Guild of America)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Staff The Writers Guild of America was set to meet in New York and Los Angeles Feb. 9, to brief members on the latest developments in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Amid widespread...

Oxygen Will Show Olympic Events.(NBC Universal Inc.)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Ben Grossman NBC Universal will use the Olympics to prop up the newly acquired Oxygen network, scheduling two hours of weeknight programming during this summer's Beijing Games. From 6-8 ET throughout the Olympics, the network will...

Bewkes Mulls TWC Future.
February 11, 2008... By Anne Becker New Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes says he's going to do something to fix Time Warner Cable (TWC), but he told analysts last week he's not quite sure what. TWC posted earnings growth of 19% on a 12% gain in revenues for the...

Christina Norman Out at MTV.(MTV Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Anne Becker MTV president Christina Norman is leaving her post at the end of February after 17 years with the company. In a memo last week, MTV Networks Music and Logo Group President Van Toffler said that for now he will fill her...

The CW, WWE Ending 'Friday Night SmackDown'.(The CW Television Network)(World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Joel Topcik WWE Friday Night SmackDown is leaving The CW's primetime ring. After a decade on The CW and its precursor, UPN, World Wrestling Entertainment's franchise will leave the network at the end of the 2007-08 season in September....

Accident Kills John McWethy.(ABC News Inc.)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By John Eggerton Former ABC News national security correspondent John McWethy, 61, died Feb. 6 of injuries sustained in a skiing accident in Keystone, Colo., according to ABC. Since retiring from ABC, McWethy had been living in...

An Investigation Offers Clues.(Discovery Communications Inc. Discovery Times Channel)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... By Anne Becker New Discovery channel uses interactive appeal Investigation Discovery, the channel that on Jan. 27 launched using Discovery Times' bandwidth, has started a consumer marketing campaign that invites viewers to solve a...

BC Beat.
February 18, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Baltimore Stations Not Tapping Into 'Wire' Joel Topcik If B&C 's annual critics poll is any indication, HBO 's The Wire has a strong following among media types. And now that the Baltimore-based drama is...

The New Deal.
February 18, 2008... By Ben Grossman With the 100-day-long strike over, networks race to salvage the season and search for new ways to do business When the Writers Guild of America brass recommended on Feb. 10 that members vote to end the 100-day-long...

Deals.
February 18, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV KGET-TV/Bakersfield, KGPE (TV)/Fresno, KION-TV & KMUV-LP/Monterey, K44DN/Paso Robles, KKFX-CA/San Luis Obispo, KCOY-TV/Santa Maria and KFTY (TV)/Santa Rosa, Calif.; WAWS (TV) & WTEV-TV/Jacksonville, Fla.;...

Thrive at Five.
February 18, 2008... By Michael Malone Miami viewers get their Phil of evening news Like a plastic-surgery patient on Nip/Tuck , the 5 p.m. slot has undergone a major transformation in Miami. Eighteen months ago, there were four English-language newscasts...

Local TV's Morning Jam.
February 18, 2008... By Michael Malone Stations go bumper-to-bumper on traffic information Commuters in West Palm Beach, Fla., were able to pick up a few new weapons in their daily battle against traffic recently. Last week, Hearst-Argyle's WPBF plugged in...

Advertisers Rankled By Network Fees.
February 18, 2008... By John Eggerton Agencies challenge Big 3 over $125M annual price tag to put ads on air Major advertiser and ad agency associations are banding together to push ABC, CBS and NBC to reconsider $125 million a year in fees the networks...

Glover Puts Pedal to Metal With FunnyorDie.(Dick Glover of NASCAR Digital Entertainment Ltd.)(Interview)
February 18, 2008... Marisa Guthrie User-generated online videos-whether amateurish or polished-are here to stay. But how do you make any money from them? The folks at FunnyorDie.com, launched in April 2007 by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Sequoia Capital...

Where to be and what to watch-.
February 18, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, Feb. 18 Exactly one year from now, some poor viewer out there will flip on their TV and find out that the digital transition has left them in the dark. And it's programming such as My Dad Is Better Than Your...

The Strike Was Too Short.
February 18, 2008... By Ben Grossman The television industry unified in relief last week as the writers' strike ended and the production machine came back to life. But it may have actually been a dark day for the future of the network business. With due...

The Clock Is Ticking.
February 18, 2008... Staff Feb. 17, 2009-just under a year from now-will be the last day of analog television. The next day, analog sets will be useless for over-the-air reception of most full-power TV stations unless their owners have a cable or satellite...

What Happens When Nobody Needs a TV?(Column)
February 18, 2008... By Jennifer J. Yarter I was having dinner with some tech-savvy twenty-somethings a few weeks ago, and the conversation turned to the media. I made a somewhat shocking discovery (at least to me): Most of these young adults are falling into...

Fates & Fortunes.(promotions)
February 18, 2008... Staff Broadcast Staff Rob Gilby , managing director, Disney Channel U.K, Scandinavia and emerging markets, has been promoted to senior VP and managing director, Disney-ABC International Television, Asia-Pacific. Helen Wynyard...

Back to the Future.(Biography)
February 18, 2008... By Ben Grossman After 14 years at Starz, Stephan Shelanski is launching a startup once again Stephan Shelanski is having a little deja vu these days. Fourteen years ago, he helped launch what today is Starz Entertainment, and now he...

Ready or Not, Here Comes DTV.
February 18, 2008... By John Eggerton All-digital TV arrives on Feb. 18, 2009. But many fear the worst. How far has the federal campaign for the DTV transition gone? The National Telecommunications & Information Administration has considered deploying the...

Stations Ready for Mobile DTV Trials.
February 18, 2008... By Glen Dickson Broadcasts begin in Bay Area this week At the same time that broadcasters are wrapping up the final pieces of their transition to digital television (DTV), they are also busy trying to create a new technical standard...

'Everybody Loves' HD.
February 18, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Off-net version of sitcom remastered It's not the most likely candidate for a high-definition makeover, but starting March 17, stations will have the option to air CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond in hi-def. Raymond...

Meredith Plans 'Better' Bash.
February 18, 2008... By Michael Malone Broadcaster eyes expansion of self-syndicated show Meredith is celebrating the first birthday of its Better program with a flashy, televised bash in Las Vegas. Meredith will air a live primetime special from The...

HD Study: Outlets Offer Bad Tech Info.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... By John Eggerton A secret-shopper study conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) concluded that retailers it visited were putting out misleading information about the digital-TV transition. The study of 132...

Comcast Earnings Buoy Investors.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Staff As cable companies fight new telco entrants, Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, gave shareholders a nice Valentine's Day card, reporting a 54% increase in fourth-quarter profit. Investors liked the news and Comcast's stock...

Murdoch's Daughter Buys Reveille.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... By Alex Weprin U.K.-based producer Shine has acquired Reveille, the production company founded by NBC Co-Chairman of Entertainment Ben Silverman. Shine is owned by News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch's daughter, Elisabeth, who founded...

Nielsen Adds Analysis Tool.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... By John Eggerton Nielsen bought Audience Analytics and its Audience Watch software, which the ratings company said will boost its ability to gather and integrate data, including information from set-top boxes, creating a software platform...

Blunt Fonda Unbleeped.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... By Alex Weprin and John Eggerton NBC's Meredith Vieira quickly apologized, and just as quickly the Parents Television Council complained after Jane Fonda spoke a bit too freely during an NBC Today interview where she unabashedly used the...

NBC News Goes To Classrooms.(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Millions of hours of footage going on Website for schools NBC News is busy digitizing millions of hours of footage for its newly created curriculum-based education initiative that gives K-12 teachers access to the NBC...

Rise of the TV Shrink.
February 25, 2008... By Anne Becker Why new shows on psychotherapy sessions keep viewers on edge of couch A 28-year-old young woman sits curled under a blanket, confessing to a small group the details of her father's drug usage and how it led to her own...

Deals.
February 25, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV WPHJ-CA/Vidalia, Ga. PRICE : $150,000 BUYER : Pebble Road Investments LLC (Christi Deal, manager) SELLER : Barinowski Investment Co. LP (C.T. Barinowski, president) FACILITIES : Ch. 46,...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointments)
February 25, 2008... Staff Broadcast Staff Vincent Sollecito , senior VP of national television sales, ABC, has joined WLS Chicago as VP and general sales manager. Bill Lane , GM, WRHL Richmond, has joined WHBQ Memphis as VP and general sales...