Broadcasting & Cable articles from January 2002

Broadcasting & Cable archives from January 2002

Eye retiree still on board. (Broadcasting).(CBS)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Although Ray Deaver is retiring from day-to-day service in the broadcasting business, he will serve out his hitch as chairman of the CBS affiliate board of governors, which keeps him in the post another year. After 40 years with the station,...

Digital Ticker. (BC Eye).(Newest digital stations)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... DIGITAL TICKER COMPILED BY DECISIONMARK Newest digital stations: WUNE-DT Linville, N.C. (PBS) WUNL-DI Winston-Salem, N.C. (PBS) WXII-DT Winston-Salem, N.C. (NBC) WQAD-DT Moline, Ill. (ABC) WQLN-DT ...

Ungloved one. (Law).(Michael Jackson)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Michael Jackson (below) will be appearing on this week's American Music Awards telecast (Jan. 9 on ABC) to receive his Artist of the Century Award, but the Gloved One will not be demonstrating his patented Moonwalk. He is scheduled to perform...

Shuttering ALTV. (BC Eye).(Association of Local Television Stations)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The Association of Local Television Stations, which has fought hard for cable and satellite must-carry, appears to be preparing to shut its doors. Sources say the organization's executive committee plans to meet this month and finalize...

No money down! (Technology).(Sony)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sony, in a move mirroring the automakers', is bringing the "0% financing, no money down" pitch to the broadcast-equipment market. "If it's good enough for the car companies--and you Look at the success they've had--I thought we could have...

San Fran's daze of confusion: KNTV and KRON both find encouragement from NBC's new year's day switch. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... One week ago, Jay Leno welcomed KNTV(TV) San Francisco to the NBC family. He didn't make a big deal out of it; it was your basic one-line welcome. And it was made even less auspicious when a New Year's Eve reveler in his studio audience yelled...

There goes Greta, to Fox: In cable news tussle, Van Susteren leaves CNN for a promised higher profile. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Fox News Channel may have avenged the loss of Paula Zahn to CNN last week, hiring away CNN legal ace Greta Van Susteren. Van Susteren, a 10-year veteran of the cable news network, will likely fill Fox News' 10 p.m. slot, Zahn's spot before...

Cable's young love: New looks give TNN, Hallmark, headline news key-demo help. (Top of the Week).(Ratings)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Three revamped cable nets found that a new look attracts more than attention; it brings in new viewers. Thanks to makeovers in the past 18 months, TNN: The National Network, The Hallmark Channel and CNN's Headline News all saw increases in...

NCTA, CTAM team up for Confab. (In Brief).(National Cable & Telecommunications Association)(Cable & Telecommunications Association)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing is hosting its Broadband Opportunity conference during the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's annual convention, starting May 5 in New Orleans. The theme of NCTA's show...

NBA spears special to air on five nets. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The National Basketball Association will simulcast a TV special featuring singer Britney Spears across five U.S. television networks Feb. 9. The league's All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration event, hosted by Ahmad Rashad and former Olympian...

Court TV petitions to show terrorist trial. (In Brief).(Islamic terrorist trial)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... A hearing set for Wednesday will determine the future of Court TV's petition to televise the trial of accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. Court TV filed an application in U.S. district court Dec. 21, 2001, to show the trial, which is slated...

NYC public stations get federal help: WNET, WNYC only beneficiaries of $8.25 million aid package. (Top of the Week).(Federal help for rebuilding after Islamic terrorist attacks on WTC)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... New York public broadcasters WNET(TV) and WNYC-FM/AM will be able to tap into $825 million the federal government has approved to rebuild towers and purchase equipment and transmitters to replace those lost when the World Trade Center collapsed...

Cease-fire, for now, in Mouse vs. Dish: Judge's ruling keeps ABC family on EchoStar, but ESPN classic loses carriage. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The escalating feud between Walt Disney Co. and EchoStar Communications Corp. paused last week, but only after EchoStar tossed one Disney cable net from its Dish Network and was forced to keep another--for now. A federal judge ruling in...

Cablelabs' new specs. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... CableLabs released the specification for the first version of the OpenCable Application Platform, which should allow consumer electronics manufacturers to build plug-and-play set-top boxes and integrated television receivers that consumers can...

KGO-TV DTV built out. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... KGO-TV San Francisco, an ABC O&O, has completed the first phase of construction on a new DTV production center, designed by San Jose, Calif.-based integrator SignaSys. It includes a digital audio production suite, already up and running. The...

NCTA's Beckwith going. (In Brief).(National Cable and Telecommunications Association VP of communication David Beckwith leaves)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... David Beckwith, VP of communications for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, is leaving the organization. Beckwith's departure comes as Rob Stoddard, formerly senior VP of public relations, AT&T Broadband, comes on board as...

UPN: The 'little' CBS?: Some wonder if Les Moonves will be using his new network as a repurposing platform.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Change is coming, but the only thing new so far at UPN is that CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves is now running both networks. Moonves officially took control of UPN with the start of the new year, but many of the same questions asked in...

At deadline: NAB aims at Echostar. (The Week that was).(National Association of Broadcasters complains that EchoStar forces subscribers to get another satellite dish for local programs)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The National Association of Broadcasters has complained to the FCC that EchoStar is requiring some subscribers to get a second dish if they want to see local TV signals via satellite. But the DBS provider says the two-dish arrangement is just...

Chutes and Ladders. (The Week that was).(New media acquisition company)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Eddie Edwards, former president and CEO of Glencairn Ltd. and WCWB Television in Pittsburgh, is expected to announce this week formation of his new media acquisition company, Edwards Broadcasting, and will introduce Bill Campbell, former mayor...

CBS finished No. 1 in total viewers, and NBC was again dominant in adults 18-49 for the final week of 2001. (Watch It).(television network statistics for the final week of 2001)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... CBS finished No. 1 in total viewers, and NBC was again dominant in adults 18-49 for the final week of 2001. NBC averaged a network-best 3.1 rating/10 share in adults 1849 for the week of Dec. 24-30, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was...

The Food Network. (Watch It).(subsriber growth)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... The Food Network says it added over 17 million subs in 2001 to top 71 million subs. Its biggest gains came in August and September, when it added 4.1 million.

Dan Aykroyd is getting his own show on Sci Fi later this year. (Watch It).(Out There show about paranormal occurances)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Dan Aykroyd is getting his own show on Sci Fi later this year. Dan Aykoryd's Out There will be a nightly half-hour series about the paranormal and will be used as a companion to Crossing Over With John Edward in late night.

Weakest Link. (Watch It).(Seinfeld characters)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... An upcoming Weakest Link episode will pit the acerbic host Anne Robinson against a number of former Seinfeld ensemble players. The game show's episode on Sunday, Jan. 13, on NBC will include The Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas), Mickey (Danny Woodburn)...

Bravo unveils its new reality series on the lives of 12 struggling New York actors Jan. 6. (Watch It).(IT Factor)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... After a four-month delay, Bravo unveils its new reality series on the lives of 12 struggling New York actors Jan. 6. The IT Factor will air Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. The debut of the 13-part series was originally slated for Sept. 30 but was...

The BBC has upconverted its series The Blue Planet from standard definition to HDTV. (Watch It).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The BBC has upconverted its series The Blue Planet from standard definition to HDTV using the Snell & Wilcox Alchemist Platinum motion-compensated converter. The program will air on Discovery later this month.

Sports commentator Keith Olbermann will anchor Speaking of Sports and Speaking of Everything. (Radio, Radio).(on ABC Radio Networks)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sports commentator Keith Olbermann will anchor Speaking of Sports and Speaking of Everything beginning Jan. 22. He takes the helm of two ABC Radio Networks daily programs launched more than 40 years ago by Howard Cosell.

Sirius Satellite Radio. (Radio, Radio).(stock offering)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sirius Satellite Radio says it will raise at least $158 million in a stock offering of 16 million shares, priced at $9.85 per share. It will announce its launch plans this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Getting ready to buy: Familiar faces will fill familiar genres with new twists. (NATPE Buyers Guide).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Although NATPE isn't what it used to be, the majority of Hollywood's syndication studios are still using the annual TV gathering as the focal point for their sales efforts on new first-run and off-network syndicated series. Consolidation...

Off-net prospects dicey: Rapid turnover of network shows thins the ranks of syndication candidates. (NATPE Buyer's Guide).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The off-network-sitcom pipeline isn't what is used to be. With reality, unscripted series and game shows taking up more and more of the prime time landscape, hit sitcoms are becoming harder and harder to come by on broadcast TV these days. ...

In a tough market, selling started early: High-profile series locked up key time periods months ago as syndicators hedge their bets. (NATPE Buyer's Guide).(television show syndication market)
January 7, 2002... The 2002-03 TV buying season got off to a quick start last summer when a handful of Hollywood syndication studios announced the launch of several new high-profile series. Disney's Buena Vista syndication division green-lighted a daytime...

First-run incubation: Waiting in the wings are series on hip-hop lifestyles, celebs before the bar and matchmaking in the manse. (NATPE Buyer's Guide).(television show syndication plans)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... While there are just over a dozen new first-run series that have been officially announced for next season in syndication, there are a lot more still under wraps. A number of top Hollywood syndication studios, including Warner Bros.,...

Whether central: Sinclair contemplates centralizing weather forecasting for stations. (Programming).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sinclair Broadcast Group's consideration of a central weather facility that could produce weather reports for some or all of its 60-plus stations has prompted worry among some Sinclair news staffers and raised questions about the meaning of...

Syndication watch: Dec. 10-16 syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research. (Programming).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... Syndication Watch DEC. 10-16 Syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research TOP 25 SHOWS HH HH Rank Program AA GAA 1 Wheel of...

Bye bye, news. (Station Break).(Sinclair Broadcasting shuts down Winston-Salem television station)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sinclair Broadcast Group's ABC affiliate WXLV-TV Winston-Salem, N.C., will end its 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts Friday, putting as many as 35 people out of work and drawing the curtain on the station's news presence in the market. The...

Logging a ratings win. (Station Break).(loop of a burning log wins Christmas ratings for television station WPIX in New York)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... That 30-plus-year-old, 6 1/2-minute loop of a burning log that aired continuously for two hours on Christmas day not only gave WPIX(TV) New York a time-slot victory (B&C, Dec. 31,2001) but garnered the station more attention than even its...

PBS plug panned. (Station Break).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The appearance of a Mecklenburg County, N.C., commissioner in a local PBS promo has stirred controversy involving a possible conflict of interest. Commissioner Bill James has protested the appearance of Parks Helms on behalf of WTVI(TV)...

Thumbs up. (Station Break).(Kansas City Star TV columnist cancer treatment)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Aaron Barnhart, TV columnist for the Kansas City Star and proprietor of the popular TVBarn.com Web site, is going into the new year with encouraging reports from his doctors. Barnhart was diagnosed a year ago with a rare form of blood cancer....

News exec sentenced. (Station Break).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Former Denver TV news executive Scott McDonald was given a 12-year sentence in Colorado's community corrections system late last month for swindling several victims, including former colleagues at the two Denver stations at which he had worked....

Focuschampaign-Springfield. (Programming).(Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL, television market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 7, 2002... FocusChampaign-Springfield THE MARKET DMA rank 82 Population 907,000 TV homes 351,000 Income per capita $17,370 TV revenue rank 86 TV revenue 43,900,000...

A clear DTV internet strategy: Clear channel wireless uses DTV to offer high-speed internet access in Cincinnati. (Technology).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... WKRC-TV, Clear Channel's CBS affiliate in Cincinnati, is offering viewers within reach of its DTV signal the opportunity to receive over-the-air high-speed Internet access, a move the station says will drive DTV-based revenues and help bridge...

Audio's new phase: NMT, SRSWOWcast product ensures consistent sound quality from truck to TV. (Technology).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... A new Sports Audio Processor designed to make it easier for audio quality to be maintained from a mobile production truck to the viewer at borne was used last week by ABC Sports for its coverage of the Tournament of Roses parade and the Rose...

People.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... FATES & FORTUNES Broadcast TV June K. Noe, manager, public relations, WSOC-TV Charlotte, N.C., elected to retire on Dec. 31, 2001. Cable TV Charlie Dietz, senior VP, engineering, Insight Communications, New York, promoted to...

A journalist as analyst: Bernstein's Wolzien knows the TV business because he once was in it. (The Fifth Estater).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Sanford Bernstein & Co. media analyst Wolzien has long been the envy of rivals because he's not beholden to the investment-banking side of the business. At most "sell-side" firms, the big clients aren't investors but the companies the analysts...

Less bin Laden, more Maher. (Editorials).(US television broadcasts Osama bin Laden videos, Bill Maher still cannot be seen in Washington D.C.)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Back in October, when White House spokesman Ari Fleischer warned the media about the dangers of buying into the Osama bin Laden rape-of-the-month dub, this page introduced a note of caution, suggesting that, while the networks must be careful...

Rebuilding New York towers. (Editorials).(After Islamic terrorist attacks)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... The confusion has been cleared up over which New York broadcasters will get government help to rebuild their facilities after Sept. 11, A couple of noncommercial stations will be able to tap into $8.25 million from an NTIA public-station...

Walt Disney-owned ABC and ESPN will carry three World Cup soccer tournaments as part of a deal with Major League Soccer. (The Week that was).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Caption: Walt Disney-owned ABC and ESPN will carry three World Cup soccer tournaments as part of a deal with Major League Soccer. The men's 2002 and 2006 World Cup and the women's 2003 World Cup will air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. Sources say MLS...

Still coming up roses. (Station Break).(Parade provides high ratings)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Caption: Still coming up roses, KTLA(TV) Los Angeles boasted another Tournament of Roses Parade ratings victory, despite substantial local and network competition. The station says its Live broadcast, beginning at 8 a.m., "delivered the largest...

Rutledge gets a new home: Former Time Warner cable prez will now top cablevision's big Apple division. (Top Of The Week).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Recently departed Time Warner Cable President Tom Rutledge popped right back up at Cablevision Systems, taking the helm of the company's cable operations. The Bethpage, N.Y.-based MSO named Rutledge president, New York metropolitan area,...

You've got malaise!: Analysts expect bad 2002 earnings forecast from AOL Time Warner. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... Wall Street's media players are bracing for another round of bad news today, this time from AOL Time Warner, which is scheduled to issue an earnings forecast for the new year. Several analysts are anticipating bad news and have revised...

Exchange of fire. (Broadcast TV).(ABC refuses Oregon affiliate request to move up prime time to accommodate 10PM news)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... While the FCC continues to investigate affiliate allegations of abuses by the networks, a war of words is heating up between ABC and KEZI(TV) Eugene, Ore. In August, the station charged the network with hindering the launch of a 10 p.m....

Who Dunne it? (Cable TV).(Dominick Dunne tapped by Court TV, crimes of rich and famous)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... If the pages of Vanity Fair fail to satisfy the hunger for crimes of the rich and famous, a new Court TV series is sure to fill the bill. The network is working with Vanity Fair columnist and author Dominick Dunne on a new 13-episode...

Electra-fying. (Syndication).(Carmen Electra is in big demand)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Carmen Electra is a hot property in syndication. The actress/model (below) is being considered for two projects for the fall as she approaches the conclusion of a first-look deal with Columbia TriStar Domestic TV. Insiders say NBC Enterprises...

CBS gets repurposeful. (BC Eye).(Makes affiliates help pay NFL)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... CBS and its affiliates in December quietly extended the deal under which affiliates help pay for NFL rights in exchange for certain exclusivity guarantees. But the two-year extension has some modifications. Under the old deal, CBS agreed to...

A quiet beach. (Associations).(CBS, Fox and NBC not attending National Association of Broadcasters convention)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... With CBS, Fox and NBC gone from the association, the NAB winter board meeting in West Palm Beach this week promises to be a quieter affair. Topping the agenda for the TV board will be discussions of the FCC's proposed EEO fixes, digital TV and...

Can these marriages be saved?: For now, network-affiliate relations seem cozy. But that could change in a real hurry. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Some executives say network-affiliate relationships have improved over the past years; now, several new issues threaten to undo the romance. Just as in some real-life relationships, money is at the root of the problems. At Fox, the...

AOL: Goodwill punting: AOL will be writing down much of the value of the Time Warner assets. (Top of the Week).(America On-Line)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 14, 2002... Everyone expected AOL Time Warner last week to temper its earnings outlook for 2002. But no one saw AOL casually acknowledging that its asset base has shrunk up to $60 billion since it acquired Time Warner a year ago and that a massive charge...

ABC tries a new life Lyne: Now, as Millionaire stumbles, Stu Bloomberg is deemed the weakest link. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... New ABC Entertainment President Susan Lyne says the network has to take it one night at a time, literally, to get back to where it was just over a year ago. Lyne, a former journalist who had headed ABC's movie and miniseries division, was...

Just call it RTNDNAB: Canceled 2001 conference will get spring revival.(Radio-Television News Directors Association)(National Association of Broadcasters conference together)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The Radio-Television News Directors Association Board of Directors last week agreed to merge its annual convention with the National Association of Broadcasters', slated for April 8-10 in Las Vegas. RTNDA's executive committee had voted to...

At Deadline: Viacom lusts for Discovery. (The Week that was).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Sumner Redstone is the latest mogul to take a run at acquiring Discovery Networks. At Salomon Smith Barney's media investor conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., last week, the Viacom chairman acknowledged that he reached out to Liberty Media Corp....

At Deadline: UPN's Valentine out. (The Week that was).(UPN President Dean Valentine is let go)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Viacom late Friday ousted UPN President Dean Valentine, whose job became redundant when CBS President and CEO Les Moonves got hold of newly acquired UPN, too. Valentine's breach-of-contract suit still looms. He claims Viacom owes him $22...

The People Meeter. (The Week that was).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The WB's head of research Jack Wakshlag is adding Turner Broadcasting System's cable nets to his watch. He fills the research void left when Bob Sieber retired last month.... USA Network tapped Rick Holzman as VP of research and planning. Most...

Live from the Press Tour. (The Week that was).(NBC announces shows that will be continued)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... NBC renewed three of its new shows for next season--Scrubs, Crossing Jordan and Law & Order: Criminal Intent--and scheduled new midseason shows to debut after the Winter Olympics, including a live weekday comedy series from the producers and...

Let's figure us out. (The Week that was).(Study of economics of broadcasting)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Concerned about the future of TV broadcasting, an ad hoc group led by Fox's Peter Chernin and Emmi's Jeff Smulyan has commissioned an economic study of business. Group also includes ABC, CBS, NBC, Post-Newsweek, Hearst-Argyle, Belo, Cox and...

WGA disses dereg: Guild calls for reinstating some form of fin-syn, wants hearings in Hollywood. (Top of the Week).(Writers Guild of America lobbies against consolidation of networks)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The trade union for TV writers is calling on the federal government to reverse pro-consolidation policies and examine the impact of deregulation by conducting hearings in Hollywood. The Writers Guild of America charges that media...

Bye bye, CNN/SI: It will be replaced by NBA joint venture, dubbed AOL Sports. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... After sputtering for five years, AOL Time Warner's CNN/SI (for Sports Illustrated) will shutter by the fall, making room for a new sports channel jointly owned by the media giant and the National Basketball Association. Last week, about...

It pays to be gay: MTVN, showtime net likely a mini-pay digital channel. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... As networks look harder and harder for unserved niches, Viacom siblings MTV Networks and Show-time have teamed up to explore a gay network. A gay channel would probably be a mini-pay channel slated for digital tiers, instead of a basic or...

A Grand Ole outcry: Potential format change for WSM hits wrong note with fans. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... WSM(AM) Nashville, Tenn., home of the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts since 1925, is looking at a format change that could eliminate the show from the schedule. But the idea has country-music fans singing the blues. Gaylord Communications, owner...

TV or not TV: Judge says she will rule this week on allowing coverage of terrorist trial. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Court TV and C-SPAN got their own day in court last week, but they'll have to wait until this week to find Out whether federal Judge Leonie Brinkema will allow cameras into her courtroom to cover the trial of alleged terrorist Zacarias...

Not all in ABC's Family: 300 Fox Family staffers will get axed by net's new parent. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Two months after ABC Family's cable debut, 300 former Fox Family staffers are being cut as Walt Disney Co. tries to shore up its $5.2 billion investment in the channel. Sources say Disney planned to lay off workers last week but decided to wait...

Reinventing the Business: How Columbia TriStar is changing the way television is made. (Cover Story).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Leaving the set of sitcom King of Queens on the massive Sony lot in Culver City, Calif., recently, Steve Mosko and Russ Krasnoff drifted toward the set of freshman CBS series The Guardian, where they briefly congratulated two of the stars,...

Survey says: We're up Year-to-Year!: Nov. 00' -- Nov. 01' Increases.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Survey says: we're up year-to-year! Nov. 00' -- Nov. 01' Increases RANK MARKET STATION W25-54 Improved From 1 New York WNYW +50% Caroline/Other 2 Los Angeles ...

More Maury.(talk show ratings)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 14, 2002... More Maury W 18-49 Rating Top W 18-49 Rating Up +10% By Season Nov'00 2.1 Nov'01 2.3 Week of 12/28/98 2.3 Week of...

The biggest deals in Las Vegas won't be done on the Convention Floor. (Unofficial Guide to NATPE).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Maps and taxis might be the most valuable commodities at the 39th annual NATPE Conference in Las Vegas next week. The conference will still be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center as scheduled, but a lot of the action will be taking place...

Room service.(Several of the biggest syndicators won't be on NATPE's convention floor)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Room service Several of the biggest syndicators won't be on NATPE's convention floor. Instead, all but one of the wayward distributors have taken suites at the Venetian hotel; Columbia TriStar has housted itself at the Bellagio. ...

On the floor.(The National Association of Television Producers exhibitors at the Las Vegas Convention Center)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... On the floor The NATPE exhibitors at the Las Vegas Convention Center this year are generally more specialized, sometimes foreign and smaller than the big syndicators that left for hotels. Here's a sampling: Exhibitor ...

The line on NATPE 2002: January 21-24, Las Vegas Convention Center. (Unofficial Guide to NATPE 2002).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... All session rooms in the N200 series are on the second level of the convention center. MONDAY, JAN. 21 * 10 a.m. (Opening Session) The Year in Review, Rm. N250 A look at one of the most economically challenging years in recent...

Here's where the buys are. (Unofficial Guide to NATPE 2002).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The optimists at thinly attended trade shows this year have been able to exclaim. "Well, at least the people who are here are people who have business to do." True enough. NATPE 2002 may have fewer exhibitors and fewer attendees. But it will...

Weathering the storm: NATPE's Bruce Johansen discusses the controversy surrounding the show. (Unoffocial Guide to NATPE 2002).(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 14, 2002... By quirky tradition, NATPE President Bruce Johansen makes a bizarre entrance at the convention's annual opening session. Last year, he emerged from a sea of blue ooze as the Blue Man Group performed on stage. This year, just showing up...

Now for some original ideas: Cable is ready to unveil a slew of new scripted movies and series in the months ahead. (Programming).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The reality bubble is deflating on cable networks. A few recently launched shows, notably USA'S Combat Missions and Bravo's It Factor, signal the last trickle. For spring and summer, the buzz is, broad-based entertainment networks are forging...

Shows in the pipeline. (Programming).(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... The upcoming cable slate boosts numerous series, original movies, documentaries and stunt specials. Here's a rundown of highlight of the top-rated cable entertainment networks' schedule: A&E Biography celebrates its 15th anniversary...

Broadcast Watch: Programming.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Programming Broad Cast Watch COMPILED BY KENNETH RAY DEC. 31, 2001--JAN. 6, 2002 Broadcast network prime time ratings according to Nielsen Media Research MONDAY Week abc 15 ...

Syndication Watch: DEC. 17-23 Syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Syndication Watch DEC. 17-23 Syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research TOP 25 SHOWS HH HH Rank Program AA GAA 1 Wheel of...

Same time this year. (Programming).(Urban Latino syndicated newsmagazine will be available this fall)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Last year at this time, the distributor behind Urban Latino was finalizing station clearances for its new syndicated newsmagazine's fall 2001 debut. The half-hour weekly series based on the magazine of the same name was set to explore the...

Sinclair centralizing. (Station Break).(Sinclair Broadcasting)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Sinclair Broadcasting, which is already studying a centralized approach to weather for its 60-plus stations (B&C, 1/7), is looking into centralizing other areas of news. Joe DeFeo, news director at Sinclair's flagship WBFF-TV Baltimore,...