Broadcasting & Cable articles from January 2004

Broadcasting & Cable archives from January 2004

NAB explores UK's Freeview DTV success.(the National Association of Broadcasters is looking at Freeview)(Company Profile)
January 5, 2004... Hoping to find a viable business model for broadcast digital TV, the National Association of Broadcasters is taking a long look at Freeview, the multichannel DTV service that has taken root in Britain. NAB Joint Board Chairman Phil Lombardo...

Lean, mean Sat TV: DirecTV's Chase Carey says he'll put the squeeze on programming costs, streamline ops.
January 5, 2004... With News Corp. now firmly in charge, look for big changes in the way DirecTV operates in 2004. That means a leaner management and a tough negotiating stance with cable networks when it comes to licensing. Chase Carey, the News Corp....

Up for bid: a new multichannel TV service.(spectrum)
January 5, 2004... Just when you might have thought the media world was settling down to broadcast, cable and satellite TV, the government next week will auction spectrum for a new terrestrial microwave service that could become a competitor to those entrenched...

In top markets, late news still a war zone.(Top of the Week)(a discussion of ratings for local news broadcasts in several markets)
January 5, 2004... ABC-owned stations in two of the top three markets got credit and ink for unseating their NBC competitors for late-news bragging rights in household ratings during the November sweeps. But ABC, like many others, discourages attention to the...

The late-night news race.(Top of the Week)
January 5, 2004... The Late-Night News Race In the top 10 markets, the battle for dominance among adults 25-54 at 11 p.m. (or 10 in the Central Time Zone) is what Nielsen-watchers look out for. As these figures show, it's mainly a battle between NBC and ABC...

How media did +19.9%.(B&C Indices)
January 5, 2004... HOW MEDIA DID + 19.9% A much better year for media stock. Just 11 of the 80 TV- and radio-related stock tracked by BROADCASTING & CABLE posted even small losses for 2003, a far better performance than in the previous recession- and...

CBS's Jackson dealings raises questions.(Fast Track)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... CBS planned to run its shelved MICHAEL JACKSON entertainment special last Friday night, raising some eyebrows. The tribute, which had been pulled when Jackson was charged with child molestation, was placed on the schedule just days after a Dec....

At press time, Twentieth Television had renewed Texas Justice, Divorce Corut and Good Day Live for another season on the FOX owned-and-operated stations.(While We Were Gone ...)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... At press time, TWENTIETH TELEVISION had renewed Texas Justice, Divorce Court and Good Day Live for another season on the FOX owned-and-operated stations. Good Day Live launched nationally last January; Texas Justice is in its third season,...

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura's MSNBC weekend talk show was canceled after just three months on the air.(While We Were Gone ...)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Former Minnesota Governor JESSE VENTURA's MSNBC weekend talk show was canceled after just three months on the air. Jesse Ventura's met/ca, which was being produced from St. Paul, Minn., was already on break for the holidays and will now stay...

Nielsen Media Research.(While We Were Gone ...)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Starting this month, NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH is changing the way it reports ratings data for premium cable networks. The ratings company will now report me primary channel of each premium net--HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and The Movie...

Bet and Cox Communications have inked a new five-year carriage pact, including distribution for BET Jazz.(While We Were Gone ...)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... BET and COX COMMUNICATIONS have inked a new five-year carriage pact, including distribution for BET Jazz. The agreement covers Cox's 6.3 million subscribers in big markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix, New Orleans/Baton Rouge, San Diego, Oklahoma...

Couric to host Peabodys.(winning ways)(Katie Couris host of the 63rd Annual Peabody Awards)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... NBC News star Katie Couric will host the 63rd Annual Peabody Awards set for May 17 in New York. Couric received a Peabody in 2000 for her five-part series "Confronting Colon Cancer" for NBC's Today. Her husband, Jay Monahan, died of the disease...

Oops! Nielsen releases KZTV data by mistake.(Top of the Week)
January 5, 2004... After a Texas court agreed with Nielsen Media Research's decision to withhold ratings information about KZTV(TV) Corpus Christi, Texas, from the market, Nielsen goofed and sent it out anyway. "We appear to have snatched defeat from the jaws...

TV One on target for launch but missing wide carriage.(Top of the Week)
January 5, 2004... When TV One, the long-planned cable channel for African-American adults, launches Jan. 19, it will look like a "traditional" broadcast or general-entertainment cable network, says channel President Johnathan Rodgers. But this cable network is...

TVB: cable's best isn't even a top-100 show; broadcast TV group says cable's boast needs to be put in context.(Top of the Week)(a look at the top-rated television programs for the year)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Cable may be attracting more eyeballs, but the biggest individual attractions on television are still on broadcast. That s the message from the Television Bureau of Advertising. Cable has been crowing that, for the second year in a row, the...

Cable is keeping it real; samurai fisherman and SportsCenter wannabes.(Programming)(reality television programs continue to thrive on cable)
January 5, 2004... From VH1 to A&E, reality is still booming across cable. When TV writers gather in Hollywood this week for the twice-yearly Television Critics Association tour for a glimpse at cable's latest slate of original programs, they'll see an avalanche...

Flat's not so bad for NFL's ratings.(Programming)(the National Football League's programming provides steady television ratings)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... In what has been a tough fall season for broadcast networks, the National Football League has proven to be a bright spot. Pro football ratings are basically even with last year on broadcast and up slightly on cable. Now, the coming playoffs...

Ratings: Dec. 8-14.(Syndication Watch)(television shows)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... RATINGS Dec. 8-14 Nielsen Media Research Top 25 Shows Adults 18-49 RANK PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Friends 4.4 5.2 2 Seinfeld 4.2...

Edgy and successful.(newsmagazine)(NBC Enterprises receives market upgrades for its 'Access Hollywood')(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Entering its eighth season, NBC Enterprises' Access Hollywood received upgrades in nearly 50 markets, and the results were immediately apparent. November gave the show its best sweeps ever: a 3.2 national household rating, according to Nielsen...

Matthews 'captures' an audience.(Syndie Insider)('The Chris Matthews Show' gains strong ratings)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... After the U.S. military apprehended Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on Dec. 13, NBC Enterprises' weekend news hour, The Chris Matthews Show, scored its highest household ratings ever. For the week ended Dec. 21, Matthews garnered a 2.5...

Up for bin, down for Sharon.(Syndie Insider)(a look at the ratings for syndicated television programs)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... For the week ended Dec. 14, the syndicated ratings standout was Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the only first-run strip to hit a season high. Elsewhere in daytime, none of the top five talk or court shows were up. Ellen, which has...

The prime time race.(Programming)(the top cable television programs are ranked for the week of 12/15/03 through 12/21/03)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... THE PRIME TIME RACE Top 10 Basic Cable Shows Dec. 15-21 Total Households (in millions) PROGRAM DATE NET HHS 1. NFL: Broncos/Colts 12/21 ESPN 7.7 2. NFL: Patriots/Jets ...

Nielsen ratings Dec. 15-21.(Programming)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... NIELSEN Dec. 15-21 RATINGS Week 13 ABC Rank Program Total household ...

At a glance.(Market focus: Chicago)(a look at Chicago's television market)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... The Market DMA rank 3 Population 9,374,000 TV homes 3,400,000 Income per capita $22,035 TV revenue rank 3 TV revenue $861,000,000 ...

Winds of change.(Market focus: Chicago)(a look at Chicago's television market)
January 5, 2004... For a while, one needed a scorecard to keep up with the goings-on in Chicago television. Personnel changes, both on-air and off, swept the market in 2002, a little less so in 2003. The story to watch in the Windy City today is the...

The Demos.(Market focus: Chicago)(a breakdown of the Chicago market)(Illustration)
January 5, 2004... Maybe it's because of the cold winters, but Chicagoans, slightly younger, slightly more affluent than the national average of urban areas, tend to spend a lot of their leisure time indoors in bowling alleys and concert venues. When the weather...

Idol moments ahead for advertisers: Fox's third rendition is an orgy of integrated marketing.(TV Buyer)(Fox announces sponsors for the new season of 'American Idol')
January 5, 2004... The three biggest sponsors of hit Fox series American Idol--Coca-Cola, Ford and AT&T Wireless--will be back for the newest installment, each reportedly making a $20 million-plus gamble that the show will continue to generate huge ratings and...

Rebound for radio in '04.(EBB & Flow)(analysts expect national radio to be strong in 2004)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... December was a mixed bag for national radio, but analysts, including Tim Wallace at UBS, say the medium is poised to "bounce back" in 2004. So do industry executives. Stu Olds, CEO of Katz Media Group, predicts that, in 2004, "the sun,...

Changing hands.(Business)(a list of television broadcasting industry deals)
January 5, 2004... TVs K59GM Stateline, Nev. PRICE: $15,740 equipment payment plus reinstatement of note payments BUYER: RSN West LLC (Jeffrey Dumais, VP) SELLER: Global Resorts Television LLC FACILITIES: Ch. 59, 1.10 kW, ant. 661 ft. ...

The cable operator out to fix Los Angeles: Perron has a huge job upgrading a neglected franchise.(The Fifth Estater)(Lee Perron is handling Adelphia Communications' Southern California region)
January 5, 2004... Lee Perron is in charge of one of the cable industry's great problem children: Adelphia Communications' Los Angeles operation. Well before Adelphia plunged into financial scandal, and even long before the MSO actually owned the properties, the...

At WNET (TV) Newark, N.J.: Paula A. Kerger, station manager.(Broadcast TV)(promoted to executive VP/chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... At WNET(TV) Newark, N.J.: PAULA A. KERGER, station manager, promoted to executive VP/chief operating officer; RONALD THORPE, director, Educational Resources Center, named VP.

WHYY-TV.(Broadcast TV)(appointed Kerri Hanlon executive director, marketing and brand management)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... KERRI HANLON, director, non-traditional marketing, WHYY-TV Wilmington, Del., appointed executive director, marketing and brand management, WHYY-TV Wilmington.

Comcast.(Cable TV)(announces various appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... At Comcast: EARL T. HERSHEY, VP, technical operations, Midwest division, Southfield, Mich., named VP, Comcast University, Philadelphia; JOHNNY BRASELL, VP, customer service development, national customer service team, Philadelphia, named VP,...

Houston Regional Sports Network.(Cable TV)(named Kevin Gaffney president, chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... KEVIN GAFFNEY, senior VP, Eastern division, Turner Broadcasting System, Atlanta, named president, chief executive officer, Houston Regional Sports Network, Houston.

BRONXNET.(Cable TV)(appointed Michael Max Knobbe executive director)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... MICHAEL MAX KNOBBE, acting executive director, BRONXNET, New York, appointed executive director.

BET Interactive.(Programming)(named Michael Pickrum senior vice president/chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... MICHAEL PICKRUM, VP, business development, BET Interactive, named senior VP/chief operating officer of the unit.

Carsey-Werner-Mandabach.(Programming)(promoted Kathy Busby to senior vice president/head of development)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... KATHY BUSBY, VP, development, Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, Studio City, Calif., promoted to senior VP/ head of development.

Starz Encore Group.(Programming)(named Allyson Taylor manager, public relations, corporate communications)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... ALLYSON TAYLOR, director, communications, Dave & Buster's Inc., Dallas, named manager, public relations, corporate communications, Starz Encore Group, Englewood, Colo.

Court TV.(Programming)(promoted to Ziba Kaboli to VP, affiliate relations and national accounts)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... ZIBA KABOLI, director, affiliate relations, Western region, Court TV, Los Angeles, promoted to VP, affiliate relations and national accounts, Western region.

WOSU-TV.(Journalism)(Brent Davis joins staff as executive producer)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... BRENT DAVIS, public information and development manager, Center for Public Television and Radio, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala., has joined WOSU-TV Columbus, Ohio, as executive producer.

At E! Entertainment Television.(Journalism)(announces appointments of John Burke and Alisha Davis)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... At E! Entertainment Television named to E! News Live: JOHN BURKE, host, Behind the Screen With John Burke, AMC, Jericho, N.Y.; ALISHA DAVIS, prime time culture and entertainment anchor, CNN Headline News, Atlanta.

WNBC (TV).(Journalism)(Audrey Puente named meteorologist at WCBS-TV)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... AUDREY PUENTE, weekend meteorologist, WNBC(TV) New York, named meteorologist, WCBS-TV New York.

Fox News Channel.(Journalism)(named Jonathan Hunt international correspondent)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... JONATHAN HUNT, freelancer, Fox News, New York, named international correspondent, Fox News Channel, New York.

KMSP-TV.(Journalism)(named Mike Nicco weekend meteorologist)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... MIKE NICCO, chief meteorologist, WBTV(TV) Charlotte, N.C., named weekend meteorologist, KMSP-TV Minneapolis.

WTVD(TV).(Journalism)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... DARLA MILES, general assignment reporter/fill-in anchor, WJBF(TV) Augusta, Ga., named weekend anchor, reporter, WTVD(TV) Durham, N.C.

WFXT(TV).(Journalism)(promoted Cindy Fitzgibbon to weekday meteorologis)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... CINDY FITZGIBBON, weekend meteorologist, WFXT(TV) Boston, promoted to weekday meteorologist.

Renegade.(Advertising/Marketing/PR)(named Christopher Beutler vice president, production)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... CHRISTOPHER BEUTLER, co-owner, president, Beutler & Howard Inc., Baltimore, named VP, production, Renegade, Hunt Valley, Md.

Initiative.(Advertising/Marketing/PR)(Leah Gross joins staff as vice president, corporate communications)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... LEAH GROSS, founder, KLG Communications, Los Angeles, has joined Initiative, Los Angeles, as VP, corporate communications.

Date book.(People)(upcoming broadcasting industry events)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 5, 2004... This Week Jan. 6-8 Television Critics Association Tour Hollywood Renaissance, Hollywood. Valerie Milano 818-754-4757. Jan. 7-9 The Caribbean Cable and Telecommunications Association Annual Meeting. Wyndam El...

First-run strategy adapts.(Special report: NATPE 2004 Buyers Guide)(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
January 5, 2004... As syndication adjusts to consolidation, there is more certainty and less scrambling for time slots: All syndicators know that first consideration for any vertically integrated station group's time slot goes to its related syndicator. ...

Two for the show.(Entertainment magazine: Paramount Domestic Television)
January 5, 2004... Paramount Domestic Television's The Insider is more than just a companion show for longtime entertainment news-magazine leader Entertainment Tonight--it's a custom-fit companion show, and that's never been done before in syndication. The...

Jane goes up against Oprah.(Talk: NBC Enterprises)
January 5, 2004... With The Jane Pauley Show, NBC Enterprises is betting that audiences will be drawn to a known commodity and a familiar personality. "The show won't deviate too far from anything you know about me, or anything I know about me," Pauley said....

The View without bifocals.(Talk: Sony Television)
January 5, 2004... With 70% to 80% of the daytime audience comprised of women, syndicators work hard to develop shows that will capture their attention. They especially want to lure younger women. That's the idea between Sony Pictures Television's Life &...

Run, Ryan, run.(Talk/variety: Twentieth Television)
January 5, 2004... It's a talk show, it's a variety show, it's an entertainment newsmagazine--no, it's On Air With Ryan Seacrest, a flashy hybrid of all these genres. And to add one more factor of difficulty, it's going to be broadcast live every day. "It...

The live-in Guru.(Talk/self help: Sony Pictures Television)
January 5, 2004... For families who want to be on television but don't want to leave their homes, the answer is simple: call Pat Croce. In its new reality strip Pat Croce: Moving In, Sony Pictures Television will install an around-the-clock surveillance...

Danza's next stanza.(Talk: Buena Vista Television)
January 5, 2004... Buena Vista Television executives have been chasing down TV vet Tony Danza for years trying to get him to do a daytime talk show, and they finally nabbed him for next fall. "I approached Tony two years ago and pitched him on why I...

Syndicators are still bullish on off-net.(Special report: 2004 NATPE Buyers Guide)
January 5, 2004... The off-net pipeline continues to thin, with only five shows coming to syndication next fall. Even so, several syndicators will be spending much of their time at NATPE focusing on their off-net sales, including NBC Enterprises with Fear Factor...

The shape of things to come.(Megatrends 2004)
January 5, 2004... The television business moves in all directions and at different speeds, depending on what part of it you're looking at. It moves fast sometimes (where was Bravo a year ago?) and other times so very, very slowly (Washington has argued over the...

ATSC floats PSIP standard: DTV protocol would ease intro of virtual channels, EPGs.(Technology)
January 5, 2004... The Advanced Television Systems Committee took a step towards making broadcasters' implementation of DTV services easier with the approval of a new candidate standard. Presuming manufacturers agree, the Programming Metadata Communication...

WBZ-TV pops for Soundmirror.(Technology)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... When WBZ-TV Boston turned to Soundmirror Studios to handle the video and audio recording of the recently held Boston Pops Christmas Show, the station had one request: Can we do it without an audio truck to save some money? Faced with that...

HD for Outdoor Channel.(Cutting Edge)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Outdoor Channel has purchased three Sony HDW-730 HDCAM camcorders and HDW-M2000/1 HDCAM studio editing recorders to help in its move to high-definition. The new technology marks the first phase of the network's plan to offer a HD channel....

Thales hits road.(Cutting Edge)(TL Mobile Television)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... TL Mobile Television, a mobile production company located in Springfield, Mo., has added a number of Thales Angenieux lenses for use covering everything from sporting events to conventions and parades. The company is using two 62X OB/sports...

KMPH(TV) crowns NewsKing.(Cutting Edge)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... KMPH(TV) Fresno, Calif., has installed the first Comprompter NewsKing Tapeless Newsroom system. The Pappas Broadcasting station will use the system, which integrates ClipTracker software with NewsKing newsroom automation, and the NewsBank...

Clear as mud.(Editorials)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... With budgets to pass and foreign entanglements to untangle, some legislators have nothing better to do than parse FCC language to purge it of a profanity "loophole." The FCC is partly to blame for the mess that is indecency enforcement. It...

More smoke than fire.(Editorials)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... CBS took some heat for rescheduling its Michael Jackson interview for last Friday after initially saying it would not air it before "the due process of the legal system runs its course." The confluence of that decision and Jackson's granting of...

Awards you wouldn't want.(Airtime: guest commentary)
January 5, 2004... During the Clinton years, Blair Levin was chief of staff to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. Since then, he has joined Legg Mason as a telecommunications and media regulatory analyst. He has also lightened up. Here are his TV and radio awards for 2003:...

In defense of Defense.(Open Mike)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 5, 2004... Editor: I have to take issue with the December 22 editorial ("Avoiding a Press-Release War"). By distributing its video widely, the Defense Department avoided a press-release war--or those dueling or bragging press releases that are issued by...

Two cents.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... "He seemed to have a more natural look in the British documentary done of him in February, where he is a dead ringer for Icelandic pixie queen Bjork. "There are weird celebrities (Phil Spector, Robert Blake) who are accused of murder who...

A million channels: everybody's cooking up a new distribution service, even broadcasters.
January 5, 2004... It's a good thing that cable operators--at least the well-managed, well-financed ones--are plunging headlong into high-speed moderns and the telephone business. Why? Because their basic business--supplying TV channels--is coming under...

Heartland TV: where the '04 race begins.(coverage of the Iowa Caucuses)
January 12, 2004... Next Monday at 6:30 in the evening, Iowans will gather at Floyd and Julie Zeisman's house in Alden, a steak house in Baxter, Des Moines' Messiah Lutheran Church and a couple thousand other meeting places to select their Democratic presidential...

Utah's uncable surprise: over-the-air venture offers 11 cable nets, HDTV in Salt Lake.(exclusive)
January 12, 2004... With most broadcasters still groping for a way to make any money off digital television, a Utah startup has quietly launched a mini wireless cable system using the spare DTV capacity of local TV stations. U.S. Digital Television is on the...

Can Berman make Fox run?(networks)(Fox Entertainment President Gail Berman is now running the network)
January 12, 2004... With Fox Television Entertainment Group Chairman Sandy Grushow bailing out last week, Fox Entertainment President Gail Berman suddenly finds herself running the network. It's a good thing everybody gives her high marks for creativity. She's...

Lansing now a cable guy.(Revised Scripps)(John Lansing switched to Scripps' cable networks unit)
January 12, 2004... In a management realignment at Scripps last week, John Lansing, who had been head of the broadcast-TV stations, was switched to the company's cable networks unit as executive vice president and is on a track to take over management of that...

EchoStar delays CBS injunction.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... LITTLETON, COLO. -- EchoStar backed off its request for an injunction to keep carrying CBS as part of a broader fight with Viacom. EchoStar had sought a temporary restraining order Wednesday in a San Francisco federal court to prevent Viacom...

Brady out, Danza in at Buena Vista.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- Buena Vista won't renew The Wayne Brady Show for a third syndicated season. The show will remain in production through the rest of the year, with original episodes running through the end of the season. Wayne Brady launched in...

Perez promoted at Telemundo.(Breaking ...)(Enrique Perez)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... NEW YORK -- Enrique Perez, VP/GM of Telemundo's WNJU(TV) Newark, N.J., has been named senior VP of sales for the Telemundo station group, overseeing national and local spot sales for the group's 15 TVs. He will be succeeded at the station by...

B&C indices: week of Jan. 2-8.(Top of the Week)(Illustration)
January 12, 2004... WEEK OF JAN. 2-8 THE B&C 10 WEEK YTD 2.8% 2.8% BROADCAST TV GROUPS WEEK YTD 0.1% 0.1% CABLE TV MSO'S WEEK YTD 6.8% 6.8% RADIO WEEK YTD -1.6% -1.6% ...

XM jolts NAB with local weather, travel: NAB is stunned by satellite radio provider's sleight of hand.(Top of the Week)
January 12, 2004... Eddie Fritts might be feeling a little like Baghdad Bob. Just as he was declaring a great victory, the enemy was preparing to storm the city gates. Last week, the National Association of Broadcasters president was red in the...

Microsoft, Intel aim to make PC a home entertainment center.(Top of the Week)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Media home networking has captured the attention of two of the personal computer's biggest companies. Intel and Microsoft rolled out plans at the Consumer Electronics Show last week to make the PC the central hub for home entertainment. ...

NFL Net gets Charter cable.(Fast Track)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... NFL NETWORK has scored a distribution deal with CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, marking its first completed cable pass. The network, launched in November, already has broad carriage on DIRECTV, its exclusive out-of-market carrier, but cable has been a...

RTNDA petitions high court.(Fast Track)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The RADIO-TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION and major national news organizations filed a petition with the Supreme Court as intervenors in the case of Mohammed K. Bellahouel, a Florida man with alleged connections to the 9/11 hijackers who...

Michael Weisman, renowned sports producer who has won more than 20 Emmy Awards.(News out there)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... MICHAEL WEISMAN, renowned sports producer who has won more than 20 Emmy Awards, is executive producer of NBC ENTERPRISES' new syndicated Jane Pauley Show....

NAB has tapped Oprah Winfrey for this year's Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes "significant and lasting contributions to the broadcasting industry.".(News out there)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... NAB has tapped OPRAH WINFREY for this year's Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes "significant and lasting contributions to the broadcasting industry." Winfrey will be saluted at the NAB convention in Las Vegas April 19....

Victoria Riskin resigned as president of the WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA's western division last week, after a review found that she was ineligible to run for the presidency she had won for a second time in September 2003.(News out there)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... VICTORIA RISKIN resigned as president of the WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA's western division last week, after a review found that she was ineligible to run for the presidency she had won for a second time in September 2003. Vice President CHARLES...