Broadcasting & Cable articles from January 2009

Broadcasting & Cable archives from January 2009

The Tale of How We Got to 'Sesame Street'.
January 5, 2009... By Joel Topcik Sunny days these are not, and everything is definitely not A-OK. What a perfect time then to ask that age-old question: "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" And how fortunate that veteran journalist Michael...

Kevin Martin's Exit Interview.(Interview)
January 5, 2009... By John Eggerton The outgoing FCC chairman looks back on his hits and misses Kevin Martin is scheduled to preside over his last meeting as FCC chairman on Jan. 15. As Martin prepares to exit that post with the changing of the political...

UConn Territory.(University of Connecticut)
January 5, 2009... By Michael Malone Hartford stations deliver hyper-local content Depending on one's perspective, the Hartford-New Haven DMA is either a terrific pro sports market or a nearly non-existent one. The market is a relatively short drive...

Stations Grab Primo Program.(Al Primo)
January 5, 2009... By Michael Malone News guru's Teen Kids News show hits milestone With several stations debuting Teen Kids News in early January, Al Primo's syndicated news program has surpassed the 200-station mark. Considered the creator of the...

Recession Breeds Accountability.
January 5, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Ad world looks for bright side of tanking economy in 2009 The final episode of the millennial decade has begun, and it features a waddle of media and marketing businesses huddling like emperor penguins for protection...

Sci Fi to Launch Standalone News Site.(Scifiwire.com )
January 5, 2009... By Alex Weprin Scifiwire.com will focus on 'fantasy' reports Sci Fi Wire, the news section launched by Sci Fi's main Website in 1997, is now ready to stand apart from the mothership. The new standalone Scifiwire.com site, accessible...

'Seinfeld' to Debut In HD.
January 5, 2009... By Ben Grossman Sony will make episodes available to stations as of Jan. 26 In conjunction with its now-typical big splash at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) will announce it is making the...

Tribune Pins WWE Deal.(World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.)
January 5, 2009... By Michael Malone Lands WWE Superstars for cable network The Tribune Co. is hoping World Wrestling Entertainment can do for its WGN America what Vince McMahon's cast of characters has done for so many other networks: pump up...

Where to be & what to watch--.
January 5, 2009... By Stephanie Robbins Monday, Jan. 5 It's time for the return of the most dramatic rose ceremonies ever--The Bachelor has its two-hour premiere on ABC at 8. After being rejected by the "Bachelorette" last season, single dad Jason...

McHale for Late Night?(Column)
January 5, 2009... By Ben Grossman Covering late-night television leading up to the changes that are coming next year has been an industry-wide, drawn-out game of Fantasy Football. And if you're like me, it's been fun to talk about Jay going here and Jimmy...

Buy Into This.(retailers revenue faloffs expected in 2009)
January 5, 2009... Staff Many of the early economic indicators out of the holiday season for retailers were more troubling than expected. We're more than a little spooked about what that may mean for finding the next Bernard Madoff before he strikes again....

Getting to Really Know the Consumer.
January 5, 2009... By David Grant Historically, advertising decisions have been based almost exclusively on consumer demographic segments, with little ability to gauge a return on investment. Today, marketers increasingly feel they can get more bang for...

A Perfect Fit.(Larry King's CNN show)
January 5, 2009... By Paige Albiniak How a Brooks Brothers clerk ended up in charge of Larry King's CNN show When Wendy Walker graduated from Hollins College, she thought she would study art and get married. Instead, she met celebrities while working...

Making CES Pay Off.(International Consumer Electronics Show)(economic forecasting)
January 5, 2009... By Christopher Lisotta Despite the economy, some major media companies are still anteing up for the Vegas mega-show For the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), NBC Universal has chosen the theme "Entertainment You Can...

New Delivery Paths.
January 5, 2009... By Glen Dickson Internet video, mobile DTV and 3D to highlight CES '09 in Vegas While the annual Consumer Electronics Show has become more focused on content than electronics in recent years, understanding the latest ways for...

Delivery Dilemmas.
January 5, 2009... By George Winslow In tricky times for advertisers, execs weigh traditional TV versus Web For years, the biggest question facing television executives as they headed into the Consumer Electronics Show was the impact of digital media on...

Cook Upbeat on '09.(television syndiction)(Interview)
January 5, 2009... By Paige Albiniak 5th Grader tops Twentieth boss's slate During these challenging times, Twentieth Television's President and COO Bob Cook has faith in syndication for one simple reason: "TV stations still need good product, and we...

Harris Hired to Be an Insider.(Samantha Harris)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Paige Albiniak Dancing With the Stars co-host Samantha Harris will join CBS Television Distribution's The Insider as a correspondent and substitute anchor starting Jan. 5, says Linda Bell Blue, executive producer of The Insider and...

Ugly George: Truth, Sex and Convergence.
January 12, 2009... By Joel Topcik Don't call it a comeback: Ugly George never really went away. You might say he's just between platforms. It's been more than 30 years since George Urban hit the streets of New York City--outfitted in a silver lame...

Scripps Hungry for Stake in Food Network.(Scripps Networks Inc.)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
January 12, 2009... By Michael Malone Speaking at Citi's Global Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference Jan. 8 in Phoenix, Scripps Networks brass suggested a bright 2009 for Food Network, and said it's eager to negotiate with cash-strapped...

Twentieth Clears Earl In Half the Country.(Twentieth Television)
January 12, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Twentieth Television has cleared My Name Is Earl in nearly 50% of the U.S. That includes nine of the top 10 markets--including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas--and more than 25 markets. Twentieth...

Cable Networks Will Likely Be TW's Best Unit In '09.(Time Warner Inc.)(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By Claire Atkinson While Time Warner has its problems (see p. 4), Time Warner CFO John Martin says the company's cable networks are on track to be the company's best-performing unit of the year. The company counts premium pay-TV...

ATAS Extends Perris Contract as COO.(Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)(Chief Operating Officer )(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By John Eggerton The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has given a multiyear contract renewal to COO Alan Perris. Perris has headed the staff of ATAS since joining in April 2006 as COO, which replaced the former position of...

NATAS Doles Out Tech and Global Awards.(National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences )(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By Glen Dickson The National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences handed out the 2009 Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards on Jan. 7 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The awards were co-sponsored by B&C . Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan G....

HBO Announces New Projects.(Home Box Office Inc.)(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By Gloria Pazmino and David Tanklefsky With a documentary from Emmy-winning filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, a standup special with comedian Lisa Lampanelli, a series produced by Will Ferrell, and a Sundance Film Festival selection starring...

TCA '09: Animal Planet Prepares to Walk the Lion.(Television Critics Association)(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By David Tanklefsky At the Television Critics Association winter meeting in Los Angeles, Animal Planet highlighted Walk the Lion , its new series featuring David Salmoni, the network's resident large-predator-expert zoologist. Salmoni...

TCA '09: From NASCAR To a Big, Fat Wedding.(TCL Inc.)(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... By David Tanklefsky TLC will debut its new series NASCAR Wives on Jan. 24 at 10 p.m., it told critics at the annual TCA confab. The insider's view into the worlds of the women who juggle the demands of their own lives with their...

Headlines from Multichannel News.(Comcast Corp.)(settlement between Cable operators and broadcasters )(Consumer Electronics Show )(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... Staff Tracking Viewers Comcast has sketched out plans for a "TV Warehouse," storing viewer statistics culled from set-tops in 16 million homes. The data is meant to give cable's Canoe consortium the metrics to make a go of selling...

Chief Challengers.(KCTV-TV (Kansas City, Missouri))
January 12, 2009... By Michael Malone KMBC and KCTV duke it out daily in K.C. The battle between Kansas City stations KMBC and KCTV is one of the great ratings slugfests going. Meredith's KCTV grabbed the late news title in May by the slimmest of margins,...

Keeping the Lights on in Detroit.(Personal account)
January 12, 2009... By Melissa Grego GM at top Motown station fuels his business with cautious optimism, 'controllables' and more local production The Dish: By the time I meet Bob Sliva, VP and general manager of WXYZ-TV Detroit, I am entirely...

KCTV Rewarded by Loyalty Program.(KCTV-TV (Kansas City, Missouri))
January 12, 2009... By Michael Malone Station giving viewers points, and prizes, for tuning in Viewers of KCTV Kansas City not only get the day's weather and The Mentalist sleuth Patrick Jane's latest escapade from the CBS affiliate--some even walk away...

Affiliates Get More 'TMZ' Than They Bargain For.
January 12, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Holiday scoops, ratings jumps for newsmagazine The people behind TMZ reached a lofty goal for the show's first full year in production: They made it a full year. At the close of 2008, the show delivered 52 weeks of...

DTV, It's Not Your Day.(Digital television)
January 12, 2009... By John Eggerton Feb. 17 transition date may be pushed back The Democrats sure know how to make an entrance. Hardly had the new Democratic Congress been installed last week when its leadership began falling in line behind a...

Keeping Upbeat During Writedown Season: Tough Go.(Statistical table)
January 12, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Others may follow Time Warner financial gloom In a bleak prelude to a February earnings period that many have dubbed "writedown season," Time Warner announced last week that it would take a $25 billion writedown and...

Peter Liguori's New Year Starts Now.
January 12, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Fox's entertainment chairman weighs in on the other networks' prime moves and his own happy returns (24 and American Idol) Executives at ABC, CBS and NBC wait every year for ratings death star American Idol to...

BBC Keeps ABC Grounded in Iraq.(collaboration between ABC News Inc. and British Broadcasting Corp.)
January 12, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Williams stresses need to be everywhere The Iraq war, at the height of its violence from 2004-2007, was an exception to Western news organizations' downsizing of foreign operations in recent years. News divisions...

Where to be & what to watch--.(Fox Entertainment Group Inc.)(TCA)(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
January 12, 2009... By Michael Malone Monday, Jan. 12 The Television Critics Association tour is on at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, with a visit to the CSI set and a chat with Laurence Fishburne about his new role on the CBS mega-drama. The star...

A Pig on 'Lipstick'.(Lipstick Jungle)(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Column)
January 12, 2009... By Ben Grossman When you write a column every week, much less do so for the brand for which you are Editor-in-Chief, you inevitably hear the same phrase, or some variation of such, rather often from readers, friends or whomever comes...

Readers Pro and Con on DTV Delay.(digital television)
January 12, 2009... Staff A sample of reader feedback online. Join the conversation at www.broadcastingcable.com. RE: Obama Asks Congress to Delay DTV Transition [President-Elect Obama's transition team asked Congress to extend the Feb. 17 deadline...

Soft Hard Date.
January 12, 2009... Staff There are enough obvious problems on the road to DTV that last week's request by President-elect Obama's transition team that the Feb. 17 analog shutoff deadline be pushed back--probably by about four months--doesn't sound like quite...

Corsini Joins KTLA as President/GM.(KTLA-TV (Los Angeles, California))(Don Corsini )(Brief article)
January 12, 2009... Staff As had been rumored for months, Don Corsini was named president and general manager at Tribune's KTLA Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. Corsini comes from the president/general manager position at CBS-owned duopoly KCBS/KCAL. His...

Fates & Fortunes.(Craig Robinson )(Lisa Remillard)(Dave Huddleston)
January 12, 2009... Staff BROADCAST Staff CRAIG ROBINSON , executive VP of operations and strategy, KNBC Los Angeles, has been promoted to president and general manager. LISA REMILLARD , reporter, WTFS Tampa, has been named weekday morning and...

One Successful Step After Another.
January 12, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Through hustle, hard work--and working mornings--Deborah Norville carved out a career Even as a teenager, Deborah Norville had the looks and talent to get in any door, but it was her nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic...

Off-Net's Big Gains.
January 12, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Harder for first-run to get to air Over the past decade, the number of first-run shows developed and launched by syndicators has plunged while the number of off-network programs--including those off both broadcast and...

Broadcasters' Mobile DTV Moment.(Digital television)
January 12, 2009... By Glen Dickson Stations, vendors unveil rollout plans at CES Broadcasters and technology vendors used the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week to showcase the extensive progress they have made toward bringing digital...

On the Floor at the Consumer Electronics Show.(Panasonic Ltd.)
January 12, 2009... By Glen Dickson Panasonic Pushes For 3D HD Standards Sony garnered much of the buzz over 3D HD production heading into CES, where it sponsored the 3D HD broadcast of the BCS college football championship game on Jan. 8. But its...

BC Beat.(Broadcast and cable)
January 19, 2009... Edited by Rob Edelstein Zingers Fly Fast and Furious at TCA Tour Rob Edelstein Broadcast and cable networks come to the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour to spread some industry news. But like any Golden Globes...

Fallon Eyes Integrations and Live Spots.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Jimmy Fallon)(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By Ben Grossman and Alex Weprin NBC may even sell green-room sponsorship While plans for NBC's new late-night franchise featuring Jimmy Fallon are still being formulated, network and show execs are already looking at ways to bring in...

June 12 Looks Like New Transition Date.(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By John Eggerton The House and Senate last week introduced bills to move the DTV transition date from Feb. 17 to June 12. The backlog demand for converter box coupons prompted the incoming Obama administration to call for the delay two...

American Idol: Still Phenomenal.(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By John Eggerton American Idol continued to dominate primetime on Jan. 14 on its second night of two-hour audition shows, averaging an 11.6/29 in the 18-49 demo. That was essentially even with the 11.6/28 in its season debut on Jan. 13....

T.D. Jakes Syndie Talker Waits Till 2010.(CBS Corp. CBS Television)(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By Paige Albiniak CBS Television Distribution's new first-run talk show starring evangelical preacher T.D. Jakes is being held until fall 2010. The company blames the bad economy. Jakes had been sold to the Tribune and Fox stations in...

Comedy Central HD Is Coming. Seriously.(Comedy Central Inc.)(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By Alex Weprin Comedy Central will launch in HD on Cablevision, DirecTV and Cox cable systems later this month. At launch, the network will have 200 hours of native HD programming, including nearly 30 episodes of South Park and the first...

TCA: New NBC Execs Unveil Plans for Spring.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... By Melissa Grego and Stephanie Robbins In their first appearance in front of TV critics since being charged with reviving NBC's primetime schedule in a reorganization at NBC Universal's TV units, Angela Bromstad and Paul Telegdy unveiled a...

Headlines from Multichannel News.
January 19, 2009... Staff Cable's Chief Looks Ahead--and Back Multichannel News Washington news editor Ted Hearn sits down with the one person who may care more about incoming president Barack Obama's communications policy than anyone else--National Cable...

Deals.(Mergers news)
January 19, 2009... By BIA Financial Networks TV KPXJ (TV)/Minden, La. PRICE : $10.3 million BUYER : KTBS Inc. (Edwin Wray, president) SELLER : Minden Television Co. LLC (Lauren Wray-Ostendorff, president) FACILITIES : Ch. 21, 3,020 kW,...

Sign On.(mass media)
January 19, 2009... Staff Barack Obama, arguably the first new-media president, takes the oath of office with media issues prominently on his agenda. Perhaps more than at any other time, events have conspired to make that unavoidable. He takes over only...

A Cynical World Could Use a Little PR.(Public relations)
January 19, 2009... By Howard Bragman Let me give you a little history lesson. In decades past, if you had an important message to get out to consumers, voters or the community at large, you advertised--either on TV or in newspapers or on the radio. ...

Maynulet Tapped as Telemundo CFO.(Telemundo Communications Group Inc. has appointed Javier Maynulet )(Brief article)
January 19, 2009... Staff Javier Maynulet has been named chief financial officer at Telemundo Communications Group. He was senior VP and CFO of Universal Media Studios and Universal Cable Productions, and previously held a post at Telemundo focusing on...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointments)
January 19, 2009... Staff BROADCAST BRIAN SANDS , GM, Forever Communications, has been named account executive, WMC Memphis. NICOLE PAOLINI-SUBRAMANYA , lawyer, Cinnamon Mueller, has been named VP of business and legal affairs, NBC Universal. ...

Olbermann's Overseer.(MSNBC Cable Network)(Keith Olbermann)
January 19, 2009... By Allison Romano Izzy Povich and the MSNBC show host form a natural bond Managing feisty news anchors is a challenge for any producer, but Izzy Povich, executive producer of MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann , enjoys an unusually...

Houston Life After Ike.
January 19, 2009... By Michael Malone Furniture, car sales boom following hurricane While Galveston remains pocked with damage and debris, life is mostly back to normal in Houston following Hurricane Ike's September devastation. Parts of the market lost...

Cutting Bait On Subchannels.
January 19, 2009... By Allison Romano Strapped stations have held off hooking into potential new profit streams. But can they afford to wait? Things were looking pretty positive for the .2 Network when it began signing up affiliates last year. The...

High-Definition: More to Come.
January 19, 2009... By Allison Romano Networks hustle to get on board to satisfy viewers Even though it seems like the HD revolution has been around forever, there are still a number of cable networks that are racing to launch in HD to satisfy consumers....

CES Hi-Def Highlights.(Consumer Electronics Show)(Panasonic Expands Wireless)
January 19, 2009... By Glen Dickson Panasonic Expands Wireless, Web Capabilities for HD Sets Panasonic is expanding its Viera Cast technology, which routes Web content tailored for the TV screen through Panasonic-controlled servers to broadband-connected...

Finding Local Angles at Obamarama.
January 19, 2009... By Michael Malone Stations from Chicago to Honolulu to Miami descend on D.C. While countless media outlets worldwide are treating Barack Obama's inauguration as a global news event, dozens of stations are hustling to find their own...

Ready for Obama.(Barack Obama)
January 19, 2009... By Paige Albiniak The inauguration, Tinseltown-style Hollywood will all but take over Washington when Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States this week. The syndicated magazine shows sent crews to...

Commander-On-Line.(Inauguration of Barack Obama)
January 19, 2009... By Claire Atkinson and Alex Weprin Some advertisers think the inauguration will be a big day for streaming Tuesday's momentous Inauguration Day is giving broadcasters the opportunity to bag some scarce ad coin, and cross-platform...

Peter Lassally Saddened by NBC's Leno Plan.
January 19, 2009... By Ben Grossman NBC tarnished the brand, says ex-'Tonight Show' boss Peter Lassally, a chief architect of The Tonight Show in the halcyon days of Johnny Carson, says he is saddened by NBC's decision to strip Jay Leno at 10 p.m., in...

Can 'Free' Boxing Free Boxing?(pay per view channels)
January 19, 2009... By Ben Grossman HBO hopes less PPV means more fans With the sport of boxing and the U.S. economy both taking a beating, HBO is shifting its strategy and relocating many of its big fights from pay-per-view (PPV) to its network. HBO...

Beck Singing a New Tune.(Glen Beck's experience with his previous new's channel CNN)(Interview)
January 19, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Former CNN host launches new FNC show Like jumping from the Red Sox to the Yankees, Glenn Beck will be leaping from one bitter rival to another when the former CNN talent starts his new self-titled Fox News Channel...

Genachowski Honeymoon Period Has Begun.(Julius Genachowski)
January 19, 2009... By John Eggerton Presumed FCC chief already getting kudos from left and right At times last week, it seemed as though Washington was playing host to a meeting of the Julius Genachowski fan club. Barack Obama's presumptive choice for...

Where to be & what to watch--.(schedule of events)(television programs)
January 19, 2009... By Michael Malone Monday, Jan. 19 America is awash in Inauguration Eve glee, which makes it just about the perfect time for conservative commentator Glenn Beck to make his debut on Fox News Channel . The CNN expat helms Glenn Beck...

Reality Bites.(reality television shows)
January 19, 2009... By David Bianculli No sooner did the ball drop in Times Square to signify the start of the New Year than the broadcast networks began dropping in reality shows as midseason replacements. There were plenty of reasons for this sudden...

BC Beat.(Cable News Network)
January 26, 2009... Edited by Joel Topcik Sniper at the Inauguration? It's Just a Movie Joel Topcik As Americans watched Barack Obama deliver his inaugural speech last Tuesday, amid memories of our fallen leaders MLK, JFK and Abraham Lincoln, the...

Disney-ABC Combines Divisions, Ups McPherson.(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By Alex Weprin The Disney-ABC Television Group is combining its entertainment and studio divisions as part of a reorganization of the company. ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson will oversee the unified division, now called the...

Televisa, Univision Settle Lawsuit.(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By P.J. Bednarski Grupo Televisa and Univision Communications announced late last week that they have amended the current program license agreement that will keep Televisa's popular Spanish-language programming flowing to Univision, the...

New Deals for Big Ten Network.(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By Mike Reynolds, Multichannel News Though the tough economy has cooled many companies' budgets, Big Ten Network has managed to heat up some mid-winter ad deals for its basketball coverage, inking a trio of media pacts with sponsored...

NBCU Profits Off 6% in Q4.(NBC Universal)(Financial report)(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By Claire Atkinson NBC Universal saw profits fall 6% in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to General Electric results announced last week. The unit, which encompasses Universal Studios, the NBC broadcast network and cable channels...

Copps Named Acting FCC Chief.(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By John Eggerton Democrat FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was named acting chairman of the FCC, as expected. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin resigned that post as of Jan. 20. The Obama administration is expected to name tech adviser Julius...

Warner Bros. to Cut 800 Jobs.(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Warner Bros. is eliminating 800 positions, with the names of those affected to be identified in the next few weeks. In a memo released last week, Warner Bros. Entertainment Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer and President Alan...

Headlines From Multichannel News.
January 26, 2009... Staff Leading Ladies Multichannel News honors the 2009 class of Wonder Women. Sole Survivors Independent networks find ways to stay alive in economic downturn. In The Box: Hot Chips New modem chips provide huge...

Deals.(deal between Raycom Media and FoxCo Acquisition )(deal between London Broadcasting and Frank Mayborn Enterprises )(deal between Polnet Communications and Nelson Multimedia )
January 26, 2009... By BIA Financial Networks TV WBRC (TV)/Birmingham and W29AO/Anniston, Ala.; WTVR-TV/Richmond, Va. PRICE : Swap plus $83 million BUYER : Raycom Media (Paul McTear, president/CEO) SELLER : FoxCo Acquisition (Bobby Lawrence,...

B&C Talkback.(digital tv)(Brief article)
January 26, 2009... Staff A sample of reader feedback online. Join the conversation at www.broadcastingcable.com . RE: DTV Delay [The House of Representatives on Jan. 21 postponed a markup of a bill to delay the DTV transition and did not set a...

Obama Verbatim on Open Disclosure.
January 26, 2009... Staff These remarks are excerpted from a speech by President Obama on Jan. 22, as he welcomed senior staff and cabinet secretaries to the White House. The way to make a government responsible is not simply to enlist the services of...