Broadcasting & Cable articles from July 2003

Broadcasting & Cable archives from July 2003

NBC, Scripps using stations for home-shopping trials.(E.W. Scripps and NBC are launching tests for their respective Shop at Home and ShopNBC operations, respective)
July 7, 2003... Broadcasters are giving home shopping another shot. Two big trials are set for this summer including tests by E.W Scripps, which owns a controlling stake in Shop at Home, and NBC, which has a 40% stake in Valuevision's ShopNBC. At Scripps,...

FCC does the waive: shows the way for small-market duops--with strings attached. (Dereg).(a discussion of the effect of the FCC's regulations on small-market television station mergers)
July 7, 2003... For the first time, the FCC has opened the door for small-market TV duopolies, but a restriction on selling station pairs intact has broadcasters questioning whether the door has opened wide enough. "The restriction is completely...

Romancing Vivendi: suitors settling in for what may be a long, expensive courtship. (Longshot).
July 7, 2003... Vivendi Universal .is continuing the slow, summer pace of the auction of its U.S. entertainment assets, planning to spend the next couple of weeks in negotiations with pretty much all six suitors that have been courting the company. ...

DBS fights N.C. satellite tax: EchoStar, DirecTV want to see 700,000 checks in the mail. (Top of the Week).(EchoStar and DirecTV last are fighting North Carolina's satellite-TV tax)
July 7, 2003... EchoStar and DirecTV last week launched a battle against North Carolina's satellite-TV tax by seeking a refund for the state's 700,000 DBS customers. The move is a necessary first step toward a court fight to eliminate a 5% sales tax that...

Univision/Hispanic merger knocked. (Breaking).(NBC/Telemundo opposes the merger of Univision and Hispanic Broadcasting)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... WASHINGTON -- NBC/Telemundo opposes the proposed merger of Univision and Hispanic Broadcasting, at least as currently structured. According to an NBC source, NBC/Telemundo execs met with FCC Commissioners Kevin Martin, Kathleen Abernathy and...

CBS takes Becker, delays Stones. (Breaking).(CBS will air 'Becker' on Wednesday nights at 9:30 P.M. and push 'The Stones" to midseason)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- In an attempt to make its fall Wednesday-night lineup less risky, CBS will air nearly canceled sitcom Becker at 9:30 p.m. ET instead of new sitcom The Stones. That show will now get a midseason launch.

News vet Sunde dead at 66. (Breaking).(Tenold Sunde dies at 66)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 7, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Tenold (Rob) Sunde, 66, former CBS News and ABC Radio veteran and 1990-91 president of the Radio-TV News Directors Association, died July 1. He is survived by his wife, Lila, and three children. His family asks that contributions...

ABC Family has Wife and Kids in '08. (Breaking).(ABC Family acquires cable rights to Buena Vista Television's 'My Wife and Kids' starting in 2008)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- ABC Family picked up cable rights to Buena Vista Television's My Wife and Kids, which will start airing on the cable channel in 2008. License fees are around $315,000 an episode; total take could reach nearly $52 million.

Liberty buying Comcast QVC stake for $8B. (Top of the Week).(Liberty Media)
July 7, 2003... To the surprise of some Wall Street players, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts showed the financial discipline he has pledged to investors and is letting Liberty Media buy Comcast's stake in home shopping giant QVC. Liberty put a fat $14.1 billion...

MGM comes to end of Rainbow. (Top of the Week).(Rainbow Media should generate 37% more revenues this year than in 2001)
July 7, 2003... Revenues at Rainbow Media's entertainment networks are expected to run approximately 37% higher this year than in 2001, the year MGM bought 20% of the operation. Earnings could be about 72% higher. Despite that strong growth, MGM last week...

B&C indices.(entertainment industry stock prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 7, 2003... WEEK OF JUNE 27-JULY 2 B&C INDICES WEEK YTD THE B&C 10 1.6% 12.2% BROADCAST TV GROUPS 2.5% 11.0% CABLE TV MSO'S 0.3% 17.6% RADIO -2.3% 7.2% ...

All downhill from here. (Fast Track).(NBC should benefit from the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver, Canada)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... NBC caught a big break last week when Vancouver, Canada, was named host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, putting the event in a prime time friendly time zone. One of the two losing cities was Pyeongchang, South Korea. NBC aired the Seoul, South...

Stand up and salute. (Fast Track).(new cable network The America Channel expects to launch in the second quarter of 2004)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... A new cable network, THE AMERICA CHANNEL, is hoping to entice patriotic viewers with American-themed non-scripted programming. The channel plans to offer a mix reality and documentary-style shows like Occupational Hazard, a day in the life of...

By any name. (Fast Track).(TNN scores strong ratings for its adult animation block)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... The debut of TNN'S new adult animation block was a hit last Thursday, with viewers not seeming to care whether the network is called the new TNN or Spike TV. Stripperelia, featuring the voice of Pamela Anderson, grabbed the best marks, a 1.7...

Hail TNT. (Fast Track).(TNT's 'Caesar' miniseries scores strong ratings)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... TNT'S latest original miniseries conquered a I bit of prime time last week. Part of Caesar, starring Jeremy Sisto as Julius Caesar, grabbed a strong 2.5 Nielsen rating on Sunday, June 29. The second episode slipped to a 2.2 on Monday, June 30.

Who's Who of Golden Age TV drama anthology series, including Playhouse 90, Kraft Television Theatre, and Hallmark Hall of Fame. (More Names).(director Fielder Cook dies at 80 years)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 7, 2003... TV and film director FIELDER COOK, 80, died June 20 at a Charlotte, N.C., hospital. Cook was a director on a Who's Who of Golden Age TV drama anthology series, including Playhouse 90, Kraft Television Theatre, and Hallmark Hall of Fame....

ABC News. (More Names).(announces Jon Banner is now executive producer of 'World News Tonight With Peter Jennings')(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... ABC NEWS' JON BANNER is taking over as executive producer of World News Tonight With Peter Jennings. He replaces PAUL SLAVIN, who was recently upped to SVP of news....

CBS Early Show. (More Names).(Lyne Pitts moves from CBS Early Show to CBS Evening News With Dan Rather)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... CBS Early Show executive producer LYNE PITTS is moving to evenings as senior broadcast producer for CBS Evening News With Dan Rather. No word yet on who will be EP for Early Show; the show's senior executive producer is MICHAEL BASS.

CNN Congressional correspondent Kate Snow. (More Names).(Kate Snow joins ABC's 'Good Morning America')(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... CNN Congressional correspondent KATE SNOW will be joining ABC as White House correspondent for Good Morning America....

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
July 7, 2003... National Cable Communications' Andrew Ward was quoted in the June 30 Ebb & Flow as describing second-quarter cable scatter activity. His comments actually addressed the local cable spot market. In addition, he was incorrectly quoted saying that...

Beahrs to step down at Court TV. (Top of the Week).(Dick Beahrs will leave Court TV at the end of the year)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... After three decades in the cable-network business, Court TV President and COO Dick Beahrs plans to leave at the end of the year. Beahrs, 58, plans to spend time traveling and working on some public-service projects he has been involved with,...

In June, TNT and Fox explode: in share points, cable handily beats broadcast nets. (Top of the Week).(cable television ratings information)
July 7, 2003... What a difference a year makes. Last spring, Lifetime handily captured the second-quarter ratings crown. But this year--thanks largely to more NBA playoff games on cable and heavy news viewing during the Iraq war--TNT and Fox News surged to the...

Derderian resigns. (Station Break).(Jeffrey Derderian resigns from WPRI-TV)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Jeffrey Derderian, the TV reporter whose Providence nightclub caught fire earlier this year, killing nearly 100 and injuring scores of others, has resigned from WPRI-TV. The fire apparently began after 1980s rock band...

S.C. Senator blasts news directors. (Station Break).(State Senator Robert Ford claims that Charleston news directors are trying to keep him off the air)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- State Sen. Robert Ford has told thousands of constituents that Charleston news directors have conspired to keep him off the air. In a mailing to some 50,0000 constituents, the senator, who did not return calls, said that...

Libin joins Poynter. (Station Break).(Scot Libin joints the Poynter Institute)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. -- Scott Libin, former news director at KSTP-TV Minneapolis, will become director of development and outreach at the Poynter Institute. It's a return trip for Libin, who was a faculty member at Poynter in the mid 1990s,...

The buck starts here. (Station Break).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- Bay Area station KRON-TV, which famously re-launched as an independent after losing its NBC affiliation in 2002, is adding a 30-minute weekday noon program about investing and money management. Rob Black & Your Money will team...

News by and for Teens. (Kids News).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Al Primo's syndicated Eye witness Kids News will team up with kids' news publisher Weekly Reader to cover news produced by and aimed at early teens. The 100-year-old publishing company, whose publications boast 11 million subscribers, will be...

Sanchez goes home to Miami: MSNBC anchor will host talk show at WTVJ(TV). (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Rick Sanchez, an MSNBC anchor, is moving back home to Miami to begin hosting a yet-to-be titled talk show for WTVJ(TV), the NBC-owned station there. If the show clicks, it may go national via NBC-owned Telemundo. Sanchez got his start as a...

ATSC to tackle receiver standard. (Top of the Week).
July 7, 2003... To make sure fuzzy pictures don't break up the transition to digital TV, broadcasters and TV-set manufacturers have launched a joint effort to establish guidelines for DTV receiver performance. By working together, the sides have called a...

Check out why young viewers like reality programming. (Counterpoint: Guest Commentary).
July 7, 2003... The ongoing debate about reality TV--is it the savior of the networks or the symbol of the decline of civilization?--continues to dominate the television landscape. Looking back at the broadcast-network upfront presentations, wasn't it...

HBO does things its way: other cable nets prepare more-conventional fare for TV critics' tour. (Programming).
July 7, 2003... The next-generation HBO dramas have one thing in common with the cable network's established hits The Sopranos and Sex and the City: They aren't quite broadcast-network material. On HBO, "the point of view, the material, the way we...

No rest for Twentieth. (First-Run).(Twentieth Television launches summer programs)
July 7, 2003... Summer is in full swing, and, while most of Hollywood is on vacation, Twentieth Television is preparing to launch two shows in as many as 25 of Fox's markets. Both Classmates and Ambush Makeover launch today on Fox ownedand-operated...

Musical chairs in research. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... George Gubert has left NBC Enterprises as vice president of research and joined Buena Vista Television in a newly created position with the same title, overseeing research for first-run shows. Succeeding Gubert at NBC Enterprises, Steve Badeau...

CF adds three first-runs. (Syndie Insider).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... CF Entertainment is adding three programs to its stable of first-run syndicated shows, bringing the total it has on the air to 12. Joining the list are Urban Style, a half-hour show profiling inspirational African-Americans; Latin Lifestyles,...

Ex-Treme stays flat. (Syndie Insider).(dating television show ratings)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... In its second week in national syndication, Twentieth's Ex-Treme Dating remained flat at a 1.0 household rating, according to Nielsen. That's despite a slightly stronger station lineup: In its second week, the show had cleared 83% of the...

Nielsen ratings.(Illustration)
July 7, 2003... NIELSEN / June 23-29 / RATINGS abc Week MONDAY 40 3.7/6 8:00 71. According to Jim 3.4/6 8:30 64. According to Jim 3.7/7 9:00 64....

Doc tracks 'First' flicks. (Market Focus).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Martin Sheen, who plays a fictional president on NBC's The West Wing, EWE was said to be ma studio last week narrating part of a three-hour Bravo documentary, All the President's Movies, about the films that have been shown at the real White...

Market in transition. (Market Focus: Dothan).
July 7, 2003... Things are changing in Dothan, Ala., the nation's No. 171 DMA. Nexstar acquired WDHN(TV) from Morris Multimedia in February, and rivals say Raycom Media is expected to purchase WDFX-TV from Waitt Broadcasting (Raycom also owns WAFF-TV in...

TiVo's ad-friendly claim doesn't sway top researchers. (TV Buyer).
July 7, 2003... Is TiVo, the personal video recorder that allows viewers to skip by commercials actually "advertising-friendly?" Yes, according to Marty Yudkovitz, the former NBC Internet and cable executive recently appointed president of TiVo Inc. At least...

Tough comps for 2nd-half spot. (EBB & Flow).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... A lack of political dollars and continuing weakness in the economy have dampened expectations for second-half broad cast-TV spot. Jim Beloyianis, president, Katz Television Group, is among those bracing for some challenging months. "Early...

A slam-dunk for videoconferencing: ESPN taps Wire One system for the net's NBA-draft coverage. (Technology).
July 7, 2003... Baseball may be America's favorite pastime, but it certainly isn't America's favorite professional-sports draft, ranking a distant third to both football and basketball. The NFL and NBA drafts have become events worthy of wall-to-wall TV...

DirecTV uplinks with BBC Technology. (Technology).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... DirecTV is once again tapping BBC Technology's Colledia control system to help it remotely manage uplink facilities being built in Oakdale, Minn., and Winchester, Va. The two facilities will help uplink TV-station signals as DirecTV continues...

PVI to sell assets. (Cutting Edge).(Princeton Video Image)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Princeton Video Image, which provides virtual billboard and first-down markers to broadcasters like CBS, received permission from the bankruptcy court for Chapter 11 debtor-in-possession financing and sale procedures for the sale of its assets....

MTVA's new chair. (Cutting Edge).(Metropolitan Television Alliance)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Thomas Kane, WABC-TV New York president and general manager, is replacing Dr. Bill Baker, WNET-TV New York president, as chairman of the Metropolitan Television Alliance. Baker, who led the MTVA as it pursued different avenues to replace the...

A new home for Food TV. (Cutting Edge).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... In a fitting move, The Food Network is relocating to Chelsea Market, a Manhattan location that has itself become known as one of the city's premiere food destinations. The Food Network's corporate offices, studios and kitchen will move into a...

McGraw Hill picks ParkerVision. (Cutting Edge).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Group has installed ParkerVision's PVTV NEWS live-production-automation systems in its four ABC affiliates. The systems will be used for local-news production at KMGH-TV Denver, WRTV-TV Indianapolis; KGTV-TV San Diego,...

Equity's news ops look to the sky. (Focus: Central Casting).
July 7, 2003... Although most centralcasting operations take the low road of underground fiber for program delivery, Equity Broadcasting recently signed a 10-year deal with PanAmSat that will have its centralized Content delivered over the very high road of...

B&C to honor 12 plus 1. (Hall of 2003 Fame).
July 7, 2003... The 13th Annual BROADCASTING & CABLE Hall of Fame--recognized as the leading industry venue honoring the pioneers, the innovators and the stars of the electronic arts--will induct 12 members this November, ranging from a Hispanic radio and...

Speaking the language of acquisition: multilingual Burgess may add Vivendi buy to Telemundo. (The Fifth Estater).
July 7, 2003... One the three languages that Brandon Burgess is fluent in is French. No doubt that has served him well as NBC's executive vice president, business development, in conversations with the top executives at Vivendi as they seek to sell their...

Broadcast TV. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... DAVID K. BLASZKOWSKI, local sales manager, KMGH-TV Denver, joins KTLA(TV) Los Angeles, as national sales manager. TAMMY VILLABOY, account executive, WSTR-TV Cincinnati, joins WBDT(TV) Dayton, Ohio, in the same capacity.

Cable TV. (People: Fates & Fortunes).
July 7, 2003... At Time Warner Cable, Stamford, Conn.: FRANK BONCIMINO, VP/partner, telecom, media and networks, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, New York, named senior VP/chief information officer, IT; ERIC 1. PETRO, senior VP, finance and planning, Walt Disney...

Journalism. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... LISA TODOROVICH, executive producer, "Live Online" segment on The Washington Post Web site, joins ABC News, Washington, as deputy political director. JEAN CASAREZ, weekend anchor/legal reporter, KOLO-TV Reno, Nev., joins Court TV, New...

Programming. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... BARBARA BENNETT, senior VP/treasurer, Discovery Communications, Silver Spring, Md., promoted to executive VP/CFO. GREG DALBA, executive VP, CNN Sales, Atlanta, promoted to executive VP/COO, CNN Advertising Sales and Marketing. PAUL E....

Media. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... ANNE GLEASON, marketing manager, Windows to the World Communications Inc., Chicago, promoted to director, marketing, direct response.

Radio. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... TREVOR OLIVER, director, operations, Premiere Radio Networks, Los Angeles, promoted to VP.

Advertising/marketing/PR. (People: Fates & Fortunes).(MMT promotes Paul Fiore)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... PAUL FIORE, manager, MMT, New York, promoted to VP, director, sales.

Use it, don't abuse it. (Editorials).(broadcasters should be careful what they wish for in terms of the 35% audience-reach cap)(Editorial)
July 7, 2003... There is a classic short story, "The Monkey's Paw," about a man who wishes for money His wish is granted when he receives an unexpected windfall. Unfortunately, it is compensation for the death of his only son in a horrible accident. The moral,...

The 'Doc' finds its place on TV. (Airtime: Guest Commentary).(a discussion of the Sundance Channel's DOCDay programming block for documentaries)(Column)
July 7, 2003... Long before John Grierson coined the term documentary in 1927, this form of nonfiction film has attracted filmmakers and filmgoers alike, even as it has changed over time. What has remained consistent is the power of its "in-your-face" point of...

Two cents.
July 7, 2003... "[Buddy] Hackett was funny the minute he screwed up his face to speak, becoming part cherub, part devil, as required." RICHARD SEVERO, The New York Times "[Buddy] Hackett's Costello comes across, as many comics do in private life, as a...

It's only television: HBO is very good at telling us it's very good.(while HBO does a good job at promoting itself, its programming is not always as good as the cable network claims)(Editorial)
July 7, 2003... If you watch HBO, you know you can depend on seeing some pretty good television. Some of the television is better than most of the movies. But I would. like to calm you down. Despite what they say, HBO is television. I feel almost unclean...

McCain: MSOs' rates 'gouge' subscribers. (Cable Bashing).(John McCain and others criticize soaring cable industry rates)
July 14, 2003... Throwing a little more political fuel into the already roaring fire between cable operators and program suppliers, cable critics used the FCC's latest rate survey to deliver another blast against the industry. "Cable rates increased an...

NAB sounds retreat: industry group will now work with networks to defeat rollback of the 35% ownership cap. (Media Deregulation).(the National Association of Broadcasters)
July 14, 2003... In a move that shocked Capitol Hill, the National Association of Broadcasters last week agreed to work with the major networks to kill legislation that would reinstate the 35% cap on one company's national TV-household reach. The move...

Is Hispanic media unique? Univision deal tests FCC.(a discussion of Univision's bid to acquire Hispanic Broadcasting)
July 14, 2003... Univision's bid to buy radio group Hispanic Broadcasting is cursed by bad timing. For starters, last summer's deal to marry the No. 1 Spanish-language television provider with the top U.S. Spanish radio company, was announced just as the...

Gay net is back in the closet: Showtime tables plans for new niche channel until economy improves. (Top of the Week).
July 14, 2003... The gaggle of startup niche cable networks catering to nearly every audience imaginable was reduced by one last week when Showtime shelved plans to launch a gay network. Showtime Chairman and CEO Matt Blank blamed a bad economy for the decision...

Wilson buying nine TV stations. (Breaking).(Larry Wilson leads a group to acquire Lamco Communications)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Larry Wilson, former CEO of radio's Citadel Communications, is leading a group that has entered into an agreement to purchase Lamco Communications, the Williamsport, Pa.-based owner of nine small-market TV stations. Kalil & Co....

NBC revenue slips in 2Q. (Breaking).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... NEW YORK -- NBC'S revenues dipped 2% in the second quarter to $1.95 billion and tumbled 14% in the first half to $3.4 billion. Part of the fall-off is due to lack of Olympic money, which it had in early 2002. Operating profits are up, however:...

HBO plots Angels in America Strategy. (Breaking).(HBO plans its upcoming miniseries 'Angels in America')(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- HBO will give viewers a few different ways to digest its December miniseries Angels in America. The $80 million project, which stars Meryl Sheep and Al Pacino, will likely premiere as two three-hour episodes on a Sunday night....

CBS publicist McDonald dead. (Breaking).(Kevin McDonald dies of cancer)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 14, 2003... LOS ANGELES - CBS Publicity Manager Kevin McDonald, 56, died last week of cancer. He joined CBS in 1979 after a stint at The Hollywood Reporter.

B&C Indices.(television industry stock prices)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 14, 2003... WEEK OF JULY 4-10 B&C INDICES WEEK YTD THE B&C 10 3.4% 14.2% BROADCAST TV GROUPS -0.1% 10.4% CABLE TV MSO'S 3.4% 22.6% RADIO 0.7% 8.0% ...

AFTRA, SAG Vote leaves members wondering. (Unions).(merger vote falls just short)
July 14, 2003... The failure of the proposed merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists earlier this month especially rankled AFTRA, and now its members are asking: What's next? "When I first heard the...

Mandel cites 'consolidation tax'. (Top of the Week).(MediaCom co-chairman Jon Mandel says multiple-station ownership leads to higher advertising costs)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Multiple-station ownership has generated advertising-cost increases far above the supply and demand of the free market, according to Jon Mandel, co-chairman of ad-time-buying giant MediaCom. Mandel made his case as one of the witnesses at...

Gee, what a surprise. (Fast Track).(Spike Lee reaches a settlement with TNN, allowing the network to become Spike TV)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... TNN can now be SPIKE TV. That's after the VIACOM-owned cable net and filmmaker SPIKE LEE reached an undisclosed settlement and a New York judge tossed out an earlier injunction, won by Lee, that barred the network from adopting the new name....

From the critics press tour. (Fast Track).(cable industry news briefs)
July 14, 2003... HGTV is adding three series. Outer Spaces, premiering Sept. 30, will surprise homeowners with a makeover of their outdoor spaces. Debuting the same night is Date With Design, where a single woman chooses one of three bachelor pads to redecorate...

Sole man. (Payback).(book sales force CNN's Tucker Carlson to eat cake)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Hillary Clinton let CNN's designated conservative Tucker Carlson off with merely eating a shoe-shaped cake rather than his actual shoe, as the Crossfire co-host promised if Clinton's book Living History sold 1 million copies. "I really want you...

We're a Rolex, says CNN chief: with Zahn, Cooper and O'Brien, news net shapes up. (Top of the Week).(CNN chief Jim Walton prepares his strategy for the network)
July 14, 2003... Don't ask new CNN chief Jim Walton for his strategy for taking on ratings leader Fox News Channel. He simply won't answer. "There is certainly a lot of noise about a competitor," said the 20year CNN vet "But I don't get caught up in that." ...

FCC quizzes Murdoch, GM. (Top of the Week).(the FCC continues to consider News Corp.'s bid to acquire control of Hughes/DirecTV)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Rupert Murdoch and company have some homework to turn in before they find out whether the FCC will give them a passing grade on their effort to acquire DirecTV. The next step in securing government approval for his bid to control Hughes...

Old CEOs never die. (Management).(Mike Armstrong resigns as chairman of Comcast)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Talk about a low profile. Mike Armstrong has quietly resigned his post as chairman of Comcast. The former CEO of AT&T Corp. got Comcast's "top" slot last November when the MSO acquired ailing AT&T Broadband, a move that allowed Armstrong to...

It's Chinatown'. (Programming).(USA Network's new series 'Peace-makers' is derivative of 'Chinatown')(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Tom Berringer (right) is no Jack Nicholson, but he plays Jack on TV. USA Network made no secret that its new series Peace-makers was derivative (think CSI-meets-Gunsmoke), but we didn't know quite how derivative it would be in the two-hour...

Does ESPN have a plan C? (Cable).(ESPN faces some resistance in its rate hike plans)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... As ESPN's big Aug. rate hike looms, no cable operator has yet signed up for the sports network's alternate affiliation deal. Operators, for some reason, years ago agreed to a 20% escalator in ESPN license tees, not focusing on the fact that in,...

IBS to test daypart sites. (Interactive).(Internet Broadcasting System tests different Web sites for different times of the day)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Internet Broadcasting System, which produces Web sites for TV stations, is learning something from those stations: day-parting. "Stations have known for a long time that people have different needs for TV at different times of the day," says...

Winning friends. (Government Relations).(a weather report saves a woman from following the path of a possible tornado)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Broadcasters brag about their emergency weather reports. FCC Media Bureau attorney Shaun Maher found out last week that broadcasters' claim is no idle boast. Just as his wife was leaving for work on the afternoon of July 9, a report on WTOP(AM)...

Manufacturers sign on for new HD format. (Top of the Week).(Canon, JVC, Sharp and Sony are developing a high-definition recording format based on the consumer Digital Video format)
July 14, 2003... Canon, JVC, Sharp and Sony are working on a new high-definition recording format that is based on the consumer Digital Video (DV) format currently sold in retail stores nationwide. By using that already developed format, the manufacturers will...

Marriage sacred to capitol. (Station Break).(WRAL-TV refuses to air CBS' 'Cupid')(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... RALEIGH, N.C.--Capitol Broadcasting's WRAL-TV did not air CBS reality show Cupid, invoking the community-standards clause in its affiliate agreement and contending that the show demeans marriage. Cupid is a relationship show from American Idol...

Tower troubles. (Station Break).(KETV-TV's main tower falls)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... OMAHA, NEB.--KETV-TV had to go to a back-up tower when its over-1,200-foot main tower fell to the ground late on July 4. No one was at the site, the station reported, so there were no injuries, and engineers were inspecting the collapsed tower...