Broadcasting & Cable articles from July 2004

Broadcasting & Cable archives from July 2004

Get ready to rumble: after months of assault, defenders of the First Amendment go on the offensive.(First Amendment Special)
July 5, 2004... From his WXRK(FM) studio in midtown Manhattan, Howard Stern, the self-described "King of All Media," claimed another title: Defender of Free Speech. Before a crowd of reporters invited to hear news that nine more stations would carry his...

Library bid: Time Warner eyes MGM's movies and TV shows.(Top of the Week)(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.)
July 5, 2004... There are lots of good reasons Time Warner should stay out of the hunt for movie studio MGM. They range from accounting investigations to the risk of souring revived investor confidence. But Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons needs only one...

Movie man.(Breaking ...)(appointments at Motion Picture Association of America.)
July 5, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Dan Glickman, former Democratic Congressman from Kansas and Secretary of Agriculture, will succeed Jack Valenti as president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. Valenti formally announced his resignation last...

People meters set for L.A.(Breaking ...)
July 5, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- A California Superior Court Judge last week denied Univision's bid for a preliminary injunction against Nielsen's rollout of local people meters here, clearing the way for the July 8 launch. Univision had argued that the...

No interference.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... WASHINGTON -- A pair of Baja, Mexico, AM stations causing major interference to U.S. broadcasters have powered down and changed frequencies, says the State Department. The interference had hit some Los Angeles and San Francisco stations and, at...

Freedom under fire.(Top of the Week)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... Rumblings of unrest JAN. 1, 2000: Pushed by Rep. Ed Markey, the "V-chip" channel-blocking device is required in all TV sets 13 inches and larger. When the public yawns, Washington frets that more must be done to protect kids from violent...

Affiliates squawk at Fox.(Fox Cable Networks Group, affiliation contract regulations)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Affiliates told the FCC last week that the Big Four networks have agreed to important changes in their affiliation contracts, but there are still issues that require FCC action. Most surround the ability to reject network programming. A few...

FCC: Copps vs. Powell.(broadcasting regulations of Federal Communications Commission, Michael Copps)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... FCC Commissioner MICHAEL COPPS said last week that the FCC should quickly start rewriting its broadcast-ownership rules, even though a new lineup of commissioners could be in place by the time they are ready. "It's time to get serious around...

Top dog.(Maureen Smith is appointed in Animal Planet)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... There is a new chief at Animal Planet. Former Fox Family head Maureen Smith (left) is joining Discovery Networks to be Animal Planet's executive vice president and general manager. She takes over from former GM Michael Cascio. Animal Planet...

Comcast takes page from MagRack.(new service)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... COMCAST is planning to launch a slate of specialty "channels" created specifically for its video-on-demand service. The idea is described as similar to CABLEVISION's faltering MAGRACK, only cheaper, and will focus on niches too narrow to...

Freedom limits.(broadcasting regulation statistics)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... According to a study from think tank THE FREEDOM FORUM, a majority of Americans accept government regulation of media content, cable and broadcast--except nighttime cable. Although a vast majority said parents should do the media screening...

Fox, FX snare Web flick.(Fox Cable Networks Group, FX Networks L.L.C., contract)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Spider-Man 2 hadn't even opened in theaters when the deal was revealed: FOX and FX have already wrapped up the rights. The two co-owned networks and SONY PICTURES TV struck a 10-year deal said to be worth $50 million. When the deal triggers in...

MTV tests reality drama.(MTV Networks Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Just think of it as a combination of Beverly Hills 90210 and The Real World. MTV is trying to remake the mold with its latest original series, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, slated for a fall launch. The series is billed as a "reality...

Champion of free speech.(Two Views On The First Amendment)
July 5, 2004... First Amendment lawyer Robert Corn-Revere has been one of the most successful defenders of free-speech rights. Before the Supreme Court in 1999, he successfully argued against channel-blocking requirements that Congress had imposed on Playboy...

Big media's foe.(two views on The First Amendment)
July 5, 2004... Michael Copps' campaign to clamp down on broadcast indecency is showing results. The history-professor-turned-FCC-commissioner insists he's no less a defender of free speech than his critics. In his view, the FCC has placed too much emphasis on...

Swing time: did Bush's recent commercial blitz click--or are 527s the wild card?(Top of the Week)
July 5, 2004... Both presidential campaigns have talented commercial producers. Both offer a sophisticated, unprecedented plan for buying time. And both are spending like sailors on shore leave. But according to ABC News Political Director Mark Halperin, it...

Harbert's true Hollywood story.(Ted Harbert appointed in E! Networks)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Ted Harbert is known for his deep Hollywood connections. They are about to be tested. Harbert was tapped last week as the new CEO of E! Networks, replacing ousted chief Mindy Herman, who is exiting amid allegations she abused her power and...

Sliced and diced.(survey of cooking television programs)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Can you get food poisoning from TV? You might, if you mimic cooks on the tube. Food-safety researchers at Canada's University of Guelph found that chefs on the Canadian version of Food Network constantly violate the most basic rules of food...

Surf and turf.(National Broadcasting Company Inc., marketing )(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... NBC is adding car accidents and swimsuit models to the reality-TV universe. The search for America's Worst Driver could, as far as we're concerned, start and end in Boston. Though already shot, the special has no air date. If it works, Driver...

The good fight: PBS to launch an unprecedented effort on global health in 2005.(Programming)
July 5, 2004... Almost 11 million children worldwide die each year. An estimated 10 million deaths are preventable, say worldwide health officials. To combat this crisis, PBS will air a six-hour miniseries in November 2005 that takes an aggressive look at what...

Ratings: June 14-20.(television programs)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 5, 2004... Top 25 Shows Households RANK PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Wheel of Fortune 7.4 NA 2 Jeopardy 6.5 NA 3 Oprah Wlnfrey Show 6.2 6.3 4 Seinfeld ...

Judgment day.(popularity of television program 'Judge Judy' of Paramount Pictures Corp. Domestic Television Div.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The verdict is in. The only thing Paramount Domestic Television is tweaking on No. 1 gaveler Judge Judy is the opening credits and the theme music. "We thought it was time we got ourselves a recognizable theme song, one people know when...

Street news.(NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution appointed Maria Bartiromo)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has snagged Maria Bartiromo, anchor at co-owned CNBC, to anchor half-hour weekly The Wall Street Journal Report. That signals an end to her CNBC show Special Report Mondays at 7-8 (Capital Report,...

TV magazines sizzle.(Syndie Insider)(ratings)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Most access entertainment magazines were hot in the week ended June 20. Four of the five got bumps from the release of former President Bill Clinton's memoir, as well as retrospectives on the late Ray Charles. Ratings for some shows were...

Petretti promotion.(Sony Pictures Television appointed James Petretti)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... James Petretti has been named vice president of advertiser sales research and planning at Sony Pictures Television. He is relocating to New York from Los Angeles and will report to Senior Vice President of Television Research Douglas Roth....

The prime time race.(Programming)(Illustration)
July 5, 2004... THE PRIME TIME RACE Top 10 Basic Cable Shows June 21-27 Total Households (in millions) PROGRAM DATE NET HHS 1. WWE Raw 10p 6/21 SPK 3.9 2. Salem's Let, Part 2 6/21 TNT...

Nielsen ratings: June 21-27.(Programming)(Illustration)
July 5, 2004... NIELSEN RATINGS June 21-27 abc MONDAY Week 40 3.5/6 8:00 44. My Wife & Kids 3.7/7 8:30 60. George Lopez ...

Olympian efforts: NBC taps Sony, Cyradis and Blue Order gear to speed production at summer games.(Technology)(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Sony Corp.)
July 5, 2004... At the Olympics, every second counts--and not just for the athletes. NBC will be encouraged to shave production time to ensure the best coverage reaches U.S. viewers. To do so, the network is taking an innovative approach to managing incoming...

Smart talk.(Cutting Edge)(Omneon Video Networks Inc., Computer industry)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Looking to ease your station's multi-language capabilities? Omneon Video Networks has added an intelligent track-management and routing function to its Spectrum media server. It allows playback of multiple languages across multiple channels...

Looking good.(Cutting Edge)(television stations to monitor over-the air signals)(Miranda's Kaliedo-K2 multi-image display)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Two Salt Lake City stations, KUED-DT and KULC-DT, are being operated out of a consolidated broadcast center that uses Miranda's Kaliedo-K2 multi-image display for monitoring over-the-air signals. One system is dedicated to each channel,...

In focus.(Cutting Edge)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Satellite-uplink and production-vehicle provider Sure Shot Transmissions recently selected Thales Angenieux 62x9.5 OB sports lenses for use in its latest vehicle, the Kelsey Marie. According to Sure Shot President Dennis Kunce, confidence in...

Archived clips.(Cutting Edge)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... BBC Worldwide has launched the BBC Motion Gallery, providing online access to moving-image clips from the BBC and CBS News archives. Visitors to www.bbcmotiongallery.com can find more than 10,000 clips. The site has a search engine and...

Home improvements: utilities agency supplies video, voice and data to residents.(Technology)(New Smyrna Beach Utilities Commission)
July 5, 2004... It's usually the telephone or cable company that offers the triple play of voice, video and data services. But residents of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., have an unusual supplier: the local utilities commission. "We'll be up and running with the...

Broadband nation: eagle brings cable to communities.(Tech Q&A)
July 5, 2004... When in doubt, do it yourself. At least, that's what Eagle Broadband advocates. The company is working with towns nationwide to help them lay fiber, building de facto cable systems without support from a local cable operator--if one even...

Trouble-shooter: when Sony has a problem, it calls Scarcella.(The Fifth Estater)
July 5, 2004... John Scarcella's long, fruitful career with Sony began with a bad commute. Now president of Sony Broadcast and Professional Division, he was a consultant to accounting firm Peat Marwick Mitchell 19 years ago when a fire shut down New York's...

WPIX.(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JOHN HOUSEMAN, executive producer, News at Ten, WPIX New York, promoted to assistant news director.

KPIX.(Robin Magyar promoted to senior vice president at KPIX/KBHK San Francisco)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ROBIN MAGYAR, director, sales, KPIX San Francisco, promoted to senior VP, sales, KPIX/KBHK San Francisco.

KAUT.(Jamie Bolton appointed as director)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JAMIE BOLTON, client support, Nielsen Media Research, Dallas, named director, programming and research, KAUT Oklahoma City.

Comcast.(Joe Gamble promoted to regional vice president)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JOE GAMBLE, VP/general manager, Comcast, Pittsburgh, promoted to regional VP, Sacramento/Stockton, Calif., region.

Time Warner Cable.(Jack Herbert promoted to president)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACK HERBERT, group VP, finance, Time Warner Cable, Milwaukee, named division president, Time Warner Cable, Milwaukee Division.

Univision Communications.(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ANDREW W. HOBSON, executive VP, promoted to senior executive VP/ chief strategic officer, Univision Communications, Los Angeles.

Warner Brothers Television.(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... BRETT A. PAUL, senior VP, business affairs, Warner Brothers Television, Burbank, Calif., promoted to executive VP.

Discovery Networks.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... At Discovery Networks, Silver Spring, Md.: MONA ABUTALEB, senior VP, global shared services, Discovery Communications, Silver Spring, named executive VP, new media and network services; MAUREEN SMITH, co-creator/ executive producer, Taweel-Loos...

ABC Cable.(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... KERRY SHELDON HUGHES, VP, kids advertising sales and marketing, ABC Cable, Burbank, Calif., promoted to senior VP.

Showtime Networks.(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... At Showtime Networks: ROBERT HAYES, VP, new media, New York, promoted to senior VP; NIKKI FERRARO, director, special events, Los Angeles, promoted to VP, talent relations and special events.

TBS Los Angeles.(David Hudson promoted to production vice president)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... DAVID HUDSON, director, production/production finance, TBS Original Programming, promoted to VP, production, TBS, Los Angeles.

CBS Entertainment.(Alik Jaffe promoted to vice president)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ALIK JAFFE, director, current programs, CBS Entertainment, Los Angeles, promoted to VP.

ABC Inc.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... SUSAN DUMOND, managing consultant, IBM Business Consulting Services, Los Angeles, named VP, human resources, ABC Inc., Burbank, Calif.

MTV Network.(Programming)(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... OCEAN MACADAMS, managing editor, promoted to VP, MTV News, MTV Network, New York.

Starz Encore Group.(Programming)(appointments and promotions)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... At Starz Encore Group, Englewood, Colo.: LINDA BRAUNS, executive director, business intelligence, to VP, strategic planning; GERY ENGLISH, consultant, The Sales Fuel Group, Denver, named senior director, brand strategy; LAUREN RUETZ, manager,...

Sony Pictures Television.(James Petretti appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JAMES PETRETTI, VP, television research, Sony Pictures Television, Culver City, Calif., named VP, advertiser sales research and planning, Sony Pictures Television, New York.

Fuse Network.(Anthony D'Arrigo promoted)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ANTHONY D'ARRIGO, director, sales, Fuse Network, New York, promoted to VP, advertising sales.

Turner Network Sales and Turner Private Networks.(Lisa Pulliam appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... LISA PULLIAM VP, business improvement, TBS, Atlanta, named VP/segment controller, Turner Network Sales and Turner Private Networks, Atlanta.

MSG Networks.(Derby Schneider promoted)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... DERBY SCHNEIDER, director, network operations, promoted to VP, technical operations, MSG Networks, New York.

Gospel Music Channel.(Stacey Killian Hagewood appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... STACEY KILLIAN HAGEWOOD, VP, creative, MTV Networks/ Country Music Television, New York, appointed executive producer, Gospel Music Channel, Nashville, Tenn.

KTLA.(Damon Andrews is appointed )(KTLA, Los Angeles, California)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... DAMON ANDREWS, main anchor, Fox Sports Net, Chicago, joins KTLA Los Angeles, News at Ten, as sports director/weeknight sports anchor.

Fox Sports.(Inca Hammond appointed in FOX Sports Net)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... INCA HAMMOND, anchor, Fox Sports, Los Angeles/on-site reporter, USA Sports' PGA Tour coverage, New York, adds evening host, Bravo, 2004 Athens Olympics, New York.

MSNBC.(Lester Holt is appointed in MSNBC Cable Network)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... LESTER HOLT, co-host, weekend Today/anchor, Lester Holt Live, MSNBC, Secaucus, N.J., named host, Athens Olympic coverage.

CNBC.(Consumer News and Business Channel Partnership appointed Liz Claman)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... LIZ CLAMAN, co-anchor, Morning Call, Wake Up Call, CNBC, Fort Lee, N.J., named host, Cover to Cover.

KCAL.(Jackie Johnson appointed in KCAL Los Angeles)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JACKIE JOHNSON, weekday morning weathercaster, WSVN Miami, joins KCAL Los Angeles as 8, 9 and 10 p.m. weeknight weathercaster.

WFOR.(Beatriz Canals appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... BEATRIZ CANALS, weekday 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. anchor, WSVN Miami, joins WFOR Miami as Monday-Friday anchor.

KMGH.(Gordie Hershiser appointed in KMGH Denver)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... GORDIE HERSHISER, weekend, Fox Sports Rocky Mountain, Denver, joins KMGH Denver as sports reporter/fill in anchor.

WOIO.(Allison Alexander appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... ALLISON ALEXANDER, weekend anchor, KGUN Tucson, Ariz., joins WOIO Cleveland as anchor/reporter.

Insight Communications.(Lawrence Collins, Rene Wuhich appointed in Insight Communications Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... At Insight Communications: RENE WUHICH, owner/general manager, Activate Solutions Inc., Pensacola, Fla., appointed district VP, Florence, Ky.; LAWRENCE COLLINS, VP, engineering division, Time Warner Cable, Liberty, N.Y., appointed VP, customer...

Omnicom Media Group.(Tracy Dorsey appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... TRACY DORSEY, VP/associate director, Magna Global Entertainment, New York, named managing director, creative affairs, Omnicom Media Group, Full Circle Entertainment, New York.

Castelles & Asociados.(Castells and Asociados Advertising appointed Mario Granatur)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... MARIO GRANATUR, associate creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi Conill Advertising, Torrance, Calif., named creative director, Castells & Asociados, Los Angeles.

BMI.(Broadcast Music Inc. promoted Emily Ashton)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... EMILY ASHTON, director, government relations, BMI, New York, promoted to senior director.

Nielsen NRG.(Jason Kramer appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... JASON KRAMER, assistant general manager, entertainment and media division, Lieberman Research Worldwide, Century City, Calif., named executive VP, research and analysis/general manager, home entertainment, Nielsen NRG, Los Angeles.

The National Association of Media Brokers.(Christopher D. Miller appointed)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... CHRISTOPHER D. MILLER, president/chief executive officer, Gammon Media Brokers, Scottsdale, Ariz., appointed secretary, The National Association of Media Brokers, Ellicott City, Md.

Obituary.(Showtime Entertainment Inc. executive vice president Jeff Wade died)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 5, 2004... Showtime Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales And Marketing JEFF WADE died June 22 of brain cancer. He was 58. Wade began his career at Showtime in 1981 as south central regional director and subsequently served as senior vice...

Date book.(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... This Week July 5 Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Tom Polis Golf Classic. Kennett Square, Pa. Contact: Sandy Ray, 610-524-1725 ext. 224 July 10 Television News Center Anchor Training. Interface Media Group,...

Major meetings.(Date Book)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... Major Meetings July 18-21 Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing CTAM Summit 2004. Hynes Convention Center, Boston. Contact: Seth Morrison, 703-549-4200 Sept. 13 The National Academy of Television Arts and...

The censors are coming!(Editorials)
July 5, 2004... Few Independence Days have found the media less independent. The First Amendment is under attack from all sides, and, if a study by think tank Freedom Forum is any indication, "the public" doesn't much care. According to the report released...

Why I love the news crawl.(guest commentary)(popularity of Cable News Network news program)
July 5, 2004... If you have to compare, being a quadriplegic is not quite as bad in the summer as it is in the winter, since wheelchairs aren't made for snow and you're really stuck. So it was during the winter of 2001 that I began to realize I had become a...

Paxson wants a recount.(Open Mike)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2004... Editor: I read with great interest the lead story in the June 14 issue of BROADCASTING & CABLE reporting on the alleged capacity crunch facing cable operators "particularly in markets with a large number of broadcast stations" ["85 Billion...

Covering campaigns.(Open Mike)(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2004... Editor: In your June 22 stories on the BROADCASTING CABLE Web site and the TV Fax titled "ABC Details Campaign Coverage," Disney President Bob Iger claims that ABC's 10 owned-and-operated stations are "making the right decisions regarding the...

Our back pages: seven decades in defense of free speech.(To Protect The First Amendment)(Calendar)
July 5, 2004... Since this magazine's inception more than 70 years ago, B&C has been a steadfast defender of the First Amendment. Current events in Washington prove that it will always be necessary to keep up the fight. As the nation celebrates its freedoms...

Taff moves out, ladies take over.(Jerry Taft retired from Wireless Integrated Services Network)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... MILWAUKEE -- In an unusual move, WISN will post female co-anchors on its 10 p.m. newscast this week, replacing 25-year veteran Jerry Taft, who's retiring. Kathy Mykleby and Tammy Elliott will constitute one of the few all-women anchor teams for...

Competitors seek to block TV-station sale.(Malara Broadcast Group, proposed sale of CBS affiliate KDLH)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... DULUTH, MINN. -- Two area TV stations want the FCC to deny the proposed sale of CBS affiliate KDLH to Malara Broadcast Group. A petition filed by WDIO, the locally owned ABC affiliate, and KQDS, operated by KQDS Acquisition Group, calls...

WPTY fought the law.(management)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... WPTY Memphis, Tenn., Clear Channel's ABC affiliate, has had more than its fair share of run-ins with Memphis cops lately. On at least two occasions, police ordered station photographers away from crime scenes but let other people in, says News...

News goes later.(WNEW-FM-Radio, new program)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... MOOSIC, PA. -- WNEP, the longtime news leader in the Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa., market, plans to launch a 7 p.m. newscast this fall, the latest in a growing list of stations chipping away at the access hour. "Because of the time of day, you...

Give me (free) liberty!(services of Liberty Corp. new stations)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The 15 stations owned by Liberty Corp. will provide free airtime to federal political candidates and a select number of state candidates. Company guidelines call for each station to provide a minimum of one hour per week of...

Rethinking local news: time Warner Cable may sell some channels.(Top of the Week)
July 5, 2004... After an ambitious push into local markets with cable news channels, Time Warner Cable is considering the sale of some of the operations. The consideration reflects Time Warner Cable's concerns that the business was expanded too quickly or...

The limited: ratings drop. Revenues shrink. Originality fades. The next big thing: short-run series.
July 12, 2004... Gavin Polone is fed up with lawyers, cops and robbers. Four Law & Orders and three CSIs? "Viewers are getting tired of shows that all seem alike," says Polone, one of Hollywood's most plugged-in producers. Even a spiritual series like CBS's...