Broadcasting & Cable articles from July 2005

Broadcasting & Cable archives from July 2005

Where to be and what to watch ...(B&C WEEK)(Calendar)
July 4, 2005... Monday, July 4 A fireworks duel! No, it's not Roman candles at 10 paces, it's NBC's Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular from New York vs. CBS' The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. It's the East River vs. the Charles River. Al Roker vs....

Pepper goes with Cisco.(appointment of Robert Pepper.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Robert Pepper, the FCC policy chief whose 1995 letter to Congress estimating the value of DTV channels led to broadcasters being criticized as recipients of a "$70 billion giveaway," is leaving the government to join Cisco Systems. Pepper,...

Nielsen will wait for audits.(Nielsen Media Research Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Nielsen Media Research says it will wait until Ernst & Young audits its new local people meter (LPM) ratings system and submits them to the Media Ratings Council (MRC) before rolling out the system in new markets. The announcement marks a...

Al Jazeera Int'l coming to U.S.(foreign operations)
July 4, 2005... Al Jazeera International says it is on schedule to launch in first-quarter 2006 as the first 24-hour English-language international news network headquartered in the Middle East. But it remains to be seen how successful it will be in gaining...

TNT renews 'The Closer'.(NEWS & COMMENT)(turner television network)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... TNT has renewed its blockbuster summer drama, The Closer, for a second season of 15 episodes. The original crime series, starring Kyra Sedgwick, has notched sky-high ratings for Turner Broadcasting's TNT since its June 13 premiere. The...

ABC pulls 'Welcome To the Neighborhood'.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ABC has taken Welcome to the Neighborhood off the schedule after criticism of the selection process for the winners of a new home. The National Fair Housing Coalition put out an alert slamming the show, saying, "The premise of the show is...

No quick ownership fix.(Federal Communications Commission on license renewals)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Media General, Tribune and other TV groups with newspaper holdings that conflict with FCC anti-consolidation rules face a wait of one year or more before they will learn whether they must sell some of their properties. FCC Commissioner...

Comcast sees Starz over free VOD.(NEWS & COMMENT)
July 4, 2005... Comcast will increase by sixfold the number of free video-on-demand movies it offers digital-cable subscribers under a new deal with Starz Encore Group. Starz will give Comcast access to 1,500 titles per year to fuel its massive VOD...

'Apprentice' cruise steaming ahead.(Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd.)
July 4, 2005... They're like two ships passing in the Trumpian night. Actually, they are ships. One is the Carnival Legend, sailing from New York on a cruise to the Caribbean this fall, with The Apprentice as its theme. The other is the Norwegian Dawn,...

The FTC's lost rule.(Federal Trade Commission)(TV sizing)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Here's an outlaw gang that doesn't exactly strike fear in hearts of peaceable citizens: Sony, RCA, Best Buy, Circuit City... and just about any other TV manufacturer or retailer that has done business in the U.S. in the past four decades. ...

Reality check.(NEWS & COMMENT)
July 4, 2005... Casting call of the week, thanks to Craigslist in Los Angeles: Do you want to get your voice heard on MTV? We want to give you the chance to perform an ORIGINAL song live on-stage to win the heart of a hot girl or guy!... With the help of...

ABC contemplates next step for 'Dancing': New hit leads revival of summer reality TV; avoiding the 'Millionaire' fate.(reality television programs)
July 4, 2005... With 14.9 million viewers on average watching Dancing With the Stars every week, ABC is pondering the prospect of trying to turn the No. 1 new show of the summer into a long-term franchise. But the network is moving carefully, mindful of the...

Keeping ESPN in line: the sports channel's in-house umpire speaks.(Entertainment and Sports Programming Network appoints George Solomon)(Interview)
July 4, 2005... Long-time Washington Post sports editor George Solomon was recently named to the newly created position of ombudsman for ESPN. Beginning July 1, Solomon's role will include analyzing the decision-making behind and presentation of ESPN...

Ratings 6/13-19/05: Nielsen media research.(SYNDICATION)(Illustration)
July 4, 2005... RATINGS 6/13-19/05 Nielsen Media Research Top 25 Shows ADULTS 18-34 PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Sienfeld 3.4 4.2 2 Friends 3.2 4.1 3...

Putting the 'I' in Pax TV: struggling network will change name, sell time.(SYNDICATION)
July 4, 2005... Paxson Communications' announcement that it will morph its Pax TV network into a new entity called "I" opens up new real estate for syndicators in search of homes for their programming. But the question remains: How valuable are these sparsely...

Reporting live. Very carefully: fearful of costly FCC fines, news director ponder the risks of reporting from the field, where the unexpected can happen.(Viacom Inc.)(Kron)(Federal Communications Commission )
July 4, 2005... During the recent San Francisco Pride Parade, KRON News Director Mark Antonitis began to feel a little tense when he saw a group of female motorcyclists head toward him. Referred to as "Dykes on Bikes," some members of the entourage are...

Justices refuse sources' confidentiality.(WASHINGTON WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Reporters are facing swirl fallout from the Supreme Court's June 27 refusal to hear the appeals of two journalists who face jail time for withholding sources' identities from criminal investigators. One day after the high court refused to...

CPB bias inquiry went beyond Moyers.(WASHINGTON WATCH)(Corporation for Public Broadcasting)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... A controversial analysis of bias in public broadcasting was "a little nutty" and a "complete waste" of $14,170 in taxpayer funds, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) declared after reviewing 58 pages of raw data from the study commissioned by...

Big media's supreme victories: court rulings to limit P2Ps and ISPs.(Peer to peer computing)(Internet service providers)
July 4, 2005... Big media just swept a double header. In two separate decisions last week, the Supreme Court set ground rules for two of the most important new communications technologies. The first ruling upheld FCC rules allowing cable companies to...

BBC Sells Off BBC Broadcast.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The BBC surprised the broadcast technology sector last week when it agreed to sell off the BBC Broadcast division to Creative Broadcast Services Ltd. for approximately $297 million. The BBC wasn't expected to complete the sale of the division...

Martin Floats "either/or" must-carry.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... To encourage greater viewership of digital-TV channels, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants to give TV stations the right to choose whether local cable systems carry their old analog channels or their new digital ones. Martin wants his fellow...

C-SET is shuttered.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television - facility closures.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... After only ten months on-air, Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television (C-SET), the 24-hour regional sports and entertainment network owned by BET founder Robert Johnson, ceased operations June 30. Launched on October 16, 2004, C-SET was...

Justice O'Connor steps down.(resignation.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... The resignation of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on Friday gave the White House a chance to replace her with a more conservative justice. That could be good news for media companies seeking further ownership deregulation if a...

VNR ruling handed down.(FAST TRACK)(video news releases )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Government-produced video news releases (VNRs) will be required to disclose their origins under a measure approved by the House Thursday. The House voted to prohibit the White House, federal agencies or their subcontractors from producing...

Cablevision kills two local channels.(service discontinuation.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Cablevision systems shuttered two of its three New York area cable channels, Metro TV and Metro Stories, June 24. In May, Cablevision began notifying customers about the change with scroll messages. Cablevision is continuing production on a...

CMT snags Miss America.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Gaylord Entertainment Co. Cable Networks Div.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... There she is, Miss America... on CMT. The Viacom-owned country music cable channel will be the new home of The Miss America Pageant, thanks to a multi-year deal with The Miss America Organization. CMT will carry the pageant in January 2006...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
July 4, 2005... The photo credit for the technology story on page 12 of this week's B&C is missing. The inset photo should be credited to the Beverly Hilton... WHO Des Moines, Iowa, and WTHR Indianapolis and KATV Little Rock, Ark., all won two Edward R....

High def-inn-ition: the new luxury hotel amenity: HD on a flat-screen TV.(technology)(analysts view on new trends of hotels)
July 4, 2005... When black & white TV was the norm in American households, hotels lured customers with color TV. When color TV became widespread, hotels offered cable. Once cable was prevalent, the response was free HBO. And then hotels sweetened the...

You've got streams: AOL.com's new portal showcases video.(Tech q&a on streaming media)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 4, 2005... Later this month, AOL.com will officially launch a free portal, giving visitors a place to check e-mail, find news, and even stream video clips, including movie trailers and content from AOL's Time Warner sibling, CNN. B&C's Ken Kerschbaumer...

The prime time race.(Illustration)
July 4, 2005... THE PRIME TIME RACE Top 10 Basic Cable Shows June 20-26 Total Households (in millions) PROGRAM DATE NET HHS 1. The Closer 6/20 TNT 4.2 2. WINE Raw 10p ...

Nielsen ratings June 20-26.(Illustration)
July 4, 2005... NIELSEN JUNE 20-26 RATINGS Week 40 abc MONDAY 3.0/5 8:00 72. The Scholar 2.7/5 8:30...

Pressing for media reform: a silver bullet aimed at consolidation.(FIFTH ESTATER)
July 4, 2005... After a day spent hitting up foundations and wealthy individuals on behalf of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington, Josh Silver one evening three years ago tuned into a local TV station to catch the latest...

Clear Channel Television Sales.(Steve Spendlove appointed as vice president at Clear Channel Television.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... STEVE SPENDLOVE, regional VP/ general manager, Clear Channel Television Sales, Fresno, Calif., promoted to senior VP, Western region.

Eric Peterson, media research manager, Fallon Worldwide, Minneapolis, Minn..(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ERIC PETERSON, media research manager, Fallon Worldwide, Minneapolis, Minn., named research director, KSTP St. Paul and KSTC Minneapolis.

KCEN Temple.(Jerry Ridling appointed as director at KCEN Temple.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JERRY RIDLING, news director, WPEC West Palm Beach, Fla., to managing editor, KCEN Temple, Texas.

WMTV Madison.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ROBERT CRAIN, news director, WSAW Wausau, Wis., promoted to news director WMTV Madison, Wis.; GIL BUETTNER, station manager, WWMT Kalamazoo, Mich., named news director WSAW Wausau.

Cablevision Systems Corporation.(appointment of Lawrence J. Burian at Cablevision Systems Corporation.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... LAWRENCE J. BURIAN, VP/assistant general counsel, named senior VP/associate general counsel and business affairs, Cablevision Systems Corporation, Bethpage, N.Y.

Comcast Spotlight.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... At Comcast: BRIAN MARSH, station manager, WASV Spartanburg, S.C., named general manager, Comcast Spotlight, Jacksonville, Fla.; JIM BIBB, director, inside plant engineering, Atlanta region, promoted to senior director, regional engineering;...

Time Warner Cable.(Michelle Kim appointed as vice president at Time Warner Cable.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... MICHELLE KIM, senior counsel, programming, Time Warner Cable, Stamford, Conn., promoted to VP/chief counsel, programming.

Touchstone Television.(Barry Jossen appointed as Vice president at Touchstone Television.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... BARRY JOSSEN, senior VP, production, Touchstone Television, promoted to executive VP.

William Morris Agency Beverly Hills, Calif., to Vin Di Bona Productions, Santa Monica, Calif.(appointments.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... From William Morris Agency, Beverly Hills, Calif., to Vin Di Bona Productions, Santa Monica, Calif.: SCOTT JACKSON, coordinator, reality television department, named director, development; JEFF FOSTER, alternative programming, network...

Discovery New York.(appointment of Andrea Kolb as Sales manager.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ANDREA KOLB, sales manager, Discovery New York, named VP/national sales manager.

Scripps Networks.(appointment of Jeffry Kissinger.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JEFFERY KISSINGER, director, strategy and planning, HGTV, Knoxville, Tenn., promoted to VP, promotion strategy, Scripps Networks, Knoxville, Tenn.

NBC Universal, Burbank, Calif.(Deborah Thomas and Liza Rindge-Peterson appointed at NBC Universal.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... At NBC Universal, Burbank, Calif.: DEBORAH THOMAS, VP, media relations, entertainment publicity promoted to VP; LIZA RINDGE-PETERSON, VP, daytime programs, specials and longform publicity upped to VP, prime time series and longform publicity.

A&E Television Networks.(appointments)
July 4, 2005... At A&E Television Networks: JOAN GUNDLACH, regional VP, affiliate sales and marketing, Central/ West regions, named senior VP, affiliate sales and marketing, Chicago; JOY PHENIX, VP, affiliate sales and marketing, Southeast region, named senior...

Davie-Brown Entertainment.(appointment of Robert T.Schneider as vice president.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ROBERT T. SCHNEIDER, senior VP, corporate worldwide promotions, Warner Bros., Los Angeles, named executive VP, Davie-Brown Entertainment, Los Angeles.

Bunim-Murray Productions.(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Promoted at Bunim-Murray Productions, Van Nuys, Calif.: GIL GOLDSCHEIN, VP, business and legal affairs, promoted to senior VP; PHIL CASTANEDA, VP, production finance, promoted to senior VP; PATRICK MURPHY, VP, production, named senior...

Fox Television Studios.(Fox Television Studios appointed Leslie Orien as vice president.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... LESLIE OREN, VP, publicity, Bunim-Murray Telepictures Productions, named senior VP, publicity and corporate communications, Fox Television Studios, Los Angeles.

Court TV, New York.(PROGRAMMING)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... At Court TV, New York: JESSICA SHREEVE, VP, documentaries and specials, AMC, New York, named VP, current programming and specials; in current programming and specials: MADELYN BRUDNER, senior associate producer, named coordinating producer;...

Fuse, New York.(Andrew Morris appointed as Vice President at Fuse.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ANDREW MORRIS, VP, research, television group, TV Guide, New York, appointed VP, research, Fuse, New York.

Sony Pictures Television International.(appointment of Rozanne Englehart as vice president.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... ROZANNE ENGLEHART, director, media research, Warner Bros. Television Distribution, Los Angeles, named VP, programming and research, Sony Pictures Television International, Culver City, Calif.

Gospel Music Channel.(PROGRAMMING)(Jeff Brown appointed as director.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JEFF BROWN, regional sales manager, Great American Country, Centennial, Colo., appointed director, affiliate sales, Central region, Gospel Music Channel, Denver.

CSTV.(appointmet of John Duff.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JOHN DUFF, executive director, AOL, Dulles, Va., named executive VP, distribution, CSTV, New York.

FSN South.(apointment of Jeffrey Genthner as vice president.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JEFFREY GENTHNER, senior VP/general manager, FSN Florida, named VP/general manager, FSN South, Atlanta.

World Wrestling Entertainment.(Michael Mcneil appointed as vicepresident.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... MICHAEL MCNEIL, director, development, NYC2012, Olympic organization, New York, named VP, partnership marketing, World Wrestling Entertainment, Stamford, Conn.

Starz Entertainment Group.(PROGRAMMING)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... At Starz Entertainment Group, Englewood, Colo.: BRIAN SWANSON, manager, affiliate sales, promoted to director, affiliate point of sale; ERIC NEAL, senior analyst, strategic planning, promoted to director, affiliate sales and marketing; CHRIS...

PK Network.(ADVERTISING/MARKETING/PR)(Joe Boyle appointed as Vicepresident of PK Network.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... JOE BOYLE, VP, corporate communications, iN DEMAND Networks, New York, named managing director, PK Network, New York.

Concrete Pictures.(TECHNOLOGY)(Keith Johnston, appointed as creative director Concrete Pictures)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... KEITH JOHNSTON, CGI director, visual effects, GTN, Atlanta, named creative director, Concrete Pictures, Philadelphia.

Datebook.(Calendar)
July 4, 2005... JULY JULY 13-15 NEW ENGLAND CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSN. CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION Marriott Hotel, Newport, R.I. Contact: www.necta.info JULY 21-22 MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS SUMMER MEETING Soaring Eagle...

Hold the fireworks.(journalists require federal protection)(Editorial)
July 4, 2005... Last week was tough on the First Amendment and many of the other rights we celebrate on Independence Day. Sadly, the Supreme Court declined to even hear the appeal of The New York Times' Judith Miller and Time magazine's Matthew Cooper....

The American Dream and TV.(airtime)(Column)
July 4, 2005... On Independence Day, we celebrate the very things Hollywood has always been able to sell to the world--American values, history and aspirations. So good is American television at doing this that it even contributed to the end of the Cold War....

Where to be and what to watch ...(B&C WEEK)(Calendar)
July 11, 2005... Monday, May 9 At last, the era of dead-singer-replacement reality TV is here! Rock Star: INXS premieres on CBS (9 p.m. ET), hosted by ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro and Brooke Burke, formerly of E!'s Wild On travel series....

Voiceover overload.(THE ROBINS REPORT)
July 11, 2005... Along with nearly half the critics in the 2005 B&C Poll (page 14), I've already found a couple of favorites among this fall's crop of new shows: UPN's Everybody Hates Chris and NBC's My Name Is Earl. Both comedies are laugh-out-loud funny. ...

Reality scribes sue Nets, Studios.(FAST TRACK)
July 11, 2005... The Writers Guild of America (WGA) escalated its fight over reality TV, backing a suit by a dozen writers who accused eight networks and production companies of violating California labor laws. The suit, filed Thursday in California state...

'Dancing,' 'Geek' finish strong.(FAST TRACK)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... ABC is crowing about the finale of Dancing With the Stars, and The WB is trumpeting its final installment of Beauty and the Geek. Dancing, airing at 9-10 p.m. Wednesday, garnered 22.4 million viewers (versus 19.3 million combined on the...

'ER' slated for WB afternoon slot.(FAST TRACK)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... The ER will get a lot busier in January. The WB has announced that the 12-year-old medical drama hit will make its debut as a Monday-Friday broadcast strip. It will be paired with 8 Simple Rules in the first nine-month installment of The...

TV vanquished by AOL's Live 8? Not quite.(FLASH!)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... It turns out that reports of the death of TV at the hands of Live 8 and America Online were greatly exaggerated. Soon after the July 2 concerts, the conventional wisdom set in: The event was a turning point in the way people consume...

A VNR fixer.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Video News Release)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... As threats to restrict government-produced video news releases reached a fever pitch on Capitol Hill this spring, Medialink CEO Laurence Moskowitz--whose company is a major distributor of VNRs--didn't mess around. He hired Public Strategies...

A little late.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Here's the headline of the CBS press release: "FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, 'THE LATE LATE SHOW' DELIVERS MORE VIEWERS THAN 'LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN." Here's the asterisked editor's note: "Last week, NBC's late-night programs were...

ABC: an upfront spoiler? Rivals think the network set the ad-market bar too low.(MONEY TALKS)
July 11, 2005... ABC Ad Sales President Mike Shaw, who heads a team that is bringing $2 billion or so in the door, has no reason to be paranoid. So why does he keep a bullet-proof vest in his office? The front bears a label with his name; the back features...

The B&C.(NEWS & COMMENT)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 11, 2005... THE B&C WEEK OF JULY 1-7 WEEK YTD THE B&C 10 -1.3% -8.4% BROADCST TV GROUPS -0.1% -12.1% CABLE OPERATORS -1.5% -3.9% RADIO -0.4% -8.0% ...

Ratings 6/20-26/05: Nielsen Media Rerearch.(SYNDICATION)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 11, 2005... RATINGS 6/20-26/05 Nielsen Media Research Top 25 Shows HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Wheel of Fortune 6.9 NA 2 Jeopardy! 6.0 NA 3...

Trib's 'World'-class deal: DreamWorks pact includes Spielberg flick.(SYNDICATION)(Tribune Entertainment Co.)
July 11, 2005... Dick Askin, president/ CEO of Tribune Entertainment, aims to grow his company's ties with DreamWorks SKG to include original programming, production distribution and acquisitions. Last week, while agreeing to the third extension of a...

'Jeopardy!' can't beat a winner.(IN FOCUS)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... The ghost of Jeopardy/player extraordinaire Ken Jennings haunted the game show in the Nielsen national barter rankings for the week ended June 26, the first full week of summer, when viewing levels fall as the weather heats up. Jennings,...

Last 'Danza' for several staffers.(IN FOCUS)(Tony Danza Show )(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... As The Tony Danza Show prepares for its do-or-die sophomore season, Buena Vista Television has axed executive producer John Redmann, supervising producer Shane Farley, and Ereka Vetrini, a correspondent and former contestant on NBC's The...

Station stresses Boston accent.(STATION TO STATION)
July 11, 2005... After five years and two markets, Diane Sutter is close to bringing her vision for a new breed of community broadcasting to the airwaves. Later this summer, Sutter, founder and president of Shooting Star Broadcasting, plans to re-launch...

Sad news.(STATION TO STATION)(Obituary)
July 11, 2005... Alex Frank, son of Post-Newsweek station group CEO Alan Frank, died June 24 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 29 years old. The family requests that donations be sent to the Alex Frank Scholarship Fund at the Berklee College of...

Networks' summer show and tell: critics to preview new fall series.(NEWS & COMMENT)
July 11, 2005... This week marks the beginning of an expensive, surreal 21/2-week PR marathon known as the Television Critics Association summer press tour (TCA), which is designed to highlight new shows for the fall season. While TCA is officially intended...

At a glance.(MARKET EYE)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 11, 2005... AT A GLANCE The Market DMA Rank 67 Population 1,089,000 TV homes 446,000 Income Per Capita $15,800 TV Revenue Rank 86 TV Revenue ...

A mountainous divide: Blue Ridge barrier bisects this market.(MARKET EYE)
July 11, 2005... Hyphenated television markets are always challenging because stations have to cover news in two cities and serve different sets of advertisers. But the Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va., market, Nielsen's 67th-largest, presents more obstacles than usual....

Two outlets dabble in digital.(MARKET EYE)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Two Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va., stations are aggressively pursuing content for its digital-broadcast channels. CBS affiliate WDBJ currently broadcasts three digital multicast channels: a high-definition channel, a general-entertainment outlet...

The demos.(MARKET EYE)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 11, 2005... THE DEMOS SHARE OF WHO POPULATION INDEX White 84% 102 Black 14% 119 Hispanic 2% 15 Asian 0% 11 * Index is a measurement...

'Lost' shuns sci-fi label: it's a relationship show about people caught up in extraordinary circumstances.(AD INFINITUM)(Advertisement)
July 11, 2005... ABC's breakout hit, Lost, features a character cursed by numbers, polar bears on a tropical island, a group of supernatural-type people called "The Others" and some sort of monster. But the network's marketing people still insist it isn't a...

Tobacco foes push to boost anti-smoking ads.(WASHINGTON WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2005... Anti-tobacco ads save lives, say anti-smoking advocates. Citing a new study demonstrating the ads' effectiveness, the anti-smoking faction hopes to persuade state officials to spend more of their tobacco settlement warning kids about the...