Broadcasting & Cable articles from July 2008

Broadcasting & Cable archives from July 2008

Deals.
July 7, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV KAQY (TV)/Columbia, La. PRICE : $10 million BUYER : Parker Broadcasting (Barry Parker, president) SELLER : Monroe Broadcasting (Joe Currie, GM) FACILITIES : Ch. 11, 316 kW, ant. 1,785 ft....

Ray of Hope.
July 7, 2008... By Michael Malone Tampa-area residents talking baseball, hurricanes As it does every June, hurricane season has arrived in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, and stations are gearing up their weather coverage. At WFTS, that means the...

ABC Affiliates Drop Brief, Moon FCC.(Federal Communications Commission )
July 7, 2008... John Eggerton By John Eggerton In what could fairly be described as a rhetorical mooning, the ABC Affiliate Association submitted a brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals last month filled with cheeky references to various naked...

Broadcast's $1 Billion Pot of Gold.
July 7, 2008... By Robert Marich With Jan. 1 deadline approaching, Cable Retransmission Deals could be lucrative--or contentious On Feb. 1, viewers in Spokane, Wash.'s Time Warner Cable system got back something they'd been without for more than a...

Silverman Chimes In.
July 7, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie NBC hopes old notes bring new viewers The chimes are back at NBC. Ben Silverman's fondness for the network's glory days is popping up again as a new "Chime In" campaign that will be tagged to all on-air promotions....

HBO's 'Generation Kill' Gamble.(Television program review)
July 7, 2008... By David Bianculli Iraq dramas shunned by audiences so far HBO is about to present its big summer viewing event: Generation Kill , a seven-part miniseries about the start of the 2003 Iraq invasion, based on the nonfiction book by Evan...

Layoffs Keep Coming.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By Michael Malone Summertime hasn't been too hot for employees at television stations. Layoffs have been rampant the past few weeks, and are expected to continue amidst a dim economic forecast. Mid-June saw a 7.5% staff reduction...

Simon Is Wired Into 'Generation Kill'.(Television program review)
July 7, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Like his prior HBO series, his new one explores the blunders of bureaucracy I have a certain amount of indifference to the idea of the average viewer," says David Simon. After all, he did create The Wire , which...

'Inside the NFL' Picks Team.(Showtime has named Cris Collinsworth)(James Brown has appointed)(Phil Simms also appointed as a hosts)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By Alex Weprin May add player to be named later Showtime has named Cris Collinsworth, James Brown and Phil Simms as the hosts of Inside the NFL , which will debut on the network Sept. 10. But multiple sources say the network is also...

BBC America's Ancier Tackles Stories of Import.
July 7, 2008... Staff BBC America (BBCA) sells itself as a destination for quality news and drama. But the network also walks an interesting tightrope: being British while appealing to distinctly American tastes. Its signature newscast, BBC World News...

Walking the Line.(Federal Communications Commission )
July 7, 2008... By John Eggerton Networks carefully word indecency defenses The TV networks and stations agree that the FCC's indecency enforcement is arbitrary, capricious and just plain wrong. But the differences in what they want a federal court to...

Is Versus a Contender?
July 7, 2008... By Ben Grossman Not long before trashing his knee at the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods did the same thing to the sport of hockey. Asked on a media conference call who he was rooting for in the recent National Hockey League finals, Woods...

Where to be & what to watch--.(Calendar)
July 7, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, July 7 Grab some popcorn, 'cuz it's Movie Day here at B&C Week. Film critic Elvis Mitchell --he of the righteous dreadlocks--hosts the debut of Under the Influence at 8 p.m. ET on TCM . Mitchell studies the...

Birth of Blue.(anniversary of the Supreme Court's Pacifica decision)
July 7, 2008... Staff July 3 was the 30-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's Pacifica decision, which broadcasters are celebrating by trying to get the federal courts to rethink the FCC's enforcement of the indecency rules the court case made into...

No News Can Be Good News.
July 7, 2008... By Barry M. Faber In 1983, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FCC's decision to deregulate the broadcast radio industry by eliminating several obligations, including quantitative guidelines for non-entertainment programming and...

Cablevision Will Control Long Island.
July 7, 2008... Jaci Clement Editor: The mother of all media consolidations can be found in the merger of Cablevision Systems Corp. and Tribune Co.-owned Newsday Inc., which is much more than simply the consolidated ownership of Long Island's only daily...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointment at cable television broadcasting industry)
July 7, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff MARK MCGEARY , local sales manager, KFSM Fort Smith, has joined WHO Des Moines as general sales manager. RON PARODI , national sales manager for Fox Sports Net Arizona, has been named national sales...

A Risk-Taker Who Bet Right.(Biography)
July 7, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Mort Marcus won big by syndicating South Park, House of Payne Who knew that one foul-mouthed little boy could prove so profitable? Apparently, Mort Marcus did. Marcus had worked in television for a quarter-century...

Olympic 'Access'.
July 7, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Showbiz from the Great Wall When NBC airs the XXIX Olympic Games from Beijing, NBC Universal's Access Hollywood will be there--broadcasting from the Great Wall of China. "We'll be the only show of its kind to...

'Evening News' Gears Up for HD.
July 7, 2008... By Glen Dickson CBS puts finishing touches on state-of-the-art control room As it prepares to launch The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric in HD later this month, CBS News is putting the final coat of polish on a glossy new control...

Wheel Ups Ante To $1 Million.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By Paige Albiniak CBS' Wheel of Fortune will premiere a new feature this fall, in which players will have a chance to win $1 million. In this version of the game, a $1 million wedge will be added to the wheel contestants spin. If a...

New ASP Wants To Make Minis.(America Saga Productions )(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Staff A new production company formed to produce Americana-themed miniseries will launch with the production of The Line, a four-hour, two-part drama featuring Robert Duvall as both star and director. The series, from privately funded...

Obama Says No To Fairness Doctrine.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By John Eggerton Sen. Barack Obama's opposition to re-imposing the Fairness Doctrine may not be enough to put a stake in that issue, which continues to be exhumed by Republicans concerned that the doctrine might be used to suppress...

Critics' L.A. Tour Begins This Week.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Staff The Television Critics Association press tour show begins July 8 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Scribes will gather at the event, in which broadcast and cable networks present their upcoming shows, with cable...

ABC, Couric Cop Murrows.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By John Eggerton ABC won six Edward R. Murrow Awards, including the award for overall excellence, from the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the most of any network. CBS was second with four awards, including best newscast for...

Top 10 Emmy Finalists Announced.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... By Alex Weprin In an effort to curb leaks and rumors surrounding the Emmy Awards online, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences released the top 10 finalists in the best comedy and best drama series categories for this year's Emmys. ...

Wife of Don West Passes Away at 80.(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Staff Carroll Virginia West of Alexandria, Va., and Thousand Island Park, N.Y., wife of former B&C editor-in-chief Donald V. West, died July 1 in Fairfax Hospital after a procedure to implant a carotid artery stent. She was 80. A...

Headlines from Multichannel News.(Brief article)
July 7, 2008... Staff Video Tour: Comcast Downingtown Technology analyst Leslie Ellis provides an online video tour of Comcast's new end-to-end test and integration center in Downingtown, Pa. Cable Rocks Second Quarter Hit original scripted...

BC Beat.
July 14, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik DTV Coupons Get 'Junk Mail' Treatment Joel Topcik The U.S. Postal Service has a suggestion for legislators looking to speed up mailing of DTV-to-analog converter box coupons: Use a first-class stamp. The...

If Critics Ran the Networks.
July 14, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Five top thinkers tell us how they'd fix what's broken about broadcast TV critics have it easy. They get to voice their strongly held opinions about what networks choose to fill their airwaves. So we decided to offer...

Deals.
July 14, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV WTVR-TV/Richmond, Va. PRICE : $85 million BUYER : Sinclair Broadcast Group (David Smith, president/CEO) SELLER : Raycom Media (Paul McTear, president/CEO) FACILITIES : Ch. 6, 100 kW, ant....

Bulls & Bears.
July 14, 2008... By Michael Malone Chicago is optimistic, despite shaky economy Every summer is filled with festivals in Chicago neighborhoods, but locals say summer 2008 is a little brighter than others. Chicago's Sen. Barack Obama is, of course,...

Rare Piece of Mind.
July 14, 2008... By Michael Malone In a nod to old-school television, Raycom boss McTear pushes GMs to deliver editorials As Raycom closed its deal with Lincoln Financial Group to acquire three stations in early April, a trio of general managers added...

NBCU Gauges Its Reign.(NBC Universal has it completes its buyout of The Weather Channel )
July 14, 2008... By Robert Marich Weather Plus, and now The Weather Channel NBC Universal has two jobs once it completes its buyout of The Weather Channel (TWC): raising anemic carriage fees received by TWC's flagship basic cable network, and...

Emmy Hopefuls Get the Jitters.
July 14, 2008... By David Goetzl Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) members, for the first time ever, were able to watch 'For Your Consideration' screener episodes on a Website this year before casting their votes. The nominees will be...

Victor Miller's Leap of Faith.(Interview)
July 14, 2008... Michael Malone In his 12 years of analyzing broadcasting companies at Bear Stearns, and nine before that in Chase Manhattan's media and telecom group, what Victor Miller said had major clout on Wall Street. Now, Miller is applying his...

Couric to Host B&C Hall of Fame.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Katie Couric has been named host of the 18th annual Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame awards dinner. This year's gala event will take place at New York's Waldorf-Astoria on Oct. 21. ...

Is FTC Running a Deceptive Story?(Federal Trade Commission )
July 14, 2008... By John Eggerton Agency distributes DTV transition release reformatted as news article Part of the job of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is to crack down on deceptive advertising. Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission...

HBO Pulls Its Punches.
July 14, 2008... By Ben Grossman Floyd Mayweather Jr. won most of his boxing matches with ease, but he's apparently been punched in the head one too many times after all. In a surprisingly under-covered story, the temporarily retired fighter and...

Where to be & what to watch-.(Calendar)
July 14, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, July 14 Week two of the Television Critics Association (TCA) summer press tour is on at the Beverly Hilton. Fox gets things going with a Prison Break -fast. Speaking of busting out of the pokey-uh, is...

Agony of Defeat.
July 14, 2008... Staff Since its inception, the NFL Network has been battling Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, on carriage issues. Last week, as this battle continued, the NFL asked the FCC to 'quickly' resolve its complaint. To use a...

Legal Blur Over Celebrities' Rights.
July 14, 2008... By Robert St. John Roper Let's suppose that you're the VP of marketing for a cable network that has licensed the rights to air a blockbuster feature film. You want to use stills and 30-second clips from the film, and professional and...

Fates & Fortunes.(Brett paul has promoted)(Sue palladino promoted)(Bedi singh has joined-)
July 14, 2008... Staff PROGRAMMING Staff BRETT PAUL , executive VP of business affairs, operations and finance, Warner Bros. Television, has been promoted to executive VP, Warner Bros. Television. Also at Warner Bros. Television: SUE PALLADINO ,...

Juggling Passions for Music and Games.
July 14, 2008... By Paige Albiniak ESPN's Clinkscales now lends his visionary style to the sporting life Keith Clinkscales first got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug during his junior year at Florida A&M. He and his college friend Len Burnett were...

For TV, Comic-Con Is Fan-Tastic.
July 14, 2008... By David Goetzl Growing San Diego confab now forced to turn away some networks and studios When Comic-Con began 38 years ago in San Diego, it was just a small show for comic book collectors and sci-fi freaks. By last year it attracted...

Safer Digital Information.(Protection technology )
July 14, 2008... By Glen Dickson Protection technology tries to keep up with cross-platform spread As television content migrates to an increasing number of digital platforms, the need for content protection becomes paramount. The technology used to...

Canadian Invasion.(Program Partners )
July 14, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Program Partners looks north to cut costs With production costs sky-high and audience levels low, some in Hollywood are looking over the border for fresh Canadian programming they can acquire economically and then...

Martin Slaps Comcast Over Open Access.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By John Eggerton The FCC has decided that Comcast violated the commission's Internet open-access principles, but FCC Chairman Kevin Martin didn't fine the cable giant. In a press conference, Martin said that Comcast's network traffic...

NBCU Makes Modest Q2 Gains.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Robert Marich General Electric last week reported that adjusted second-quarter earnings were flat at 54 cents per share, with its NBC Universal unit making modest gains. NBCU segment profit crept up 1% to $909 million for the three...

More 'Sex,' 'Sopranos' For HBO? Maybe.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff Another Sex and the City movie is a possibility, according to Michael Lombardo, HBO president of programming group and West Coast operations, who also reiterated that HBO would love to do a Sopranos film one day. "There is...

Chinese, Broadcasters Agree on News Access.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Olympic Games rights holders reached an accord with Chinese officials for live news coverage around the region during the Beijing Games, which begin Aug. 8, that gives journalists access to various locales in China,...

NBC Firms Up Olympics Programming.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Alex Weprin NBC Universal formally announced its 2008 Beijing Olympic Games programming last week. All told, it will present more than 3,600 hours of coverage, with nearly 2,900 hours live, both records. The NBC network will present...

Montel Williams Wants Another Shot.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Montel Williams, whose talk show went out of production in March after 17 seasons, is shopping another show to syndicators, Williams' spokeswoman confirmed. The new program is being developed under the title Living...

Joe LoCicero Mourned.(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff Popular entertainment publicist, author and marketing consultant Joe LoCicero died June 24 in Los Angeles after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. LoCicero included Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television and Disney Channel...

Headlines from Multichannel News.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff Comcast fights Complaints With Software While focusing recently on growth, the company lost lots of points in customer satisfaction. Can Comcast reverse its costly bad rep? IFC Tweaks Tuesday Night Strand In the wake of...

Melissa Grego Joins B&C as Executive Editor.(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Staff Melissa Grego is joining Broadcasting & Cable as executive editor, reporting directly to editor Ben Grossman. Based in Los Angeles, Grego will be actively involved in overseeing and executing both print and digital initiatives...

BC Beat.(Editorial)
July 21, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik McPherson and Kimmel's Late-Night Shtick Joel Topcik With many speculating that Tonight Show host Jay Leno could jump to ABC when he leaves NBC next year (thus calling into question the fate of ABC's...

NBC's Other Co-Chairman.(National Broadcasting Company Inc. NBC Entertainment)
July 21, 2008... By Ben Grossman Ben Silverman and Jeff Zucker get the lion's share of attention. But to many, Silverman's co-chair Marc Graboff--who's well-liked, well-respected and quietly effective--is the glue that holds the place together. Marc...

Deals.
July 21, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV K26CD & K29HB/Clovis, K67CS/Dora, K24DP/San Jon, N.M.; KKTM-LP/Altus, KSWX-LP/Duncan, KSWO-TV/Lawton, Okla.; KFDA-TV & KTMO-LP/Amarillo, KWAB-TV/Big Spring, K63GN/Bovina, KRHD-LP & KSCM-LP/Bryan,...

Emmys' Basic Instinct.
July 21, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Cable--and not just HBO--dominates run for annual awards The nominations for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards arrived last week, and if the world didn't know it already, the results show basic cable programming has hit...

Pirate Pride.
July 21, 2008... By Michael Malone New players heat up Greenville race WNCT has the ratings crown in Greenville-New Bern-Washington, N.C., but its rivals are revamping in an effort to dethrone the Media General power. WITN VP/General Manager Chris...

Buzz Off.
July 21, 2008... By David Bianculli Broadcast networks can't keep up with cable--and maybe even broadband In nature, for reasons yet unexplained, huge swarms of bees are dying off. Yet on television, and around it, buzzing sounds are emanating from...

Plum Tackles 'Rich' Media.
July 21, 2008... By Michael Malone Local channels in wealthy resort communities swim with the sharks It's a fairly typical day for Joe LaPolla in the Hamptons: lunch at Estia's Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, hobnobbing with various in-crowd types at Sag...

TV Stocks Sink To 1990s Levels.
July 21, 2008... By Robert Marich Weak ad market, new-media competition fuel sell-off With Wall Street tanking, stock valuations for companies that own TV stations have tumbled below depths not seen since the early 1990s. Today there's a double...

Showtime Finds Reality In Gun Shop.(Showtime Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Staff Showtime has fired off a six-episode order for Lock 'N Load, a half-hour reality series. It also announced it ordered 10 more episodes for a sixth season of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! which will make it the longest running series in...

'Doctors' Rx: Promo $.(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
July 21, 2008... By Paige Albiniak CBS makes contest of pushing daytime shows The Doctors , starring emergency-room Dr. Travis Stork of The Bachelor fame, is no game show. But CBS is turning the promotion of the new series into one. To encourage...

NATAS: Basic Cable Boom Could Hurt Emmy Ratings.(National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences )
July 21, 2008... Staff The explosion of basic cable Emmy nominations on July 17 may be a boon for the industry, but it could mean ratings troubles for this year's Emmy Awards telecast, which will air Sept. 21. While AMC's Mad Men led all dramas this...

Rule Battle Rages as Media Values Tank.
July 21, 2008... By John Eggerton Cross-ownership combatants try to steer case to friendly courts Lawyers representing broadcasters and newspapers, as well as their opposite numbers in the anti-media-consolidation community, were preparing to ask a...

Don't Kill Off 'Nightline'.
July 21, 2008... By Ben Grossman Jay Leno is coming to ABC, and Nightline is dead. That's the overwhelming assumption around the television industry these days. While the smart money is indeed on ABC landing Leno, there is no reason ABC should kill off the...

Where to be & what to watch--.(Calendar)
July 21, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, July 21 NBC Universal takes its turn as the Television Critics Association press tour winds down. The morning features some Olympics action, then a Deal or No Deal -themed lunch. Across the country, the...

Help Wanted.
July 21, 2008... Staff It's hard to watch the beating newspapers are taking without thinking that the FCC had the right idea in letting some of them combine with TV stations to try to jump-start in both a tough economy and a ferocious media marketplace....

Media Insurance: Arguing Over 'Dr. Doom'.
July 21, 2008... By R. Mark Keenan and Eli Bard Raise your hands, class: Has your media company recently confronted a claim like this? "You didn't invent Dr. Doom--I did." Or this? "When I invented the character in 1950, 1960, and 1970--as your...

Fates & Fortunes.(Aaron Blaser has joined KAKE-TV )(Tim Dukes has joined Tribune Co)(Trent Dilfer has joined ESPN )
July 21, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff AARON BLASER , meteorologist, KQTV St. Joseph, Mo., has joined KAKE-TV Wichita as meteorologist. DAVID DUITCH , news director, WFAA-TV Dallas-Fort Worth, has joined KDAF-TV Dallas-Fort Worth as news...

From Ad Man to 'Mad Men'.
July 21, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie AMC's Collier has moved smoothly from sales to programming hit series Since Charlie Collier took the reins at AMC in 2006, the network has become a contender, upping its cache considerably in a cable arena where...

A $500,000 'Deal'.
July 21, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Daytime game show goes green Money talks and a half-million dollars talks loudly for NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal , which each week will give 22 case-holding contestants a chance to win it all. Until now, NBC...

Stations Feel the Gas Price Pinch.
July 21, 2008... By Michael Malone News directors struggle to balance coverage against the fuel pump While stories about conserving gasoline are popping up daily in local newscasts, some stations are taking the segments' message to heart. ...

Couric, McManus Say She's Staying Put.(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Staff Katie Couric was unequivocal that her tenure on the CBS Evening News will continue beyond the election. "We have no plans to part company anytime soon," said Couric during a Q&A session with reporters at the Television Critics...

Fox News' Hume will Leave Anchor Role.(Brit Hume will step down from day-to-day reporting )(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Fox News Channel anchor and political analyst Brit Hume, who has been with Fox News since its inception 12 years ago, will step down from day-to-day reporting following the presidential election, says The Washington Post...

GM Prepares More Ad Cuts.(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... By Robert Marich General Motors, the fourth-largest U.S. advertiser, last week said its ad budget will come under the knife. GM spent $3 billion in 2007, according to Advertising Age . Also, Anheuser-Busch, the No. 22 U.S. advertiser,...

Generation Kill Gets Good Start at HBO.(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Staff Generation Kill , HBO's new seven-hour miniseries about the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, hit the ground running on July 13, drawing an estimated 1.3 million viewers in back-to-back airings of its first installment. The episode drew...

Regency Television Shuts After A Decade.(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Staff Regency Television, a joint venture between Regency Enterprises and Fox Television Studios, is shutting its doors after a 10-year run. Properties included Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show . The news last week came a...

Gannett Q2 Earnings Poor; Write-Off Looms.(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... By Robert Marich Newspaper and TV-broadcasting media conglomerate Gannett posted a 36.4% decline in second-quarter profit, and the publisher of USA Today said it will take a $2.4 billion-$2.7 billion noncash after-tax write-down on the...

Miami ABC Affiliate Buying NBCU's WTVJ.(NBC Universal)(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... By Robert Marich NBC Universal will sell its Miami station, WTVJ-TV, to Post-Newsweek Stations, which already owns WPLG, the ABC affiliate in the same market. Published reports have put the price tag at $350 million, but neither party...

Headlines from Multichannel News.(briefs)(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Staff Cable Ratings: Unseasonably Hot If the numbers on recent premieres--from The Closer to Project Runway to Saving Grace --are any indication, cable will be generating serious ratings heat this summer. Charge of the Light...