Broadcasting & Cable articles from June 2006

Broadcasting & Cable archives from June 2006

Why Journalists Risk Their Lives To Cover Iraq.
June 5, 2006... Reported by John M. Higgins and Allison Romano Edited by Rob Edelstein Seven war-zone vets on coping, surviving and telling the great tale "Journalists Killed on Duty: 73." This is how the independent Committee to Protect Journalists...

Out of the Doldrums.
June 5, 2006... By Allison Romano Tri-state market bounces back on news With five options for late-evening news, broadcasters in the Spokane market churn out more news than most midsize markets. The glut of news, station managers say, reflects both a...

Multiplatform Summer.
June 5, 2006... By Anne Becker As broadcast networks switch on summer, cable pulls out the digital stops As broadcast programming settles into post-season cruise control with reruns and reality filler, the cable networks are shifting into high gear...

Flash!(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)(Fox News Network L.L.C.)
June 5, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Ailes: Fox Business Not Open for Business Joel Topcik Time out, folks. Contrary to recent reports, the long-anticipated Fox Business Channel will not launch this month--or anytime soon. Hoping to reel in...

No Boost From Trib Buyback.(Tribune Co. )
June 5, 2006... By John M. Higgins When Tribune Co. announced a $2 billion stock buyback, it joined the ranks of media companies spending billions of dollars to use the technique to try and boost their share prices. For all the spending, though, the...

NBC Focuses on Football.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
June 5, 2006... By Jim Benson Sunday game will be a major promo platform When NBC hastily reshuffled eight of its 15 weeknight prime time hours shortly after unveiling its fall schedule, the network also changed its promotional strategy. The new...

Earn Our Trust.(CBS Broadcasting Inc. employees injured)(Paul Douglas)(James Brolan)(Kimberly Dozier)
June 5, 2006... By J. Max Robins It's worth noting that the network-news world was in the midst of celebrating its newly minted anchors when news broke that CBS cameraman Paul Douglas and soundman James Brolan had been killed by a roadside bomb while...

Fast Track.(United States. Federal Communications Commission rejected CBS' argument)(National Broadcasting Company Inc. patnership with The News Corporation Ltd)(Fox News Network L.L.C. VP of drama is Susan Levison)
June 5, 2006... By Staff Networks May Unite For Baseball Rights Ben Grossman Is Fox willing to share MLB package? News Corp. is considering a partnership with another network, possibly NBC , to cover the cost of new broadcast rights for Major...

Local Channel, National Reach?(Latino Alternative TV )
June 5, 2006... By Allison Romano Latino Alternative TV aims to extend beyond Los Angeles Eager to tap into the Hispanic market, stations are thinking up innovative ways to grab Latino viewers. Independent KJLA Los Angeles, for one, is looking to...

Morley Safer: Iraq Riskier than "Nam.(Interview)
June 5, 2006... By Allison Romano As American television crews struggle to stay safe while reporting the news from Iraq, veterans of other war zones say this conflict is the most dangerous ever for journalists. Few know the perils of war reporting better...

Where to be and what to watch...
June 5, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, June 5 Media Literacy--Isn't that an oxymoron? Kidding aside, the third annual Media Literacy: Overseas Conversations Series begins. The six-day gala happens in New York, mostly at the Museum of Television &...

A Heavy Toll.
June 5, 2006... By Staff Beginning this week, at the top of this page, we will keep tab of the journalists killed covering the war in Iraq. It's a "feature" we'd like to discontinue as quickly as possible. We started out with a "71" there, but...

Fates & Fortunes.(Tod A. Smith )
June 5, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke BROADCAST TV Staff Tod A. Smith , VP/media director, Peter A. Mayer Advertising, New Orleans, named president/general manager, KMSB/KTTU Tucson, Ariz. J.R. Jackson , general sales manager, KOVR Sacramento,...

Web Pioneer Goes for Gold.(Kevin Conroy)(America Online Inc.)
June 5, 2006... By Joel Topcik AOL digital chief Conroy stays ahead of broadband demand Kevin Conroy is in a hurry. Midway through a typical work week that bounces him between New York, Los Angeles and his home in Washington, the AOL executive stopped...

Obituary.(Steve Alvis )(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... By Staff TV and radio vet Steve Alvis died May 14 while in Florida on vacation. He was 58. Alvis, who had worked in the NET Television (Nebraska state public-TV) system for 17 years, was most recently station manager of KZUM(FM)...

Made for TV: A Tale of Two Telcos.(AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc investments.)
June 5, 2006... By Glen Dickson Verizon and AT&T take divergent technical paths Over the next two years, two phone giants--Verizon and AT&T--will spend more than $10 billion to present TV packages that rival all the latest digital services offered by...

Vendors Gear Up for the TV Push.
June 5, 2006... By Glen Dickson Europe, small operators are early hot spots The telephone companies' push into TV and the broader IPTV market presents a potential goldmine for transmission-gear manufacturers, compression vendors and software...

Capitol Expenses.(AT&T Inc.)(Verizon Communications Inc.)
June 5, 2006... By John Eggerton Telcos, cable in fierce legislative fight for new franchise rules Turn on the TV or radio in Washington and, from the barrage of advertising, you'll know what the telephone companies' legislative/regulatory priority...

Edgy Sitcoms Bank on Big Payoff.(Twentieth Television)(Warner Bros.)(television programs planning)
June 5, 2006... By Jim Benson But can Family Guy , Two and a Half Men reverse the off-net curse? Two racy sitcoms are looking for lucrative off-network paydays in fall 2007. Without strong competition in the comedy field, Twentieth Television's...

Can TV Take a Bite From the Videogame Market?(video games based on television programs to attract audiences)
June 12, 2006... By Anne Becker Cable and broadcast take aim at a $16 billion business With the latest season of The Sopranos over this month, fans of the HBO series are facing yet another excruciating hiatus before the show resumes next year. ...

'Half' Off.(cable networks plan to launch television comedies)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... By Jim Benson Cable rejects deal to divvy sitcom with stations Warner Bros. failed to pull off its unprecedented payday that it had hoped for with the sale of its off-network sitcom Two and a Half Men . Cable networks declined...

From Campus to Capitol.(broadcasting trends in Wisconsin)
June 12, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations vie for students and candidates While many of its Midwestern neighbors have been hit by economic hardship, the Madison, Wis., market and its stations have enjoyed an enduring stability. With employment...

Fast Track.(bill on nationwide franchising system)
June 12, 2006... By Staff Telcos Score Big on House Franchising BillHubbard Launches Network John Eggerton Senate prepares to weigh in Reelz will cover the A to Z of movies The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would...

Flash!(advertising during the Academy Awards)(interview with Luke McCormick)(animal television show)(Interview)
June 12, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik The Oscar for Most Brand Appearances Goes To-- Staff We're still wondering how Crash beat Brokeback Mountain for best picture. So we can imagine how Bruce Davis must have felt to learn that ABC 's Oscar...

CBS Kicks Off Upfront.(television networks look to sign deals with advertisers)
June 12, 2006... By John M. Higgins Network's deals fail to ignite bigger market The upfront ad market is playing out like a World Cup soccer match. Industry watchers leapt to their feet when CBS suddenly raced down the field to score with...

Late News Gets Earlier.(television stations invest in news)
June 12, 2006... By Allison Romano As "early" late news gets more popular, station chiefs wonder if 10 p.m. is the new 11 p.m. The "early" late newscasts, which run at 10 p.m. ET/PT or 9 p.m. CT/MT, may never replace their 11 p.m. kin in terms of...

ABC's Benson Pushes "One" Campaign.(ABC Entertainment invests in advertising)
June 12, 2006... By Ben Grossman While ABC boasts some of television's most buzz-worthy dramas, such as Lost and Grey's Anatomy , the network also has challenges: It will bring back only one new show from last season, and not a single returning comedy...

Washington Watch.(indecency fines levied in the broadcasting industry)
June 12, 2006... By John Eggerton Indecency Fines Jump John Eggerton After more than two years of debate, hearings and failed attempts, Congress last week boosted FCC indecency and profanity fines by a factor of 10, with only the president's...

Where to be and what to watch...(analysis of television programs)
June 12, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, June 12 The Broadcast Cable Financial Management/Broadcast Cable Credit Association Conference . OK, the name doesn't roll off the tongue, but it's a worthy wingding for TV folk at the Buena Vista Palace in...

Cox to Telcos: Ya Wanna Fight?(Pat Esser speech at Globalcomm 2006 )
June 12, 2006... By Pat Esser Cox Communications President Pat Esser delivered the keynote address at Globalcomm 2006 last week in New York. Here is an excerpt. What troubles me most about the competitive landscape today isn't the Bells'...

The Quiet $10.3 Billion.(bill to fine broadcasters for indecency)(broadcasters contribute to public interest)
June 12, 2006... By Staff We're not sure how much celebrating the National Association of Broadcasters will want to be doing this week at its Service to America gala dinner in Washington. After all, broadcasters took it on the chin (or lower down) last...

Fates & Fortunes.
June 12, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV Staff Michael Brickey , general sales manager, WDKY Lexington, Ky., promoted to general manager. Journalism Staff Jim Sciutto , foreign correspondent, ABC News, appointed senior...

Wright Thrives in Second Act.(Michael Wright)(Biography)
June 12, 2006... By Anne Becker Thespian-turned-exec nurtures hit shows at TNT/TBS For Michael Wright, the road to being a TV executive began when his acting pursuits hit a dead end. Like CBS chief Leslie Moonves, whose management style Wright studied...

How To Get Out the Vote.(television stations aim to get shows nominated for the Emmy Awards)
June 12, 2006... By Wayne Friedman Networks, studios spend millions on Emmy campaigns Scattered on the floor of Richard Licata's Showtime office in Westwood, Calif., are 25-30 DVD boxes, all containing episodes or full seasons of television series in...

'Megan' Shaping Up.(Megan Mullally Show)
June 12, 2006... By Ben Grossman Principals in place; promotions kick off NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has made some key hires--and settled on a location--for its Megan Mullally Show , set to launch Sept. 18. Ken Fuchs is the...

Watch TV Via the Web.(KyLinTV )
June 12, 2006... By Glen Dickson KyLinTV, TiVo announce deals to send Internet content to sets Two new services unveiled last week will allow viewers to receive programming on their TV sets via the Internet. KyLinTV, a new Internet Protocol TV...

Weather Reports Go Mobile.(cellular services offer weather news)
June 12, 2006... By Glen Dickson Cellphone service signs up 80 stations, launches original programming Weather-information provider Weathernews has teamed with 80 U.S. broadcasters to create the WNI Network and deliver local content to mobile phones....

Mel Karmazin: Bring It On.(Interview)
June 19, 2006... By Mark Robichaux Mel Karmazin always seems to be in the middle of a good scrap. In high school in New York, he was picked on by bigger kids. Later, as CEO of CBS and then as president of its parent Viacom, he waded into battles with the...

Deals.(buying and selling of television stations)
June 19, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs WATL (TV) Atlanta PRICE: $180 million BUYER: Gannett Co. Inc. (Roger Ogden, president/CEO, broadcasting) SELLER: Tribune Co. (Dennis FitzSimons, president/CEO) FACILITIES: Ch. 36, 2,690...

Springing Ahead.(trends in the television broadcasting industry)
June 19, 2006... By Allison Romano A time shift helps Hoosier city find stability Times have changed in South Bend--literally. Thanks to the state's long-resisted decision to finally observe daylight-saving time, stations in Nielsen's No. 87 market are...

Dish Does the Math.
June 19, 2006... By Anne Becker EchoStar's satellite company crunches the numbers on interactive ads Here's a number: 30,000. That's about how many Dish Network viewers pushed a button on their remotes to learn more about the car featured in a recent...

Flash!(Anderson Cooper)(Harvard University)
June 19, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Cooper Tunes Into Rather's "Frequency" Staff If anyone doubts that CNN 's Anderson Cooper is the hippest news anchor ever , his "Celebrity Playlist" will set them straight. Currently available for...

Nielsen: Follow the Video.(Chandlers)
June 19, 2006... By John M. Higgins Ratings company switches gear for new era, pledges to dump diaries The mechanics of Nielsen Media's new plan to cope with the technology changes sweeping the television industry are complicated, but company President...

Cast Away.(Dan Rather)
June 19, 2006... By J. Max Robins As we all now know, Dan Rather was kicked to the curb by CBS after more than four storied decades at the network. He may land softly at Mark Cuban's high-def channel HDNet, where he would host a weekly newsmagazine. ...

Commuter TV Finds Captive Audience.
June 19, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations board the bus for television on the move Starting next week, Atlanta commuters can watch local news on the bus. Meredith Broadcasting 's CBS affiliate WGCL is producing five-minute newscasts to run on about...

Broadcast-Decency Bill: Pro or Con?(Interview)
June 19, 2006... By Allison Romano After months of passionate debate, passage of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act turns up the heat on the nation's broadcasters, who had hoped to avoid fines that they say are unfair and outdated. A champion of the...

Fast Track.(trends in the broadcasting industry)(David Shenfeld to produce television program)
June 19, 2006... By Staff Upfront Limps Out Of the Gate Staff Price raises are slight; volume may drop By John M. Higgins The upfront market is shaping up to be even weaker than expected--more down than flat--with even strong broadcast and...

Regulatory Rush Hour.(rules and regulations in the television broadcasting industry)(analysis of television programs)
June 19, 2006... By John Eggerton Indecency fines soar; FCC set to approve digital must-carry Washington was awash last week in laws, bills and proposals that are certain to change the way most companies in the TV industry do business. On June 15,...

Where to be and what to watch...
June 19, 2006... By Staff Monday, June 19 What does the future of TV hold? Tell your boss to send you to Denmark to find out. The Future TV Show goes off in Copenhagen, with industry soothsayers like Peter Cowley , Endemol director of digital media,...

Stations Should Exploit Websites.
June 19, 2006... By Peter Matsuo TV-station managers once viewed broadcasting and the Web as separate. Different screens (TVs and computer monitors) receive different streams of content and advertising and attract different audiences. But 42% of...

The Big Chill Becomes Law.(Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act)
June 19, 2006... By Staff Beaming legislators, all five FCC commissioners, and representatives of the Parents Television Council (PTC) and the American Family Association (AFA) flanked President Bush as he signed the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act into...

Fates & Fortunes.
June 19, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke BROADCAST TV Staff Lisa Wagner , account executive, YES Network, New York, promoted to director of ad sales, New York. Peter Lops , VP, financial planning and analysis, NFL, named VP, finance,...

Once and Again.(Peter Horton)(Biography)
June 19, 2006... By Jim Benson Actor Horton finds life after thirtysomething behind the camera Peter Horton entered the TV Zeitgeist as an actor, playing the tall, shaggy-haired Professor Gary Shepherd on that seminal study in yuppie angst,...

ABC's Appealing Deal.
June 19, 2006... By Anne Becker The spark that ignited multiplatforms Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced last October that Disney would provide video of popular shows from ABC and Disney Channel, the first networks ever to offer pay-for-download video...

A Lifelong Passion.
June 19, 2006... By George Vernadakis Cohen is driven to "entertain, inspire and inform" When Betty Cohen joined Lifetime Entertainment Services as president/CEO in April 2005, she spoke about her passion for "developing branded content and related...

Hired Hands.(entertainment industry benefits from consulting services)
June 19, 2006... By David Goetzl In multiplatform era, networks and studios turn to consultants As the entertainment industry has grown more complex and more reliant on deep research, major consulting firms have increasingly become involved with...

Hites Hits a Home Run.(Marshall Hites)
June 19, 2006... By Kevin Downey Blue Man Group helps promote Dodgers' move to KCAL Marshall Hites has seen the face of Dodgers baseball on KCAL Los Angeles--and it is blue. Hites, VP of creative services, advertising and marketing at KCBS and...

Talk Much?(Larry King)(Biography)
June 19, 2006... By George Winslow CNN's Larry King has interviewed almost everyone It would be hard to find a well-known politician or celebrity that Larry King hasn't interviewed in his 49 years in radio and television; he has talked with more than...

"Noise" Maker.(Richard Licata )
June 19, 2006... By George Vernadaki Applause for Licata's award-winning performance at Showtime s Richard Licata began his career reporting the news for the New York Daily News , but, for 26 years, he has helped make news, by creating the buzz that...

Mother Nature's Helper.
June 19, 2006... By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld Wonya Lucas heats up The Weather Channel The Weather Channel. It doesn't take much head-scratching to figure out what that brand stands for. Or does it? Wonya Y. Lucas, executive VP/general manager of The...

He Builds "Character".(Chris McCumber )
June 19, 2006... By George Vernadakis McCumber's USA campaign is a call to action for viewers Chris McCumber became USA Network's senior VP of marketing and brand strategy in November 2004, but it didn't take long for him to put his stamp on the...

Reporter Extraordinaire.(Biography)
June 19, 2006... By P.J. Bednarski Celebrating Mike Wallace's golden career at CBS Mike Wallace has been at CBS so long that the network has aired flattering retrospectives of his career--four times. Wallace is the 60 Minutes correspondent who,...

Old 'Trek,' New Trick.(G4 TV)(Star Trek)
June 19, 2006... By Luis Clemens G4's Tiles builds a network When Neal Tiles came aboard as G4 TV president in September 2005, one of his first tasks was marketing a 40-year-old television show, Star Trek , to the network's target audience of men...

"Everybody Needs Answers".
June 19, 2006... By Joel Brown New Orleans stations earn Promax honors for extraordinary public interest They stand out. Every year, Promax/BDA, working in conjunction with Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News , honors a handful of promotions...

The Promax Experience.
June 19, 2006... By Staff For three days in New York, a promotional smorgasbord With TV viewers turning to the Internet and wireless devices for entertainment options, marketing and promotional execs face a new challenge in peddling their traditional...

Promax Push Is On.
June 19, 2006... By Ben Grossman Ray, Ablow headline NYC conference With several big-name, first-run shows launching this fall, syndicators are using targeted meetings at Promax to tell affiliates and clients how they'll make their programs stand out....

Tech Talk.(BBC tests camcorders)(MovieBeam)
June 19, 2006... By Staff BBC to Test Infinity Cam Staff The BBC will evaluate Thomson Grass Valley's disk-based Infinity camcorder as part of its move to tapeless production. BBC Technology Group will test Infinity, which can record on REV PRO...

Raycom Copes With Tower Crisis.
June 19, 2006... By Glen Dickson Two stations need new sticks after fatal chopper crash Anyone sitting on a pile of industrial-grade steel might want to give Dave Folsom a call. Following a helicopter crash in the Albany, Ga., area this month, Folsom,...

The Best Shows on TV.(television)
June 26, 2006... Compiled by Scott Clifford, Ben Grossman and Joel Topcik Critics pick the good, the bad, the memorable and the underappreciated We love TV critics. We love them because they're a passionate, opinionated and irascible lot. We love...

Deals.(mergers and acquisitions of broadcasting industry)
June 26, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs WCWN(TV) Schenectady, N.Y PRICE: $17 million BUYER: Freedom Broadcasting Inc. (Doreen Wade, president) SELLER: Tribune Co. (Dennis FitzSimons, president/CEO FACILITIES: Ch. 45, 2,950 kW,...

Bay Area Boost.(campaigns of television broadcasting industry)
June 26, 2006... By Allison Romano Politics and a tech turnaround feed fierce competition The fortunes of Bay Area TV stations are getting a lift from the Terminator in this campaign year. Thanks to campaign- and issue-related spending by Gov. Arnold...

Networks Seek Women Online.(marketing management of television broadcasting industry)
June 26, 2006... By Anne Becker WE, Oxygen, Lifetime bring their battle to the digital arena Cablevision's women's network WE began offering its content last week on Amp'd Mobile--a startup wireless phone service targeting young consumers--with 10...

Fast Track.(mergers and acquisitions of broadcasting industry)
June 26, 2006... By John M. Higgins, Jim Benson, Glen Dickson, Ben Grossman, Anne Becker, P.J. Bednarski, Allison Romano, and John Eggerton Taxes Drive Malone's Fox Stations Talks John M. Higgins Liberty may end up with small-market outlets ...

Flash!(Fox News Channel ratings slip)(MySpace.com)(Mike Wallace, Larry King)
June 26, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Ailes Cracks the Whip as Fox News Slips Joel Topcik Slackers at Fox News Channel , you're on notice! Your boss is not pleased. Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes is on the warpath following his network's recent...

Digital Ads Fall Short of Hype.
June 26, 2006... By John M. Higgins Broadband plays small role as mediocre upfront market wraps No broadcast network pushed the broadband business more during this year's upfront ad presentations than NBC. Since he couldn't boast of Nielsen success,...

Hard Lessons From Emmis.(Emmis Communications Corp.)
June 26, 2006... By John M. Higgins Emmis Communications shareholders are in for a difficult lesson about the downside of investing in a company where a single shareholder really runs the show. The shareholder in question is Jeff Smulyan, CEO of what...

Load Limit.
June 26, 2006... By J. Max Robins I agree. What Moonves didn't note, however, was that the commercial load on the ad-supported programming that CBS, ABC and others have put on the Web is decidedly limited. You may not be able to skip through commercials...

Young Adults Tune In.
June 26, 2006... By Allison Romano Study shows "Millennials" dig local news Young Americans may be flocking to MySpace.com and the latest Grand Theft Auto videogame, but station managers, take heart: More than a third of young viewers tune in for local...

USA"s *Character* Builder.(interview with Jeff Wachtel)(Interview)
June 26, 2006... By Anne Becker Summer's here, and it's the season for cable originals. With USA Network bringing back three--Monk , Dead Zone , The 4400 --and debuting Psych , Executive VP of Original Programming Jeff Wachtel spoke to B&C 's Anne Becker...

Reg Review Finally Revs Up.
June 26, 2006... By John Eggerson But no changes in FCC ownership rules are likely before '07 New FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell opened his first public meeting last week by pointing out that it was being held on the summer solstice, "the longest day...

Where to be and what to watch...(calendar of television shows)(Calendar)
June 26, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, June 26 Sirius CEO/B&C cover boy Mel Karmazin and fellow media titans Leo Hindery , managing partner, Intermedia Partners , and Michael Dolan , CFO of Viacom , converge on the Museum of Television & Radio in...

Open Mike.(Letter to the editor)
June 26, 2006... By Staff Rather Respected Editor: I'm a retired broadcaster who at one point in my career during the '80s ran WBTV, a CBS affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. During that time, I got to know Dan Rather pretty well. He was a solid No....

Get It Done.
June 26, 2006... By Staff Sometime before, say, Paris Hilton's retirement party, the FCC will finally free broadcasters from regulations that now limit how much they can own, what they can own and where they can own it. It made a start last week, but the...

Fates & Fortunes.(Jennifer Sweenie joins KTVT/KTXA Fort Worth)(Lisa Guerrero joins Inside Edition)(Dana Klinghoffer promoted to senior publicist)
June 26, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke BROADCAST TV Melanie M. Clarke Jennifer Sweenie , research director, KXAS Fort Worth, Texas, joins KTVT/KTXA Fort Worth as an account executive. Jeff McDiarmid , regional account executive, KOMO Seattle,...