Broadcasting & Cable articles from June 2008

Broadcasting & Cable archives from June 2008

BC Beat.(Editorial)
June 2, 2008... Edited By Joel Topcik Weather Anchors Ready for High-Def Launch Joel Topcik While Landmark Communications' imminent sale of The Weather Channel has yet to come into focus, things at the 24-hour cable network will be a lot clearer...

'Sex' at the Cinema? Don't Get Excited.(Report)
June 2, 2008... By David Bianculli Most made-from-TV movies don't strike it rich in theaters The opening-week box-office receipts for New Line Cinema's Sex and the City have just been tabulated as you read this, so you'll soon know, if you don't...

Broadcast's Man at the Top.(Interview)
June 2, 2008... By John Eggerton David Rehr says he is ready (for the DTV transition), willing (to fight the FCC localism proposals) and able (to work for broadcasters in a partisan town). David Rehr came to his job as head of the National Association...

Deals.
June 2, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV KGET-TV & KKEY-LP/Bakersfield & KGPE (TV)/Fresno, California; WTEV-TV/Jacksonville, Fla.; WOAI-TV/San Antonio, Tex.; K34CX/Apple Valley, KUWB-LP/Bloomington, K40HS/Duchesne, K05BU/Enterprise,...

Fates & Fortunes.
June 2, 2008... By Staff Broadcast Staff Greg Flock , general sales manager, KPTV Portland, has been promoted to director of sales. Dan Joerres , local sales manager, WISN Milwaukee, has joined WXII Winston-Salem as general sales manager....

Elevated to a New Platform.(station management )
June 2, 2008... By Allison Romano Frank Comerford is selling NBC Universal local stations' growing digital universe When NBC Universal's television station group last spring devised a new executive role to oversee sales and emerging platforms, it...

'Open' Season.
June 2, 2008... By Michael Malone Ailing Flint awaits the return of Tiger Woods Anniversaries abound in the Flint DMA. General Motors celebrates its 100th anniversary with a July parade in downtown Flint, showcasing GM cars over the years, this...

Who Is Your Real Competition?
June 2, 2008... By Jonathan Block-Verk We're rapidly approaching a time when every piece of entertainment and information content ever produced will be available to everyone on myriad platforms, all the time. Whether it's a series like Lost or Laverne &...

Deceived Again.
June 2, 2008... By Staff We are gratified that Rep. Paul Hodes, a Democrat from New Hampshire, stuck an amendment into a Defense Department authorization bill that would make it unlawful for the Pentagon to 'train' retired military analysts who now appear...

Open Mike.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Staff Our Airwaves Deserve Scrutiny Editor: In his May 19 Airtime, 'The Public Airwaves Myth,' Erwin Krasnow throws out the old chestnut that the concept of the 'public airwaves' has no 'legal basis' nor does it 'make any sense'. In...

Cable Turns Up the Heat.
June 2, 2008... By Anne Becker Networks expect to ride momentum as they enter the summer sprint While the broadcast networks are limping into the summer after a terrible 2007-08 season, the cable networks are ready for their traditional summer sprint....

The Wide Open Emmys?
June 2, 2008... By Kevin Downey Strike, altered schedule, may create surprise primetime nominations The Primetime Emmy Awards airing on ABC on September 21 will likely go down as one of the most unusual salutes in its 60-year history, due mostly to...

WKAG: 'Pomp' Up the Volume.
June 2, 2008... By Michael Malone Small market station streaming graduations for overseas soldiers Viewers in Southwestern Kentucky-and Iraq, for that matter-might grow a little tired of hearing 'Pomp and Circumstance' in the next few weeks. That's...

A Sharper Dr. Phil.
June 2, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Talk show debuts in HD this fall This fall, CBS's Dr. Phil will join the ranks of syndicated shows that are switching to high-definition. The addition of Dr. Phil will bring the total number of first-run and...

Upfronts Zero In on Pricing, Demand.
June 2, 2008... By Staff Last year, haggling over a metric change from live program ratings to C3-average commercial ratings with three-days of DVR viewing-caused the $9 billion upfront market to break later than usual. This year the timeline looks to be...

Attack on White House Propaganda.
June 2, 2008... By John Eggerton Lawmakers seek end to adminstration's 'embedded' spin doctors There is growing momentum in Washington for a crackdown on government-issued information. Because of a small addition to a bill that passed the House...

NatGeo Will Dance Through Wee Hours.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Anne Becker National Geographic Channel is making a bet on music this summer. In a bid to bring in younger viewers and maximize its stable of programming from international units, the cable channel is swapping out the reruns it usually...

Saade Keeps ABC Alternative Shows Dancing.
June 2, 2008... By Staff Running a network's alternative division these days is no easy task. A tumultuous television season and the evolving business model have trained an even brighter spotlight on the genre, and a Screen Actors Guild strike wouldn't...

Clearer Skies for Hi-Def SNG.
June 2, 2008... By Staff As high-definition cameras and editing systems expand into local and national news organizations, networks are eyeing the last hurdle in high-def news: transmitting live stand-ups to the studio using satellite links. While...

Where to be & what to watch-.
June 2, 2008... Michael Malone Monday, June 2 The fourth and final season of Instant Star , about the travails of singer-songwriter Jude Harrison (as played by Canadian songstress Alexz Johnson), premieres on The N at 8 p.m. ET. Elsewhere on the...

Virgin's Plane Truth.(Virgin America Airlines' management)
June 2, 2008... By Ben Grossman Apparently, Richard Branson can't get television in America right. When his 2004 Apprentice knockoff Rebel Billionaire found ratings bankruptcy on Fox, you figured Branson couldn't do any worse with TV. That was until...

Headlines from Multichannel News.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... By Staff Planet Green Fires Up Despite skepticism over an entire network devoted to what some call a fad, the first 24-hour eco-friendly network is set to bow June 4 with 11 advertisers already in tow. Sony, Cable Bury Two-Way...

Study: Station '08 Web Revenue to Be $1.2B.(TV stations)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Michael Malone TV stations' online revenue is expected to jump from $772 million last year to $1.2 billion in 2008, reported a new study from Borrell Associates. Borrell surveyed more than 3,100 local media properties, including 613...

Spike TV Revamps Web Presence.(Website overview)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Alex Weprin Spike TV, the MTV Networks channel focused on the 18-34 male demo, has completely revamped its Website and presence online. The changes occcurred May 30. The new Spike.com features a high-resolution full-episode video...

News Coverage of Clinton, Obama'Almost Identical'.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... John Eggerton In fact, it was just the opposite starting after Clinton criticized the media for being too soft on Obama. That's according to a study from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard's...

AMPTP, AFTRA Reach Primetime Deal.(Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers )(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Ben Grossman The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists reached a primetime agreement, and the AMPTP will now turn back to its negotiations with the Screen Actors...

Perler will Helm Bonnie Hunt Show.(Telepictures Productions' )(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Ben Grossman David Perler is the new co-executive producer of Telepictures Productions' new Bonnie Hunt Show, which launches Sept. 8. Perler joins other executive producers Hunt, Jim Paratore and Don Lake. Perler, who...

WB Strikes Deal with David E. Kelley.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Alex Weprin Warner Bros. Television Group signed an exclusive three-year development deal with Emmy Award-winning writer/producer David E. Kelley, the company said. Kelley has produced a slew of hits over his career, including The...

Liberty paid Malone $5.2M in 200.(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... Robert Marich Cable-TV tycoon John Malone has a rich pay package valued at $5.2 million in 2007 and promises him $118 million if he leaves, according to Liberty Media's proxy statement. Pay information surfaced last week in Liberty's...

Noonan gets bumped up at CBS News.(Mary Noonan appointed at CBS News)(Brief article)
June 2, 2008... By Staff Mary Noonan, a CBS News veteran and Emmy Award-winning producer, was named director, talent development at CBS News. Noonan has worked at 48 Hours, the network's Saturday-night true-crime hour, since 1990, rising through the...

BC Beat.(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Allbritton Gooses FCC on 'Neighborhood' Rule Joel Topcik Much to the dismay of broadcasters, the Federal Communications Commission has been looking at reversing an earlier ruling that allowed TV stations to...

Deals.(mergers)
June 9, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV WETV-LP/Murfreesboro, Tenn. PRICE : No consideration BUYER : Channel Eleven Inc. (S. Bart Walker, president) SELLER : Channel Eleven Inc. (William Barry, president) FACILITIES : Ch. 11, 3...

Wholly Toledo.
June 9, 2008... By Michael Malone 'Classic Midwest' woes hit Ohio city Toledo is hardly a boom town, but station managers say there are reasons to be excited about life-and business-in the No. 72 DMA. While a large Jeep plant and a GM...

New Audience Metrics Aim to Leapfrog Web Buzz.
June 9, 2008... By Robert Marich Advancements attempt to connect measurements of viewing with purchasing As the upfront season nears its conclusion, the push for advanced audience metrics, especially given depressed market factors, has become even...

The Paper Chase.
June 9, 2008... By Michael Malone Elite stations outdraw newspaper counterparts on Web Newspapers hold the upper hand in the race for local Web dollars, but a new study reveals a small group of TV station sites that are not only holding their own...

McManus: No 'News' for Schieffer.(Sean McManus )(Interview)
June 9, 2008... Marisa Guthrie As chief of CBS's news and sports divisions, Sean McManus oversees plenty of moving pieces. And while this past week he named a new head of The Early Show and helped land the high-profile Inside the NFL for Showtime, one...

YouTube's Grand Old Contest.
June 9, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Top prize: GOP trip, but Website stresses parity The GOP is teaming with YouTube to send one lucky amateur videographer to the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., this September. A red banner complete with the...

Broadcasters Ponder Analog Tests.
June 9, 2008... By John Eggerton FCC's Adelstein proposes short-term cut-offs, government involvement The good news, according to FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, is that stations in Las Vegas and Honolulu have already conducted simulated...

No Black Eye for CBS.(CBS Inc. CBS Sports)
June 9, 2008... By Ben Grossman After airing a bloody mixed martial arts card and a show about couple-swapping within one week in primetime, it's probably safe to say the Tiffany Network as we know it is dead. And if I'm CBS, I'd be celebrating with a...

Where to be & what to watch-.(Calendar)
June 9, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, June 9 The Deutsche Bank Media Conference brings a broad array of biggies to the Palace Hotel in Manhattan. NBC Universal President/CEO Jeff Zucker gets things rolling with the breakfast keynote. Elsewhere in...

Sleeping Through History.
June 9, 2008... Staff Someday, in some history of television that will be available on the Web, somebody will point out that on the night this nation tipped the vote to make an African-American a major-party candidate's presumptive nominee for president...

U.S. Producers Find Their Own Reality.
June 9, 2008... By Scott Sternberg In the 1940s and 1950s, America pioneered the reality entertainment genre with groundbreaking broadcasts like Allen Funt's Candid Camera and competition shows like Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts . In the 50 years that...

Fates & Fortunes.
June 9, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff CAROLE SMITH , VP of research, VH1, CMT and Logo, has joined Ion Media Networks as VP of research. LAUREN BURRUTTO has been appointed general sales manager, WHEC Rochester, N.Y. JERRY KERSTING ,...

Young at Art: Making Reality a Reality.(FremantleMedia North America)
June 9, 2008... By Kevin Downey Fremantle's creative chief is busy getting great ideas out to multiple platforms There aren't many bona fide road maps to success in reality television, at least not yet. Reality is too new for genre pioneers to have...

Syndication's HD Hurdle.
June 9, 2008... By Paige Albiniak As more syndicated shows invest in high-def, stations must also spend big to upgrade technology With at least nine syndicated shows either already produced in high-definition or switching over this fall, TV stations...

History Lesson.
June 9, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Yes! This year's conventions will be the first to broadcast in HD When the Democrats hit Denver on Aug. 25, whatever history happens on the podium will vastly overshadow a technological event happening on TV sets....

Spencer's Gift.(Lara Spencer)
June 9, 2008... By Paige Albiniak She'll be sole anchor of 'The Insider' Lara Spencer, who has co-anchored CBS's The Insider from New York City since the show's launch, has signed a multi-year deal to take over as the show's anchor this fall, says...

The Next Wave of Leaders.(B and C)(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... Staff B&C spotlights a dozen media figures who are changing content on all platforms The television industry is in the midst of an enormous sea change. Cross-platform opportunities, new metrics, economic challenges and digital...

LISA GREGORIAN Defining Marketing's Boundaries.
June 9, 2008... Robert Marich Early in her career, Lisa Gregorian settled into life as a TV program sales executive, but a different career track within TV constantly beckoned. "When I was a salesperson, I knew what I wanted from marketing but wasn't...

DEB BRADLEY A Born Syndication Salesperson.
June 9, 2008... Paige Albiniak To win a job selling syndicated shows, Deb Bradley, 39, says she called John Nogawski-now president of CBS Television Distribution-at least 22 times. "He now jokes that it was part of a test to see how persistent I...

MICHELLE RICE No Anchor's Remorse.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... Paige Albiniak In 1993, Michelle Rice came to a fork in the road, professionally speaking. She was working for Washington-based BET as a manager in special-market affiliate sales. She always wanted to be an anchor, but when she worked...

HOWARD ZALKOWITZ Ahead of the Game.
June 9, 2008... Stuart Miller When Howard Zalkowitz, 39, was playing Little League in northern New Jersey, Coach McCarthy and Coach Leonard always made sure their players were ready for anything by hammering home the concept of "If... then..." "That...

PATRICIA ISHIMOTO DirecTV Deal-Maker.
June 9, 2008... Wayne Friedman DirecTV's Patricia Ishimoto loves exotic travel-and now, exotic deal-making. "Since I was kid, I've have wanderlust; maybe it came from being the daughter of a father who worked for Pan Am," says Ishimoto, VP of...

JOHN LASKER He's Inventing ESPN's Digital World.(ESPN Inc.)
June 9, 2008... Stuart Miller When he came out of Marist College more than a decade ago, John Lasker, 32, could not have dreamed of his current job-senior director, programming and acquisitions, ESPN Digital Media-because it didn't exist. Dealing with...

KLARN DEPALMA WFSB Hartford Boss Adds Local Flavor.(WFSB-TV (Hartford, Connecticut))
June 9, 2008... Michael Malone Every station in America plays up its hyper-local attributes. But only a handful of big-city general managers can make a stronger claim to community roots than WFSB/WSHM Hartford VP/General Manager Klarn DePalma. He has...

JOE WEASEL Palestra Trusts Young Journalists.(ThePalestra.net)(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... Marisa Guthrie Joe Weasel worked in radio. He wrote a newspaper column. He taught journalism. But he had enough foresight to see the digital revolution coalescing on the horizon. But four years ago, when he wanted investors for a news...

BILL OWENS '60 Minutes' Second Hand.(Bill Owens)
June 9, 2008... Marisa Guthrie Bill Owens likes his job. Owens, 41, is the executive editor at CBS News's venerable newsmagazine 60 Minutes , which makes him No. 2 under Jeff Fager, the executive producer. "It's one of the last places doing real...

JANA WINOGRADE Lawyer Gets With the Program.
June 9, 2008... Anne Becker Jana Winograde has mastered the unique challenge of TV network management: growing day-to-day business while keeping a steady eye on an industry that's in a constant state of tremendous change. As Executive VP of Business...

MOLLY HENNEBERG Primarily, Fox General Assignment Reporter Covers Politics.
June 9, 2008... Marisa Guthrie Molly Henneberg is one of the many political reporters whose lives have been hijacked by the runaway train known as the 2008 race for the White House. Not that she minds the pace. "I love it! I know everybody says...

KIM NIEMI The Exec Who Moves NBCU's Merchandise.(NBC Universal)
June 9, 2008... Paige Albiniak NBC Universal's Kim Niemi is partly to thank for television using up-and-coming musicians to score some of primetime's hottest shows. Niemi, 41, came to NBC by way of Capitol Records. While working in Capitol's A&R...

Fox, FCC Square Off Over Indecency.(United States. Federal Communications Commission)
June 9, 2008... By John Eggerton Bush administration argues before Supreme Court for tougher rules The Bush administration, through the Solicitor General's office, is mounting a broad defense of the FCC's right to levy fines for language or actions it...

Sassa Bulks Up Uber.com Venture.(Uber.com)(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Staff Uber.com, the Los Angeles-based company founded in part by NBC and Friendster alum Scott Sassa, has added three new-media veterans to its board. It hopes to grow its business devoted to producing tools that make it easy for fans...

Cable Next Up as Buoyant Broadcast Upfronts Wind Down.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Ben Grossman If the broadcast networks had this strong of an upfront after a relatively awful season, how green will the pastures be for red-hot cable powerhouses like USA and TNT? That is the question taking center stage this week...

Ex-Starz Exec Pushes TV 'Celebration'.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By John Eggerton Marketing firm MediaTides is trying to get broadcasters to sell the DTV transition as a hot new product rather than a looming technological challenge. "When you launch a new product, you tell people how great it is,...

'Swingtown' draws decent ratings; beats 'Fear Itself'.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie CBS's couple-swapping drama Swingtown premiered to respectable numbers, even with stiff competition from a close Game One of the NBA finals on ABC. Swingtown averaged 8.58 million viewers and a 2.7 rating in the 18-49...

Brockman Upped at Disney.(Disney-ABC TV)(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Anne Becker Disney-ABC TV's Kevin Brockman has been upped to executive VP, Global Communications. The promotion gives Brockman oversight for Disney-ABC International TV and the Hyperion publishing group. He also oversees worldwide...

Sony Brings YouTube to HDTV Sets.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Glen Dickson Consumers will now be able to watch online videos from YouTube on their Sony Bravia flat-panel HDTV sets. YouTube, the online video provider and Google subsidiary, is the latest content company to provide video for...

Headlines From Multichannel News.(Brief article)
June 9, 2008... By Staff CAN CABLE TV SAVE THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY? Will Cablevision's Newsday acquisition pave the way for other cable companies to invest in-and rescue-the newspaper business, while potentially boosting cable's local ad sales and...

BC Beat.(Editorial)
June 16, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik ABC News, WGAE Battle Over BlackBerrys Joel Topcik ABC News and the Writers Guild of America East may have resolved their contract dispute late last year, but a new squabble has left guild members at the news...

Obama's Media Agenda.(Interview)
June 16, 2008... John Eggerton The presumptive nominee tackles the industry's pressing issues Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has a profound appreciation for the media's great possibilities. That's at least part of what earned him the presumptive Democratic...

Deals.
June 16, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV W25DT/Vidalia, Ga . PRICE : $25,000 BUYER : Southern Media Associates (Bill Garlen, president) SELLER : US Interactive (Dean Mosely, CEO) FACILITIES : Ch. 25, 1 kW, ant. 253 ft. ...

Star Quality.
June 16, 2008... By Michael Malone WFAA back on track in booming Dallas-Fort Worth fter having lost its grip on the Dallas-Fort Worth ratings crown in the last two years, Belo's WFAA has come storming back. The ABC affiliate had a blockbuster May...

Importing Series: Adapt or Adopt?
June 16, 2008... By David Bianculli Either way, U.S. networks are buying a brand when they look abroad his week, Showtime unveils its newest series, Secret Diary of a Call Girl , starring former Doctor Who ingenue Billie Piper as a high-class...

DTV Angst Abounds.(how to handle DTV-to-analog converter box subsidies )
June 16, 2008... By John Eggerton As initial subsidy funds dwindle, lawmakers get mixed signals on transition An optimist might suggest that as the digital-TV countdown clock continues to tick away toward the Feb. 17, 2009, deadline, problems should...

Time for Promax '08.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
June 16, 2008... Staff Promax/BDA, the nation's largest television marketing confab, meets in New York June 17-19 at the Hilton New York, with several panels and concurrent network affiliate marketing meetings. Special speakers this year include FCC...

Tim Russert Dead at 58.(Obituary)
June 16, 2008... By Robert Edelstein NBC icon felled at Washington bureau Tim Russert, NBC's Washington Bureau Chief and moderator of Meet the Press , collapsed and died June 13 while preparing for his Sunday Meet the Press broadcast. He was 58. ...

Dr. Oz Goes To Sony pictures TV.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Sony Pictures Television is the surprise victor in the long-running lottery to see which syndicator would win the rights to co-produce and distribute Harpo's latest project, Dr. Oz . The show will feature Dr. Mehmet...

Upfront Up For Networks.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By Robert Marich The broadcast networks surprised skeptics by concluding a buoyant upfront ad-sales market with an estimated $9.2 billion in total sales, up slightly from $9.1 billion last year, and with impressive CPM (cost per thousand...

ABC Moving Nightline Jobs to N.Y.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By John Eggerton ABC is cutting one-dozen Nightline jobs in Washington, D.C., and moving the posts to New York, which will leave only a handful of producers-it wasn't clear how many-as well as correspondent John Donovan and co-anchor Terry...

Lyne Leaves Martha Stewart.(Susan Lyne stepped down as president )(Wenda Harris Millard has promoted)(Robin Marino also promoted)(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By Alex Weprin After four years at the helm, Susan Lyne last week stepped down as president and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.President of Media Wenda Harris Millard and President of Merchandising Robin Marino were promoted to the...

LIN, Comcast Ink Retrans Deal.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By Michael Malone LIN TV entered an agreement with cable giant Comcast for the retransmission of LIN station signals in 15 markets. LIN president and CEO Vincent Sadusky called the deal 'mutually beneficial.' Terms were not revealed....

Huckabee Signs With Fox News.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has joined Fox News Channel as a contributor for its election coverage. The former governor of Arkansas will appear on Fox News' America's Election HQ .

Headlines from Multichannel News.(Brief article)
June 16, 2008... Staff DISCOVERING THE GREEN Discovery Holding's SEC filing shows founder and chairman John Hendricks received nearly $58 million in compensation last year, while Discovery CEO David Zaslav received $19.1 million in total compensation...

Primaries' TV Victors.
June 16, 2008... By Robert Marich CNN, Fox, MSNBC see 10% ad revenue bump The cable news networks were able to parlay the election-induced ratings bump into a 10% year-over-year revenue jump since October 2007, according to research firm SQAD. ...