Broadcasting & Cable articles from March 2007

Broadcasting & Cable archives from March 2007

YouNewsTV Turns Viewers Into Stringers.
March 5, 2007... By Garth Johnston Web-upload service encourages "citizen journalism" at the local level User-generated news, until recently the domain of national news organizations, is getting set for its local close-up. Starting this week,...

The New World.
March 5, 2007... By Kevin Downey Population boom creates a changing landscape for hispanic TV When KWEX San Antonio became Univision's first U.S. outlet in 1961, the media industry got its first inkling of the strength of the Spanish-speaking market....

LATV's Multicast Strategy.(Danny Crowe disscusses his plans for the network)(Interview)
March 5, 2007... By Kevin Downey Station President on targeting a bilingual audience An exploding U.S.-born Hispanic population has led to a burgeoning industry of English-language and bilingual television networks geared to Latinos. LATV, a Los...

An Outsider Finds 'Riches' in America.(Dmitry Lipkin to write new FX series "The Riches" for Fox Television Studios and Maverick Television)
March 5, 2007... By Caroline Palmer First-time TV writer Dmitry Lipkin draws on his immigrant experience for his new FX series Dmitry Lipkin knows what it's like to be an outsider. A Russian-born Jew who immigrated to Baton Rouge, La., when he was 10,...

Fates and Fortunes.(new appointments in media industries)
March 5, 2007... By Staff Broadcast TV Staff Ken DeBritto , local sales executive, WSFL Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, named national sales manager. Cable TV Staff At Comcast Spotlight, advertising sales division of Comcast Cable,...

Flash!(websites of FCC and Association for Maximum Service Television differ on digital television deadline)(cast members to appear in advertising .'s new comedies)(fans critical of National Broadcasting Company Inc.'s "Friday Night Lights")
March 5, 2007... Edited By Joel Topcik FCC, Industry Out of Sync on DTV Conversion Joel Topcik Government and industry may agree on the importance of informing consumers about the looming transition to digital television. But when it comes to...

Getting Richer.
March 5, 2007... By Michael Malone Bustling city is fit for a queen It's a good time to be in Richmond, Va., say area station managers. Fortune 500 company MeadWestvaco moved its headquarters here recently. Ad shop The Martin Agency just scored the...

Inside Baseball.(Major League Baseball to give exclusive rughts of the Extra Innings package to DirecTV)
March 5, 2007... By Staff Baseball fans are genetically programmed to complain about how baseball doesn't care about the little guy. (In other words, them. ) Now, Major League Baseball is in trouble with fans, Congress and the FCC. That's because it hopes...

XM-Sirius Merger? NAB Won't Hear of It.(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., XM Satellite Radio Inc. and National Association of Broadcasters)
March 5, 2007... By David Rehr I want to commend members of the Antitrust Task Force for exploring the issues surrounding a government-sanctioned monopoly. I would like to make five points: 1. The national satellite-radio market currently is a...

Mel's Urge To Merge.(Mel Karmazin, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Inc.)
March 5, 2007... By J. Max Robins Frankly, I still think satellite radio is a long shot, even if the government grants its blessing to the proposed union between the medium's chief competitors, Sirius and XM. But if anyone can make it work, it's Mel...

Where to be and what to watch--.
March 5, 2007... By Michael Malone Monday, March 5 In London today? Check out IPTV World Forum at Olympia, where Jeff Weber , VP of product & strategy at AT&T, discusses Internet television. Stateside, our very own Queen (Latifah , that is) stars as...

Stations' Big Digital Push.(National Association of Broadcasters show)
March 5, 2007... By Craig Kuhl With the analog shutoff less than two years away, it's time for broadcasters to finalize plans At midnight Feb. 17, 2009, something familiar is expected to disappear: analog television. The FCC has decreed that Feb. 18,...

'TMZ' Good News for Stations.(TMZ.com)
March 5, 2007... By Ben Grossman Web-based revenue potential is a lure The TMZ Website has made its name from being there first when celebrities go bad, whether they are spewing racial epithets, shaving their heads, or popping in and out of rehab. And...

Fast Track.("The Sopranos" holding steady ratings on A&E Television Networks)(United Church of Christ challenges license renewal of WTIC and WTXX)(CW Television Network to stream episodes of "America's Next Top Model" on website)
March 5, 2007... By Staff 'Sopranos' Makes A&E a Big Shot Anne Becker Ratings have leveled, but series sets tone for network By Anne Becker The best way to assess the performance of The Sopranos , two months into its multi-year run on...

HBO Sports Increases Its Reach.(plans documentary on race horse Barbaro new boxing series )
March 5, 2007... By Ben Grossman Barbaro documentary and boxing series should result in higher profile HBO Sports hopes to parlay a soon-to-be-announced documentary on ill-fated champion horse Barbaro, a new boxing series in Sunday primetime and a...

Burnett Shows Off His TV Smarts.(Mark Burnett's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" scores highest rates)
March 5, 2007... By Jim Benson It has been three years since reality-show guru Mark Burnett had an instant hit with The Apprentice and nearly seven since Survivor , which remains a top-10 staple. The producer scored yet another ratings winner last week...

Toward a Paperless Sales System.
March 5, 2007... By Paige Albiniak With ePort, stations hope more automation means more time for selling As the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) begins rolling out its new electronic processing system, ePort, in the next year, TV stations hope...

MTVN Cuts, Phase Two.(MTV Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
March 5, 2007... By Anne Becker International division will lose 250 jobs A second round of cost-cutting layoffs at Viacom's MTV Networks will mean the loss of 250 positions from its international division. Based on the cuts, slated for completion...

A Guide to Navigating the New Upfront Market.
March 12, 2007... By Anne Becker and Ben Grossman Four big shifts will lead to a vital evolution in TV ad sales Add the television upfront to the list that once included Mark Twain, the dollar and Abe Vigoda: Reports of its death remain greatly...

Turbo-Charged.
March 12, 2007... By Michael Malone Automotive spending spurs area's prosperity While a soft automotive industry causes agita for most station executives, those in San Antonio actually have nice things to say about cars and trucks. GM and Ford maintain...

Flash!(Project for Excellence in Journalism's State of the News Media report)
March 12, 2007... Edited by Joel Topcik State of the News Media: *Limited Ambition* Joel Topcik Facing audience decline, growing public disapproval and shaky economic health, news organizations are narrowing--not broadening--their outlook. ...

Who Cares About Ownership Rules?
March 12, 2007... By John Eggerton As the FCC deliberates, many fear the debate has already moved on In the four years since the FCC proposed relaxing media-ownership rules to allow companies to own more broadcast stations, CBS has shed stations, Clear...

A Whole New Virtual World.(Second Life)
March 12, 2007... By Garth Johnston Media companies make 3D connections on Second Life and beyond It is, for many people, the ultimate fantasy: register on a virtual 3D community Website, create a custom avatar representation of yourself, and...

Fates &Fortunes.
March 12, 2007... By Staff Cable TV Staff At Comcast: Sam Klosterman , VP, affiliate sales, Lime, joins Comcast Media Center as director, distributor services; Lisa Padilla , account director, promoted to director of content services. ...

Tower Collapse Slows DTV Project.
March 12, 2007... By Glen Dickson A two-year, $2 million technology project came crashing to a halt early March 2 for independent station WSKY Chesapeake, Va., when high winds knocked down a digital television tower it was building. The collapse of the...

New Commanders in the News Wars.(Interview)
March 12, 2007... By Anne Becker Last week, in the midst of an increasingly tense battle for ratings, both NBC and CBS named new executive producers to their nightly newscasts. At NBC's Nightly News , news division VP Alexandra Wallace replaced John Reiss;...

MLB's PR Stunt.(Major League Baseball)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... By Ben Grossman Baseball plays favorites with DirecTV Major League Baseball's announcement last Thursday that it would give In Demand and Dish Network the chance to match DirecTV's renewal price for the Extra Innings out-of-market...

Exclusive.(MyNetworkTV to crack down on affiliates)(Comcast Corp. and Sinclair Broadcast Group reach agreement on retransmission)(NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated sign deal)
March 12, 2007... By Staff New ratings drive change with affiliates MNT Cracks Down Jim Benson News Corp.'s MyNetworkTV (MNT) plans to crack down on affiliates offering contractual "make goods" of its primetime fare between 3 and 6 a.m....

Where to be and what to watch.(Calendar)
March 12, 2007... By Michael Malone Monday, March 12 L-e-e-e-e-t the sun shine! L-e-e-e-e-t the sun shine in . Despite what your local weather personality might be saying, it's Sunshine Week , as the media makes its case for a more open government....

The Voice of Gibson.(Charles Gibson, ABC News Inc. wins february sweeps)
March 12, 2007... By J. Max Robins Long before Charles Gibson treated NBC Nightly News last month to its first sweeps loss since 1996, I wrote in this space that Gibson was the right man to succeed the late Peter Jennings as ABC's evening anchor. Of course,...

Sources and Lies.(Scooter Libby trial and freedom of press)
March 12, 2007... By Staff The Scooter Libby trial and verdict is a sadly fitting chapter in the sorry story of the divisive war in Iraq. A jury decided that Libby committed perjury and obstructed justice in the Valerie Plame case. Ten reporters were hauled...

HDTV: Bigger Has To Get Better.
March 12, 2007... By Howard Sachs Consumers buying HDTV sets are looking for pictures that are both bigger and better than the pictures they're used to with standard-definition television (SDTV). But meeting this double-barreled expectation sets a limit to...

Home-Team Advantage.(Randy Freer, Fox Sports Network)
March 12, 2007... By Ben Grossman For Fox Sports Networks' Freer, all sports is local Like a lot of kids who grew up in New Jersey, Randy Freer was a New York sports fan through and through, pulling for adopted home teams like the Giants, Knicks and...

Night of the Daytime Stars.
March 12, 2007... By Jim Benson Little boost from hosts' primetime forays The recent primetime visibility of several daytime talk-show hosts, including Ellen DeGeneres and Tyra Banks, hasn't sparked any lasting ratings growth for their syndicated...

Mobile TV Hits the Masses.
March 12, 2007... By Glen Dickson Verizon/MediaFLO service available in 20 markets; Modeo tests well on New York streets Live broadcast TV to mobile phones, once a mere novelty at trade shows, is becoming a potentially lucrative business reality for...

The Art of HD.(high-definition-television)(Brief article)
March 19, 2007... By Staff From newscasts to nature shows, the reality of Hi-def The high-definition-television (HDTV) business has reached critical mass. With the number of HDTV households approaching 20 million--roughly a sixth of Nielsen...

The Wider World of 'Nightly News'.(television channels are coming up with high-definition nightly newscasts)
March 19, 2007... By Glen Dickson A look at NBC's preparations for HD launch NBC will become the first broadcast network to provide a national evening newscast in high-definition when NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams launches in widescreen HD March...

Local News in HD Gains Momentum.(high definition television)
March 19, 2007... By Paige Albiniak With the government-mandated deadline for the digital-TV conversion less than two years away, broadcast stations are stepping up their efforts to upgrade their local newscasts to high-definition. Although the networks...

Way Beyond Screensavers.(high definition television providing fine art and ambient video services also)
March 19, 2007... By Kevin Downey New services put fine art and ambient video on HDTV sets By the time David McKeag gets home from work, the sun has long since set. But many nights, as he unwinds on the couch, he is transported to Turkey, the Canadian...

High Notes in Hi-Def.
March 19, 2007... By Wayne Friedman The Met's experiment in movie theaters is a surprising success Live operas filmed in hi-def and fed to movie theaters have become surprisingly successful events, selling out in cities big and small nationwide. In...

Discovery's New View of Nature.(Discovery Communications Inc. Discovery Channel)
March 19, 2007... By Glen Dickson Planet Earth series exploits latest hd camera technology One of the most ambitious--and expensive--high-definition series on TV will make its debut on the Discovery Channel this weekend. The 11-episode series,...

Fates & Fortunes.(cable television broadcasting industry)
March 19, 2007... By Staff BROADCAST TV Staff Leticia Garcia , account manager, KWHY Los Angeles, promoted to local sales manager. Neil Ungerleider , assistant news director, WCVB Boston, named to the newly created position of manager, WCVB...

Obituary.(John E. Bowen III )(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 19, 2007... By Staff Research pioneer John E. ("Jack") Bowen III , 75, former president/chairman, McHugh and Hoffman Inc., died of cancer March 3 in Washington. He was instrumental in elevating women to the anchor role. In engineering the...

The iTV Evangelist.(interactive-television)(Jonathan Dakss, NBC Universal Inc.)(Brief biography)
March 19, 2007... By Garth Johnston NBC Universal's Dakss spreads the good word on interactive television As NBC Universal's interactive-television (iTV) guru, Jonathan Dakss has spearheaded efforts to virtually pull viewers into the company's TV...

California Streamin'.(KABC-TV)
March 19, 2007... By Michael Malone Stations in No. 1 revenue market invest in digital With more than a dozen stations clamoring for viewers, station managers in the nation's largest revenue market are racing to innovate with high-definition news,...

Flash!(The Sopranos, The Tudors, Judge Judy)
March 19, 2007... Edited by Robert Edelstein On 'The Tudors,' It's Good To Be The King! Robert Edelstein Henry VIII has suffered decades of being best-known for his many wives, big church battles and kingly appetite. But in Showtime 's The Tudors...

Fast Track.(second season of 30 Rock to come soon)
March 19, 2007... By Staff Reilly Aims To Keep '30 Rock' Rolling Staff Show star Tina Fey gets big nod from NBC By Ben Grossman Tina Fey got a prime indication late last week that NBC is expected to bring back 30 Rock for a second season:...

The Challenge of a Court TV Rebrand.(program to get a new name and look)
March 19, 2007... By Anne Becker Network will get a new name and look by 2008 Court TV executives got the cable industry talking last week when they announced that, within the year, their network will no longer be "Court TV." Aiming to target a...

ABC Daytime Czar's 'View'.(ABC Inc., Brian Frons)(Interview)
March 19, 2007... By Anne Becker ABC Daytime had a tremendous February sweeps, with The View and General Hospital posting record ratings--not to mention its 41 Daytime Emmy nominations. Brian Frons, president of Daytime for the Disney-ABC TV Group, talked...

News at 10 Grows Up.
March 19, 2007... By Michael Malone "Early" late news beats 11 p.m. newscasts in many markets When New York's Channel 5 launched its 10 p.m. news, Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" rocked the charts, Lyndon Johnson was president, and the...

Unruly Start for DTV Rules.(digital television)
March 19, 2007... By John Eggerton Lawmakers are divided over a two-prong converter-box subsidy plan The new rules of the road for the DTV-converter-box subsidy hadn't been made public for more than a few hours last week before some Democrats and...

NBC News' Man in Iraq.
March 19, 2007... By Joel Topcik This week marks the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. On March 21, MSNBC will air War Zone Diaries , a one-hour special based on the video journal of NBC News' Richard Engel, 33, who has reported continuously...

Where to be and what to watch--.
March 19, 2007... By Michael Malone Monday, Mar. 19 Web video--Isn't that all we talk about anymore? For the latest on the topic, head to the Bay Area for The New Video Summit: Hollywood Meets Silicon Valley on the Internet . Speakers at the San Jose...

Let the IRS Help With DTV.(digital television)
March 19, 2007... By Staff As of March 1, all new TV and video products imported into the U.S. or shipped to retailers were required to have a digital tuner. That means that, while a consumer can still find an analog-only set in some dusty corner of a bad...

Make Station Websites a Local Marketplace.
March 19, 2007... By David Vazdauskas As broadcasters ponder ways to compete with search engine and online directories for local advertising dollars, they should focus on the one strategy that they can uniquely own: the local advantage. That's right,...

'Live'…Without Regis.(Regis Philbin to take leave for heart surgery)
March 19, 2007... By Ben Grossman Regis and Kelly EP lines up Philbin's fill-ins Last week's announcement that Regis Philbin would take a leave of absence from Live With Regis and Kelly to have bypass surgery was a one-two punch for the man whom Philbin...

Web Video Goes Wide.
March 26, 2007... By Garth Johnston NBC/News Corp.--among others--offers alternative to YouTube In the shadow of the announcement by NBC Universal-News Corp to create a rival to YouTube, another model for drawing Web surfers to a single video site is...

New Streaming.(thePlatform signs deal with Helio)(NBC.com introduces social networking features)(CBS content is now available on Sprint TV)(Brief article)
March 26, 2007... By Staff Theplatform To Manage Helio's Video Staff Comcast's broadband video "white-label" thePlatform has made an agreement to manage Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Helio's mobile content. As part of the agreement,...

Is This the CW's New Reality?
March 26, 2007... By Jim Benson Network looks for a boost from unscripted fare By the time The WB and UPN gave way to The CW last September, Time Warner's The WB had been labeled an outright failure. The operation racked up a staggering deficit...

Deals.(sales of broadcasting stations)
March 26, 2007... By BIA Financial Networks TVs KGMB(TV) Honolulu, KGMD(TV) Hilo, KGMV(TV) Wailuku, K69BZ Lihue and K57BI Waimea, Hawaii PRICE: $40 million BUYER: HITV License Subsidiary Inc. (Michael McHugh, president) SELLER: Emmis...

Guiding 'World News' Through the Storm.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. celebrates February-sweeps win)
March 26, 2007... By Joel Topcik ABC's Jon Banner savors evening-news gains--but only for a moment In his office at ABC World News With Charles Gibson , Executive Producer Jon Banner still has several bottles of Laurent-Perrier on the credenza behind...

Fates & Fortunes.(KPIX San Francisco promotes Lena Sullivan and James Reid)(Cablevision Systems promotes James Nuzzo)(Turner Broadcasting System Inc. appoints Amit Arora)
March 26, 2007... By Staff Broadcast TV Staff Lena Sullivan and James Reid , senior producers, Eye on the Bay , KPIX San Francisco, promoted to co-executive producers. Steve Cummings , director, sales, KRXI/KAME Reno, promoted to VP/general...

Obituary.(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 26, 2007... By Staff George Katz , a professor of telecommunications and film at the University of Alabama for 48 years, died March 6 at the age of 81. Among his former students are ESPN SportsCenter anchor Reece Davis, Seinfeld producer Tom...

Flash!(Bill Walton talks about John Wooden)(HGTV's "Rate My Room" draws crowds to the website)(Lifetime Television Network's program on Valerie Plame still at script stage)
March 26, 2007... Edited By Joel Topcik Walton Recalls Old Daze With Coach Wooden Joel Topcik Hordes of hoops fans may be tuning into the NCAA basketball tournament, but many traditionalists still long for a time when the game was about...

Hard-Nosed News.
March 26, 2007... By Michael Malone Clevelanders dig gumshoe journalism Bad weather is huge in Cleveland, but bad behavior is a hit with viewers, too. Several stations have multiple-person investigative teams covering everything from deficient daycare...

War and the Web.
March 26, 2007... By Staff Last week, to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the filmmaker Robert Greenwald and his Brave New Foundation launched an online memorial to the more than 3,200 U.S. service members who have died since the...

Broadcasters Have a Full-Power Problem.(Brief article)
March 26, 2007... By Nat Ostroff Emerging technology is being developed to enable a mobile broadcast component to the ATSC standard. This may be the source of badly needed additional future revenue for broadcast stations. The upcoming NAB show will...

Newsrooms Go Multiplatform.
March 26, 2007... By Glen Dickson Editing, graphics and automation tools tackle HD and Web Like other parts of the broadcast plant, newsrooms are being asked to do more with their existing staffs, whether it's producing high-definition newscasts or...

HD Camcorders Give Stations a Head Start.(digital camcorders in television news)
March 26, 2007... By Glen Dickson They can take the big plunge now or "future-proof" with less-costly gear For most broadcasters, considering a new digital camcorder format for news production now means considering a new high-definition camcorder...

How Networks Follow The Tweens.
March 26, 2007... By David Goetzl No longer just selling television spots, channels create multiplatform units to grab new dollars When General Mills linked with the Disney Channel last year as the sponsor for the sensational teen hit High School...

The Comedy Drought.
March 26, 2007... By Ben Grossman Aging off-net sitcoms lose viewers The well-documented dearth of comedy on broadcast TV is quickly becoming no laughing matter. According to a new study by Magna Global, comedy viewership on networks and cable and in...

'Hannah Montana' Superstar.(Disney plans international campaign to market "Hannah Montana" show)
March 26, 2007... By Anne Becker Disney plans international marketing blitz for tween hit Disney's tween sensation Hannah Montana centers on an everyday girl who also happens to be a pop star. Starting this week, Hannah herself gets even bigger star...

Kid-Obesity Report Due To Congress in July.(Brief article)
March 26, 2007... By John Eggerton Task force: goal is action, not finger-pointing Meeting for the first time last week, the Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity plans to report back to Congress and the FCC in mid July with recommendations for...

Fast Track.(David Muir anchors in American Broadcasting Companies Inc. news)(TV Land unveils television shows)(Cablevision Co. in court)
March 26, 2007... By Staff The CW Gets Into the Web Game Jim Benson Network plans series with user-generated content By Jim Benson YouTube may soon get a taste of its own medicine if The CW greenlights a reality pilot that would put the...

KCBS Joins HD-News Club.(KCBS-TV)
March 26, 2007... By Michael Malone L.A. station moves into high-tech digital facility on CBS Studio lot Two CBS-owned stations in Los Angeles are in the final stages of a move to a new state-of-the-art digital broadcast center, joining the growing...

Hammer on the New Upfront.(Interview)
March 26, 2007... By Anne Becker It's the cable upfront high season, and USA Network/Sci Fi Channel President Bonnie Hammer has been working it with advertisers and the press. Sci Fi threw a talent-filled media bash last week, and USA plans one this week in...

PTC Pulls Punches.(Parents Television Council)
March 26, 2007... By John Eggerton Indecency watchdogs share poll questions with FCC, not press The broadcast and cable industries can expect to take at least a couple more shots from the Parents Television Council in the coming weeks, according to a...

Great Expectations.(cable television industry's meeting on fall expectations)
March 26, 2007... By Jim Benson and Ben Grossman Ad buyers get a look at networks' fall plans At the networks' fall development meetings in Los Angeles last week, ABC's sizzle reel promised big success with its slate of shows. Then came the disclaimer,...

The week that was--.(National Geographic Channel plans new programs on the science, nature, technology and contemporary issues)(Wednesday-night media party)(Sci Fi Channel's viewership up)
March 26, 2007... By Anne Becker With the message "shedding new light," National Geographic Channel made the rounds with the press last week to say it will introduce a 2007-08 slate of more than 300 hours of programming on the science, nature, technology...

Where to be and what to watch--.(Calendar)
March 26, 2007... By Michael Malone Monday, March 26 What happens when a couple of mavericks are dropped off in the middle of Cedar Falls, Iowa? It may sound like a new reality series on A&E , but it's the latest edition of the Cable Mavericks lecture...

The Hungry Caterpillar.(NBC Universal and News Corp. announce launching of new web portal)
March 26, 2007... By J. Max Robins The announcement that NBC Universal and News Corp.--in conjunction with AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft--would launch a Web portal is more notable for what was left unsaid than what was said. Even with those marquee players,...