Broadcasting & Cable articles from May 2006

Broadcasting & Cable archives from May 2006

Hot In Any Language.
May 1, 2006

Deals.(television broadcasting industry mergers and acquisitions)
May 1, 2006

High Stakes on the Plains.
May 1, 2006

Fast Track.(Television broadcasting industry planning)
May 1, 2006

Rockin' at 30 Rock.
May 1, 2006... By Anne Becker NBC Agency's Frank Radice brings showmanship to network news There are 18 guitars in Frank Radice's 18th-floor office at 30 Rock in New York. And rock he has, both on stage and in the television news and promotions...

Flash!(media coverage)
May 1, 2006

Thinking Small.(broadcasting industry deals)
May 1, 2006

No Fear, Some Loathing in Las Vegas.(opening ceremony of national association of broadcasters.)
May 1, 2006

Tech Dazzles in the Desert.(broadcasters marketing and growth of Broadcasting industry)
May 1, 2006

No Station Left Behind.
May 1, 2006

Broadcasters Glued to Little Screens.
May 1, 2006

Whitford Spreads His Wings.(Interview)
May 1, 2006

Telemundo's Broadband Bonanza.
May 1, 2006

Senate Preps Telecom Rewrite.
May 1, 2006

Where to be and what to watch...(National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters plans 30th conference)(Los Angeles Advertising Agencies Association plans for annual conference)(Sports Emmy Awards to be handed out in Manhattan)
May 1, 2006

Are Video News Releases All Bad?
May 1, 2006

Snow's Job.(Scott McClellan steps down from White House Office; Tony Snow appointed)
May 1, 2006

Fates & Fortunes.(television broadcasting industry appointments)
May 1, 2006... Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV By Melanie M. Clarke Geoffrey Roth , dayside executive producer, WPXI Pittsburgh, tapped as news director, KMPH Fresno-Visalia, Calif. Tim Mathis , director, sales, WNDY/WISH/WIIH Indianapolis,...

Local Flavor.(cable television multicultural advertising)
May 1, 2006

Politics On-Demand.
May 1, 2006

SNTA Chief Comes Out Swinging.(Syndicated Network Television Association' Mitch Burg speaks on syndicated television)
May 1, 2006

Spectrum Shift Sprints to Finish Line.
May 1, 2006

Old TVs Steal Show at NAB.
May 1, 2006

Grass Valley Says IT's Where It's At.(Grass Valley Group Inc. )
May 1, 2006

Briefs.(Matsushita Electric Corporation of America )(Chyron Corp. )(Omneon Video Networks Inc.)
May 1, 2006

It"s Not Cable TV. It"s Whatever.(multiplatform scenarios for broadcasting industry)
May 8, 2006... By Anne Becker Upfronts present a multitude of multiplatform scenarios By this summer, Internet-savvy teens will be able to visit The Click, a new broadband site that will let them mix slick fare from various shows on MTV Networks'...

The Upfront and the Unknown.(Interview - Marc Goldstein, CEO, Mindshare)(Interview)
May 8, 2006... By John Higgins MindShare CEO says advertisers will be busy evaluating new tech and old habits As the head of MindShare North America, CEO Marc Goldstein guided a mind-boggling $10.2 billion in billings on Madison Avenue last year,...

MyNetworkTV Counts on a September To Remember.(marketing efforts of television broadcasting industry)
May 8, 2006... By Allison Romano With its Sept. 5 debut looming, Fox's MyNetworkTV (MNT) is revving up its marketing efforts. "Our affiliates are hungry for information and support," says Twentieth Television President Bob Cook. "This is a network...

Web Beats TV? Not This Year.(broadband television services)
May 8, 2006... By John M. Higgins In the upfronts, ad spending online will be just a trickle If you're caught up in the frenzy of Upfront Week in Manhattan, you may need to work hard to remember that the presentations are about broadcast TV, not the...

The Broadband Upfront.
May 8, 2006... By Wayne Friedman and David Goetzl As Big Four get ready to announce fall schedules, new platforms lead to fresh uncertainties Next week in New York, as the big broadcast networks unveil their fall slates, they face an advertising...

The CW Plans a Busy Summer.(The CW Television Network)
May 8, 2006... By Allison Romano Network-to-be poised to pitch brand to Madison Avenue Four months before launch, The CW has already met its goal of reaching 90% of the country. Now the network is gearing up for another major hurdle: its inaugural...

Deals.
May 8, 2006... By BIA Financial Networks TVs K35DI College Station, Texas PRICE: $370,000 BUYER: Equity Broadcasting Corp. (Greg Fess, senior VP/COO) SELLER: Gerald G. Benavides FACILITIES: Ch. 34, 150 kW AFFILIATION: Ind. ...

Indomitable vs. Undaunted.(analysis of Television News Channels)(services of The CW Television Network)
May 8, 2006... By Allison Romano Trailing stations take on behemoth CBS affiliate WHIO has long been the indomitable news leader in Dayton, Ohio. But its competitors in Nielsen's No. 59 market are undaunted, adding newscasts and bolstering existing...

A Network Finds Its Innertube.(launch of broadband entertainment portal)
May 8, 2006... By Anne Becker Will CBS' new broadband channel float? CBS plunged into the open waters of online video last week with the launch of Innertube, its free, ad-supported broadband entertainment portal. But media buyers and industry...

Daytime Emmys Set Record* *For Smallest Prime Time Audience Ever.
May 8, 2006... By Jim Benson New Los Angeles location fails to boost ratings Following the lowest-rated prime time Daytime Emmys ever, organizers and network executives will soon have to decide where to hold the event next year. Despite heavy...

Syndicated Streaming.(television syndication)(USA Network launches broadband Web site)(services of ABC Inc.)
May 8, 2006... By Jim Benson, Anne Becker, Allison Romano, Ben Grossman, and John M. Higgins Stations, cable networks will be able to run Two and a Half Men on their Web sites Syndicated Streaming Jim Benson Stations, cable networks will be...

Flash!(dilemma over Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution's next president)(ABC Inc's services)(news coverage of television channels)
May 8, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik Dick Robertson's Heirs: Not So Apparent Joel Topcik There's intrigue brewing at the Burbank studios of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD). According to numerous high-level accounts,...

3 Orphans To Go Independent.(three United Paramaount Network Outlets go independent)
May 8, 2006... By Allison Romano Ex-UPN stations will rely on local news Three CBS -owned stations being orphaned by UPN 's September shutdown will replace their UPN prime with local news and reruns of top syndicated shows. On Sept. 18, KTXA...

NBC U Realigns TV Distribution.(NBC Universal Inc.)
May 8, 2006... By Jim Benson Zaslav adds domestic-TV and digital duties Six months after restructuring, NBC Universal is expected to announce another major realignment of its television distribution assets this week. Global TV distribution chief...

Gaspin Comes Full Circle.(Interview of Gaspin, Jeffrey.)(Interview)
May 8, 2006... By Anne Becker Jeff Gaspin, president, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy, oversees entertainment content for NBC Universal's digital platforms. Heading into the broadcast upfronts, he discussed...

Hurdles Multiply for Telecom Reform.
May 8, 2006... By John Eggerton Can the House bill and the more expansive Senate draft be meshed into law? The Senate rolled out its version of a telecommunications-reform bill last week amid confident talk of passage that echoed similar boasts on...

Washington Watch.(meeting of The Corporation for Public Broadcasting)(FCC nomination)(Christian Coalition thanks FCC Chairman Kevin Martin)
May 8, 2006... By Staff CPB's Ethics Infusion At its May 1 meeting, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) board voted to adopt several changes in response to criticisms leveled in an Inspector General (IG) report last fall. The moves...

Where to be and what to watch...(events)(Calendar)
May 8, 2006... By Michael Malone Polka party! Yes, American Cable Association President Matthew Polka , no stranger to lame jokes about his musical surname, oversees the ACA's Washington Summit. FCC Media Bureau chief Donna Gregg and Mediacom CEO Rocco...

Stand Up for Free Speech.(freedom of expression must be defended)
May 8, 2006... By Patrick D. Maines Efforts in Congress and by the FCC to rein in "indecent" TV programming are challenging free-speech advocates as never before. Given that there aren't many free-speech defenders, this would be quite bad enough even if...

Nervous Energy.(about TV business)
May 8, 2006... By Staff TV has gotten too big for the small screen. That thing in the corner of the living room can no longer hold it all, as the news of the latest broadband gambits from ABC and CBS makes clear. In the days of linear-only channels,...

Fates & Fortunes.(executive reshuffle, Sony Pictures Television International)(promotion of Tim Roesler)(obituary)(Obituary)
May 8, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Broadcast TV Melanie M. Clarke At KTVT Dallas/Fort Worth: Terry Blechar , account executive, KXAS Dallas/Fort Worth, and James Perez , account executive, KJKK Dallas, join as account executives. Rod...

Telling Tales.(Fox Cable's Lou LaTorre.)
May 8, 2006... By Joel Topcik Fox Cable's Lou LaTorre sells more than ads Lou LaTorre is a natural storyteller. Anyone who has been regaled with his yarns about the early days of Turner Broadcasting or a sales pitch on the "growth story" of a...

Cable Plays To Win.(Xfire Inc.)
May 8, 2006... By Stewart Schley Programmers expand their offerings in the videogame realm Take an audience of 1 million, multiply it by an average nightly session time of three hours, mix in a presence in the red-hot social-networking sector, and...

Cable Ad Execs Explore the Arcade.(cable-delivered game services)
May 8, 2006... By Stewart Schley Want commercials to be seen? Videogamers spend lots of time watching Visiting the Games section of Comcast Cable's high-speed Internet portal is like being a kid just let out of the classroom for recess. One click...

Souping Up 'Seinfeld'.(show campaign)
May 8, 2006... By Ben Grossman Syndication staple gets promo makeover Sixteen years after debuting on NBC, Seinfeld is still master of the comedy domain, Sony Pictures Television believes. SPT has spent upwards of $1 million for a set of 180 new...

High-Def Newsgathering Passes CBS Test.(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
May 8, 2006... By Glen Dickson Digital microwave gear successfully supports HD feeds Complete high-definition newscasts might reach viewers sooner than they expect. After extensive testing in New York, CBS believes new digital microwave gear can...

Over-the-Air TV Repair.(new software to fix problems on digital television)
May 8, 2006... By Glen Dickson Update Logic transmits software fixes to digital sets Technology unveiled at the National Association of Broadcasters show threatens to make the TV repairman a thing of the past. UpdateTV is designed to fix problems on...

Six lessons for the upfront.(television networks)
May 15, 2006... By Ben Grossman Last year's results are driving this season's decisions By ben grossman Across New York City this week, the network executives who pick TV shows will become thespians for a day. They will stroll confidently on stage...

Down in the valley.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. competition in news broadcasting)
May 15, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations look for a news edge The two top stations for news in Chattanooga, Tenn., are heading into a crucial May sweeps. NBC affiliate WRCB and ABC affiliate WTVC have traded late-news wins in the last two ratings...

Now Streaming.(telemundo.yahoo.com)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... By Anne Becker Telemundo Says ¡Yahoo! --Yahoo!, Telemundo and the NBC Universal Television Group partnered to create Hispanic online portal telemundo.yahoo.com, replacing Yahoo! en Español and Telemundo.com; Yahoo! and...

MTV Networks Plays in Apple's Orchard.(music downloading service)
May 15, 2006... By Anne Becker Can a new music-downloading service take a bite out of iTunes' action? Ever wonder what Kristen from Laguna Beach is listening to? Would you download a playlist from TV Land's next-big-throwback, Mr. T? MTV Networks...

Fast track.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. television broadcasting industry)
May 15, 2006... By Staff She's Reading for Two Andrew Tyndall ABC's Vargas spotlights child-rearing issues In the era of the Brokaw/Jennings/Rather superanchors, each would put a personal stamp on the newscast he fronted. When those men...

Flash!(broadcasting industry)
May 15, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik NAB: $240,000 in Gear Lost to Sticky Fingers Joel Topcik Las Vegas' criminal element apparently has an eye for cutting-edge broadcasting technology. At last month's National Association of...

Hey, Time Warner: walk away from Adelphia.(acquisition deal)
May 15, 2006... By John M. Higgins The price tag on the deal is just too high The sale of Adelphia Communications to Time Warner Cable has dragged on for months. The deal breezed through antitrust review long ago, but bickering among Adelphia's many...

Rites of spring.(performances in broadcasting industry)
May 15, 2006... By J. Max Robins Ah, spring. A time when networks set their fall prime time schedules and advertisers turn on the spigot from which billions of dollars flow into those networks' coffers. It's also the time when studio executives,...

Affiliates fight for slice of platform pie.(Fox digital deals American Broadcasting Companies inc.)
May 15, 2006... By Allison Romano Networks' digital deals separate stations into haves and have-nots When Fox began peddling episodes of Prison Break and 24 on iTunes last week, its affiliates didn't grumble. If anything, they celebrated. Under an...

Spengler on Health of Ad Market.(advertising)(interview with Tim Spengler)(Interview)
May 15, 2006... By Allison Romano With broadcast TV's annual ritual, the upfront ad market, under way in New York, the wraps come off new shows and schedules. Then dealing begins for network sales executives and media buyers. Despite some early show...

Washington watch.(PBS)
May 15, 2006... By John Eggerton Recent FCC Fines Confuse John Eggerton Two challenges point up inconsistencies in the war on indecency If the recent proposed fines were supposed to give broadcasters more-consistent guidance on the FCC's...

Where to be and what to watch...(programs of broadcasting industry)(Calendar)
May 15, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, May 15 Forget ABC bubble boy David Blaine --B&C Week will attempt a far greater feat than holding one's breath for nine minutes. We'll attend every upfront presentation this week, along with as many...

Let's label "canned" news video.(use of video news releases)
May 15, 2006... By Diane Farsetta Last month, the Center for Media and Democracy released a report documenting how TV stations across the United States use video news releases (VNRs). The multimedia report, which includes footage of the VNRs and news...

The new world.(viewership in television broadcasting)
May 15, 2006... By Staff Predictions are plucked annually from the ether that the upfront market is going away. We don't think so, but as upfront week unfolds, it is obvious that advertisers and content distributors are working toward a new business...

Fates & Fortunes.(officials and employees of Comcast Corp., MTV Networks Inc. Spike Television and SportsNet)(appointment of Ray Lucas)
May 15, 2006... By Melanie M. Clarke Cable TV Staff At Comcast: Terry Kennedy , area VP, Mid-South systems, Alabama/Mississippi, named VP/general manager, Memphis system/Atlanta region; Michael Hewitt , VP/general manager, Atlanta Metro...

In reality, a nice guy finishes first.(David Goldberg)(Biography)
May 15, 2006... By Jim Benson Endemol USA's David Goldberg looks beyond cash prizes When the Dutch reality television producer John De Mol approached David Goldberg about launching an American outpost of his production company, Endemol...

OBITUARY.(Lloyd Bolkcom)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... By Staff Television broadcaster Lloyd Bolkcom , 78, died at home May 4. His career started with the launch of WMIN Minneapolis/St. Paul, and he worked briefly at WCCO Minneapolis. He began with WTCN Minneapolis in 1956 and, for 10...

Moving Images.(services of Cable News Network)
May 15, 2006... By Joel Brown After Katrina, a CNN spotlight on children helped reunite families Little Caleb was in New Orleans visiting his father when Hurricane Katrina struck. In the chaos that followed, a shelter volunteer in Houma, La., saw...

Making Movie Moguls.(IFC offers filmmaking class for high schools)
May 15, 2006... By Kevin Downey Rainbow's IFC offers filmmaking class for high schools At this moment, a teenager is likely dozing off in an English class some- where, bored, no doubt, by a teacher reciting Shakespeare or extolling the merits of The...

How Anti-Smoke Ads Get in Your Eyes.(advertisements)
May 15, 2006... By Stuart Miller States swap the best commercials, with a federal agency as the middleman By Stuart Miller Little known to most viewers, public- interest groups and state agencies nationwide actively trade anti-smoking commercials....

"Two and a Half Men" awaits bidding war.(Fox )(Tribune)
May 15, 2006... By Jim Benson Will Fox or Tribune cough up big bucks for sitcom? As station-group meetings kicked off late last week, the big question for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) is whether it can ignite an all-out...

TECH TALK.(Quantum Corp. acquires Advanced Digital Information Corp.)(Alabama Public Television purchses Hitachi SK-3010P HDTV cameras.)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... By Glen Dickson Quantum Scoops Up ADIC Staff Storage vendor Quantum Corp. will acquire Advanced Digital Information Corp. (ADIC), which makes robotic data archives, for around $770 million in cash and stock. Quantum, which...

Next-generation distribution for PBS.(Public Broadcasting Service)(packet-based transmission scheme)
May 15, 2006... By Glen Dickson Groundbreaking project shifts network to file-based program delivery PBS is setting the pace among broadcasters by moving toward file-based distribution. The project, known as the Next Generation Interconnection...

Fall Drama.(ABC shifts its television programs to different time slots)(evaluation of television programs)(CBS Broadcasting Inc. introduces four television shows)
May 22, 2006... By Jim Benson ABC's Anatomy move makes Thursday a battleground ABC shook up the upfront presentations in New York last week by shifting Sunday-night juggernaut Grey's Anatomy --which follows Desperate Housewives --to Thursdays in...

Southern Boomtown.
May 22, 2006... By Allison Romano Stations thrive on local growth Few local markets can boast growth as explosive as the Ft. Myers-Naples, Fla., region. The area has grown to be Nielsen's 66th-largest TV market, up from No. 76 in 2001. A steady stream...

It's All About TV After All.(TV programming)
May 22, 2006... By Anne Becker Broadcast networks talk new media but pitch the original platform Despite buzz promising a broadband feast at this year's upfronts, TV programming was the main course at the broadcast networks' presentations last week....

Fast Track.(rules for the broadcasting industry)
May 22, 2006... By Staff Senate Approves New Indecency Legislation Staff Fines could skyrocket By Allison Romano and John Eggerton The Senate approved indecency legislation late last Thursday that would increase fines tenfold--to...

Flash!(ABC Entertainment president dances during talk show)(TV stations presentations)(analysis of television comedies)
May 22, 2006... Edited by Joel Topcik McPherson: He's Dancing as Fast as He Can Staff Say what you will about ABC 's new slate of shows, but critics are unanimous about Entertainment President Steve McPherson : The man can dance ! Claiming...

Digital Turf War.(digital-rights deals )
May 22, 2006... By John M. Higgins Studios and networks are still far apart on rights There was something conspicuously missing from the hundreds of millions of dollars in commitments for the upcoming fall season: digital-rights deals between the...

Mixed Drinks, Mixed Messages.(broadcasting indsutry news)
May 22, 2006... By J. Max Robins Another over-the-top upfront week has come and gone. And while the broadcast networks' presentations were as splashy as ever, never have I seen such a cacophony of mixed messages. Media buyers everywhere are undoubtedly...

Abrams Is Anything but 'Lost'.(interview with JJ Abrams)(Interview)
May 22, 2006... By Ben Grossman JJ Abrams is one of the busiest--and most sought-after--writer/producer/directors in Hollywood. He just finished promoting the opening of his Mission Impossible III and preparing the Alias series finale. Now he turns his...

Where to be and what to watch...(calendar)(Calendar)
May 22, 2006... By Michael Malone Monday, May 22 Upfronts are over, sweeps are winding down, and cable prepares to rock! The Cable Center holds its first-ever Summit on Intellectual Property and Digital Media in Denver. Speakers include Maria Mandel...