Broadcasting & Cable articles from May 2008

Broadcasting & Cable archives from May 2008

NAB Knocks 'Localism' Rules.(National Association of Broadcasters)(Federal Communications Commission )(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By John Eggerton The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says the FCC's localism proposals are based on faulty premises, are unnecessary and, if passed, could decrease, not increase, public service to communities. Some of the...

BC Beat.
May 5, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Vegas Station Gambles on Analog Shutoff Joel Topcik In a variation on the old "This is only a test" emergency broadcast messages, KVBC Las Vegas conducted a simulation of what will happen at the stroke of...

VH1 Hits a New High Note.
May 5, 2008... By Anne Becker Once stuck in a rut, the network is now a pop culture powerhouse Celebrity Rehab , a show in which a popular TV shrink attempts to cure a group of drug-addicted, washed-up stars, has just been greenlighted for season...

Deals.(Landmark Communications buy Crown Castle Nevada )(Nassau Broadcasting Partners sell WDAC Radio Co)(Randall and Adrienne Weiss buy Michael Mintz, Laurie Mintz )
May 5, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV K53JA/Flagstaff, Ariz.; K20IM/Barstow and K68GT/Eureka, Calif.; K38JD/Durango and K30IU/Grand Junction, Colo.; W69EP/Georgetown, Del.; K32HB & K40IJ/Manhattan and K69IU/Pittsburg, Kan.; W31CX/Bangor,...

High Times in Low Country.
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone Charleston has charm-and big-time newscasts The greatest thing about Charleston, S.C., say station managers in the No. 100 DMA, is, well, Charleston. History, the ocean, golf, elite restaurants ('low-country' cuisine...

A Salute to Flagship Shows.
May 5, 2008... By David Bianculli When you think of a network-if you do-what do you think of first? This week, the broadcast networks are busy shuffling and finalizing their fall schedules in preparation for their unveilings at next week's upfronts....

Stations Go 'Back' to the Future.
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone WCVB, WJAR poised to test Backchannel's new interactive TV model In the coming weeks, a few station executives should get a clearer picture of whether interactive television will finally be the paradigm-shifter it's...

Warner Bros. Takes Over CW Daytime.
May 5, 2008... By Ben Grossman Judge Jeanine Pirro and sitcoms to air from 3-5 p.m. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution will supply programming for The CW's 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekday block, according to a pending deal between the corporate...

McDowell: Kevin Martin's Loyal Opponent.(Federal Communications Commission )
May 5, 2008... John Eggerton Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell concedes he has differed from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on a number of issues lately, but his divergent points of view on some issues don't indicate a larger rift between the two....

Localism Divides Religious Groups.(Federal Communications Commission)
May 5, 2008... By John Eggerton At issue: fast-track renewals, questions of 'acceptable' programming The FCC's proposals for increasing public interest reporting requirements and other steps to promote broadcast localism have drawn a flood of...

Cable: The Place to Be.(Viewpoint essay)
May 5, 2008... By Ben Grossman We all know the upfronts are going to be very different this year. Gone-at least for now-are the halcyon days of network chiefs strutting with bravado on the big New York stages. But also gone are the days of cable network...

Where to be & what to watch-.(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, May 5 Italian actress/filmmaker Isabella Rossellini dabbles in a different genre as she unveils 'Green Porno,' a short film series about insect sex on Sundancechannel.com and the mobile service Helio . Wait...

Trivial Pursuits.
May 5, 2008... Staff Barack Obama came out of nowhere thanks to a smart organization, a telegenic presence and a message, literally, of hope. But before his presence galvanized voters, the smart money was on Sen. Hillary Clinton as the Democratic...

Making Localism Illogical.
May 5, 2008... By John M. Pelkey and Daniel J. Margolis The FCC is considering new 'localism' rules that have raised the ire of broadcasters. The regulations would presumably get broadcasters more in touch with their audiences, but broadcasters say the...

Fates & Fortunes.(Lions Gate Television Inc. promotes Barbara Wall)(ACME Communications Inc. appoints Robby Wells)(Fox Sports Net Northwest L.L.C. appoints Nicole Zaloumis )
May 5, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff Brad Raney , local/national sales manager, WVTM Birmingham, Ala., has joined WTEV Jacksonville as local sales manager. PROGRAMMING Staff Barbara Wall , VP of television development, Lionsgate,...

Searching for a New Ad Model.(NBC Universal Inc.)(Google Inc.)
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone NBC alum Steib pitches broadcasters on Google TV Ads Various toys around Google's massive New York headquarters encourage employees to unwind and think freely. There's a game room featuring a pool table, ball pit and...

HD Hits the Streets.(high definition)
May 5, 2008... By Glen Dickson New wave of cameras attracting news operations, reality shows High-definition studio cameras have been selling well for years, as stations began buying them as a way to future-proof their operations in advance of...

Syndicators Upbeat About Upfront.
May 5, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Sluggish economy could actually spur sales With economic indicators pointing downward-skyrocketing food and fuel costs, foreclosures and layoffs-syndicators still remain confident that this year's upfront will be good...

'Ghost' With the Most.(Ghost Whisperer)
May 5, 2008... By Paige Albiniak CBS hit 'Whisperer' to haunt Sci Fi, We and Ion CBS Television Distribution is on a roll lately, selling Everybody Hates Chris , Criminal Minds and now Ghost Whisperer to both broadcast and cable networks in lucrative...

Bravo Goes Multimedia.(Bravo Media)
May 5, 2008... By Anne Becker Strikes deals for cruises, calendars, cookbooks and more to expand brand Bravo Media is striking new partnerships to sell everything from cruises to cookbooks tied to its shows, in an effort to take its brand name...

Cable Stock Spurt Thrills Wall Street.(sales and earnings of Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc.)
May 5, 2008... By Robert Marich First-quarter earnings posted by Time Warner Cable and Comcast last week proved robust, surprising Wall Street. The companies maintained their grip on cable TV subscribers amid furious competition from telcos' video...

Ion Has Big Prime Plans.(Ion Television)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone Ion Television has ambitious plans to offer flashier and more compelling programming. At its New York upfront last week, Chairman/CEO Brandon Burgess unveiled the new slogan "Positively Entertaining," and Ion announced a...

ABC Family's Summer Plans.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By Anne Becker ABC Family will premiere original series The Middleman and The Secret Life of the American Teenager this summer, and the six-hour, three-night limited series Samurai Girl this fall. The "millennial"-targeting cable network...

NATAS Picks Its Daytime Finalists.(National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By Alex Weprin The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominations for the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, with the winners to be revealed June 20. CBS led all networks with 56 nominations. The...

February Sweeps Move to March.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By John Eggerton Nielsen is moving the February 2009 sweeps to March to avoid the "potential disruptions" from the switch to digital. It will begin testing ratings collection on digital-only stations in December 2008. In a memo to...

CBS Gains 14% in Q1.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By Robert Marich Helped by sales in its syndication division, CBS's net income rose 14% in the first quarter, and President and CEO Leslie Moonves increased the quarterly dividend payment by 8% to $0.27 per share, which Moonves noted is...

Hearst-Argyle Down in first quarter.(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By Michael Malone Hearst-Argyle Television reported total revenue for the first quarter was $165.1 million, down 2.6% from the same quarter in 2007. Earnings per diluted share were $0.11 for the first quarter compared with $0.05 in the...

AFTRA Unit OKs Pact.(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists )(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... By John Eggerton As expected, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) overwhelmingly approved its agreement with the studios and networks on a new contract last week covering shows including Deal or No Deal ,...

BC Beat.(Editorial)
May 12, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik Carson Daly, MRE Team for Daily Web Show Joel Topcik Just learned about those dazzling Diet Coke-Mentos fountains? Puzzled by the phrase "chocolate rain?" Then you, friend, are woefully behind in the...

Deals.(Louisiana Media Co buy Emmis Communications )(Mable Marie Kelly sale Oklahoma Broadcast Associates )(Blueberry Broadcasting buy Clear Channel )
May 12, 2008... By BIA Financial Networks TV WVUE (TV)/New Orleans, LA. PRICE : $41 million BUYER : Louisiana Media Co. (Tom Benson, owner) SELLER : Emmis Communications (Jeff Smulyan, president/CEO) FACILITIES : Ch. 8, 316 kW, ant....

Kernel of Truth.
May 12, 2008... By Michael Malone Ag prices are robust as McCain hits Des Moines Five months after its caucuses kicked off the billion-dollar bonanza we call the presidential election, Iowa is seeing political money again. Republican hopeful John...

The Quarterly Media Scorecard.(Financial report)
May 12, 2008... Robert Marich, Michael Malone, John Eggerton, Glen Dickson, P.J. Bednarski Despite challenges, uplifting results on the whole Disney Rebound Continues Into Q2 Disney Co. earnings from continuing operations soared 23% in its second...

KNBC Tries Kid Stuff.(KNBC, Los Angeles, California (Television) plans to mark the two-year anniversary of its News Raw digital channel by reaching out to elementary school students)
May 12, 2008... By Michael Malone Tailored for tykes, Yip Yap to debut on News Raw KNBC Los Angeles plans to mark the two-year anniversary of its News Raw digital channel by reaching out to a markedly underserved segment of news viewers: first-...

NBC Stations Shift Strategy.(NBC Universal Inc.)
May 12, 2008... By Michael Malone 'Content centers' to replace traditional newsrooms, news channel to launch NBC Universal is overhauling its operations to recast its stations as 24/7, multi-platform news outlets, not simply TV stations airing...

Hirschhorn: Retirement TV's Active Programmer.(Retirement Living TV)(Interview)
May 12, 2008... Anne Becker Retirement Living, a boomer-targeted cable network in 30 million homes on DirecTV, Comcast and Verizon, has, since its fall 2006 launch, aimed to be the first TV stop for the under-served over-55 set. Owned by Erickson...

Networks Tap Rich Vein: Their Audiences.
May 12, 2008... By Anne Becker Bravo and others sell themselves based on 'affluential' viewers Media agency executives who were visited by Bravo ad sales reps this year were left with a fun parting gift-a copy of the Bravo Affluencer , a large-size,...

Localism's National Consequences.
May 12, 2008... By John Eggerton Financial fallout for networks seen as likely result of FCC requirement A TV industry trying its best to keep up with nimble new-media competitors may have an expensive new albatross to deal with: the FCC's series of...

Upfront Sendup.
May 12, 2008... By Ben Grossman I know you're all unsure about what to expect from this week's upfront presentations in New York City. I don't blame you. Everything just feels smaller this year. Let's face it, there hasn't been a more celebrated lack...

Where to be & what to watch-.(Calendar)
May 12, 2008... By Michael Malone Monday, May 12 The Spanish-language upfront presentations are in full swing in Manhattan. What does Don Browne have cooking for Telemundo come fall? El Presidente forgoes Telemundo's usual Radio City bacchanal for a...

Dress Rehearsal.(digital conversion)
May 12, 2008... Staff The road to the Feb. 17, 2009, analog shutoff is filled with potential technological land mines, most of which might be duds, but some of which may cause explosions of consumer anger and confusion. So it's gratifying that five...

Cable's Online Opportunity.
May 12, 2008... By Bob Dykes As the cable industry turns its attention to next week's Cable Show '08, it is time for a reflective look to see how the industry can reinvent itself and continue to prosper in the rapidly changing realities of today's global...

Fates & Fortunes.(KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo, California) appoints Evan Pappas)(WNET-TV (New York, New York) promotes Stephen Segaller)(Tribune Co. (Chicago, Illinois) promotes Chandler Bigelow)
May 12, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff EVAN PAPPAS , general sales manager, KVOA Tucson, has joined KSBY Santa Barbara as president and general manager. STEPHEN SEGALLER , director of news and public affairs, WNET New York, has been promoted...

Changing the Shape of Things.(Suzanne Kolb of E! and The Style Network)(Occupation overview)
May 12, 2008... By Anne Becker Marketer Suzanne Kolb creates a new image for E! and Style Whether for broadcast or cable, network or agency, big company or small, Suzanne Kolb has followed a devotion to brands through a career that has led to her...

Who'll Win in Court?
May 12, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Emmy race should favor 'Judge Judy' The votes are in, and the first-ever Emmy nominees for Outstanding Court Show are: CBS' ratings leader Judge Judy , Warner Bros.' first-in-genre People's Court, Sony's rookie Judge...

HD Newsgathering Inches Closer to Reality.(high definition)
May 12, 2008... By Glen Dickson Digital microwave conversion picks up speed More than 90 stations across the U.S. are now producing their newscasts in high-definition. For most, that means HD pictures from the studio, not the field. A number of...

UPFRONT: Flat Is the New Up.
May 12, 2008... Staff A bitter writers' strike, depressed ratings and a national recession aren't exactly getting TV executives-or ad buyers-in an upfront mood. With so few pilots, can networks outperform analysts' dour predictions? The View From...

Fox News Seeks College Knowledge.(Fox News Network L.L.C. expands partnership with student reporter Website The Palestra)
May 12, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Cable channel expands partnership with student reporter network The Palestra Fox News is expanding its partnership with student reporter Website The Palestra, a digital news resource with 200 college and university...

Wilmington Pulls Plug on Analog.
May 12, 2008... By John Eggerton Wilmington, N.C., near the home of the Wright Brothers famous flight, will be the launching pad for the DTV transition. In a hastily assembled press conference last week-two of the five commissioners were out of town...

SeaChange Develops 'Personal' VOD Tool.(SeaChange International Inc.)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Glen Dickson Video-on-demand supplier SeaChange has developed a new version of its Axiom management software that will let cable customers manage their on-demand viewing through a personalized Web portal, and make program...

FCC Probes 'Embedded' Analysts.(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By John Eggerton FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says the commission is looking into complaints about the Department of Defense's program to provide talking points to former military officers used by TV networks as analysts on the Iraq war. ...

Does MTV Have Hippest ROI?(return on innovation)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Anne Becker MTV Networks' upfront last week pitched advertisers that it could offer "Ultimate ROI," which it defined as "return on innovation." MTVN chairman Judy McGrath told advertisers about creative ways MTVN had showcased...

ATSC Celebrates 25th Anniversary.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Glen Dickson Top engineers and technology executives from the broadcast, consumer-electronics and cable industries gathered in Washington last week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC),...

Cablevision buys Sundance for $496M.(Rainbow Media Holdings LLC buy The Sundance Channel )(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Anne Becker Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC says it will buy The Sundance Channel in a stock and cash deal valued at $496 million. Robert Redford owns a slice of Sundance, as do NBC Universal and CBS. Cablevision already...

'Ellen' Will Go HD in Fall.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show will air in high-definition starting Monday, Sept. 8, the first day of the show's sixth season. Ellen will move from its current location near NBC Universal's Burbank-based...

Rather, CBS Back in Court.(News anchor Dan Rather filed an amended against CBS)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Attorneys for former CBS News anchor Dan Rather filed an amended fraud complaint last week in New York against CBS, detailing the alleged damage to his reputation caused by his longtime employers. The complaint, filed...

NBC Roasted by Craig, Jimmy-and Conan.(NBC Universal Inc.)(Jimmy Kimmel , Craig Ferguson and Conan O'Brien )
May 19, 2008... Edited by Joel Topcik NBC couldn't catch a break at last week's broadcast upfront presentations, where the fourth-place network took some shots from late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel , Craig Ferguson -and NBC's own Conan O'Brien . ...

Ready to Party.
May 19, 2008... By Michael Malone All eyes on Denver as the Democrats converge It's been exactly 100 years since the Democratic Party last held its national convention in Denver, and stations are scrambling to get ready for the 2008 wingding, which...

Cable TV's Flagship Shows.
May 19, 2008... By David Bianculli Like broadcasters, cable networks have their own image-defining programs With NCTA 2008 gearing up in New Orleans, it's a good time for cable networks to be a little self-reflective. In my last column, I asked what...

Does That Rerun Fit the Brand?
May 19, 2008... By Paige Albiniak Cable networks look for more than hits when buying off-net shows Syndicators who get premium license fees share a secret: Knowing a cable network's brand strategy is the key to their pocketbook. 'You have to be...

Cable Stock Spurt Grabs Wall Street.
May 19, 2008... By Robert Marich Can mini-rally last? Cable stocks, beaten down in recent quarters because of competition, subscriber saturation and regulatory concerns, may be turning the corner. In recent weeks, most big cable companies have...

Programmers to Strut in Big Easy.(at National Cable & Telecommunications Association )
May 19, 2008... By Anne Becker Strong ratings, critical acclaim and multiple platforms raise their profile As cable's biggest players converge at the 57th annual National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) show in New Orleans May 17-20,...

Food Changes Daytime Recipe.(Food Network changes its channel logo and rebranding )
May 19, 2008... By Anne Becker In an effort to keep its produce fresh, Food Network is changing its channel logo and rebranding its daytime cooking block, 'In the Kitchen.' The network logo, which has not been changed since 2005, will shift from...

VOD: Time-Shifting Primetime.(Video-on-demand services)
May 19, 2008... By David F. Carr Legal logjam breaks between cable and content companies Video-on-demand (VOD) services such as Time Warner Cable's Start Over and Look Back services and Cox Communications' MyPrimetime are proving that the legal logjam...

CBS Makes Web Splash With C/Net.
May 19, 2008... By Robert Marich Pays hefty $1.8 billion for Internet giant, but some analysts are skeptical CBS, a relative laggard in the Internet space, made a big play with last week's $1.8 billion deal to buy technology-focused Web operator...

CableLabs' Green Tackles TV's Tough Tech Issues.(Richard R. Green)(Interview)
May 19, 2008... Robert Marich Cable modems-the always-running connection that replaced cumbersome dial-up-provided most consumers with their first truly fast and easy broadband service early this decade. Though now taken for granted, cable modems were a...

McSlarrow's War.(Federal Communications Commission)(Interview)
May 19, 2008... By John Eggerton For NCTA chief, the battle against the FCC has never been uglier The cable industry goes into this week's convention in New Orleans facing continued regulatory threats. They may call that town the Big Easy, but for a...

Will Fallon Fly?(Jimmy Fallon as talk show host for next year on NBC Cable)(Interview)
May 19, 2008... By Ben Grossman The television industry is going to forget about Jimmy Fallon about two weeks after he takes over for Conan O'Brien next year on NBC. And that is the best thing that could possibly happen to the rookie. If Fallon's...

Where to be & what to watch-.(Calendar)
May 19, 2008... By Robert Edelstein Monday, May 19 With the industry converging on N'Orleans for the Cable Show , it's the perfect opportunity for a class-act session called 'Bit by Bit: Convergence Creates the Picture.' Moderated by Debra Lee ,...

A Powerful Pipe.
May 19, 2008... Staff The cable industry goes into New Orleans for its annual convention with big headaches but bigger opportunities. As National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Kyle McSlarrow points out to B&C this week, the...

The Public Airwaves Myth.
May 19, 2008... By Erwin G. Krasnow FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, as well as citizen-group advocates, frequently proclaim that the airwaves belong to the people. Indeed, the concept of 'public airwaves' is the foundation for the...

Fates & Fortunes.(Ion Media Networks appoints Blaine Rominger)(Fisher Communications Inc. appoints Joseph Lovejoy)(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. appoints Cale Boyter)
May 19, 2008... Staff BROADCAST Staff BLAINE ROMINGER , GM, Time Warner Media-Comcast Spotlight, has joined Ion Media Networks as senior VP of national/local/cable longform sales. Also at Ion Media Networks, IAN MAHONEY , VP of Midwest/West...

The Triple-Play Triple-Threat Man at Cox.(Dallas Clement of Cox Broadcasting Corp.)(Occupation overview)
May 19, 2008... By Robert Marich A background in gadgets, finance and business development helps Clement keep Cox moving forward When Dallas Clement was finishing grad school at Stanford University in 1990, he sent job applications to two cable...

Pickup Artists.(Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks Inc. VH1 acquires library of American Broadcasting Companies Inc. ABC Broadcast Group)
May 19, 2008... By Paige Albiniak VH1 will rerun 'The Bachelor' Viacom-owned VH1 has picked up the entire library of ABC's The Bachelor and The Bachelorette -including one featuring DeAnna Pappas that premieres on ABC May 19-with plans to run the...

Televisa Takes MPEG-4 Plunge With Tandberg.(Televisa S.A.)
May 19, 2008... By Glen Dickson Mexican broadcaster becomes first big player on continent to convert to new encoding Mexican broadcaster Televisa is converting its primary program distribution from MPEG-2 compression to MPEG-4 AVC (advanced video...

Upfronts: A Strange Trip.
May 19, 2008... By Ben Grossman The post-strike presentations reveal a wide range of strategies In what was one of the strangest upfront weeks in recent memory, the networks went about peddling their wares in very different ways. After the...

Fox: With More Than Just 'Idol,' It's Good to Be No. 1.(Fox Broadcasting Co.)
May 19, 2008... By Ben Grossman With yet another 18-49 ratings crown locked up and now with the title of most-watched network as well, Fox is hoping to use that stability-and a new J.J. Abrams show-to keep improving its fourth-quarter fortunes. As...

ABC: Will More Pilots And More Stability Equal More Ratings?(Steve McPherson of American Broadcasting Companies Inc. ABC Broadcast Group)
May 19, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie Steve McPherson, president of entertainment at ABC, pointedly defended the development season that was decimated by the writers' strike in his upfront address to advertisers at Lincoln Center last week. Research and...

CBS: Reaching Out to Women With Comedy and Character-Driven Drama.(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
May 19, 2008... By Ben Grossman A long-desired new night of comedy and five new shows will highlight the CBS schedule this fall, but the network is also trying to ramp up its push toward women. Known in recent years for its often-gritty crime dramas, the...

NBC: An 'Infront' Offers Sell-Through Opportunities.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
May 19, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie NBC gets an A for effort this year. The fourth-place network unveiled its 2008-2009 schedule to advertisers in early April, dubbing the event an "infront" and stressing "connection"-with viewers and advertisers. Back...

The CW: Targeting Young Women, and Hoping That Hype Starts to Sell.(CW Group Inc.)
May 19, 2008... By Marisa Guthrie The CW may have achieved a place in the millennial Zeitgeist with Gossip Girl , its rabidly followed drama about Upper East Side prep school cruelty. But vast swaths of viewers have not been converted to the show's...

Univision, Telemundo Ramping Up Product Placement Projects.(TV Globo)(Telemundo Communications Group Inc.)
May 19, 2008... By P.J. Bednarski and Robert Marich Telemundo will team up with Brazilian network TV Globo for a new version of El Clon (The Clone ), which was a big hit when the NBC Universal network aired the original Brazilian version in 2002, the...

LG/Samsung Will Ride Together.(LG Electronics Inc. contracts with Samsung America Inc.)
May 19, 2008... By Glen Dickson Agreement likely to speed mobile DTV adoption Korean consumer electronics giants LG and Samsung agreed last week to work together on developing mobile digital television technology that will let local stations transmit...

Senate Rebuff On Ownership Rules.
May 19, 2008... By John Eggerton As promised, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has succeeded once again in getting the Senate to vote to block a slightly more lenient FCC media ownership rule change. But also as promised, the Bush administration reiterated its...

'Queen for a Day' Wants a Comeback.(RDF USA)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... By Ben Grossman Production company RDF USA wants to bring back Queen for a Day , a show that first launched on network television 61 years ago. The company will start shopping it to both networks and syndicators this week. Hosted by...