Broadcasting & Cable articles from May 2009

Broadcasting & Cable archives from May 2009

Stations Search for Gold In a Post-Newspaper Landscape.(WJBK-TV (Detroit, Michigan))(Fox News Network L.L.C.)
May 4, 2009... By Michael Malone As major dailies fold, local TV tries to deliver all the news once fit to print WJBK did not wait for Detroit's two major daily papers to start cutting back distribution. On March 9, a full three weeks before the...

Deals.
May 4, 2009... BIA Financial Networks TV WOAC (TV)/Troy, Ohio PRICE : $7,000,000 BUYER : Tri-State Christian TV (Garth Coonce, president and founder) SELLER : Multicultural Capital Trust (Lee Shubert, trustee) FACILITIES : DTV Ch....

Indecent Proposals.(Fox Stations Group)
May 4, 2009... Staff There was an article several weeks back in the newspaper--yes, people still read those--about a group of legal scholars suggesting the Supreme Court shouldn't be appointed for life. After last week's decision by the court that...

Bruno Heller Didn't See This Coming.
May 4, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Mentalist creator has made his own name in the family business after early struggles Bruno Heller may have been genetically predisposed to writing. Growing up in England, he internalized both the fascination and dread...

Freelance Journos Under Siege.(Occupation overview)
May 4, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Perils come to light as major news orgs cut foreign bureaus More Western news organizations are relying on freelance journalists to cover foreign countries where economic realities have forced the closure of fully...

Cable Programmers Increase International Focus.(Scripps Networks Inc.)(Rainbow Media Holdings Inc.)(Sundance Channel L.L.C.)(NBC Universal Inc.)
May 4, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Foreign markets represent upside amidst recession Are Rachael Ray and Candice Olson poised for global exposure? More American cable programmers are taking a fresh look at international expansion as domestic growth...

Rock Solid.(economic foundation in Little Rock)
May 4, 2009... By Michael Malone Central Arkansas keeps keeping on As the second word in the name implies, there's a strong economic foundation in Little Rock. The employment picture stays relatively steady in the No. 56 DMA, thanks to the government...

LATV's Strategic Shift.
May 4, 2009... By Michael Malone Hip Hispanic digital channel moving to more Spanish-language shows While LATV has long billed itself as a "bilingual" entertainment channel for Hispanics 18-34, the digital channel is subtly moving away from its...

Syndicators' Integrated Thinking.(CBS Corp. CBS Television)(Kohl's Department Stores Inc.)
May 4, 2009... By Paige Albiniak As upfront approaches, shows tout branded tie-ins In March, CBS Television Distribution launched a feature in Entertainment Tonight and on ETOnline.com called "Get the Celebrity Look for Less," featuring stylist...

Highlights From the NAB Floor.(National Association of Broadcasters)(briefs)
May 4, 2009... By Glen Dickson Vendors used the show to launch new hardware, strategies Harris Pursues Alternate Markets The highlight of Harris Broadcast's NAB exhibition was a complete mobile DTV system that local stations can eventually use to...

NBC's Pilot Upfront About 'Infront'.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
May 4, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Foresees pricing pressure and migration to cable across industry As NBC Universal kicks off its second annual "infront" presentation in New York on May 4, its once-dominant broadcast network faces the toughest ad...

Disney-Hulu Puts Focus on CBS.(Walt Disney Co.)(CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
May 4, 2009... By Claire Atkinson Network under pressureto leverage online strategy With three of the four big networks now partners in online video hub Hulu, CBS is under pressure to either get on board or make its own strategy pay off. Disney...

Lionsgate TV Ramps Up Reality Slate.(Zed)
May 4, 2009... By Melissa Grego Pacts with Amazing Race producers, Mark Burnett Lionsgate Television, known largely for sophisticated scripted cable series such as Mad Men and Weeds , is ramping up its reality television efforts by teaming with some...

Swine Flu a Balancing Act for News Outlets.
May 4, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Biden and Besser didn't help efforts to show restraint National news executives say they are satisfied with how they have covered the swine flu outbreak, despite some alarming words from national authority figures...

Obama Taps Clyburn for FCC.(Barack Obama)(appointment of Mignon Clyburn in Federal Communications Commission)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... By John Eggerton The Obama administration last week made its second pick for the FCC, tapping South Carolina Public Service Commissioner Mignon Clyburn for the Democratic seat being vacated by Jonathan Adelstein. Clyburn is the...

Ford Still Driving TV Deals.(Ford Motor Co.)
May 4, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Signs on to sponsor CNN's Black in America 2 Ford has signed on as a major sponsor of CNN's Black in America 2 . The African-American-focused news special attracted a diverse and relatively large audience when the...

Live Together or Die Alone.(broadcast networks)
May 4, 2009... By Ben Grossman I always love this time of year. Baseball season is kicking into gear, sundresses are back, and my annual trip to Alaska to try to reel in the biggest fish ever hooked by a Jew (halibut, not gefilte) is on the horizon. ...

Obama Earns High Marks for Media Focus.(Barack Obama)
May 4, 2009... By John Eggerton First 100 days includes putting DTV, broadband in spotlight Go to the White House home page and it is easy to find the DTV Delay Act prominently displayed under "Signed Legislation," the third piece of legislation...

Much A-Twitter About Something.
May 11, 2009... By Alex Weprin TV execs are eyeing the hot microblogging service as a research tool and eventual money-maker For authors, actors and inventors, there is a general rule of thumb: If Oprah has you on her show, you've made it. On...

Positively Cautious.
May 11, 2009... Staff We're all for green shoots and happy thoughts and sunshine, but some of the relatively giddy prognoses coming out of the Wall Street earnings calls last week gave us at least a little pause. In case you missed it, amidst a slew...

Interactive Media Has Gould 'Inergized'.(Occupation overview)
May 11, 2009... By Michael Malone Newport TV's digital GM sees huge upside in local media When it comes to new media, Jason Gould is an old hand. He headed up an interactive media firm in the uncharted days of digital in the early 1990s, and was a...

A Creative Approach to Sales.(WCBS-TV (New York, New York))
May 11, 2009... By Michael Malon WCBS tries novel way to drum up new biz e Taking a cue from another New York boss decades before, WCBS New York President/General Manager Peter Dunn is making advertisers an offer he hopes they can't refuse. ...

Thunder' No Long Shot.(WHAS-TV (Louisville, Kentucky))(Kentucky Derby (Horse race))
May 11, 2009... By Michael Malone Kentucky Derby Festival wins on WHAS Hundreds of thousands flocked to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby May 2, quaffing mint juleps and watching the 135th Run for the Roses. But the real party started two weeks before...

Lionsgate TV's Kevin Beggs: A Guide's Guide.
May 11, 2009... By Melissa Grego Indie studio exec helps newly acquired TV Guide Network go show-shopping The Dish: How's this for some good news: There is a new buyer in town. Shortly after Lionsgate, the indie studio behind the huge horror...

Why Tribune Wanted 'Curb' and 'Entourage'.(Home Box Office Inc.)
May 11, 2009... By Paige Albiniak HBO shows will be new to many viewers and all advertisers Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm may not have been the hits for HBO that Sopranos and Sex and the City were, but they are two shows with a lot to offer. ...

'Sunday Morning' to Dawn in Hi-Def.(CBS Inc. CBS News)
May 11, 2009... By Glen Dickson CBS News stalwart makes move this week CBS Sunday Morning will help celebrate its 30th year by entering the high-definition age on May 17, when it begins broadcasting in the 1080-line-interlace (1080i) format. The...

Jon Stewart to Make History Special.(A&E Television Networks)
May 11, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie The Naturalized highlights the network's most ambitious programming slate Jon Stewart, who knows a thing or two about irony, will create a two-hour special on a perfect target--the U.S. naturalization process--for...

Media Chiefs Selling Optimism.(Report)
May 11, 2009... By Claire Atkinson CEOs report brutal Q1, but claim signs of turnaround First-quarter results and second-quarter projections offered little evidence that the advertising market is actually back, but media chiefs from Rupert Murdoch to...

Jamie Oliver Gets ABC Show.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc.)
May 11, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie and Melissa Grego Seacrest backs unscripted project ABC has ordered six episodes of an unscripted series featuring celebrity chef and healthy-cooking guru Jamie Oliver. Produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, the...

Analysis: Rehr Resigns From NAB.(National Association of Broadcasters)
May 11, 2009... By John Eggerton Timing, losses and lack of relationships cited by insiders David Rehr, who resigned as the head of the National Association of Broadcasters last week, appears to have been the victim of bad timing, a dearth of lobbying...

Confessions of a Twitter Cynic.
May 11, 2009... By Ben Grossman Here's how clueless I really am: One day a long time ago, a friend called me and I told him I would call him right back on his cellphone. When I dialed his digits, I was immediately met by the theme to a popular TV show....

Cialis Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
May 11, 2009... By John Eggerton Washington makes another attempt to curb ED ads Efforts are being pushed in Washington to either ban, or give viewers the option to remove, what have become among the most well-known ads in broadcast programming:...

Singing for Their Supper.(televison networks)
May 18, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Network television took a beating this season, so showing advertisers signs of a rebound is crucial As the broadcast networks head into the annual New York upfront week to generate early buzz for new programming and...

Deals.
May 18, 2009... By BIA Financial Networks TV KQDK-CA/Aurora, Colo.; KWWF (TV)/Waterloo, Iowa; KQCK (DT)/Cheyenne, Wyo. PRICE : $7.05 million BUYER : Valley Bank SELLER : Equity Media Holdings Corp. (Jason Roberts, secretary) ...

First Things First.
May 18, 2009... Staff "I assure you that the First Amendment has no greater defender than the former constitutional lawyer who now occupies the White House." With that recent statement, Anna Gomez, the acting head of the National Telecommunications &...

Fates & Fortunes.(appointments)(BASEProductions)
May 18, 2009... Staff BROADCAST JACK L. PECK , GM, WPTY/WLMT Memphis and WJKT Jackson, Tenn., has been named GM, KMPH/KFRE Fresno. ROOP RAJ , anchor, WDSU New Orleans, has been named reporter/anchor, WJBK Detroit. PROGRAMMING JOHN DAVIS...

Optican Opts In At Fremantle.(FremantleMedia Enterprises has appointed Tony Optican)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Hey, Hollywood: In case you haven't noticed, Fremantle's hiring. On Monday, Rob Clark was named president of FremantleMedia Worldwide Entertainment. Now FremantleMedia North America has hired Tony Optican as senior...

For Tiles, It's How You Play the Game.(G4 Media Inc.)
May 18, 2009... By Alex Weprin G4 president has upped target demo ratings by expanding beyond video games When he joined G4 as president in 2005, Neal Tiles faced a daunting task: to create a new voice, programming strategy and look for the...

Stations Doing Well by Doing Good.
May 18, 2009... By Michael Malone Local television scores points--and revenue--with community gardens and cash for the needy While every station is digging around for new revenue streams, KWQC Davenport, Iowa, may be the only one taking the concept...

ABC Studios Shopping 'Reaper' to Stations.
May 18, 2009... By Paige Albiniak Originals could be headed to CW affils Sundays ABC Studios wants to produce original episodes of Reaper , an hour-long dramedy, to syndicate to CW affiliates for Sunday nights, station and other sources confirmed last...

Leno Study: Good News for Late News.(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)(Survey)
May 18, 2009... By Michael Malone NBC affils board claims synergy between Jay and local news The NBC affiliates board was very pleased with the results of a comprehensive study it commissioned to find out how to best retain local-news viewers coming...

Seacrest: 'Idol' Could Be Due for Big Changes.(American Idol)(Interview)
May 18, 2009... By Marisa Guthrie Future of format, Cowell up in the air as season finale arrives With the entire season of American Idol seemingly a drawn-out coronation for Adam Lambert, the competition itself hasn't provided too much suspense. But...

ESPN Broadens Its Pitch.(ESPN Inc.)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... By Alex Weprin and Claire Atkinson Greenlights SportsNation ESPN is knocking on new doors in an effort to drive revenue in the troubled economy, according to media buyers. "They're trying to go deeper on who watches ESPN and...

Atlanta Stations Set to Share.(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... By Michael Malone Top-rated WSB won't participate in content pool trial Three Atlanta stations are scheduled to kick off a trial run this week that will see them share content in the No. 8 DMA. Fox O&O WAGA, Gannett NBC outlet WXIA...

Dr. Oz Checks Out of 'Oprah'.(Mehmet Oz)(Oprah Winfrey)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... Staff Dr. Mehmet Oz and a gloved Oprah Winfrey shared a toast May 12 as "America's Doctor" made his last appearance on Oprah before launching his own show this fall. Sony Pictures Television, which is a partner on the show with Winfrey's...

Time for Nets to Restore Some Faith.
May 18, 2009... By Ben Grossman Not long ago, I was in a pre-upfront meeting with a few network executives--some of the ones who had the guts to actually talk just before the upfronts--when I asked one of them to tell me what their hot projects were. ...

TV's Time-Shifted Future.(Time Warner Cable Inc.)
May 18, 2009... By Glen Dickson VOD vendors scale on-demand architectures for more content, platforms As the volume and variety of content on cable operators' video-on-demand (VOD) platforms steadily increase, providers of VOD hardware and software...

Genachowski Still Watching His Wait.(Federal Communications Commission)
May 18, 2009... By John Eggerton FCC workload grows bigger as chairman hearing is postponed At the FCC, the workload continues to pile up. Meanwhile, in Washington, the spirited game of "Where's Julius?" goes on. Julius is, of course, Julius...