Broadcasting & Cable articles from October 2003

Broadcasting & Cable archives from October 2003

Next time, your license: FCC levies $357K fine on Infinity Broadcasting over St. Pat's sex stunt.(Getting Tough On Radio Raunch)
October 6, 2003... In a slap to the radio industry that was more stinging to the face than to the wallet, the FCC last week hit Infinity Broadcasting with $357,000 in indecency fines for the St. Patrick's Cathedral sex stunt orchestrated by shock jocks Opie &...

Kellner: forever young and soon gone from WB.
October 6, 2003... What Jamie Kenner brought to television is a salesman's sensibility in a programmer's world. The boyish architect of two start up networks, who will officially retire from The WB at the end of this broadcast season, is, at 56, something of a...

Powell roadshow to offer tips on station challenges.(Private Lessons)
October 6, 2003... FCC chief Michael Powell said last week that he plans to travel nationwide to meet viewers and, along the way, to instruct them how to initiate a petition to deny a station-license renewal. Broadcasters, surprisingly, appear very casual...

FCC picks local hearing sites.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The FCC announced Friday the sites of six public hearings planned by its Localism Task Force (see page 1): Charlotte, N.C., this month; San Antonio in December; Santa Cruz/Salinas, Calif., in March; Rapid City, S.D., April;...

NBC's Vivendi deal seen this week.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- GE executives expect to sign a definitive agreement for Vivendi Universal Entertainment early this week, probably Tuesday. Talks were in final stages Friday, but an announcement was held up so as not to conflict with the Jewish...

The other ones aren't cartoons?(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Details are sketchy, but, next October, Comedy Central debuts a reality show with a hook: It's animated. Over eight episodes of Drawn Together, eight wildly different cartoon characters (representing different cartoon styles) will...

Calley leaves Sony Pictures.(Breaking ...)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- John Calley, chairman and CE0 of Sony Pictures Entertainment, last week stepped down from his post to produce films and will run a production company based on Sony's lot. His departure leaves the studio's management to three...

The x-tremely mad cable execs show: Robbins, Iger, Chernin argue over high ESPN, Fox Sports sub fees.(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... Jim Robbins is blasting anew at the latest surge in the cost of cable sports networks. Bob Iger thinks Rohbins's protest is laughable. Peter Chernin pretty much accuses Robbins of lying. It was just another day in the war between operators...

Early in the game, but broadcast nets are throwing a no-hitter.(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... Viewers seem to have given a big thumbs down to the new fall season. Only ABC, which was down pretty low to start with, has shown a bump upwards in the Nielsen department. Cable, with signature shows like Monk, Nip/Tuck and Trading Spaces,...

Smaller stations get together to fight WB100 + syndie clout.(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... The WB 100-Plus station/cable consortium just got a big new competitor for syndicated product ill smaller TV markets. Spearheaded by Raycom Media, the new Program Purchase Consortium (PPC) landed its first series last week: rights to Twentieth...

Congratulations to our 18 Emmy[R] winners.
October 6, 2003... MY HOUSE IN UMBRIA Canine Films/Panorama Films in association with HBO Films OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE Maggie Smith HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS A Karuna Dream/Blum Israel Production in association with HBO Films ...

WBBM-TV.(People Mover)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... DIANN BURNS, former WLS-TV Chicago co-anchor, is joining WBBM-TV there to co-anchor the CBS O&O's new 6 p.m. newscast--launching Oct. 13--as well as the 5 and 10 p.m. broadcasts, one in a series of changes made by new News Director CAROL...

Cindy Velasquez is out as GM of McGraw-Hill's KMGH-TV Denver.(People Mover)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... CINDY VELASQUEZ is out as GM of MCGRAW-HILL's KMGH-TV Denver. ED QUINN, president of the broadcast group, has rolled up his sleeves and is on site as interim GM while he looks for a replacement.

Financial chief William Savoy is leaving Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen's investment arm, Vulcan Ventures, which poured $16 billion into dozens of media and technology companies..(People Mover)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Financial chief WILLIAM SAVOY is leaving MICROSOFT billionaire PAUL ALLEN's investment arm, VULCAN VENTURES, which poured $16 billion into dozens of media and technology companies. Those include successes like studio DREAMWORKS, but many were...

Pappas Telecasting.(People Mover)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... PETER CHRISANTHOPOULOS is the new president and COO of PAPPAS TELECASTING. He was head of sales and marketing for the Pappas Spanish-language stations affiliated with AZECTA AMERICA, the emerging Hispanic TV network. HOWARD SHRIER, executive VP...

Radio and Television News Directors Foundation.(People Mover)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... DEBORAH POTTER, executive director of journalism research and training center NEWSLAB, a Washington nonprofit, has joined the RADIO AND TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS FOUNDATION as executive director.

Bravo is close to a new deal with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy producer Scout Productions.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... BRAVO is close to a new deal with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy producer SCOUT PRODUCTIONS. Bravo chief JEFF GASPIN says the channel suggested a fresh 40-episode order but that is not a hard and fast number. The show's five gay experts want a...

CBS has given fifth-year renewals to two of its reality franchises.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... CBS has given fifth-year renewals to two of its reality franchises: Emmy-winner Time Amazing Race and Big Brother.

FX has stopped production on its Orlando Jones Show.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... FX has stopped production on its Orlando Jones Show, although repeats will air through Nov. 14. Recent ratings have hovered at 0.2-0.3. MTV is dropping late-night entry The New Tom Green Show, which started off well enough but has fallen as low...

Showtime is launching a second high-definition channel.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... SHOWTIME is launching a second high-definition channel, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD, in early December.

As expected, TBS Superstation got cable rights to HBO Sex and the City.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... As expected, TBS SUPERSTATION got cable rights to HBO Sex and the City, starting June 2004. TBS gets exclusive syndication rights until September 2005, when TRIBUNE BROADCASTING begins syndicating the show on its stations and WGN SUPERSTATION....

WGN-TV Chicago's move to secure rights to retransmit ESPN's playoff coverage in-market paid off.(Fully Programmable)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... WGN-TV Chicago's move to secure rights to retransmit ESPN's playoff coverage in-market paid off. The Cubs victory over Atlanta Oct. 1 did a huge 21.1 rating/30 share to dominate the night. It also helped turn the season premiere of THE WB's...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 6, 2003... A story "Lots of Bellyaching" in the Sept. 29 TV Buyer section should have noted that the sponsors of the media conference covered were Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, in conjunction with The New Yorker and...

The case of two Cases.(echo?)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Viewers of CBS's new Sunday-night drama Cold Case (above) may have noticed a promo at the end of the show for the Cold Case Files series on cable's A&E. Cross-media synergy? Well, no. CBS doesn't have any connection with the A&E series, but, to...

NAB hears unrepentant rush.(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... An unbowed Rush Limbaugh kept his date as the NAB Radio Convention keynoter in Philadelphia last week despite his resignation as an ESPN commentator the night before and separate allegations that he has been abusing proscription drugs. The...

Can new Voom Zoom?(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... Cablevision Systems has begun beta-testing its Voom DBS system, which, with more than 39 HD channels, will easily be the largest HD offering to consumers. But the question is, how long will Voom have an advantage? Dish Network already has...

Physician, injure thyself.(DBS)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Cable is much, much better than satellite. You can get video-on-demand, you don't have to buy any equipment, you get a discount on high-speed Internet service, and rain won't wreak havoc with your signal. And who makes such an argument?...

Make way for Raymond.(Syndication)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Word has it that King World will be taking the cast of network/syndication hit Everybody Loves Raymond to Las Vegas for the NATPE show in January. By the time NATPE rolls around, selling of the second syndicated cycle of Raymond will be well...

Nets knocked.(Advertising)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Martin Sorrell, CEO of the WPP Group, gave the IV networks something to think about last week in comments at a Goldman Sachs conference in New York. He said advertisers have to find an alternative to network advertising because it's simply...

Backhaul woes.(Regulation)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Problems continue to plague the FCC's plan to take a portion of broadcasters' backhaul spectrum and reallocate it to satellite companies and other new users. The Society of Broadcast Engineers says an FCC licensing database continues to...

Latinos lacking.(Programming)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts Chairman Felix Sanchez, whose group received an early copy of CBS's corporate-responsibility annual report (see story, below), sees progress in network program diversity, but he also sees some "large...

CBS is a good citizen, says its own report.(Top of the week)
October 6, 2003... CBS Television was showing off its good actors last week, and it didn't mean Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen. The network released a 44-page "Social Responsibility Report" detailing the public-service and diversity initiatives of its various...

WNYT lockout averted.(Station Break)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... ALBANY, N.Y. -- Hubbard's WNYT(TV) has stepped back from a planned lockout of about 90 full- and part-time station employees represented by NABET-CWA. The station had lined up replacement workers--the contract was scheduled to expire Oct....

Lights on.(Station Break)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... KYW-TV Philadelphia teamed with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation on cancer-awareness campaign Lights for the Cure. Beginning Oct. 1 and continuing throughout the month, 40 Philadelphia buildings and landmarks will light their...

WJLA-TV promo pared.(Station Break)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... WASHINGTON -- According to Nielsen's Jack Loftus, WJLA-TV reduced its hurricane-coverage promo from 30 to 15 seconds last weekend and removed the viewership claims that had Nielsen crying foul (B&C, Sept. 29, p. 3). It has since stopped airing...

Max Media buys Montana stations.(Station Break)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... BILLINGS, MONT. -- Virginia Beach, Va.-based Max Media is buying KULR-TV Billings and KFBB-TV Great Falls, both Montana. The company already owns KGTF(TV) Great Falls, and the market is too small to allow duopolies, so it will either have to...

Toy testing.(Station Break)
October 6, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- It's beginning to look a lot like Great American Toy Test time. KTVU(TV) San Francisco is again packaging a six-part series on toy safety and play value for stations across the country. With various manufacturers donating the...

NY1 reporter remains hospitalized.(Station Break)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... NEW YORK -- Rebecca Spitz, Manhattan reporter for New York 1, Time Warner's New York cable news station, remained in critical but stable condition at press time last week after being struck by a van while on assignment in Harlem. According to...

Nexstar nixes newscasts: says Montana news cuts are key to profitability.(Top of the Week)
October 6, 2003... Nexstar Broadcasting didn't waste much time getting hands-on with its new asset, Quorum Broadcasting. Only three weeks after announcing plans to take control of its sibling station group--both are owned by Boston Equity firm Abry--Nexstar...

NATPE woos three majors back to its exhibition floor.(Top of the Week)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The annual NATPE convention, slated for Jan. 18-20 in Las Vegas, will look more like the NATPEs of old, with three syndicators returning to the show floor. Carsey-Werner-Mandabach; CBS Enterprises, which includes King World and CBS Broadcast...

The incredibly weide world of Rupert Murdoch's top gun.(Q & A with Peter Chernin News Corp.)
October 6, 2003... News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin sits atop the most vertically integrated of the major media conglomerates as well as the most international. With $17.5 billion in revenues in 2003, News Corp. is the seventh-largest media company in...

Spin-offs of Fox News to come?(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Controlling DirecTV will make it much easier for News Corp. to start new cable networks, and Peter Chernin already has one area in mind: spin-offs of Fox News Channel. Chernin acknowledges that he is considering "brand extension" of Fox...

Port Charles exit gives local news a boost.(Programming)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The departure of soap Port Charles from ABC's daytime schedule (its last day was Friday) proved a boon to news departments at some ABC O&Os and affiliates. It was a station-by-station decision on how to fill the vacated time period at the O&Os,...

Torie joins the other side: former DoD, NCTA spokeswoman is CNN commentator.(Programming)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Torie Clarke is in front of a TV camera again. These days, though, the former Defense Dept. spokeswoman is commenting on the news, rather than doling it out. In September, Clarke signed on with CNN as a contributor; the bulk of her appearances...

PBS toon targets bilingual Latinos.(Programming)
October 6, 2003... The blurring line between Hispanic and Anglo programming will get a little more vague next fall when PBS premieres an animated sitcom for children. The Misadventures of Maya and Miguel will air in English but will be aimed at Spanish-speaking...

Ratings : Sept. 15-22.(Syndication Watch)(Illustration)
October 6, 2003... RATINGS | Sept. 15-22 Nielsen Media Research Top 25 Shows Adults 18-34 RANK PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Friends 4.6 5.4 2 ESPN/NFL 4.4...

Strong Inside moves.(entertainment strip)
October 6, 2003... King World's Inside Edition, with anchor Deborah Norville, started its 16th season with good news. In the first two weeks, the newsmagazine saw a 13% increase in its average national household rating to a 3.4 and a 17% increase in its adults...

Tough for new syndie strips.(Syndie Insider)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Without any of the new first-run syndicated strips hitting a 2.0 in the national Nielsen ratings, this year's launches have some work to do. "As usual, it's a very difficult business, and it's not easy to develop hits," says Roger King,...

Sony TV has new sales exec.(Syndie Insider)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Amy Carney has been named senior vice president of advertiser sales and operations at Sony Pictures Television. Previously, she had been vice president of sales for Univision Online in New York. From 1999 to 2000, Carney was general manager of...

The prime time race.(Programming)(Illustration)
October 6, 2003... THE PRIME TIME RACE Top 10 Basic Cable Shows Sept. 22-28 Total Households (in millions) PROGRAM DATE NET HHS 1. NFL: Colts/Saints 9/28 ESPN 6.0 2. NFL Prime Time ...

Nielsen ratings: Sept. 22-28.(Programming)(Illustration)
October 6, 2003... NIELSEN RATINGS abc MONDAY Week 1 9.9/16# 8:00 70. Primetime Monday 8:30 4.5/8 9:00 9. Monday Night 9:30^ Football--Oakland...

TNT, Disney tops in basic cable's 3Q.(Programming)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... TNT and Disney Channel conquered the cable Nielsen charts in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30. TNT claimed the top spot with a 2.1 prime time rating and an average 2.4 million viewers and Disney followed with a 1.9 average rating and 2.1...

Toughing it out.(Market focus: Syracuse)
October 6, 2003... Upstate New York's economy was starting to tilt downward even while the rest of the nation was still relatively healthy. Syracuse lost 15.7% of its manufacturing jobs between 1990 mad 2002. Statistically, it's not doing so bad now. The...

Viacom isn't alone; broadcast execs bemoan local-sales lag: broadcasters are looking forward to election dollars' rolling in next year.(TV Buyer)
October 6, 2003... In December 2000, Mel Karmazin accused Wall Street of being "sort of screwed up" for punishing media stocks on the then unproven speculation that the economy was headed a toward a major slowdown. "I wish there was a recession so we could show...

Are radio sales robbed by TV?(EBB & Flow)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Growth in radio ad sales is slowing in the fourth quarter, with projections ranging from +1% to +3%. "Fourth-quarter advertisers are playing it much closer to the vest because of such an uncertain economy," says Mike Drexler, CEO,...

?Comprende? Hispanic ad execs speak out.(TV Buyer)
October 6, 2003... It's estimated that 60% of major U.S. advertisers do not use Spanish-language advertising. According to a panel of media executives speaking at last week's Hispanic Television Summit in New York, however, there is evidence that new advertisers...

Broadcast flag gets FCC salute: critics think users will get around piracy-prevention scheme.(Washington)
October 6, 2003... Hollywood producers and broadcasters by the end of the month will get their wish for technology intended to stop illegal peer-to-peer swapping and streaming of digital TV shows over the Internet. The FCC plans to require that personal computers...

Senate budget staffers blast Northpoint bill.(Washington)
October 6, 2003... The GOP staff of the Senate Budget Committee, with the apparent approval of Chairman Don Nickles (R-Okla.), last week criticized some of his Senate colleagues for pushing a bill that would require the FCC to provide free spectrum for a new...

NAB's Baumann stepping down.(Capital Watch)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Jeff Baumann, head of the National Association of Broadcasters' legal department, announced last Monday that he plans to retire in February. He has been with NAB for more than 20 years. Baumann joined NAB in January 1984 as senior vice...

Nonprofits offered 500 FMs.(Capital Watch)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Noncommercial broadcasters have until Nov. 21 to apply for almost 500 FM allotments the FCC put up for grabs Tuesday. The allotments are outside the channel band normally reserved for noncommercial operators. Not all of the allotments will...

Product placement gets knocked.(Capital Watch)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... With TiVo-anxious programmers relying increasingly on product placements to prevent viewers from zipping past ads, watchdog group Commercial Alert wants the FCC and FTC to strengthen sponsorship requirements and investigate major networks'...

It's my roof.(Capital Watch)(community associations cannot block antennas, satellite dishes)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... A community association can't stop a condo owner from installing a TV antenna or satellite dish on his or her roof, the FCC said last week. The Woodmere Townhome Association in Darien, Ill., argued that it could forbid Philip Wojcikewicz...

VOD takes to the airwaves: Disney's MovieBeam service rolls out in three markets.(Focus: interactive media)(video on demand)
October 6, 2003... Over-the-air broadcasters officially entered the VOD business last week with the launch of Disney's MovieBeam service, which uses analog spectrum to deliver movies from major Hollywood studios to 160-GB set-top boxes equipped with a small...

CNBC gets a bigger home: digital workflow is expected to speed the network's operation.(Technology)
October 6, 2003... CNBC's Larry Kudlow and Jim Cramer have had the network's new facility all to themselves the past couple of weeks, but the talk show hosts will have plenty of company on Oct. 13, when the network broadcasts its entire lineup from the...

A career built on going where others aren't: in packaging shows, Itkin seeks out what the market lacks.(The Fifth Estater)(Mark Itkin)
October 6, 2003... It didn't take Mark Itkin very long to figure out he didn't really want to be a lawyer. Coming out of UC Berkeley's Bolt Law School in 1978, he spent three years as an associate in the music department of Los Angeles law firm Mitchell,...

WPIX(TV).(Broadcast TV)(television station hires John Zeigler)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... JOHN ZEIGLER, creative services director, KTXL(TV) Sacramento, Calif., joins WPIX(TV) New York, in the same capacity.

WBZL(TV).(Broadcast TV)(hires Jayne McMahon)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... JAYNE MCMAHON, account executive, WLYF(FM) Miami, joins WBZL(TV) Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in the same capacity.

At Insight Communications, New York: Judy Poole, senior VP, human resources, will retire on Dec. 31.(Cable TV)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... At Insight Communications, New York: JUDY POOLE, senior VP, human resources, will retire on Dec. 31; JIM MORGAN, partner, Fisher & Phillips, LLC, New Orleans, joins as senior VP, human resources.

Cox Target Media.(Cable TV)(hires Mary Kay Johnson as general manager)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... MARY KAY JOHNSON, GM/VP, sales, Comcast Cable, Los Angeles, named GM, Cox Target Media, Los Angeles.

Comcast Cable.(Cable TV)(hires Fred Deandrea)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... FRED DEANDREA, senior district representative for U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-N.J.), joins Comcast Cable, as area manager, government and community affairs, Southern New Jersey cable systems.

The Weather Channel Interactive.(Programming)(promotes Debora Wilson to COO)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... DEBORA WILSON, president/CEO, The Weather Channel Interactive, Atlanta, named COO, The Weather Channel Networks and The Weather Channel Interactive.

Lifetime Entertainment Services.(Programming)(hires Leslie Glenn-Chesloff)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... LESLIE GLENN-CHESLOFF, VP/GM, WPHL-TV Philadelphia, joins Lifetime Entertainment Services, New York, as senior VE planning, scheduling and acquisitions.

Sony Pictures Television International.(Programming)(hires Stuart Baxter as senior vice president)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... STUART BAXTER, VP, international business development, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, London, named senior VP, European distribution, Sony Pictures Television International, London.

MTV.(Programming)(promotes Jesse Ignjatovic to vice president)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... JESSE IGNJATOVIC, director, music and talent development, MTV, Santa Monica, Calif., promoted to VP.

Cartoon Network.(Programming)(announces retirement of Karl Kuechenmeister)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... KARL KUECHENMEISTER, senior VP, sales and marketing, Cartoon Network, New York, has retired.

Nicktoons.(Programming)(cable station hires Keith Dawkins)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... KEITH DAWKINS, supervising producer, VH1, New York, joins Nicktoons, New York, as VP/GM.

TLC.(Programming)(promotes Stacey Dilorenzo)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... STACEY DILORENZO, executive creative director, marketing, TLC, Silver Spring, Md., named VP, marketing.

Game Show Network.(Programming)(promotes Linnea Hemmenez, Jaime Klein)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... At Game Show Network, Santa Monica, Calif.: JAIME KLEIN, executive director, on-air promotion, promoted to VP; LINNEA HEMENEZ, director, production, Nettwerk America, Los Angeles, joins as director, creative services.

Continental Television Sales.(Programming)(promotes Aimee Mapede)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... AIMEE MAPEDE, account executive, Continental Television Sales, Chicago, named sales manager.

New Perspective Productions.(Programming)(promotes Mark Fallone)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... MARK FALLONE, director, New Perspective Productions, Pittsburgh, named VP, production and development.

Saturday Night Solutions, Court TV.(Programming)(network taps Dave Holmes as co-host of 'Saturday Night Solutions')(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... DAVE HOLMES, host, DVD on TV, FX Network, named co-host, Saturday Night Solutions, Court TV.

Designer Finals, HGTV.(Programming)(network taps Jeff Ross to host 'Designer Finals')(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... JEFF ROSS, former host, Hit Trips, Country Music Channel, named host, Designer Finals, HGTV.

Inside Edition.(Journalism)(taps Kristin Lang as managing editor)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... KRISTIN LANG, executive producer, KTTV(TV) Los Angeles, named managing editor, Inside Edition, New York.

Telemundo.(Journalism)(hires Laila Rodriguez as executive producer)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... LAILA RODRIGUEZ, news director, Univision New Mexico, Albuquerque, joins Telemundo, New York, as executive producer.