Multichannel News articles from November 2011

Multichannel News archives from November 2011

Cox hangs up on wireless: MSO cites lack of scale, competition from 4G.(Cox Communications Inc.)
November 21, 2011... Cox Communications' grand wireless ambitions have evaporated. After three years of investment and development, the Atlanta-based cable operator is shutting down its wireless business. The MSO, which had believed mobile phones would be a...

Albrecht's growth plan for Starz: life after Netflix includes more originals, platforms.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 21, 2011... New York -- Premium channel Starz will launch a TV Everywhere-like authenticated platform next year, just one of several new moves that network chief Chris Albrecht has in mind. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Albrecht, kicking off parent Liberty...

Malone's liberty media leaves trackers behind.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 21, 2011... John Malone's Liberty Media is effectively eliminating its tracking-stock structure, completing a long effort to simplify the often-complicated configuration of its myriad content and online businesses. The move to combine the Liberty...

No signal leakage here: SCTE vendor taps market that's never in recession.(THROUGH The Wire)(Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers)
November 21, 2011... When you gotta go, you gotta go. Racing to find a men's room in the cavernous Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers' Cable-Tec Expo last Tuesday, The Wire stopped cold at a booth for a...

"You're going to see us wearing jeans more.".(SHARP-DRESSED QUIP)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --Dan Moloney (pictured), president of Motorola Mobility, to John Schanz, EVP of national engineering and technical operations at Comcast, about how being acquired by Google will affect employees at Motorola. He spoke...

Cox's Janet Barnard takes familiar path to leadership post.(THROUGH The Wire)(Cox Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... The Wire has always been impressed at how many employees at Cox Communications are able to move into key operating jobs at the cable company and at other Cox Enterprises businesses, regardless of what they were hired to do when they joined Cox....

SOPA conflicts bubble up: Privacy Act draws fire, praise from several groups.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)( Stop Online Piracy Act)
November 21, 2011... Washington -- Nothing since the height of the network-neutrality debate has provided more rhetorical punches and counterpunches here than last week's hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act. Letters were crossing in the electronic ether from...

Affiliates eye payment for NBA losses: RSNs seek recompense for games scratched by lockout.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(National Basketball Association)
November 21, 2011... The National Basketball Association has moved closer to what commissioner David Stern calls its "nuclear winter": the possible loss of the 2011-12 season. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Already, enough games have been cancelled to raise the...

NBA TV fills the gap with specials, movies.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(NBA Media Ventures L.L.C.)
November 21, 2011... Sports network NBA TV will rely on original specials and series, acquired movies and vintage games to fill in for live National Basketball Association games lost to the four-month league lockout. The 50 million-subscriber outlet was scheduled...

SCTE packs in the tech crowd: show highlights multiscreen video, web guides and high-density gear.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers)
November 21, 2011... ATLANTA -- After two years of weak turnout, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers' Cable-Tec Expo roared back here last week, luring more than 10,000 attendees to the flagship tech conference. Attendance at the Nov. 15-17 event...

Study: viewers ok with lots of free-VOD ads: engagement high for ads in on-demand fare, industry-backed research finds.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(video-on-demand)
November 21, 2011... Viewers have high recall of video-on-demand ads in ad loads comparable to linear TV--and VOD ads actually deliver slightly higher purchase intent than traditional commercials, according to a new industry-backed study. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Black is beautiful: why female African-American viewers are so hot.(Cover story)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the Nov. 10 second-season premiere of We TVs breakout reality1 series hit Braxton Family Values, Evelyn Braxton was adamant that the television success that she and her five talented daughters experienced over...

PPV execs don't fear UFC fights on Fox: MMA bout's debut success could attract viewers to pay events.(CONTENT)(pay-per-view television)(Ultimate Fighting Championship)
November 21, 2011... INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES SAY THEY'RE not concerned about losing key pay-per-view events from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in light of its recent television deal with Fox Sports. UFC is expected to maintain its monthly output of PPV events in...

HBO, 'SI' tackle 'sports in America' in a series.(CONTENT)(Home Box Office Inc.)
November 21, 2011... SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS EXTENDING AN existing partnership with Time Warner Inc. sibling HBO to develop a multipart documentary series focusing on sports in America. The multiplatform Sport in America: Our Defining Stories will examine how the...

C-SPAN backs dish in mandates challenge: public-affairs net says mandatory noncom carriage would squeeze out its content.(RULES)
November 21, 2011... WASHINGTON -- C-SPAN is backing Dish Network in its effort to get the Supreme Court to overturn Congress' mandate that the No. 2 U.S. satellite-TV provider carry the HD feeds of noncommercial stations. Dish last month filed a petition for...

Study on FCC's backlog sees gains, urges action.(RULES)(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... WASHINGTON -- The good news is that under chairman Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communications Commission has made progress in clearing up backlogs of petitions and proceedings. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The bad news is there is still a...

AMC Networks.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Bruce Tuchman at American Movie Classics Company L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Bruce Tuchman has joined AMC Networks as president of international division AMC/ Sundance Channel Global. He was president of MGM Worldwide Networks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Comcast Spotlight.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Teresa Lucido)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Teresa Lucido advanced to general manager at Comcast Spotlight of Michigan. She had been senior director of sales.

CNN.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Eric Sherling at Cable News Network)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Eric Sherling was named senior director, Washington programming at CNN. He comes from ABC News, where he was an executive broadcast producer on Good Morning America.

ESPN.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Mark Nolan)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Mark Nolan has joined ESPN as vice president of X Games sales. He comes from NBC, where he was director of Olympic sales. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

GMC.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Chelsye Burrows at Gospel Music Channel L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Chelsye Burrows was named vice president, public relations, at GMC. She comes from Starz Entertainment, where she was VP, programming publicity. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

NBCUniversal.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Jonathan Gibs at NBCUniversal Media L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Jonathan Gibs was named senior vice president, digital research for NBCUniversal's Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media division. He comes from Nielsen, where he was SVP, analytics and insight for media and advertising...

SPT.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Flory Bramnick and Philip Martzolf at Sony Pictures Television)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flory Bramnick was upped to executive vice president, U.S. cable sales, at Sony Pictures Entertainment. She was senior VP, U.S. cable distribution. Also, Philip Martzolf was named executive...

Travel Channel.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Eleo Hensleigh)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eleo Hensleigh was named senior vice president, marketing and communications at Travel Channel. She comes from Ion Media Networks, where she was chief marketing officer.

TV Land.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Michael Waldron)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... TV Land has hired Michael Waldron as vice president, creative director, design and animation. He was co-founder of advertising, broadcast, motion-graphics and multimedia firm Nailgun.

Univision.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Joe DelGrosso and Matt Boxer at Univision Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Univision Communications has tapped Joe DelGrosso as executive vice president and managing director, Political & Advocacy Group. He comes from World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was senior VP, digital and integrated partner sales. ...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 21, 2011... Calendar For more listings, visit multichannel.com/event. DEC. 1 Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable, Fourth Annual OnScreen Media Summit, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sentry Center Midtown East, New York. Contact: Sandy Friedman, (917) 281-4718...

Celebrating the launch of Peru Magico on DirecTV in New York.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Celebrating the launch of Peru Magico on DirecTV in New York (l. to r. Luis Torres-Bohl, Castalia Communications; Emma Velez-Lopez, DirecTV; Peruvian consul Fortunato Quesada; and Ricardo Guzman, Media Networks...

Univision president Cesar Conde chats with Bill and Melinda Gates at the network's Miami studios.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Univision president Cesar Conde (l.) chats with Bill (c.) and Melinda Gates at the network's Miami studios during the network's weeklong "!Educate! Es el momento" initiative.

Luke Visconti of DiversityInc Media, HGTV president Jim Samples and Janet Crenshaw Smith of The Ivy Group talk workplace and community diversity at a town hall.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Luke Visconti of DiversityInc Media (l.), HGTV president Jim Samples (c.) and Janet Crenshaw Smith of The Ivy Group talk workplace and community diversity at a town hall for Scripps Networks Interactive...

Brian Rasch, GMR Marketing; Lynde O'Brien, Healthcare Services Corp., Art "Chat Daddy" Simms, WCIU-TV; Mananya Soobhawan, IPG; and Joe Higgins, Comcast; at the final CTAM Midwest Event.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Brian Rasch, GMR Marketing; Lynde O'Brien, Healthcare Services Corp., Art "Chat Daddy" Simms, WCIU-TV; Mananya Soobhawan, IPG; and Joe Higgins, Comcast; at the final CTAM Midwest Event, "Social Media II--Guide...

Countrymen Piers Morgan of CNN and Jeremy Kyle of the syndicated The Jeremy Kyle Show.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Countrymen Piers Morgan of CNN (l.) and Jeremy Kyle of the syndicated The Jeremy Kyle Show renew acquaintances backstage at taping of HLN's Joy Behar in New York.

At Syfy's "31 Days of Halloween" face-painting booth in New York: Katie Small and Michael Engelman, Syfy; Malik Yoba of Alphas; Dave Howe, president, Syfy; and Brendan Carty, OMD.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: At Syfy's "31 Days of Halloween" face-painting booth in New York front, l. to r.): Katie Small and Michael Engelman, Syfy; Malik Yoba of Alphas; Dave Howe, president, Syfy; and Brendan Carty, OMD. Front (l. to...

At New York screening of TruTV's Impractical Jokers.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: At New York screening of TruTV's Impractical Jokers (l. to r.): cast members James Murray and Brian Quinn; Mark Juris, TruTV EVP and GM; and cast members Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area awarded $200,000 to 2011 All-Star Teacher Robert "Corky" Black of San Jose, Calif.(FREEZE FRAME)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area awarded $200,000 to 2011 All-Star Teacher Robert "Corky" Black of San Jose, Calif. On hand (l. to r.): Brodie Brazil, CSN reporter; Jesse Flores, CSN; Black; Dan Moser, East Side...

Collegues celebrate with Cable In the Classroom's Frank Gallagher on his FOSI Award from the Family Online Safety Institute.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Collegues celebrate with Cable In the Classroom's Frank Gallagher on his FOSI Award from the Family Online Safety Institute (l. to r.): Christina Anderson, NCTA; Gallagher; Kat Stewart, CIC; and Dave Pierce,...

Starz EVP, programming Stephan Shelanski addresses a Denver Film Festival audience.(FREEZE FRAME)
November 21, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Starz EVP, programming Stephan Shelanski addresses a Denver Film Festival audience before a screening of The Descendants.

Programmer salaries on the rise again; 2011 brings end to years of freezes, says CTHRA survey.(FINANCE)(Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association)(Statistical data)
November 21, 2011... AFTER TWO YEARS OF FREEZES, SALARIES for employees at cable programmers are beginning to rise in 2011, according to a survey by the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association. According to the Annual Compensation Survey...

Discovery execs sell some stock.(FOR THE RECORD)(Discovery Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- Discovery Communications founder and chairman John Hendricks sold 500,000 shares in the past few weeks for more than $21 million, while outgoing chief financial officer Brad Singer reaped a $2.4 million profit from...

Disney's Iger joins Apple board.(FOR THE RECORD)(Robert Iger)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... BURBANK, CALIF. -- Computer giant Apple said it has named The Walt Disney Co. CEO Robert Iger to its board of directors. The announcement came in conjunction with the computer giant naming long-time director Arthur Levinson as chairman. ...

Viacom to switch to NASDAQ.(FOR THE RECORD)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... NEW YORK -- Viacom will leave the New York Stock Exchange for the NASDAQ on Dec. 1, mainly as a cost-cutting move. The switch will be relatively transparent to investors and shareholders. Viacom said its class-A common stock will continue to...

Multichannel news index.(FINANCE)(Statistical table)
November 21, 2011... Multichannel News INDEX Price Price 11/16/11 11/09/11 % Change MSOs Cablevision Systems 15.19 14.62 3.90% Charter Communications ...

Q3 ad growth down, buybacks are up.(TIP SHEET)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Morgan Stanley media analyst Ben Swinburne wrote in a research report last week that third-quarter earnings reports confirmed that advertising growth trends were moderating, but investors can find solace in accelerated share-repurchase rates....

Cablevision unit closes notes offering.(TIP SHEET)(Cablevision Systems Corp.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Cablevision Systems unit CSC Holdings completed an offering of $1 billion in 6.75% senior notes due 2021 on Nov. 15, and also extended its credit agreement, providing for $600 million of term loans due in 2016. Proceeds will be used to address...

Cable CTOs: plenty of life in video: tech execs also cite commercial services prospects.(SCTE CABLE-TEC EXPO 2011)
November 21, 2011... ATLANTA -- Cable operators are experimenting with new products and services --remaining paranoid about competitive threats--while they also see tremendous growth opportunities ahead in commercial services, top technology executives from several...

SCTE's top tech trends: broadband bonanza.(TRANSLATION PLEASE)
November 21, 2011... Atlanta -- No shortage of data and deep-dive at the recent SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, held here the week before Thanksgiving. In no particular order, the highlights from my notes: Objects that need or want an Internet connection will number 15...

Cablevision losing 'unsung hero' Bickham: 25-year veteran to leave MSO later this month.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 21, 2011... CABLEVISION SYSTEMS IS LOSING a top operating executive described as an "unsung hero" of its industry-leading performance. John Bickham, Cablevision's president of cable and communications and a 25-year veteran of the cable industry, told the...

Hearing set for president's FCC nominees.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Federal Communications Commission)
November 21, 2011... WASHINGTON -- The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a nomination hearing for prospective Federal Communications Commission members Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel for Nov. 30 at 2:30 p.m. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But even if the...

MCN buzz meter.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 21, 2011... The social-TV charts below rank shows by volume of activity (mentions, tags, links, likes, etc.) across all public profiles on Twitter, Facebook, GetGlue and Miso. Sentiment is a reflection of a positive score based on positive, negative or...

African-Americans have got game.(PICTURE THIS)
November 21, 2011... SO MUCH MEDIA ATTENTION RIGHTLY HAS BEEN FOCUSED on the growth and influence of the Hispanic marketplace, given the results of the 2010 U.S. Census. But that's no reason for cable programmers, marketers and advertisers to sleep on the...

Tuned in.(VIEWPOINT)(Cartoon)
November 21, 2011... YOU GET ONE LAST CALL... AND THEN, BOTH YOU AND THE WIRELESS SERVICE ARE HISTORY. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

What's 'Next' for CNN's Gupta.(Q&A)(Sanjay Gupta)(Cable News Network)(Interview)
November 21, 2011... Nov. 6 marked the launch of a new CNN news/documentary series called The Next List, starring Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The show, which profiles unsung people on the cutting edge of technological innovations that could shape the future of how we live and...

Sony co-opetition Nov. 17.(AS I WAS SAYING)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... Today's dose of "things to keep you awake" comes in the form of Sony's purported plan to compete with cable by creating a bundle of a la carte channels delivered via the Internet. According to The Wall Street Journal, Sony has talked to...

635,000.(Numbers)(Brief article)
November 21, 2011... The number of net new high-speed Internet subs acquired by the top 18 MSOs and telcos in Q3, bringing their collective total to 77.8 million subs. SOURCE: Leichtman Research Group

Twitterati.(COMMUNITY)
November 21, 2011... "Dropped Cablevision, returned all equipment. Cablevision keeps trying to get into my house without appointment. 1 more time I'm calling cops." @Justin_Stangel, head writer/executive producer, Late Show With David Letterman, on Nov. 1 FOLLOW...

Making noise about noise.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 21, 2011... (RE: "Noise Picks Up on Hushing Loud Ads," Nov. 16): "Good grief, it's about time this seriously annoying aspect of watching television is addressed. Everyone (including me) quacks about too much government involvement, but this is a clear...

Rename or repeal Cable Act of 1992.(TALKBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 21, 2011... (RE: "No End in Sight to Escalating Sports Rights: Financial Analysts," Nov. 14, in response to another reader who declared a la carte is inevitable): "Programmers are legally allowed to demand carriage of nonbroadcast programming as a condition...

And here's to 80 more.(THIS WEEK ON B&C: broadcastingcable.com)
November 21, 2011... Looking back at seminal events--and ahead, thanks to essays from some industry giants--as B&C concludes its 80th anniversary commemoration.

Slate settled for 2012: year of the talk show.(THIS WEEK ON B&C: broadcastingcable.com)
November 21, 2011... Competition will be good for stations, stressful for syndicators.

Programmers finish Q3 strong: ad-sales growth leaves analysts optimistic.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 14, 2011... Cable programmers closed out the earnings season last week on a good note, with most reporting ad-sales growth in line with analysts' expectations and fueling some optimism for continued strength in the advertising market. Viacom, AMC...

Viacom to Nielsen: why the lower Nick ratings?(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said the media company is working with the Nielsen Co. to investigate a sudden mid-September drop in Nickelodeon's ratings that Dauman called "inexplicable" and an "anomaly." Speaking on Viacom's fourth-quarter...

Dems prevail in net fight: GOP effort to kill neutrality rules is blocked.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 14, 2011... WASHINGTON -- The Democratic-controlled Senate last week voted 52-46 along straight party lines not to bring a resolution to block the Federal Communications Commission's network-neutrality rules to a floor vote, essentially killing the...

FCC: offer MSG on HD to rivals.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Federal Communications Commission)(Madison Square Garden)(high-definition)
November 14, 2011... NEW YORK -- The Federal Communications Commission has denied a request by Madison Square Garden and Cablevision Systems to review a decision requiring that the high-definition feeds of regional sports networks MSG and MSG Plus be made available...

Emergency alert tryout gets mixed grades--but it was only a test.(THROUGH The Wire)
November 14, 2011... An Emergency Alert System test that has a Lady Gaga song ("Paparazzi") as a lead-in is probably guaranteed not to be overly alarming--and should at least get any teenage girls within earshot to pay attention. That musical touch, by DirecTV,...

Winter TCA tour packing 20 nets into only 2 days.(THROUGH The Wire)(Winter Television Critics Association)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... The cable portion of the Winter Television Critics Association tour will be very compressed this January, with more than 20 networks pitching new programming during a two-day span. The Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing,...

'Spectacular' makeover: Radio City decked out by Thom Filicia, HGTV.(THROUGH The Wire)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... This year, those looking to get a holiday lift from the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes, will get to see some of the handiwork from interior designer Thom Filicia. The Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Dress My Mess...

Dishing out a dividend: despite losses, dish returns cash to shareholders.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 14, 2011... DISH NETWORK MANAGED to deflect any concerns that net subscriber losses would continue last week--they did--by showing that despite the competitive and economic climate, the company remains willing to return cash to shareholders. ...

TWC to take a swing at Dodgers media rights.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Time Warner Cable)
November 14, 2011... New YORK -- If media rights to the Los Angeles Dodgers come up for grabs, Time Warner Cable will be in the fray. David Rone, president of TWC Sports, which is scheduled to tip off a pair of Los Angeles Lakers-centered regional sports networks...

NickMom debuts on web, then on Nick Jr.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
November 14, 2011... Nickelodeon plans to give birth to a new comedy-themed programming block on Nick. Jr. as part of its new NickMom multiplatform offering. The Nick Jr. programming block, scheduled to premiere in fourth-quarter 2012 and to run nightly from 9...

SCTE ready to march into Atlanta.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Society of Cable & Telecommunications Engineers)
November 14, 2011... The Society of Cable & Telecommunications Engineers' flagship annual conference, Cable-Tec Expo, is set to run in Atlanta this week--and it's shaping up to be bigger than last year's confab in New Orleans. Overall registrations a week...

Hallmark's social holiday: net uses social media to draw crowds to original movies.(CONTENT)
November 14, 2011... Hallmark Channel is supporting its annual holiday programming initiative with an aggressive social-media campaign that it hopes will have viewers caroling about its holiday movies online and on social sites like Facebook and Twitter. The...

CAB site sheds light on black consumers.(CONTENT)(Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau)
November 14, 2011... African-American targeted networks are hoping the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau's new research site focusing on the African-American consumer will help ad agencies see the increasing value of the group. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Outstanding in their field: four female leaders making their mark on tech.(WOMEN OF TECHNOLOGY)
November 14, 2011... Ahead of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers' Cable-Tec Expo (Nov. 15-17) in Atlanta, Multichannel News is spotlighting three women who have made significant achievements in technology positions in cable operations, vendor support...

Net zero: why new net rules won't change things much.
November 14, 2011... "Since broadband companies have effectively been abiding by the FCC's rules since they were voted on last December, nothing significant operationally should change for them." SCOTT CLELAND, NETCOMPETITION WASHINGTON -- On Nov. 20, will...

Cable commits to low-cost broadband: program for low-income homes to follow 'internet essentials' model.(RULES)
November 14, 2011... WASHINGTON -- Cable operators last week joined the Federal Communications Commission's "Connect to Compete" program in a new broadband-adoption effort, a portion of which mirrors Comcast's Internet Essentials program launched earlier this year....

NTIA: broadband use up, gap remains.(RULES)
November 14, 2011... WASHINGTON -- Sixty-eight percent of U.S. households used the Internet in 2010, up from 64% in 2009. That is according to a new study released last week by the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications & Information...

SBCA wants Philly to dish out some love.(RULES)(Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... WASHINGTON -- The Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association wants the Federal Communications Commission to tell the City of Brotherly Love that it needs to work up more love for satellite dishes. The SBCA said last week it has...

Amberfin.(PEOPLE)(appointments of Tamas Vass, Ben Davenport, Jean-Pierre Bosquet and Ben Higley)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... U.K.-based filed-based media ingest and transcoding solutions provider AmberFin has named Tamas Vass as sales and partner director for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Vass has been European sales director for Image Systems. Also, Ben...

AMC Networks.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Tracy Karagianis)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Tracy Karagianis has joined AMC Networks as senior vice president, chief information officer. He had been chief information officer for North America at GfK Custom Research in New York.

Caldwell Partners.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Sean Scanlon)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Executive-search firm Caldwell Partners International has named Sean Scanlon a partner and leader in its media and entertainment practice. He comes from Korn/ Ferry International, where he was a senior client partner in the media and...

Cineflix.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Miura Kite)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Miura Kite was named executive vice president of the Cineflix Studios unit of international producer and distributor Cineflix Media. She was head of development of The Playtone Co. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DID YOU KNOW? Miura Kite was...

Comcast.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Peter Kiriacoulacos at Comcast Cable Communications L.L.C.)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Peter Kiriacoulacos was elevated to executive vice president, procurement, Comcast Cable, and named senior vice president, procurement, of the MSO's NBCUniversal joint venture. He was senior VP, procurement, at Comcast Cable. [ILLUSTRATION...

ESPN.(PEOPLE)(appointments of Maggie Helm, Ashley Smith and Danielle Carney)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Maggie Helm has joined ESPN as senior director, multimedia sales, based in Burbank, Calif. She comes from Fuse, where she was VP, managing the West Coast office. Also, Ashley Smith has joined the sports programmer as senior director of its...

ID.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Kevin Bennett at Investigation Discovery)(Brief article)
November 14, 2011... Kevin Bennett was tapped as senior vice president, programming and research at ID: Investigation Discovery, Military Channel and Planet Green. He had been SVP, programming, at Discovery Channel.