'30 Rock' Star Will Quit Show, Acting When Contract Expires

It's not the first time he's said he would be leaving the acting profession, but now Alec Baldwin has set a date for his retirement, saying that when his contact with NBC's "30 Rock" ends in 2012, he's quitting, reports the Boston Herald, citing an interview in the upcoming issue of Men's Journal.

Baldwin claims that he's not interested in acting anymore and wants to accomplish something else with his life.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Football Leads NBC to Sunday Victory

Pigskin proved potent for NBC on Sunday as the NFL bout between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens led the night witha 6.6 preliminary Nielsen rating among adults 18-49, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The NFL doubleheader on Fox in the afternoon bled into primetime and boosted the network's aninmation quartet, with "The Simpsons" earning a 4.2, "Cleveland Show" a 3.5, "Family Guy" a 4.4 and "American Dad" 3.3. That was good enough for second place, ahead of a 3.0 for ABC's "Extreme Makeover," a 4.3 for "Desperate Housewives" and a 3.0 for "Brothers & Sisters."

CBS' "Amazing Race" was competitive with a 3.4, but the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie at 9 p.m., "A Dog Named Christmas," logged only a 2.1.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Lehrer Moves Over as PBS 'NewsHour' Gets Remade

Starting Dec. 7, Jim Lehrer's name will not appear in the title of PBS' evening newscast -- the first time since 1976, Elizabeth Jensen reports in the New York Times.

The report will be renamed the “PBS NewsHour” and Gwen Ifill, Judy Woodruff and Jeffrey Brown will rotate as Lehrer's co-anchors.

Former CBS News reporter Hari Sreenivasan has been tapped to recap the news each night, and the "PBS NewsHour" will launch a revamped web site Thursday.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Matthew McConaughey Animates His Brother for Fox

Actor Matthew McConaughey is expanding his talents into animation for Fox, reports Variety.

McConaughey and the network are developing "Rooster Tales," an animated sitcom about Mike McConaughey, Matthew's brother, who's nickname is Rooster. The show tells of a colorful Southern sheriff who's married to a young Mexican woman.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Sternberg Exiting Post at Fox Cable Networks

David Sternberg, Fox National Cable Networks executive VP who is also COO of Fox Emerging Networks, is leaving the company to pursue new ventures, reports Multichannel News.

Sternberg, who has been overseeing three sports channels for Fox, Fox Soccer, Fuel TV and Fox Sports en Espanol, originally began with Fox Cable Networks as director of business development for Fox Sports International in 1998.

-- Allison J. Waldman

TV Industry Leaders to Participate in White House Job Summit

Some of the top television industry executives, including Disney's Robert Iger and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, will be participating in a White House job summit on Thursday, according to The Wrap.

Approximately 130 business leaders will be asked to weigh in on the current employment situation in America. Google's Eric Schmidt, the New York Times' Paul Krugman and Wall Street Journal's Alan Blinder are also taking part.

-- Allison J. Waldman

USA Network Reworks January Schedule

The January returns of USA Network's dramas "Psych," "Burn Notice" and "White Collar" have been rescheduled so that each show will have its own day of the week, reports the Futon Critic.

Instead of pairing "White Collar" with "Burn Notice" as originally planned, USA has now set Tuesday at 10 p.m. for "White Collar," Wednesday at 10 p.m. for "Psych" and Thursday at 10 p.m. for "Burn Notice." 

It wll be the first time "Psych" has aired away from Fridays and without "Monk" as a lead in.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Scrubs' Remake: Familiar Characters, New Setting

So many changes were made in refashioning ABC’s “Scrubs” that creator Bill Lawrence wanted the network to change the title, the New York Times reports in an in-depth look at the medical comedy’s remake.

Star Zach Braff remains, but there are mostly new actors, new showrunners and a new setting.

In a mailing to TV critics, Lawrence wrote: “I see ‘Scrubs’ as a new show.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

TBS Original Comedy Exec Exits

The executive who oversaw original comedy at TBS is leaving the network, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Nina Howie, whose title is VP of comedy, has been at the cable channel for 3 1/2 years.

Most of the network’s original series lineup is acquisitions, but the network this year launched the in-house “Lopez Tonight,” and also announced a development slate of several programs during the upfront.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Are Local Stations Moving Quickly Enough to Keep Viewers Tuning in for Weather?

Weather forecasts remain the backbone of local newscasts, but some stations may not be adapting quickly enough to coming changes in viewer habits wrought by the Web, B&C reports.

Some in the business say local newscasts need to move more quickly to find ways of giving viewers instant gratification on their forecast needs, because viewers are increasingly not sitting through the newscasts to get the information.

--Elizabeth Jensen

When Not Watching NBC at 10 p.m., Audiences Aren't Watching NBC Rivals Either

The audiences that NBC lost with the launch of Jay Leno’s 10 p.m. talk show didn’t turn up watching NBC’s competitors, the Associated Press reports.

The big beneficiary, instead, has been the DVR, where audiences at 10 p.m. are watching pre-recorded shows.

At 10 p.m., CBS is down on three of five nights and ABC is also down in the time period, the AP says, citing Nielsen figures. NBC is down sharply, and DVR usage is up.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Tiger Woods Incident: With News Coming at Us at the Speed of the Internet, How Do We Figure Out What's True and What's Not?

In a must-read thoughtful piece that appeared in the Miami Herald on Sunday, Dan Le Batard writes that we've been bombarded by so many different "facts" about what happened to Tiger Woods the other day that clearly some of it is true and some of it is false.

Le Batard writes, "We get news faster than we ever have. We just can't trust it to be right. So patience, credibility and fairness are among the casualties here, too, at the intersection of celebrity and scandal -- where voyeuristic rubbernecking is fun and nobody feels the need to tap the brakes, and the result is an international icon bleeding on the street while surrounded by more questions than answers."

Here's his conclusion: "The news travels so fast that it is out there before it can be verified and before the participants have even uttered a public word, and the more credible news outlets are forced to follow the flocks toward TMZ and the Enquirer or be left behind.

"And here's why that's relevant:

"What if it isn't true?

"How do we go back and fix that?

"And isn't that kind of accident ultimately more damaging than the one involving Tiger Woods?"

--Chuck Ross

Susan Boyle Album Makes Music History in the U.K.; U.S. Album Debut Likely Phenomenal As Well

Susan Boyle, who took the world by strorm earlier this year with her rendition of  the song "I Dreamed a Dream" on the U.K. reality TV show "Britain's Got Talent," has made music history  on the U.K. music charts,  Reuters reports.

According to the report, "Entering the music charts in the top spot on Sunday, Boyle's 'I Dreamed a Dream' sold more than 410,000 copies -- the biggest first week sales for a debut album in U.K. chart history, the Official Charts Company said."

And a report published the day before Thanksgiving at Billboard.com, says that in the U.S. Boyle's CD, which was released last week, is expected to be the biggest U.S. debut of the year.

According to the Billboard article, "While distribution projections for Boyle's album start at the 550,000 mark, some executives are reluctant to guess how high it will go. If Sony can keep product rolling and if big boxes 'have stock on Black Friday, who knows how well the album can do,' says one veteran prognosticator, who thinks the Boyle album will sell at least 700,000 copies this week.

Heretofore the biggest-selling album that has debuted this year in the U.S. was Eminem's "Relapse," which came out in May and sold 608,000 in its first week.

--Chuck Ross

Regis Philbin Subs on Another 'Millionaire'

Regis Philbin’s keeping a busy schedule even in advance of hip replacement surgery, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

This week, he’ll sit in for Meredith Vieira as host of the syndicated version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which he already hosts in primetime. The stint was taped earlier this month. It’s the first time he’s hosted the weekday version.

--Elizabeth Jensen

BBC to Cut Back on U.S. Program Spending

The BBC is moving to support its domestic producers, at the expense of U.S. shows, Variety reports.

BBC Director-General Mark Thompson said that after the digital conversion is completed in 2012, the BBC will spend a higher proportion of its license fee on “original British content than we are able to today.”

He said the “license fee's importance as an engine of creative investment in British talent is more important than ever.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

White House Crashers Seeking Six Figures for Interview

The couple who crashed the White House state dinner last week canceled their planned interview with CNN and are instead trying to sell their story to the broadcast networks, asking hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Associated Press reports.

According to an unnamed television executive, representatives for Michaele and Tareq Salahi contacted the networks and suggested they "get their bids in."

Michaele Salahi has been trying to get a slot on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of D.C."

--Elizabeth Jensen

Reality TV Population: More Than One Thousand?

The ranks of reality performers and wannabes, who reached a new low last week when a “Real Housewives” hopeful crashed a White House state dinner, are estimated to have topped 1,000, the New York Times reports.

Reality producer Michael Hirschorn calculated that there may be as many as 1,000 reality participants at any time, and the Times backs it up with some math.

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS News’ Bernie Birnbaum Passes Away at 89

CBS News producer Bernie Birnbaum, a longtime collaborator with Charles Kuralt, died over the Thanksgiving holiday at age 89, TVNewser reports.

Birnbaum joined CBS in 1951. He worked as a producer on Walter Cronkite’s “CBS Evening News,” produced specials including the four-part “CBS News Inquiry: The Warren Report” and numerous special reports on Vietnam, and later was senior producer of “On the Road With Charles Kuralt.”

Their 1964 “Christmas in Appalachia” special on unemployed Kentucky miners prompted an outpouring of support and may have played a role in helping shape President Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Next Up on ‘20/20’: Chris Brown

Rihanna sat down for an interview with Diane Sawyer and now Chris Brown, who was convicted of assaulting her, will also do an interview for ABC's “20/20” with Robin Roberts, TVNewser reports.

Brown discussed the assault during the interview, which was taped last weekend. It will air Dec. 11.

--Elizabeth Jensen
 

Doc Channel Sets First Original Show

The Documentary Channel will debut its first original show, “DocTalk,” on Jan. 1 at 8 p.m., Multichannel News reports.

The Friday night series will feature indepth interviews with documentary filmmakers about the filmmaking process.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC Picks Up Barry Sonnenfeld Pilot

ABC gave a pilot order to a comedy “Funny in Farsi,” to be directed and executive produced by Barry Sonnenfeld, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The show is based on the memoir by Iranian-born Firoozeh Dumas about growing up in Newport Beach, Calif., in the 1970s.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Bill Bresnan, Cable Pioneer, Dies; Titan with a Heart-of-Gold was a 50-year Veteran of the Cable Industry

William J. Bresnan, 75, one of the true pioneers in the cable industry, has died of complications of cancer. Bresnan, one the best recognized figures in the cable industry, was known as Bill by his legends of friends. He passed away on Friday, Nov. 27th at home in Greenwich, CT.

A native of Mankato, Minnesota, he was involved in cable for more than 50 years. He designed his first cable system in Rochester, Minnesota--not far from Mankato--in 1958.

According to his official biography, "when that system was acquired by West Coast entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke in 1965, he joined the Cooke executive team. Cooke’s holdings ultimately were merged with TelePrompTer Corporation, at that time the nation’s largest cable operating company. Mr. Bresnan served as President of TelePrompTer’s Cable Television Division from 1974 to 1981, at which time Westinghouse Electric purchased TelePrompTer and Mr. Bresnan became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the new company, Group W Cable. He left Group W Cable and founded Bresnan Communications in 1984."

I worked for Bill back when he was at TelePrompTer and I was selling cable TV subscriptions door-to-door in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles. But I didn't meet him until much later, when I had switched careers and became a journalist.

What has always struck me almost singularly about Bill over the years, was how much he cared. How much he cared about people, both those that worked for him and those that didn't.

Like many of his fellow cable pioneers he was smart and entreprenurial. Unlike a lot of them, he had an enthusiasm for cable that never waned. While a number of those pioneers were content with finally selling out to bigger companies, Bill never lost his entreprenurial spirit.

Here is the statement about Bresnan's passing by Kyle McSlarrow, president & CEO of the
National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA):

"This is an irreplaceable and heartbreaking loss. Bill Bresnan was one of our industry’s titans – an industry pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and technology leader who built companies that always put employees and customers first. But his impact on our industry was immeasurable in many other ways. Bill set the standard for commitment to diversity, serving as a mentor to many rising cable executives, a friend to thousands of people across the business, and inspiring the work of diversity advocates and organizations throughout our industry. We’re also deeply grateful for the leadership Bill demonstrated in establishing our industry’s commitment to public service through his work in creating organizations such as C-SPAN and Cable in the Classroom.

"In addition to his many other roles in our industry, Bill served as a distinguished Chairman of the NCTA Board of Directors and was a member of our Board for more than 35 years. Bill was a trusted friend and mentor to me and many former and current NCTA employees. We offer our deepest sympathies to his wonderful wife, Ann; his family; the employees of his fine company, Bresnan Communications; and to all of those who worked with Bill throughout his long career."

In an interesting sidenote, according to Bresnan Communications, "Mr. Bresnan was instrumental in lighting up the Chrysler Building, an achievement which helps to illuminate the New York skyline. While working for Jack Kent Cooke in the 1970’s, he was asked by Mr. Cooke, who had purchased the building, to look into the feasibility of doing so. Mr. Bresnan put on jeans and crawled to the top of the skyscraper where he noticed unfinished wiring in the cut-glass windows at the peak. This discovery made the lighting possible."

According to Multichannel News, "In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please make a donation to the Ann and Bill Bresnan Foundation, which, among other things, will continue to fund research into the rare form of cancer that he fought so courageously for the last year at: Ann and Bill Bresnan Foundation, Bresnan Communications, Inc., One Manhattanville Road, Purchase, NY 10577-2596, Attention: Shawn Beqaj."

Here are details about the funeral arrangements:

Viewing
Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home / 203-869-1513
31 Arch Street
Greenwich, CT 06830
203-869-1513

Viewing hours are Monday, November 30 and Tuesday, December 1, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

----------------------------------------------------

Mass
St. Mary's Church
178 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
203-869-9393

Mass at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 2, 2009. Bishop William Lori.

For a detailed biography of Bresnan, from the website of the Cable Center, click here.

--Chuck Ross

Adam Lambert Says He Got Carried Away at AMAs

Adam Lambert said he got “carried away” with his racy routine at the American Music Awards Sunday, but he didn’t apologize in an interview Wednesday morning on CBS’ “The Early Show,” Gawker reports.

The simulated sex act that was in his routine and drew complaints to ABC wasn’t part of the rehearsal, Lambert said, adding that it "kind of came from a more impromptu place. ABC was taken a little by surprise."

Still, he said, “I'm not a babysitter. I'm a performer." He said the complaints came “because I'm a gay male," noting that, "If it had been a female performer doing those things up on the stage I don't think there would be nearly as much outrage."

For TVWeek Open Mic blogger Hillary Atkin's take on the Lambert brouhaha, click here.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox Lays Out Mid-Season Scheduling Plans

“Human Target” will get a coveted “American Idol” lead-in on Fox’s mid-season schedule and “Fringe” will remain on Thursdays where it has been struggling, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"American Idol" will begin on Jan. 12. On Tuesdays it will be followed by the game show "Our Little Genius” --which actually gets a Wednesday Jan. 13 stunt premiere before moving to its regular slot--until April, when “Glee” returns from a four-month hiatus and lands there.

The new action-drama series "Human Target" will get the post-“Idol” Wednesday slot on Jan. 20, after an earlier stunt Sunday launch.

Meanwhile, “24” returns with a two-night, four-hour event on Sunday Jan. 17 and Monday, Jan. 18.

“Fringe” will remain on Thursdays at 9 until Feb. 11, when the new thriller “Past Life” will take over until April.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Favorite Things’ No More

Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things episodes may be a thing of the past, the Huffington Post reports.

The talk show host has no plans for such an episode in the remainder of this year, a Harpo employee told the site.

In the past seven years, the episode--which sends the audience into a frenzy as they learn which of Oprah’s “favorite things” they will be taking home with them, from pajamas to refrigerators--has aired during Thanksgiving week.

--Elizabeth Jensen

MTV's New Series Irks Italian-American Group, Called ‘Trash Television’

An MTV series is already in trouble with a national Italian-American organization called UNICO National even before it makes its debut on Dec. 3, the Associated Press reports.

An MTV promo for the new “Jersey Shore” says the Italian-American beachgoers who share a New Jersey beach house "keep their hair high, their muscles juiced and their fists pumping all summer long!" UNICO says the show is perpetuating crude stereotypes and bad behavior, and UNICO President Andre DiMino called the show "trash television."

An MTV spokeswoman said the show is in the network’s tradition of documenting sub-cultures and rites of passage, the AP says.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Is ‘Biggest Loser’ Healthy for Participants?

Some contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” have admitted to using unhealthy means in a desperate attempt to win, the New York Times reports.

Some participants have been possibly risking their own health to win, losing weight through some unsafe techniques such as self-induced dehydration, the paper says.

The rapid weight loss regime promoted by the show goes against much medical advice. “I’m waiting for the first person to have a heart attack,” Dr. Charles Burant, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, told the paper.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox Picks Up ‘Lie to Me’ for Full Season

The Fox Monday night drama "Lie to Me" got a full season pick-up, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The network ordered an additional nine episodes of the show, which stars Tim Roth.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Another USA Show Gets Renewed

A second USA Network show has been renewed in as many days, Variety reports.

"Burn Notice" got the news that it will return for a fourth season. It joins "Psych," which on Monday got a fifth season order.

--Elizabeth Jensen

'Fringe' Will Take a Seven-Week Break

Fox has decided to interrupt the run of the sci-fi series "Fringe" with a seven-week hiatus in February, reports the Futon Critic.

In its place, Fox will air a mid-season replacement, the series "Past Life." The remaining seven episodes of "Fringe" will air in April through the end of the spring season. The reason for the respite is to make sure that "Fringe" runs without repeats for the year.

-- Allison J. Waldman

TNT Announces the Return of 'Leverage'

TNT's successful caper series "Leverage" returns with new episodes on Jan. 13 at 10 p.m., reports the Futon Critic.

The series, which stars Timothy Hutton, will run for six episodes, the remainder of the Season Two run. "Leverage" will commence its third season in the summer of 2010.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Next TVBizWire E-newsletter Will Be Monday

The next morning TVBizWire e-newsletter, as well as the next afternoon E-Daily e-newsletter, will be Monday. For those of you who also subscribe to our daily Viral Video e-newsletter, the last one for the week will be sent later today.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. See you next week!

New Programming Execs for ReelzChannel

Mike Smith was named senior VP of programming at ReelzChannel while Steve Holzer has been hired as executive producer of original programming, Multichannel News reports.

Smith, a longtime executive with networks owned by ReelzChannel parent Hubbard Broadcasting, has already been on special assignment at the network since September, launching a new schedule and three new shows.

Holzer was formerly producer of L.A’s top-rated morning show “Good Day L.A.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

NBC, NFL Take Advantage of Flex Schedule

NBC has chosen Brett Favre over Tom Brady, reports B&C.

On Sunday, Dec. 6, the NFL has exercised its option to choose which game to air in NBC's primetime slot based on its flex schedule, and the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Arizona Cardinals won out over the New England Patriots vs. the Miami Dolphins. The Pats-Dolphins game will now air on CBS at 1 p.m. instead.

The NFL has had this option for three weeks, but this is the first time it’s been used.

--Allison J. Waldman

'Good Morning America' Cancels Adam Lambert; CBS’ ‘Early Show’ Grabs Him

Just as quickly as ABC’s “Good Morning America” canceled Adam Lambert's scheduled musical performance for Wednesday morning, CBS’ “Early Show” snapped him up, reports TVNewser.com.

ABC said that Lambert's overtly sexual appearance on the broadcast of the "American Music Awards" Sunday night—which included a simulated sex act-- drew some 1,500 complaints. "Given his controversial live performance on the AMAs we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning," said an ABC spokesperson.

CBS apparently has no such worries. Lambert will discuss the controversial AMA show, and also perform live on the network’s morning show on Wednesday.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Disney Taps Carolina Lightcap as President of Disney Channels Worldwide

Carolina Lightcap was named president of Disney Channels Worldwide, filling a post that came open with the October promotion of Rich Ross to chairman of Walt Disney Studios, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Lightcap, who had been both senior VP programming and creative affairs for Disney Channels Latin America and chief marketing officer for the Walt Disney Co., Latin America, is taking on her new assignment immediately and will be moving to Burbank from Buenos Aires.

Ross's second in command, Gary Marsh, will be chief creative officer, in addition to entertainment president for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Commenting on the appointment, Anne Sweeney, president of Disney/ABC Television Group, said, "Carolina has made enormous contributions to Disney over the past decade, especially in launching and building Disney Channel Latin America into the #1 cable channel in the region."

-- Allison J. Waldman

A&E's 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Returns in December

A&E's unconventional reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" will return for a sixth season of cases on Dec. 2 at 9 p.m., with a one-hour special to celebrate its 150th episode.

The exploits of Duane "Dog" Chapman, a professional bounty hunter, and his dysfunctional clan has been one of A&E's most successful franchises, averaging two million viewers per episode in Season Five.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Near-Record Viewership for HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Finale

The reunion of "Seinfeld" vets on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" brought in near-record viewership for the Sunday night finale, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Approximately two million viewers watched the two airings, making for the best showing for the comedy in five years. "Curb" has been averaging more than five million viewers per episode when all the numbers are crunched.

-- Allison J. Waldman

CBS Lineup Delivers on Monday

It was another tight race in the Monday ratings, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

CBS’ strong sitcom lineup delivered, with "How I Met Your Mother" starting the night with a 3.7 rating in the demo, a season high, followed by "Accidentally on Purpose" (3.2), "Two and a Half Men" (4.7), and "Big Bang Theory" (5.2, an all-time best.)

ABC's new reality show "Find My Family" had a good start with a 2.9, following the "Dancing With the Stars" fall finale, with a 4.1.

"House" continues to be a top draw for Fox (4.5), and "Lie to Me" pulled a 2.7.

NBC struggled with "Heroes" (2.3) and "Trauma" (1.6 -- a program low), followed by the “Jay Leno Show," eeking out a 1.4.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Sarah Palin Turns Her Back on CBS

In her campaign to promote her new book "Going Rogue," ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been all over the airwaves, but she has purposely chosen not to appear on CBS, reports Hotline On Call.

Palin told Fox News' Sean Hannity that she had bad experiences with Katie Couric on the “CBS Evening News” and was just as displeased with her "Late Show" stint with David Letterman.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Martha Apologizes to Rachael

On her syndicated television show Monday, Martha Stewart apologized for comments she made about fellow cooking talk show host Rachael Ray in an appearance on ABC's "Nightline," where she called Ray more of an entertainer than a teacher, reports the New York Daily News.

Stewart said, "Just for the record, there are no bad feelings between us nor have there ever been. I truly believe that Rachael has done a terrific job bringing people - many people who would never have even stepped into the kitchen or made a dish - to cook." Stewart also invited Ray to return to her show for another guest turn.

-- Allison J. Waldman

WWII Special Rated High With History Viewers

The History channel’s “WWII in HD” was a viewer hit, Multichannel News reports.

The program, which ran for five nights from Nov. 14-19 and featured relatively unseen color footage of the war, averaged 2.4 million total viewers for each two-hour show, Nielsen reported, and a cumulative audience of more than 24 million.

--Elizabeth Jensen

USA Renews 'Psych'

USA Network’s James Roday-Dule Hill comic detective series "Psych" has been renewed for a fifth season, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The network ordered 16 one-hour episodes. USA hasn’t finalized scheduling, but the show is likely to return in late January in its usual 10 p.m. Friday time period.

-- Allison J. Waldman

No TVWeek E-Daily Tomorrow

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, TVWeek will not issue an E-Daily e-mail newsletter tomorrow afternoon.

However, there will be a TVWeek TVBizWire e-mail newsletter tomorrow morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ABC Temporarily Stops Production on Another Show

First “Cougar Town” went on a brief hiatus over a private family matter for star Courteney Cox and now another ABC series has halted production, as well, Variety reports.

Production on the sci-fi series “FlashForward” was halted last week, and will continue through the Thanksgiving holiday break. A network spokesman said the break had been planned from the beginning of the season, in order to “boost the writing” of the series.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Regis Philbin to Take a Leave of Absence

Regis Philbin is taking a leave of absence from his daytime talk show, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The 78-year-old is going to have hip replacement surgery, because, he said on Monday’s "Live With Regis and Kelly," "I've been limping around here; it really is painful."

He’s not expected to return before next year; no return date has been set.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Preschool Kids Watching Twice the Amount of TV as Previously Thought

Children who go to home-based day-care programs watch two times the amount of TV per day as was previously thought, according to a new study published in the December issue of Pediatrics, the Washington Post reports.

Researchers for the study conducted a survey of 168 child-care programs in four states and found that toddlers ages 1 to 3 in home-based day-care centers watched an average of 1.6 hours of TV there each day, including videos and DVDs. Preschool-age children, 3 to 5 years old, watched 2.4 hours a day in home-based centers.

Previous studies, which estimated that preschool children watch one to three hours a day, relied on reports from parents about children's habits at home and did not count the time they spent watching TV during day care, underestimating the total TV time by up to 100 percent, researchers said.

-- Tom Gilbert

Will Oprah's Departure Send ABC's 'World News' Reeling?

For many years it was thought that a halo effect for "The Oprah WInfrey Show" delivered a significant audience to ABC's national evening newscast.

Was it ever true?

What about today?

Click here for TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross' take on the subject.

--Tom Gilbert

More Oprah News: Her Company Has a Steamy HBO Series in the Works

Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films is developing an unusual HBO series, Variety reports.

The pilot development deal is for a sexually charged drama about a woman who walks out on her Santa Monica marriage and kids to pursue secret fantasies in the seamier side of L.A.

Erin Cressida Wilson (“Secretary”) is writing the pilot. Harpo Films president Kate Forte called the show “unsentimental and pretty shocking.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

FX Nabs Rights to ‘Twilight’ Films

FX snapped up the basic cable rights to the “Twilight” vampire film franchise, following the major opening weekend box office receipts for “New Moon,” the second film in the series, Variety reports.

The deal includes rights to all four planned films in the franchise, although the fourth film hasn’t yet received a studio go-ahead. The price is 10 percent to 12 percent of the box office, with a cap. Other films in the package deal include Iraq War film “The Hurt Locker.”

FX can begin airing "Twilight," the first film in the series, in late 2011. Pay cable rights are with Showtime.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Attorney: Jon & Kate Gosselin Divorce Could Be Final Soon

Kate Gosselin snubbed the red roses her estranged husband Jon brought to their divorce arbitration session, but the hearing went well otherwise and his attorney said the divorce could be final by the end of the year, the Associated Press reports.

The stars of TLC’s "Jon & Kate Plus Eight," which concluded Monday night, met for more than six hours over the weekend to hammer out the remaining issues, such as custody of their children. The arbitrator is expected to rule by Christmas.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Google Teams Up With TiVo for Ad Sales Data

Google signed a deal to subscribe to TiVo’s user data, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Google will be able to use TiVo’s fast-forwarding data to determine whether the TV ads it has sold to advertisers were actually seen.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Judge Jeanine Pirro’ Renewed by Fox Stations

Fox Television Stations renewed Warner Bros.' “Judge Jeanine Pirro” syndicated court show for next season, B&C reports.

The renewal includes the major markets of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Tribune and Sinclair previously renewed the show.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Larry Gelbart Tribute Set for Dec. 10

A memorial tribute to writer Larry Gelbart was set for Dec. 10 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater in North Hollywood, Variety reports.

Gelbart, best known for the TV version of “M*A*S*H” as well as the screenplays “Oh God” and “Tootsie,” died in September at age 81.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Oprah's Chef to Star in TLC Show

Oprah Winfrey's personal chef Art Smith is getting his own food show on TLC, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Smith will host "Craving Comfort," a show all about the best in comfort food around America. TLC has ordered eight 30-minute episodes to begin airing in 2010.

-- Allison J. Waldman

TV Guide Gets U.S. Rights to Susan Boyle Documentary

TV Guide Network acquired the U.S. rights to “I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story,” B&C reports.

The one-hour documentary about the Scottish singer’s life will air on Dec. 13, the same day it debuts on Britain’s ITV1. It’s produced by talkbackTHAMES, a production company part-owned by Simon Cowell, whose “Britain’s Got Talent” first introduced Boyle to the public.

--Elizabeth Jensen

John Malone: The Local TV Model Does Not Work Anymore, and Here's Why; He Also Says Maybe the NBC Affiliates Need to Approve the Comcast Deal

John Malone, the chairman of Liberty Media and one of the most astute observers of media in the last 20 years, says the business model that supports local TV is broken and doesn't work.

Malone was interviewed on CNBC today and our friend Harry Jessell of TVNewsCheck has a terrific write-up of the interview: " 'The big issue is localism,'  Malone said. 'It's about broadcast affiliates locally, whether or not that model is viable.'

"According to Malone, the model is not viable: 'Don't work,' he said.

"The networks will have to either subsidize their affiliates or dump them and become cable networks."

Jessell also quotes Malone as saying: "Maybe two of these guys [broadcast networks] just become cable networks and two of them end up with retrans and support localism," and  "There are just too many advertising-driven businesses in the local marketplace to be viable, given the siphoning off of revenue [by the Internet]."

Stirring the pot as he sometimes like to do, Malone also suggests that the issue of localism may become so charged that the government may insist that the NBC affiliates approve the Comcast deal before the government signs off on it, Jessell reports.

--Chuck Ross

To see the actual CNBC interview, click here.

'Better Off Ted' Returns to ABC in December

ABC's sitcom "Better Off Ted" returns to the schedule on Dec. 8, at 9:30 p.m.

The season premiere episode will feature guest star Taye Diggs, from the network’s "Private Practice." "Better Off Ted" bowed last winter as a mid-season replacement.

-- Allison J. Waldman

As ‘Jon & Kate’ Comes to a Close, What Have We Learned?

TLC's “Jon & Kate Plus Eight” comes to an end tonight, and MSNBC.com contributor Linda Holmes thinks there are lessons to be learned.

It turned out, she writes, that “nobody wanted to watch miserable, feuding parents taking their kids on day trips to zoos and bakeries in between calls to their lawyers, which you could read about on TMZ. Ratings by September had fallen to between one and two million viewers. As a phenomenon, it was over.”

Among the lessons to be learned, she said, is that “Audiences don't hang around to feel depressed” and “Train wrecks only work if you don't have to picture yourself on the train.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC Has Good Night with 'American Music Awards;' Viewers Protest Adam Lambert’s Performance

Scoring the best rating since 2004, ABC's broadcast of the “American Music Awards” pulled a 5.5 preliminary adults 18-49 rating, but it was still second to NBC's NFL match, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

“American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert’s performance on the awards show wasn’t to some viewers’ liking, however, and the network has received more than 1,500 complaints, reports the Associated Press. The network said that the response was "moderate," but message boards indicate that many viewers were outraged by the pseudo-sexual antics, including Lambert touching his crotch and kissing a man.

Meanwhile, NBC’s NFL match between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles claimed a 5.6 rating in the demo.

Am experimental CBS schedule flip to give "Cold Case" the 9 p.m. slot and "Three Rivers" the 10 p.m. spot was skewed by an earlier NFL overrun. Overall, the earlier showing for "Cold Case" earned a 2.0, off by a tenth from last week's show, while "Three Rivers" equaled its worst performance of the season, a 1.6.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Oprah Lands Interview with Ted Kennedy's Widow

Oprah Winfrey has secured the first interview with Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, reports the Associated Press.

Mrs. Kennedy will appear on Wednesday, Nov. 25, along with Ted's son Ted Kennedy, Jr. and her two children, Caroline and Curran.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Nick Lachey to Host NBC's 'The Sing-Off'

Music and TV star Nick Lachey has landed the hosting duties for NBC's "The Sing-Off," an a cappella music reality show in which groups compete for the top prize.

The series will be broadcast over four nights starting Monday, Dec. 14, from 8-10 p.m., with the winner crowned on the live finale on Dec. 21. Ben Folds of the Ben Folds Five, and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men are two of the celebrity judges. The third judge will be announced each night.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Discovery Gets Behind Obama's Pro-Science Education Campaign

In an effort to promote the President's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, Discovery Communications is creating a comprehensive science campaign, reports B&C.

In 2010, Discovery’s Science Channel will present for middle-school students a commercial-free block of science shows. Discovery will also create PSAs for its networks called "Be The Future." Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of "The Mythbusters" will be featured in the first installments.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Viewers to Choose Disney Channel’s New Year's Eve Lineup

A viewer vote will decide what will air on the Disney Channel on New Year's Eve, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Voting begins Friday at DisneyChannel.com. During the holiday program stars will compete in game show challenges inbetween music videos and favorite episodes of shows chosen by the viewers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

MSNBC.com Ups Its Twitter Presence with BNO News

MSNBC.com will increase its Twitter presence from 27,000 followers to 1.4 million when its new deal with BNO News' popular @BreakingNews commences in early 2010, reports B&C.

MSNBC.com will be the prime client for @BreakingNews' new wire service. BNO will continue feeding into the @BreakingNews stream, but MSNBC will be able to add its own content.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC Fires 'All My Children' Head Writer

Charles Pratt Jr. is now the former head writer of ABC's "All My Children," reports SoapCentral.com.

The veteran writer, whose credits include "Desperate Housewives," "Ugly Betty" and "General Hospital," among other shows, was hired in June 2008 to revitalize the soap.

The network declined to say why he is out. A replacement has yet to be announced.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Microsoft Wants to Pay News Corp. to Move Its News Web Sites Off Google

Rupert Murdoch’s threat to keep Google from indexing News Corp. Web sites has taken a new twist, with Google rival Microsoft in talks to pay News Corp. to remove them, the Financial Times reports.

Microsoft has also approached other publishers about removing their content from Google, as well, according to the FT. Any such move would presumably boost Microsoft’s new search engine Bing, and put pressure on Google to start paying for search content.

Microsoft and News Corp. declined to comment.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC Series Shuts Down for Star’s ‘Private Family Matter’

An ABC series shut down production because the star needed “to deal with a private family matter,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

“Cougar Town,” which shuttered to accommodate star Courteney Cox, was already scheduled to go on hiatus for Thanksgiving week.

There was no word on when filming will resume, however.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Reports: G.E., Vivendi Differ on Value of Vivendi's Stake in NBCU; Will Vivendi Take Interim Payment Anyway?

General Electric’s talks to buy Vivendi’s 20 percent stake in NBC Universal stalled over how much the stake is worth, the New York Times reports, citing anonymous sources.

Without the deal, G.E. can’t proceed with a proposed plan to sell a controlling stake in NBCU to Comcast.

Vivendi and G.E. appear to be at least $500 million apart in how to value NBC U, the Times reports.

In a Reuters story about the negotiations, the newswires states: "While Vivendi and G.E. have not agreed on a price yet, the French media company's acceptance of a staggered payment schedule shows it is willing to compromise to pave the way for [a deal between G.E. and] Comcast, the largest U.S cable service provider.

"Vivendi had previously asked to be paid fully upfront to avoid regulatory risk -- U.S. antitrust enforcers are expected to take at least a year to scrutinize the Comcast-NBCU deal." [brackets added by TVWeek]

Reuters says that Vivendi has agreed to acccept payment for just a third of its total stake upfront.

--Elizabeth Jensen and Chuck Ross

Investment Firm: Financial Hit to CBS from Loss of ‘Oprah’ ‘Overblown’

Distribution fees paid to CBS Television Distribution (CTD) for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” are well below $50 million annually, investment firm J.P. Morgan wrote in a research note, B&C reports.

The firm wrote that “We think Oprah’s significance is likely overblown for CBS,” with an earnings per share hit of just $0.03 in 2012, after the show goes off broadcast television in September 2011.

CBS shares took a hit at Winfrey’s announcement last week that the show was coming to a close at least on broadcast.

--Elizabeth Jensen

News Corp., Time Warner Interested in MGM

News Corp., Time Warner and Qualia Capital LLC are interested in buying the MGM film studio, which said last week that it is considering a possible sale of the company, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

The home of the James Bond franchise has about $4 billion in debt, but an analyst said it is unlikely to get more than $2 billion.

Sony Corp. may also be interested in buying at least part of the company; Lions Gate Entertainment has already expressed interest and Liberty Media Corp. has also said it will at least take a look.

--Elizabeth Jensen
.

Correspondent Leaving CBS News for PBS’ ‘NewsHour’

CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasm is leaving the network to join “PBS NewsHour,” the new incarnation of “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” TVNewser.com reports.

He’ll anchor the show’s new online newscasts, and also anchor the broadcast program’s nightly news summary when the program unveils its new look on Dec. 7. He’s been at CBS since 2007.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Former Star Reporter in New York Found Guilty of Misdemeanor Attempted Assault

A former star NY1 political reporter was found guilty on Friday of misdemeanor attempted assault for beating his wife during an argument, the New York Times reports.

Dominic Carter was convicted after the judge in the case said he didn’t believe Carter’s wife, who changed her story and said it was really a day laborer she couldn’t name who had inflicted the injuries. He was cleared of a third-degree assault charge.

Carter, who took an indefinite leave from his job in October after the charges came to light, faces up to three months in jail and a year’s probation at his January sentencing.

--Elizabeth Jensen

International Emmys to Honor David Frost

Britain’s David Frost will be honored with the Founders Award at the 37th annual International Emmy Awards, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

ABC's Barbara Walters, a much-honored interviewer herself, will present the award honoring him for his television career that has included political satire and the groundbreaking interviews with former President Richard M. Nixon.

--Elizabeth Jensen

QVC Jumps Into Black Friday Fray

Television retailer QVC will try to entice viewers to buy from it rather than in the stores on the Black Friday post-Thanksgiving mega-shopping day, reports the Associated Press.

QVC hasn’t normally run a promotion that day. This year, beginning the evening of Thanksgiving, it plans a 28-hour telethon of sorts by host Dave James, as well as special deals and a number of new items for sale.

--Elizabeth Jensen

$100K Bond for Illinois Man Accused of Making Secret Videos of ESPN Reporter

Michael Barrett, an Illinois insurance executive who is accused of making secret nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, posted an increased bond of $100,000, the Associated Press reports.

He had been free on $4,500 bond, but the amount was increased after Andrews’ attorney successfully argued that Barrett posed a public threat, and that his alleged stalking had gone on for a long period of time. Barrett's attorney had argued that his client, who lost his job, didn’t have a criminal history and had been complying with the terms of his release.

Arraignment is set for Monday.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox News’ Glenn Beck Has Political Ambitions

Fox News host Glenn Beck is getting into the political organizing business, the New York Times reports.

Beck said in an interview with The Times that he will promote viewer registration drives and sponsor a series of nationwide conventions featuring libertarian speakers.

At a weekend event, he said he’ll publish a new book next summer which will feature policy proposals that have been gathered from the upcoming conventions.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Roku to Add More Channels to Digital Video Player

The Roku digital video player is adding a channel store so users can add access to more content, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Content on the 10 new channels will range from digital photographs from Flickr and Facebook, to the Internet radio service Pandora, and Web videos and video podcasts from Revision3 and blip.tv.

Roku's digital video player, which debuted last year, was the first player to allow Netflix customers to watch programming offered through Netflix's streaming video service on their TV sets.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Bill Moyers Retiring From Weekly Television

Bill Moyers, who received the highest award bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2006--it's Lifetime Achievement Emmy--is retiring from weekly TV, TVWeek Contributor Elizabeth Jensen reports in the New York Times.

His weekly show on PBS, "Bill Moyers Journal," will end on April 30, 2010.

According to the report, "Mr. Moyers said he had been planning for some time to retire the program on Dec. 25, but was asked by PBS to raise the funds to continue through April, which he did.

“ 'I am 75 years old,' he said of the decision to end the series, which began in April 2007. The program has recently been having a 'good run of it,' he added in a telephone interview on Friday, 'so I feel it’s time.' He said he was not quitting television work, although he has no new projects planned.

Mr. Moyers, who produced and reported the popular six-part  "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth" series that aired on PBS in 1988, became embroiled in controversy in 2005 over his PBS show "NOW with Bill Moyers." 

The then head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Kenneth Tomlinson, claimed "NOW" had a "left wing" bias. He had paid someone $10,000 of CPB funds to watch the show and report to him on political bias. This "study" was never made public. 

An internal CPB investigation later discredited Tomlinson, saying that he had violated his office's code of ethics as he sought to bring political change to the organization.

To read TVWeek Open Mike blogger Chuck Ross' comments about Moyers' legacy and importance to journalism, click here.

Oprah, in Her Own Words, Why She's Stopping Her Syndicated Program

On Friday, Nov. 9th, Oprah Winfrey finally said herself why she's leaving her long-running syndicated show in September, 2011.

Here's part of Oprah's statement:

"So here we are, halfway through the season, 24, and it still means as much to me to spend an hour every day with you as it did back in 1986. So why walk away and make next season the last?

"Here is the real reason: I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it's time to say good-bye.

"Twenty-five years feels right in my bones and it feels right in my spirit. It's the perfect number—the exact right time."

To read Oprah's entire statement, click here.

Talk Show King's Sons to be Featured on TV Series

A new show on Fox Sports Net called "Kid Pitch" will feature the sons of a famous talk show host, and will be directed by Tom Arnold, TMZ reports.

Chance King, the 10-year-old son of CNN talk show host Larry King, will be on the show, as well Chance's 9-year-old brother Cannon.

Starting in February 2010, the show will celebrate Major League Baseball from a child's point of view. 

-- Allison J. Waldman

CBS Earns Thursday Night Ratings Win

With a big story on "The Mentalist," CBS was the ratings winner for Thursday night, but it was ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" that had the biggest demo win of the night, according to The Hollywood Reporter Live Feed blog,

. "Survivor" kicked off CBS's lineup with a 3.7 in the adult demo, better than the weakening "CSI" at 3.5, and as strong as "The Mentalist" which earned a 3.7.

"Grey's" anchored ABC with a 5.0 at 9 p.m. An hour earlier, "FlashForward" pulled a 2.4, and an hour later, at 10 p.m., "Private Practice" had a substantial dip to 3.1.

NBC's sitcom quartet held steady, tied for third with Fox's "Bones" and "Fringe." On the Peacock, "Community" started off with a 2.0, which "Parks & Recreation" matched. At 9 p.m., The Office" climbed to a 3.7, but "30 Rock" was off with a 2.9. "The Jay Leno Show" eeked out a 1.4.
For Fox, "Bones" had a 2.7 and "Fringe" earned a 2.0.

-- Allison J. Waldman

The 'That's Real Money' File: Pay-per-View Event Brings in $70 Million

Big pay-per-view event on Saturday night Nov. 14 on HBO, B&C reports.

It was a big fight night from Las Vegas, headlined by the welterweight title bout between
Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.

HBO raked in 1.25 million pay-per-view buys--the most for 2009--and HBO earned $70 million in revenue. The split between satellite and cable households was roughly even, 650,000 cable and 600,000 satellite and telcos.

HBO plans to rebroadcast the title championship match on November 21 at 10 p.m.

-- Allison J. Waldman

No Kevin James, But Real Life 'Mall Cops' Coming to TV

The biggest mall in the United States, Minnesota's Mall of America, will soon be the setting for a new TV series called "Mall Cops: Mall of America," it was announced .

The series is slated to air on TLC.  September Films will produce 12 30-minute episodes about the security staff at the Minneapolis shopping destination, which also includes an amusement park, a school and a wedding chapel.

Based on the one-hour special that TLC aired in September, the series will hope to equal that show's strong showing, a 1.0 household rating.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Strong Opening for Liberty Starz on NASDAQ

The publicly traded new offering comprised of Starz Entertainment and former Liberty Media concerns, Liberty Starz, had its first opening on the Nasdaq Global Market System Friday, November 20, reports Multichannel News.

The company which is listed as "LSTZA," commenced at $49.50 per share, up $1.66 from the first-issued closing price of $47.84 the night before. The stock finished at $50.25 at the closing bell on Friday.

Liberty Starz includes the cable service Starz, the satellite high-speed data service WildBlue Communications, PicksPal, Fanball and FUN Technologies online, plus approximately $650 million in cash.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Lifetime and ABC's '20/20' Collaborate on Special About Popular Singer

Lifetime will collaborate with ABC's "20/20" for a special, reports B&C,

Lifetime is co-owned by ABC.

The special, entitled "Rihanna Speaks Out: A Lifetime and 20/20 Specia," will be based on the current life of singer Rihanna using her interview with Diane Sawyer on "20/20" as a large part of the program, the report says.

 The show,  will explore topics covered in the Sawyer interview, including Rihanna's relationship with singer Chris Brown. The Lifetime special airs on November 25 at 10 p.m. and be repeated the next day at 1 and 1:30 a.m.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Activists Ransack TV Station in India

Political activists attacked and ransacked a TV station in Mumbai, claiming that the station had insulted their leader.

The story, reported on CNN.com, said the TV station attacked was IBN Lokmat, a sister station to CNN-IBN, which is also in India. The CNN station was not attacked.

According to the report, the channel was accused of insulting Bal Thackeray, "a fiery Maharashtrian leader." Mumbai is in the state of Maharashtra.

The report added that "Shiv Sena and its breakaway Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), headed by Thackeray's nephew, claim to be champions of Maharashtrian issues, especially economic issues, as hundreds of thousands of migrants from a number of impoverished states are lured to Mumbai for jobs."

--Chuck Ross

ABC's Janet Jackson Interview: a Class Act Fields Lousy Questions

TVWeek's Open Mic blogger Hillary Atkin found Janet Jackson to be mesmerizing during ABC News' “In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts" Wednesday night -- she can't say the same for some of the questions, or the announcer. Read all about  it here.

The Repercussions of Winfrey's Departure From Daytime TV Far Reaching

Oprah Winfrey's decision to discontinue her longrunning syndicated talk show in 2011 carries with it a long list of repercussions, according to The New York Times.

It means the loss of its signature program and millions of dollars every year in revenue for distributor CBS, and for stations, the loss of daytime’s most popular program that generates huge audiences for their local evening news.

The Times said the move also represents an big professional bet for Winfrey, who is counting on her popularity and "golden touch" with programming to sustain an entire cable channel.

-- Tom Gilbert

Oprah's Absence Will Alter the Local News Battlefield

Many U.S. stations are reacting with panic to Oprah Winfrey's decision to end her enormously popular syndicated TV talk show, which they have long relied upon to bring viewers to their local newscasts.

In Upstate New York, for example, the Buffalo News reports that WIVB-TV, which carries Winfrey's show at 4 p.m., has been the local news leader for years thanks to her strong lead-in, noting that whatever the replacement is, it is unlikely to be as powerful as "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

The Hollywood Reporter Editor Elizabeth Guider also describes Winfrey's departure as "a paradigm shift, one that will roil the already fragile local TV station business for the next two years."

-- Tom Gilbert

Oprah Winfrey's Mega-Success in Review

Media columnist Phil Rosenthal reflects on Oprah Winfrey's daytime TV success while awaiting her announcement about her future in the Chicago Tribune.

"[Her] success is a combination of the common and uncommon," he writes. "Her life story includes triumph over adversity and imperfection, talent and the ambition to better one's self, shrewd business acumen and an uncanny knack for making millions of fans warm to her as a good friend with whom they might trade recipes or gossip."

--Tom Gilbert

What the Man Who Dated Oprah and Talked Her Into Entering Syndication Thinks

Veteran film critic Roger Ebert, who at one time dated Oprah Winfrey and claims to have influenced her decision to accept an offer for a syndicated show, has made an educated guess in the Chicago Sun-Times about what her next move might be.

Ebert thinks the talk-show queen will be on her OWN cable network, syndicate overseas, have same-day reruns, stream on the Internet and have an online archive of past shows.

"This move doesn't require a rocket scientist to explain it. She knows as much about TV as anyone alive," Ebert said

-- Tom Gilbert

Chicago Mayor Has Own Ideas Why Oprah Called It Quits

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has a theory why Oprah Winfrey is ending her syndicated talk show, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

He says complaints about the city shutting down North Michigan Avenue for two days at a cost of $54,832 in city services for her 24th season premiere in September may have been too much for Winfrey, who has since reimbursed Chicago taxpayers

The Sun-Times quoted Mayor Daley as saying, "When the controversy came up on Michigan Avenue, and people were criticizing her in the media, the first thing I said is, 'She's paying for everything on Michigan Avenue.' I said, 'So, why are you criticizing her?' The merchants loved it, we had huge recognition around the world when she opened her show ... And so, you keep kicking people, and people will leave. Simple as that."

--Tom Gilbert

New Season of 'Lost,' Now on Tuesdays, Debuts Feb. 2

ABC will begin airing the sixth and final season of “Lost” Feb. 2, moving the series Tuesdays for the first time, reports The New York Times.

A recap special covering past series developments will precede the two-hour season premiere, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. 

In its new time slot, the series will compete with CBS' popular “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

-- Tom Gilbert

'Friday Night Lights' Actress Cast in Hallmark Channel Movie

 Alicia Witt, who has a recurring role on the fourth season of the DirecTV/NBC drama "Friday Night Lights,"  has been signed to star in a Hallmark Channel movie with the tentative titled "Backyard Wedding," The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The film centers on a woman whose plans for her second wedding are marred by her ex-husband and first love. Markie Post and Frances Fisher are also in the cast.

-- Tom Gilbert

Movie Veteran-Playwright to Star in Epix' First Drama Pilot

Epix, a joint venture of Viacom, Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate that launched Oct. 30 with concert and comedy specials, has tapped Sam Shepard to star in its inaugural pilot, "Tough Trade," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Shepard will play the patriarch in"Tough Trade," an hour drama about a three-generation Nashville music dynasty whose penchant for drink, debauchery and divorce has left them morally corrupt and on the verge of bankruptcy, the Reporter said.

-- Tom Gilbert

TiVo Teams with Major Advertiser To Show Commercials When Viewers Fast Forward Through Content

In a pioneering deal, TiVo has partnered with a major advertiser to show messages from the advertiser even when viewers fast forward, rewind, pause, or delete certain content, Advertising Age reports.

When viewers perform these functions with NFL games, message for Coors Light will appear on the screen. 

According to the report, " 'It's true that sports are much less time-shifted than anything other than news,' said Todd Juenger, TiVo's VP-general manager for audience, research and measurement. 'But it's 20%, and that's not zero.' " 

The report also notes, "The deal covers every NFL game through the Super Bowl, which means consumers could theoretically find themselves looking at Coors Light branding while rewinding for another look at an Anheuser-Busch spot. (A-B is the only brewer with commercial time during the Super Bowl broadcast, although Coors Light is the big game's official beer.)"

 -- Allison J. Waldman

Another Season of 'Scream Queens' for VH1

 VH1 has ordered a second season of Lionsgate reality competition series "Scream Queens," in which contestants are put through horror film boot camp to work with creatures and gore, according to Variety.

Jamie King hosts the series, the new season of which is expected to debut in 2010.

The winner of the competition will appear in the studio's next "Saw" film. 

-- Tom Gilbert

ABC Expands 'Grey's Anatomy' to Original Web Series

A new web series based on "Grey's Anatomy" has started online, reports B&C.

The web series, titled  "Seattle Grace: On Call," is available online after "Grey's" airs on Wednesday nights. There will be six webisodes, mostly set in Joe’s Emerald City Bar, and they will be presented as faux documentaries. Each installment will be about four-minutes long and available only online.

According to the article, " 'Our goal with the web series is to expand the Grey’s universe by offering a unique perspective of the various happenings at Seattle Grace, while paralleling some of the same storylines seen on the show,' said Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes."

-- Allison J. Waldman

It's Official: Oprah to End Syndie Run in 2011

Oprah Winfrey will end her syndicated talk show in September 2011, concluding a 25-year run, according to ABC News.

Winfrey is scheduled to make the announcement tomorrow on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which is produced by her Harpo Productions and distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

It is anticipated that Winfrey will announce her future plans on that show as well.

CBS Television Distribution said in a statement, "We have the greatest respect for Oprah and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors. We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success. We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."

For the full text of a statement Harpo President Tim Bennett sent to TV stations that carry the program click here.

-- Tom Gilbert

Report From the Emergency Room: 'Trauma' Might Survive After All

NBC's "Trauma," which has been reported D.O.A., might just survive after all, according to Nikki Finke's  Deadline Hollywood.

According to the report, "NBC has told the show this week the network not only will produce all 13 episodes from its current order but also order more. What helped to earn a pickup? A recent ratings rise."

--Chuck Ross

Garth Ancier Leaving Helm of BBC America

Garth Ancier is stepping down as the president of BBC America. UPDATE: This news was first reported this morning by Bill Carter of the New York Times on its  Media Decoder blog.

According to Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood, here's the email Ancier sent his staff today:

This morning we will announce that I intend to step down in March as President of the U.S. portion of the company, but remain a non-executive director of BBC Worldwide America.

Together we have achieved a great deal over the past three years and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished.

BBC America is performing at an all time high. We’ve increased distribution to 65 million homes, doubled primetime ratings and established a raft of mainstream hits including Torchwood, Top Gear and Primeval. Bringing ad sales in-house has increased revenue by 39% in year one and Mark Gall and his team have doubled the channel’s advertiser base. Establishing an in-house affiliate team makes our distribution efforts stronger and is already driving the roll out of BBC America HD. As many of you know, plans are also well advanced for the launch of pre-school channel CBeebies next year.

One of my proudest achievements is the commissioning of BBC World News America. Rome Hartman and his team have done a remarkable job. WNA has become a cornerstone of BBC America’s schedule and is retransmitted throughout the world. The program upholds all that is great about BBC News, but packages it effectively for the U.S. market. In its first year it won a much- deserved Peabody Award, and this year it has received six Emmy nominations – fingers crossed for December 7!

I believe we’ve now aligned BBC America, DVD and DTO to effectively exploit content across all windows. In digital, Beth Clearfield has spearheaded important deals with Amazon, Xbox, Netflix and iTunes. BBC America is now one of the top 15 television providers on iTunes in the U.S. Next year, our digital story will get even stronger with the launch of a U.S. facing edition of BBC.com.

On the BBC Worldwide Productions front, Dancing With The Stars remains a reality juggernaut and is about to wrap its ninth season on ABC. I’m delighted Jane Tranter joined us in January to head up the U.S. production operation adding scripted production to our slate, and that our New York-based team, set up to serve the East Coast cable industry, has won several new commissions.

In Home Entertainment, Planet Earth continues to be a remarkable success for Burton Cromer and team. It is now the number one DVD documentary of all time in the U.S., selling over four million units. We look forward to the release of follow-up, Life, early next year.

The business is firing on all cylinders – and now seems a suitable time to pass the day to day running of the U.S. over to someone new. I sincerely thank all of you for your continued hard work and dedication. Without you we could not have grown the BBC brand so significantly or increased profits by 78%. I very much look forward to continuing to work with you in my new role.

A search for my replacement is underway – but in the meantime it’s business as usual!

Best regards,
Garth

--Chuck Ross

Smart and Sassy: The Brillance of (and Why We Love) Jon Stewart

The last thing you think you want to see is another video about Lou Dobbs leaving CNN.

But trust us, you DO want to see this.

It's Jon Stewart's interview with Dobbs and it's why we love Stewart: It's hysterically funny and has more substance than 10 other interviews done on the same subject. Click here to view it.

--Chuck Ross

Ka-Ching: Fox Business News Get Additional 3 Million Subs in New York Market

Cablevision subscribers in the New York metropolitan market are soon going to be seeing the Fox Business Network on their system, reports B&C.

Commencing November 19, Cablevision's 3 million households in New Jersey, Connecticut and parts of New York will have FBN appearing on channel 106.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Aaron Sorkin, the Creator of 'West Wing' and 'Sports Night' is Planning Another TV Series

Five-time Emmy-winner Aaron Sorkin, who created "West Wing," 'Sports Night' and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," is planning another TV series, according to TVGuideMagazine.com.

According to the report, Sorkin said, "It's going to be what turns out to be the third in the trilogy of TV shows that take place behind the scenes of a TV show, but this will be a different kind of TV show. That's all I can let out of the bag right now."

His shows "Sports Night" and "Studio 60" were also set behind the scenes at TV shows.

Sorkin said he hopes to collaborate with his pal and well-known TV director Tommy Schlamme on the project, as well as work with some of the actors he's worked with in the past.

--Chuck Ross

The Fan Choice Who's the Newest 'Simpsons' Character

Orange, Connecticut's Peggy Black, 52, was the big winner in "The Simpsons" create-your-own-character contest, and Latin lover Ricardo Bomba is her creation, reports the Associate Press.

Black's character was chosen from over 25,000 entries. La Bomba, as the character will affectionately be known, speaks with a Spanish accent and is irrestible, Black said:: "He's someone that all the women love and all the men want to be."

As Fox describes La Bomba, he's "a handsome, smooth-talking South American [who] works at the town's nuclear power plant by day and 'by night, works Springfield's singles scene' "

The Ricardo Bomba character makes his debut in the Jan. 31 episode on Fox.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Spot Runner Intros New Online Buying and Selling Platform (It's NOT Auction-based)

Spot Runner has announed a new online platform for buyers and sellers of commercial time on TV.

It's called  the Malibu Media Platform and is not auction-based.

Spot Runner said in the annoucement that: "The platform is based on the core tenet that media sellers preserve control over inventory, pricing and buyer relationships and buyers preserve their buying power on behalf of clients."

To read all the details put out by Spot Runner on this new service, click here.

--Chuck Ross

New Series: 'Cops' Meets 'Animal House'

A new series is coming to cable TV that could be described as "Cops" meets "Animal House."

The series is "Cops PD" and it debuts Dec. 9 at 11PM ET/PT on the G4 cable network.

The series is filmed in five college towns: Tallahassee, FL; San Marcos, TX; Cincinnati, OH; Chico, CA; and Greenville, NC.

According to the G4 announcement: " 'Campus PD' takes viewers along for the ride with officers on duty to capture firsthand all the mayhem and excitement they take on night after night when student 'fun' spirals out of control."

Dunno about you, but we're gonna invite over Bluto, Pinto, Flounder, Boon and Otter, grab ourselves a brewksi, and check out this sucker.

--Chuck Ross

Hulu's Latest Addition: Music Videos With Grammy Record of the Year Winner

Hulu, the well-know site for TV and other programming is getting into the music video arena, the New York Times' Bits blog reports.

The site has made a deal with EMI and Norah Jones, who won the Record of the Year Grammy in 2002 for "Come Away With Me," the report says.

According to the report, Andy Forssell, Hulu’s senior vice president for content and distribution, said, "said talks were continuing with the other labels and that 'my sense is that we’ll be in relationships with all of them at some point.' "

--Chuck Ross

TV Sales Strategy/Marketing Guru Hired by Clear Channel

A veteran TV sales stragegy and maketing executive has been hired by Clear Channel Outdoor,  the company has announced.

Debbie Reichig has been named Clear Channel Outdoor's Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing.

Previously Reichig had a long stint at Court TV, and was most recently Senior Vice President of Market Development at NBC Universal. She has also worked at iVillage and Comedy Central.

In the newly created position at Clear Channel Outdoor, according to the announcement, "she will be responsible for client development and marketing their brands and report to Rocky Sisson, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing of Clear Channel Outdoor."

--Chuck Ross

Tuesday Tough Night in Sweeps Ratings This Week

Tuesday night seemed a difficult night for all the networks this week, MediaDailyNews reports.

Even the best-rated shows for the night were off.

According to the report: "The bigger-rated shows on Tuesday all took it on the chin. CBS' two leaders were down: "NCIS" dropped 7% versus last week to a 4.1/ 11, a season low; and CBS' "NCIS:LA" was off 8% to a 3.4/9, also a series/season low. NBC's "The Biggest Loser" went 3% south to a 3.7/10, while ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" put its feet down 9% to a 3.2/8.

"Overall, CBS won the night among 18-49 viewers with a 3.4/9. NBC was at a 3.0/8; ABC, a 2.7/7; Fox, a 2.4/7; Univision, a 1.5/4; and the CW at a 0.9/3."

--Chuck Ross

Huge Dispute With Millions of Dollars Hanging in the Balance: Media Agencies Furious at Changes TV Stations and Nielsen Want to Make in Local TV Measurement

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) has sent a blistering letter to Nielsen Media Research decrying a planned change in the way Nielsen will measure local TV measurement, Advertising Age reports.

The dispute revolves around whether digital video recorder usage should be measured. Presently, in local TV measurement by Nielsen, many agencies base much of their price negotiation on the live TV viewing metric. This is the metric Nielsen says it will be eliminating. In the national TV ratings, by contrast, the standard has become C3, which is live viewing plus 3-days of watching shows (and commercials) recorded on DVRs.

Nielsen is planning to change its local measurement to live viewing plus same day viewing of DVRs. This move is also backed by local TV stations, since it will increase the ratings of most shows.

According to the Ad Age article, " 'If we went from live to live-plus-same-day, which is what Nielsen is proposing to replace the live stream with in prime time, [for] the first couple of weeks of the season, the ratings would go up about 13%. But we know of that 13%, 60% to 70% of it is time-skipped,' said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at [media agency holding company] GroupM. 'Our clients would be paying for program exposures that are not generating commercial exposure.'"

Scanzoni said "further action against Nielsen could be possible," according to the report.

In the letter to Nielsen, which was signed by Marc Goldstein, who is the president and North American CEO of GroupM and the chair of the 4A's Media Policy Committee, it said, in part,
"Nielsen can publish whatever new forms of data it desires. However, you must restore the "live" stream which you have elected to eliminate as a buying option for the media community. We ask that you get out of the way of the negotiating process and let buyers and sellers operate on a free market basis."

The full letter is reproduced in the Ad Age article.

--Chuck Ross

DirecTV's Malone on Potential Comcast-NBCU Deal: Regulators Will Need to Put a Check on Comcast's Market Power

John Malone, the chairman of DirecTV owner Liberty Media, says the government will need to monitor how a combined Comcast NBCU would wield its market power, according to the Wall Street Journal. (NOTE: The Journal's content is behind a paid firewall.)

According to the WSJ, when asked by a reporter about a possible Comcast acquisition of NBC Universal, Malone said "If regulators don't control costs and the market power of a content owner, then basically the other players in the industry have to play the same game."

Thus, the WSJ wrote,  "DirecTV would look at 'horizontal or vertical acquisitions' [in Malone's words] such as programming to counter anything Comcast may do."

--Chuck Ross

3D TV a Pillar of Sony's Plan for Profitablity

Sony Corp. sees 3D TV sets, 3D Blu-ray players, and Playstations that are 3D capable as a major part of its strategy to climb back to profitability, theAssociated Press reports.

For its current fiscal year, which ends in March, Sony is projecting a loss of a billion dollars. A key to making it back to profitability, the company said, is its products that revolve around TV.

According to the article, " 'We see 3-D as a pillar of our strategy,' said Hiroshi Yoshioka, a senior Sony executive, stressing that the whole company was rallying around 3-D. 'We are all getting geared up on this theme.'

--Chuck Ross

NBC Orders Restaurateur Competition Show

NBC has ordered a culinary competition series tentatively titled "United Plates of America," in which the grand-prize winner will be given the chance to launch a chain of four restaurants, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  

In the show, from "Top Chef" producers Magical Elves, contestants will demonstrate their strengths in such areas as restaurant concept, menu and marketability and management before a panel of wealthy investors from the cooking and business worlds.

The winner gets a restaurant chain that opens in four U.S. locations the night of the season finale.

--Tom Gilbert

Heather Locklear Fails to Improve New ‘Melrose’ Ratings

Even the return of Heather Locklear wasn’t able to greatly improve the ratings of the CW remake of “Melrose Place,” The New York Times reports.

The show’s largest audience in six weeks tuned in on Tuesday, according to Nielsen estimates, but it was just 1.5 million viewers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Bill Maher Will Continue to Talk on HBO for Another Year

HBO renewed the political talk show "Real Time With Bill Maher" for an eighth season, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The Friday night show will start a new season on Feb. 19 with an earlier time slot, at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Meredith Wagner Leaving Lifetime After More Than Two Decades

Meredith Wagner, who spent 22 years at Lifetime in its communications and public affairs department, will be leaving at the end of the year, Multichannel News reports.

Wagner, Lifetime Networks' executive VP of communications, public affairs and advocacy, is leaving in the wake of the network group’s acquisition by A&E Television Networks.

In an email to Multichannel, she wrote: "This, as you can imagine, is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make and certainly puts all my angst-ing over the six inch stilettos vs the four inch pumps at the Barney's shoe sale WAY in perspective."

She said she hasn’t decided what’s next career-wise.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Soft Drink Executive to Run DirecTV

Satellite TV service DirecTV tapped a soft drink executive as its new president and CEO, Variety reports.

Michael White, who announced in September that he planned to retire at the end of the year as CEO of PepsiCo International and vice chairman of PepsiCo, will start at the satellite company Jan. 1.

He replaces Chase Carey, who left in July to return to News Corp.

White’s appointment surprised some, Variety said, given that PepsiCo is more bureaucratic than the entrepreneurial DirecTV, but others pointed to his strong consumer marketing background.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Another ‘Wife Swap’ Couple in Trouble With the Law

The Heenes, who perpetrated the recent runaway balloon hoax, aren’t the only former “Wife Swap” participants in trouble with the law, the Associated Press reports.

Ralph and Karen Guastaferro, an Amerst, N.Y., couple whose lavish lifestyle was featured on the program in 2008, pled guilty to federal charges of hiding money from the government.

He faces up to nearly five years in prison for money laundering related to a Canadian telemarketing scheme and his wife could serve up to 16 months for paying employees off the books.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Turner Broadcasting’s Acquisitions Chief is Leaving

Jonathan Katz, who has been in Turner Broadcasting's acquisitions group since 2000, is leaving the company, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Katz’ title was senior VP-general manager of program planning and acquisitions. During his tenure, TNT and TBS acquired such series as “Cold Case,” “Without a Trace,” “The Office” and “My Name is Earl.” They also picked up movies including “The Dark Knight.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Brooke Shields Guesting on ABC Sitcom

Actress Brooke Shields, who starred in NBC's "Lipstick Jungle" last season, will appear on ABC's new sitcom "The Middle" in early 2010, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Instead of a glamourous movie mogul, this time out Shields is playing Patricia Heaton's arch-enemy on the street, a single mother of four rowdy boys.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'American Idol' Star Admits He Was Never in the Closet

Last year's runner-up to the winner on "American Idol" wants the world to know that he is gay but he was never in the closet, according to MTV News.

Citing an interview with Adam Lambert in Out magazine, MTV says that Lambert has been accused of letting the public think he was straight -- or bisexual -- while competing on the Fox show last season.

"There was never any deliberate, like, 'I'm going to hint now...' because I was never in the closet," he said. Lambert's first solo CD since the show came to an end, "For Your Entertainment,"  will be released next week.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Former NBC Comedy Star Headed Back to TV in George Clooney Series

The former star of a NBC comedy series has been cast as the lead in TNT’s “Delta Blues,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Jason Lee of NBC’s "My Name Is Earl" will play a Memphis police office who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator in the hourlong drama, which is executive-produced by George Clooney.


--Elizabeth Jensen
 

NBC Moves 2010 Primetime Emmys to Earlier Date

In order to avoid any conflicts with its NFL Sunday Night Football regular season schedule, which kicks off in September, NBC is moving the telecast of the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards to Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010,  reports B&C.

The Emmycast was originally scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20.

NBC did the same thing in 2006, slotting the Emmys for Aug. 27 instead of usual mid-to-late September date.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Palin Interview a Ratings Best for 'Oprah'; See a Clip

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" earned its best ratings in two years thanks to the one-on-one interview with ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Monday, reports B&C.

A clip of the interview can be seen here.

Winfrey's hour earned a 7.2 rating/18 share in Nielsen's weighted-metered-market average for all showings. Last year at the same time, "Oprah" was averaging a 5.3/13.

-- Allison J. Waldman

MTV Vet to Direct Oscar Telecast

Hamish Hamilton, best known for directing the MTV Video Music Awards and TV specials for Neil Diamond, U2 and Stevie Wonder, has been tapped to direct the March 7, 2010, telecast of the 82nd Academy Awards, reports Associated Press.

This will be Hamilton's first crack at the Oscars, and comes just a month after he's scheduled to direct the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Community' Star Gets Comedy Central Show

The British comedian who appears as a correspondent on "Daily Show" and plays a professor on NBC's "Community" is getting his own show on Comedy Central, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show," will begin filming in January, with Oliver as host of six episodes. Each show will spotlight four comics, including some of Oliver's favorites, like Janeane Garofalo, Brian Posehn and Marc Maron.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Bright House Expands With IMD Foreign-Language Channels in Orlando

Central Florida cable company Bright House Networks has expanded services, offering Orlando digital cable subscribers10 foreign-language pay channels from International Media Distribution, reports Multichannel News.

Bright House will offer French, German, Italian, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese and Arabic channels, among others, starting Thursday. Prices for the channels range from $9.99 to $24.99 per month.

-- Allison J. Waldman

NY Times Media Desk Could Be Subject of HBO Documentary

Filmmaker Andrew Rossi (“Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven”) has been tailing some New York Times media reporters for a possible documentary, the New York Observer reports.

Rossi, who has a development deal with HBO, said he’s interested in how the media reporters’ focus on the bad news roiling the business could have a “negative psychic effect.”

“He watches me edit, watches me write, watches me write e-mails, watches me tweet, watches me do interviews,” TV reporter Brian Stelter told the Observer. “There are some days that are going to be more exciting.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

New Hasbro-Discovery Kids Channel Staffs Up

The Discovery Communications-Hasbro kids TV channel hired four top staffers in advance of its launch, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Amber Fredman-Tarshis, from Victoria’s Secret, was named chief marketing officer; Dan Pimentel, a Discovery executive, was named chief financial officer; Brooke Goldstein, from Mediacom Communications, was named senior VP of ad sales; and Lorrie Copeland, a Hasbro executive, was named senior VP of consumer insights and research.

The network is scheduled to launch late next year.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Film Producer Graham King Expands to Television

British producer-financier Graham King ("The Departed") is expanding his GK Films into the television business and has recruited Craig Cegielski from Lionsgate TV to head up the new GK-TV division, Variety reports.

As with its film business, the TV unit will look for programs that have a strong possibility of international co-production and financing.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Canceled NBC Series From Canada Lives on Up North

“The Listener,” a Canadian series that NBC ran on Thursdays this summer before canceling it due to low ratings, is doing well in its home market and has been picked up for a second season, Variety reports.

The show about a telepathic paramedic airs on the CTV network and its sister cable network Space. Fox Intl. Channels carries the show internationally.

The producers will eventually look for a new U.S. home.

--Elizabeth Jensen

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011515.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 

Attention TV Stations and Cable Operators: Another Reminder That the Future, With its Changing Business Models, is Closer Than You Think

Technology marches on, reminding us once again that we need to adopt our business models along with these changes.

Netflix, which has 17,000 titles on demand, has now gone live on Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-Ray players, Multichannel News reports. That means Netfiix titles can be streamed directly by consumers on these devices.

Netflix, which has over 10 million subscribers, is also available on LG TVs and Blu-ray players, but the Sony deal represents a major breakthrough because of the popularity of its products.

Furthermore, Netflix, which has been available on Microsoft's X-Box 360, is also now available on Sony's hughly popular Playstation 3. Right now Playstation 3 owners will need to insert a special disc into those machines to get Netflix over the Internet, but a firmware solution is promised for next year.

The article notes that Netflix's "content partners include Starz Entertainment, MTV Networks and ABC and Disney Channel."

--Chuck Rossa

Ergen Relinquishes President-CEO Title at EchoStar

Charlie Ergen has stepped down from his role as chief executive of EchoStar Corp. and named Michael Dugan as his replacement, Reuters reports.

Dugan, who is a senior advisor and an EchoStar board member, will now be president and CEO.

Ergen remains as EchoStar chairman, a role he also holds at Dish Network.

--Tom Gilbert

Vivendi Holding Out for More Money for its NBCU Stake

Vivendi wants more than General Electric is offering for its 20 percent stake in NBC Universal, reports The New York Times DealBook, citing a Wall Street Journal report.

G.E. needs to acquire the stake before it can conclude its deal to sell Comcast a majority stake in NBCU.

DealBook added Vivendi also wants G.E. to acquire at least part of the NBCU stake before the likely close of any Comcast deal, which would protect it should the Comcast deal fall apart.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox News Gets Obama Interview, Perhaps Signaling Thaw

President Barack Obama gave an interview to Fox News Channel's Major Garrett in Beijing, perhaps signaling an end to the hostilities between the network and the administration, the Associated Press reports.

The interview was one of a number of interviews the president gave to TV correspondents traveling with him on his Asia trip.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Cable Network Not Known for Movies Acquires Rights to Jackson's 'This Is It'

Exclusive U.S. TV rights to “This Is It,” the Sony film culled from rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson’s planned comeback concerts before his untimely death, have gone to MTV, reports The New York Times.

The company has the rights for six years beginning in 2011, and can show the film on MTV, as well as all its sister networks, including VH1 and BET.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Balloon Boy Family Tapes ABC Interview

Balloon Boy parents Richard and Mayumi Heene and their family taped an interview in New York with ABC, in advance of sentencing for last month’s runaway balloon hoax, TV Newser reports.

ABC producers took the family to dinner. It’s unclear when the interview might air.

--Elizabeth Jensen

New Legislation Calls for Satellite Carriage of Local TV Service

Satellite carriers EchoStar and DirecTV would have to offer local TV station service to all 210 markets under legislation being prepared by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), B&C reports.

The Senator is preparing to submit an amendment to the Senate Commerce Committee version of the satellite reauthorization bill. A House version of new local carriage legislation would make the move voluntary, if EchoStar wants to re-enter the distant-signal business.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Former Vanity Fair Cover Girl--and 'Life on Mars' Star--Gets Role in New HBO Series

One of the actresses from last season’s ABC show “Life on Mars” has been cast in HBO’s new drama series “Boardwalk Empire,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Gretchen Mol will play a showgirl in the 1920s-era series, which is written by Terence Winter and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

Mol appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair back in 1998, as the magazine touted her as the next big breakthrough actress.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Report: Diversity in Writers Rooms Remains Elusive

Increased diversity in Hollywood writers’ rooms remains elusive, according to a new report from the WGA West, Variety reports.

The 2009 Hollywood Writers Report, written by UCLA professor Darnell Hunt, finds that employment and earnings for women and minority writers has shown "little if any" improvement.

Female writers make up 28 percent of the television ranks and 18 percent in features, while just 6 percent of writers are minorities, the same as it has been since 1999.

--Elizabeth Jensen


 

thePlatform Wants to Become the TV Everywhere Solution for TV Programmers

thePlatform wants to become the de facto backend management video system for the Web sites of TV programmers, the company has announced.

Asking the question "How do content owners thrive in a TV Everywhere world?" thePlatform thinks it has the answer.

Basically the company says its solution "will enable programming networks to provide TV Everywhere capabilities on their own Web sites while preserving their financial and content rights arrangements with TV service providers."

thePlatform is a subsidiary of cable giant Comcast.

--Chuck Ross

MTV Reality Star Tila Tequila Sues San Diego Charger for Assault, Battery and False Imprisonment

Tila Tequila has filed suit against her ex-boyfriend for for assault, battery, false imprisonment and emotional distress, TMZ.com is reporting.

The ex-boyfriend she's sued is San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman.

The district attorney for San Diego Counrty declined to press charges against Merriman, TMZ says.

According to the New York Daily News' account of the story, "She said Merriman also humiliated her because of her bisexuality, which she exploited as the object of desire for both sexes on MTV's "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila."

--Chuck Ross

Former Sitcom Star to Return in A&E Series

A former sitcom star and TV host is returning with a new A&E Network documentary series slated to air in 2010.

"Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos" star Bob Saget will star in the show, tentatively called “Bob Saget’s Strange Days.” The series, which will consist of seven one-hour episodes, will follow Saget as he explores some of this country's most interesting and unknown communities.

“The show will reveal hidden corners of the real America and the real Bob Saget, who is even funnier and more relatable when just being himself than any other role he’s ever played,” explained Robert Sharenow, senior VP of nonfiction and alternative programming at A&E.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Plagiarism Charges Against Elisabeth Hasselbeck Tossed

A federal judge in Massachusetts dismissed a lawsuit that had accused “The View” panelist Elisabeth Hasselbeck of plagiarism, the Associated Press reports.

A self-published Cape Cod author, Susan Hassett, accused Hasselbeck of taking material from a book she wrote, to use in Hasselbeck’s best-selling "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide." Hasselbeck denied it.

The case was dismissed last week after Hassett’s attorney declined to pursue it. Attorney Richard Cunha told the AP that he still believes some plagiarism occurred but he isn’t sure it is serious enough for his client to recover damages.

--Elizabeth Jensen

AOL Spins Off on Its Own Dec. 10

Time Warner and AOL will officially separate Dec. 10, when AOL will begin trading under its own stock symbol, according to Forbes.com.

Forbes quotes All Things Digital's Peter Kafka, who says that AOL's once-lucrative subscription business is "'withering away," that its advertising revenue has been dropping almost two years and the money from a Google search deal is also waning.

Forbes speculates that the hire of Tim Armstrong as AOL CEO could be the decisive factor in the future of the service.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Fox Stations Renew 'Wendy Williams' Through 2011-12

Debmar-Mercury's syndicated talker "The Wendy Williams Show" has been renewed by Fox TV Stations in markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas through the 2011-12 season.

"The Wendy Williams Show," which debuted in July, was up in the Nielsen ratings 43% in households its second eight weeks on the air and 43% among women 18-34, the distributor said. 

“We are extremely gratified by Fox’s faith in Wendy,” Debmar-Mercury co-president Mort Marcus said in a statement. “Her substantial growth in the key ratings demos, which stations care about the most, has quickly put her program within striking distance of many of today’s most established and successful talk shows.”

-- Allison J. Waldman

Two Join NBC Universal Integrated Sales Marketing Team

Eileen Kiernan and Sandra Cordova Micek have joined NBC Universal’s Integrated Sales Marketing team as VP of Green is Universal and Healthy at NBCU and VP of Women at NBCU, respectively.

Their function is to oversee NBCU's media deals across different platforms. Kiernan, whose background was with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Micek, who was at Yahoo!, will report to Maryam Banikarim, senior VP of integrated sales marketing at NBC Universal.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Husband to Guest on Episode of Wife's Series

The NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" will have a special guest star in early 2010, reports Michael Ausiello at EW.com: star Amy Poehler's husband, actor Will Arnett.

Arnett, who was part of the cast of the Fox sitcom "Arrested Development," will appear as a potential suitor for Poehler 's hyper-political, small-town character on "Parks and Recreation."

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Friends' Star Doubts There'll Be a Reunion

The rumors will not die, but at least one star from NBC's classic comedy "Friends" has serious doubts that there is going to be a series reunion any time soon.

According to Us Weekly, Lisa Kudrow was at an event in L.A. over the weekend and stated that while a reunion would be nice, the principals are too busy to fit a "Friends" TV movie into their schedules.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Comedy Central Finds Its New Programming Head

Comedy Central is in talks to have former New Line executive Kent Alterman head up programming, Variety reports.

Alterman, who directed Will Ferrell in “Semi-Pro,” was Comedy Central’s head of East Coast development before he joined New Line in 2001 as executive VP of production. He would replace Lauren Corrao.

--Elizabeth Jensen

NBC.com Tries Its Hand at VoIP

NBC.com is getting in the Internet phone business, with a free voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application, B&C reports.

The free application is called Communicator, and will offer unlimited calls and text messages, as well as a way for fans to connect with some NBC programs.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Lou Dobbs' Accusation Against CNN and How Much the Network Paid Him When He Left

Lou Dobbs appeared on Bill O'Reilly's popular show on the Fox News Network on Monday, and told why he thought he fell out of favor at CNN, where he quit last week.

According to the New York Post, O'Reilly was told by Dobbs that the only difference between the kind of journalism he was practicing on CNN over the past few years was the election of Barack Obama.

Dobbs went on to say about  Obama being elected president, "I don't know whether that was the distinction that triggered any sort of response or a difference in perspective on the part of CNN's management, but it is the only difference between the way I was conducting myself under this administration and the previous administration."

Previously, the Post had reported that in leaving CNN Dobbs gave up about $9 million on his contract. The Post then ran a story on Monday that CNN was so eager to have Dobbs leave that they gave him a severance package worth $8 million.

--Chuck Ross 

Guess How Much Money Farah Fawcett Left Pals Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart

RadarOnline.com has obtained a copy of the late Farah Fawcett's will.

The will says that $4.5 million will be left to her son Redmond Fawcett O'Neal, the only child the former Charlie's Angel had.

Redmond's father, Fawcett's longtime pal and lover Ryan O'Neal, was not mentioned in the will. Neither was Alana Stewart, who helped Fawcett film a documentary about her illness.

Fawcett did leave $100,000 to Greg Lott, a former ex-con who was also a former college boyfriend of the actress. Lott claimed that he and Fawcett had reconnected and that he was her secret lover toward the end of her life before O'Neal stopped her from seeing him.

--Chuck Ross

Another Syndicated ‘Oprah’ Spin-Off Headed to the Daytime Market

Sony Pictures Television and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions are prepping yet another syndicated daytime spin-off of one of her regulars, B&C reports.

Interior designer Nate Berkus, a regular on Oprah’s own show, is being readied for a fall 2010 rollout, sources said, following this fall’s successful launch of “Dr. Oz,” who was another frequent Oprah guest.

--Elizabeth Jensen

MTV’s Pioneering Game Show Host Dead

The comedian who put MTV in the game show business back in 1987 died over the weekend, the New York Times reports.

Ken Ober, the sarcastic, obsessive host of the network’s “Remote Control,” passed away of unknown causes in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 52.

“Remote Control,” which broke the network out of purely musical content, was notable for its fake basement set where contestants were quizzed on television, music video and pop culture trivia.

--Elizabeth Jensen

'Sopranos' Star Returning to Series TV

A star of HBO's "The Sopranos” is headed back to series television, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Lorraine Bracco has signed on to a role in TNT’s drama pilot, "Rizzoli," where she’ll play the mother of the crime-solving police detective of the same name (played by Angie Harmon.)

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS to Shuffle Sunday Night Schedule

CBS is going to switch some of its Sunday programs around this coming week, to see if it can give a boost to a new show, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The new “Three Rivers,” which has been airing at 9 p.m., will switch with the 10 p.m. “Cold Case,” to see if both can improve their numbers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

NBC Olympics Sales Lagging

NBC’s Vancouver Olympics inventory isn’t sold out, with fewer than 90 days before the event, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Agency estimates are that NBC has about one-third of its avails which still must be sold if sales are to be wrapped before the games begin. By comparison, in late November 2006, the network’s Torino coverage was about 85 percent sold, but that was at a time when the economy was growing.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Second Top Murdoch Adviser Leaves News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch lost another top adviser after the summer departure of News Corp. president Peter Chernin, the New York Times reports.

Executive vice president Gary Ginsberg, who oversaw the company’s communications, investor relations, marketing and corporate responsibility, and played an equally important role as liaison between the conservative Murdoch and the Democratic Party, is stepping down after 11 years.

He’ll leave at the end of the year, and didn’t say what he planned to do. Murdoch called him “one of my most trusted and effective executives over the past decade.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Former WB Entertainment President David Janollari in Talks to Jump to Cable

David Janollari, the former president of entertainment at The WB, is in talks to join a cable network, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Janollari, most recently an independent producer, is in talks to join MTV as senior VP of West Coast development, sources said. MTV had no comment.

--Elizabeth Jensen

AMC’s ‘The Prisoner’ Opens Strong

AMC's remake of "The Prisoner" brought in 2.2 million viewers on its first night, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The Sunday night debut came close to the 2.3 million who tuned in to last week’s “Mad Men” finale.

--Elizabeth Jensen

PETA Unhappy With ‘Sesame Street’ Egg Sponsorship

“Sesame Street” has taken on The American Egg Board as a corporate sponsor and that has People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals unhappy, B&C reports.

The corporate spots promote the Egg Board’s Good Egg Project, which PETA says misleads children into believing eggs are wholesome. PETA contends in an online campaign that eggs “are linked to multiple serious health problems” and “the egg industry horribly abuses animals.”

Sesame Workshop, the show’s parent, said that it isn’t endorsing the board by taking the sponsorship money.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Palin on Couric (Disparagingly): 'There's the perky one, with the mircrophone, with the questions.' Like a bullet Oprah shot back, 'You're pretty perky, too.' After Much Anticipation, It Aired Today: Oprah's Interview with Sarah Palin

Besides that exchange about Palin's now infamous interview with CBS's Katie Couric during the 2008 campaign, Palin also told Oprah that  a run for the White House is not currently on Palin's  radar screen, Reuters reports.

But Palin clearly left the door open for a presidential bid by also saying that "I don't know what I'm going to be doing in 2012."

Back to the subject of Katie Couric,  according to the report, "Palin said Couric's questions during their series of interviews during the campaign -- which critics said exposed Palin's lack of intellectual depth -- had "annoyed" her and therefore left the perception she was 'unqualified.'

'I thought she was asking about this Neanderthal tribe up there in Alaska,' Palin said of Couric's questions about which newspapers and magazines she regularly read." In the Couric interview Palin never said specifically which ones she did read.

--Chuck Ross

Heidi and Spencer Want Their Own Show

If Heidi and Spencer Pratt have their way, the reality TV couple will spread out from MTV's "The Hills" into their own series, reports the Associated Press.

The Pratts are hoping to create an unscripted show that would focus on the two of them and more of their personal life, including live segments. The duo are currently promoting a new book called, "How to be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press, and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture."

-- Allison J. Waldman

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ESPN Football Analyst Extends Deal

The color commentator on ESPN's "Monday Night Football," has recommitted to the network, squelching any questions that he might return to coaching, reports B&C.

The commentator, Jon Gruden, who took the Tampa Bay  Buccaneers to victory in the Super Bowl in 2003, has taken on more work from ESPN, as well as extending his contract for multiple years.

Besides his chores on "Monday Night Football,"  he will participate in coverage of the NFL Draft, the week-long Super Bowl coverage, the NFL Pro Bowl on January 31, 2010, and even ESPN radio gigs, like the 2010 Rose Bowl and BCS title game.

-- Allison J. Waldman

USA Network Gets Raw Deal (Again)

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has wrapped up a renewal deal with USA Network that will keep WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW on the network schedule through 2014. The program has been with USA for 16 years and both sides were happy to extend the agreement, the companies have announced

Bonnie Hammer, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions, said, "I couldn't be happier about continuing one of the most successful collaborations in television history."

Vince McMahon, the chairmand and CEO of WWE, said, "I am thrilled to have a long term deal with USA Network. USA Network is a true partner and not just a network that distributes WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW."

-- Allison J. Waldman

Sunday Night Was a Good One, Ratings-wise

Even with NBC presenting a much anticipated football game that lived up to its nailbiting billing, Fox, ABC and CBS also had strong showings in the ratngs, according to The Hollywood Reporter'sLive Feed.

NBC, with the Sunday night pro-football matchup of the Indianapolis Colts vs. the New England Patriots, won the night with a 7.5 preliminary rating in the adult 18-49 demo.

CBS's normally ratings-challenged "Three Rivers" was up 11%, earning a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating.

Before "Three Rivers," "Amazing Race" had a 3.2 rating , and after it, "Cold Case" earned a 2.1. The latter number was the best for "Cold Case since early October.

ABC's three hours were also up; "Extreme Makeover" had a 20% bump, to 3.6; "Desperate Housewives" was up to 4.9, and "Brothers & Sisters" was up 10% from the previous week with a 3.2.

Fox's animation domination had a good night with "The Simpsons" getting a 4.2, "Cleveland Show" a 3.3, "Family Guy" a 4.1 and "American Dad" a 2.9.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Univision in Major Deal With Online Service

Univision Communications, which includes Univision, TeleFutura and the Galavision cable network, has made a major deal to bring full-length programming to the Internet's biggest video site, Reuters reports.

The deal, with YouTube.com, is a revenue sharing arrangement, with the majority of the revenues going to Univision, the report says. Revenue will come from ads.

YouTube has done other content deals with other media companies such as the Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner, but the article points out that one of the provisions that makes the Univision deal different is that it will feature full-length content along with shorter programming. 

Univision it TV's leading Spanish-language programmer, and YouTube said there was a "huge demand" for Spanish-language programming on its site, Reuters reported.

--Chuck Ross

Star of 'The Equalizer' Dies

The star of "The Equalizer," which was on CBS from the mid-to-the-late 1980s, has died, the U.K. publication The Mirror reports.

British actor Edward Woodward was 79 when he passed away this past weekend. Woodward had been hospitalized and was suffering from a variety of illnesses, including pneumonia. On the big screen, Woodward was a major star in "Breaker Morant" and "The Wicker Man."

In "The Equalizer" Woodward played former secret agent Robert McCall. Woodward won a Golden Globe Best Actor Award in 1987 for playing the part.

-- Allison J. Waldman

TV Station Group Behind Revival of Syndicated Court Show

One of the many judges who've had a TV show will be back in business next fall thanks to the backing of a major TV group, B&C reports.

It's Judge Karen, whose show was canceled last year when Sony exited the court-show business. But the Sinclair Braodcast Group had wanted the show to continue, so it shopped the program to other syndicators, B&C reports.

Thus the revitalized "Judge Karen's Court" from Litton Entertainment.

"Sinclair also has renewed Litton's rookie "Street Court" for a second year, as well as Warner Bros.' "Judge Jeanine Pirro," the report says.

Other station groups are expected to sign up for "Judge Karen's Court" as well, Litton President and CEO Dave Morgan told B&C.

Judge Karen is Judge Karen Mills-Francis.

--Chuck Ross

George Segal Returning to Sitcom TV

Film and TV star George Segal, who starred for seven years on NBC's "Just Shoot Me," is heading back to series TV.

He'll be in a new sitcom called "Retired at 35," TVLand announced. As previously reported, the show is TV Land's first foray into scripted TV.

According to TVLand, the show "follows a successful businessman who decides to leave the rat race of New York City behind and move into his parents’ Florida retirement home to reconnect with them, reevaluate his life and live the dream of retirement that so many are working towards. Segal will play the role of the father, who bonds with his son while showing him the glories of his newfound and liberated lifestyle."

-- Allison J. Waldman

Ashleigh Banfield's Latest Move

Newsperson Ashleigh Banfield will have a new network in the new year, according to TV Newser.

The former MSNBC anchor and war correspondent will be joining ABC News for "potential news projects down the road," the article said.

Banfield's last day at truTV, where's she's been for the past four years, was Friday, Nov. 13th. Banfield was among 65 people let go at truTV.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Hasbro Puts ‘My Little Pony’ on Development Track for its New Channel with Discovery

Hasbro’s “My Little Pony" has been put into development for a TV series for the new Hasbro-Discovery kids TV channel, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The brand got top pick among potential Hasbro properties after a one-hour special "My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure" performed well on the Disney Channel on Nov. 6.

--Elizabeth Jensen

New Competitor to Cable TV and Satellite Debuts in L.A. Monday, Nov. 16

A new TV service debuts in Los Angeles today, eventually  hoping to become an alternative to programming distributed by cable and satellite providers.

It's called Sezmi, and snares programming through over-the-air signals (including cable channels that it gets by leasing spectrum from local broadcasters) and the Internet.

According to a story at Technologizer, "Sezmi’s lineup of cable channels isn’t as expansive as a higher-tier package on cable or satellite, but it’s got Animal Planet, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, MSNBC, MTV, Nickelodeon, Oxygen, SyFy, TBS, TCM, TLC, TNT, VH1, and more. The most notable omissions are sports channels–I don’t see ESPN or others in the lineup–and premium movie channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax. But Sezmi does offer a store that sells and rents movies and TV shows from a library of thousands of titles (powered in part by Roxio’s Cinemanow). You also get access to Internet video such as YouTube and podcasts."

Sezmi charges between $5 and $25 a month.

You can also read more about the service in stories from the Los Angeles Times and Paid Content.

--Chuck Ross

Tribune Wants Until March 31 to Craft Bankruptcy Plan

Tribune Co. on Friday asked a bankruptcy court judge to give it until March 31 to work out its plan to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings before other parties can weigh in, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The move, the paper said, is a sign that the reorganization efforts are being slowed by infighting among the various creditors. Management previously had only until the end of this month to work out its own plan before the creditors would be allowed to put forth options.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Vivendi Purchase May Portend Sale of NBCU Stake

Vivendi SA won a bidding war for Brazil’s GVT (Holding) SA late last week, which one analyst said is a “clear signal” the company is planning to sell its 20 percent stake in NBC Universal, in order to pay for the new acquisition, Bloomberg reports.

The window for Vivendi to sell its stake opened Sunday. A sale would pave the way for Comcast to take a controlling stake in NBC U.

--Elizabeth Jensen

'Douche' Writers Get Creative in Skirting Network Language Restrictions

The broadcast networks are getting increasingly creative in their prime-time language in an effort to keep viewers hooked and yet not run afoul of FCC profanity restrictions, the New York Times reports.

A favorite word this fall has been “douche,” the paper reported, which popped up 76 times this year on 26 series.

--Elizabeth Jensen

FX Grabs ‘2012’ Rights for 2012

FX apparently saw the potential in the end-days film “2012,” grabbing the TV rights in advance of the movie’s $225 million opening weekend, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The Sony film will air on the basic cable network in 2012. Given a standard license fee of about 12 percent of the domestic box office and if the movie continues its box office blowout, FX could end up paying as much as $24 million, THR calculates.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Longtime N.Y. Times TV Critic John J. O’Connor Dead at 76

John J. O’Connor, a New York Times television critic for more than 25 years, died Friday of lung cancer, the New York Times reports.

He was 76, and had been retired since 1997.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Sitcom Veteran Back at NBC Developing a Comedy

A “Seinfeld” alum  is back at NBC, where he has a semi-scripted comedy in development, Variety reports.

The project from writer and director Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Borat”) is set in a small town, and revolves around a group of sci-fi fanboys who decide to make their own version of a canceled TV show.

Warner Bros. TV said the project will be shot for series consideration, in what they are calling a “prototype.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

TBS’ ‘Meet the Browns’ Headed to First-Run Syndication

The Tyler Perry TBS sitcom "Meet the Browns" is headed to first-run syndication in the fall, after clearing stations covering 70 percent of the country, Variety reports.

Creative syndicator Debmar-Mercury, the company which has helped craft the Tyler Perry deals with TBS, has sold the show to the Fox-owned stations in New York, Dallas, Houston and Washington, D.C., the article says.

Furthermore, according to the report, "In addition to 'Meet the Browns,' Debmar is poised to launch two more series that will bow on cable and, if successful, move quickly into firstrun: 'Are We There Yet,' featuring Ice Cube, for TBS; and an untitled project starring Jon Heder that will bow on Comedy Central."

 --Elizabeth Jensen and Chuck Ross

‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ Author Outs Herself

Anonymous ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ author Belle de Jour decided to reveal her true identity, after worrying that an ex-boyfriend would do it for her, the Associated Press reports.

Brooke Magnanti, the 34-year-old woman whose blog became the foundation for the Showtime series, turns out to be a child health researcher at Britain’s University of Bristol. According to Britain’s Sunday Times, she worked as an escort for more than a year in 2003 while finishing her Ph.D. On her blog, she took the identity of a legal secretary.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Local Stations Drop Call Letters When Branding Online

Local stations are scrapping their on-air call letters and network IDs when picking their online brands, B&C reports.

The change has worked well for WCWJ, the Jacksonville, Fla., CW affiliate, which dropped MyCW17.com for YourJax.com and saw a huge spike in traffic and revenue.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Comcast Sets December Launch for Its On Demand Online

Comcast’s On Demand Online service will launch sometime before Dec. 12, Multichannel News reports.

More than 15 million of the company’s broadband and video customers will be able to access the Web-video service from as many as three computers, including a laptop, per user.

The service has been in test-mode in 5,000 homes since July.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Fringe’ Going Viral This Week

Fox is launching a major viral marketing campaign for its sci-fi series “Fringe,” Variety reports.

The campaign is tied to the upcoming Thursday episode, which introduces mysterious bald white men who are observing the show’s developments.

The show has been lagging a bit in recent weeks against tough competition.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Report: Dobbs, Irked by 'Birther' Order, Walked Away From $9 Million

When Lou Dobbs abruptly ended his employment at CNN during Wednesday's broadcast of his show, he walked away from a $9 million balance on his contract, which still had a year and a half to go, reports the New York Post.

While Dobbs has not revealed why he bolted, sources told the Post that his issue with the network dates back to July, when CNN President Jonathan Klein sent a memo to Dobbs' staff to stop reporting "birther" stories about doubts that President Barack Obama was born in the U.S.

-- Allison J. Waldman

O'Reilly Gets First Dobbs Interview

The first interview with Lou Dobbs since his resignation from CNN will be on "The O'Reilly Factor," according to Hal Boedeker in the Orlando Sentinel.

O'Reilly will talk to Dobbs about his quitting CNN Wednesday evening and his plans for the future. The interview will air Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox News Channel.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Balloon Boy's Parents Plead Guilty to Hoax

Richard and Mayumi Heene, the Colorado couple accused of pulling a spectacular hoax by reporting their son was aboard a runaway balloon, have both pleaded guilty to the charges, reports the Associated Press.

As expected, Richard Heene confessed that he knowingly and falsely influenced the Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden, a felony. Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to filing a false report, a misdemeanor.

The Colorado authorities are seeking jail time for the couple, but that's up to Judge Stephen Schapanski. Sentencing is set for Dec. 23.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ESPN and Cleveland's WJW-TV Team Up for Browns Game

The Cleveland Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night will air locally on Cleveland's Fox station, WJW-TV, thanks to contributions from the station, Bud Light and ESPN, reports B&C.

Since the game was not a sell-out, it was to have been blacked out locally. But Bud Light joined with ESPN and WJW to buy up the remaining tickets, which will be donated to the USO and other charities, so the game will now be seen in the local area as well as nationally.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' Stays Strong on Thursday

ABC continued its strong ratings in the 9 p.m. hour on Thursday thanks to "Grey's Anatomy," which won the night among viewers 18-49 with a 5.4 rating and a 13 share, B&C reports.

That bested CBS' episode of "CSI" -- the last of the trilogy crossover featuring Laurence Fishburne -- which drews a 4.0/10 in the 18-49 demo.

On NBC, "The Office" (4.0/10) competed strongly with "CSI" for the first half-hour, but "30 Rock" dipped to a 2.9/7. "Fringe" on Fox earned a 2.2/5, and the CW's "Supernatura"l brought up the rear with a 1.3/3.

This makes eight straight weeks that "Grey's" has been the No. 1 non-sports broadcast among viewers 18-49.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Jon & Kate' Timeslot Goes to the 'Cake Boss'

TLC has decided to move "Cake Boss" into the timeslot previously held by "Jon and Kate Plus 8," reports the New York Post.

Currently in season two, "Cake Boss," about Buddy Valastro, the owner a bakery in Hoboken, N.J., that creates elaborate cakes, will air Mondays at 9 p.m. starting Nov. 30. The show draws over 2 million viewers per episode, the cable net said.  

-- Allison J. Waldman

TBS's 'The Very Funny Show' Sets Nov. 19 Debut

"The Very Funny Show," a new late-night comedy series on TBS hosted by comic Tim Meadows, will debut with back-to-back episodes Nov. 19 at 12 a.m. following "Lopez Tonight.".

The 30-minute episodes will feature hot young comics doing stand-up and sharing stories about life on the road as a comedian. Appearing on the series will be John Roy, Henry Cho, Nick Thune, Rocky LaPorte and Al Madrigal, among others.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Discovery to Probe JFK Assassination on Anniversary

Two new Discovery programs will delve into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "Did the Mob Kill JFK?" and "JFK: The Ruby Connection."

Both shows will air on the anniversary of JFK's death, Nov. 22, from 8-10 p.m. The programs include never-before-aired information, the network says.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Comcast’s Roberts Saw Content as Road to the Top

Comcast’s Brian Roberts will jump to the ranks of the media industry elite if his deal for NBC Universal goes through, the New York Times reports, in an analysis of how the 50-year-old worked his way to the top.

The Times details Roberts’ patient piecing-together of assets to control both the distribution and production of content.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Palin Speaks Out on Ill-Fated Campaign Interview

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin told Oprah that, despite what her advisers were telling her, she knew that her 2008 campaign interview with CBS News’ Katie Couric had gone wrong, the Associated Press reports.

The interview with Couric was considered to be a major event in the campaign, leaving some who saw it with questions about whether Palin was qualified for the post.

The Palin interview airs on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on Monday.

Meanwhile the AP got a copy of Palin’s new memoir “Going Rogue” in advance of its Tuesday publication and reports that the former Alaska governor has harsh words there for Couric, describing her as condescending and “badgering.”

According to the AP, Palin also charges that the CBS interview focused on “gotcha” moments and that more substantive exchanges were cut.

--Elizabeth Jensen

'Arrested Development' Star Joins Cast of NBC Pilot

A former "Arrested Development" star will appear opposite Brit actor David Tennant in the NBC comedic drama pilot "Rex Is Not Your Lawyer," reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Jeffrey Tambor, who starred as George Bluth Sr. on the Fox comedy, will play the psychiatrist to Tennant’s Rex, a lawyer who suffers panic attacks and has to coach his clients on how to represent themselves in court.

--Elizabeth Jensen

More Mergers for Wall Street in Wake of NBCU Deal?

Wall Street dealmakers are anticipating that a Comcast deal for NBC Universal could unleash a new wave of mergers and acquisitions activity, B&C reports.

While the merger, if it takes place, will likely lead to the divestiture of some units in the newly formed company, others speculate that the new entity will eventually want to make its own acquisitions.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Vivendi CFO Declines to Talk About NBCU

A much-anticipated Vivendi S.A. third-quarter conference call was disappointing to those who hoped executives would talk about the fate of the company’s 20% interest in NBC Universal, B&C reports.

CFO Philippe Capron opened the call by announcing that he wouldn’t comment on the potential Comcast deal to take control of NBCU, which can’t happen until Vivendi decides to dispose of its stake.

--Elizabeth Jensen

YouTube Hi-Def Upgrade Starts Next Week

YouTube said it will begin supporting videos in the full high-definition format 1080p, the Associated Press reports.

The upgrade—YouTube currently only supports the 720p standard—will take place next week. Most users will still be restricted to uploading videos no longer than 10 minutes.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Charlie’s Angels’ Remake Getting Closer at ABC

ABC is moving closer to a pilot order for a modern remake of the 1970s show "Charlie’s Angels," Variety reports.

Josh Friedman ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") will write and exec produce; the new "Angels." Leonard Goldberg, producer of the original series, and Drew Barrymore, who starred in and produced a 2000 film version, are also involved.

--Elizabeth Jensen

First Lady of South Carolina Jenny Sanford Grants First Interview

Jenny Sanford, the wife of South Carolina governor Mark Sanford—who disappeared and later revealed he had had an extramarital affair with an Argentinean woman-- has decided to talk, TVNewser reports.

Mrs. Sanford is giving an unusual two-part interview to Barbara Walters, who will feature her in the annual "10 Most Fascinating People" in December and then in a longer primetime interview in April. That’s when the South Carolina First Lady’s memoir will be released.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ESPN Lands 2010 and 2012 Olympics Rights in South America

ESPN signed a deal with International Olympic Committee for rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games, but only in South America, B&C reports.

While NBC has the rights to televise the games in the U.S., its longstanding Olympics deal expires after 2012, and ESPN is considered to be a likely bidder for U.S. television rights in 2014 and 2016.

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS' 'Late Late Show' Books First 18-49 Ratings Win

CBS’ “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” booked its first-ever win in adults 18-49 since it premiered in 2005, reports tvbythenumbers.com.

For the week ended Nov. 6, the show had an average 1.86 million viewers, and an 0.6 rating in adults 18-49.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Spike Orders Celebrity Car Series

Spike TV has ordered a series about a car customizing business that caters to celebrities, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

"Unique Autosports: Miami" will debut on the network next year. Celebrities making an appearance include the NBA’s LeBron "King" James; NASCAR driver/owner Tony Stewart, New York Yankees team members, and from the music world Sean "Diddy" Combs and Fat Joe.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC's 'CMA Awards' Highest-Rated in Four Years

Taylor Swift's many wins at the Country Music Association's "CMA Awards" Wednesday helped the ceremony draw its largest audience in four years, according to preliminary Nielsen figures reported by Reuters.

The three-hour ABC special averaged 16.8 million viewers vs. 15.9 million last year. It is the highest rating since 2005, when the telecast on CBS drew 17.7 million viewers.

--Tom Gilbert

John King to Replace Lou Dobbs at CNN

Beginning in January, John King will take over Lou Dobbs' 7 p.m. timeslot on CNN, reports B&C.

In light of Dobbs' abrupt exit from the news network on Wednesday, the network moved quickly with today's announcement. CNN President Jon Kelin explained in a statement about King's new show, "The program will reflect what CNN is all about: straight facts from our anchors and the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum."

King will leave his Sunday program "State of the Union" when he fills the Dobb's spot, and CNN is looking for someone to replace King on the Sunday show.

Until John King arrives, the report says that various "anchors including Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Larry King and Anderson Cooper will rotate in the 7 p.m. hour for the remainder of the year."

-- Allison J. Waldman

Who's Performing at the Super Bowl?

A legendary British rock group will be performing during the half-time show on Super Bowl Sunday, reports Jimmy Traina at Sports Illustrated.

Traina says The Who, best known for "Pinball Wizards" and "Tommy,"  will definitely be performing on Feb. 7 in Miami's Landshark Stadium, although the NFL has yet to confirm the engagement.

The Who would be following in the tradition of other famous rock acts who've played the big game, including The Rolling Stones, Prince and Paul McCartney.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Balloon Boy's Parents to Plead Guilty

"Balloon Boy's" parents Richard and Mayumi Heene will face a judge in Larimer County, Colo., court on Friday concerning the Oct. 15 air balloon incident that turned out to be a hoax designed to attract the attention of TV audiences, reports NPR.

David Lane, the Heenes' attorney, confirmed that Richard Heene will plead guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony charge, but that Mayumi Heene will avoid possible deportation to Japan (where she remains a citizen) by copping to a lesser plea, a misdemeanor for making a false report to authorities.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Simon Cowell Helps Protect Susan Boyle From Stalker

After an incident in which a woman stalked "Britain's Got Talent" star Susan Boyle to her home in Scotland, impresario Simon Cowell has ordered extra security for the singer, reports The Sun.

Boyle was reportedly shaken by the invasion of her privacy which did not escalate thanks to interception by a bodyguard. Boyle is currently busy promoting her new CD, "I Dreamed a Dream."

-- Allison J. Waldman

Lost Third 'Star Trek' Pilot Set for DVD Release

Many TV fans and all Trekkies know that there were two pilots filmed for "Star Trek" in 1965; however, a third pilot has been discovered and will be released on CBS Blu-Ray DVD Nov. 15, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The lost pilot was found by a German film collector and includes a different opening monologue, different music and alternate breaks in the action.

-- Allison J. Waldman

White Named President of Comcast's West Division

Cable giant Comcast has named Steven White president of the firm's 11-state West Division, reports Multichannel News.

White will be taking over a division that reaches more than 6 million customers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Wisconsin. He replaces 17-year Comcast vet Brad Dusto.

-- Allison J. Waldman

BendBroadband Agrees to Carry NFL Network in Time for Tonight's Game

BendBroadband, a cable operator in Bend, Ore., has reached a deal for carriage of the NFL Network, starting with the first Thursday night game, which is airing tonight, the Chicago Bears vs. the San Francisco 49ers, reports B&C.

The NFL Network will be placed on Bend's preferred digital package in standard-definition while the HD version will be found in the HD Plus sector.

Bend's HD Plus will also have the NFL RedZone, the channel that shows all the scoring chances from NFL Sunday day games.

-- Allison J. Waldman

NBA Web Site Adds Live Second-Screen Component

The National Basketball Association 's NBA.com Web site has a new second-screen statistics feature that will be a live companion to the basketball games being shown on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV, reports B&C.

NBA TV Companion will be jointly managed by the league and Turner Sports. There also will be interactive social networking on the site, which will allow instant access to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Yahoo! for chats and messaging.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Julia Barr Returning to 'All My Children' for 40th Anniversary

Julia Barr, a two-time Emmy winner for her role as Brooke English on ABC's "All My Children," is heading back to the soap in January, 2010, for the show's 40th anniversary, reports SoapCentral.com.

Barr, who is a 30-year vet of the show, has been off the canvas for two years without explanation and this appearance will fill in the gaps.

"All My Children's" anniversary coincides with the soap's move to studios in Los Angeles. Also confirmed for return appearances are Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Jon Gosselin Claims TLC Broke Law Re: His Eight Kids

Jon Gosselin, who has been sued by TLC, has responded with his own legal accusations, reports Radaronline.com.

According to the report, "But perhaps the most inflammatory charge from Team Jon is that the network violated Pennsylvania child labor laws by not obtaining the proper permits. The papers reveal that the state is still investigating the matter.

"Jon’s lawyers write, 'the purported contract dated April 29, 2008 violates Child Labor Laws in the State of Pennsylvania.' But later they admit the contract required Jon and Kate to obtain the necessary permits. Still, they argue, this was merely an attempt by the network to circumvent the laws and that Jon and Kate had no idea how to obtain the permits necessary."

--Chuck Ross

Fox Cancels Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse'

Fox canceled Joss Whedon’s sci-fi thriller series “Dollhouse,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Whedon, on his web site Whedonesque.com, wrote that he was proud of the show, which “is getting better pretty much every week,” and added, partly with tongue-in-cheek, “I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking. Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear."

--Elizabeth Jensen and Chuck Ross
 

Al Gore's Current TV Lays Off 80 Amid Programming Overhaul

Former Vice President Al Gore’s Current TV laid off 80 full-time staffers, and began an overhaul of its programming, MediaWeek reports.

The original format of user-generated short-form programming will give way to more traditional content, including half-hour and hour programs, many of them acquisitions. Some user-generated content will be packaged in themed compilations.

Most of the staff layoffs were at Current’s L.A.-based production and programming facilities, although the channel will still produce some content in-house.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Old Christine’ Creator Gets Studio Deal

"The New Adventures of Old Christine" creator Kari Lizer signed a three-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, the show’s producer, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

She’ll continue as executive producer/showrunner on "Christine" if it gets picked up for a sixth season, and will also develop projects for the studio under the deal, which THR said is in the “high seven figures.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Man Convicted in Brutal Murder of Arkansas TV Anchor

Curtis L. Vance was convicted Wednesday in the brutal October 2008 murder of Little Rock, Ark., television anchor Anne Pressly, the Associated Press reports.

He had told police he had been looking to steal a laptop when he attacked her.

He now faces the death penalty at sentencing.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Six-Hour Mini Based on Stories of Legendary Sci-Fi Author Being Prepped

Newly created White Oak Films is preparing to pitch a six-hour miniseries based on the short stories of a legendary science-fiction author, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The miniseries, based on the works of Ray Bradbury, the 89-year-old author of the classic “Fahrenheit 451” among other works, will feature six different directors who will choose which of Bradbury's stories they want to adapt. 

--Elizabeth Jensen

World Poker Tour Sold to Online Gaming Company

World Poker Tour, which puts together televised poker tournaments that currently air on Fox Sports Net, has been sold to Party Gaming, an online gaming company, Variety reports.

The price was $12.3 million in cash plus 5 percent of all future gaming revenue and 5 percent of ancillary earnings.

WPT events are worldwide, in 150 markets, reaching 400 million viewers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Is Your Kid a Genius? Fox Wants Him/Her For New Show From Mark Burnett

Fox ordered a new game show from "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” producer Mark Burnett, Variety reports.

"Our Little Genius" will feature super-smart kids between the ages of six and 12, who can win large sums by answering increasingly difficult questions on their favorite subjects. Their parents will have the right to opt the children out at any time.

The new series will get the benefit of an “American Idol” lead-in for several episodes in the coming season.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Discovery Launches Science and Tech News Web Site

Discovery Communications spun out the news section on its Discovery.com into a stand-alone science and technology news site, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

DiscoveryNews.com will cover such topics as the Earth, space, animals, dinosaurs, technology and archaeology.

--Elizabeth Jensen

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Digital TV Coupons Reach Expiration Date

The final government-issued DTV coupons quietly expired this week, the Denver Post reports.

According to the paper, about 54 percent were actually redeemed.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Writing Rooms for Late-Night Remain a Largely Male Bastion

The one area of the television business where women have had little success making inroads is in the writers’ rooms of the late-night television hosts, the New York Times reports.

Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien employ no female writers, the paper says, even though more than half of their respective audiences are women.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Syfy Adds ‘Outer Space’ Comedy

Syfy will debut a five-episode comedy "Outer Space Astronauts" on Dec. 9, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The show, produced in an unusual mix of live-action, 2D and 3D animation, is about eight astronauts who travel to the far reaches of the galaxy.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Lou Dobbs Quits

Lou Dobbs announced on-air tonight that he is leaving CNN "effective immediately" after his show ended.

“Some leaders in the media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and engage in constructive problem-solving,” he said.

He said that he was still figuring out what he would do next.

He said CNN had agreed to release him early from his contract, which had another two years to go.

Most recently Dobbs was in the news when someone shot at his house. No one was hurt.

Dobbs, who has always held strong views, clashed with CNN management earlier this year when he kept insisting that President Obama wasn't a U.S. citizen.

He also has strong views on the issue of immigration, primarily expressing views that have angered many in the Hispanic community. Dobbs has consistently said that he's been misunderstood and that his views on immigration are centerist and main stream.

There has been some speculation that Dobbs might jump to Fox News, but earlier this year Fox said that wasn't happening.#

To see a video of Dobbs' live on-air resignation, click here.

TO JOIN THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE LEFT A COMMENT ABOUT THIS STORY, CLICK HERE AND SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COMMENTS SECTION.

HERE IS THE PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT JUST RELEASED BY CNN:

Lou Dobbs Announces Departure from CNN

After nearly three decades anchoring an evening program on CNN, Lou Dobbs has decided to step away from his CNN anchor desk to focus on his role as a commentator and advocacy journalist on his daily radio talk show, as well as to pursue new avenues to contribute to the national discussion on important social, political and economic issues.

During Wednesday night’s broadcast of Lou Dobbs Tonight, Dobbs offered the following statement:

“Tonight, I want to turn to a personal note if I may and address a matter that has raised some curiosity.

This will be my last broadcast here on CNN, where I have worked for most of the past 30 years and where I have many friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.

I’m the last of the original anchors here on CNN, and am proud to have had the privilege of helping to build the world’s first news network. I am grateful for the many opportunities that CNN has given me over these many years, I’ve tried to reciprocate with the full measure of my ability and my energy.

Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us. And some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.

I’ve talked extensively with Jonathan Klein, Jon’s the president of CNN, and as a result of those talks, Jon and I have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable me to pursue new opportunities.

At this point, I’m considering a number of options and directions and I assure you I will let you know when I set my course.

I truly believe that the major issues of our time include the growth of our middle class, the creation of more jobs, healthcare, immigration policy, the environment, climate change, and our military involvement, of course, in Afghanistan and Iraq. But each of those issues is in my opinion informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C. I believe these to be profoundly critically important issues and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future. Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion. I will be working diligently to change that as best I can. And, as for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in that national conversation.

It has been my great honor to work with each and every person at this wonderful network. I will be eternally grateful to CNN, to Ted Turner, and to all of my colleagues and friends and, of course, to you at home. I thank you and may God bless you.

The news continues for the rest of this hour. I’ll be back right after the break.”

CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement this evening:

“Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we’re grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best.”

LOU DOBBS BACKGROUND:

Lou Dobbs has anchored CNN’s daily program “Lou Dobbs Tonight” since June 2003. Prior to that, he anchored “The Moneyline News Hour with Lou Dobbs,” which he rejoined in May 2001, after a two year absence.

Lou joined CNN at its inception and began anchoring for CNN in New York when the network first launched in 1980. Lou Dobbs was in charge of CNN’s business news programming from 1980-1999 and served on the network’s executive committee from 1989-1999.

Dobbs anchors a nationally syndicated financial news radio report, “The Lou Dobbs Financial Report,” and he is the host of the highly successful national radio program, “The Lou Dobbs Show,” which launched in March 2008. Dobbs’ radio shows have more than 400 affiliates and reach nearly five million people weekly.

Dobbs has won nearly every major award for his work in television news. In 2005, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Dobbs the Emmy for Lifetime Achievement. The previous year, the National Television Academy awarded Lou Dobbs Tonight an Emmy Award for “Exporting America.” He received the George Foster Peabody Award for his coverage of the 1987 stock market crash. In 1990, he was given the Luminary Award by the Business Journalism Review for his “visionary work, which changed the landscape of business journalism in the 1980s.”

Dobbs has written three best-selling books. “Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit” in 2007, “War on the Middle Class” in 2006, and “Exporting America” in 2004. He has also been a columnist for Money Magazine, U.S. News and World Report and the New York Daily News.
Lou Dobbs Tonight features a signature series of ongoing special reports including “Broken Borders (which focuses on border security and illegal immigration), “War on the Middle Class,” “Exporting America,” (which focuses on the outsourcing of American jobs) and “Failing Grades” (which on the crisis in public education.

Dobbs has received the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership in Media Award at the 2004 Albert Schweitzer Leadership Awards Dinner for his commitment to helping high school students seek out, recognize and develop leadership potential. In 1999, he received the Horatio Alger Association Award for Distinguished Americans and, in 2000, the National Space Club Media Award. Dobbs was named “Father of the Year” by the National Father’s Day Committee in 1993.

TO JOIN THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE LEFT A COMMENT ABOUT THIS STORY, CLICK HERE AND SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COMMENTS SECTION.

--Chuck Ross

Another Station Group Chief Says to Nets: Hands Off Retrans Monies

The ongoing fight between networks and stations over how to split retrans revenue continues to heat up, reports B&C.

Nexstar Broadcasting Group Chairman/President/CEO Perry Sook is the latest on the station side to speak up. 

On the company's third-quarter earnings call today, Sook cautioned the networks to steer clear of the group's retransmission consent cash.

 "I don't understand why the networks would feel they're entitled to a piece of a revenue stream that we developed, that they had no hand in negotiating, documenting or collecting," Sook was quoted as saying. "With all due respect to my friends at the networks, I contend that the network programming is not the main reason that we're receiving compensation--it's the local programming."

-- Allison J. Waldman

Sting Blasts Simon Cowell's 'X-Factor' Show (a Version of Which Will Likely Come to the U.S. Eventually)

Pop superstar Sting has blasted the Simon Cowell show "X Factor," which is a big hit in the U.K. The show is somewhat similar to "American Idol," though groups can also compete.

Sting called the show "preposterous" and "appalling," according to Reuters' Fan Fare.

Furthermore, Sting said "I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly,” he said of the contestants. “They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical."

Fan Fare said Sting made his remarks in an interview in the U.K. publication Evening Standard. An American version of the show is reportedly in the works.

--Chuck Ross

YouTube Conducting Ad-Skipping Test

Google is conducting a test of "skippable" pre-roll ads in YouTube videos that could help lead to a new advertising model, MediaPost reports.

The test will determine if and when people watch the ads and provide Google with insight into who might skip an ad and what type of ad they might skip, MediaPost says. It will also help Google understand  whether ads are skipped in a specific portion of the viewing session.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Video: Jon Gosselin Pokes Fun at Himself in This Video from Funny or Die

'She's Got the Look' Gets Third Season on TV Land

TV Land has picked up the reality model competition show "She's Got the Look" for a third season, reports The Wrap.

The new season of the series, which showcases over-35 models, will air in 2010. Self magazine and Wilhelmina Models Inc. are sticking with the program, but for the new season, instead of having a New York base, the show will be produced in Los Angeles.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC Thanksgiving Concert Specials for Music Superstars

ABC has readied a feast of music -- two hours' worth -- to serve up to viewers on Thanksgiving night, ABC News reports.

In back-to-back hours, starting at 8 p.m., Beyonce and Paul McCartney will appear in music concert specials that will include interviews and concert footage.

The McCartney hour will include scenes from his return to New York, near Shea Stadium, where he and the Beatles played in 1965.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC's Sets Big Movie Musical Tie-In Promotion

You can expect to see a lot of dancing and singing all over ABC in the weeks ahead, not to mention snippets of Sophia Loren and Daniel Day Lewis. It's all part of a huge promotion between the Weinstein Co.'s new musical "Nine" and the ABC network group, reports Variety.

"Nine" will be showing up on "Dancing With the Stars" as well as all three ABC soap operas. On Nov. 17, "Dancing With the Stars" will persent a "Nine" production number, "Be Italian," while references to the movie "Nine" will be embedded in "All My Children," "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital."

A two-minute "Nine" trailer will play on Nov. 22 simultaneously on Lifetime, ABC Family, SoapNet, A&E and Bio.

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC Yanks 'Hank'

Less than a year after Fox nixed "Back to You," Kelsey Grammer has been pink-slipped again.

ABC has halted production on Grammer's sitcom "Hank," reports the Futon Critic.

ABC will fill the Wednesday 8 p.m. timeslot with other programming as of next week. The five episodes of "Hank" yet to air will be burned off some other time. The show has failed to catch fire, averaging a 1.6 rating in the 18-49 demo.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'NCIS' Dominates Tuesday, 'V' Ratings Dip in Second Outing

CBS returned to the top of the ratings for Tuesday as "NCIS" dominated ABC's hot newcomer "V," with the CBS show getting a 4.2/11 among adults 18-49 (20.2 million total viewers) compared to "V's" 3.7/10 (10.6 million viewers), B&C reports. "NCIS" had the highest demo/total viewer numbers, anchoring CBS' primetime night.

Also from 8-9 p.m., NBC's "The Biggest Loser" earned a 3.3/9, while Fox' "So You Think You Can Dance" tallied a 2.3/6. The CW's "90210" managed a 1.2/3.

From 9-10 p.m. "The Biggest Loser's" second hour bested CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles," 4.1/11 to 3.7/9. The results show for "Dancing With the Stars" grabbed a 3.4/9, and hour two of "So You Think You Can Dance" came in at a 2.3/6. "Melrose Place" on the CW scraped together a 0.7/2

In the 10 o'clock hour, "The Good Wife" was good for CBS, 2.7/7; Robin Robert's ABC "In the Spotlight" special followed with 2.4/7. "The Jay Leno Show" rustled up a 1.9/5.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Winona Ryder Cast in Upcoming CBS ‘Hallmark Hall of Fame’

Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper will star in the upcoming “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movie "When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story," for CBS, Variety reports.

The film about the co-founder of Al-Anon, a support group for people whose loved ones battle addiction, will air later in the season.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Top Male Earner on TV Is Smart, Sarcastic and Spiteful, Is on a Reality Show and Made, Pretax, $75 Million from June 2008 to June 2009

Forbes.com is reporting the top 10 men earners on primetime TV, based upon their pretax earnings from June 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009.

At the top of the list, with $75 million in earnings from all his entertainment venures, is the "American Idol" judge America loves to hate, Simon Cowell.

He is followed by Donald Trump, who Forbes says makes $50 million just from his entertainment-related ventures.

Then comes 'Idol' judge and DJ and all-around TV entrepreneur Ryan Seacrest at $38 million. In fourth place is Charlie Sheen ($21 million), closely followed by Steve Carell ($20 million).

The remainder of the top 10:

6. Howie Mandel ($15 million)

7. Kiefer Sutherland ($13 million)

8. Jeff Foxworthy ($11 million)

9. Hugh Laurie ($10 million)

10. David Caruso ($9 million)

--Chuck Ross

Leno Format Being Retooled as Ratings Lag

NBC is retooling the format of Jay Leno’s 10 p.m. weeknight strip to make it more closely resemble his old latenight talk show, B&C reports.

Leno’s signature comedy bits, including “Headlines,” and “Jay Walking,” are now airing after his monologue, instead of at the end of the show where they were moved when the comic shifted from latenight to primetime.

The changes come as the show on Monday hit a 1.2 rating in Nielsen fast nationals, matching its series low.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Zucker Would Run New NBCU Unconditionally

 If the Comcast Corp.-General Electric deal for NBC Universal goes through, the companies have agreed to that NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker will run the new joint venture, Reuters reports.

Anonymous sources said Zucker would lead the new company with no conditions for him to leave after a certain period of time.

The structure of the proposed company’s new board is still being worked out, Reuters said.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Tribune Co. to Pay Back $170 Million in Debt

Tribune Co. will pay back $170 million of its $225 million debtor-in-possession financing it took out to help pay for its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The loans carry a high interest rate. Existing cash will be used to make the payments.

--Elizabeth Jensen

FearNet Slates Celebrity Talk Show

The horror-themed on-demand and online channel FearNet has picked up "Post Mortem With Mick Garris," featuring the creator of the anthology "Masters of Horror" as he talks with writers, producers and stars of the genre, Variety reports.

The five-minute episodes will debut in December. John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Robert Englund and Tobe Hooper are among the guests.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Consumer Electronics Group Calls Spectrum Issue a ‘National Crisis’

Weighing in on the ongoing skirmish over whether broadcasters should give up some spectrum for new wireless devices, Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro called the lack of spectrum a “national crisis,” reports B&C.

He said a new CEA-funded study estimates that the broadcast spectrum could bring $60 to $100 billion if auctioned off for "creative purposes,” and noted that broadcasters have the “only spectrum out there that has not been paid for."

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS Restructures Local Broadcast Operations

CBS, in what it called a “strategic restructuring” of its local broadcasting operations, named Anton Guitano to a new post of COO of CBS Local Media, TVNewsCheck.com reports.

Guitano had been the CFO of CBS Radio. He’ll report to CBS CEO Les Moonves, as well as to the head of CBS Radio, Dan Mason, and the newly named head of the CBS TV station group, Peter Dunn.

CBS also extended Mason's contract as president and CEO of CBS Radio.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Disabled Actors Wish Fox Had Hired One of Their Own for ‘Glee’

Fox’s “Glee” routinely incorporates diversity in its plotlines, but advocates for disabled Hollywood actors still wish the show had chosen one of their own to play the paraplegic Artie, the Associated Press reports

Wednesday’s episode featured a joyful wheelchair routine by the glee club members, in solidarity with fellow performer Artie, who uses a wheelchair.

The role is played by a non-disabled actor and that has some in Hollywood upset.

"I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable," said Robert David Hall, who chairs a multi-union committee for performers with disabilities.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Defense Lawyer in Letterman Extortion Case Says His Client Was Just Trying to Sell Screenplay

CBS News producer Robert J. "Joe" Halderman was merely trying to sell a screenplay, not extort money from latenight host David Letterman, his defense lawyer said in court Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Halderman has been charged with attempted first-degree grand larceny in the case, in which he’s accused of attempting to blackmail the host, who subsequently acknowledged on air that he had had sexual relationships with underlings.

Halderman’s attorney Gerald Shargel said the $2 million exchange “was a commercial transaction. Nothing more."

--Elizabeth Jensen

White House Communications Director Who Pushed Combative Stance Toward Fox News Stepping Down

White House communications director Anita Dunn is stepping down, in what the Los Angeles Times reports was an expected move, noting that she joined the administration with the understanding that she’d stay only a few months.

Recently, Dunn presided over the administration’s combative stance toward Fox News Channel, calling it a "part of the Republican Party" in an interview on CNN.

Dunn will be succeeded by her deputy, Daniel H. Pfeiffer.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Nick’s ‘Fanboy and Chum Chum’ Has Big Debut

Nickelodeon’s “Fanboy and Chum Chum” set some series opening records for the network on Friday night, thanks partly to a huge lead-in from “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Multichannel News reports.

The new series was the highest-rated series debut among Nickelodeon’s target kid demos, with 3.7 million kids 2 to 11, 2.5 million kids 6 to 11 and 5.8 million viewers overall.

The premiere of “SpongeBob” ’s "Truth or Square" beforehand drew 7.7 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched cable telecast for the week, behind ESPN’s Nov. 2 “Monday Night Football” game.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Buyer Reportedly Found for The Hollywood Reporter, the AdWeek Group, and Billboard

A deal is in place for the sale of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek, according to a report by Sharon Waxman of The Wrap.

The buyer, according to the report, is James Finkelstein’s News Communications, which owns the “Who’s Who” publications and The Hill in Washington, D.C.

Waxman writes that her source is “an individual with knowledge of the negotiations.”

The report also says that "Gerry Byrne, who heads the entertainment division of Nielsen Business Media, wrote in an email that "(I) really have no comment off or on" the record.

The report does not say what the new business plan may be for the publications, as they all have struggled with ad sales during the recession.

News Communications' The Hill, which reports on political news about Congress, is published both in print and online.

--Elizabeth Jensen and Chuck Ross

TV Viewing at Highest-Ever Levels and Growing, Nielsen Says

Nielsen data indicates that the amount of time Americans are devoting to TV-watching is continuing to grow despite more time also being spent in front of computers, according to James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter.

The average American spends 4 hours and 49 minutes daily watching TV, up 4 minutes from the 2007-08 season and a 20% increase from a decade ago, Hibberd says. 

--Tom Gilbert

New Inductees Named for TV Hall of Fame

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced six new inductees into the TV Academy Hall of Fame -- seven if you count the Smothers Brothers as individuals.

According to Josef Adalian at The Wrap, The Smothers Brothers are in, along with Gene Roddenberry of "Star Trek" fame, "Murphy Brown" star Candice Bergen, veteran NBC announcer Don Pardo, game show pioneer Bob Stewart of "The Price is Right" and art director Charles Lisanby.

The festivities for the new members will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel Jan. 20.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Report: Jon Gosselin Will Countersue TLC

Jon Gosselin will countersue TLC for $5 million, RadarOnline is reporting.

Gosselin, who is being sued for breach of contract by the cable network, on which he starred in the reality series "Jon & Kate Plus 8," will file his own lawsuit on the advice of attorneys Mike and Mark Heller, RadarOnline says.

The Web site adds the attorneys believe Gosselin was inadequately represented when he signed his TLC contract.

 -- Tom Gilbert

Guess Which Program Led to E!'s Highest-Rated Day Ever?

Lots of eyeballs were glued to E! Sunday, so many that the network enjoyed its highest-rated day ever.

The debut of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians: The Wedding" -- featuring Khloe's wedding to NBA star Lamar Odom -- at 8 p.m. drove the Sunday viewership, averaging nearly 3.2 million total viewers, more than five times E!’s primetime average.

The "Wedding Special" was the most-watched telecast ever on E! among women 18-34, averaging more than 1.1 million viewers in that demo.

And it led E! to a personal best for total day, averaging 914,000 total viewers, twice the amount of E!’s fourth-quarter 2009-to-date average.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Struggling Veteran Hour May Get ABC's 'Eastwick' Vacancy

With the cancellation of "Eastwick," industry watchers assumed that "Lost" will take over the Wednesday at 10 p.m. slot when it returns in 2010, but that may not be the case, reports E! Online.

ABC insiders are considering putting "Ugly Betty" in that timeslot as part of a January re-launch. Since returning for its fourth season in October, "Betty" has struggled in the ratings on Fridays at 9 p.m.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Tom Brokaw to Moderate USA Network Town Hall

NBC News' Tom Brokaw and the USA Network are teaming for "Characters Unite National Town Hall" -- the first- time-ever panel discussion about American diversity and the complex social issues facing the populace.

This project, which grew out of USA Network’s community affairs campaign – Characters Unite — will take placel at the Newseum in Washington D.C. on Dec. 2.

Scheduled to be part of the group are the following dignitaries and celebrities: Mike Allen, Politico White House correspondent; California Congressman Xavier Becerra; Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker; Jon Bon Jovi; and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, among others.

Actor Dule Hill from "Psych" will make a special guest appearance.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Get Ready for 'Worst Cooks in America' Reality Series

Personality chef Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan, executive chef at Elements in Phoenix, will co-host a new primetime reality series called "Worst Cooks in America."

In the five-part Food Network series, "challenged" cooks will be put through a rigorous education to turn them into proficient chefs. The last two competitors to survive the elimination process and win over the judges will take home a grand prize of $25,000. The series premieres Jan. 12 at 10 p.m.

"Watching the worst cooks in America struggle to become great cooks, makes a show that is very funny, dramatic and moving," said Bob Tuschman, senior VP of programming and production at Food Network.

-- Allison J. Waldman

truTV Teams With National Football League for Year-Round Show

NFL Films will team with truTV for a new reality series that's all about professional football all year round.

"NFL Full Contact" premieres Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. on truTV, encompassing the NFL from the NFL Kickoff game in Pittsburgh, throughout the season, the post-season, the NFL draft and the Super Bowl. 

NFL Films' executive producer Steve Sabol is overseeing the project.

-- Allison J. Waldman

TBS' 'Lopez Tonight' Talker off to a Strong Start

TBS' debut of "Lopez Tonight" -- the latenight talk show hosted by George Lopez that was also seen on TNT and truTV -- drew for a total of 3.2 million viewers across all three cable networks, according to James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter.

On TBS alone, a total of 1.7 million viewers sampled the chat show, with 1 million of those in the 18-49 demo. The guests for the premiere included Ellen DeGeneres, Kobe Bryant, Carlos Santana and Eva Longoria-Parker.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Strong Season Finale for ‘Mad Men’

 The third season of AMC’s “Mad Men” finished on Sunday with 2.3 million viewers, up 33 percent from last season’s finale, B&C reports.

The numbers were off from the season premiere of 2.8 million viewers, but the show did well in the 18-49 demo, attracting 1.1 million viewers, up 58 percent from last season's finale.

--Elizabeth Jensen

With Pronouncement From Gray TV President That Leno Show is 'Not Working,' Press Puts Pressure on NBC to Do Something

NBC's decision to run "The Jay Leno Show" weeknights in primetime this season has come increasingly under fire lately, and criticism hit a particularly intense level this week.

In the wake of Jay Leno's recent interview with B&C, in which he said he's be willing to return to the 11:35 "Tonight" timeslot, came yesterday's comment by Gray Television President Bob Prather, reported at RBR.com and elsewhere, that he is not happy with the ratings performance of “The Jay Leno Show” on his company’s 10 NBC stations.

That was followed by a spate of loud pronouncements of failing grades for the Leno show by Bloomberg, Time, ABC News -- and even NBC's sister network MSNBC.

-- Tom Gilbert

Donald Trump to Reunite With 'Apprentice' Villain for New Series

Donald Trump and his old “Apprentice” villain are reuniting to produce a new reality show that will attempt to find her a husband, Variety reports.

The eight-episode show "Omarosa's Ultimate Merger" will air on cable’s TV One. Omarosa will choose from 12 bachelors who will vie for her affection by competing in relationship and business challenges.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Twitterer With a Not-TV-Appropriate Name Gets Picked Up by CBS for Comedy

A hit Twitter account with a name that can’t be said on network primetime has been picked up for comedy project development by CBS, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The account called “Shit My Dad Says” was launched only in August by 28-year-old Justin Halpern after he moved back in with his parents in San Diego. It consists of colorful sayings from his 73-year-old dad.

More than 707,000 followers are tracking the account and Halpern already sold a book version. David Kohan and Max Mutchnick ("Will & Grace") will executive produce and oversee the writing, which Halpern himself will co-write with Patrick Schumacker.

CBS will change the title if the show gets on the air.

--Elizabeth Jensen

CW Schedules Highly Anticipated Series in 'Gossip Girl' Slot

The CW slotted a new show that is already getting good reviews for Mondays at 9 p.m. starting Jan. 18, Variety reports.

“Life Unexpected”  will replace “Gossip Girl,” which will go on hiatus before finishing up in the spring. When it returns, “Life Unexpected” will move to 8 p.m., giving “One Tree Hill” a break.

The show is about a 15-year-old who is returned to the care of biological parents who had put her up for adoption as an infant.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Two-Year CBS Studios Deal for DeNiro’s Tribeca Productions

Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, partners in Tribeca Prods., made a two-year deal with CBS Television Studios, Variety reports.

The team has three New York-focused projects in the works for CBS, CW and Showtime, two of which will fall under the new deal.

The CBS project is an hourlong pilot, "Securing the City," to be created and written by Terry George based on the book "Securing the City: Inside America's Best Counterterror Force,” by Christopher Dickey.

"Felony Review" for the CW is an ensemble drama about twentysomething assistant district attorneys in New York.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC Trying to Figure Out Where 1% of Its Households Went

According to Nielsen, ABC has lost 1 percent of its TV households, and now has just 97 percent U.S. coverage, lower than rivals CBS, NBC and even the usually less-distributed Fox, Variety reports.

All four networks lost some households during the summer digital transition, dropping from their 99 percent coverage, but all except ABC eventually settled in at 98 percent.

"It's bizarre," ABC research chief Charles Kennedy told Variety. He said the difference could mean $15 million to $20 million in foregone annual ad revenue.

--Elizabeth Jensen

RTDNA’s Paul White Award to Go to '60 Minutes' Correspondent

The Radio Television Digital News Association said its 2010 Paul White Award will go to “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft, TVNewser.com reports.

He’ll be honored April 12 in Las Vegas during the group’s annual convention, joining such past honorees as Bob Schieffer, Ted Koppel, Tom Brokaw and Christiane Amanpour.

--Elizabeth Jensen

ABC’s ‘The Forgotten’ Gets Extra Episodes; ‘Eastwick’ is Canceled; ‘Let’s Dance’ Won’t Debut as Planned

ABC canceled its Wednesday night drama "Eastwick,” but plans to finish production on 13 episodes and air them all, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The network meanwhile ordered five more episodes of its Tuesday night crime show “The Forgotten.”

And the reality show “Let’s Dance,” hosted by Kathy Griffin, won’t be debuting Nov. 23, as planned, the network said. The network had casting problems for the show, which was to have featured celebrities recreating famous dance routines.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Real Househusbands’ In the Works?

The company behind Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is trying to launch a male version, reports B&C.

Production company Evolution Media enlisted Princess Banton-Lofters, who cast the Atlanta “Real Housewives” version, to produce and cast the new project, currently called “Boys Club: ATL.”

"Men's lives are as dramatic and interesting as their female counterparts,'" Evolution President Douglas Ross told B&C.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox Decides Against Mark Brazill Sitcom

Fox decided not to go to production on a multicamera comedy from Mark Brazill ("That '70s Show"), reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The coming-of-age project had been titled "The Rednecks & Romeos," and is now untitled; it will be shopped by Warner Bros. TV to other networks.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Mutual of Omaha, Oprah Settle Lawsuit over Rights to ‘Aha Moment’

Insurance company Mutual of Omaha settled its lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions over rights to the phrase “Aha moment,” the Associated Press reports.

No details were released. The two sides got in a legal tiff earlier this year when Mutual began using the slogan "official sponsor of the aha moment," and Harpo protested that the phrase was closely identified with the talk show host. Mutual countered that it was already in the process of obtaining federal trademark approval, and Harpo hadn’t protested.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Defense Lawyer in Letterman Case to Ask Judge to Dismiss Charges Against His Client

Halderman has a Manhattan court date today. His attorney Gerald Shargel said he would challenge the grand jury evidence and ask for the case to be dismissed, but he didn’t discuss the details of what his argument would be.

--Elizabeth Jensen

The lawyer for CBS News producer Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, who is accused of blackmailing David Letterman over the late-night host’s sexual relationships with underlings, plans to ask a judge to dismiss the charges, the Associated Press reports.

Murdoch Threatens to Sue BBC Over Story Use if Necessary

News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch said in an interview for Sky News Australia on Monday that if BBC used stories -- if it infringed copyrights by stealing material from his company's publications around the world -- he might sue, according to the Financial Times.

Many news outlets refer to stories reported by other news outlets by citing the well-established doctrine of "fair use." The outlets don't pay the publications for reporting on the material they distribute under "fair use." Murdoch says he's prepared to challenge the "fair use" doctrine in court.

Murdoch also indicated that he would use legal means to prevent Google and other search engine news aggregators from taking his newspapers’ material, FT said.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Dunn New President of CBS Stations

CBS named Peter Dunn president of CBS Television Stations, in charge of overseeing all 29 CBS-owned stations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Dunn, who replaces the departing Tom Kane, comes from WCBS-TV in New York City, where he was president and general manager.

Dunn will report directly to CBS Corp. President and CEO Les Moonves.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Gray President Urges Stations to Unite Against Nets' Efforts to Get Chunk of Retrans Revenues

Gray Television President Robert Prather called for station groups to form a "united front" versus the broadcast networks over retransmission revenue, according to B&C

Prather, speaking during Gray's third-quarter earnings call, said most of Gray's affiliate agreements are in place through 2013 or 2014, but added that he was carefully watching the retransmission clashes play out with other groups.

The report said, "Networks and their affiliates entering heated negotiations about splitting retransmission spoils from subscription TV is an emerging issue this earnings season. Addressing investors last week, Belo President/CEO Dunia Shive said, "I don't think there is any secret that the networks look for some sort of a reverse payment from the affiliate. As for ABC, I can't get into specifics because we're in the middle of negotiations."

Prather urged station groups to work with their affiliate boards and the TVB to combat the networks' demands for retransmission cash that station groups claim they've been able to get through their own tough negotiating with cable operators, B&C said.

--Tom Gilbert

Dish Network Goes to the Slopes

The Ski Channel has inked a longterm video on demand distribution agreement with the Dish Network, reports Multichannel News.

According to reps from Ski Channel, more than 21 million homes now have year-round access to the channel's mountain sports activities, including snow skiing, hiking, biking, snowboarding, backpacking and climbing.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Two Hot Singers Will Appear on 'Dancing With the Stars'

Amid the flowing gowns and dance turns, two popular singers will be singing on tomorrow night's "Dancing With the Stars" results show, reports Hal Boedeker in the Orlando Sentinel.

Michael Buble, who currently has the No. 1 album in the U.S., will perform "Haven't Met You Yet," while Susan Boyle will sing the title song from her soon-to-be-released debut CD, "I Dreamed A Dream" on the show. 

--Allison J. Waldman

Two of A&E's Top Series Returning Nov. 30

A&E Network's Emmy-winning series "Intervention" and its hot property "Hoarders" are both returning with back-to-back premiere episodes on Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.

This will be the eighth season for "Intervention" and the second for "Hoarders."

“Hoarders" has been growing in popularity since its debut, and in the first season was the top new non-fiction series on cable among adults 25-54, according to A&E.

-- Allison J. Waldman

NATPE Announces Tartikoff Award Winners

The National Association of Television Program Executives has announced the winners for the seventh annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards -- Jeff Gaspin, David E. Kelley, Irwin Gotlieb and Judge Judith Sheindlin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The four will receive their honors at the NATPE 2010 Market & Conference in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.

 Kelley is a television producer known for "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal." Sheindlin is syndication's "Judge Judy." Gotlieb heads up GroupM, the international media investment management company amd Gaspin is chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment.

-- Allison J. Waldman

NBC Cooks Up Sitcom Marathon for Week After Christmas

In the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, NBC has cooked up a week-long sitcom marathon for it Thursday line-up.

There'll be a four-episode marathon from Monday-Thursday, commencing at 8 p.m. each night, with "Community" leading off the week on Monday, Dec. 28. On Tuesday it'll be "Parks & Recreation"; followed by "The Office" on Wednesday and "30 Rock" on Thursday.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Sing-Off' Coming to NBC in December

"The Sing-Off," a new NBC music competition series, will make its debut Dec. 14 at 8 p.m., reports the Futon Critic.

In the reality show, a cappella singing groups compete for a Sony recording contract. Each episode is two hours long, and subsequent installments will air Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, with the season finale on Dec. 21.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Result of Merger of AETN and Lifetime: 10% of Staff Were Laid Off Last Friday

A&E Television Networks, which includes A&E, History Channel and Lifetime, laid off 100 employees, or 10% of the staff on Friday, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The staff reductions were a result of the August merger between AETN and Lifetime Entertainment Services. Lifetime was particularly hard hit by the cuts, with unscripted head Jessica Samet and head of casting Rick Jacobs among those laid off.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Major HBO Comedy Goes to Surprising Choice of Cable Networks in Syndication Deal

One of the jewels in HBO's programming crown has been licensed in syndication to a surprising choice of not one, but two basic cable networks.

The show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which is now in its seventh season, will air first on TV Guide Network for a multi-year run starting in February. It will run on TV Land immediately following the TV Guide run.

Both networks will also acquire some of the broadband, wireless and video-on-demand rights for the show.

Previously TV  Guide network had acquired the cable syundication rights to "Ugly Betty" and "American Idol Rewind."

--Elizabeth Jensen

Paramount to Join What is Shaping Up To Be a Powerful New Company to Provide Video On Demand Content

Paramount added its name to those who will contribute content and take an equity stake in a start-up VOD service reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Paramount will join fellow studios Warner Bros., Sony, NBC Universal, Fox, Disney and Lionsgate that are already on board in owning an equity stake and providing content to Zillion TV, which launched in March.

The service allows users to purchase or rent movies and TV shows for home TV viewing, or watch for free if they agree to watch commercials. The service is delievered via various ISPs on the web. Visa is also a partner. Consumers can pick categories of ads that they like to see if they choose the option to watch a program with commercials.

Paramount will make some of its library titles, such as “In & Out” and “Ordinary People” available on the free-with-commercials tier and more current releases such as “Iron Man” and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" available on the rent or purchase option.

--Elizabeth Jensen

A&E Sets Jackson Family Series Debut

A&E set a premiere date for its reality show about the Jackson family, the Associated Press reports.

"The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" will start Dec. 13 with back-to-back episodes. The six-episode show follows brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon as they prepare a reunion concert tour and cope with brother Michael’s death.

--Elizabeth Jensen

GE and Comcast Reportedly Agree to Value for NBCU; Media Reform Advocates Gear Up to Force Scrutiny of Deal

Comcast Corp. and General Electric agreed to value GE’s NBC Universal at about $30 billion, in their negotiations for Comcast to buy a 51% controlling stake of the unit, Bloomberg reports, citing three unnamed sources.

A deal hinges on Vivendi SA agreeing to sell its 20% stake in NBCU, and it isn’t yet part of the agreement, according to one of the sources.

GE and Comcast declined to comment.

Meanwhile, media reform advocates are already preparing to fight the proposed deal, the New York Times reports.

The Center for Digital Democracy has already called the potential deal, which will be the Obama administration’s first major media regulatory test, “the equivalent of Godzilla swallowing Rockefeller Center,” and the group Free Press called it “bad for the public interest,” the paper notes.

--Elizabeth Jensen

New NAB President Gordon Smith Calls for Broadcasters to Stop Reacting Defensively to New Technology

New NAB President Gordon Smith, in a wide-ranging interview with B&C, said the challenge for broadcasters is that “instead of responding defensively to new technologies, embrace them and help develop them so that the future is one that we shape instead of one to which we are simply responding.”

Asked whether broadcasters are going to be willing and able to give up the digital spectrum the FCC is seeking, he said: “We've already given up a lot, and we've already spent a lot on the digital transition,” adding, “The spectrum doesn't have to be wireless. There is a lot of dark wire out there. There is certainly a national interest in getting America wired up to the Internet. There is certainly a public value in that. But that needn't come at the expense of broadcasting's opportunity to develop that spectrum as well with mobile TV, high-definition signals and all of the potential business opportunity that is there for broadcasters."

--Elizabeth Jensen

Star of Popular Disney Channel Series Gets Lead in Remake of Classic Kids Book 'Harriet the Spy'

The Disney Channel is making a TV movie remake of  “Harriet the Spy,” and has tabbed the star of one of the network's hit series to be the lead, Variety reports.

Jennifer Stone, who's in the channel's hugely popular "Wizards of Waverly Place" series, has gotten the nod to star in the remake.

The move is for next year. The children’s book already had a feature treatment in 1996 starring Michelle Trachtenberg.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Jonas Brothers Get Disney Renewal

Disney Channel gave the Jonas Brothers’ comedy “Jonas” a second-season order, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Production will begin in February with new episodes hitting in the middle of next year. The pop trio’s short-form reality series "Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream" also got a second-season order.

--Elizabeth Jensen

‘Mad Men’ Creator Discusses His Surprise Decision to Include Kennedy Assassination

“Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner said he came to the conclusion that it would have been “a lie” to skip over the Kennedy assassination in the 1960s-era AMC series, in discussing with TVGuide.com his surprise decision to include it this season, despite having previously said he wouldn’t.

Weiner had previously said he didn't think he had anything to add to an understanding of the event. But, "My attitude about the assassination changed as I got deeper and deeper into the period and after I wrote the first two seasons," he told TVGuide.com. "I thought it was a lie to skip it," he said. "But I did want to show what I think is almost the premise of the show: How we experience history, even something as gigantic as that, is still very personal to what's going on in your life."

--Elizabeth Jensen

Wanda Sykes Latenight Show Improves on Predecessor

Wanda Sykes’ new Saturday latenight show on Fox had a good start, outperforming its predecessor "Mad TV," Variety reports.

The show’s premiere averaged a 2.2 household rating in Nielsen's metered-markets, up 16% from the fourth-quarter average for “Mad TV.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Where’s Homer? All Over Fox

Fox is celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Simpsons” with a network-wide scavenger hunt, the New York Times reports.

Starting today through Friday, every primetime show on the Fox schedule, even those produced by outside companies, will include a hidden reference or tribute to the series.

The eagerness with which the stunt was embraced even at rival studios is indicative of the show’s place in the popular culture.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Leader in Charge of Labor Negotiations for Studios Dies

As president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, he led the Hollywood studios’ labor negotiations for nearly three decades, including the big dispute with writers in 2008. Nick Counter, 69, died Friday at L.A.’s West Hills Hospital, the Los Angeles Times reports.

He had retired earlier this year after 27 years at AMPTP, and another 10 as a lawyer for its predecessor organization.

In his tenure he oversaw about 400 labor contracts, and weathered the two major Writers Guild of America strikes, in 1988 and 2008.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Former NBC Exec Warren Littlefield Writing Memoir of ‘Must-See’ Years

Former NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield will write a memoir of his years overseeing “Must-See TV,” when the network’s primetime schedule went from third to first place, Variety reports.

He has a deal with Doubleday for a 2011 publication.

Littlefield, now a producer, headed NBC’s entertainment division from 1990 to 1998, when shows such as "Seinfeld," "Frasier," "Mad About You" and "ER" were on the schedule.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Billboard and Fox Team for New Year's Eve Special

Fox will collaborate with Billboard to create a new musical special celebrating the New Year.

Fox's "Billboard's New Year's Eve Live" will broadcast Dec. 31 from two major entertainment hot spots, the strip in Las Vegas and Times Square in New York City, with musical guests performing in concert.

The bands and host will be announced soon, but already set is a retrospective of many famous musical moments from the "Billboard Music Awards" and the official Billboard Top 10 count down of the year in music, movies and television.

-- Allison J. Waldman

CBS' 'Numb3rs' Wrapping Up With Fifth Season

CBS' recent decision to cut the episode order for "Numb3rs" from 22 to 16 was a signal that the show will not be returning for a sixth season, reports Michael Ausiello in Entertainment Weekly.

The producers have been given notice and have accepted the end date as an opportunity to wrap up all the storylines in the remaining shows.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Nurse Jackie' and 'United States of Tara' Return in March

Showtime has announced that the "United States of Tara" starring Toni Collette and Edie Falco's "Nurse Jackie" will both be back for second seasons starting March 22, 2010, reports the Hartford Courant.

Showtime also revealed that "The Tudors" will be back for a fourth, final season on April 11.

Even sooner that those premieres, "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" and "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" will begin new seasons on Jan. 25, as will a new show called "La La Land" starring U.K. comic Marc Wootton.

[Correction 11/09/09-- Comic, as now corrected, is Marc Wootton, not James Wootton]

-- Allison J. Waldman

ABC Wins Thursday in Demo, CBS in Total Viewers

ABC's overall average in the key adults 18-49 demographic put it in first place Thursday night, with a 3.7/10, while CBS was smidge behind with a 3.5/9, according to B&C. NBC's comedy line up earned a 2.4/7 with Fox trailing at 2.1/6.

In total viewers, CBS led with 14.4 million for the night.

By the hours, from 8-9, CBS' "Survivor" was tops with a 3.7/10, with ABC's "FlashForward" next at 2.6/7, Fox's "Bones" a 2.5/7 and NBC's "Community" and "Parks and Recreation" 2.3/6 and 2.2/6, respectively.

At 9, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" had a 5.0/13. CBS's "CSI" scored 3.4/9, which was tied on average with NBC's "The Office" (3.9/10) and "30 Rock" (2.9/7). Fox's "Fringe" lagged with a 1.7/4.

The 10 o'clock hour was practically a tie: CBS's "The Mentalist" (3.4/10) and ABC's "Private Practice" had a 3.5/10. NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" pulled a 1.6/5.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Elliott Gould to Appear in 'Law & Order' Episode

Elliott Gould will make a guest appearance on the Nov. 20 episode of NBC's "Law & Order," reports TV Guide.

Gould will play a Harlem business owner who's fed up with the crime in his neighborhood, taking the law into his own hands.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Julianne Moore Guesting on '30 Rock'

Julianne Moore will be guesting on NBC's "30 Rock" perhaps as a new squeeze for Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy character, reports E! Online.

The two actors were spotted filming on location in Rockefeller Center, in close proximity to the GE Building.

-- Allison J. Waldman

‘Goode Family’ Makes Jump to Comedy Central Jan. 6

Comedy Central said the animated series "The Goode Family," which it picked up after a summer ABC run, will debut on the cable network Jan. 6, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The 13 episodes will air on Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. If the show is a success, original episodes could also be produced.

--Elizabeth Jensen



http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i961fcb41f361f029c271cc613c43e5cd

NBC General Counsel Says Discussions With FCC Over Spectrum are Inevitable

 NBC Executive VP and General Counsel Rick Cotton said it’s inevitable that broadcasters will have a discussion with the FCC about the government’s desire to reclaim some broadcast spectrum to use for wireless broadband, reports B&C.

The topic is "a set of discussions that are going to have to take place," Cotton said. He added that "the network local affiliate over-the-air broadcast system has served this country enormously well over a period of 60 or 70 years. I don't think anyone wants to see, frankly, damage done to that system." 

--Elizabeth Jensen 

'Benny Hill' Image Rejected Royal Mail for Stamp Series

The U.K.'s Royal Mail service has rejected using an image from "The Benny Hill Show" for a set of stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of ITV, reports the Telegraph.

The Royal Mail explained that there had been concerns raised about using an image from Hill 's show because some sketches on the program were deemed politically incorrect

-- Allison J. Waldman

New Girlfriend, Lohan's Dad to Be Called in TLC's Breach-of-Contract Suit vs. Jon Gosselin

In its breach-of-contract suit against "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star Jon Gosselin, TLC plans to subpoena Gosselin's girlfriend Hailey Glassman and his friend Michael Lohan, among others, according to People.com.

MSNBC says that besides Glassman and Lindsay Lohan's dad, Maryland's Circuit Court of Montgomery County has in new court papers granted network lawyers' motions to depose Gosselin's lawyer Mark Heller, manager Michael Heller, bodyguard Thomas Meinelt and talent rep Matthew Kirschner.

TLC sued Gosselin In October, charging he made paid and unpaid television appearances without the network's permission. 

--Tom Gilbert

Everyone--and We Do Mean Everyone--in Hollywood is Buzzing About What Oprah---and the ABC Owned Stations She's On--Might Do. Here's What We Hear. What Do YOU Hear?

TVWeek Open Mike blogger Chuck Ross has spoken to a lot of TV insiders about what Oprah--and the ABC owned-and operated TV stations-- might do. One scenario about the ABC stations in particular is quite intriguing.  Click here to read.

--Tom Gilbert

Oprah Negotiating Talk Show Future With Other Syndicators as Well as CBS

Oprah Winfrey is negotiating the future of her talk show with other unnamed syndicators, the New York Times reports, citing several sources.

Meanwhile, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves weighed in on the report that Oprah Winfrey plans to take her syndicated daily talk show to her cable network OWN.

Moonves told analysts on a conference call that the company remains in talks with her and that company wouldn’t know the outcome “for a few months.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS Television Distribution Has One Syndicated Talk Show That’s Definitely Not Going Anywhere

CBS Television Distribution may not have Oprah Winfrey locked up for the future, but it has renewed “Dr. Phil” through the 2013-14 season in 70 percent of the country, B&C reports.

There had been speculation that high license fees and dropping ratings would spell the end of the show after its contract expired in 2011. CTD executives said they were able to make the deals work by structuring license fees attractively. Stations from the CBS, Gannett, Belo, LIN Television, Cox and Media General groups re-upped the show.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Singer Removed From Oprah’s Karaoke Contest Until Charges are Resolved

A singer has been removed from Oprah Winfrey’s "karaoke challenge" until domestic violence charges against him are resolved, the Associated Press reports.

Gospel singer BeBe Winans allegedly pushed his ex-wife to the ground, in a Feb. 13 incident, in which he’s been charged with misdemeanor assault. He has a Jan. 20 court date. Winfrey came in for some criticism after including Winans in the challenge, due to her traditionally strong stand against domestic violence.

--Elizabeth Jensen

TNT Picks Up Off-Network Reruns of CBS Primetime Hit

As the off-network syndication market heats up, TNT snapped up CBS' second season drama “The Mentalist" for what is said to between $2.2 million and $2.3 million an episode, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution show will begin weekly airings on the cable channel in fall 2011, and a daily strip in 2012.

--Elizabeth Jensen
 

Cartoon Network Getting Even Less Animated

Cartoon Network picked up its first live-action scripted series, with orders for “Tower Prep" and "Unnatural History," Variety reports.

The orders are the network’s biggest steps yet away from animation, after previously airing a live-action movie and several live-action reality series.

Both new shows are about teens; one is set at a mysterious prep school and the other at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

--Elizabeth Jensen

HBO Developing Gender Transition Series

The new team behind the third season of HBO’s “In Treatment” is developing another half-hour drama for the network, this one about a woman who is undergoing gender transformation into a man, Variety reports.

Anya Epstein and Dan Futterman, who are married, pitched “T” before they signed as showrunners for the network’s new season of “In Treatment.” They’ll write the pilot and serve as executive producers on the new show, which was inspired by story on public radio’s “This American Life.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fake Hangman’s Noose on ‘The Office’ Draws Criticism from Suicide Prevention Groups

A scene from a recent episode of "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare young children by struggling in a hangman's noose in the company’s haunted house has come in for criticism from some suicide prevention groups, the Associated Press reports.

"We try not to be zealots about this," said Robert Gebbia, executive director of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "But this one ... kind of crossed the line."

The foundation and other mental health groups worry that the depiction might encourage some who are mentally ill to commit suicide. NBC had no immediate comment.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Syndie Sale of New CBS Drama May Set a Record

CBS sold one of its new season dramas into syndication after just seven weeks on the air, which The Hollywood Reporter says might be an industry record.

"NCIS: Los Angeles" was licensed by CBS TV Distribution to the USA Network, which already airs the original “NCIS.”

The spinoff, which USA can air weekly beginning in September 2011, sold for about $2.5 million per episode. USA will strip the series beginning in 2013.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Tribune Group Renews Three NBCU Talk Shows

The Tribune station group renewed three NBC Universal talk shows for two more years, reports B&C.

“Maury,” “Jerry Springer” and “Steve Wilkos” will all continue on the group’s stations through the 2011-2012 season. The deal means the three shows will continue for three more years and denies time slots to some other syndicators that were hoping for an opening.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Nikki Finke Says Oprah is Ending Her Syndicated Talk Show in 2011 and Moving It to Cable. Winfrey's Harpo Prods. Says Decision Not Yet Made and Distrbutor CBS Says it Hasn't Yet Heard a Decision

Nikki Finke, who covers the entertainment industry at DeadlineHollywood.com, wrote today that Oprah Winfrey will not renew her deal for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" with CBS Television Distribution after her current contract expires in 2011.

Furthermore, Finke says that the show will then become a signature program on Winfrey's OWN cable channel that she is starting with partner Discovery Communications. OWN stands for the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Finke wrote that her sources were unidentified "people around Oprah."

CBS says this scoop is news to them. The company has long-said that they are waiting to hear Oprah's decision. 

Today, in response to Finke's piece, a CBS Television Distribution spokesman said in a statement, " "Nothing has changed. The decision is Oprah’s to make. As we have stated repeatedly, we love Oprah and if she wants to continue her show then we want to continue to be in business with her."

CBS owned-and-operated WBBM-TV in Chicago, the city where Winfrey's show is currently based, reported that Winfrey's Harpo Productions issued a statement denying that a decision has been made about whether or not Winfrey will continue her talk show via syndication: "She has not made a decision yet. As she has previously stated, she'll be making an announcement before the end of the year.''  The statement came from Harpo spokesman Don Halcombe in an e-mail, according to the WBBM report.

ABC-owned WLS-TV carries "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago.

According to Finke's report, "The industry has been betting that the daytime diva would extend 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' for at least another year or two because of the huge cash license fees which stations have long paid her. But people around Oprah are telling me that won't happen. They say that Discovery Communications chief David Zaslav has demanded that Oprah "move it or lose it" -- move her talk show to OWN, or risk losing the Oprah Winfrey Network altogether." OWN is based in Los Angeles. 

A Discovery spokesperson declined comment about Finke's report, saying that any questions about Oprah's syndicated show would be better asked of Harpo or CBS.

--Chuck Ross

Scripps Networks to Buy Controlling Interest in Travel Channel

Scripps Networks Interactive has bested the bid by News Corp. to buy controlling interest in the Travel Channel from Cox Communications, reports Bloomberg.

Scripps agreed to pay $181 million for 65 percent of the channel, with Cox holding the other 35 percent. The Travel Channel will become part of Scripps Networks, which include HGTV, Food Network and DIY.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Fox Cleans Up in Ratings With World Series Game 6

Fox's coverage of World Series Game 6 between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies was a home run in the ratings, raking in 22 million total viewers and a 7.0/18 Nielsen rating, reports B&C.

For the rest of the networks, tvbythenumbers.com reports that CBS' 8-9 p.m. sitcoms, "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Gary Unmarried," were solidly in second place with 2.1/6 and almost 7 million viewers and 2.05/5 and 6.67 million, respectively.

ABC's "Hank" mustered only a 1.4.4 (5.33 million viewers), but "The Middle" earned a 2.0/5 and 6.14 million watchers. NBC's "Mercy" rated a 1.7/5 and 6.6 million viewers, comparable with CW's "America's Next Top Model" (1.7/5, 3.96 million).

From 9-10, "Criminal Minds" had the most viewers, 11.98 million, but only a 3.2/8 rating. ABC's "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" were next, with a 3.4/9 (8.59 million) and 2.7/7 (6.78 million), respectively. NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" was competitive with a 2.5/6 and 7.99 million viewers.

In the 10 o'clock hour, baseball continued to rule, but CBS's "CSI: NY" had 11.64 viewers and a 2.7/7, while ABC's "Eastwick" struggled to reach 4.6 million (1.6/4) on par with NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" which reached 4.73 million with a 1.3/4.

-- Allison J. Waldman

CBS Leads Noms for Business & Financial Reporting Emmys

CBS News led the nominations for The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' the 7th Annual Emmy Awards for Business & Financial Reporting, which were announced today.

Other multiple award nominees for Business & Financial Reporting Emmys include PBS with five, BBC America and CNBC with three each and ABC with two. Also getting nods are HDNet, Council on Foreign Relations/cfr.org and Wall Street Journal/wsj.com.

Paul Kangas, anchor and financial commentator for PBS’ "Nightly Business Report," and Linda O’Bryon, the founder of the pioneering business news broadcast and now chief content officer of Northern California Public Broadcasting, will both receive lifetime achievement awards for business and financial reporting from the academy.

Winners will be announced and receive their Emmys Dec. 7 at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus.

For the complete list of nominees, click here.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Comedy Central to Partner With the Onion for Series

Comedy Central and the Onion, the satirical newspaper, are partnering for a scripted half-hour TV comedy.

The show, to be based on the Onion Sports Network online video series, will spoof teams, players, leagues, fans, products and sports coverage, and is being aimed at sports fans and readers of the Onion.

The Onion News Network's Julie Smith and Will Graham are executive producers.

-- Tom Gilbert

Emmerich's '2012' Disaster Film Could Become TV Show

In the upcoming disaster movie "2012," the planet Earth is destroyed, but that hasn't stopped the film's producer-director Roland Emmerich from figuring a way to adapt the film into a TV series, reports Entertainment Weekly.

Emmerich told EW that he envisions a show set a year later, in 2013, when the world has to rebuild. The film's executive producer Mark Gordon -- also an executive producer on "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" -- would be attached, he said. 

-- Allison J. Waldman

Syndication Divas to Swap Appearances

Two prominent syndicated food and talk show divas will be swapping appearances on one another's shows for two days this month.

Martha Stewart will appear on "The Rachael Ray Show" on Nov. 12, and then Ray will appear on "The Martha Stewart Show" the following day.

Stewart's assignment on Ray's show will be to create a Thanksgiving centerpiece, while Ray will conjure up a Turkey Day dessert in Stewart's studio kitchen.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Press release

Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Getting ESPN Brand

The Disney World Wide World of Sports Complex will become part of the ESPN umbrella in a major rebranding that will be launched Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, 2010, during ESPN's "The Weekend" fan event in Orlando's Disney World, reports B&C.

Among upgrades planned for the facility are an on-site broadcast center that will provide HD content from events held at the facility and ESPN programming to video screens around the complex. Over half a million athletes and three times as many fans visit the complex annually.

"It's really a natural evolution of things we've been doing with Disney for years and years," said Chris Brush, ESPN VP of marketing.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Big Surprise: NBC Star Gets Prime Spot in Network's Thanksgiving Day Parade Coverage

NBC's coverage of the 83rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, to be broadcast on Nov. 26, will prominently feature Jane Krakowski of the network's "30 Rock."

Krakowski has been given a star spot and will perform an original song written by composers Wesley Whatley and William Schermerhorn.

Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera and Al Roker of NBC's "Today" will anchor the broadcast.

-- Allison J. Waldman

'Golden Girl' to Be Hospitalized for Heart Surgery

Instead of attending "Golden: A Gala Tribute to Rue McClanahan" on Nov. 14 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, the "Golden Girls" actress will be in the hospital for heart bypass surgery, forcing cancellation of the event, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The actress issued a statement saying, "Trust me, I'd rather be in San Francisco having fun and being adored by all of you" than in a New York hospital.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Dan Rather Makes Some Colorful Points About Election Coverage

Dan Rather didn’t much care for election night coverage he saw and he found a few choice metaphors to describe it, Politico reports.

The former CBS anchorman, now anchor and managing editor of "Dan Rather Reports" on HDNet, told Politico, "So much of what passed for political coverage last night was like watching a manure spreader in a windstorm.” He added: “Much of it was just a constant stream of highly partisan political message points. Thoughtful analysis was as rare as a golden-fronted bowerbird."

--Elizabeth Jensen

CBS Reduces ‘Numbers’ Order by Six Episodes

CBS’ Friday night “Numbers” got its own numbers cut, from 22 episodes to 16, Variety reports.

CBS executives said the cut was made in order to schedule midseason shows sitting in wait, and doesn’t mean a final decision has been made on the show’s fate. “Flashpoint” may take over the time slot.

--Elizabeth Jensen

OWN Makes Another Key Hire

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network made another top executive hire as it gets close to its long-delayed launch, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Lisa Erspamer, the co-executive producer of Winfrey's syndicated talk show since 2006, was named to be the channel’s chief creative officer. She’s a 15-year veteran of Oprah’s Harpo Productions, and will make the move to L.A. from Chicago in January.

No launch date for the channel has been announced.

Times reporter Meg James writes that the move suggests Winfrey might be looking to wind down the daily talk show, for which her contract runs through May 2011.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Comcast Ducks NBCU Questions on Earnings Conference Call

Comcast Corp.'s top executives wouldn’t discuss any deal with G.E. for control of NBC Universal when asked about it on the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts, B&C reports.

CEO Brian Roberts did try to allay shareholder fears about the possible deal, however, saying, "While we can't comment on rumors, we only look for opportunities that can accelerate growth, make those businesses more profitable and give them the benefits of scale."

The company’s programming operations, which includes the E! Entertainment, Style and G4 cable networks, saw a 10% rise in revenue, to $383 million in the quarter. Those channels would move into the possible joint venture with G.E. as part of the deal to take a controlling stake in NBC Universal.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Turner Classic Movies to Launch Film Festival

Turner Classic Movies is taking its show on the road, launching a film festival in Hollywood scheduled for next April, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The festival will be hosted by THR’s Robert Osborne, the host of TCM's primetime lineup, and will include screenings of more than 50 classic movies as well as appearances by actors, directors and producers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Fox News First, CNN Last in Election Night Ratings

CNN’s election night coverage finished fourth among cable news networks in its key Adults 25-54 demographic, the Huffington Post reports.

The network averaged 826,000 total viewers in primetime and 227,000 in the demographic. Top-rated Fox News booked an average of 4.04 million total viewers and 1.13 million in the demo.

MSNBC placed second in total viewers (an average 974,000 viewers) and HLN third (842,000.) In the demo, HLN, which didn’t have election programming, took second and MSNBC was third.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Thriller Writers Have a New Hero in Glenn Beck

For the authors of thrillers, Fox News’ Glenn Beck has become the new Oprah Winfrey, reports the New York Times.

With his huge following, Beck, who often endorses books on his TV and radio shows, has been helping drive sales, writers and booksellers say.

In the last five years, Beck has interviewed about 40 thriller authors, either on radio or cable, one of the few talk show hosts who regularly interview fiction writers.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Chris Brown Talks to MTV About His Rihanna Assault

Chris Brown appears to be vying with former girlfriend Rihanna by scheduling a half-hour MTV interview for the same day she’s talking to ABC about his assault on her, reports the New York Daily News.

Brown’s interview with MTV’s Shay about his February attack on Rihanna, to which he pled guilty to felony assault, will air Friday, the same day Rihanna opens up to Diane Sawyer on “20/20.”

--Elizabeth Jensen

Cartoon Network to Teach Bullied Boys to Go ‘Commando’?

The Cartoon Network is casting for a potential reality show pilot that will teach boys ages 13 to 16 "to plan and execute real life missions," the New York Post reports.

In the series, called "Going Commando," a team of former special forces soldiers will run kids through boot camp “where you will transform from scrawny to superhero," and learn night vision, hydro reconnaissance, rappelling, and use of high-tech equipment in problem-solving, according to a casting notice quoted by the Post.

The producers want to cast kids who are dealing with issues such as being picked on by bullies or trying to get back borrowed property.

The network confirmed to the paper that the show is in early stages of development.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Religious Broadcasters Among Those Concerned About Giving Back Spectrum

The National Religious Broadcasters came out against returning broadcast spectrum to the government in a sharply worded release, B&C reports.

NRB VP of government relations Bob Powers, noting that broadcasters had already given up spectrum in the switchover to digital, said broadcast spectrum "may become an unholy sacrifice to satisfy new mobile device spectrum needs."

--Elizabeth Jensen