NBC Universal promoted Bonnie Hammer to president of cable entertainment and cable studios as her contract as head of the network’s Sci Fi and USA channels was expiring, Television Week reports. Hammer will: Run Universal Media Studios’ cable-programming efforts; oversee…
CBS’ ratings for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament are down 9% from a year ago while visitors to CBSSports.com have more than doubled, the Hollywood Reporter says. The amount of audio and video streamed from the Web site through Saturday…
Fox extended “Prison Break” for a fourth season, but canceled Parker Posey vehicle “The Return of Jezebel James” after two episodes, Daily Variety reports. The third season of “Prison Break” was cut short after 13 episodes by the Writers Guild…
Studios are shooting significantly fewer television pilots after the end of the Writers Guild of America strike last month while the approved pilots are being made within a sped-up schedule by networks wanting to meet deadlines for the May upfronts,…
Google sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission saying unused airwaves, or so-called “white space” on the spectrum, should be offered to Internet companies to provide wireless broadband service, the Wall Street Journal reports. The FCC, which couldn’t be…
The Hallmark Channel ordered a two-hour pilot featuring Jane Seymour as TV host moonlighting as a mystery solver, Daily Variety reports. “Dear Prudence” may be extended into another two-hour movie if the ratings justify it, the newspaper says, citing pilot…
Jeff Sellinger replaced Cyriac Roeding as executive vice president and general manager of CBS Mobile, which edits the network’s content for display on mobile phones and other devices, Daily Variety reports. Roeding, which started the unit in 2005, will “pursue…
Ryan Seacrest, who makes approximately $20 million a year combined for his work hosting “American Idol” and several E! special events, is gunning to be his generation’s version of Larry King and Dick Clark, the Washington Post says. Mr. Seacrest’s…
Ex-presidential candidate Fred Thompson signed WMA as his agency, signaling a return to acting work for the former Tennessee Senator, the Hollywood Reporter says. Thompson’s credits include five years on “Law & Order” as well as portraying ex-President Ulysses S….
Cablevision boosted its on-demand selection by adding Starz On Demand and Encore On Demand after reaching similar agreements with Scripps Networks and Discovery Communications, Multichannel News reports. Cablevision’s Starz and Encore subscribers will be charged another $4.95 a month for…