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Monthly Archives : March 2008

Nielsen Gains Access to Data From Charter’s Set-Top Boxes

Playing catch-up in the race to provide more granular viewing information, the Nielsen Co. made a deal with Charter Communications to use anonymous data from digital set-top cable boxes to generate television audience measurement. Rivals including TNS Media Research, which…

Opie & Anthony, ‘Krod Mandoon’ on Burgeoning Comedy Central Slate

Viacom-owned Comedy Central is developing a TV show with Opie and Anthony, the radio shock jocks fired when the media conglomerate owned CBS Radio. The show, called “Search and Destroy,” is described as a scavenger hunt in which “teams of…

Sykes Leaving MTV Networks

Long-time MTV Networks executive John Sykes is leaving the company, Multichannel News reports. Mr. Sykes, who had been president of VH1 during the “Behind the Music” days and later ran Viacom’s Infinity Broadcasting radio unit, returned to MTV Networks in…

‘Betty’ Showrunner Gets Handsome Deal

“Ugly Betty” showrunner Silvio Horta signed a two-year, multi-million dollar agreement with ABC that will keep him on the show and allow him to create other projects for the network, Daily Variety reports. Disney-owned ABC extended the show for a…

Nielsen Gets into Charter Boxes

Nielsen will announce an agreement with Charter Communications as early as today that will allow the research firm to use the cable company’s Los Angeles-area set-top boxes to track viewing patterns by the second, the Wall Street Journal reports. The…

NBC May Resuscitate ‘ER’

NBC is nearing an agreement to order a 15th season of “ER,” once the network’s top-rated show, Daily Variety reports. The show was expected to end this year, but the Writers Guild of America, put the show back on life…

Time Warner May Unplug Cable

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said the company may sell its majority stake in Time Warner Cable, which would have more operational and financial flexibility under a different ownership structure, Multichannel News reports. Mr. Bewkes, who spoke at a Bear…

CBS Mum on Talks With Hulu

CBS Interactive President Quincy Smith declined to say whether the network will join Hulu, the online-video site News Corp. and NBC are launching today, Daily Variety says. CBS said its videos are downloaded more than any other network’s and that…

Spitzer Scandal Splits TV Talkers by Sex

Responses to the news of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer getting caught in a prostitution ring differed markedly between male-dominated political shows Monday afternoon and the female-hosted shows yesterday morning, the New York Times reported. Men such as CNN’s James…

Rich Will Be Big Judge on ‘Nashville Star’

Big & Rich’s John Rich will be a judge on “Nashville Star,” and will produce and write the single for the contest’s winner, the Hollywood Reporter says. The show premieres on NBC in June after five seasons on USA Network,…