CBS signed Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden to play a wealthy newspaper owner in the pilot “The Tower,” Daily Variety reports. Ms. Harden has received a guest-actress Emmy nomination for her work on “Law & Order,” the newspaper says….
Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” will cover Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary next week in its first remote broadcast, Multichannel News reports. The show will have guest appearances from Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, musician John Legend and the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, Multichannel…
CBS late-night host Craig Ferguson last week had a larger average television audience than NBC’s Conan O’Brien for the first time, the New York Times reports. Mr. Ferguson drew an average of 1.88 million viewers, compared with 1.77 million for…
BET and MTV were blasted in a report by watchdog group Parents Television Council because it said the networks’ music videos weren’t suitable for children, Multichannel News reports. The group said children who watched MTV’s “Sucker Free on MTV” and…
NBC Universal named Michael Bass senior VP of strategic initiative, Daily Variety reports. Mr. Bass, who was once an executive producer for the “Today” show, will help the network’s cross-platform sales efforts for next year’s Super Bowl, the newspaper says….
Fox signed Joe and Anthony Russo, who won an Emmy for their direction of the “Arrested Development” pilot, to direct the debut of drama “Courtroom K,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Also, “Ugly Betty” pilot director Richard Shepard will direct ABC…
Turner Broadcasting unit Tru TV, formerly Court TV, promoted Darren Campo to senior VP of programming, production and development, Daily Variety reports. Mr. Campo had worked at CBS before joining Court TV in 1999, the newspaper says. — Danny King
New York State is nearing an agreement that would triple its tax credit for television and film shoots, Daily Variety reports. The state is trying to stem the flow of film production to nearby states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts and…
The Federal Communications Commission fined retailers and television manufacturers a combined $6.6 million for selling U.S. TVs without either digital tuners or labels saying the sets won’t work after next year’s digital transition, the Wall Street Journal reports. Wal-Mart, Target…
Stanley Kamel, who played Adrian Monk’s psychiatrist on “Monk,” died of a heart attack this week in his Hollywood Hills home at age 65, the Associated Press reports. Mr. Kamel had recurring roles in “Days of Our Lives” and “Beverly…