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Monthly Archives : April 2008

CBS Prime Time Problems Eclipse News Issues

A drop in CBS’s prime time ratings pose a larger challenge to the network than its “Evening News” program and recent reports of anchorwoman Katie Couric’s departure, the New York Times reports. CBS’s primetime audience has fallen about 20% this…

‘Rock,’ ‘Office’ May Hurt NBC Family Hour

Current plotlines in “30 Rock” and “The Office” may hurt NBC’s efforts to market the network’s Thursday primetime lineup as “family hour,” the New York Times reports. Last week’s “30 Rock” featured the pitching of a fictional show involving teenagers…

NBC’s Capus, Fox’s Ailes Sit Atop TV News

NBC News President Steve Capus, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes and ABC News President David Westin are the most powerful people in television news, TelevisionWeek reports. “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert and CNN’s Jim Walton and Jon Klein rounded…

SAG Invites AFTRA to Rejoin Bargaining

The Screen Actors Guild said the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had until Wednesday to respond to an invitation to rejoin SAG’s negotiation effort with the studios, Daily Variety reports. AFTRA split from SAG for negotiations after what…

Fox Orders Sci-Fi Pilot ‘Virtuality’

Fox ordered a two-hour science-fiction pilot about astronauts caught in a faulty virtual-reality program, Daily Variety reports. “Virtuality” was created by BermanBraun and former “Battlestar Galactica” writers Ron Moore and Michael Taylor, the newspaper says. –Danny King

HD ‘Survivor’ Coming to CBS

CBS will be the first network to feature an on-site reality show in high definition when it premiers the 17th version of “Survivor” in HD this fall, Daily Variety reports. “American Idol,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “American Gladiators” are…

Food Network’s Deen to Get Syndicated

Food Network star Paula Deen next year will have a syndicated daytime cooking show produced by Time Warner unit Telepictures, TelevisionWeek reports. Deen is among established television personalities such as Dr. Mehmet Oz from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and Marie…

HBO Buys Walter Reed Article Rights

Time Warner’s HBO Films bought the rights to Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post articles about U.S. soldiers being mistreated at Walter Reed Hospital, Daily Variety reports. Ron Nyswaner, whose writing credits include “The Painted Veil,” will write the film, the newspaper…

Documentary Channel Signs Imax Deal

The two-year-old Documentary Channel acquired television rights to 21 Imax Corp. films for financial terms it didn’t disclose, the Hollywood Reporter says. The films, which include the Tom Cruise-narrated “Space Station,” grossed a combined $600 million for their box-office releases,…

Conroy Joins CBS ‘Birbiglia’ Pilot

Frances Conroy, best known for her role on “Six Feet Under,” and Christine Woods, whose credits include “Welcome to the Captain,” have been signed by CBS to appear in the comedy pilot “Mike Birbiglia’s Secret Public Journal,” Daily Variety reports….