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Monthly Archives : April 2008

BET, MTV Blasted by Parent Group

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…

NBCU Names Bass Strategy Head

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….

Russos to Direct Fox ‘Courtroom K’ Pilot

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…

Campo to Run Tru TV Programming

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 To Triple Filming Tax Credit

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…

FCC Fines Retailers, TV Makers Over Labels

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…

Kamel, 65, Played ‘Monk’ Shrink

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…

YouTube Now Tracks Viewer Origins

YouTube introduced a new feature for its video creators today that helps them better understand where viewers are coming from, the company announced on its blog today. The new feature is part of the site’s Insights tool, itself introduced two…

Regional Baseball Broadcasters Look to Connect With More HD

Play ball. That’s what regional broadcasters of Major League Baseball games are doing this year when it comes to high-definition broadcasts. Excluding national networks such as Walt Disney’s ESPN and News Corp.’s Fox, which air all of their baseball games…

Aiming High: Starz’s Bill Myers

The player: Bill Myers, president and chief operating officer of Starz Entertainment. The play: Myers has led Liberty Media unit Starz Entertainment’s effort to add three Starz high-definition channels and HD video-on-demand services for both Starz and sister network Encore—all…