CBS Earnings Beat Forecasts
CBS reported a profit of $244.3 million, or 36 cents per share, for the quarter ended March 31, up 14% from $213.5 million, or 28 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2007. A reduction in production expenses during…
Monthly Archives : April 2008
Blockbuster May Join Viacom Channel
Blockbuster Inc. might take a stake in the new premium TV channel being created by Viacom, the Wall Street Journal reports. Blockbuster would provide cash for the new venture and get digital rights to the channel’s programming. A report from…
New Media Details Slow SAG Talks
Talks between the Screen Actors Guild and the studios are making little progress in their third week as discussions about new-media residuals have prevented other subjects from being addressed, the Daily Variety reports. The current round of negotiations is scheduled…
Univision-Televisa Trial Delayed
The court battle between Spanish-language TV heavyweights Univision Communications and Mexico’s Groupo Televisa was delayed until July by a federal judge, the Los Angeles Times reports. Televisa, which produces the telenovelas that drive ratings on Univision, sued to terminate its…
Broadcasters Criticize FCC Requirements
Broadcasters say Federal Communications Commission requirements for more local-service programming are unjustified and unnecessary, TelevisionWeek reports. The National Association of Broadcasters said there is little evidence that media mergers have compromised the services provided by local broadcasters, the magazine says….
P&G May Pull Ads From MTV, BET
Procter & Gamble may pull ads from MTV and BET after watchdog groups criticized the channels for what they say are showing too much sex and violence in their music videos, Multichannel News reports. P&G is letting customers call into…
CW Likely to Cancel ‘Geek’
The CW is likely to drop “Beauty and the Geek” from its schedule after the reality show finishes its fifth season May 13, Daily Variety reports, citing unnamed sources. The show could be resuscitated after its concept, which involves setting…
‘Scarlet’ Pushes New LG Sets, Not TV Show
LG Electronics created a marketing campaign around a fictional television show called “Scarlet” to launch its new red-paneled flat-screen television, the Wall Street Journal reports. The $100 million campaign features actress Natassia Malthe in a series of TV and online…
‘Farmer’ Star is a Real Farmer
The star of CW’s new reality show “Farmer Wants a Wife” is an actual farmer, movie-star looks notwithstanding, the New York Times reports. Matt Neustadt’s family owns or leases about 2,000 acres along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and received…
Verizon FiOS Subscribers Surge
Verizon’s FiOS fiber-optic service tripled its subscribers in the past year, making it the ninth-largest U.S. television service, right behind Mediacom and Suddenlink, Multichannel News reports. Verizon has 1.2 million FiOS TV customers and 1.8 million FiOS Internet customers, the…