Public-interest groups are calling on some TV networks to quit making copyright claims that force YouTube to take down pointed videos from presidential candidates and political activists during the last weeks of the campaign. In letters today to CBS, Fox,…
With the election year bringing in the most traffic ever for news and political Web sites such as MSNBC.com, CNN.com, ABCNews.com and TheHuffingtonPost.com, MediaWeek is examining whether 2009 will show a sharp decline in visitors to those sites. “You will…
Cable network Current has inked a deal with RooftopComedy to carry the Internet comedy site’s sketches on Current and Current.com. Under the deal RooftopComedy will provide Current TV with a weekly program of stand-up comedy from venues around the U.S.,…
Turner Broadcasting got good news and bad news from baseball on Saturday. Technical difficulties kept it from televising game six of the American League Championship Series until the first inning was nearly over. When TBS joined the game, the score…
The Screen Actors Guild’s board voted to bring in a mediator in its contract dispute with television networks and movie studios, the Associated Press reports. Talks have been stagnant since June 30 when the studios presented the union with its…
The appearance by the real Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live” helped the late night comedy show draw its biggest audience in more than 14 years, the New York Times reports. Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, appeared twice…
Television networks will find out this week whether advertisers will cut back on the buys they made during the upfront market for the first quarter, TelevisionWeek reports. Some advertisers have already exercised their options to reduce the number of commercials…
CNBC’s stock market cheerleader Jim Cramer said he’s been “humbled” by the decline of stock prices while he continued to say the worst was over, the New York Times says. Cramer says he apologized to viewers, then urged on Oct….
Broadcast TV networks are hoping program revivals will translate to success in fall 2009, MediaWeek reports. While brand recognition plays a significant role in creating viewer awareness, many executives are still taking precautionary steps to make sure they select the…
Lifetime is looking for laughs with its new original series “Rita Rocks,” which debuts Monday, USA Today reports. The network, long known for dramas such as “Army Wives” and its women in peril movies, is going with a family comedy…