Sci Fi Channel has promoted Thomas Vitale to executive vice president of programming and original movies. Mr. Vitale, who joined Sci Fi Channel in 1993 as director of acquisitions, was previously senior VP of programming and original movies. He was…
Media Life Magazine catches up with CNN’s “American Morning” anchor John Roberts today. Roberts discusses the differences between broadcast network and cable news, media bias and CNN’s coverage of this year’s election. “This is an extraordinarily important campaign. We have…
CBS has given a full-season order for its breakout crime drama “The Mentalist.” The series has averaged 16.4 million viewers per week during its Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot, averaging a 3.8 rating/9 share among viewers ages 18-49. “Mentalist” stars Simon…
Fox’s parent company, News Corp., unveiled a Web site geared toward the casual video game player, MediaWeek reports. GreenPixels.com, a video game content site under News Corp.’s IGN umbrella, will focus less on the technical aspect of games and more…
“Survivor” creator Mark Burnett and Fox are developing a TV series based on a casino game, Daily Variety reports. “Rouletter” will feature contestants placing bets in order to form words within a specific time frame. The game will utilize a…
Television announcer and emcee Jack Narz, 85, who hosted the 1950s game “Dotto” on both CBS and NBC and in the 1970s a syndicated version of “Concentration,” died today at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills. Mr. Narz, who died from…
ABC won the broadcast networks’ premiere week where it really counts—in the commercial ratings that determine how much advertisers pay for 30-second spots. Among adults 18 to 49, ABC averaged a 3.49 C3 rating—a measurement that calculates the viewership for…
Twentieth Television has promoted Ken Lawson and Ken Doyle to the newly created positions of senior VP–national sales manager, TVWeek reports. Lawson and Doyle will equally divide the sales management duties across the entire country and will report to executive…
Landmark Media Enterprises’ agreement to sell its Nashville CBS affiliate WTVF-TV to Bonten Media Group has fallen through, TVNewsday reports. Bonten cited financing issues as the reason behind its inability to close the acquisition on time. Bonten had arranged financing…
Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, announced today the agency will propose allowing mobile unlicensed devices to operate in the white spaces on the airwave spectrum between digital television channels, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The item is scheduled…