NBC Universal asked the Federal Communications Commission to keep from intervening in a la carte carriage deals between content owners and pay-TV distributors, Multichannel News reports. NBCU filed a motion on Monday, saying “there’s no legal or factual basis for…
Advertising agencies and media buyers are bracing for spending cuts because of worries over the economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Publicis Group ad buying firm ZenithOptimedia has slashed its growth forecast, saying U.S. ad spending will increase 1.6% this…
David Letterman and John McCain’s representatives are in negotiations to have the Republican candidate appear on “The Late Show,” patching up a much-publicized spat, the New York Post reports, without naming its sources. The appearance may take place around the…
FX has renewed its original series “Sons of Anarchy” for a second season, TelevisionWeek reports. The network has placed a 13-episode order for next year. The show’s first season has average 5.4 million viewers per week, with 3.5 million of…
Hulu will stream Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain live, TelevisionWeek reports. The online video site, a joint venture between NBC and News Corp., will feature coverage from NBC News for this debate. The site will…
The Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether broadcast television news operations and military analysts violated rules meant to make sponsorships more transparent, the Wall Street Journal reports. The FCC sent letters to TV military analysts who received private Pentagon briefings…
Fox is developing an American version of the British series “Absolutely Fabulous,” Daily Variety reports. The original, starring Jennifer Saunders, followed two women over 40-years-old with an affinity toward alcohol and desire to be cool. The project will be executive…
Rachael Taylor, Amanda Walsh and Bitsie Tulloch have been tapped to star in Sarah Jessica Parker’s HBO’s comedy pilot “The Washingtoniennes,” the Hollywood Reporter says. The project, based on Jessica Cutler’s semi-autobiographical book, will follow three 28-year-old women and their…
Ernest Borgnine is set to star in his 200th film, “The Wishing Well,” a movie for Hallmark Channel, the Hollywood Reporter says. The film will also star Jordan Ladd and Sally Kellerman in a story about a journalist sent to…
As Republicans attacked Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama for his past relationships to activists, Fox News Channel Sunday ran a show with a similar theme called “Obama & Friends: The History of Radicalism,” the New York Times notes. Sean Hannity…