Cablevision has requested the Federal Communications Commission to approve a plan that would prevent programmers from insisting that cable companies ensure carriage to a prescribed number of customers, Multichannel News reports. Cablevision Chairman Charles Dolan said last week that cable…
Sumner Redstone is expected to announce the sale of his controlling stake in Midway Games, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mr. Redstone, who also controls Viacom and CBS, is in negotiations to restructure his family’s $1.6 billion debt and has…
Veteran anchors are losing their jobs at local stations, which don’t want to keep paying their big salaries while advertising revenues are plunging, the New York Times says. The downside: “Basically, you replace someone who knows City Hall with someone…
Fox is launching a new promotional campaign for “American Idol” using the grassroots theme “Share Your Voice,” TelevisionWeek reports. “Last year, we had contestants reaching a level of perceived stardom much earlier, both in the show and in our marketing…
A strike by the Screen Actors Guild might not be as hard on the television business as the Writers Guild of America’s work stoppage was, the Los Angeles Times says. For one thing, the studios and networks may be able…
The Writers Guild of America strike earlier this year pushed the networks to find ways to develop series other than the traditional pilot process. Now, however, pilots are making a comeback after the poor performance of some of this season’s…
Low-power TV broadcaster WBQC-TV in Cincinnati has changed its call letters to WKRP-TV, using the name of the 1970s sitcom to promote its new digital signal, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Station general manager Elliott Block says he wants to broadcast…
With an African-American about to move into the White House, television networks may be looking to cast more black actors as the lead character in series, the New York Times reports. Laurence Fishburne is taking over the top spot on…
Consultant Duane Lammers, known as “The Hammer.” has been helping station groups fight for cash in their retransmission consent negotiations with cable operators, Multichannel News reports. He’s not beloved by his opponents. “The system allows broadcasters like Lammers to negotiate…
Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald are in talks to star in Martin Scorsese’s HBO drama pilot “Boardwalk Empire,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Buscemi would play a liquor store owner running a distribution ring and Macdonald would play a young woman…