Viacom on Thursday said it was reducing its workforce by 7%, or 850 jobs, as part of a restructuring designed to reduce costs to fit economic conditions, TelevisionWeek reports. The restructuring will result in a charge of $400 million to…
NBC Universal began a round of staff cuts by laying off about 30 people in its ad sales department, TelevisionWeek reports. The cuts were part of the CEO Jeff Zucker’s effort to cut costs because of economic conditions. DeadlineHollywoodDaily adds…
One of the factions within the Screen Actors Guild sent an e-mail to members of the union saying they should think twice before rushing into a strike, the Los Angeles Times reports. “In these historically difficult economic times, every reasonable…
Sports viewing is 20% higher in households that get high definition television service, USA Today says, citing a new report from Nielsen. Sports commentary is the most popular form of programming with HD viewers, the paper says. —Jon Lafayette
Mars’ Pedigree dog food is buying its first Super Bowl advertisement, in what may also be a first for the pet food industry, Advertising Age reports. NBC is asking $2.8 million to $3 million for a spot on the Feb….
Chicago Magazine takes a lengthy look at the story of Amy Jacobson, the TV reporter whose life has unraveled since a rival station aired videotape of her wearing a bathing suit while trying to secure an interview with a man…
Clint Stinchcomb, who launched Discovery Communication’s high-definition channel, is leaving the company after 16 years, TelevisionWeek reports. Discovery is integrating Discovery HD Theater into its emerging networks group. —Jon Lafayette
Jon Hamm says he has finished shooting a few episodes of “30 Rock,” playing the love interest of star Tina Fey’s character, the Associated Press says. “I just finished a couple of episodes, and I’ll go back in the new…
Eric Stoltz will play a serial killer who needs urgent medical help on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Entertainment Weekly reports. Stoltz has also directed several episodes of the ABC hit this season. —Jon Lafayette
Families are looking toward their televisions for entertainment, as more and more are staying home amid bleak economic conditions, a new survey said. In a survey of 1,026 adults commissioned by Verizon, 57% of them said they would look to…