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Yearly Archives : 2008

‘ER’ Creator Crichton Dies at 66

Best-selling author Michael Crichton died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66. He had been privately battling cancer, CBS News reports. The author of “Jurassic Park” and creator of “ER,” whose father, John Henderson Crichton, was executive editor at TelevisionWeek…

GLAAD ‘Disheartened’ by ‘Grey’s’ Exit

With Brooke Smith exiting ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” after the Nov. 6 episode, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is saddened to see her character, Dr. Erica Hahn, go, given the current dearth of gay, lesbian and bisexual characters on…

More Ad Regulation Expected Under Obama

With Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday night, pharmaceutical companies and advertising groups fear there may be more restrictions placed on their direct-to-consumer advertising once the senator takes office in January, Advertising Age reports. Given Obama’s campaign promise to reform healthcare, changes…

Blonsky to Make Friends With ‘Betty’

Nikki Blonsky, star of last year’s feature film “Hairspray,” will guest star on ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” TV Guide reports. Blonsky’s character will be an assistant at Mode magazine’s rival, Elle, who befriends America Ferrera’s Betty on the episode. The role,…

What Obama Means to Ads and TV

Now that the election’s over and Sen. Barack Obama is the president-elect, the real fighting can begin. With the Democrats riding to victory with promises of change, it’s a safe bet the next Congress and administration will look to make…

Time Warner Earnings Flat; Sales Rise at Cable Nets

Time Warner reported basically flat financial results for the third quarter, and said it was adjusting its full-year business outlook downward in the face of a “challenging economic environment.” Revenue rose at the company’s cable networks. Net income totaled $1.07…

Election Will be Missed by Local TV

Local television stations are bracing for a rough 2009 now that the election is over, the Boston Globe reports. According to data from advertising tracker TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, stations in Massachusetts and nearby New Hampshire received $23 million this year…

Adult Swim Expands an Hour With ‘King’

Turner Broadcasting’s Adult Swim, the late-night program block on Cartoon Network, will be expanding by a hour beginning in January. Adult Swim will start at 10 p.m. and run through 6 a.m. under the new schedule. It now appears from…

Networks Call Obama Victory

Television networks at 11 p.m. EST called Sen. Barack Obama the winner of an election campaign that generated huge voter turnout and big ratings, TelevisionWeek reports. As early as 9 p.m., CBS quoted an aid to Republican John McCain as…

Obama Policies May Target AT&T, Comcast

With an Obama administration on the way, AT&T and Comcast may find some of their business practices under scrutiny, Bloomberg reports. The Democrat favors “net neutrality” by Internet service providers. The policy is favored by Internet-based business such as Google,…