Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Richard Wiley sees a relatively smooth transition ahead, both on the digital front and in the political arena, as a new Democratic-controlled FCC takes over just as the DTV conversion goes into effect nationwide, Broadcasting…
Kansas City, Mo., station KCWE-TV, a Hearst-Argyle-owned CW affiliate, will shut down its analog broadcast on Dec. 19, making the switch to digital two months ahead of the national deadline, TVNewsday reports. The early conversion “will provide local viewers with…
Showtime says it ordered a third season of its David Duchovny series “Californication.” Production will resume in the spring on 12 episodes expected to air late next year. “It wouldn’t be Showtime without a yearly dose of ‘Californication,’” Robert Greenblatt,…
iN Demand Networks is bringing back “The Yule Log” on Dec. 8 due to popular demand. The high-definition “Yule Log,” featuring a crackling fireplace and holiday music, is available free to Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable and Bright House…
CBS affiliate WCAX-TV in Montpelier, Vt., laid off five employees this week, citing lower advertising revenues attributable to the recession, the state’s Times Argus newspaper reports. Included in the cuts at the family-owned station were some on-air staffers, according to…
As the TV ad market erodes, TV station collection agencies are experiencing a growth spurt, MediaDailyNews reports. Increasingly, advertisers are placing themselves under bankruptcy protection, forcing stations to seek help in collecting unpaid advertising bills. As a result, the site…
Television ad spending is expected to decline by 4.2% in 2009, according to eMarketer, but the television industry has a less bleak forecast than do newspapers, magazines and radio. The eMarketer report cites other forecasts, ranging from a predicted 4.0%…
The proliferation of digital broadcast channels is increasing demand for children’s educational programming, TVNewsday reports. As stations approach the Feb. 17 deadline for digital conversion, many are adding digital channels and in the process are increasing their FCC-mandated obligation to…
The effects of deep cuts in foreign news operations were evident as U.S. news organizations tried to mobilize resources to cover last week’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, Broadcasting & Cable reports. Even with the presence of high-tech equipment, coverage…