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Monthly Archives : February 2009

‘Coraline’ Director Selick to Keynote NAB Show

“Coraline” director Henry Selick will be the featured keynote speaker at the NAB Show. Mr. Selick will speak on April 20 about digital technology and how it has helped to revitalize stop-motion animation. “Coraline” is the first stop-motion animated feature…

Hyundai Buys Eight Ads in Oscars

Hyundai is going for Oscar gold. The Korean car company said it will air eight commercials during Sunday’s Academy Awards broadcast on ABC. Longtime sponsors General Motors and L’Oreal reportedly have pulled out of the event, often referred to as…

Comcast to Speed Web to Millions

Comcast will make its so-called “wideband” high-speed Internet service available to more than 30 million homes by the end of the year, Multichannel News reports. The U.S. cable leader provides the service to 10 markets, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Boston and…

Scripps TV Revenue Rises on Political Ads

E.W. Scripps’ fourth-quarter television sales rose 2.1% on a jump in spending on political advertising, Broadcasting & Cable reports. Despite $26 million in revenue from political ads, overall revenue fell 6.2% because of newspaper declines, B&C says. —Danny King

CBS News Taps Ballabon to Head PR

CBS News hired former Primedia executive Jeff Ballabon as its senior VP of communications, Broadcasting & Cable says. Ballabon, who has been a private attorney in addition to heading public policy for Primedia, will oversee CBS News’ media and public…

Households Turned to NTIA Site for DTV Info

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s Web site received the most hits of any site related to the U.S. switchover to all-digital broadcasts, with about half the visits in the past month coming from households with annual income less than…

Doctor Is in Every Week at CBS.com

CBS will launch a weekly medical Webcast Thursday at 2 p.m., Broadcasting & Cable reports. “Doc Dot Com” will be hosted by CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook, B&C says. The network earlier this month launched a weekly Webcast…

‘Gossip Girl’ Is Good for Publicity

The CW’s “Gossip Girl” won the ICG Publicists’ showmanship award for achievement by media publicists and journalists, the Hollywood Reporter says. Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory”) also was feted at last night’s event in…

CBS Sports’ Nantz Named Sportscaster of the Year

The National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association has named CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz its 2008 National Sportscaster of the Year. The award, which is being bestowed for the 50th year, was voted on by 1,000 members of the NSSA. Mr. Nantz…

150 WGA Members Picket ‘Idol’

At least 150 members of the Writers Guild of America, West, picketed Fox’s “American Idol” on Wednesday, marching and chanting in front of CBS Television’s offices to protest reality and game-show working conditions, the Hollywood Reporter says. Their chants included…