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Monthly Archives : February 2009

Former BET Chief Questions TV One Filing

Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson questioned a TV One filing with the Federal Communications Commission opposing Johnson’s efforts to start a new urban network, Multichannel News says. The former BET chief, in a letter to TV One Chairman Alfred…

Voting Opens for Hulu Awards

Hulu is launching its inaugural Hulu Awards, honoring some of the best videos on the Web site. Voting starts today in multiple categories and will last for two weeks. The winners will be announced March 12, which marks Hulu’s one…

Martha 4Q Broadcast Sales Fall 8%

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s fourth-quarter broadcast sales fell about 8% from a year earlier to $11.1 million on declining advertising revenue, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The company, which estimated 2009 broadcast revenue to be about equal to last year’s sales,…

Activision Shops $200 Million Account

Activision Blizzard, the world’s largest videogame publisher, is shopping its $200 million global-media account, which is now fulfilled by Publicis Groupe’s MediaVest unit, Adweek reports. While MediaVest will try to keep the account, Havas’ MPG and Omnicom’s OMD are among…

‘Lost’ Isn’t About to Lose Lilly

Evangeline Lilly’s representatives denied reports that she would leave ABC’s “Lost” before it’s scheduled to wrap up in May 2010, Entertainment Weekly reports. While Web site Zap2it.com had reported that Lilly was looking to be added to the cast of…

Senate Passes Fairness Doctrine Bill

The Senate today moved to ban the Federal Communications Commission from reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine, stuffing the measure into legislation that would give the District of Columbia its own congressman. The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to offer equal time to…

ESPN, FIBA Sign Three-Year Deal

ESPN and FIBA, the world basketball governing body, have signed a three-year agreement that gives ESPN exclusive English-language distribution rights through 2011. ESPN will carry live games in the U.S. for international men’s basketball tournaments, including the 2009 and 2011…

Local Ad Spending to Fall Through 2013

Local advertising spending in the U.S. will fall by 1.4% a year through 2013 on the combination of the economic downturn and more interactive advertising spending, AdWeek says, citing a study by BIA and Kelsey Group. Spending on so-called traditional…

GM to Cut ’09 Marketing Spending

General Motors will cut 2009 marketing spending by $800 million, by reducing vehicle incentives, after taking a $9.6 billion loss in the fourth quarter Advertising Age reports. The automaker in December said that by 2012, it would decrease advertising and…

Cablevision Has 4Q Loss on Newsday Charge

New York-based Cablevision Systems had a fourth-quarter loss after writing down the value of its Newsday newspaper, which it bought in July, by $402 million, the Associated Press reports. The company’s television, Internet and telephone service businesses had a 7%…