USA Network has purchased the network rights for Universal Pictures’ 2009 theatrical releases, an agreement worth at least $200 million, Daily Variety reports. The deal, likely one of the biggest in basic-cable, includes 24 movies such as Oscar nominees “Frost/Nixon”…
Former Universal Media Studios president Katherine Pope will work as a consulting producer for Fox’s drama “Lie to Me,” her first job since leaving NBC Universal’s TV studio in December, the Hollywood Reporter says. Pope will support the show”s creator…
Even as consumers are spending more time than ever online—including an increasing amount of time watching digital video—they’re also spending a record amount of time watching old-fashioned television, the New York Times says. The answer to this apparent paradox is…
NBC wouldn’t let its owned stations show Miller High Life’s much-ballyhooed 1-second spot during the Super Bowl, Advertising Age reports. The spot made fun of Anheuser-Busch for spending $3 million for 30 seconds on commercials during the NBC Super Bowl…
Major League Baseball will be going high-definition online with a new video player on MLB.TV, the New York Times reports. The new player also will act like a digital video recorder, allowing viewers to stop and rewind exciting plays. —Jon…
Sportscaster Scott Van Pelt was suspended for making a series of comments about Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig after Selig’s $17.5 million salary was disclosed, USA Today says. Also suspended was Golf Channel’s Andrew Magee over a sexually suggestive…
A man from Sri Lanka has broken his own Guinness world record for longest time spent watching television, the Associated Press reports. Suresh Joachim, who watched three seasons of “24” in Stockholm, said he drank between 25 and 30 cups…
The lineup for the next season of “Dancing With the Stars” includes singer Jewel and her husband rodeo champ Ty Murray, USA Today says. Other contestants include Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, Lil’ Kim, Steve-O and Lawrence Taylor. —Jon Lafayette
Walt Disney Co. is expected to announce a distribution deal with studio DreamWorks SKG after NBC Universal pulled out of a similar deal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deal includes programming opportunities on Starz Entertainment, the paper says. —Jon…
Three TV specials will air this week as President Lincoln’s 200th birthday this week, the Washington Post reports. PBS’ “Looking for Lincoln” looks a the conflicting aspects of the 16th president; “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln,” also on PBS, looks…