The stimulus package may provide funds to help the National Institutes of Health conduct research on the effects of violence in the media, according to researcher Dale Kunkel, Multichannel News reports. “I would be very surprised if we don’t see…
National Association of Broadcasters President David Rehr wrote to President Barack Obama to thank him for repeating his opposition to reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, Broadcasting & Cable reports. “Any attempts to re-impose the Fairness Doctrine would harm, not help, this…
Michael Apted, president of the Directors Guild of America, has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II for his career in the film and television industries, Daily Variety reports. The queen made Apted a Companion of the Order of St. Michael…
Derek Luke (“Antwone Fisher”) has been cast as a trauma doctor in NBC’s pilot “Trauma,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Separately, Guillermo Diaz has been tapped for a role in “Mercy,” another NBC medical pilot, the trade paper says. I —Aimee…
British actor Christina Cole has been hired to play the lead in Fox’s untitled Ian Biederman pilot, the Hollywood Reporter says. She’ll play a surgeon with adult-onset schizophrenia, the trade paper said. In other casting news, Cole Hauser has been…
As expected, Discovery Communications on Thursday officially announced the appointment of Laura Michalchyshyn as president and general manager of its Planet Green network. The network will have offices in New York and Silver Spring, Md., where Discovery is based. Ms….
CBS is close to ordering the 19h and 20th editions of Mark Burnett’s venerable reality series “Survivor,” TelevisionWeek reports. The nine-year-old show is demonstrating surprising ratings strength this season, TVWeek says. —Jon Lafayette
Talk show host Jay Leno appeared before the Writers Guild of America’s trial committee to address charges he broke the union’s rules during last year’s strike, the Los Angeles Times reports. Leno said he was writing his own monologues during…
With the presidential campaign no longer funneling viewers to cable news networks, shows whose hosts have strong points of view are seeing their ratings rise, the Assocated Press reports. Fox News Channel and MSNBC were up in February, while CNN…
Jerry Seinfeld is coming back to NBC with a reality show, TelevisionWeek reports, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Seinfeld’s new show “The Marriage Ref” features celebrities trying to help couples solve real-life problems, the paper says. —Jon Lafayette