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Daily Archives : Dec 6, 2010

One of the Big Reasons ‘Monday Night Football’ Became Not Only Popular, But a Cultural Touch Point in the 1970s, Was The Banter Between Howard Cosell and Don Meredith; ‘Dandy’ Don Dead at 72

Don Meredith, early Dallas Cowboys quarterback and an original member of ABC’s "Monday Night Football" team, died of a brain hemorrhage Sunday in Santa Fe, N.M., according to the Associated Press. He was 72. "Dandy Don," as he came to…

The New York Times Says Under What Conditions the Government Should Approve the Comcast-NBC Universal Deal

The New York Times, in an editorial, called on the government to impose certain conditions if it is to approve Comcast’s takeover of NBC Universal, writes John Eggerton in Multichannel News. According to Multichannel, the Times’ editorial, published today, Monday,…

Some Theories About Why the NFL Is So Popular On TV This Season

"Since the TV season began last September, there has been only one game in town — the NFL. It’s no longer just the players on the field shattering records. A dramatic increase in viewers has given football its highest ratings…

ESPN Study Throws Cold Water on ‘Cord-Cutting’ Fears

A new ESPN study of "cord-cutting," or consumer disconnection from cable TV service, has concluded that such cancellations are currently a “very minor” phenomenon, the New York Times reports. "The study provides a new answer, or at least a new…

What Happens When Subscribers to Cable or Satellite or Phone Company-Supplied TV Cancel Those Services and Go Back to Receiving Over-The-Air Stations With Rabbit Ears

In a feature article about consumers who have abandoned pay TV services to return to getting over-the-air channels there is some evidence pointing to the folks who do this are "20-somethings who pair over-the-air and Internet programming," reports The New…

Show Can’t Go On: Stunt Mishap Thwarts Justin Bieber Appearance on German TV

Performances by Justin Bieber and Take That on "Wanna Bet?," Germany’s top TV variety show, were canceled after an amateur stuntman was severely injured during a stunt staged during the live show’s broadcast, The Hollywood Reporter reports. The 23-year-old man was trying…

Hedge Fund Willing to Fund a Borders Buyout Attempt of Troubled Barnes & Noble. Dunno About You, But of These Two Giants, We’ve Always Liked the Gestalt of Barnes & Noble Better

A hedge fund is willing to help the Borders book chain bid for its troubled rival, Barnes & Noble, Bloomberg reports. According to the article, "Williamn Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management LP said they may collaborate on an offer for the bookstore…

Is Online Voting Coming to ‘American Idol?’

Rumors started flying on the Internet last week that there will be online voting on "American Idol" this season. For example, TVSquad reports that "According to Reality Blurred, some intrepid ‘AI’ sleuths have deduced how the field will be narrowed…

As ‘Dexter’ Continues to Kill in the Ratings, Showtime Renews Series for Season Six

Showtime has renewed its hit series "Dexter" for another season, the show’s sixth. Meanwhile, "The fifth season of the series is on pace to set a Nielsen-best for the show, reports our friend Tom Umstead in Multichannel News. Dexter’s Nov. 28th episode…

Actors Unions Approve New Film & TV Contract

The joint board of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists overwhelmingly approved a recently negotiated film and TV contract on Saturday that will provide members with modest pay raises and an increase in employer contributions to their…