Chuck Ross

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Chuck Ross is the managing director of TVWeek.com. He's been involved in the TV business ever since he sold cable TV subscriptions in Santa Monica, Calif., door-to-door in the mid-to-late 1970s. He's had regular gigs reporting and/or editing about TV and advertising for Cablevision magazine,The Hollywood Reporter, the San Francisco Chronicle, Inside Media and Advertising Age. He first joined the predecessor to TVWeek, Electronic Media, in 2000.

HBO Has Something New in Mind for Cinemax (Hint: It Wants to Shed Its ‘Skinemax’ Nickname)

HBO is quietly revamping its Cinemax sister channel, a process that is moving it away from the late-night, soft-core focus that earned it the nickname "Skinemax," the New York Post reports. After a transition that has been taking place since…

What’s With All the ‘Bitches’ and ‘Dicks’ in the Titles of New Pilots?

One of the trends taking shape for the fall 2011 television season involves projects with profane titles, says James Hibberd in EW.com’s Inside TV, who takes a look at what’s behind the trend. ABC has ordered the pilot "Good Christian…

Coming From Apple: Smaller, Cheaper iPhones

Apple is working on developing new versions of the iPhone that will be cheaper and smaller and are geared at competing with Google’s Android software, Bloomberg News reports. Apple’s also working on technology that makes it easier to use the…

Grammy Ratings Surpass Even Last Year’s Milestone

CBS’s telecast Sunday night of the Grammy Awards topped the high-water mark set by last year’s awards show, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen, TVbytheNumbers.com reported. The broadcast scored a 10.0 average rating in adults 18-49, up about 1% vs….

IFC Renews Comedy for Second Season

An IFC comedy series has received an order for a second season from the network, which wants 10 new episodes, Deadline.com reports. The season is scheduled to debut in January 2012. The show is Fred Armisen’s comedy series "Portlandia." Although…

She Played the Bunkers’ Neighbor and Laverne and Shirley’s Landlady; Sitcom, Broadway and Film Star Betty Garrett Dead at 91

Betty Garrett, an actress whose career ranged from Broadway shows to film musicals to television hits such as "All in the Family," has died, reports The New York Times. She was 91 and the cause was an aortic aneurysm, the…

GOP Spending Cuts Would Eliminate Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill that would eliminate dozens of programs, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The New York Times reports. The bill, which was put forward by the Appropriations Committee, was described by House Republicans as implementing…

‘Smallville’ Gets Its Villain for Series Finale

After a report that actor Michael Rosenbaum had been refusing to reprise his role as "Smallville" villain Lex Luthor, the actor has decided to return for the show’s two-hour finale in May, reports TVLine.com. "I’m delighted to return for the…

Disney Tones Down the Academics, Shifts Focus of Preschool-Targeted Programming

The Disney Channel is retiring its longtime preschool-oriented "Playhouse Disney" programming block in favor of "Disney Junior," a new name that brings with it an emphasis on programming that highlights social values, rather than teaching academics, reports the Los Angeles…

CNN’s Cooper: ‘Fear Has Been Defeated’ as Mubarak Steps Down

The news that Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak is stepping down was greeted with emotional responses around the world, and among those to react strongly was Anderson Cooper, who was attacked last week while on assignment in Cairo for CNN, Examiner.com…