Logo

Author Page

Chuck Ross 38,865 Entries
Chuck Ross

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.

Palin Accepts Letterman’s Apology

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has accepted David Letterman’s apology for jokes the late-night host made about her daughter on his show last week, ABC News reports. In part Palin said, in a statement, “Of course it’s accepted on behalf of…

Double Surprise: Replacement Miss Calif. Also Opposed to Gay Marriage and Pageant Threatening to Sue Fired Miss Calif. Unless She Shuts Up

The new Miss California, Tami Farrell—like the person she’s just replaced, Carrie Prejean, who was fired—is against gay marriage, advocate.com reports. In a television interview Farrell said she is not a supporter of marriage equality, but "I don’t think I…

A 72-Year-Old Man, an 18-Year-Old Model and the Battle of the Media Titans

A potentially major conflict between two of the world’s most powerful media giants, Rupert Murdoch and Silvio Berlisconi, over the future of pay-TV in Italy is getting personal between the two men, the New York Times reports. In the latest…

All Four ‘American Idol’ Judges Said to Be Returning

No formal announcement is imminent, but RadarOnline.com says that all four “American Idol” judges will return next season. There had been speculation that either Paula Abdul or Kara DioGuardi wouldn’t return; the new four-judge format this season was seen by…

Single-Sponsor Ad Pods for Hallmark Channel

Mutual of Omaha will be the first sponsor in a new Hallmark Channel ad format that allows a single advertiser in a commercial pod, Variety says. Called “Fast Break,” the pods, designed to break through ad clutter, give a single…

No Hope for Future of TV Business, Says a Former Major Wall St. Analyst

A story entitled “Sorry, There’s No Way to Save the TV Business” has been posted by Henry Blodget at his blog, businessinsider.com. Blodget was one of the leading analysts on Wall St. during the Internet boom who was later barred from…

Jon and Kate’s Antics Are, Sadly, a TV Repeat From 1973

Watching the latest installment of the train wreck that was once the compelling and illuminating “Jon and Kate Plus 8” reminds those of us who are baby boomers that we’ve seen this show before. It was one of the first…

The Killing Effects of the Digital TV Transition

 Getting rid of millions of old TVs could spell serious environment trouble, the New York Times reports, especially if, as expected, many of them get shipped to Africa and China for waste processing. There are so many old TVs being…

Maybe This Upcoming Show Should Be Called ‘Families Feud’

CBS and reality producer Mike Fleiss have “walled off” eight homes in an Atlanta suburb for a new reality show called “Block Party. A report by former TVWeek reporter James Hibberd says “the families in will be trapped inside the…

Susan Boyle Charging Huge Six-Figure $$ For 12 Minutes of Singing; She’ll Average More Than Pres. Clinton per Appearance

Susan Boyle, the singing phenomenon who finished in second place on this season’s “Britain’s Got Talent,” is charging corporate clients $163,524 for a 12-minute set, the News of the World in the United Kingdom is reporting. By comparison, former President…