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Tom Gilbert 4,032 Entries
Tom Gilbert

Versus to Debut ‘Fanarchy’

The sports cable network Versus is creating a weekly program debuting June 7 called “Fanarchy,” which will give seven sports fans the chance to appear via Webcam and opine, Daily Variety reports. The two fans will be eliminated each week,…

Redstone Joins Recovery Chorus

Sumner Redstone joined Rupert Murdoch in saying there are signs that an economic recovery is near, TelevisionWeek. Redstone made his comments during CBS’ conference call discussing its $55.3 million loss in the first quarter. Meanwhile, CBS CEO Les Moonves said…

ABC Picks Up ‘Modern Family’

ABC ordered its first new series, picking up the comedy “Modern Family,” the Los Angeles Times reports. The show, shot as if it were being chronicled by a Dutch documentary crew, stars Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland and Sophia…

Cablevision Eyes Spin-off

Cablevision Systems says it will explore spinning off its Madison Square Garden business, TelevisionWeek reports. The move, announced along with a strong first quarter earnings report, could be part of the Dolan family’s endgame for the company they founded, TVWeek…

Study Looks at TV and Sex

The Washington Post takes a closer look at a recent survey looking for links between what kids watch on TV and their sexual behavior. “Because this study contained both the words ‘television’ and ‘sex,’ it got a lot of pickup…

PBS Takes Sponsors Week by Week

PBS is willing to take sponsorship money on as short as a weekly basis because marketing budgets are tight, the New York Times reports. Until now, PBS’ sponsorship group offered only full-year sponsorships, the paper says. —Jon Lafayette

ABC Taps Aisha Tyler for Talk Show

ABC is creating a pilot of “The Aisha Tyler Show,” a hybrid that will include talk show elements with comedy segments and other typical late-night elements, the Hollywood Reporter says. Fans will also be able to send messages to Tyler…

DirecTV Pays Price for Subscription Gain

DirecTV added 460,000 new subscribers in the first quarter, but its earnings fell 46%, the Wall Street Journal reports. The subscriber growth marked a four-year high. “Perhaps the only quibble will be whether they achieved the growth via undue discounting,’…

Senate Delays Hearing on FCC Boss

Confirmation hearings for Julius Genachowski as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission have been put off until after Labor Day by the Senate Commerce Committee, Dow Jones reports. The delay means Genachowski might not be in place until after broadcasters…

‘Guitar Hero’ May Become TV Show

The video game “Guitar Hero” could become a television reality show as well as a concert tour, the Hollywood Reporter says, citing people familiar with the negotiations. Video game maker Activision Blizzard wants to convert some of its games into…