Biz Briefs
Time Warner on Wednesday swung to a third-quarter profit of $541 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with year-earlier red ink of $55 million, or 1 cent a share, as gains at the company’s television networks and cable units…
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Calling for Laughter
Don’t bother to tell the creators of Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!,” the wacky cops-and-perps sendup heavy on trailer park trash and precinct love affairs, that its unscripted format has whiffs of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”“Neither Ben nor I have cable TV-we…
Creepy Camera
Allen Funt, TV’s original hidden-camera prankster, is probably rolling in his grave. “Scare Tactics,” the Sci Fi Channel’s creepy hit, catches people in the act of being scared (figuratively) to death. Friends set up unwitting marks in terrifying, staged situations…
QVC Stars, NBC Team on Syndie Pilot
Jane Pauley may not be the only new face on NBC-owned television stations next season. NBC Enterprises has signed a deal with QVC personalities Nick Chavez and Stacey Schieffelin to host a syndicated makeover half-hour.The project is one of three…
The Ratings Wizard
Monday, Oct. 13, 2003-Sunday, Oct. 19, 2003TV Season Week No. 4Powered by stellar Major League Baseball playoff game ratings, Fox won six of the seven nights last week in adults 18 to 49 and total viewers. Fox finished first for…
Encoda Refocuses as Customers Stray
Encoda, a prominent provider of sales, traffic, programming and financial systems for the broadcast industry, has had to redirect its energies due to heightened competition over the past three years from next-generation traffic providers such as WideOrbit, VCI, OSI and…
Editorial: Schwarzenegger a Blessing in Disguise?
Whatever the Arnold Schwarzenegger era brings to California’s state government, his election as governor is already bringing one positive effect: Broadcasters, at least in California, have begun to pay closer attention to government affairs.Evidence that stations are moving in that…
‘Hours’ Powers Cable Nets
Continuing efforts to aggressively ramp up their theatrical acquisition activity, A&E Networks and Lifetime Television have cut deals with Paramount Domestic Television to share the broadcast window for the feature film “The Hours,” which received nine Academy Award nominations and…
Quick Takes
“The scariest person on TV is Carrot Top. Have you seen him? He’s positively demonic! The scariest show on TV is `Dark Stars’ on The Biography Channel. I would hate to have Nick Nolte or Gary Busey show up at…
Rollback Effort Showing Signs of Life
The congressional effort to repeal new Federal Communications Commission ownership rules, which many said was dead for this year, is showing new signs of life. More than 200 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including at least nine Republicans,…