News powered NBC’s early days
It was 1950. My friends, even my parents, thought me odd to leave a good job on a major newspaper for this new television thing. TV was still for watching baseball in bars, and the few people one knew who…
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Graves plans departure
The Advanced Television Systems Committee announced a reorganization last week under which ATSC Chairman Robert Graves will step down Jan. 1 and Mark Richer, the group’s executive director, will become ATSC president.In a statement, ATSC, an industry group charged with…
Breaking News Archives
Media execs to meet White House halfway on war effort Television and film industry executives are attempting a complicated balancing act: help the government get its message out about the war effort without compromising the free expression of the creative…
KDKA cheating on spots
KDKA-TV, the CBS owned-and-operated TV station in Pittsburgh, has been caught compressing a recent live NFL game in order to insert an extra local 30-second commercial into the broadcast. The NFL said the action was in violation of CBS’s NFL…
At Press Time
`Patterson’ gets the axLos Angeles-ABC has canceled the Jason Alexander-led sitcom “Bob Patterson” after five weeks on the air and a move two weeks ago from 9 p.m. (ET) Tuesday to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. In “Patterson’s” place, ABC will be…
Briefly Noted
Broadcasters OK total-carriage planThe National Association of Broadcasters TV board last week approved a plan that could free cable operators from any obligation to carry both the analog and the digital signals of television stations during the transition to digital….
Syndication Ratings: Dating strips, reality and newsmags stay hot
Without the help of access clearances, a true New York outlet or even additional cable runs to bolster its ratings, Telepictures Distribution’s rookie “Elimidate” continued to draw a crowd, according to Nielsen Media Research for the week ending Oct. 21….
Time Machine shoehorns extra spots into shows
About 100 TV stations have bought the Time Machine, a device manufactured by Prime Image that makes it easy for stations to shrink the size of programs to add in more commercial time.The San Jose, Calif.-based company’s Web site says…
TV IN TRANSITION: Diller could foil Messier
Barry Diller owns it. Vivendi Universal Chairman Jean-Marie Messier wants it: USA Networks’ domestic television production and distribution platform, off of which Vivendi Universal could leverage its film, music and other properties.However, Mr. Diller has no intention of selling or…
Out & About
Dick Wolf at the Alliance for Children’s Rights Dinner.At the Alliance for Children’s Rights Dinner on Oct. 29 are, above, NBC’s Scott Sassa, left, “West Wing” star Rob Lowe and Warner Bros. Television’s Peter Roth. At left are “Weakest Link”…