"ABC’s special Charlie Sheen edition of 20/20 (3.3/10 in adults 18-49, 9.5 million viewers) was the top-rated program among adults 18-49 at 10 PM last night," writes our friend Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com. The article continues, "It almost doubled its…
Walt Disney Co., Universal Studios, Yahoo! Inc. and others are objecting to Blockbuster’s proposed auction, saying that the sale benefits a group of lenders at the expense of other creditors, reports Bloomberg. The objections were filed yesterday, creating a dispute…
Recent media coverage of Charlie Sheen raises some questions, writes James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times. Top media networks "have been relentless in recent days in aiding and abetting the epic meltdown of a celebrity who happens to be the…
Ed Burns is slated to star in a new pilot from "Entourage" creator Doug Ellin, reports Daily Variety.. [Note: Variety is behind a fire wall and may charge you to see its story.] The pilot, for HBO, is tentatively titled…
Sundance plans to double its nonfiction programming in 2011, reports B&C. The idea, Sundance says, is to serve "poptimist" viewers — people who are between the mainstream and emerging culture, according to the article. Sundance announced the plans at its upfront…
"Turner Sports, in conjunction with the NCAA, announced today the launch of a series of interactive initiatives to promote the first-ever National Bracket Day™ on Monday, March 14. The day is designated to celebrate the upcoming NCAA Division I Men’s…
The NCAA men’s college basketball tournament–better known as March Madness–has almost sold out all of its commercial time, reports Brian Steinberg in Advertising Age. According to John Bogusz, executive vice president of sales and marketing at CBS Sports, and Jon…
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are beginning negotiations on Thursday for a new film and TV contract, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Company Town blog. The guild’s current contract expires on…
The Federal Communications Commission has been dismissing indecency complaints against television stations and programs, according to one of its commissioners, B&C reported. Commissioner Robert McDowell says the complaints stand in the way of pending license renewals, and the dismissals should…
Showtime is giving second-season renewals to two comedies, UPI.com reports. The shows are William H. Macy’s show "Shameless" and Matt LeBlanc’s return to sitcoms, "Episodes." In a statement, David Nevins, president of Entertainment at Showtime Networks, said, "The viewer loyalty…