Cable

GOP Spending Cuts Would Eliminate Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill that would eliminate dozens of programs, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The New York Times reports. The bill, which was put forward by the Appropriations Committee, was described by House Republicans as implementing…

Disney Tones Down the Academics, Shifts Focus of Preschool-Targeted Programming

The Disney Channel is retiring its longtime preschool-oriented "Playhouse Disney" programming block in favor of "Disney Junior," a new name that brings with it an emphasis on programming that highlights social values, rather than teaching academics, reports the Los Angeles…

CNN’s Cooper: ‘Fear Has Been Defeated’ as Mubarak Steps Down

The news that Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak is stepping down was greeted with emotional responses around the world, and among those to react strongly was Anderson Cooper, who was attacked last week while on assignment in Cairo for CNN, Examiner.com…

FCC to Tackle Retrans Consent in March

Retransmission consent is on the agenda of the Federal Communications Commission for its March 3 open meeting, B&C reports. The agency has been indicating it wants to change the rules governing retrans consent. On Thursday it revealed that the issue…

MGM Names New Boss of Domestic TV Distribution

MGM announced today that it has picked a new president of Domestic Television Distribution. Company Co-Chairmen and CEOs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum announced that John Bryan has been promoted to the position. Bryan is the executive vice president of…

Following Lohan’s Arraignment on Felony Grand Theft, All Anyone Seems to Be Talking About Is Her White Minidress

The judge at Lindsay Lohan’s arraignment Wednesday stressed the seriousness of the felony grand theft charge against her, but for the media and the public, it seems all anyone wants to talk about is her white minidress, MSNBC reports. Lohan,…

Forget Fox News and CNN. Here’s the News Channel We All Need to Be Watching

Forget Fox News and CNN. The news channel we all really need to watch, says TVWeek Open Mic Blogger and TV critic Aaron Barnhart, is Al Jazeera in English. Read why Barnhart thinks Al Jazeera is a must-see and why…

Meet ‘Charlie’s Angels’ New Bosley–He’s Got ‘GQ Looks and Peter Pan Smile’

The new Bosley has been cast for ABC’s ‘"Charlie’s Angels," and he’s an actor who has what Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com describes as "GQ looks and Peter Pan smile," The part will be played by Ramon Rodriguez, who has appeared in…

Today’s Must Read–More on the Brouhaha Between Fox Affiliates and Fox Networks on Retrans and a Program Fee. We Have Two Letters You Have to Read, Plus Links to a Hot Interview and Sensible Commentary

It’s clearly the subject of the week: the ruckus between Fox and its affiliates about a program fee the network wants to charge since stations get retransmission fees. First, like a few other publications that cover the TV industry, we have…

Will a Sport With a ‘Rabid and Growing Fan Base’ Catch on Here in the U.S.? NBC Sure Hopes So

NBC is hoping a sport it says has a "rabid and growing fan base" will catch on with U.S. viewers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC Sports and Universal Sports will air more than 15 hours of live coverage of…