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Citadel and DirecTV Continue Retransmission Negotiations, Keeping ABC Affiliates Beaming (for now)

Citadel Communications and DirecTV are continuing their retransmission negotiations, keeping three Citadel television stations beaming to DirecTV subscribers until 1 p.m. Central time on April 1, B&C reports. Citadel called the talks "productive" in a statement, THR says. As earlier…

It’s The Hottest Viral Video on the ‘net: a Wildly Inappropriate Version of ‘Scarface’ Done as a Kid’s School Play. Is It Real or Fake?

In the latest viral video making the Internet rounds, grade school children are seemingly putting on a performance of "Scarface," complete with popcorn standing in for the iconic image of Tony Montana’s mountain of cocaine. The video has garnered more than 1.3 million…

Retrans Battle: ABC Affiliates in Des Moines and Lincoln (Nebraska) Plus CBS Affiliate In Davenport, Iowa, All Set to Go Dark on DirecTV at Midnight

In the latest battle over retransmission fees, three TV stations are set to go dark on DirecTV tonight (Wednesday, March 31) at midnight, B&C reports. The stations, WOI, KLKN and WHBF, respectively, are all owned by Citadel Communications. According to…

Video: On Leno’s Show Joy Behar Speaks Her Mind about Glenn Beck

LA-Based Location Filming Rebound Versus First Quarter Last Year

Workers in the California-based film and television production industry have struggled as of late as a writers strike, an economic downturn and emigrating jobs have put a pinch on area work. However, the industry is regaining its footing somewhat as…

ESPN Gets to Show Tiger Live When He Tees Off at the Masters, But Aren’t Allowed to Broadcast All of His Round Live

ESPN will be able to braodcast, live, Tiger Woods teeing off at The Masters golf tournament next Thursday, April 8, but it cannot broadcast, live, his entire round, reports the New York Times. The Masters is aware of the high interest in Woods return, but they…

LL Cool J Complains About Being Included In Palin-hosted Special, So Fox News Drops His Segment From the Show

Fox News has opted to remove an interview with rapper LL Cool J from the premiere episode of "Real American Stories," hosted by Sarah Palin, after complaints surfaced from the rapper, the New York Times reports. LL Cool J, whose…

On Screen Video Bug of ‘V’ Countdown Clock Ticks Off ‘Lost’ Co-Creator, Viewers

During the broadcast of Tuesday night’s (March 30) episode of "Lost," ABC ran a countdown clock "bug" in the lower right corner of the screen to alert viewers to the return of "V." The bug really, well, "bugged" the co-creator of "Lost"…

Emmy Award-Winning Writer David Mills Dies Suddenly at Age 48

David Mills, an Emmy-award winning writer/co-executive producer working on David Simon’s new HBO series "Treme," died of an aneurysm while on set Tuesday night, according to The Washington Post. Mills, whose credits include writing for "The Wire," "Homicide: Life on the…

MUST READ: Nielsen Changing Definiton of ‘Average Audience’ Ratings. It’s Important Because That Definition, Commonly Called ‘Reach’ in Ad Circles, Is Relied on By Advertisers Who Spend $80 Billion Annually To Advertise on TV

Here’s an eye-opener, reported by Joe Mandese, who is hands down the best journalist covering the business of media measurement in the country. This is the startling opening paragraph of the article Mandese has written in Media Daily News: "In a…