Why ‘American Idol’ Is in Trouble
This week we’re down to the final 24 "American Idol" wannabes, and TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross sees trouble on the horizon. Click here to read why. –Tom Gilbert
Cable
Storm of Controversy: ESPN’s Kornheiser Gets Two-Week Suspension for Calling His Colleague a ‘Holden Caulfield Fantasy’
ESPN suspended “Pardon the Interruption” host Tony Kornheiser for two weeks for comments he made about the wardrobe of another ESPN host, Hannah Storm, the New York Daily News reports. Last week, when the “SportsCenter” host wore a fitted red…
‘Idol’ Contracts Reveal Financial Terms for Contestants; Kris Allen Got at Least $650,000 from Show, Not Including the ‘Idol’ Tour
Copies of last year’s contracts with “American Idol” contestants filed in a California state court give a glimpse into just how much money the top contenders can make, The New York Times reports. Last year’s winner, Kris Allen, earned at…
Cable Operator To Offer Service That Will Allow Subscribers to Move Content, in Real Time, From Computer to TV
On of the biggest changes in hardware in recent years has been the ability of new TV sets to include the ability to hook up to the Internet. Now comes word that New York cable operator Cablevision plans to offer…
ABC News Announces Cutbacks of 25 Percent of Staff; With the Departure of 300 to 400 People, ABC News President Calls Cuts a ‘Fundamental Transformation’ of News Division
ABC News said it will reduce its news-gathering staff by 300 to 400 people, which is about 25 percent of its staff of about 1,500 people, The New York Times reports. The cuts will be made by offering buyouts, and…
Talent Getting Squeezed by New Network and TV Studio Deals
So-called “test deals” are helping TV studios and networks trim costs this pilot season, to the dismay of the talent side of the business, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Talent is being asked to sign contracts for pilots and series even…
Kiefer Sutherland Returns to ’24’
It took two weeks rather than one, but Kiefer Sutherland has returned to the set of Fox’s “24,” the Associated Press reports. Production was shut down for two weeks while the show’s star recovered from treatment for what the L.A….
Peter Chernin Scouting a Cable Channel Acquisition
Former top News Corp. executive Peter Chernin has hired three business development executives for his new company and has his eyes set on acquiring a cable channel, the Los Angeles Times reports. Cable channels that are thought to be for…
C-SPAN Joining Cablevision’s Request to Overturn Must-Carry
C-SPAN is supporting Cablevision’s request that the Supreme Court overturn must-carry rules, calling them “a relic of the past,” B&C reports. According to the article, "The cable public affairs channel, which must compete with those TV stations for channel space,…
Tough to Handicap Judges in Rehearing of FCC Imposed Fine on CBS For Janet Jackson Breast Reveal
The leanings of the judges were hard to read in Tuesday’s appeals court re-hearing of the FCC-imposed CBS 2004 Super Bowl indecency fine, B&C reports. The case is about Janet Jackson’s famous "wardrobe malfunction" during the halftime show, wherein viewers…