Washington Post Co.’s first-quarter sales from cable television operations rose 5% as the company took a loss, Broadcasting & Cable says. Magazine and newspaper sales fell 14% and 22% from a year earlier, respectively, B&C reports. —Danny King
IFC is launching a campaign called “Make Media Matter,” which is designed to raise awareness about the role the media plays in society, Multichannel News reports. Journalists, scholars and public officials will participate in the campaign, which launches this spring…
Mark Burnett Prods. has agreed to sell the format of the Starz comedy “Head Case” in other countries, where each version would feature home-country celebrities, Daily Variety reports. Burnett is talking with broadcasters in Argentina, the U.K. and Colombia about…
The original storyline for AMC’s “Breaking Bad” called for Aaron Paul’s character to meet a violent end at the conclusion of season one, USA Today reports. “I didn’t realize the depth, humor and pathos Aaron could bring,” series creator Vince…
The Disney Channel is hoping “Wizards of Waverly Place” will be the network’s next tween blockbuster, following in the footsteps of “Hannah Montana,” the Hollywood Reporter says. The network has picked up a third season of the comedy series, which…
A man accused of stalking talk show host Tyra Banks, as well as a producer of her show, was convicted of misdemeanor in a New York City court, the New York Times reports. Brady Green, a 39-year-old supermarket employee, will…
Anne Heche and Thomas Jane will star in “Hung,” an HBO series about an out-of-luck high school teacher that’s set to debut June 28, TheFutonCritic.com reports. The series’ pilot episode will be directed by “Sideways” and “About Schmidt” director Alexander…
Forbes and E! Entertainment have extended their partnership to produce specials and pilots through 2010. The partnership calls for the production of eight hourlong celebrity specials and two half-hour celebrity lifestyle pilots. The specials will be broadcast in HD and…
Comcast and the NFL said they are having “productive discussions” and that the NFL Network will continue to be carried on Comcast systems beyond tonight’s expiration of their current agreement. “We are working to find a solution that works for…
Verizon’s FiOS television service has expanded its availability in Southern California to more than 1 million homes spanning 83 cities, Multichannel News reports. Last year, Verizon, which offers more than 600 channels of programming on FiOS, spent more than $715…