Auto advertising is expected to decrease a 13th consecutive quarter when third-quarter results are announced in December, the Hollywood Reporter says. The auto industry accounts for about 12.5% of all U.S. ad spending. The continuous drops in spending will have…
Showtime’s drama pilot “Possible Side Effects” has added Jason Butler Harner to the cast, the Hollywood Reporter says. The Tim Robbins project focuses on a family that runs a pharmaceutical firm. Fox’s comedy pilot “Boldly Going Nowhere” has also added…
MTV is planning to hold an inaugural celebration that will feature live musical acts and stories from volunteers to encourage people to give donate their time to schools, churches and community institutions, TelevisionWeek says. The network is working with the…
The Democrats are returning to Washington. Now MTV is trying to take back its place in the sun at the presidential inauguration. Sixteen years ago, MTV’s Rock ’n’ Roll Inaugural Ball for Bill Clinton—featuring the Eagles, Don Henley and U2,…
The National Association of Broadcasters is issuing a warning to policy makers and Congress about the potential impact of ESPN’s winning exclusive rights to air most of the Bowl Championship Series. The new deal takes much of the series off…
In a sign of solidarity, rural America cable and telecommunications companies sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission opposing a petition filed by News Corp. in September requesting that the FCC relieve the media conglomerate from the strictures established…
Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert Christmas special drew 2.4 million viewers Sunday night. The ratings were no lump of coal for the network, but Colbert’s audience was elf-sized relative to the record 6.6 million viewers Comedy Central drew for the much…
David Rhodes has come on board at Bloomberg Television. The former VP of news for Fox News will be the head of the Bloomberg Television network in the Americas. “David Rhodes is one of the most dynamic young minds in…
The Federal Communications Commission judge presiding over the NFL Network’s access complaint against Comcast is retiring, Multichannel News reports. Judge Arthur Steinberg plans to retire effective Jan. 3, but several other judges, including chief administrative law judge Richard Sippel, plan…
Ion Media is teaming up with BET founder Robert L. Johnson for a new channel aimed at black audiences, TVNewsday reports. Urban Television will be 51% owned by Johnson and the remainder by Ion. The two media giants are asking…