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MTV Taps Friedman as General Manager

Stephen K. Friedman has been named general manager of MTV, MTV Networks announced Thursday. Mr. Friedman will continue to oversee mtvU, of which he was general manager. He also will be responsible for MTV.com, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, MTV Hits and…

CNN’s Holograms Not Actual Holograms

The life-size holograms CNN ushered out on Election Night weren’t really holograms, Canada’s CBC News reports. Interviews with projected images of CNN reporter Jessica Yellin and rapper Will.I.Am didn’t feature holograms because anchors Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper were speaking…

Post-Election Changes Made at Cable News Nets

With the election over, the cable news networks unveiled new programming lineups and personnel changes on Wednesday, Daily Variety reports. MSNBC launched a new on-air tagline—“The Power of Change”—that lifts heavily from President-elect Barack Obama’s historic campaign victory, the newspaper…

Q3 Revenue Up, Net Loss Down at Crown Media

Crown Media, which owns Hallmark Channel, lowered its net loss in the third quarter as revenue rose 17%. Crown’s third-quarter net loss was $17.9 million, or 17 cents a share, down from $37.9 million a year ago. Excluding interest expenses,…

CNN Tops Election Returns

On a night when about 71 million people tuned in to watch the climax of a high-rated election campaign, CNN drew more viewers than any other channel, the Washington Post reports. TV’s biggest audience since the Super Bowl was 12…

Black Broadcasters Celebrate on Air

Correspondents on BET openly celebrated the election of the first black president, the New York Times says. On other networks, some black journalists showed their feelings, but said they remained professional while reporting the story. —Jon Lafayette

Big Changes at Comcast’s CN8

Comcast is planning big changes at its CN8 local programming channel, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The channel, which operates out of Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, is struggling with low ratings and a tough local ad market. —Jon Lafayette

A&E ‘Wonders’ With Mandalay, Fox TV Studios

A&E is developing “Signs & Wonders,” a procedural drama from Mandalay Television and Fox TV Studios, Daily Variety reports. The show, produced by Jed Mercurio, focuses on a psychiatrist at a university and a team of grad students as they…

Fields Leaves ‘Betty’ for ‘Bar’

“Ugly Betty” executive producer Joel Fields is leaving the show to serve as a writer and producer for TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Fields joined the ABC dramedy eight months ago to help with its transition to…

Disney XD Eyes ‘Band’ Series

Disney XD has given the greenlight to its first live-action pilot “I’m With the Band,” about a tween boy tapped to play lead guitar in a rock band looking for a comeback, the Hollywood Reporter says. The project, from creators…