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Ion Media Promises HD by First Quarter

Coupled with a rebranding in May, Ion Media Networks announced Monday the network is going HD beginning in the first quarter of 2009. Ion Media encompasses Ion Television, formerly Pax TV, as well as qubo and Ion Life. Ion Television…

HBO Adds to ‘Washinigtonienne,’ ‘America’ Casts

HBO has added cast members to its upcoming comedy pilots “Washingtonienne” and “How to Make it in America,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Jason Dohring of “Veronica Mars” and “What Just Happened’s” Kate Burton have joined “Washingtonienne,” a series about three…

Golf Channel Honors Black Players

Golf Channel will pay tribute to African Americans’ contributions to the sport during Black History Month by airing the documentary “Uneven Fairways” next February, Multichannel News says. The film, based on two books, will also be available on demand and…

New Baseball Network Pitches Costas

The new MLB Network is in discussions to bring on longtime NBC sportscaster Bob Costas for the 2009 baseball season, Daily Variety reports, citing Sports Business Daily. The channel is talking to Costas about either being a play-by-play man for…

Comcast Sports Promotes Ramos

Comcast Sports Group promoted Ramon Ramos to the newly created position of vice president of research and marketing solutions, Multichannel News reports. Mr. Ramos will head research for Comcast’s 10 regional sports networks, which are seen by 40 million viewers,…

Basic Cable Subscribers Get No Satisfaction

About 40% of basic and digital cable subscribers are highly satisfied with their service, less than the 50%-plus of satellite subscribers and the approximately 60% of telecommunications-based TV service subscribers, Parks Associates says. While cable satisfaction levels rise with video-on-demand…

TBS Hits Homer With Baseball

TBS had last week’s best ratings among basic-cable networks because of its coverage of baseball’s American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, Multichannel News reports. Game 7 of the ALCS attracted more than 13.4…

Baldwin to Co-Host TCM’s ‘Essentials’

Alec Baldwin will join Robert Osborne as the new co-host of Turner Classic Movies’ “The Essentials.” He will begin his co-hosting duties in March, introducing each week’s movies. Mr. Baldwin previously participated in TCM’s “Guest Programmer” series and hosted the…

BET Snares Trio of Weinstein Films

BET acquired the first network TV window rights to three films from The Weinstein Co. Two of the films are about to be released theatrically: “Soul Men,” starring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mack, and “Hurricane Season,” featuring…

O’Reilly Wins Four More Years

Fox News has signed Bill O’Reilly to host his cable news show for another four years, the Washington Post reports. O’Reilly tells the Post he decided to put himself through more “attacks and smears” by extending his tour at Fox….