Interpublic Group’s Mediabrands media-buying unit has committed to buy at least $1 million in interactive advertising from cable operators that agree to work with Navic Networks, a company with technology that allows marketers to target ads and determine their response,…
Hank Williams Jr. will record the a new version of the title song for “Monday Night Football,” the Associated Press reports. A spokesman for ESPN said Williams, who had sung the opening theme for the prime time series since 1989,…
Showtime is hoping to dance its way to another hit with “Studio,” a drama centered on Studio 54, the popular New York nightclub of the 1970s, the Hollywood Reporter says. The project is being produced by MRC and Bryan Singer…
Aides to candidates who fell by the wayside during the presidential primaries have been quickly snapped up by cable news networks as talking heads during political discussions, the Washington Post says. Advisors to Fred Thompson and John Edwards ‘have made…
Save for a few exceptions, such as ABC Family’s “Lincoln Height,” the upcoming TV season lacks scripted programming featuring a minority-driven cast, Multichannel News reports. Some networks are exploring reality-based shows with minorities as the focus point, such as VH1’s…
DirecTV’s push for higher-end customers by marketing itself as the premium satellite company may eventually hurt earnings in a down economy, Reuters reports, citing Kaufman Bros. analyst Todd Mitchell. DirecTV may have gained as few as 100,000 subscribers in the…
ESPN networks will air more than 400 college football games this fall, including more Thursday night games and more games shown on ESPN Mobile TV, Multichannel News reports. The Walt Disney-owned network will also offer every live Thursday and Saturday…
Spike TV’s animated series “Afro Samurai” will debut on the network as a full-length movie in January, Multichannel News says. Samuel L. Jackson will continue to voice the title character while Lucy Liu will voice his seductive archenemy, Multichannel News…
AT&T will spend $400 million upgrading its fiber-optic lines in Alabama in an effort to expand its U-verse television service there, Multichannel News reports. The telecommunications giant said this week that it has about 550,000 subscribers for its U-verse service,…
Shawnee Smith, who appeared in Lionsgate’s “Saw” films, will be one of the judges on VH1’s new reality show “Scream Queen,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Joining Ms. Smith are director-producer James Gunn, who’s worked on “Dawn of the Dead,” and…