In Depth

ESPN Gets Big 12 Games

ESPN and ESPN2 will televise as many as five Big 12 Conference football home games under an agreement with FSN. FSN has had the cable rights to Big 12 football since 1996 and will show up to 19 conference games…

Illinois Senator Lobbies FCC on Tribune’s Behalf

Illinois’ congressional delegation is stepping in to urge the Federal Communications Commission to act “expeditiously” on Tribune’s request for waivers to keep TV stations it could lose as a result of the company’s sale. In a letter sent May 18,…

Stone Phillips to Leave ‘Dateline NBC’

Stone Phillips is leaving “Dateline NBC,” the television news magazine he has co-anchored since it debuted in 1992, and NBC News at the end of June. Ann Curry, the news anchor for “Today” as well as Mr. Phillips’s co-anchor since…

Joost Partners With CAA

Joost linked up with powerhouse talent agency Creative Artists Agency in a deal that calls for CAA to help it secure entertainment content for its online video service. Joost is currently running in beta and is positioning its service as…

YouTube Launches Sketch Comedy Contest

As part of its ongoing efforts to professionalize its site, YouTube launched today its first sketch comedy contest. The three-round competition pits aspiring sketch comedians against each other in a nine-week contest. YouTube brought Sierra Mist Lemon Squeeze on board…

Concert.TV Adds Broadband Service

Video-on-demand network Concert.TV said today that it’s adding a broadband component when it launches online in the fall. The site will include live music performances and documentaries and be programmed similarly to the VOD channel that’s in more than 17…

YouTube, National Geo Link Up

National Geographic inked a deal with YouTube to offer a series of short-form videos that it has produced for NationalGeographic.com to YouTube’s users. The deal expands the reach of National Geographic’s broadband content to YouTube’s more than 45 million users…