Buena Vista’s syndicated talk strip “The Tony Danza Show” is tweaking its staff for its upcoming second season, changing out two of its top producers and dropping announcer Ereka Vetrini.Executive producer John Redmann, supervising producer Shane Farley and Ms. Vetrini,…
What has been a vague threat of government-mandated oversight for Nielsen Media Research became more real Friday when Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., introduced a bill that would require TV ratings services to be audited and accredited by the Media Rating…
A coalition of 52 Democratic members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, announced Friday that they have joined the chorus of those urging Corporation for Public Broadcasting Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson to resign. “Mr. Tomlinson…
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s retirement, announced today, is better news for broadcasters than cable in at least one crucial respect: Ms. O’Connor led the unsuccessful high court charge to overturn the industry’s must-carry rules in 1997. The cable…
Showtime Senior VP of Programming Pancho Mansfield is moving to Spike TV as head of original programming, sources said. Mr. Mansfield joined Showtime in 1993, and today is his last day at the premium network. Mr. Mansfield joins Spike TV…
Lawmakers in the Senate and House on Thursday introduced legislation that would allow telephone companies to offer video services without obtaining local cable TV franchises. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association had no comment on the bills, which were introduced…
The House of Representatives approved an amendment Thursday by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., to bar federal agencies from hiring media representatives, public relations firms and other contractors to covertly promote “publicity or propaganda.”In a statement, Rep. Hinchey said the measure,…
A new suggestion that NBC Universal and Microsoft are bent on extricating themselves from their 99-year commitment to be equal partners in MSNBC appears in an Online Journalism Review article posted this week, titled “MSNBC.com survives, thrives despite trouble between…
The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday it has hired two executives, including former TiVo President Martin Yudkovitz, to head up the media giant’s new corporate strategy, business development and technology group.Kevin Mayer, a former Disney executive, was named executive VP…
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., has asked the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s inspector general to investigate whether CPB’s recent decision to hire Patricia Harrison as its new president and CEO followed standard corporation operating procedures. In a June 29 letter to…