DirecTV Irks Sports Fans With ‘HD Tax’
Sunday Ticket Surcharge Leads to Online Protests
In Depth
ABC, CBS, Fox Appear to Be in 5 Percent Range on Ad Price Increases
By Jon Lafayette andWayne Friedman The ABC Network, after a year of significant improvements in its ratings performance, has taken the lead in making upfront deals with advertisers. Media buyers said ABC has set a ceiling on price increases at…
Discovery, ESPN Reach 90 Million Subs
Discovery Channel and ESPN are the first cable networks to cross the 90-million subscriber threshold, according to estimates by Nielsen Media Research for June 2005.Discovery Channel, which launched in 1985, will have 90.1 million U.S. households; ESPN, which launched in…
TiVo Delivers Improved Quarterly Results
Digital video recorder maker TiVo continued its winning ways Thursday, posting better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results amid robust subscriber additions through DirecTV and TiVo’s own retail partners.The Alviso, Calif.-based company reported a narrowed loss of $857,000 for the three months ended…
Cornetta Named KUSA President, GM
Gannett has named Mark Cornetta president and general manager of KUSA-TV, its NBC affiliate in Denver. He succeeds Roger Ogden, who has been named president and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting, effective July 15. Mr. Cornetta joined KUSA as an account…
Dickinson Out, Twiggy in for UPN’s ‘Model’
UPN’s fifth cycle of its top-rated reality series “America’s Next Top Model” is adding former supermodel Twiggy as a panel judge, replacing former supermodel Janice Dickinson, who has been a judge on “Model” for its first four installments.Ms. Dickinson, who…
Fox’s MLB Viewership Up
Viewership for Fox’s opening day of Major League Baseball was the highest ever, the network said Thursday. The games on Saturday drew a 2.9 rating and 9 share, up 7 percent, and attracted an average audience of 4.1 million viewers….
Saab to Sponsor TV Guide Channel Tony Awards Pre-show
General Motors’ Saab division will be the presenting sponsor of TV Guide Channel’s live red carpet pre-show for the 2005 Tony Awards, the network said Thursday. “TV Guide Live at the Tony Awards,” running June 5 at 7 p.m. (ET),…
Turner, CBS Acquire Broadcast Rights to ‘The Longest Yard’
Turner Broadcasting and CBS have acquired the broadcast rights to the upcoming Adam Sandler remake of “The Longest Yard” from Paramount TV, a Turner executive said. The film will air first on TBS in January 2008 and appear later in…
Up to 50 Jobs to Be Lost at CBS News
CBS News began the task Thursday morning of notifying people who will lose their jobs as a result of the cancellation of “60 Minutes Wednesday.” Sources said the toll could be as many as 50 jobs lost out of an…