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In Depth

CONTEST’S REPUTATION GROWS

This year’s College Television Awards competition featured 395 submissions from 138 colleges and universities representing 35 states.Students entering the contest submit their work for recognition in one of nine categories: drama, comedy, music, documentary, magazine shows, newscasts, children’s programming, traditional…

FEELING BLUE? DON’T TURN TO TV

Television ought to be a sure-fire cure for depression. After all, it’s a 24-hour entertainment machine with dozens and dozens of choices-shouldn’t that do the trick? Of course, some people would call it a 24-hour crap dispenser, those cranks. And…

IFC Launches Plan to Pump Up Fridays

IFC is inviting viewers to its version of dinner and a movie on Friday nights.The network, with about 40 million subscribers, is aggressively bumping up its original programming, and plans to showcase it on what it will call IFC Fridays….

Editorial: Anti-Indecency Frenzy Is Misguided

Whoever said the wheels of democracy turn slowly didn’t anticipate the rush to judgment taking place in Washington on the indecency issue following Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl halftime incident.Lawmakers and regulators are speeding ahead not only on legislation aimed at…

Guest Commentary: Stewart’s Woes Don’t Diminish Her Strengths

Remember that girl in school who won the city science trophy with the volcano that spewed lava perfectly on cue? Who landed the cookie-sales prize for your scout troop by parking herself and her Thin Mints at the train station…

Liberty Reviving Interest in Deals

Liberty Media, once a major deal-maker in the media industry, has awakened from its slumber and is gearing up to make some high-profile moves.That became clear last week with the announcement that Liberty will spin off a separately traded company…

Feelings Mixed on Casting Change

Casting directors were of mixed feelings about whether year-round casting would give them more opportunity to find fresh faces-a break from casting the same people in pilots year after year, such as Rob Lowe, Heather Locklear, Andy Richter and Amy…

Labeling to Be Clarified

CNN Newsource, which distributed the government-produced video about the benefits of the new Medicare law, is modifying the labeling on all future video news releases in the wake of the controversy. CNN will now add a fourth label to make…

Flap Over Kid Ads May Kill Upfront

Assaults on children’s advertising are generating serious concern among advertisers that the current kids upfront market might well be the last.Jon Mandel, the vocal co-CEO and chief global buying officer for MediaCom-one of the biggest buyers in the $750 million…

Funnier Than Thou

Robin Williams. Steve Martin. Billy Crystal. Ray Romano. Jay Leno. Jerry Seinfeld. What do they have in common? According to Entertainment Weekly magazine, they are not currently among the 25.5 funniest people in America. So who did make the list?…