Jaws dropped at a House telecommunications subcommittee hearing last week when Bob Lee, president and general manager of WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Va., told lawmakers that they should consider the “Oh shit factor” before pumping out new legislation affecting satellite TV….
The February sweeps performance for “The Early Show” on CBS was its best in nine years in total viewers and key demographic categories, including adults 25 to 54 and 18 to 49. “We’re stable and settled and growing,” said Michael…
Auto dealers are big advertisers, but when it comes to TV, stations can go only so far in the buying process, said Jerry Campbell, director of sales for WAWS-TV and WTEV-TV in Jacksonville, Fla.At least that was the case before…
The success of “American Idol” has propelled FremantleMedia North America from a struggling purveyor of syndicated game shows to a top producer in the prime-time reality game. Fremantle just added an order from MTV for a new show called “Your…
It’s no secret that “American Idol” has powered Fox’s ratings, but it has also transformed an independent syndicator that was struggling with an identity crisis into a leading reality show producer for U.S. broadcast and cable networks. North America, which…
For its high-profile off-HBO-run of the “Sex and the City” series, Turner Broadcasting has made several $5 million advertising deals -far less than its initial asking price, according to media agency executives. Last fall, just after acquiring the show, the…
Researcher Sues ABC for Wrongful TerminationVeteran television researcher Andrew Fessel has filed a lawsuit against the ABC Television Network, its parent, The Walt Disney Co., and ABC Network President Alex Wallau. Mr. Fessel is suing for wrongful termination, breach of…
The imminent end of the longtime King World series “Martha Stewart Living” is giving some syndication projects new life heading into fall 2004 and beyond. In the aftermath of dropping “Martha Stewart” from its lineups, the Viacom station group soon…
Computer-generated animation made a big splash when it first appeared more than a decade ago. But pitfalls abound for producers brave enough to adapt new technology and with it an entirely new production pipeline.One of the bravest has been Mike…
FCC Fines Clear Channel The Federal Communications Commission on Friday announced that it had fined Clear Channel Communications $247,500 for a total of nine incidents of indecency broadcast on three company radio stations in Washington, Richmond, Va., and Bethany Beach,…