Breaking News Archives
ABC Picks Up David E. Kelley Pilot ABC has picked up a pilot from David E. Kelley and Jason Katims for next season. The show, produced by 20th Century Fox Television, is a family drama about three 20-something sisters who…
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Breaking News Archives
‘Top Model’ Struts for UPN “America’s Next Top Model” returned to UPN with a bang last night. It scored a 2.2 Nielsen Media Research rating and 6 share in adults 18 to 49 and 4.9 million viewers-the second-largest audience ever…
Breaking News Archives
‘Friends’ Aims for Low-Key Finale The finale of “Friends” will be treated as a regular episode and not aim for a big high-concept finish, “Friends” producers Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright said at a Television Critics Association press…
Nets Plan for Low-Key Meetings
Fox, UPN and NBC have scheduled what are expected to be quiet affiliate meetings in conjunction with the National Association of Television Program Executives conference, which opens Sunday, Jan. 18, in Las Vegas. As in recent years, Fox and its…
ABC Makes the Case for Broadcast
With media buyers increasingly heeding the siren song of cable, ABC is singing the praises of broadcast television.For advertisers looking to reach consumers, “There is nothing as powerful as network television. It’s as good as it gets, and that has…
Guest Commentary: Challenges Don’t Limit Digital TV’s Potential
As we start the new year by gearing up for the National Association of Television Program Executives conference, we continue to find our industry in a situation such as the television business has never before experienced. Consolidation is ubiquitous; television…
‘WPT’ Gets Royal Flush of a Deal
Steven Lipscomb doesn’t have much of a poker face. As he left the ballroom stage at the Television Critics Association press tour in Hollywood last week, the “World Poker Tour” creator was beaming like a novice card player holding pocket…
‘Real’ Wrestling is Draw of Proposed First-Run
Two former college wrestlers have teamed up with syndication veteran Richard Grove to try to break into the increasingly difficult first-run weekly syndication market with an alternative to World Wrestling Entertainment, the hourlong “Real Pro Wrestling.”The series would have real…
A WAKE-UP CALL FOR OLD-LINE MEDIA
A growing and troubling schism-between short-term and long-term agendas and new and old media businesses-was evident in the remarks and presentations made by leading industry powerbrokers during Citigroup Smith Barney’s annual media conference.If this schism persists, it could prevent media…
Interactive TV: Is it Still Dead?
In 1975, comedian Chevy Chase mocked the lingering deathwatch of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco during his mock newscast on the debut season of “Saturday Night Live.” Looking into the camera each episode, Chase would deadpan: “This just in. Generalissimo Francisco…