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…
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…
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 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…
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…
Twentieth Television’s syndicated strip “Good Day Live,” considered by some analysts to be a bubble show for the fall, will in fact return for another go-round next season.The renewal of the Los Angeles-based show, which began as a local experiment…
As it looks ahead to being swallowed by NBC, USA Network is putting its most aggressive slate of original programming on the air in the first quarter.Despite being one of the first cable networks to offer original programming, USA has…
When Comcast Cable Advertising for Metro Atlanta (CAMA) needed a promotion to help Pizza Hut target women and their young children, with an overall goal of building consumer loyalty to the brand, it found the answer was a Disney sweepstakes…
When the presidential primaries begin this month, the Associated Press takes over vote-tallying chores for the defunct Voter News Service, the exit poll consortium that previously provided network news divisions with race projections. VNS was funded by the Associated Press,…
Steve Sternberg has been promoted to executive VP, director of audience analysis, for Magna Global USA, the media negotiating and programming arm of the Interpublic Group of Companies. Mr. Sternberg built Magna’s research operation when the company was formed in…