Biz Briefs
Cable giant Comcast last week said it expects to generate nearly $2 billion in free cash flow in 2004, driven by a 15 percent to 17 percent jump in cable operating cash flow and $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion in…
In Depth
Is `Punk’d’ Being Punked?
Are the media about to get “Punk’d,” or has Ashton Kutcher’s hit MTV series simply made industry executives paranoid? Last week, Ashton Kutcher abruptly canceled plans for a third season of the celebrity prank show, despite strong ratings. Mr. Kutcher,…
STRANGE BUT TRUE TALES FROM TECH
It was another wacky year in the world of new TV technology. Every time you picked up the remote or your favorite industry publication, you came across something strange but true. Whether it was stress, or perhaps due to sitting…
Mergers Make for Fewer Top TV Jobs
Heading into 2004, fewer top jobs are open in the television industry than have been in recent years.That’s due at least in part to consolidation, which continued to march through the industry in 2003, said one television business staffing expert.“There…
Success Story: Contest Hits Home for Holidays
More than 30,000 viewers entered the Hallmark Channel’s “Hollywood Holiday Sweepstakes” by phone during the first four weeks of the contest, which also benefited cable systems. Viewers were encouraged to watch Hallmark Channel programming on Sundays from Nov. 23 through…
One Revenue Stream Not Enough
Quadrennial years are television’s version of the big bang. The accelerated advertiser spending for national elections and televised Olympic Games creates enough renewed momentum and growth to carry grass-roots broadcasters through alternate lean years that remind them of their increasingly…
Firm Breathes New Life Into Old Commercials
For sale: slightly used ads.
Previews
Michael Chiklis, a winner last year for his work in “The Shield,” will learn whether he is up for honors again from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association when nominations are announced very early Thursday for the 61st Annual Golden Globe…
Public TV PAC Men Back Off
The Association of Public Television Stations has quietly pulled the plug on plans for a political action committee after the idea evoked controversy among station reps and lawmakers. “It just became a fight not worth having,” said John Lawson, APTS…
Guest Commentary: Press Needs Training to Deal With Wildfires
Last Oct. 24 I sat in a Boulder, Colo., restaurant watching a California reporter on TV run for her life during one of the worst wildfires in recent memory.