Broadcasters used to rerun shows to cover their costs. Today, some of TV’s most popular shows, including reality programs and serial dramas, don’t repeat well, and many viewers prefer to watch original fare on cable or surf the Internet. That…
When ESPN execs found ratings success last year with two original movies of the week, they knew they were ready to take the next step. They wanted a scripted dramatic series on their prime-time schedule.“We were already getting the hardcore…
T-shirted construction workers were still applying the finishing touches to the new NBC Cable Networks complex in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., on a recent workday as staffers were settling into new offices. Not surprisingly, NBC Cable President David Zaslav had already…
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell and Commissioner Michael Copps were among those in Charlotte, N.C., last week to hear how local media serve the community, but viewers of one local outlet apparently were unhappy-but not about the discussion. The…
Time Warner on Wednesday swung to a third-quarter profit of $541 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with year-earlier red ink of $55 million, or 1 cent a share, as gains at the company’s television networks and cable units…
Cable TV’s all-news outlets suffered double-digit drops in viewership last week compared with a year earlier, when the three-week “Beltway sniper” spree that left 10 dead and three injured was playing out in the Washington area and a horrified nation…
“Nip/Tuck” may be one of cable TV’s most-watched new series, but some advertisers have stayed away. It isn’t hard to see why. A disclaimer warns viewers that the show contains scenes of violence, strong language, adult situations and nudity. That…
Don’t bother to tell the creators of Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!,” the wacky cops-and-perps sendup heavy on trailer park trash and precinct love affairs, that its unscripted format has whiffs of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”“Neither Ben nor I have cable TV-we…
Can promotions on ESPN or ESPN2 drive viewers to college football games on Disney sibling ABC? That was one of the questions behind an experiment over the weekend that, if deemed successful, may be extended through the rest of the…
Craig Piligian likens making of “American Chopper’s” pilot episode to his experience working as co-executive producer during the first season of “Survivor.” “I had absolutely no idea how people were going to react to this,” said Mr. Piligian, whose Pilgrim…