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In Depth

Editorial: Bob Hope’s Passing Marks End of Era

There will never be another Bob Hope.That is obviously true in a literal sense, but it is also a reality in a more symbolic sense. It’s the end of an era. Mr. Hope’s passing really represents closure for the first…

Fox Talks NFL With Stations

Fox Broadcasting, which after months of discussions has been unable to reach agreement with the Fox affiliates board of governors on three issues, has begun negotiating new National Football League game cost-sharing agreements directly with stations.“We have had extraordinarily positive…

Aegis Network Creates 2 Brands; Shops Can Rep Competing Products

Aegis Group, one of the holding company giants of the consolidating world of advertising, is restructuring its worldwide operations and forming a new global buying and planning network to be called Vizeum.In North America, Europe and elsewhere, that new network…

HANDICAPPING THE VUE POSSIBILITIES

In the rebounding world of mergers and acquisitions, the sale of Vivendi Universal Entertainment is an auction run amok and a classic example of how not to do a deal. Thank goodness it is not the only game in town.While…

Getting a Piece of the ‘Eye’

Major marketers are ogling placement deals on the breakout hit “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” even as NBC plots an Aug. 14 special, followed by an appearance by the show’s Fab Five team on “The Tonight Show” to make…

The Insider

NBC closed the recent Television Critics Association summer tour with a casino-inspired party at which a good time seems to have been had by all from start to finish. Indeed, departing partygoers were given decks of playing cards picturing a…

Hope and the Pope: Even TV Has Priorities

For years, Bob Hope’s specials on NBC drew huge ratings. His recent death got some NBC veterans talking about an anecdote from 1978, recounted in the late Brandon Tartikoff’s 1992 book, “The Last Great Ride.” It was a Sunday afternoon…

A Young Master of Acquisitions

From a quick look at Brandon Burgess’ stats, it might be tough to believe that much of what he has accomplished professionally took place by the time he was 35. Indeed, the list is impressive: He has orchestrated more than…

MSNBC Plays ‘Hardball,’ Gets Viewer Hike

MSNBC, while still in third place in the cable-news race, bucked the summer tradition of declining viewership and posted June-to-July growth with three of its four evening shows.The results raised spirits at the long-struggling news network, especially since three out…

Getting the Rollback Rolling

Jeff Chester, executive director of the watchdog Center for Digital Democracy, said he was first convinced that efforts to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s media ownership deregulation had legs June 3, the day after the agency’s controversial vote.Like dozens of…