Biz Briefs
Viacom last week reported a 21 percent jump in second-quarter profit to a record $660 million, or 37 cents a share, while revenue climbed 10 percent to $6.4 billion, thanks to robust growth at the media giant’s cable and television…
In Depth
Quick Takes
“We set strict limits on our kids’ media diets, and we believe in making TV and other media a family experience. … TV’s ratings system is incoherent, inconsistent and ignored by most parents, just like the current hodgepodge of various…
Trading Faces
TNT did it. Court TV did it. TNN is finally doing it. And Bravo is doing it-whether it means to or not. Practically every cable channel, it seems, is rebranding. Even The Food Network and The Weather Channel, two stalwarts…
It May Have Been Big News, But It’s Actually a Small Test
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer started a buzz last week when he grandly announced in a CTAM general session that Comcast will do a trial of Microsoft TV’s new interactive programming guide in the software giant’s home turf of Seattle. The…
‘Passions’ Product Pitch
Pushing product placement into its plotline, the NBC soap opera “Passions” will integrate Avon’s new cosmetic line “mark,” targeting young women, into at least three episodes as part of a multitier advertising partnership which includes product commercials on the same…
MSO Chiefs cool about Rebranding
A panel of multiple system operator executives speaking at the CTAM Summit in Seattle last week criticized cable networks that opt for rebranding-even if the result is a better network. “It’s not all about ratings,” said Lynne Costantini, VP of…
McCAIN SIGNALS NEW PUSH FOR SPECTRUM FEES
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he plans to introduce legislation this week that would require broadcasters to pay spectrum fees to underwrite political advertising costs.Under the measure, broadcasters would also be required to devote time to political issues and candidates…
Success Stories: No Resting on its Laurels
It’s been another good year for Portland, Maine’s, WCSH-TV, a Gannett Broadcasting-owned NBC station. May sweeps marked its 17th year as the 6 p.m. news leader, according to Nielsen data.With an 11 rating and 48 share compared to CBS’ second-place…
License Renewal to Hit Hometowns
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps announced last week that he’s planning to turn up the heat on broadcasters by holding a series of field hearings in their communities to determine whether they have been doing enough to warrant .At hearings…
New Traffic System Takes Root
The NBC station group has selected Marketron as its traffic provider for the next seven years in a deal that could signal a large-scale shift from the legacy systems of the past to the next-generation software of the future.The broadcaster…