Ownership structures of some high-profile cable channels* A&E Television Networks (includes A&E and History Channel): Hearst 37.5 percent; Walt Disney Co. 37.5 percent; NBC 25 percent; Launch date: February 1984; Subscribers: 85 million * Court TV AOL Time Warner 50…
Award-winning writer John Sacret Young is joining the writing staff of “The West Wing” as a consulting producer in what is expected to be the first of several hires to revive the show after creator Aaron Sorkin’s departure. Mr. Young…
When you’re a member of the publicity tribe on the wild and remote “Survivor” locations, reality truly can bite.Just ask Bob Winsor, head of broadcast publicity for CBS, who pulled on his shorts one morning in Africa only to find…
What It Is: Authorization Network, a proprietary control system to protect, authorize and track content on the Internet. The service is provided by Entriq of Mountain View, Calif.How It Works: The Authorization Network allows a content provider to register its…
The sudden axing of extremist talk-show host Michael Savage last week by MSNBC should come as a surprise to no one. It was the almost inevitable outcome of what appeared from the start to be a misguided strategy on the…
Every week, I comment on the latest developments in new TV technology and sometimes predict what the industry will do next. However, this week, I am going to suggest two things that it should do, but not necessarily will do….
He’s been hammered by hurricanes, beaten by police suspects and shot at in Iraq. But Bertram van Munster, veteran producer of the “The Amazing Race” and former National Geographic cameraman, wouldn’t have it any other way. “When everything really goes…
The CIA, James Bond and savvy media planners all have in common the need to find out everything they can about the opposition. Media planners don’t make life-or-death decisions, but our jobs certainly affect the financial health of the advertisers…
Wellllllllll, doggies! Uncle Jed has left us-and with Buddy Ebsen goes one of the most underrated television character actors of all time.Rural humor has rarely been appreciated in broadcast history. Madison Avenue hates it. Particularly since 1971, if sitcoms or…
“I tend to watch less TV during the summer because there isn’t much to choose from. Summer is when everyone is waiting to see the new programming for the fall season.”Luca Bentivoglio, executive director, Latino Public Broadcasting“Hell yes, I’m watching…