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Pauley’s departureSay, “Good night, Jane.” Last week, Dateline NBC co-anchor Jane Pauley got a warm and fuzzy sendoff from Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Stone Phillips and others at the Rainbow Room atop the NBC headquarters building she has called her…

Cable Legislation Gaining Support

Upset about escalating programming costs, major cable TV operators last week publicly embraced proposals that would give cable subscribers far greater leeway to determine the programming they receive and pay for-even if legislation is needed to force the revolutionary change.“Soaring…

SCOUTING REPORT: What insiders are saying about NBC

“They need to focus on getting back to their original brand-smart, sophisticated, urban adult audience.” … “They’re still in pretty good shape, but their stuff is getting old and [Entertainment President] Jeff Zucker can’t let his own fascination with the…

Direct Benefit for Murdoch

Even some of News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch’s biggest critics in Washington last week were privately conceding that the company’s $6.6 billion acquisition of DirecTV, though still technically subject to government review, appeared to be a done deal.One of the…

SCOUTING REPORT: What insiders are saying about UPN

“UPN, with the less-than-stellar ratings for Platinum, finds itself scratching its head again trying to figure out who they are.” … “UPN should go for quality and take a chance on one or two shows. Newton is the best thing…

Profile: Digital Video Arts’ George Breen

Title: President, Digital Video Arts, a subsidiary of SeaChange International.Background: Mr. Breen co-founded Digital Video Arts in 1991. The company develops software applications for interactive manufacturers, equipment providers, middleware vendors and programmers.From VOD to DVD: DVA has spent the past…

Guest Commentary: Pictures Scarier Than the Pen

It was not until 21 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor that censorship allowed Americans to see a picture of a dead GI. It was the now timeless photograph, by George Strock of Life magazine, of three uniformed bodies…

Sweeps Race: NBC by a Nose

NBC edged past Fox by a tenth of a ratings point for first place in adults 18 to 49 after two full weeks of May sweeps, while ABC narrowed the gap with third-place CBS.Thursday nights and the Law & Order…

Educate Agency Planners

The boxing gloves were out at the Summit, figuratively speaking, during the spirited syndication panel. The Upfront Summit, sponsored jointly by TelevisionWeek and Advertising Age, its sister publication, was the last chance for buyers and sellers to spar publicly over…

Breaking News Archives

NBC Taps Three New Dramas, Three New Comedies NBC will introduce three new dramas and three new comedies on its fall schedule, NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker said this morning in New York. The network also has extended its ER…