If the Republicans win control of the Senate this week, Prozac consumption in the broadcast and cable TV industries is almost certain to rise. That’s because a GOP victory would mean Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would soon be back in…
“Morally objectionable in part for all.” That’s how the old Catholic Legion of Decency used to label particularly naughty motion pictures. You don’t hear the phrase much anymore, but it is a perfect way to describe the proposed merger between…
ESPN ruled cable’s young demo race in October.The sports network was No. 1 in prime time for the month in both adults 18 to 34 and adults 18 to 49, with MTV second in the adults 18 to 34 demo…
In “CBS looks inside for ad sales chief” (Oct. 28, Page 3), a photo of JoAnn Ross, the new president of network sales at CBS, misprinted due to a production error. The correct photo appears above.
San Francisco public television station KQED-TV plans to begin production this month on a new arts show that it promises will be different from traditional PBS arts fare. The show is “Spark” and the channel anticipates a March launch of…
Posting record free cash flow and $76 million in third-quarter profits, Comcast Corp. officials last week responded to last-minute questions in a move to win final regulatory approval of its acquisition of AT&T Broadband.In a letter to the Federal Communications…
Attention, Madison Avenue, there’s a new pitcher on the block.Syndication, known for being both fractious and fractionalized, will be calling on top advertisers and agencies as one entity-the Syndicated Network Television Association, headed by agency veteran Gene DeWitt-to tout its…
CBS has issued full-season extension orders for freshman series “CSI: Miami,” “Still Standing,” “Without A Trace” and “Hack”-four of the network’s seven new fall shows. The network canceled Sunday 8 p.m. sitcom “Bram and Alice” after four episodes.“Bram and Alice,”…
It’s sweeps time again. That means stations shamelessly pulling out the stops when it comes to attracting viewers to local newscasts.This has got to end.Let’s face it, sweeps periods, as they now exist, have become a joke. The original intent…
To the man with a hammer, the old adage goes, everything looks like a nail. As national cable news networks covered the Washington-area sniper case, the “experts” they turned to pounded their rhetorical hammers at length in every direction but…