The critics can’t jump on the bandwagon fast enough in their eagerness to bash “The Anna Nicole Show,” the latest entry in a growing reality genre that might best be described as “train wreck TV.” Indeed, the kooky new E!…
Court shows found an unexpected spike for the week ending Aug. 4, with relationship shows surging right behind, according to Nielsen Media Research. All seven court shows went up for the week and, with July officially behind them, half the…
In a behind-the-scenes boon to Tribune, the Federal Communications Commission has given the company a waiver to combine the operations of WBZL-TV in Miami and the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in nearby Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Under the FCC’s newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership prohibition, joint ownership…
It’s just not the Hollywood we remember. Once commonplace overall TV development and production deals with marquee producers and writers-often commanding multimillion-dollar salaries-are becoming a thing of the past. Growing in their place are so-called “pod” production deals. Think of…
Eisner increases his Disney stake The Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner spent $10 million of his personal funds to acquire 725,000 shares of Disney stock on the open market today at prices ranging from $13.55 to $14.49…
AOL TW reveals more ‘inappropriate’ revenues AOL Time Warner said in a statement late Wednesday it has learned within the past 10 days that three additional transactions involving its America Online unit — totaling $49 million over a period of…
CBS shifts Sept. 11 programming CBS has revised its schedule of Sept. 11 anniversary programs, which will air under the umbrella of “9/11: The Day That Changed America.” The rebroadcast of “9/11,” the documentary about the experience of one group…
Hollywood loves a rags-to-riches story. It’s Lana Turner being discovered at Schwab’s. It’s Tony Danza being noticed as he’s working out at a boxing gymnasium in New York. It’s Christie Brinkley getting tapped on the shoulder while she’s walking down…
ENPS and iNews have become synonymous with newsroom production systems in much the same way that Kleenex is identified with tissue. But the two entrenched media players are now facing competition from an upstart. Autocue Systems of Charlotte, N.C., has…
We lost another of the Ironmen last week. In sports the term “Ironman” is usually associated with two men in particular: Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripen Jr. And the feat the term refers to is the long number of consecutive…