The waves of staffing cutbacks at NBC Universal have hit the Universal City offices of NBC Entertainment. Around 20 staffers will be leaving the division as part of the company-wide cutbacks at NBC Universal, a person familiar with the situation…
Showtime Networks has signed an exclusive output agreement with Summit Entertainment. The deal gives Showtime up to 42 films that will be released by Summit Entertainment between 2008 and 2012 to air on the network, including hit “Twilight” and its…
Digital video recorders will be in 52.3 million U.S. households—or 44% of TV households—by the end of 2014, a leading ad buyer estimates. Between the time DVRs became popular, in 2004, and their 10th anniversary in 2014, the machine will…
Former top Turner Broadcasting and NBC executive Scott Sassa has been named president of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, the company said Thursday. Mr. Sassa will be overseeing the group responsible for Hearst’s interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, Lifetime,…
Oxygen’s season-three premiere of “Bad Girls Club” Tuesday set records as the network’s highest-rated and most-watched season premiere ever. The premiere drew a 0.8 household rating, averaging 807,000 total viewers. Among viewers 18-49, “Girls” drew 568,000 viewers; 405,000 viewers were…
Viacom Inc. is cutting about 850 jobs and NBC Universal is trimming about 500 staffers, a signal that television companies are struggling to adjust to the declining economy and slower advertising sales. Viacom said it will cut its workforce by…
ABC is taking on Fox’s warm-and-fuzzy “American Idol” with the documentary reality series “Homeland Security USA.” The network announced today that the series, from “Scared Straight” producer Arnold Shapiro, will air Tuesdays at 8 starting Jan. 6. The network has…
NBC Universal will cut almost 500 jobs, or 3% of the company’s worldwide labor budget, as part of the cost-cutting plan it announced two months ago. “This kind of message is never easy, but it is the right step to…