Rich Battista is rejoining Fox Networks Group as president of Fox National Cable Networks, the company announced Wednesday. Mr. Battista most recently service as CEO of Gemstar-TV Guide International, which was bought by Macrovision. In his new job, he will…
Finding ways to beat the digital video recorder, or at least slow down viewers’ itchy fast-forward finger, is something of an obsession for networks and advertisers. After all, it’s hard to sell products to viewers who don’t see your commercials….
Most of the nation’s largest ad spenders cut their outlays in the first half of 2008 compared with 2007, new figures from Nielsen Monitor-Plus show. The top advertiser, Procter & Gamble, cut spending by more than 4%. That was just…
Dominic Fawcett, PHD’s new worldwide strategy director, says he didn’t go to the Beijing Olympics this summer because he was in the process of changing jobs. Mr. Fawcett’s career has already taken him to China, and he speaks a little…
A new Food Network series shows how far the network has moved from offering recipes and kitchen advice to providing lifestyle programming. “The Chef Jeff Project” features Jeff Henderson, a former prison inmate turned executive chef. In the series, which…
Fox’s “Hole in the Wall” has only been on the air a few weeks, but it’s already rolling out celebrity-themed episodes. Sort of. The network said Tuesday that it will air a special edition of the “Hole” featuring cast members…
The CW is moving forward with “Light Years,” an hourlong dramedy being described as “Juno” meets “Gilmore Girls.” Liz Tigelaar (“What About Brian,” “Brothers & Sisters”) will write the pilot, while Gary Fleder (“Life on Mars”) will direct. Both will…
The bottom didn’t fall out from under network television Monday night. That’s the take-away from the first ratings report of the 2008-09 season, which had been preceeded by weeks of higher-than-normal anxiety levels among network executives. Their fear: A hangover…
Frank A. Bennack Jr. has been named chairman of the board for Hearst-Argyle Television. Mr. Bennack has been on the board since 1997, most recently serving as its presiding director. David Pulver will take over as presiding director. Mr. Bennack…
How good was the bad news about the U.S. economy last week? Bad/good enough to attract enough viewers to push Fox News Channel to the position of second most-viewed cable network in prime time, behind only ESPN, which set a…