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At Press Time

Jun 11, 2001  •  Post A Comment

Fox going regional
to meet with affils
New York-Fox Broadcasting has scrapped plans for a single video-conference gathering of its affiliates in favor of regional meetings to be held in 20 to 25 midsize and smaller markets during a two-week stretch starting June 19. Details are expected to be firmed up by midweek for the odyssey, which Fox affiliate board Chairman Cullie Tarleton, vice president of television and cable for Bahakel Communications, said is the brainchild of Fox Television Chairman Brian Mulligan.
Meanwhile, the contract is almost ready to be signed on the deal under which Fox will allow its affiliates to shift the weekday Fox Kids block to
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (instead of the more lucrative 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. position) in return for getting back some commercial inventory in the block.
“It is a fair agreement,” said Mr. Tarleton, “but it’s quite a bit of inventory … more than enough inventory to make up the lost weight.”
Rep. Upton, Tribune
get cozy in Chicago
Washington-Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet, will meet with the executive board of Tribune Broadcasting on Monday in Chicago, and his message will be music to the board’s ears: He considers the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership restrictions outdated. Tribune, which owns newspapers and television stations in several large markets under Federal Communications Commission exemptions, has been seeking to repeal the restrictions for some time.
A staffer said no hearings or bills on the issue are planned for now. Instead, the lawmaker wants to give the FCC more time to review the rules now that a new panel of commissioners is in place.