Everybody Can Watch ‘Chris’ Together
With an Emphasis on Funny yet Realistic Situations, CW Series Attracts Wide Audience
In Depth
Q&A: No One Style of ‘Family’ Viewing
As senior vice president in charge of Turner Entertainment Networks’ Content Creation Group, Michael Wright is keenly aware of the need for family-friendly programming in today’s television landscape. The executive responsible for all original programming for TBS, TNT and Turner…
CNN’s Republican YouTube Debate Causes Controversy
CNN’s Republican YouTube debate last Wednesday was watched by an estimated 4.4 million viewers, more than any primary debate in cable news history, according to Turner analysis of fast national data from Nielsen Media Research. Add in a simulcast on…
QuickTakes: Do you think Fox’s upcoming lie-detector series ‘The Moment of Truth’ is going too far?
“It won’t help raise American SAT scores, but it’s certainly no cause for alarm. The invasion of other people’s privacy will always be a source of entertainment. It may not represent TV at its most high-minded, but I don’t think…
Editorial: Voice of the Public Enlivens Debates
The second CNN/YouTube presidential debate last week solidified a notion that we had in July when the first CNN/YouTube presidential debate was aired: This format delivers great television. A large part of the success is the debate’s primary conceit: Why…
Guest Commentary: There Are No Winners in Writers Strike PR War
So the Hollywood writers are winning the public relations war against the major media companies. As an actual Hollywood writer, upon hearing this vital and timely news of our psy-ops victory, I could not help but ask the question—so what?…
Hollywood Writers, Producers Resume Battle
The war of words is back on in the Hollywood writers strike. Contract negotiations temporarily ceased Thursday, with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America issuing starkly contrasting statements characterizing the progress made…
FCC Approves Tribune Waiver on Party-Line Vote
The Federal Communications Commission on Friday, on a 3-to-2 party-line vote, approved the Tribune Co.’s sale to investor Sam Zell and an employee stock ownership plan, allowing the $8.2 billion deal to go forward by year end. The FCC gave…
Writers Strike News Roundup: Fri., Nov. 30
Conan Covers Staff Salaries Conan O’Brien is offering to pay 80 non-writing staff members of his show “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” for the foreseeable future, Daily Variety says. Mr. O’Brien joins David Letterman in opting to pay staff through…