Latest News THURSDAY, MAR 11, 2010
Dow Gains 3, Nasdaq Climbs 18
Scant buying lifted stocks for a second day Wednesday after the government reported a drop in companies' inventories.
FULL STORYMoonves To Affils: Share Retrans Or Else
CBS CEO Leslie Moonves has put advertisers and affiliates on notice: both will soon be paying more. CBS TV affiliates will pay more in the form of substantial portions of the retransmission consent fees they receive from cable operators -- or risk losing their network affiliations. And advertisers will face higher prices for commercials running on the network.
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Disney's Iger: ABC Spinoff Is One Option
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger said today the top U.S. media company is keeping its options open for dealing with TV network ABC and its struggling news division, including a spin-off.
LINKBroadcasters Counter Cable On Retrans
NAB argues that Congress and the FCC have reviewed the playing field and found it level.
LINKSheen Due Back On 'Men' Next Tuesday
A spokesman for Charlie Sheen says the actor will soon be back at Two and a Half Men after undergoing rehab that temporarily halted production of CBS's top-rated sitcom.
FULL STORY97% Use Online For Local Shopping
Nearly all consumers -- 97% -- now use online media when researching products or services in their local area, according to BIA/Kelsey's latest study. Search engines lead Yellow Pages 2-to-1 as most-used source, and consumers are use mores source.
LINKFCC Given 4 Years To Inventory Spectrum
It looks like broadcasters could get more breathing room from the specter of government spectrum band-clearing for mobile broadband. The House Energy & Commerce Committee today passed the spectrum inventory bill by voice vote with an amendment that lengthens from two to four years the time in which the FCC and the NTIA are required to make recommendations to Congress about spectrum reallocation or sharing.
LINKNBC's 'Parenthood' Slips In Second Outing
In its second week, NBC's new drama Parenthood stumbled. Whether its numbers fall further in coming weeks will determine whether the show gets a second season. Parenthood averaged a 2.6 adults 18-49 rating last night at 10 p.m., down 16% from last week's 3.1 in its debut.
LINKRoad-Blocking Making A Comeback
In this TV world -- unless you have an Oscars or a Super Bowl broadcast -- grabbing big masses of TV viewers with one big hit is difficult. Still, TV networks and programmers do what they can these days to make sure everyone will see their programming wares. Media companies are using a technique called "road-blocking," formerly in vogue for TV commercial messaging: running programs across all of their networks and channels.
LINKRTDNA Heading For New Orleans In 2011
The deal isn't finalized, but it looks as if the Radio Television Digital News Association will be linking up with the Society of Professional Journalists in the Big Easy for a joint convention in September 2011. RTDNA will hold its convention for the ninth and final time in conjunction with the NAB next month, but will continue to program a single day at NAB through at least 2012.
FULL STORYWTHR GM Jim Tellus Dies At 47
The president-general manager of Dispatch Broadcast Group's Indianapolis' NBC affiliate died suddenly of an apparent heart attack while on a business trip in Ohio.
LINKCable Operators Want FCC Retrans Help
Nine cable and satellite TV operators and two cable trade association today called on the FCC and key members of Congress to take steps to stem broadcasters' increasing demand for retransmission consent payments. The current system "is broken and in need of repair," they say.
FULL STORY | COMMENTS (32)Maroney To Head Local TV's Denver Duo
Peter Maroney will move from his post as GM of WTVR Richmond to take over KDVR-KWGN.
FULL STORYTV Ratings Smile On Oscars And ABC
An estimated 41.3 million people saw The Hurt Locker top the popular Avatar for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005. Oscar viewership was up 14% over last year, keeping with a trend of bigger audiences for major events on broadcast television a month after the Super Bowl set the mark for most-watched telecast ever.
FULL STORYCasey To Oversee Metrics For Tribune
Ann Casey has been promoted to director of broadcast metrics at Tribune Broadcasting. Casey had been research director at WGN since 2000.
LINKFox Adds 30 Minutes To 'Idol' Spring Debut
Glee fans are going to have to wait an extra 30 minutes for the show's spring premiere. American Idol will now run 90 minutes on Tuesday, April 13, with Glee airing at 9:30. That means Fox will push into the 10 p.m. hour for the second time this year, the first being 24's season opener in January.
LINK'Numbers' Days Appear To Be Numbered
Further proof that this Friday's episode of Numbers will be a series finale: Rob Morrow has joined the cast of ABC's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced legal drama The Whole Truth.
LINKBasketball's Final Four Enters 3D Arena
CBS will broadcast the 2010 NCAA Men's Final Four semifinal and national championship basketball games live in 3D after securing a sponsorship deal with set-maker LG Electronics.
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