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AP Breaking News

Latest News SATURDAY, NOV 21, 2009

closing bell

Dow Slips 14, Nasdaq Finishes Down 11

Associated Press, Nov 20, 2009, 4:40 PM ET

The stock market ended a down week with light selling as investors grew uneasy about a rising dollar and spiking demand for the safest government debt.

FULL STORY

CBS Hit From 'Oprah' Seen At $50 Million

B&C, Nov 20, 2009, 4:38 PM ET

When The Oprah Winfrey Show goes off TV stations' air on Sept. 9, 2011, the entity that stands to lose the most money is: Oprah. Winfrey and her Harpo Productions take home by far the most profit from Oprah. CBS Television Distribution, which distributes the show, earns well south of $50 million annually in distribution fees on the show, estimates New York-based investment firm J.P. Morgan in a research note released this morning.

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Jessell at Large

Oprah Underscores Importance Of Retrans

TVNewsCheck, Nov 20, 2009, 1:14 PM ET

As broadcasters watch Oprah move her ratings powerhouse to cable, they need to be thinking about how they can stop the migration of their best programming to cable and what they need to do to get some new best programming.There's really only one answer: retransmission consent revenue. Way more of it. And instead of affiliates and networks fighting over pennies, they need to work together -- cooperate to get and share dollars from cable to fund the best possible programming.

FULL STORY | COMMENTS (17)

Winfrey: Prayer, Thought Influenced Exit

Associated Press, Nov 20, 2009, 2:51 PM ET

Holding back tears, Oprah Winfrey told her studio audience Friday that she would end her show in 2011 after a quarter-century on the air, saying prayer and careful thought led her to her decision.

FULL STORY

Oprah Winfrey's OWN Sets Launch Date

Hollywood Reporter, Nov 20, 2009, 2:45 PM ET

Oprah's new cable network has a launch date -- January 2011 -- eight months before her syndicated talk show airs its final episode.

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Boucher, Pence Back Senate Shield Bill

B&C, Nov 20, 2009, 3:19 PM ET

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.) Friday praised the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving a compromise version of the shield law bill. And while they want passage without further amendment; Republicans still raise issues.

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overnights

CBS Takes Its First Thursday, A Slow One

Media Life, Nov 20, 2009, 12:19 PM ET

For the first time this season, CBS finished first among adults 18-49, holding a slight advantage over usual leader ABC. CBS averaged a 3.7 adults 18-49 rating and a 10 share, with ABC second at 3.5/10. CBS's victory is more attributable to ABC's decline than anything else, with all three of the latter's shows off from last week,

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Chrysler Could Lose Over 100 Dealerships

Reuters, Nov 20, 2009, 11:32 AM ET

More than 100 Chrysler Group LLC U.S. dealerships face possible closure if they cannot reach new financing deals with GMAC Financial Services or another lender, people involved in the process said on Thursday.

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Fallout from Chicago

Oprah's Move A Blow To CBS, ABC

Los Angeles Times, Nov 20, 2009, 6:37 AM ET

CBS and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC are expected to bear the brunt of the financial pain ushered in by Winfrey's departure. CBS, which acquired Winfrey's original syndicator, King World, for $2.5 billion 10 years ago, has taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue over the years from The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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Fallout from Chicago

Oprah Bets On Her Future With Cable

New York Times, Nov 20, 2009, 6:32 AM ET

The list of repercussions of Oprah Winfrey's decision to end her daytime talk show is long. For CBS, the owner of syndication rights to her show, it means the loss of its signature program and millions of dollars every year in revenue. For ABC stations, where her show was largely seen, it means the loss of daytime's most popular program, a generator of giant audiences leading into evening news programs.

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Fallout from Chicago

Oprah's Exit Creates Big Choices

B&C, Nov 20, 2009, 5:51 AM ET

With money and time slots freed up, local newscasts and Oprah spin-offs are among the likely replacement options.

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Fallout from Chicago

Memorable Moments Defined 'Oprah'

Washington Post, Nov 20, 2009, 7:14 AM ET

A wagon full of fat, a Pontiac for everybody and detente with Dave were just some of moments that kept The Oprah Winfrey Show on top in broadcast syndication over the years.

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Front Office by Mary Collins

Still More Art Than Science In Advertising

TVNewsCheck, Nov 20, 2009, 9:11 AM ET

One thing will be certain about the media outlook for 2010 and beyond: good advertising, not technology, will keep viewers watching long enough to select the "RFI" button to request more information about a product rather than their fast-forward option. Art will be at least as important as science as we work to refocus, revitalize and rebuild our way out of the worst period for advertising-supported media in history.

FULL STORY
dma 5

Fire Takes KXAS Off Air During Newscast

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nov 20, 2009, 8:30 AM ET

Fire knocked KXAS Dallas off the air Thursday night just as the 10 p.m newscast was beginning. "We had to evacuate in the middle of the newscast," station Vice President Susan Tully said. "Everybody jumped out of their seats." The NBC O&O was dark for over seven hours.

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dma 18

WJW Streaming News Live To iPhones

WJW, Nov 19, 2009, 7:51 PM ET

The Local TV-owned Fox affiliate in Cleveland had begun streaming its newscasts and local programming live on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The live video stream works over a 3G network or WiFi connection.

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GE, Vivendi Differ On NBCU Valuation

Financial Times, Nov 20, 2009, 6:23 AM ET

General Electric and Vivendi are at least $1 billion apart in their valuation of the French group's stake in NBC Universal, damping hopes of a quick resolution to a stand-off that is holding up Comcast's planned bid for a majority stake in the broadcast, cable and film group.

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Nielsen Makes More Cuts At Data Center

St. Petersburg Times, Nov 20, 2009, 8:27 AM ET

In the past 30 months, the Nielsen Co. has had multiple rounds of layoffs and let go of several hundred employees in Dunedin and Oldsmar, Fla. Wednesday, the ax fell again and the TV ratings company trimmed 57 more positions at its Oldsmar facility.

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'Chuck' Returns Jan. 10, 'Trauma' Lives

B&C, Nov 20, 2009, 5:58 AM ET

NBC's Chuck returns Sunday, Jan. 10 in back-to-back episodes. It moves to its regular time slot Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. In addition, the network orders three more episodes of struggling freshman series Trauma.

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Cyrus Wants Ion To Reconsider $250M Bid

B&C, Nov 19, 2009, 4:38 PM ET

Cyrus Capital Partners says its $250 million offer to acquire the bulk of Ion Media Networks is still on the table, though Ion does not seem to be interested in the deal. Cyrus is a Chicago-based hedge fund and a creditor to Ion, which entered bankruptcy protection in May. The firm offered $250 million last week for a 62.5% ownership stake in Ion; another creditor had previously made a $150 million bid.

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RTDNA 'Disappointed' Over Shield Move

TVNewsCheck, Nov 19, 2009, 5:03 PM ET

The Senate Judiciary Committee failed to bring a federal shield law bill to a vote again on Thursday.

FULL STORY | COMMENTS (3)

More News

Viewing of Online Video Streams Up 26% in October

Nielsen, Nov 20, 2009, 3:10 PM ET

WIS To Air Editorial Cartoons By Robert Ariail

WIS, Nov 20, 2009, 9:12 AM ET

'Grey's Anatomy' Sires Web Series Spin-Off

MediaPost, Nov 20, 2009, 9:12 AM ET

AP: This Week's 90 Layoffs Reach Payroll Goal

Associated Press, Nov 20, 2009, 8:11 AM ET

Newseum Puts Russert's NBC Office On Display

Associated Press, Nov 20, 2009, 8:08 AM ET

Congressman's Questions In Hawaii SSA Rejected

Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Nov 20, 2009, 7:55 AM ET

New Program Could Be More Sweet Music For PBS

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov 20, 2009, 7:53 AM ET

YouTube Videos Will Soon Get Captions

Boston Globe, Nov 20, 2009, 7:32 AM ET

Volkswagen Board Closer To Porsche Merger

Associated Press, Nov 20, 2009, 7:31 AM ET

WABC Reporter Tappy Phillips Retiring After 24 Years

New York Daily News, Nov 20, 2009, 7:00 AM ET

Tina Fey Laughs At NBC, Palin

New York Post, Nov 20, 2009, 6:53 AM ET

Google to Add Captions, Improving YouTube Videos

New York Times, Nov 20, 2009, 6:42 AM ET

Univision Dedicates Building To Ray Rodriguez

Multichannel News, Nov 20, 2009, 6:41 AM ET

Circle Of Confusion Grows With Fox First-Look Deal

Variety, Nov 20, 2009, 6:02 AM ET

Sony To Outsource More Of Its TV Set Business

MarketWatch, Nov 19, 2009, 7:54 PM ET

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The Market

  Symbol Last Change (%)
     Nasdaq 2146.04 -10.78 (-0.50%)
     NYSE 7084.47 -33.17 (-0.47%)
     S&P 500 1091.38 -3.52 (-0.32%)
Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
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Source: FinancialContent.com

Ratings

Overnights, adults 18-49 for Nov 19, 2009
  • 1.  cbs3.7/10
  • 2.  abc3.5/10
  • 3.  nbc2.3/6
  • 4.  fox2.3/6
  • 5.  upn1.5/4
  • 6.  uni1.4/4
Source: Nielsen Media Research
  • Robert Bianco

    There's no question that Laurence Fishburne is a fine actor, as anyone who has seen his best film work can attest, or that CBS's CSI remains a fine TV show. Yet fresh on the heels of last week's reasonably well-watched but creatively disastrous CSI/Miami/NY triple crossover, it may be time to admit that Fishburne's stint on CSI isn't working, at least not to the extent CSI needs.

  • Robert Lloyd

    The HBO documentary Terror in Mumbai recounts the deadly 2008 attack in India, using security footage, intercepted cellphone conversations and videotape to give viewers a 'you-are-there' feel. It is very well made, but it is also the sort of thing that is difficult to recommend. You just want it to be over, basically, and most of what it has to teach will already be obvious to viewers of common sense and goodwill.

  • Brian Lowry

    As they do on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the producers of ABC's Find My Family don't just tug at the heartstrings; rather, they yank, twist and defibrillate them, all set to cloyingly sentimental music. Unabashedly hokey, the series reunites parents with children they gave up for adoption, literally bringing them together under a "family tree" in a pastoral meadow.

  • Robert Bianco

    We're eight episodes into the fifth season of CBS's The New Adventures of Old Christine, and it's clear the show is undergoing some creative rehab, shifting characters and shaking up relationships, but Christine seems to be riding out the renovations with all of its virtues intact.

  • David Hinckley

    In almost every episode of Fox's Glee, some moment reminds us how this show, against all conventional television wisdom, has become one of the best things on TV.