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  • NAB 2012: Everything you need to know about broadcasting's biggest tech event of the year.
  • Gearing Up For NAB 2012: The top tech trends and issues.
  • FCC Watch: 18 Topics In 244 Words Or Less: Get briefed on what's happening at broadcasting's favorite regulatory agency by top Washington communications attorneys David Oxenford and Brendan Holland.
  • 2011—Year In Review: Revisit the year’s top developments in business, programming, journalism, technology, regulation and more.
  • Audience Measurement: The state of ratings is examined in three parts: an interview with the head of the Media Ratings Council; the growing presence of Rentrak; and the search for a better local ratings currency.
  • Traffic Reporting: This four-part TVNewsCheck Special Report focuses on what it takes to stay on top of the growing commuter gridlock across the country.
  • Remembering 9/11: TVNewsCheck looks back 10 years after the attacks with a series of five articles.
  • TOP 30 TV STATION GROUPS: Fox Television Stations is No. 1 in the revenue-based rankings, followed by the groups of the other major broadcast networks: CBS, NBC and ABC, with Tribune rounding out the top five.

Industry Calendar

5月 2012
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28
Memorial Day
Holiday
6月 2012
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11
NAB Education Foundation
Celebration of Service to America Awards
Washington, DC
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12-14
PromaxBDA
The Conference 2012
Los Angeles, CA
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14-17
Investigative Reporters & Editors
IRE 2012
Boston, MA
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23
NATAS
Daytime Emmy Awards
Los Angeles, CA

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Net Essentials

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Oprah Winfrey Gets OWN Section Of HuffPo
The Wrap, May 24, 2012, 7:57 AM EDT
Losses At OWN Approaching $330 Million
Bloomberg Businessweek, May 7, 2012, 6:56 AM EDT
From its 2008 inception through Dec. 31, 2011, OWN may have lost as much as $330 million, based on Discovery's annual 10-K filing with the SEC. Even if OWN makes money in 2013, as predicted by a person with knowledge of the operation who was not authorized to speak publicly, it has saddled Discovery with such high costs that analysts say the company may eventually be forced to write off some of its current $420 million investment. Link | Add comment
OWN Announces 6 New Series, Summer Schedule
The Wrap, Apr 27, 2012, 3:18 PM EDT
OWN Unveils Four New Primetime Series
Holllywood Reporter, Apr 5, 2012, 2:35 PM EDT
Oprah Admits '101 Mistakes' With OWN
Reuters, Apr 2, 2012, 2:48 PM EDT
Oprah Winfrey admitted on Monday that she had made mistakes while creating her cable channel but promised the fledging OWN television network would still succeed with a new strategy. The talk show host, who recently laid off 30 staffers at the 15-month-old network after poor ratings, told CBS This Morning that she had been ill-prepared for the venture. Link | Comments (3)
OWN Sets New Carriage Deal With Comcast
TVNewsCheck, Apr 2, 2012, 7:49 AM EDT
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Oprah Winfrey's cable channel has struck a distribution deal with Comcast Corp., lifting the number of homes in which the network can be seen, according to people familiar with the situation. Wall Street Journal subscribers can read the story here. | Add comment
OWN Viewers Up As Oprah Boosts Presence
Reuters, Mar 29, 2012, 6:45 AM EDT
Oprah Winfrey's fledgling OWN cable channel saw a 21% rise in total daily viewers in the first quarter of 2012, as the talk show queen's decision to put more of herself on the network began to pay off. Link | Add comment
Report: OWN Likely To Lose $143M This Year
TVNewsCheck, Mar 21, 2012, 7:24 PM EDT
The Oprah Winfrey Network could lose an estimated $142.9 million this year, which could prompt co-owner Discovery to pull the plug on the venture, research and investment firm SNL Kagan said Wednesday. Full Story | Comments (6)
Oprah Winfrey Network Lays Off 30 Workers
Associated Press, Mar 19, 2012, 6:50 PM EDT
Winfrey said in a statement Monday that the decision is a "tough" one. She says the economics of a startup cable network didn't fit with OWN's cost structure. Full Story | Comments (3)
Rosie O'Donnell's Show Canceled By OWN
The Wrap, Mar 16, 2012, 10:43 PM EDT
The Rosie Show has been canceled by OWN, with the final show to tape on March 20 and air on March 30 at 7 p.m., the network said late Friday. The show, a production of Winfrey's Harpo Studios, O'Donnell's KidRo Productions, Inc., and SantaBu Productions, premiered Oct. 10, 2011. Link | Comments (5)
OWN Gets Ratings Boost From Houston's Daughter
New York Times, Mar 13, 2012, 7:26 AM EDT
rumor mill
Rosie Moving Show From Chicago To NYC
Huffington Post, Mar 8, 2012, 6:43 AM EST
Another High-Level OWN Executive Departs
Deadline, Feb 29, 2012, 3:02 PM EST
Oprah To Shoot Show In Canada For OWN
Hollywood Reporter, Feb 29, 2012, 2:29 PM EST
OWN Funding Will Top Earnings For Next 2 Years
Hollywood Reporter, Feb 17, 2012, 2:51 PM EST
TVB commentary
Oprah Moves to Cable — And Irrelevance
TVB, Feb 14, 2012, 2:31 PM EST
While headlining her own syndicated The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah was unstoppable. Her name became synonymous with quality; she routinely gave away audiencefuls of cars, exotic trips and other sundry expenditures that she found she couldn’t live without — and those brands benefitted from the “Oprah Seal of Approval” in turn. But since last January she’s on cable, on her OWN. The Oprah Winfrey Network, that is. And she’s hardly been heard from since. Link | Add comment
Oprah Apologizes For Tune-In Tweet
Huffington Post, Feb 14, 2012, 6:06 AM EST
Oprah Winfrey issued a public apology on Monday for sending a controversial tweet on Sunday night. As the Grammys took many viewers over to CBS on Sunday, Oprah took to Twitter to ask people to tune into her cable network, OWN — "especially if you have a Nielsen box." Link | Comments (6)
OWN's 'Rosie Show' Cuts 30 Employees
Chicago Sun-Times, Feb 6, 2012, 7:00 AM EST
Oprah Insider Lisa Erspamer Out At OWN
Deadline, Jan 26, 2012, 7:41 AM EST
'Oprah's Next Chapter' Expands To Second Night
Hollywood Reporter, Jan 25, 2012, 5:58 AM EST
Jessell at Large
NATPE 2012: It's Still All About Oprah
TVNewsCheck, Jan 20, 2012, 3:00 PM EST
Oprah is long gone — she taped her last show for broadcast syndication eight months ago — but her presence (or absence) is still being felt throughout broadcasting and will pervade the NATPE conference next week in Miami Beach. She'll continue to be the measure by which every other talk show evaluates itself and the subject of countless conversations about her impact on broadcasting. Full Story | Comments (4)
OWN Adds Three New Series To 2012 Schedule
Hollywood Reporter, Jan 13, 2012, 2:18 PM EST
Oprah’s ‘Next Chapter’ Draws 1.1 Million Viewers
New York Times, Jan 4, 2012, 8:00 AM EST
Oprah Dedicated To OWN Despite Rocky Start
Associated Press, Jan 3, 2012, 7:12 AM EST
The cable channel, which marks its first year Jan. 1, is trying for a fresh start after executive turnover and missteps that proved OWN lacked a solid foundation on which to build, this despite a Discovery Communications investment of a reported $250 million and counting. Winfrey, who said management team errors in planning and execution could serve as a cautionary tale, rejects the idea that a single year's performance will determine OWN's ultimate fate. Or hers. Full Story | Add comment
Oprah Dedicated To OWN Despite Rough Year
Associated Press, Dec 29, 2011, 12:09 PM EST
The cable channel, which marks its first year Jan. 1, is trying for a fresh start after executive turnover and missteps that proved OWN lacked a solid foundation on which to build, this despite a Discovery Communications investment of a reported $250 million and counting. Full Story | Comments (1)
OWN Shifting Focus Toward Black Viewers
Hollywood Reporter, Dec 9, 2011, 6:22 AM EST
Executives at OWN think they may have found a way to salvage Oprah Winfrey's struggling cable network: By catering more to an African-American audience. That may help ratings, but it would mean a dramatic shift, and one that could put the channel at odds with Winfrey's own brand. Link | Comments (1)
Oprah's Primetime Series Launching Jan. 1
Hollywood Reporter, Nov 18, 2011, 2:03 PM EST
Oprah's Next Chapter will debut on New Year's Day with a two-hour episode with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. Link | Add comment
Jessell at large
Come Home Oprah. All Is Forgiven
TVNewsCheck, Nov 4, 2011, 3:32 PM EDT
Despite the brand name of perhaps the most famous and beloved woman in the history of television, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network is not doing well. It suggests that Oprah didn't fully appreciate the promotional power and quality programming environment she had during her long run in broadcasting. So here's a suggestion for her: Turn OWN into a multicast channel and seek carriage on broadcast subchannels. Suddenly, instead of working against you, you will have TV stations working for you again. Full Story | Comments (19)
Rosie's Viewers Top Oprah On OWN Launch
Reuters, Oct 12, 2011, 6:23 AM EDT
O'Donnell Ready For Monday OWN Premiere
Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 7, 2011, 7:42 AM EDT
Discovery Pouring In Cash To Save OWN
New York Post, Oct 6, 2011, 6:49 AM EDT
Oprah Winfrey's troubled cable network is hitting the reset button. After struggling to get viewers and burning through money, her partner in the channel, Discovery Communications, is investing millions more to promote OWN and expose it to new viewers, sources say. Link | Comments (2)
Former Lifetime Head Consulting For OWN
Sep 28, 2011, 6:27 AM EDT
Oprah Betting OWN's Future On Ex-Rival
New York Post, Aug 29, 2011, 6:43 AM EDT
Oprah Winfrey, TV’s greatest hit-maker, is counting on Rosie O’Donnell to save her struggling cable network. OWN — which launched New Year’s Day to un-Oprah-like ratings — has already burned through more than $150 million in start-up money without producing a single hit show. The irony of history’s most-successful talker looking to a former rival to save her network may be the biggest story of the upcoming fall season. Link | Add comment
OWN Announces Fall Primetime Schedule
Hollywood Reporter, Aug 18, 2011, 2:50 PM EDT
More Problems Arise For Oprah And OWN
NY Post, Jul 29, 2011, 6:41 AM EDT
Chalk up two more gut- punches for Oprah Winfrey and her fledgling OWN cable network. Following news that Jenny McCarthy has taken her planned Harpo-produced talk show elsewhere — possibly to NBC — comes word that oprah.com, Winfrey's main contribution to OWN, has lost half its readership since her syndicated Oprah left the air in May. Link | Comments (9)
Oprah Takes CEO Role At OWN
TVNewsCheck, Jul 13, 2011, 9:30 AM EDT
She also adds chief creative officer of the cable network to her previous role of chairman. Harpo Studios’ Erik Logan and Sheri Salata are named presidents. Full Story | Add comment
OWN, TLC Get Off-Net Rights To 'Undercover Boss'
Dedline.com, Jul 11, 2011, 3:31 PM EDT
OWN's Ratings Slip, But Ad Backing Is Strong
New York Post, Jun 17, 2011, 6:27 AM EDT
Ratings for Oprah Winfrey's fledgling cable network have fallen short of the levels promised to advertisers by nearly a third. OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, which is aimed at women 25 to 54 years old, has averaged a 0.1 rating on a total-day basis — well below the 0.3 rating network execs expected, sources say. As a result, OWN has had to offer make-goods to compensate marketers for the shortfall. Link | Add comment
OWN Off To Sluggish Start, Needs An Overhaul
Chicago Sun-Times, Jun 10, 2011, 6:55 AM EDT
OWN CEO Liguori's Contract Gets Sweetened
New York Times, May 26, 2011, 6:31 AM EDT
Troubled OWN Axes CEO Christina Norman
The Wrap, May 6, 2011, 3:08 PM EDT
Named to replace Norman at the helm of the Oprah-inspired Discovery Communications network is Discovery COO Peter Liquori. The shakeup is only the latest bump for OWN, which debuted a year later than scheduled and has struggled for ratings while burning through money. Link | Add comment
Upfront 2011
OWN Renews 4 Series, Orders 6 New Shows
Deadline.com, Apr 14, 2011, 3:20 PM EDT
OWN Reboots With Reality Anchor
New York Post, Mar 8, 2011, 6:42 AM EST
Network officials have quietly been telling worried advertisers that OWN, Oprah's new channel, will begin reshuffling its lineup in the next weeks and investing millions in advertising to win back faithful viewers. The network's only bona fide hit — Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes — is about to become the "anchor show" for the fledgling network, according to media execs who have heard the new pitch. Link | Comments (1)
OWN Renews 'Our America With Lisa Ling'
Deadline.com, Feb 25, 2011, 7:20 AM EST
Discovery To Pump $50M More Into OWN
Multichannel News, Feb 14, 2011, 6:09 AM EST
Discovery Communications is budgeting another $50 million for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Channel and is evaluating a possible rebranding of its Military Channel and Planet Green channel, pushing forward a strategy that has had early success for the cable programmer. Link | Add comment
OWN Pumps Up Original Programming
Deadline.com, Jan 31, 2011, 8:10 AM EST
OWN Draws 18.5M Viewers In Premiere Week
Hollywood Reporter, Jan 12, 2011, 6:06 AM EST
Suze Orman Getting Primetime Show On OWN
Hollywood Reporter, Jan 6, 2011, 2:29 PM EST
Discovery Expects Profit From OWN In First Year
New York Times, Jan 5, 2011, 6:13 AM EST
OWN Gets A Warm Welcome From Viewers
Associated Press, Jan 3, 2011, 7:02 PM EST
During the three-hour block beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, the new Oprah Winfrey Network averaged 1 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen Co. figures. Full Story | Comments (1)
Oprah Winfrey Launches Her OWN Network
Associated Press, Jan 3, 2011, 5:51 AM EST
At noon on New Year’s Day, the Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN for short, arrived free of glitz with a one-hour preview special hosted by Winfrey in which she offered a hearty overview of the live-your-best-life fare she will curate across the network's schedule. Full Story | Add comment
Oprah’s Cable Channel Flickers To Life
New York Times, Jan 2, 2011, 4:41 PM EST
At precisely 12 o’clock on New Year’s Day, Oprah Winfrey welcomed television viewers to OWN, a cable channel that she has said will espouse her “live your best life” mantra. Link | Add comment
Countdown To OWN: Only One Day To Go
TVNewsCheck, Dec 31, 2010, 6:47 AM EST
In a bold move, taking her landmark syndicated show off the air, Oprah Winfrey is moving to a larger stage — her own cable network, OWN. The Oprah Winfrey Network, backed by Discovery, launches on Saturday, Jan. 1, a day normally reserved for parades and football. Here's a roundup of some of the pre-premiere coverage. | Comments (2)
OWN Announces 10 Show Host Contestants
TVNewsCheck, Dec 30, 2010, 2:45 PM EST
Those competiting for a slot hosting their own show on Oprah Winfrey's new network include a travel guide who's in a wheelchair, a comedian who thinks the U.S. needs a gay best friend, and a businesswoman aiming to make a show about money both informative and fun. Full Story | Comments (1)
Don't Look For A Lot Of Oprah On OWN
Associated Press, Dec 29, 2010, 2:41 PM EST
"Phase one" of the marketing effort aims to manage expectations that it's not 24/7 Oprah on the new cable network that debuts Saturday. Full Story | Comments (1)
OWN And Cablevision Reach Carriage Deal
New York Times, Dec 28, 2010, 3:03 PM EST
OWN, Oprah Winfrey’s forthcoming cable channel, will be carried by Cablevision, the companies said Tuesday. The carriage agreement is important because Cablevision was one of the last big gaps in OWN’s distribution footprint, and because Cablevision serves a large swath of the New York metropolitan area. The agreement came just days before OWN’s Jan. 1 start date. Link | Add comment
Patience Will Be Key For Discovery And OWN
New York Times, Dec 23, 2010, 6:47 AM EST
Given all the media attention around the Jan. 1 launch of OWN — the cable network owned by daytime talk queen Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications — there are probably over-the-top expectations that the channel will explode right out of the box. Odds are that won't be the case. Link | Add comment
Oprah Unveils Her OWN Power Lineup
Chicago Sun-Times, Dec 8, 2010, 7:22 AM EST
OWN Denies Talks With CBS Exec Wood
New York Times, Dec 2, 2010, 6:14 AM EST
Oprah Winfrey’s cable venture denied a report on Wednesday that it was in talks to hire Terry Wood, a television guru who groomed Phil McGraw, Rachael Ray and other stars of syndication. Link | Add comment
rumor mill
Wood To OWN In Last-Minute Shakeup?
New York Post, Dec 1, 2010, 6:37 AM EST
Oprah Winfrey is shaking up the top ranks of her new cable network again — just a month before it is due to launch. Terry Wood, Oprah’s go-to woman at CBS, which had syndicated her afternoon TV show, abruptly quit the network yesterday and is in talks to take over programming at OWN, according to sources.
Link | Add comment
TVNewsCheck Focus on Programming
Oprah's Next Job: Moving Viewers To Cable
TVNewsCheck, Nov 10, 2010, 6:02 AM EST
The Queen of Daytime and partner Discovery are betting big that Oprah Winfrey's OWN cable channel can draw daytime viewers away from broadcast TV to watch a lineup of first-run talk shows, cooking programs and other material aimed at women. If OWN’s strategy works, it could whack TV stations’ ratings and ad dollars. And it may ignite an assault by other cable networks on broadcasters in a daypart where they haven’t had much luck so far. Full Story | Comments (5)

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The Market

Symbol Last Change (%)
Nasdaq 2839.38 -10.74 (-0.38%)
NYSE 7552.36 +11.46 (+0.15%)
S&P 500 1320.68 +1.82 (+0.14%)
Updated 05/24 6:36p ET Quotes delayed at least 20 mins.
Source: Financial Content

Ratings

Overnights, adults 18-49 for May 23, 2012
  • 1.
    6.1/18
  • 2.
    2.6/7
  • 3.
    2.0/6
  • 4.
    1.5/4
  • 5.
    1.4/4
  • 6.
    0.4/1
Source: Nielsen
Reviews
Opinions
Features
  • David Wiegand

    Fans of Sex and the City have finally gotten their wish: Their beloved sex-focused sitcom is back on the air ... sort of. The four women have become four men, of course, and the writing isn't as good. Oh, and the laugh track so annoying, it's offensive. And did I mention that the costumes would be considered fashionable if you were holding a yard sale? Men at Work on TBS is almost quaint, it's so old fashioned. If it had any meat on its bones, you'd be tempted to say it's the sadly ignoble epitome of TV's long-festering emasculated-men syndrome. But it's so much of a big, forgettable, innocuous shrug, it's not even worth any actual vitriol.

  • Mike Hale

    The USA Network's motto is "Characters Welcome." Apparently they're especially welcome if they resemble Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. Already stocked with Odd Couple knockoffs in Psych and White Collar, USA adds to its inventory Common Law, another comic crime-fighting show about mismatched partners. But this latest entry exhibits very little of that kind of spark as it tries to wring laughs from the juxtaposition of counseling and police work. It looks too flat and schematically plotted to succeed as the type of lightweight summer fun we’ve come to expect from USA.

  • Joanne Ostrow

    Johnny Carson: Fantastic entertainer, miserable human being. That's the lasting message of Johnny Carson: King of Late Night, the new PBS American Masters film, a rich history of a rare product of television who dominated the small screen for decades. Unprecedented access to personal archives plus all existing episodes of The Tonight Show (1962-92), distinguishes this film by Peter Jones. Telling interviews with family and colleagues, including second wife Joanne Carson, former Tonight Show executive producer Peter Lassally and a number of biographers sharpen the picture. The clips are carefully selected to illustrate specific personality traits, the performance highlights are given context and meaning beyond funny lines and memorable moments.

  • Hank Stuever

    AMC's The Pitch is a sharply-made if slightly off-putting reality series that follows different advertising agencies each week as they compete for new accounts. The inspiration for the show — made clear by its own ad campaign — is to harness some of the verve generated by the network's acclaimed Mad Men. The Pitch has a way of making the ad world seem like a real downer — a repugnant exercise in egotism laced with depressing bouts of creative compromise.

  • Tim Goodman

    HBO's Veep stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former Sen. Selina Meyer, who accepts the vice presidential duty and regrets it almost immediately: She has no real power and gets muscled by the Senate, Congress and the (so-far-unseen) president, who delegates all the truly crappy jobs to her. Louis-Dreyfus has found perhaps her best post-Seinfeld role and takes to it with such fervor — the constant swearing, the barely veiled desire to become president, the unhappy give-and-take with other politicians and a delightful disdain for average citizens — that you can't help but applaud what is clearly an Emmy-worthy effort. Her work alone makes Veep a gem, but there's even more to like.

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