Broadcasting & Cable back issues from May 1993:
Fox's price for retrans: a cable channel. (Fox Broadcasting Co. wants cable channel in return for waiving retransmission-consent fees) (includes related article on rejection of must-carry injunction)
May 03, 1993; ... Would drop fee in exchange for spot for basic network offering 50% original, exclusive programing; would share subscriber fees with affiliates Fox Broadcasting is willing to abandon retransmission-consent fees for its affiliates, but there's a catch. Instead of cash, ...
NBC-NBA deal: $750 million + revenue sharing. (National Broadcasting Company Inc. and National Basketball Association announce deal)
May 03, 1993; ... NBC and the National Basketball Association announced a new four-year rights deal last week that the network hopes will be a model for major sports rights deals in the foreseeable future. At a time when bets are being taken on just how much of a decrease Major League Baseball ...
Ten TV groups ready to talk retrans. (retransmission-consent fee negotiations)
May 03, 1993; ... Led by LIN's Gary Chapman, broadcasters sending out letters to cable MSO's At least 10 television group owners will ask the nation's top 10 cable MSO's this week to sit down with them and discuss a timetable and framework for paying stations a retransmission-consent fee. ...
Continental won't pay retrans fees. (Continental Cablevision Inc. against paying retransmission-consent fees)
May 03, 1993; ... Cable is |a crippled animal,' says MSO's Chairman/CEO Amos Hostetter Continental Cablevision will not pay retransmission-consent fees to TV broadcasters, but the third largest operator will enter into long-term agreements to carry commercial stations with "significant local ...
'RoboCop' revs up for syndication entry. (Skyvision Entertainment acquires rights from Orion Pictures Corp.)
May 03, 1993; ... Skyvision acquires TV rights from Orion; hopes to emulate success of |Star Treks' Brand recognition has consistently been cited as a key ingredient in the success of first-run syndicated hour series. It appears that Toronto-based newcomer Skyvision Entertainment feels it can ...
Retrans: 3 of top 10 MSO's say no. (Multiple System Operators concerned over retransmission-consent fees)
May 03, 1993; ... Continental Cablevision Chairman/CEO Amos Hostetter last week became the latest of the top 10 MSO leaders to refuse to pay retransmission-consent fees. Continental joins Tele-Communications Inc. and Jones Intercable in rejecting plans to pay television stations for signals. TCI has long ...
Conan O'Brien has tough clearance act to follow. (David Letterman's replacement will try to maintain show's high clearance levels)
May 03, 1993; ... With the announcement that Conan O'Brien will succeed David Letterman in the 12:30 a.m. time slot (see story, page 24), NBC is faced with the task of maintaining their high clearance levels in late night: the network is currently cleared in 99% of the country, with Late Night with David ...
TCI, Carolco say PPV deal is no threat to theaters. (Tele-Communications Inc. and Carolco Pictures Inc. defend pay per view of pre-theatrical releases)
May 03, 1993; ... A breakthrough plan by top MSO Tele-Communications Inc. and Carolco Pictures to offer movies on pay per view prior to their theatrical window will not cannibalize the theatrical and home video revenue for those titles, officials at both companies said last week. Responding to ...
Set makers, cable are incompatible. (electronics industry and cable industry dispute responsibility for equipment incompatibility) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... The Electronic Industries Association has harshly attacked the cable industry, accusing it of ignoring the 1992 Cable Act. In comments filed at the FCC, the EIA said the cable industry is trying to thwart the will of Congress and mislead the FCC by placing the blame for ...
NBC taps Conan O'Brien for late night: comedian/comedy writer-producer to succeed Letterman.
May 03, 1993; ... Comedian/comedy writer-producer to succeed Letterman On a top 10 list of candidates most likely to succeed David Letterman, the names of Garry Shandling, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey and even Fox's Ben Stiller would appear. The name Conan O'Brien probably would not. When ...
Vicki takes a walk. (Vicki Lawrence walks out on talk show)
May 03, 1993; ... |Wonder Years' co-star Alley Mills and talk veteran Cristina Ferrare are set as fill-in hosts A feud between talk show host Vicki Lawrence and distributor Group W Productions apparently reached the boiling point last Monday when Lawrence walked off the set of her freshman ...
Showtime thinks family time for '93-'94. (Showtime Entertainment Inc. features family programming for new season) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Upcoming season will feature animated series and another entry from Shelley Duvall Showtime has lined up a family oriented programing slate for the 1993-94 fall season that will include the network's fifth collaborative series with Shelley Duvall's Think Entertainment and an ...
Broadcasting's ardent advocate. (CBS Inc. group president Howard Stringer) (Interview) (Cover Story)
May 03, 1993 ... CBS/Broadcast Group President Howard Stringer talks about the network's future - often in terms of its storied past - and characterizes cable as a clinical and cold "one-armed bandit for making money." We've come to you as a network broadcaster - someone who represents the once ...
Stock rises for FCC-friendly kids fare. (demand up for suitable children's programming to meet new Federal Communication Commission regulations)
May 03, 1993; ... With the FCC serious about enforcing new and stricter regulations regarding service obligations to children, many stations are contemplating producing their own programs to meet those obligations. In addition, producers with strong reputations on the noncommercial side of the ...
Geography lesson. (National Geographic Television forms children's programing unit) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... National Geographic Television is entering the children's TV business. Andrew Carl Wilk, whose credits include 3-2-1 Contact and Little Muppett Monsters, will head ...
Transactional TV: a piece of the action. (new program format offers profit sharing from merchandise sales)
May 03, 1993; ... Stations get percentage of gross from items sold in shows Looking to provide an alternative to infomercial programing featuring zealous fitness queens or real estate kings, a pair of San Francisco-based syndicators with "transactional" television programs are marketing two new ...
Associated Press plans international video service. (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... The board of directors of the Associated Press has given the go-ahead for the news cooperative to develop a plan to launch an international video news service. AP has been exploring the feasibility of such a service - and developing a working model for it - for close to two years. The AP ...
STAK stacking up in wireless. (Short Takes Inc. develops more wireless cable service joint ventures) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Short Takes inc. (STAK), a Phoenix-based company that acquires wireless cable TV licenses and develops and operates wireless cable systems, has entered into a joint venture with a group of California investors to launch a wireless cable service in Minneapolis and has signed a letter of ...
Comsat: more 'com' than 'sat.' (Communications Satellite Corp. concentrates on customer services over satellite launches) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... I'm not sure the people who put me in this position realized I was going to be as - I won't say anti-satellite - as anti-de novo satellite systems as I am," says Bruce Crockett, who has been downplaying Comsat's satellite roots since his installation as president two years ago. ...
TCI invests $10 million in interactive. (Tele-Communications Inc. to invest in Interactive Network Inc.)
May 03, 1993; ... That's good news for interactive network; bad news is that next day competitor files $10 million lawsuit against it Top MSO Tele-communications Inc. has reached an agreement in principle to invest $10 million in Interactive Network Inc., the Mountain View, Calif.-based company ...
Comsat's video on demand: 'an awful good business.' (Communications Satellite Corp. expects video-on-demand profits to grow rapidly)
May 03, 1993; ... President/CEO Bruce Crockett says that in hotel environment, in-room entertainment is big revenue producer, generating $15 million-$20 million a year While the telcos and cable talk about video on demand, Comsat is doing it. Best known for its international and ...
CTAM pegs hopes on PPV. (CTAM optimistic about pay per view developments)
May 03, 1993; ... No one knows for sure exactly when compression technology and reregulation will give the pay-per-view industry the boost it is hoping for, but PPV marketers from around the country might get a better idea during the annual CTAM National Pay Per View Conference in New Orleans next week (May ...
Hackers plead guilty in contest fraud. (hackers allegedly rigged three Los Angeles radio contests)
May 03, 1993; ... Federal law enforcement officials say they have broken a sophisticated computer ring in which a group of California-based hackers allegedly rigged radio station giveaway contests. According to the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, the group used computers to take control of radio ...
Radio revenue up 9% in 1st quarter. (radio station advertising revenue increases) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Radio station revenue posted its second consecutive double-digit increase in March, increasing by 13% over March 1992. For first quarter 1993, station revenues paced 9% ahead of 1992. "The March revenue numbers are right on target," said Gary Fries, president of the Radio ...
Only in America: Liddy goes national. (G. Gordon Liddy's radio show gets nationwide syndication)
May 03, 1993; ... Station count at 42; talk show cleared on Infinity outlets in D.C., Chicago Radio stations searching for some way to compete against the midday rantings of right-wing populist Rush Limbaugh finally have a viable option: the midday rantings of right-wing populist G. Gordon Liddy ....
TV stations rebound in first quarter. (broadcasting industry first quarter reports)
May 03, 1993; ... Results exceed Wall Street expectations; many stocks remain relatively flat An improvement in local advertising and continuing cost controls helped TV station owners' operating profit in the first quarter. The results, combined with improved newspaper profits, appear ...
Times Mirror sells stations, part 1. (Times Mirror Co. to sell four stations to Argyle Communications Inc.) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Times Mirror has filed with the FCC the first of its two-part, $335 million sale of its four television stations to Argyle Communications (Broadcasting & Cable, March 22). NBC affiliate WVTM-TV Birmingham, Ala., and ABC affiliate KTVI(TV) St. Louis will be purchased for $45 million and $35 ...
Burnham proposes reorganization. (Burnham Broadcasting Co. debt restructuring)
May 03, 1993; ... Group owner built during the 1980's comes up with 1990's debt slimming Capping two years of negotiations, Burnham Broadcasting has apparently reached an agreement with its creditors. While the solution would turn the five-station TV group owner from a partnership into a ...
The business world in Disney World. (Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to host Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association 1993 annual conference) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Financial executives to meet on eve of retransmission, music licensing, other decisions Registration has jumped 50% over last year for the annual convention of the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association. The May 16-19 meeting at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., will ...
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. (newspaper industry survival entails joint ventures with telephone and cable industry) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Survival of newspapers may depend on joining with cable and telcos, NAA told Media leaders know "the electrons are coming," as they said so often during the Newspaper Association of America convention last week. And several of them think print's best response is joint ventures ...
Hill to revisit violence. (Congress to examine television violence)
May 03, 1993; ... Hearings planned by three House and Senate committees Congress is taking a hard look at TV violence. Three key House and Senate committees are likely to convene hearings on the subject within the next two months. The decision by ABC, NBC and CBS to issue joint ...
Leave TV out of hate crime study, Capcities says. (Capital Cities/ABC Inc. concerned about possible First Amendment infringement) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Capital Cities/ABC last week urged the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, in its study of the role of the media in promoting hate crimes, to distinguish between perpetrators of hate crimes who air their views via telephone and computer bulletin boards, and ...
Effros pitches hardball retransmission tactics. (cable operator Steve Effros recommends enlisting public support in retransmission-consent negotiations with broadcasters)
May 03, 1993; ... Urges operators to take fight to consumers, public officials if negotiations get difficult Cable systems that have trouble negotiating for rights to carry local TV stations should enlist the public to pressure broadcasters to grant those rights, Community Antenna Television ...
Hollings pushing beer-wine bill. (Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest Hollings) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) intends to move legislation requiring warnings in beer and wine advertising on radio and television. Hollings stated his plans during an appropriations subcommittee hearing for the Justice Department. However, a ...
American University President Joseph Duffey. (President Bill Clinton's nomination for director of the United States Information Agency)
May 03, 1993; ... American University President Joseph Duffey is set to become the 13th director of the United States Information Agency, the White House having announced President Clinton's intent to nominate. A USIA spokeswoman said that confirmation hearings are expected within a couple of weeks. Duffey ...
Advertisers, networks ready for news upfront. (news upfront provides attractive alternative to network news)
May 03, 1993; ... Unwired networks focus on providing advertisers with alternatives A weak economic recovery and more alternatives for buying news find agencies talking cautiously about the network upfront news market. "Clients are being careful with their budgets," said Ginny Shields, ...
Mostly more in March, says TVB. (Television Bureau of Advertising reports increase in advertising sales) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Independent stations saw increases in both local and spot advertising in March, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising. In its March monthly report, TVB reported local ad sales for independent stations rose 2.8%. Spot sales were also up (by 3.8%) and total sales for ...
Teenagers the target of TNBC. (National Broadcasting Company Inc. to launch teen-orientated programing under new logo)
May 03, 1993; ... Two-hour Saturday block gets separate identity as part of NBC promotion NBC plans to promote and market two hours of its Saturday morning schedule to consumers, affiliates and advertisers under a new logo - TNBC. The network's action follows that of ESPN, which recently ...
Avon calling, via television. (Avon Products Inc. launches national television campaign) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... After five years without a major television budget, Avon Products Inc. is returning with a $34 million national campaign that will include broadcast, cable and print. The campaign is being handled by FCB/Leber Katz Partners. The television campaign includes a 60-second image ...
Scanners pick up growing attention. (purchase monitoring by merchandise scanners may revolutionize advertising)
May 03, 1993; ... Merchandise scanners in super-markets across the country are increasingly defining where and how advertising dollars are spent by allowing retailers and advertisers to track consumer patterns more rapidly, accurately and in greater detail. "It's nothing short of a revolution," ...
Cox tests Arbitron's new cable service. (Cox Enterprises Inc. Cox Cable Communications to test Arbitron Co. data service)
May 03, 1993; ... RSVP lets systems customize ratings data; MSO to cover cost of doubling sample sizes Cox Cable Communications has become the first customer for a new Arbitron data service targeted to local cable advertising sales markets. RSVP will provide a market's viewing database, including ...
Preparing to convert the converter (General Instrument, Microsoft and Intel to develop cable converter box with interactive capability)
May 03, 1993; ... GI joins with Microsoft, Intel to develop |smart' box that will open door to interactivity The simple little cable converter box on top of the television set may be about to change forever. General Instrument last week unveited an agreement with computer software giant Microsoft ...
HDTV testing rescheduled. (high-definition television scheduled for Federal Communication Commission testing May 24, 1993) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... The FCC's HDTV advisory committee has pushed back testing on the four proposed systems to May 24. The tests had been scheduled to begin the first week in May. In mid-April, however, the committee learned that test materials were not ready for the two systems that use a method ...
HDTV advisory committee to consider job creation. (selection of high-definition television system standard will take American job creation into account)
May 03, 1993; ... Will send questionnaire to system developers The FCC's HDTV advisory committee has agreed to look at job creation when picking an HDTV broadcast standard. Advisory Committee Chairman Richard Wiley said at the NAB convention in Las Vegas last week that he will ...
Harris names Farmer president/CEO. (Harris Corp., Phillip W. Farmer) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... Phillip W. Farmer has been elected president/CEO of the Harris Corp. He joined the company in 1982 as a vice president in the Government Support Systems division in the Electronics Systems Sector, and then served in a summer ...
Telco's N.J. video system will be fiber optic. (Bell Atlantic Corp. will install fiber optic lines in New Jersey)
May 03, 1993; ... Bell's rewiring will open way for cable, other companies to provide interactive services Bell Atlantic says it is taking a major step toward creating the nation's first true information superhighway. The Arlington, Va.-based telephone company and BroadBand ...
Keeping tabs on RF. (RF radiation monitors) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993; ... New FCC rules boost business in radiation monitors With the FCC poised to impose stricter rules on RF radiation exposure, stations find themselves in need of new radiation monitors. Loral Microwave-Narda of Hauppauge, N.Y., might have the answer. The company offers a ...
Virtual Vision eyes broadcast market. (Virtual Vision Inc. may develop television visor for professional use)
May 03, 1993; ... Last-minute NAB exhibitor sees professional applications for goggles with built-in TV Imagine having eyes in the back of your head. Imagine being able to see the world as it appears from three feet above your head. Imagine being able to see to the right or the left without ...
"Cable ad sales is long past puberty and roaring toward adulthood." (Monday Memo) (Column)
May 03, 1993; ... Because they keep growing, revenues from cable ad sales are increasingly important to local cable operators and large MSO's. Therefore, MSO's and cable networks have poured significant resources over the past few years into expanding and upgrading ad sales operations. But ...
Jeffrey Adam Zucker. (executive producer of National Broadcasting Company's 'Today')
May 03, 1993 ... The senior segment producer happened by the younger producer's office and, when queried about a particular piece for an upcoming edition of Today, responded that the interview subject was difficult. "She had me so confused I didn't know what she was talking about," the older producer ...
Peggy Koenig. (appointed CFO ABRY Communications L.P.) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Peggy Koenig, president, Koenig Management Group ...
BET in Britain. (Black Entertainment Television plans United Kingdom cable service) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Black Entertainment Television is said to be planning to back a cable-only service in the UK - the Identity Channel. One possible partner for the eight-hour daily service is London-based Star Television, a division of publisher Voice Communications Group, one of the UK's leading black ...
Paramount Domestic Television has renewed 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' and 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Paramount Domestic Television has renewed Stor Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation for the 1993-94 season. it also renewed The Untouchables. TNG and DSN finished the most recent February ...
Infinity Broadcasting last week reported record net revenues, cash flow and operating income. (Infinity Broadcasting Corp.) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Infinity Broadcasting last week reported record not revenues, cash flow and operating income for the quarter ending March 31. Revenues were $35.2 million, up from $23.4 million in 1992; cash flow was $12.4 million, up from $7.7 million, ...
KICU-TV San Jose, Calif., has reached an agreement with KTVU(TV) San Francisco and the San Francisco Giants. (baseball television contract) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... In an unusual shared licensing arrangement, KICU-TV San Jose, Calif., has reached an agreement with KTVU(TV) San Francisco and the San Francisco Giants ...
President Clinton last week nominated Anne Bingaman to head the Justice Department's anti-trust division. (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... President Clinton last week nominated Anne Bingaman to head the Justice Department's antitrust division as assistant attorney general. Upon Senate confirmation, ...
The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York last week reversed an FCC decision. (zoning ordinance vacated) (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York last week reversed an FCC decision vacating a Deerfield, N.Y., zoning ordinance prohibiting home satellite dishes, but not other types of antennas. Without touching on the case's ...
Since debuting in WCBS-TV New York's 9-10 a.m. slot the ratings for talk strip 'The Jane Whitney Show' have grown 111%. (Brief Article)
May 03, 1993 ... Since debuting in WCBS-TV New York's 9-10 a.m. slot last October with a 1.9 rating/8 share (NSI, week of Oct. 5), the ratings for ...
Rate rules 'pretty much as advertised.' (cable rates)
May 10, 1993; ... Initial elation over impact of FCC formulas dissipates upon thorough study of 586-page order; systems promise to use cost-of-service hearings to show that prices are justified The FCC's long-anticipated order on cable rates did little to clear up what the new world of regulation ...
CBS edges out NBC in TV network revenue. (Brief Article)
May 10, 1993; ... The good news for the broadcast TV network business remains just around the comer. Broadcasting & Cable's analysis of the big three's operating performance reveals a combined TV network profit in 1992 for ABC, CBS and NBC of $146 million, a paltry sum considering it came on revenue just ...
Fox pitches cable channel to affiliates. (Fox Broadcasting Co.)
May 10, 1993; ... Offers cash and/or piece of the action; affiliates form committee to respond to proposal; executives cite excessive program costs, weak syndication market as motivation Fox's plans for a basic cable network became clearer last week following a meeting of top executives and a ...
Lack shakes up NBC News. (Andrew Lack) (Brief Article)
May 10, 1993; ... After three weeks on the job, newly installed NBC News President Andrew Lack is already starting to make his mark on the news division, with key assignment changes and the scrapping of a prime time magazine concept that was to have launched next month. The network confirmed last ...
DirecTv snares USA, Turner networks: Family Channel, Nashville Network also sign on; TBS deal includes MGM PPV movies. (Turner Broadcasting System, pay-per-view)
May 10, 1993; ... Family Channel, Nashville Network also sign on; TBS deal includes MGM PPV movies A year from now, it's going to be a lot harder for cable operators to lure subscribers with exclusive programing. Many of the nation's top cable networks - including USA, CNN, superstation WTBS(TV) ...
Time magazines headed for syndication: signing of Nuell to long-term development deal and link with Westin considered key components in possible launch of 'infotainment' strip in '94. (David Nuell, Av Westin) (Brief Article)
May 10, 1993; ... Signing of Nuell to long-term development deal and link with Westin considered key components in possible launch of |infotainment' strip in '94 Ever since the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications nearly four years ago, there has been talk of unleashing the "massive ...
Advocacy groups/industry clash over kids TV.
May 10, 1993; ... Children's television advocacy groups told the FCC that broadcasters should be required to set aside at least one hour a day for children's programing that is educational and informational. The FCC is already considering the one-hour requirement as a means of enforcement of the ...