Broadcasting & Cable back issues from March 2002:
Group deal. (Ratings).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Viacom is negotiating with Nielsen on a long-term group contract that would cover ratings and research for the company's TV units, including CBS, UPN, the cable networks, TV stations, and syndication and TV production (Paramount, King World). One source said the deal's value would top the ...
Chairman's visit. (Politics).(FCC Chairman Michael Powell before Congress)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Looks like the honeymoon could be over for FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who has been in office a little over a year. Last week, he took shots from both sides of the aisle. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.) (right) called Powell a "disaster," while Senate Minority ...
Instant HDTV. (Broadcast TV).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Could HDNet be coming to a digital station near you? Fox affiliate WRAZ(TV) Raleigh, N.C., plans to carry the satellite-delivered HDTV programming sometime this year, and there could be more. Digital broadcasters have enough ...
Blast from the past.(TV stations could get help from the Warren court in their fight for digital copy protection.)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... TV stations could get help from the Warren court in their fight for digital copy protection. Broadcasters have long feared exclusion from copy-protection agreements among studios, manufacturers and cable. Now that the studios have agreed to include broadcasters, a big question is whether ...
Remote (traffic) control.(Computers stolen from KQTV St. Joseph, MO)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... It's hard enough to keep a TV station on-air when the traffic-system computer crashes. Try it when the computer is stolen. That was the task facing KQTV(TV) St. Joseph, Mo., last week when more than $75,000 in computers disappeared, including ...
Chairman's vote.(Former FCC Chairman Jim Quello gave his blessing to Jonathan Adelstein nominee for the vacant fifth)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Over lunch at The Palm in Washington Last Thursday, former FCC Chairman Jim Quello gave his blessing to Jonathan Adelstein (above), nominee for the vacant fifth seat on the FCC. Quello, who has many friends at the ...
New rules for risque business: FCC's top enforcer now says it's up to stations to disprove complaints. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Pleading ignorance about their own programming is an increasingly precarious strategy for fighting indecency complaints, if recent comments from the FCC's top cop are any indication. "If the station can't refute information in the complaint, we'll assume the complainant got it ...
AMA confronts NBC booze policy: Counter ad echoes Surgeon General's tobacco warning. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Opponents of NBC's decision to accept hard-liquor advertising applied more pressure last week to get the network to reverse course. But the network wasn't budging, insisting that it's approach to booze advertising is not only responsible but ought to be the industry standard. ...
Snapple everywhere: Viacom Plus, beverage group agree to $15 million cross-platform promotion. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... It'll be the summer of Snapple on MTV and UPN. And, on Viacom's Infinity Radio, shock jocks Opie and Anthony will somehow find a way to he always talking about the fruity beverage. In fact, if you want to avoid overdosing on Snapple promotions on Viacom-owned media this summer, tune to ...
'One nation,' under scrutiny: Broadcasters are interested but skeptical of Ergen's 'local everywhere' proposal. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen last week offered his version of "a chicken in every pot": local stations in every dish. But opponents of EchoStar's proposed $29 billion merger with Hughes Electronics, parent company of DirecTV, were not appeased by the companies' new plan to offer local ...
Reinventing NATPE: Organization outlines initiatives to bring studios back to show. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... NATPE will pick up the hotel tab and registration fees for top local station buyers to woo them to attend next year's show in New Orleans, part of a broad plan outlined last week to appease disgruntled studio hotshots. NATPE President and CEO Bruce Johansen detailed several new ...
Balking at talking: Media groups ask for stay of video descriptions. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... The TV and movie industries are asking the FCC to stay the April 1 launch of voiced descriptions of onscreen action intended to help the blind. The NAB, NCTA and the Motion Picture Association of America have challenged the rules in court and last week said TV stations, cable ...
ABC on the hunt: Signs Madden for MNF, chases Letterman for late night. (Top of the Week).(Madden for Monday Night Football, Letterman to replace Nightline)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... When the going gets tough in network land, there are usually two remedies: Produce your way out of trouble or raid the competition for their top talent. ABC tried the latter last week, first bagging Fox NFL color commentator John Madden to join Al Michaels on Monday Night ...
Rodgers leaves Discovery. (Top of the Week).(Johnathan Rodgers)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... In the Latest shuffle at Discovery Networks, President Johnathan Rodgers is stepping down. A self-described network-builder, Rodgers said that, after six years with the company, Discovery no longer needs his guidance. "I'd rather be with a start-up or a fixer-upper," he said ...
The week that was. (Top of the Week).(Deregulation of regional phone companies to encourage them to build high-speed fiber networks)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... TAUZIN-DINGELL PASSES, THEN STALLS The House of Representatives last week passed 273-157 the Tauzin-Dingell bill, which would deregulate regional phone companies to encourage them to build high-speed fiber networks. No further action on the bill, sponsored by Reps. Billy Tauzin ...
V.O.D. confidential off the record, on the QT & very hush-hush: Video-on-demand is the future cable, but, please, don't ask too many questions.(video-on-demand services)
Mar 04, 2002; ... ASK ANYBODY in the cable business: Video-on-demand holds the potential to alter television more dramatically than anything since HBO aired its first theatrical movie, Sometimes a Great Notion, in 1973. VOD could be about much more than reselling theatrical movies. Its deployment ...
It's like cable's outlet mall: Digital-tier channels are filled with remnants and repeats from bigger parent nets.(digital cable services)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... FOR CABLE OPERATORS, digital is a fairly clear success. Most operators have gotten 20%, even 30% of their basic customers to sign up. Sales are giving a dear financial boost. The promise of dozens of extra channels has dearly dampened the growth of rival DBS companies. Digital customers ...
Dreaming of fine living: Scripps' new digital network is all about 'pursuing your passions'. (Special Report: Digital Cable).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Yet another niche network is joining the potpourri of specialty services. But the newest player to join the ranks, Scripps Networks' Fine Living channel, is ditching the how-to instructional model. "This is entertainment mixed with information. The notion is about pursuing your ...
You think it was the curling?: NBC's Olympics and scripted shows deliver competitors a one-two sweeps punch. (Programming).(National Broadcasting Company Inc. NBC Entertainment)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 04, 2002; ... At the conclusion of the November sweeps, CBS President Les Moonves quipped, "For February 2002, I'd like to congratulate NBC right now for their victory aided by the brilliant scheduling of two weeks of the Olympics." Moonves and other network executives knew that February's ...
Aid for broadcasters: By boosting membership, Broadcasters' Foundation intends to provide a place for the industry's needy to turn. (Programming).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... After a bout with cancer, a West Coast radio broadcaster found himself in dire financial straits, unable to support his blind wife and 15-year-old son. On the advice of a friend, he contacted The Broadcasters' Foundation, an industry group whose mission is to help financially troubled ...
Broadcast Watch.(prime time ratings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 04, 2002 ... <Pre> BroadcastWatch FEB. 18-24 Broadcast network prime time ratings according to Nielsen Media Research Week 22abcCBS MONDAY5.0/8 7.3/118:00 38. My Wife & Kids 5.2/8 20 ....
Syndication Watch.(top 25 shows for February 11-17)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 04, 2002 ... <Pre> Syndication Watch FEB. 11-17 Syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research TOP 25 SHOWSHH HH Rank Program AA GAA 1 Wheel of Fortune9.7 9.72 Jeopardy ...
The city of sisterly enmity. (Station Break).(WCAU-TV's Sharon Reed threatens co-worker Alicia Taylor)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... An apparent dispute between two on-air newspeople at NBC-owned WCAU(TV) Philadelphia spilled over to a police investigation last week, with accusations that one had threatened the other. Anchor Sharon Reed was interviewed by police--with a lawyer Present--regarding alleged ...
WUSA wakeup win. (Station Break).(leads market share in early morning news)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... It was seen as a rather dramatic move when then-new News Director Dave Roberts and then-General Manager Dick Reingold moved evening anchors Mike Buchanan and Andrea Roane to mornings. As sweeps ended last week, Gannett's WUSA(TV) was poised to win the Washington ...
Open mike, insert foot. (Station Break).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... There hadn't been such a commotion at WJFW-TV Rhinelander, Wis., staffers say, since E!'s Steve Kmetko dissed his former employer in People. But the NBC affiliate attracted national attention when Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum--apparently unaware that his mike was on--called ...
Precautionary tale. (Station Break).(WVUE-TV pieces cover weatherman's loss of wife to pulmonary embolism)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... WVUE(TV) weatherman Bob Breck believes that his wife, Paula Zabrecky, died because no one recognized the signs of pulmonary embolism. He began a campaign last week to reduce chances of its recurring. In two lengthy pieces last week, Nancy Parker examined blood-clot hazards. The ...
Focus Spokane.(Washington area broacast industry market share data)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 04, 2002 ... <Pre> Focus Spokane THE MARKET DMA rank78 Population 990,000 TV homes 389,000 Income per capita $15,447 TV revenue rank 77 TV revenue $59,900,000 COMMERCIAL TV STATIONS Rank (*)ch. Affil. Owner ...
Tauzin: Hold the hypocrisy. (In Brief).(Rep. Billy Tauzin complains to NAB State Leadership Conference)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... News organizations should be less hypocritical when it comes to covering politicians, Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) told the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington last week. Tauzin, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, complained about CNN's listing the amounts ...
AMBER joins EAS. (In Brief).(Emergency Alert System adds child-abduction emergency code)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... A new child-abduction emergency code was added to the Emergency Alert System operated by broadcasters and cable systems, the FCC said last Tuesday. The code was one of several added to the EAS system. The abduction alert can activate local AMBER plans, voluntary partnerships ...
Lott takes shot at FCC: Rankled by broadband position, he says the commission 'distorts' laws. (Washington).(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Republican favorite Michael Powell may be at the helm of the FCC, but you wouldn't know it from listening to Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) "I've been very disturbed by the FCC for a long time," Lott said at the National Association of Broadcasters State Leadership ...
Changing hands.(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... TVs WOWK-TV Huntington, W.Va. Price: $40.5 million Buyer: Gary Communications (Albert B. Cary, Jr., CEO). Buyer also owns WBOY-TV Clarksburg, W.Va. Seller: SJL Communications LP (George Lilly, president) Facilities: Ch. 13, 141 kW, ...
Panasonic builds on the past: NAB intros look to fit compatibly into existing plant infrastructure and equipment. (Technology).(Panasonic Broadcast and Television Systems Co.)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems will head to NAB with a number of products it hopes will answer the call for economical products that are flexible enough to meet demands for different formats and also fit within a broadcaster's existing infrastructure. According to Vice ...
GVG looks to share news: NewsShare, NewsBrowse and NewsEdit LT designed to ease workflow. (Technology).(Grass Valley Group product introductions)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... The impending acquisition of Grass Valley Group by Thomson gives GVG's three product introductions this week a meaning beyond the typical NAB introduction. Many in the broadcast-equipment manufacturing community are curious about changes to the Grass Valley Group name and personnel once ...
DTV delays sought: Some 400 stations expected to ask for six-month extensions of deadline. (Technology).(digital television broadcasting)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... More than a-third of U.S. TV stations are expected to ask the government's permission to delay completion of digital facilities by the time a window for filing such requests closes today. As of Feb. 28, the FCC received requests from 179 of the country's 1,100 full-power ...
People.(multiple broadcasting industry appointment briefs)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... FATES & FORTUNES Broadcast TV Robert J. Ramsey, station manager, WGN-TV Chicago, named VP/GM, KSWB-TV San Diego. Robert Furlong, VP/GM, KUTP(TV) Phoenix, joins KPHO-TV Phoenix in the same capacity. Rick Henry, president/GM, WISN-TV Milwaukee, ...
Voice rule gotta go. (Voices Open Mike).
Mar 04, 2002 ... Editor: Your editorial "ALL news is local" in the Feb. 11 edition is "spot on," as my kids would say. While much is being made of raising or eliminating the 35% television station ownership cap, of equal or greater importance in my opinion is the need to loosen the "eight-voice rule," ...
In the game at kickoff: Bodenheimer was there when ESPN was 'little network that could'. (The Fifth Estater).(George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN Inc.)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002; ... George Bodenheimer started out at ESPN as a driver--a glorified title for a mailroom job-and, 20 years later, he's driving the entire network as president, overseeing all domestic and international operations. ESPN has fared well under Bodenheimer's three-year watch. Having ...
Yellow flag. (Editorials).(criticism of FCC's efforts to regulate broadcasting 'content')(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... Shock jock Bubba, the Love Sponge, has just been acquitted of slaughtering a boar as part of an on-air stunt. Fox will follow its most recent reality offering--a glutton contest to see who could chug the most mayonnaise, for one--with a celebrity boxing match between Tonya Harding and Amy ...
Just do it. (Editorials).(broadcasting and motion picture associations seek block of FCC rule implementation)(Brief Article)
Mar 04, 2002 ... The NAB, NCTA and MPAA have filed for a stay of the FCC'S video-description rules. The rules have already been challenged in court, so they have a perfectly sound argument for postponing implementation until that decision is made. They also raise defensible First Amendment issues about ...
Inbounding the ball. (Cable TV).(National Basketball Association and AOLTime Warner start up All Sports Network)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... ESPN is fairly giddy to start NBA coverage, TNT is an old hand, but the League's third cable outlet is scrambling. As part of the NBA'S new TV deal, a new channel co-owned by the league and AOL Time Warner will have 96 games per season for six seasons, starting this fall. The tentatively ...
Be prepared. (Regulation).(FCC putting together advisory committee aimed at safeguarding electronic communications from terrorism)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Prompted by the Sept. 11 attacks, the FCC is recruiting broadcast, cable and satellite TV executives for an FCC advisory committee on safeguarding the electronic mass communications during a terrorist attack or other catastrophe. The committee will be modeled on the Network ...
HD believers. (BC Eye).(studios begin shooting pilots on high-density tape format)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Given the chance to shave the cost of shooting pilots, studios will probably take it. That may be one of the reasons more than 20 pilots, mostly sitcoms, for next season will be shot on HD as opposed to film. The first pilot to be shot on HD this year, Paramount's Do Over, ...
Searing send off. (BC Eye).
Mar 11, 2002; ... Retiring AOL Time Warner CEO Jerry Levin (above) will get plenty of accolades before he exits May 16, but he took some heat at a March 5 dinner during Bear Stearns's annual conference for media investors. Levin was blasted by State Street Research's Larry Haverty, a major media investor ....
Drug money. (BC Eye).(Henry Waxman critical of TV ads for prescription drugs, skyrocketing costs)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is the latest lawmaker to cast a worried eye on TV ads for prescription drugs. The House's watchdog on healthcare says that prescription-drug companies are "getting a good return on their investment" but that is because the ads sell more ...
Chairman Powell on hot seat: A deregulatory stance may sound good at election time, but does it suite the industry? (Top of the Week).(Federal Communications Commission chairman)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... It's gut-check time for Michael Powell. After a little over a year in office, the FCC chairman has a problem: He's a deregulatory guy, but some powerful lawmakers are pressuring him not to deregulate, often encouraged by well-heeled lobbies with fickle interest in deregulation. ...
Publicis gobbles up Bcom3: Merger gathers media buyers Starcom, Zenith and Optimedia under one umbrella. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... The media-buying universe got a little smaller last week with the merger of the sixth- and seventh-largest adagency holding companies, Parisbased Publicis and Chicagobased Bcom3, respectively, for a little more than $3 billion. Publicis is the surviving company and becomes the ...
3 Nets: News, views, confused; Study of prime time programming finds major differences among major cable news networks. (Top of the Week).(Cable News Network, Fox News, MSNBC Cable Network)(Brief Article)(Column)
Mar 11, 2002; ... In a blurb: "CNN is a newsgathering network. Fox is an opinion network. And MSNBC is a confused network." That's the Cliff Notes version of a report by Andrew Tyndall, who studied the three cable news networks for PBS'S Newshour With Jim Lebrer. Tyndall, media ...
And the winner ... is ABC: Oscar ad time sells out a month earlier than last year at rates just 5% off. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... ABC has a load of prime time problems, but the upcoming Oscars telecast doesn't appear to be one of them. Advertising commitments held up well compared with last year. And now network officials are praying that viewership for the film industry's annual salute to itself holds up better than ...
Redefining 'print press'. (In Brief).(Chicago chapter of Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002 ... The Chicago chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists asked the city to reconsider or delay police plans to enforce a long-dormant rule to subject reporters to fingerprinting and background checks. SPJ and Chicago Headline Club President Christine Tatum, a Chicago Tribune writer, ...
Turnabout for Tauzin? (In Brief).(Senate Commerce Committee plans hearing on local telecom competition)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002 ... Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.) plans a March 20 hearing on local telecom competition and will call Reps. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) as witnesses. Tauzin last week led the House fight for the Tauzin-Dingell bill, co-sponsored by Rep. John ...
NATPE: Hilton's paid. (In Brief).(National Association of Television Programming Executives)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002 ... NATPE sources say it sent "a very large check" to the Las Vegas Hilton for bills the hotel says it was owed. NATPE, hit last week with a lawsuit ...
Platforming without a net: Mazda's $10M ad buy from Disney includes TV stations, radio but not ABC network. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... One of the benefits of the cross-platform marketing package is that clients can pick and choose the particular medium. For the second time in as many weeks, a multimillion-dollar deal has surfaced without the seller's main TV distribution vehicle, the broadcast network, involved in the ...
Media layoff pace slows. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 11, 2002; ... The pace of media layoffs eased in February, with companies announcing layoffs of 283 workers, says a new study. According to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the February level is 78% below the 1,294 layoffs of the previous month and 27% below the 384 in February ...
Can The Shield fix FX? Off-net dramas haven't helped, and News Corp. frets over network's malaise. (Top of the Week).(FX cable network)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... A year ago, with FX mired in a lingering ratings swamp, network President Peter Liguori predicted that a much-hyped slate of high-profile series would electrify the network. Now, five months after the evening schedule of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal and The Practice ...
The week that was. (Top of the Week).(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002 ... THE LATE-NIGHT HYPE At press time, the flap over ABC's interest in David Letterman and disinterest--or, at least, decreased interest--in Nightline, continued to draw criticism and comment, including from Ted Koppel himself, journalist watchdogs Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach, ...
It's only a patent, XM insists: But NAB fears that new satellite-radio provider aims for local programming. (Top of the Week).(XM Satellite Radio patent related to local radio advertising, says National Association of Broadcasters)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... XM Satellite Radio says it has no plans to offer local radio programming to its customers, but the National Association of Broadcasters last week discovered that the company has received a patent to do just that. The discovery confirmed for NAB its worst fears: that XM is ...
Networks forgo March fetes: Broadcast pre-upfront presentations had become glamorous, multimedia events. (Programming).(television network marketing)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Normally, in March, 200 top media buyers trek from New York to Los Angeles to get an early glimpse of what the major broadcast networks have cooking in development. The pre-upfront presentations, called the March Screenings, have become glamorous, with multimedia presentations and plenty ...
Better scene is no herd: Cable networks are skipping parties in favor of one-on-ones. (Programming).(cable network marketing)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Less style, more substance. That's the strategy for this year's cable upfront presentations. Many networks are forgoing splashy parties for rank-and-file media buyers, opting instead for intimate meetings with agency execs and their clients. Last year, cable's upfront take ...
Broadcast Watch. (Programming).(broadcast television network prime time ratings, week 23)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 11, 2002 ... <Pre> BroadcastWatch Broadcast network prime time ratings according to Nielsen Media Research Week 23 abc CBS MONDAY 5.5/9 9.6/15 8:00 57. All New Bloopers 5.6/9 21. King/Queens 8:30 ...
Syndication Watch. (Programming).(syndicated television programming ratings)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 11, 2002 ... <Pre> Syndication Watch Syndicated programming ratings according to Nielsen Media Research TOP 25 SHOWSHH HH Rank Program AA GAA1 Wheel of Fortune9.5 9.5 2 Jeopardy...
Digital displacement. (Station Break).(A South Carolina low-power station was forced off the air by the digital signal of a full-power station.)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... A South Carolina low-power station says it was forced off the air by the digital signal of a full-power station. GE Media President Greg Everett told FCC Chairman Michael Powell he had to let WPDF-LP Florence go dark after it was denied Class A status and Media General CBS ...
KNTV's Olympic boost. (Station Break).(San Jose television station)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Granite Broadcasting's KNTV(TV) San Jose, Calif., proved that it can garner Olympian ratings, averaging a 22 rating/35 share for the games. Barely a ratings blip before wresting NBC affiliation from KRON-TV, it won in late-night news for February sweeps and was NBC'S highest-rated top-10 ...
Kmart no-show. (Station Break).(WXYZ-TV Detroit reporter Steve Wilson investigates Kmart's executives)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... When corporate-turnaround specialist and new Kmart Chairman James Adamson didn't show up for a press breakfast that was planned well in advance and attended by about 30 members of the local and national media, WXYZ-TV Detroit reporter Steve Wilson sat down and ate breakfast anyway, then ...
Doerr exits. (Station Break).(Steve Doerr, senior NBC VP for news, programming and creative development)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Steve Doerr, senior VP for news, programming and creative development, at NBC's station group, left the company last week. Insiders said he was ...
In the enemy camp. (Station Break).(Allbritton Communications in Washiongton D.C.)(Brief Article)
Mar 11, 2002; ... Allbritton Communications will combine its Washington, D.C., properties, WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8, into a single organization. The ...