Broadcasting & Cable back issues from January 2005:
Why Miss America can't get a date: eighty-three-year-old pageant seeks extreme makeover.(American Broadcasting Companies Inc. grabbed 9.8 million viewers in Miss America Pageant 2004 coverage)
Jan 03, 2005; ... ABC's September 2004 telecast of the Miss America pageant hit a ratings record-low of 9.8 million viewers--down from more than 25 million in 1995 and a far cry from the 85 million fans of its 1960s heyday. The long ratings drop has festered into infighting at the corporate offices, a drain ...
Shows that scored.(Cable Triumph)(cable television grabbed majority shares)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Chalk up another victory for cable. Thanks to strong programs and smart marketing, ad-supported cable networks earned a bigger piece of the TV audience than their broadcast brethren in 2004. Nielsen ...
Where to be and what to watch ...(B&C Week)(Calendar)
Jan 03, 2005; ... Monday, Jan. 3 "Destructive." "Insensitive." "Offensive." "Money-grubbing." Hard words? Yes, but when they come from a grassroots effort denouncing a new TV show, they amount to the world's greatest viral ad campaign. Adoption advocates are disgusted with tonight's Fox reality ...
Trio is truly solo.(The Robins Report)
Jan 03, 2005; ... On Jan. 1, I bid a sad goodbye to Trio. DirecTV no longer had room for the terrific pop-culture channel among its hundreds of networks, most of which I never watch. And forget about the crummy cable system in my area. Cablevision can accommodate half a dozen shopping channels, but in my ...
Networks cover tsunami's wake.(Fast Track)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Unlike the short shrift given to most foreign disasters, U.S. networks are gearing up for long-running coverage of the massive South Asian earthquake and tsunami. With more than 100,000 believed dead (including many tourists) in an array of countries hit by the waves, news ...
Kids flock to 'Housewives'.(Fast Track)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... ABC's Desperate Housewives is the most popular broadcast network TV show with kids ages 9-12. That's according to Nielsen ratings for the week of Dec. 13-19. The sexy ABC adult drama boasted over a million elementary and junior-high viewers, according to the latest count. The ...
Fox under fire for two shows.(Fast Track)(Fox Cable Networks Group airs scenes of its upcoming television dramas)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Fox is under fire for airing scenes in the Jan. 9 debut of drama 24 that portray a Muslim teenager and his parents as members of a terrorist cell plotting a mass attack on Americans. It's the second Fox show to generate controversy in the past two weeks. (The National Council For Adoption ...
Goodbye, Lennie.(Fast Track)(Jerry Orbach died of prostate cancer)(Obituary)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Actor Jerry Orbach, who spent 12 seasons playing hardboiled detective Lennie Briscoe on NBC's Law & Order, has died of prostate cancer. Orbach, 69, a Broadway and film star before L&O, was a cast ...
Sirius tops year's best media stocks: predicting the winners and losers of 2005.(Money Talks)(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc)
Jan 03, 2005; ... Sirius Satellite Radio company lost half a billion dollars last year, and it'll lose another half billion this year. But that hasn't stopped the company from being the No. 1 stock in the TV and radio business. An anticipated surge of Howard Stern listeners and the hiring of ...
The B&C.(News And Comment)(broadcasting industry's stocks report)(Illustration)
Jan 03, 2005 ... <Pre> THE B&C With a look back at the year that was on Wall Street, here are B&C's best and worst stocks of 2004. THE B&C 10 -2.8% BROADCAST TV GROUPS -16.6% CABLE OPERATORS-1.0% RADIO -27.6% CLOSE 2004 ...
Mr. Heyward goes to Washington.(Flash!)(Andrew Heyward met with White House communications director Dan Bartlett)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Let the fence-mending begin. According to a B&C source in Washington, CBS News President Andrew Heyward, along with Washington bureau chief Janet Leissner, recently met with White House communications director Dan Bartlett, in part to repair chilly relations with the Bush Administration. ...
Ex-Sinclair reporter's vet project.(Flash!)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... When Sinclair Broadcast Group fired reporter Jon Leiberman amid a controversy over the company's seeming political machinations during the Presidential election, the news media rallied around him, praising Leiberman as a paragon of journalistic integrity. But they're not exactly racing to ...
Swear low, sweet chariot.(Flash!)(United States Federal Communications Commission has many indecency issues to deal with)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... The Federal Communications Commission has had so many indecency issues to deal with over the past year. A nipple-flashing Super Bowl halftime performer, a foul-mouthed rock star, a salacious radio shock-jock, cussing D-Day movie soldiers and ... somebody swearing on a gospel radio show? ...
DBS gets FCC nod for religious channels.(Washington Watch)(Direct Broadcast Satellite)(United States Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... DBS operators can keep counting religious channels toward their obligation to carry public-interest channels, the FCC says. Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree dismissed a complaint against DirecTV brought by the Secular Coalition for America. The group had argued that setting aside ...
Media general faces TV/paper fight.(Washington Watch)(media activists filed petition against Media General Inc.'s crossownership)(television)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Media activists are gearing up to fight Media General's request for an FCC waiver that will let it keep both WMBB-TV and the Jackson County Floridian in Panama City, Fla. Without a waiver to the FCC's ban on local TV/newspaper crossownership, Richmond, Va.-based Media General ...
A January to remember: Washington ready to get going in 2005.(News & Comment)
Jan 03, 2005; ... As the new year begins, lawmakers in Washington are struggling to resolve issues that have divided the TV-industry trade groups for years. Here is what Congress and the FCC will be up to: JAN. 3: The FCC kicks off 2005 by missing its self-imposed Jan. 1 deadline for ...
Campaign begins to raise $1 billion for public radio/TV.(Washington Watch)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Public TV and radio groups have kicked off an initiative to raise new revenue from both public and private sources, perhaps as much as $1 billion or more. The fundraising project will be led by co-chairs Jim Barksdale, the former CEO of Netscape, and Reed Hundt, former FCC chairman. "We ...
Networks irked at ban on kids' web addresses.(Washington Watch)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Major TV networks are balking at FCC limits that kick in Feb. 1 restricting the display of Web site addresses during children's programming. The Big Four broadcast networks, Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner, Discovery and Nick, want the FCC to delay the ban until 2006. The FCC ...
Ratings 12/6-12/04.(Syndication)(Illustration)
Jan 03, 2005 ... <Pre> RATINGS 12/6-12/04 Nielsen Media Research Top 25 Shows HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM AA GAA 1 Wheel of Fortune 9.4NA 2 Jeopardy!8.1NA 3 ESPN/NFL 7.7NA 4 ...
WPIX airs oldies: station counterprograms with '70s sitcoms.(Syndication)
Jan 03, 2005; ... TV audiences are welcoming back Kotter, Taxi, The Odd Couple and The Jeffersons. All four are part of WPIX New York's nostalgic programming strategy. Up against a Saturday-night lineup of theatrical movies, owner Tribune chose to couuterprogram, says Betty Ellen Berlamino, WPIX VP/GM. The ...
Tyra gains three.(In Focus)(Warner Bros.' The Tyra Banks Show got three stations)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Warner Bros.' The Tyra Banks Show has added three stations to its tally, with McGraw-Hill's KMGH Denver, KGTV San Diego and KHQ Spokane, Wash., all signing on. ABC affiliates KMGH and KGTV and NBC ...
Eye on retribution.(In Focus)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Syndicated freshman weekly Eye for an Eye is converting to a strip in fall 2005. It will also be included in national ratings charts in January. The half-hour show is cleared in ...
Sci Fi buys Ripley's.(In Focus)(Sci-Fi Channel Inc. to broadcast 88 episodes of Ripley's Believe It or Not)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... NBC Universal's Sci Fi Channel has bought 88 one-hour episodes of Sony's Ripley's Believe It or Not, hosted by Dean Cain. The series first ran on ...
Cable wins big in 2004: ABC Family is up, FX got stronger and Comedy Central soared.(Feature)
Jan 03, 2005; ... Score another victory for cable. For the third year in a row, ad-supported cable networks as an aggregate roped in a bigger share of the TV audience than broadcasters. Cable enjoyed an all-time high 52.7 share compared to the seven broadcast networks' 43.1, according to Nielsen Media ...
Dish from the Domestic Goddess: Roseanne sounds off on TV, standup and the end of the world.(Feature)(Roseanne Barr)(Interview)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Roseanne Barr has earned her place in history as one of TV's original desperate housewives. The comedienne's ABe sitcom, Roseanne, was a provocative look at the life of a working-class family. Not only was it a commercial smash, with some 222 episodes running from 1988 to 1997, but it won ...
The advertising outlook for 2005: from FCC fast-food attacks to changing media budgets, TV may no longer be the No. 1 buy.(Ad Infinitum)(United States Federal Communications Commission)
Jan 03, 2005; ... While 2005 is expected to be a good year for advertising in general, it may be a tough one for TV. Media buyers, planners and ad insiders predict renewed regulatory attacks on at least two top commercial categories: prescription drugs and food aimed at kids. In ...
They give the 'Go' sign: the top syndication chiefs get ready for NATPE.(Special Report)
Jan 03, 2005 ... The titans of syndication are coming off a solid 2004, and they're looking forward to keeping the momentum going when the National Association of Television Program Executives meets in Las Vegas later this month. For the first three quarters of 2004, syndication ad sales took in ...
NBC still a local contender: solid newscasts help keep stations in the running.(Special report: close up: NBC/Telemundo stations)(National Broadcasting Company Inc.)
Jan 03, 2005; ... Law & Order and its spinoffs are down in the ratings, and must-see Thursday nights are a thing of the past, but the NBC-owned-and-operated stations are still on track. NBC's 9% decline in prime time (season to date, adults 18-49) thus far is having a limited effect on station ...
NBC's other language: Telemundo lags behind, but gives Peacock a place in two worlds.(Special report: close up: NBC/Telemundo stations)(National Broadcasting Companies Inc.)(Telemundo Communications Group Inc.)
Jan 03, 2005; ... When NBC bought Telemundo, it seemed like a no-brainer. The general television market is mature and fragmented, and growth has ground to a halt. On the other hand, the Hispanic market is the fastest-growing segment in the U.S. The Census Bureau expects the country's Hispanic population to ...
WJW news goes hi-def: Cleveland station saves money, streamlines operations for SD and HD.(Technology)(WJW TV to broadcast in high definition)
Jan 03, 2005; ... WJW Cleveland is the latest station to offer viewers local newscasts in high-def. A Fox O&O, WJW made the leap late last year when upgrading its facility. "We have to make every dollar count. We couldn't build a new standard-def plant and then replace it with HD equipment in a ...
Late-night HD.(high definition television)(National Broadcasting Company Inc. to broadcast its programs in high definition technology)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Look for a lot more high-def on NBC late night next year. Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Saturday Night Live and Last Call with Carson Daly will all make the switch, with Conan stepping up first ...
Avid fans.(News-Press and Gazette Co. have tapped Avid Systems)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... News-Press and Gazette Broadcasting Co. have tapped Avid to supply end-to-end digital broadcast products for news departments at three stations: KTVZ Bend, Ore., KVIA El Paso, Texas, and KESQ Palm Desert, Calif. All three ...
Columbus finds NY1.(Time Warner Cable of New York City expands its automation system)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Time Warner Cable's NY1 cable news channel has expanded its OmniBus Columbus automation system, making it easier to accommodate locally originated news programming ...
ABC taps Thomson.(ABC News Inc., Thomson Grass Valley)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... A full complement of Thomson Grass Valley gear is in use at ABC News' studio TV-3, home of World News Tonight and other news programs. The equipment includes a Kalypso Duo Video Production Center, two Apex 512 audio routers, Trinix 512 and 256 video routers and numerous ...
QuStream acquires Pesa.(Pesa Switching Systems )(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... Routing-switcher manufacturer Pesa Switching Systems was bought by QuStream, a private-equity group founded by industry vet (and former Leitch employee) Fred Goddard. Bob McAlpine, Pesa SVP of sales and ...
Leitch gets graphic: the purchase of Inscriber Technology expands product line and visibility.(Technology)
Jan 03, 2005; ... Broadcast equipment-maker Leitch has enlarged its business. The company just bought Inscriber Technology, known for its graphic and character-generation technology, for approximately $14.5 million. "Graphics has been a major hole in our product offerings," says Leitch CEO Tim ...
Tandberg to buy N2 Broadband: move strengthens company's U.S. cable presence.(Technology)(Tandberg Television)
Jan 03, 2005; ... To improve its cable-related sales, Tandberg Television plans to acquire N2 Broadband in early 2005. It also wants to make it easier for current broadcast clients to prepare for VOD-distributed content. "We want to help content owners extract more value out of the content they ...
Plasma art: gallery player transforms HDTVs.(Tech Q&A)(Gallery Player to provide high definition televisions)(Brief Article)(Interview)
Jan 03, 2005 ... When not tuned to prime time programs, plasma screens will eventually display great works of art. Gallery Player expects to market the service, available via cable and DBS, by the end of the year. Scott Lipsky, founder and CEO, discusses the new venture, which is launching at CES in Las ...
Barr keeps WLS on top: GM maintains strong focus on Chicago community.(People)(WLS-TV's general managers Emily Barr)
Jan 03, 2005; ... When a fire raged recently at the LaSalle Bank building in Chicago, ABC-owned-and-operated station WLS extended its evening newscast to cover the breaking story. As 8 p.m. approached, the station faced a tough choice: Monday Night Football was about to start, but it wasn't known if the ...
WAWS.(Broadcast TV)(Collin Gaston appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... COLLIN GASTON, national sales manager, WAWS Jacksonville, Fla., ...
KPIX.(Broadcast TV)(Angela Lindsay appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... ANGELA LINDSAY, account executive, KRON San ...
KHBHK-TV.(Broadcast TV)(Sheryl Wyrostok appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... SHERYL WYROSTOK, general sales manager, KFOG(FM) San ...
Comcast Cable.(Cable TV)(John Pitts promoted)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... JOHN PITTS, regional VP, technical operations, Comcast Cable, ...
Insight Communications.(Cable TV)(execuutive promotions)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... At Insight Communications: ALEX CROWLEY, district VP, central Indiana, promoted to VP, phone ...
Time Warner Cable.(Cable TV)(Robert V. Moel appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... ROBERT V. MOEL, president, Kansas City division, Time Warner Cable, Kansas City, Mo., ...
Comcast.(Cable TV)(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... At Comcast, Philadelphia: RACHEL LEE, director, new video product development, promoted to senior ...
Comcast Media Center.(Cable TV)(Jon Shaver appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... JON SHAVER, business development consultant, cable TV programming, various ...
MTV.(Programming)(appointments at MTV Networks Inc.)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... At MTV, New York: LARRY DIVNEY, chief operating officer, ad sales, named president, ad sales; DOUG ROHRER, senior VP/general sales manager, named EVP/senior advisor to Divney; NICOLE VORIAS, VR ...
E! Networks.(Programming)(Suzanne Kolb appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... SUZANNE KOLB, executive VR marketing, The WB Television Network, Los Angeles, ...
YES Network.(Programming)(Ray Hopkins appointed at Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... RAY HOPKINS, executive VR affiliate sales and marketing, Gemstar-TV ...
NBC Universal Cable Entertainment.(Programming)(Dan Harrison appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... DAN HARRISON, VP, strategic program planning, Bravo, Burbank, Calif., promoted to senior ...
HSN.(Programming)(Diane Weingart appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... DIANE WEINGART, regional manager, new business development, Adelphia Cable, ...
Starz! Entertainment Group.(Programming)(executive promotions)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... At Starz! Entertainment Group: DEBBIE ALTHER, director, program planning and scheduling, promoted to executive director; Christine Flynn, ...
WWE Enterprises.(Lisa Richards-appointment)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... LISA RICHARDS, manager, sales, marketing and point-of-sale, Starz Encore Group, ...
WCBS.(Journalism)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... ALEX BENES, reporter, presidential conventions/ presidential election, ...
KTLA.(Journalism)(Lu Parker appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... LU PARKER, host, Great Day SA, KENS San Antonio, Texas, ...
Weekend America, American Public Media.(Journalism)(Kathryn Sott appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... KATHRYN SCOTT, producer, Sound Money, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, ...
Media Center, Tribune Broadcasting.(Journalism)(Tom Sileo appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... TOM SILEO, news production specialist, Associated Press, Washington, D.C., ...
Linda Narbey, VP/account director, MPG Arnold Advertising, Boston, named senior VP/group planning director, ConAgra refrigerated frozen and snack foods accounts, MediaCom, New York.(Advertising/Marketing/VP)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... LINDA NARBEY, VP/account director, MPG Arnold Advertising, Boston, named senior VP/group ...
New York Times Radio.(Radio)(Tom Bartunek appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... TOM BARTUNEK, general manager, WQXR New ...
WPHT(AM).(Radio)(Michael Berkowitz appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... MICHAEL BERKOWITZ, national sales manager, KYW-TV ...
Television Broadcast Systems, Harris Corporation.(Technology)(Tony Morelli appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... TONY MORELLI, program manager, Prism Wireless business unit, Globespan Virata, Red Bank, N.J., joins broadcast ...
Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.(Allied Fields)(Steve Necessary appointed)(Brief Article)
Jan 03, 2005 ... STEVE NECESSARY, president, video on demand division, Concurrent Computer Corporation, ...
Crush Editorial.(Allied Fields)
Jan 03, 2005 ... MIKE HACKETT, editor, Avenue Edit, Santa Monica, Calif., to staff editor, Crush Editorial, Santa Monica. WHAT'S YOUR FATE? Send ...
Datebook.(Calendar)
Jan 03, 2005 ... JANUARY 2005 JAN. 6-9 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION 2005 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: www.ce.org JAN. 8 TELEVISION NEWS CENTER ANCHOR TRAINING. Interface Media ...