Multichannel News back issues from March 2009:
Through the Wire.(Speed Channel Inc.)(Peter Windsor)(USF1 racing team)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons Windsor Speeds to 'USF1' Speed Channel's new headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., last Tuesday hosted and televised a live press conference announcing a planned new U.S.-based Formula One racing team. It made sense: the team will be based in or ...
Coda.(ESPN Inc.)(Discovery Communications Inc. appoints Laura Michalchyshyn)(NBC Universal Inc. appoints NBC Universal Inc.)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Staff ESPN Tells 'Her Story' Mike Reynolds New York - To commemorate women's history month, ESPN in March will devote an array of its assets to telling inspirational stories of distaff athletics, culminating with a one-hour special, Her Story , hosted ...
Style Net Gets Makeover.(Style Network)(Salaam Coleman Smith)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Network's Rebranding Brings 'Real Women' Into Fashion The Style network is undergoing a programming makeover. The decade-old, Comcast-owned channel is officially strutting away from runway-based, high-fashion-oriented programming in ...
Reviews.
Mar 02, 2009; ... by George Vernadakis and R. Thomas Umstead ASHES TO ASHES (BBC America, Saturday, March 7, 9 p.m.) On paper, the premise for the new BBC America police drama Ashes To Ashes may sound formulaic: Sexy, smart policewoman teams up with hard-nosed, chauvinist ...
Interactive TV Begins to Bloom.
Mar 02, 2009; ... By Todd Spangler Cable (Finally) to Start Delivering ITV to Millions; Thank EBIF, Not OCAP No more crying wolf. Cable in 2009 finally has a concrete business reason - advertising - to make interactive TV work on a wide scale. This year, the largest cable ...
Funds Buy Sagging Stocks.
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Large Media Funds Pick Up Cable Shares at Bargain Prices While cable stocks - along with the rest of the market - were heading far south in the last three months of 2008, some of the biggest mutual funds in the space were adding to their positions, ...
Rattner Will Take Role at U.S. Treasury.(Steven Rattner)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Quadrangle Group co-founder Steven Rattner has agreed to join the Treasury Department as a counselor to Secretary Timothy Geithner, advising him on the automobile industry, the company said in a statement. The firm said that effective immediately, Michael Huber ...
'Nick' of Time for Rebrand.(MTV Networks Inc. Nickelodeon)(Noggin L.L.C. new name Nick Jr.)(The N new name TeenNick)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead N, Noggin To Adopt Parent Net's Family Name Nickelodeon wants to give its offspring channels The N and Noggin the family name. In an effort to strengthen the already venerable kids and family-oriented Nickelodeon brand, Nick will ...
After Chernin, Who's Up at News?(Peter Chernin resigns from The News Corporation Ltd.)(James Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch in race for chief operating officer)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell With News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin finally letting the cat out of the bag last week that he will leave the media giant after his contract expires June 30, the new game in Hollywood is guessing who his successor will be. For the time ...
Liberty Media Eyes DirecTV Tie-Ins.(Liberty Media Corp. buys stake in Sirius XM Radio Inc.)(Starz Entertainment Group L.L.C.)(QVC Inc.)(Financial report)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Maffei: Satellite-TV Firm Explores Bundling In Sirius XM's Radio Programming Liberty Media's bailout of Sirius XM Radio could lead to at least some bundled offerings with the media giant's DirecTV satellite-TV service, Liberty CEO Gregg Maffei told ...
For the Record.(Rural Media launches Rural Television channel)(Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network L.L.C)(CBS College Sports signs deal with DirecTV)
Mar 02, 2009 ... by Staff RFD-TV Parent Launches Rural TV On U.K.'s BSkyB Satellite Provider Staff Nashville - Patrick Gottsch's Rural Media , parent of 40-million-subscriber U.S. cable network RFD-TV , March 2 launched Rural TV on satellite-TV provider BSkyB in the ...
Cablevision Follows Pack.(Cablevision Systems Corp.)(Charter Communications Inc.)(Mediacom Communications Corp.)(Financial report)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Wraps Earnings Season With Mixed Results, Like Its MSO Peers The cable-operator earnings season came to a close last week with Cablevision Systems reporting a mixed fourth quarter - revenue at its cable business was up 7% in the period, but adjusted ...
Will Internet Television Charge Ahead?(Comcast Corp.)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Cable may want to rethink the notion that TV subscribers would feel 'entitled' to getting programming online without paying for it. The biggest U.S. cable operators - Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications - have been attempting to secure ...
Small Operators Are Plowing Back.(National Cable Television Cooperative Inc.)(Troy Cablevision)(Ken Jordan)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons Charlotte, N.C.- Despite the recession, small cable operators are still investing in expansions to their networks, out of competitive necessity and to capture customers for phone and high-speed Internet services. About 250 representatives of those ...
Old TV Habits Die Hard.(television viewing)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead, Programming Editor The idea that online video viewing continues to rise won't come as breaking news to anyone who's followed the television space over the past year. But according to two new video viewing studies - Nielsen Media Research's A2/M2 Three ...
Talkback.(MTV Networks Inc. VH1)(The Weather Channel Inc.)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Staff One Month Is Not Enough (RE: 'VH1 Celebrates African-Americans With 'Black to Future,' ' Multichannel.com, Feb. 25) VH1's four-episode 'celebration' of black history is an interesting contrast to its daily denigration of black people through its various ...
People.(ADTRAN Inc. appoints Gary Bolton )(Bright House Networks L.L.C appoints Marva Johnson)(Bright House Networks L.L.C appoints Michelle Jaconi )
Mar 02, 2009 ... by Staff Adtran Huntsville, Ala.-based networking and communications solutions supplier Adtran has added Gary Bolton as vice president, global marketing. He comes from Hatteras Networks, where he was VP, marketing and product-line management. AETN ...
VOD Goes Super-Size.(video on demand)(Verivue new product MDX 9200)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Startup Funded by Comcast, Arris Rolls Network Video Switch Video-on-demand startup Verivue - whose investors include Comcast and Arris - wants to feed Americans' apparently insatiable appetite to watch TV everywhere. The company this week ...
Review: Verizon's Over-the-Top Phone.(Verizon Communications Inc.)(The Hub)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler It's a voice-over-Internet phone - wait, no, it's a Web-video player. And an Internet radio. And a digital picture frame, a 'communications command center' for families, a phone directory, a way to get a quick look at the news and weather and a bunch of other ...
Groups: Change Not 'Compulsory'.(United States. Copyright Office)(National Association of Broadcasters president Kyle McSlarrow)(National Cable and Telecommunications Association president David Rehr)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by John Eggerton NCTA, NAB Agree On Television-Carriage License Reform Washington- The bright lines among TV providers - and some intersecting ones - continued to be drawn last week as Congress held a trio of hearings on changes to the law circumscribing cable and ...
Ergen's Must-Carry Solution.(Must carry rules (Broadcasting))(EchoStar Communications Corp.)(Charlie Ergen)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by John Eggerton Washington- Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen met with reporters last week for a breakfast briefing before his testimony on reauthorization of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act, the bill that sets the rules of the road for satellite ...
NCTA's Legal Eagle Takes Flight.(National Cable & Telecommunications Association)(Dan Brenner)(Interview)
Mar 02, 2009; ... by Mark Robichaux After more than 16 years of fighting cable's competitors - and the government - Dan Brenner, the longtime senior vice president of law and regulatory policy for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, is leaving to join Hogan & Hartson, an ...
CBS College Sports Tips Off March Madness With VOD Package.(video on demand)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Reynolds The NCAA tournament doesn't tip off until March 19, but cable, satellite and telco video subscribers can immerse themselves in the madness on demand, courtesy of CBS College Sports Network and the association. Class is already in session for "NCAA ...
USA Creates Book of Characters.(USA Networks Inc. Character Project exhibition)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Reynolds Network Recruits Photographers for Artistic Project USA Network is taking its "character" campaign in a new direction this year. Cable's highest-rated network has launched the "Character Project," a multipronged artistic initiative to pay ...
Obama Nominates Genachowski as FCC Chair.(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(Julius Genachowski)(Barack Obama)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by John Eggerton Washington-- President Obama last week nominated Julius Genachowski to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The administration signaled the pick several weeks ago ("What Would Julius Do," Jan. 19, 2009, page 3). "I can ...
Wild for the Web.(Hustler TV)(Playboy Television International L.L.C.)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Stuart Miller Adult Fare On the Internet Opens New Revenue Streams For Operators The migration of vide content from the traditional TV screen to multiple platforms, in particular the Web, is perhaps most apparent in the area of adult entertainment. That has even ...
Coda.(Cesar Conde, Kashif Haq and Toni Stubbs awarded by The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications)(The American Cable Association appoints Ted Hearn)(Mika Salmi resigns from MTV Networks Inc.)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Staff Univision Inks 50 Retrans Deals Mike Reynolds Tonia O'Connor and her team have been busy. Univision's executive vice president of distribution sales and marketing and the media company's affiliate group have finalized more than 50 ...
Nat Geo Raises Volume.(National Geographic Channel)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Network Plans to Add 10 New Shows to Its 2009-10 Slate National Geographic Channel will bring native head shrinkers, shark wranglers and prehistoric dinosaurs to viewers with the addition of 10 new series set to launch during the 2009-10 season. ...
Disney Goes Back to 'High School'.(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios)(High School Musical 4)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Los Angeles-- Disney Channel will tap its popular High School Musical movie franchise a fourth time as the network announced production on the latest entry for later this year. The fictional East High Wildcats will feature a new cast of ...
Reviews.(BREAKING BAD)(A Relative Stranger)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Reynolds and George Vernadakis BREAKING BAD (AMC, Sunday, March 8, 10 p.m.) If you missed Bryan Cranston's surprising Emmy-winning best actor turn last season, your shot at redemption begins Sunday. But after screening the first two ...
Is Dish Broken?(EchoStar Communications Corp.)(Charlie Ergen)(Financial report)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Charlie Ergen Scrambles To Stabilize His Company After years of defying expectations to build the nation's No. 2 satellite-TV provider, Dish Network chairman, president and CEO Charlie Ergen faces what could be his greatest challenge ever: how to dig ...
Assessing the Damage.(Time Warner Cable Inc. chief executive officer Robert Marcus)(Comcast Corp. chief executive officer Michael Angelakis )
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Time Warner Cable, Comcast CFOs Size Up 2009 at Confab The top financial executives at the two largest cable operators in the country descended on Palm Beach, Fla., last week for the Deutsche Bank Media and Telecom conference and despite the gloomy ...
Hallmark's Crowning Quarter.(Crown Media Holdings Inc.)(Financial report)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Crown Media Holdings, parent company of Hallmark Channel, reported its first-ever quarter of positive cash flow, fueled primarily by increased carriage fees and lower operating expenses. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ...
Look Like a Zillion Bucks?(ZillionTV Corp.)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Broadband-TV Play Is Backed by Five Studios, Visa ZillionTV has morphed the concept of free, ad-supported television for the Internet age. With some of the biggest TV and movie studios as content partners and investors, the Silicon Valley ...
Sundance Channel Spells 'Green' F-U-N.
Mar 09, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Marketing Initiative for Programming Block Will Focus on Network Personalities Sundance Channel will look to make its weekly eco-friendly programming block more fun and entertaining with a multiplatform marketing and programming initiative that ...
Charter's Mary L. White Dies.(Charter Communications Inc.)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons Charter Communications said Mary L. White, the former president of the cable operator's Central Division, died early Friday (March 6). She was 46. The Madison, Wisc.-based executive, who retired at the end of 2008, had breast cancer. A ...
Dolans Launch Next-Gen Ads.(Cablevision Systems Corp.)(Rainbow Media Group Inc.)(Television advertising)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Cablevision Jumps In Front on Interactive, Targeted Spots Cablevision Systems has jumped ahead of the cable-TV pack to offer advanced advertising on a wide scale. The Bethpage, N.Y.-based operator has embarked on efforts to significantly ...
Cablevision: CEA Seeks Set-Top Rules.(Consumer Electronics Association)(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(Cablevision Systems Corp.)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Cablevision Systems said the Consumer Electronics Association -- in opposing the operator's waiver extension to Federal Communications Commission rules on separable set-top security -- is attempting to impose its own wishes for a national downloadable-security ...
Cable Nudges Congress In Stimulus Planning.(United States. Federal Communications Commission)(National Cable and Telecommunications Association)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by John Eggerton Washington-- As the U.S. government prepares to dole out more than $7 billion in broadband grant and loan money in the economic-stimulus package, the cable industry, among others, is giving advice on how to spend it. The government should put a ...
Hard to Not to Spoil DVR Users' Fun.(24)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons, Executive editor I accidentally blurted out a spoiler the other day. We had some visitors in the office from Washington, D.C., last Tuesday. While we were chatting about the local weather (the first snow day for New York City schools since 2004), I ...
Talkback.(Verizon Communications Inc.)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Staff The Evolution Will Continue (RE: "Cable Chiefs: Keep Your Heads Up," Multichannel.com, March 5) Digital enabled the rapid expansion of new channels that filled segments / categories that were untapped (lifestyle -- Food Network, HGTV, Speed; expansion of ...
People.(AMC vice president Theano Apostolou)(Black Entertainment Television Inc. appoints Essie Chambers)(Comcast Corp. appoints Mary Beth Halprin)
Mar 09, 2009 ... by Staff AMC AMC has elevated Theano Apostolou to senior vice president, publicity, talent relations and promotional events. She had been VP. BET Networks Essie Chambers has joined BET Networks as senior vice president, original programming ....
Arris Lineup Converges.(C4c CMTS)(ConvergeMedia)(XMS)(MDX)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Expands Its On-Demand Play, Compacts DOCSIS 3.0 Headend Arris has bulked up its video-on-demand play, while slimming down its DOCSIS 3.0 cable-modem headend gear for smaller systems. The company introduced a range of products across its ...
BigBand Bows IPTV Product for Cable.(internet protocol televison)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler BigBand Networks is pitching an Internet-protocol TV solution to cable operators that bypasses a DOCSIS cable-modem termination system -- an approach that is 75% cheaper than delivering video directly through the cable-modem termination system, the company ...
Talk About Cosmic Debris.(Cosmos 1900 satellite)(Society of Satellite Professionals)(Dom Stasi)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Leslie Ellis Last month, a defunct Russian satellite crashed into an American communications satellite. It was the first such space crash of man-made objects in the 52-year history of us rocketing satellites into our Earth's orbit. The impact blasted something ...
Johnson: 'We Need More Minority' TV.(Black Entertainment Television Inc.)(Bob Johnson)(Interview)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by John Eggerton Bob Johnson, founder of BET and currently chairman of RLJ Companies, is trying to team with Ion Media on a new African-American focused network employing some of the multicast channels of Ion's 60 stations, including in all of the top 20 media markets. He and ...
NTIA to Tap DTV Funds.(United States. National Telecommunications and Information Administration)(Digital television)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by John Eggerton Washington-- The National Telecommunications & Information Administration last week got access to funding to help unclog the digital-to-analog TV-converter coupon program. "We apportioned these funds earlier this week; coupons will start being ...
Through the Wire.(A&E Television Networks)(National Geographic Channel )
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler and R. Thomas Umstead Click for More Swordplay Think you're up to speed on Alexander the Great? A&E Television Networks' History is hoping to draw in aficionados of the ancient world's most notorious conflicts with the launch this week of an ...
Charter Tier Blends Sports TV, Web Content.(Charter Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Charter Communications, in one of the first attempts to blend TV and Web-video access into a single bundle, is offering a $10-per-month package that includes a sports cable TV tier and access to additional "premium-level" sports content on the Internet. ...
To Stop Churn, Always Be Selling.
Mar 09, 2009; ... by Mark Syp, Maritz Shifting scenarios and a complete industry transformation mean cable and telecommunications providers are competing for the same customers. Therefore, many cable MSOs must reinvent themselves in order to maintain a level of differentiation. But where should ...
Coda.(Comcast Corp.)(Qwest Communications International Inc.)(Auditude raises finance from RedPoint Ventures)(Harmonic Inc. acquires Scopus Video Networks)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Staff Activists: Sprout's Bad 'Night' John Eggerton Washington -- Children's activists last week took aim at PBS Kids Sprout's The Good Night Show , likening it to the TV equivalent of a sleeping pill for toddlers. But network president Sandy Wax took ...
Review.(PARTY DOWN)(THE LOCATOR)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead and George Vernadakis PARTY DOWN (Starz, Friday, March 20, 10:30 p.m.) Starz's newest comedy series Party Down somewhat falls down as a comedic vehicle for the exploits of wannabe Hollywood stars making ends meet working at a catering ...
'SpongeBob' Turns 10.(MTV Networks Inc. Nickelodeon partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Nickelodeon Celebrates With Documentary, Wal-Mart Run Nickelodeon will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its undersea animated star SpongeBob SquarePants with a documentary and a month-long merchandising run in Wal-Mart stores. The ...
Viewers Help TCM Celebrate Milestone.(Turner Classic Movies Inc.)(Brief article)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead Turner Classic Movies will share its love of classic cinema by giving select fans the opportunity to program an April film festival as part of the network's 15th anniversary celebration. The network will also roll out several new original series ...
The Method to the Madness.(National Collegiate Athletic Association contract with CBS Broadcasting Inc.)
Mar 16, 2009; ... By Mike Reynolds How CBS Scores With NCAA Games on TV, Online, on Phones -- and Even on Radio Madness, it seems, comes in many forms. In March and early April, it means people painting their faces or bodies in the colors of their alma mater or waving foam ...
Lionsgate Talks Break Off.(Carl C. Icahn and Mark Rachesky stake in Lionsgate Entertainment )
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Speculation Icahn May Launch Proxy Fight Talks between Lionsgate Entertainment and activist investor Carl Icahn broke down last week, leading some in the investment community to speculate that the one-time corporate raider may launch a proxy fight for ...
Bumpy Ride for TW Cable.(Time Warner Cable Inc. spilt from Time Warner Inc.)(Brief article)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Split from Parent Company Leads to Roller-Coaster Share Price Time Warner Cable, which has traded the past week as if it had already split from Time Warner Inc., legally separated from the parent as of 8 p.m. last Thursday, capping what has been a ...
Animal Turns to Reality.(Discovery Communications Inc. Animal Planet)(Whale Wars)(Meerkat Manor)(Marjorie Kaplan)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by R. Thomas Umstead New Fare Attempts To Lure Viewers Animal Planet is venturing out into the wild, wild world of dramatic reality fare in an effort to appeal to a broader base of viewers. Once known for family friendly shows like Crocodile Hunter and ...
BBCA: Our Viewers Have Money.(BBC Worldwide Americas Inc.)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons Network Boasts Cable's Most Affluent Audience to Ad Buyers BBC America's pitch to ad buyers starts with this message: "Our viewers have more money to spend in this economy." The 63 million home network expects to "do better than the ...
AOL Says: You've Got A New CEO.(chief executive officer Tim Armstrong)(Randy Falco and Ron Grant departs from America Online Inc.)(Financial report)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Mike Farrell Former Google Exec Takes the Helm Time Warner Inc.'s troubled AOL shook up its top management late last Thursday, naming former Google executive Tim Armstrong chairman and CEO and announcing that current chairman and CEO Randy Falco and president and ...
Pew: TV-News Biz Stinks.(Pew Research Center)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by John Eggerton But Study Finds Cable Networks Were a Bright Spot Among Old Media Washington-- Viewer migration to the Web and the economic freefall have combined to "shorten the time left on the clock" for traditional media, says the Pew Research Center's Project ...
Nielsen: Cable Alone In '08 Ad Growth.(Statistical data)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Todd Spangler Cable-television advertising grew 7.8% in 2008 to reach $26.6 billion in sales, representing the only category of U.S. advertising that showed growth for the year, according to preliminary figures Nielsen Media Research released Friday. Cable, also ...
Breaking Up's Still Hard to Do.(AT&T Inc.)(Verizon Communications Inc.)(Consumer Federation of America research director Mark Cooper)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Kent Gibbons, Executive Editor Hey, it worked 25 years ago when Ma Bell had a monopoly on the phone line. Any number of firebrand telecom experts would like to see it happen again -- or at least see a real common carrier again, from which independent ...
Talkback.(Black Entertainment Television Inc.)(Bob Johnson)(Brief article)
Mar 16, 2009; ... by Staff Johnson's Already Had His Chance (RE: "Johnson: 'We Need More Minority TV,' " Multichannel.com, March 9) "[Urban TV founder Bob] Johnson wants to piggyback on someone else's dime. When he set up and and sorta owned BET, he promised educational and cultural ...
People.(Ascent Media Group Inc. senior vice president Robert Blatt)(Cox Communications Inc. vice president Jeremy Bye)(National Geographic Television appoints Mark Wild )
Mar 16, 2009 ... by Staff AmberFin London-based AmberFin added David Abel as worldwide director of partner management. He had been regional sales manager, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, at Software Generation Ltd. Ascent Media Santa Monica, Calif.-based ...