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Television & Radio Recent Headlines Cablevision, Yankees Air Games Live on Web Reuters Cablevision, Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees cable network will offer live streaming online of Yankees games in the team's home market. Cablevision Internet customers who receive the YES Network will be able to buy a package to see the games live on the Web. CBS: 'CSI' Draws Higher Rates on Web Than TV Bloomberg Television programs such as "The Simpsons" and "CSI" are for the first time commanding higher advertising rates at Web sites including Hulu and TV.com than on prime-time TV. Marketers, says CBS, are willing to pay more for online because the ads "have a captive audience." ABC, Trades Eye Benefits from Oscar Change Washington Post The Motion Picture Academy is boosting the number of best picture nominees from five to 10 in hopes that it will attract more viewers to its Oscarcast on ABC. Also, trade magazines and newspapers expect an increase in "for your consideration" ads aimed at academy voters. TV Networks See Younger Viewers Vanish New York Times The U.S. broadcast television networks this summer are performing abysmally in viewers age 18 to 49. Last week they posted the lowest combined rating in that category ever. CBS and ABC both scored the lowest total viewer numbers ever for their evening newscasts. CBS Boss Moonves Hit With a 76% Pay Cut Crain's New York CBS chief Les Moonves's compensation was slashed by 76% last year, according to Salary.com. Still, Moonves took home $13.6 million. CBS's stock price fell by two-thirds in 2008, due in part to the advertising slump. About 2,000 employees lost their jobs. Viacom's MTV Networks Lays Off 75 Staffers Broadcasting & Cable MTV Networks is axing around 75 employees, mainly mid-level execs in program development, digital and scheduling at the group housing MTV, VH1 and Logo. "It's pretty much the economy," says a spokeswoman. The cuts account for less than 1% of MTV Networks' work force. Discovery: TLC's 'Jon & Kate' Put on Hiatus Bloomberg TLC is putting its No. 1 program "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on hold after the reality-show couple announced plans to separate. The Discovery-owned channel will air a retrospective on June 29 and put the series on hiatus until Aug. 3. The show is often among the most-watched on cable. Time Warner, Comcast to Take Aim at Hulu Los Angeles Times Time Warner and Comcast plan to unveil a partnership that will make it harder for people to watch television shows online for free. Called "TV Everywhere," the initiative will require viewers to subscribe to a pay-TV service before they may watch certain shows online. ABC 'View' Co-Host in Lawsuit Over Plagiarism Associated Press Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a co-host of ABC's "The View," is being accused of plagiarism in a lawsuit filed by self-published author Susan Hassett. The suit alleges that Hasselbeck's book, "The G-Free Diet," lifts "word for word" from Hassett's book, "Living With Celiac Disease." CBS: New CFO to Cut Costs, Shun Acquisitions Bloomberg CBS' newly appointed CFO Joseph Ianniello says he plans to reduce costs as advertising sales slump. Ianniello, who is replacing retiring exec Fred Reynolds, adds that there are no acquisitions in the works because any deal would have to meet a "very, very, very high hurdle." Murdoch's New York TV Stations Cut 20 Staffers New York Daily News News Corp. New York sister stations WNYW, Channel 5, and WWOR, Channel 9, are laying off 20 employees. The cuts are in news production, sales, facilities, finance and public affairs. A station spokeswoman says: "This is a sign of the economic times." Sirius XM Unit Seeks to Pay Down Heavy Debt Associated Press Sirius XM Radio unit XM Satellite Radio says it will issue $350 million in four-year senior secured notes to help pay down its heavy debt load. Sirius came near bankruptcy earlier this year because of looming obligations. The company has been hurt by the downturn in auto sales. Disney's ESPN: Multiple Platforms for Soccer Reuters Disney's ESPN has won British rights to show 46 live English Premier League soccer matches for the 2009/10 season and 23 matches for the following three years. ESPN says it plans to make its coverage as widely available as possible, across multiple pay-television platforms. ESPN, HuffPost Chicago Web Sites Enter Deal Chicago Tribune In a new deal, Huffington Post Chicago will provide ESPN's ESPNChicago local site with news headlines and blog posts, while ESPNChicago will provide sports content to HuffPost Chicago. No cash is changing hands in the ESPN and Huffington Post partnership. TiVo in Deal Talks to Become 'Bigger Player' Bloomberg TiVo plans to elbow its way onto every U.S. pay-television system, in an attempt to "become a much bigger player." The digital-recording pioneer is in talks to provide service through Time Warner Cable. TiVo already has deals with Comcast and DirecTV. Greater Media Urges Fans to Help Save Radio FMQB Greater Media, the owner of 23 U.S. radio stations, is opening HelpSaveRadio.org, a site to coordinate opposition to the proposed performance tax. The tax, which aims to require radio stations to pay performance royalty fees, could be "catastrophic" to radio. ABC to Cut 40 Jobs in Merger of Operations Bloomberg Disney's ABC is completing the merger of its studio and programming divisions, in an effort to produce more of its own shows, and naming execs Jeff Bader and Barry Jossen to lead the combined operation. Less than 40 existing and unfilled positions will be cut in the move. TV Evening Newscasts Are Safe -- For Now Forbes Despite declining viewership, the big three nightly newscasts still draw 21 million viewers every night. Primetime news tracker Andrew Tyndall says that the networks can't afford to abandon their news divisions. Otherwise, local affiliates will lose programming "they need to survive." Comcast Buys Hearst's Cable Channel Stake Associated Press Comcast is acquiring the 50% of New England Cable News from Hearst it didn't already own. Hearst created the regional news channel in 1992 with cable operators that Comcast later acquired. Like many print media owners, Hearst is being hit hard by an advertising slump. 'Twitter Revolution' in Iran Aided by Old Media Reuters Los Angeles-based satellite station Channel One TV, which is run by expatriate Iranians, mailed out thousands of camera pens to citizens in Iran to help them document their election. The pens pull apart to reveal a flash drive for plugging into a computer and uploading video. TiVo Wants to Be the Google of Television BusinessWeek TiVo is trying to remake itself as the "Google of television" by helping viewers search for programs and by selling advertising and ratings data to advertisers. "Like Google, TiVo will bring that ease of use to TV sets," says CEO Tom Rogers. "We're feeling pretty good right now." Sirius XM iPhone App Leaves Out Howard Stern Associated Press Sirius XM Radio is unveiling a free application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, as the company continues to find ways to offer its service beyond cars, given the dismal state of U.S. vehicle sales. But shock jock Howard Stern will be kept exclusively for satellite-radio listeners. NBC Taps Microsoft For Ad-Sales System Wall Street Journal NBC Universal will use technology from Microsoft to sell commercial time on its broadcast and cable-TV networks in a process similar to the sale of online advertising. The technology NBC is deploying will add a layer of demographic information as well as automated ad buying. CBS Sues ABC Affiliate Owner Over Fees Bloomberg CBS is filing a lawsuit against Global Broadcasting, the owner of Rhode Island ABC affiliate WLNE-TV, for $5 million, seeking fees for syndicated programs such as "Dr. Phil." The station hasn't paid in full for the broadcast rights, according to the complaint. ABC Sees Controversy Over 'Obamamercial' U.S. News A controversy is growing over ABC's plan to broadcast a health care special out of the White House next week. Critics are calling the special an "Obamamercial." Conservatives are demanding a chance to run ads before or during the special but claim they are being turned away. CBS, Jelli to Roll Out User-Controlled Radio Radio World A company called Jelli is promoting what its founders say is the first Web service to enable 100% user-controlled radio. The service is launching on CBS Radio's KITS-FM in San Francisco. Users create the playlist with real-time voting. What plays next is determined seconds before it airs. DirecTV to Introduce Internet Applications Bloomberg DirecTV will start allowing some subscribers to access applications such as the Flickr photo-sharing site through their televisions. If the trial is successful, the applications will become available to all subscribers of the satellite-TV service. "The TV experience is changing." Comcast Offers Boston Red Sox On Demand Boston Globe Comcast plans to roll out Red Sox On Demand to provide New England digital cable subscribers with hundreds of hours of footage of the Boston Red Sox. The move comes as Comcast tries to retain subscribers as some people are eyeing their cable bills as they look to slash spending. ABC Seeks Probe of Evening News Ratings Associated Press ABC News is crying foul over a Nielsen Media Research report that says "World News" had 4 million viewers Friday -- which could be the newscast's smallest audience ever. Friday was the first night of the digital switch over. Usually, 7 million watch the ABC broadcast on Fridays. ABC in Flap Over White House News Embed Hollywood Reporter ABC News is drawing fire for an upcoming special on President Obama's health care plan. The network will embed its news telecasts with the White House on June 24, including the evening news with Charles Gibson. But ABC is rejecting a Republican Party request for a response. CBS: 'Fire Letterman' Rally Attracts Only 50 WCBS A mere 50 protesters turned up for the "Fire David Letterman" rally held outside the taping of CBS's "Late Show," protesting the comedian's comments about Sarah Palin and her daughters. Letterman brushed off the flap with a slew of jokes, including a protest "Top Ten" list. CBS News Unveils Revamp of CBSNews.com RBR CBS News is rolling out a redesign of CBSNews.com. The new site features breaking-news stories from CBS News, as well as content partners like Politico, CBS MoneyWatch, Washington Post and WebMD. A new blog, Crimesider.com, expands on CBS's "48 Hours Mystery." Sirius XM Passes Royalty Fees to Subscribers FMQB Sirius XM Radio will add new fees to its subscription prices, as a way to pass along rate increases by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board to the consumer. Fees will be added of $1.98 per month for primary subscriptions and $.97 per month for multi-receiver subscriptions. NBC NY Affiliate Drops News for Lifestyle Show Broadcasting & Cable Almost 30 years after debuting its iconic "Live at Five" brand, WNBC New York is scrapping 5 p.m. news for a lifestyle program, debuting in September. The new "LX New York" targets the "Lifetime viewer" of suburban women, with fashion, cooking and gossip fare. Viacom: Top MTV Networks Exec Stepping Down New York Post Brian Graden, president of entertainment of MTV Networks' Music and Logo group, is leaving as part of a reorganization. Graden, an 11-year Viacom veteran, is not expected to be replaced. He is said to be among the highest-paid company execs, with an annual compensation of $7 million. Ashton Kutcher Aims to Bridge Digital, TV Variety Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg's production outfit Katalyst is looking to bridge the gap between digital and television. Katalyst is developing a CW series pilot, "I Pledge," which began online with MySpace, in which celebrities vow to volunteer for charitable causes. CBS: 'Fire David Letterman Rally' is Scheduled RBR / TVG Activists are planning a "Fire David Letterman Rally" Tuesday, following the CBS late-night host's comments about onetime VP contender Sarah Palin and her daughter. Also: Embassy Suites is yanking its advertising off CBS's Web site due to the Letterman controversy. Viacom: Comedy Central's Viewers Are Aging Forbes The average age of viewers of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" is up by five years, says Nielsen. The graying of Comedy Central's most important shows comes at a bad time for parent Viacom. "When you start to see the age creep up, you wonder whether the show is sustainable." Digital TV Shift Opens Up Business Opportunities Dow Jones The U.S. transition to digital television could open up new business opportunities and make TV more ubiquitous than ever. Telecom execs expect the shift will bring an explosion of high-definition TV over cell phones, laptops, and eventually, in taxicabs and family minivans. Clear Channel Cues Musician-Focused Channels Crain's New York Clear Channel Radio's digital network will launch a series of dedicated artist channels starting in July. The Eagles, Christina Aguilera and Weezer will be the first artists involved. The channels will be distributed across online and mobile outlets. The artists will share in the profits. TV Guide Network Cuts 38 Jobs in Channel Redo Bloomberg Lions Gate will cut 38 positions, or 11% of workers, at TV Guide Network as the cable channel airs more of the company's films and television shows. Lions Gate acquired the channel in March for $255 million with plans to make it an outlet for its own programming. CNN Slammed by Twitterverse for Iran Absence CNET After thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Iran to express anger at perceived electoral irregularities, an unexpected hashtag began to explode across Twitter. Users expressed dismay at the lack of coverage on CNN, a network that cut its teeth with its Middle East reporting. Social Media Help TV Stations 'Friend' Viewers Boston Globe As local television stations lose viewers and advertising revenue, some are turning to Facebook and Twitter to generate stories and, hopefully, boost ratings. Boston's WLVI is using Facebook to ask viewers to help shape coverage by selecting a story to air on its 10 p.m. newscast. YouTube Squishes Hollywood's Web Video Efforts Los Angeles Times Internet video businesses launched by such firms as Disney, HBO, NBC and AOL are failing. Part of the problem is that YouTube is a juggernaut. Also, high-volume Web traffic doesn't necessarily translate into big money. "It's much harder than everyone thought." Digital TV Shift Opens Up Business Opportunities Dow Jones The U.S. transition to digital television could open up new business opportunities and make TV more ubiquitous than ever. Telecom execs expect the shift will bring an explosion of high-definition TV over cell phones, laptops, and eventually, in taxicabs and family minivans. PBS to Make Cutbacks After Budget Shortfall New York Times PBS, facing a $3.4 million budget shortfall in its coming fiscal year, says that it has reduced its staff by 10%, or about 45 positions, and will impose a 3.85% pay cut on employees beginning July 1. The broadcaster is also instituting a hiring freeze and cutting travel expenses. MTV Aims to Turn British Model Into Web Star Wall Street Journal In an effort to lure teens away from the Internet, MTV is launching "It's On with Alexa Chung," a live on-air music show, hosted by 25-year-old ex-British model Alexa Chung. The show will draw some of its material from Facebook and YouTube, and stream in viewer questions via Twitter. NBC Launches Video Site for Black Consumers PR Week NBC News is launching The Grio, a video-focused news Web site targeting black consumers. The site, named for a term for a West African storyteller, attempts to fill a void of feature content focused on black Americans' stories. The site's six-person staff is based in New York. ABC Devotes Newscasts to 'The New Normal' Associated Press ABC's network-wide series of reports next week on "The New Normal" will look at how businesses and personal habits have changed in the wake of the recession. When the recession is over, things won't go back to the way they were before, says ABC News head David Westin. TV Commercials Are Too Loud, Lawmakers Say Dow Jones Congress wants broadcasters to turn down the volume on television commercials. A new bill would require the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to "preclude commercials from being broadcast at louder volumes." The idea might be difficult to mandate, observers say. Comcast to Test Cable-TV Shows on the Web Bloomberg Comcast is teaming up with programmers, including Time Warner, to offer television shows online to a test group of subscribers in the coming weeks. The service, called OnDemand Online, may help the U.S. cable giant retain customers who want to view programs on media besides TV. Time Warner's TCM Launches Social Network PRNewswire Time Warner cable network Turner Classic Movies is launching its own online social network, called the TCM Classic Film Union, for movie lovers. Some users are already posting rare film photos and video clips. Others are creating blogs to discuss celebrities and favorite classic movies. News Corp, Viacom to Resurrect 'Futurama' Dow Jones "Futurama" will awaken from suspended animation, much like its lead character, after strong DVD sales and reruns convinced 20th Century Fox Television to resurrect the cartoon series, which aired on Fox from 1999 until 2003. New episodes will air on Comedy Central. NBC's O'Brien Loses 'Tonight Show' Lead Bloomberg Conan O'Brien, host of NBC's "Tonight Show" for less than two weeks, is falling behind in the late-night ratings lead to CBS's David Letterman for the first time since taking over from Jay Leno. O'Brien's audience has been shrinking each night since he replaced Leno on June 1. CBS: Last.fm Founders to Exit This Year New Media Age Richard Jones, Felix Miller and Martin Stiksel say they plan to leave Last.fm, the music recommendation site they started in 2002, which was bought by CBS for $280 million in 2007. "We feel the time is right to begin the process of handing over the reins," they say in a joint blog post. CNN's Sister Channel Hires ABC 'View' Host New York Times Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's "The View," is joining CNN sister channel HLN to host a 9 p.m. talk show. HLN hopes to raise its prime-time ratings with Behar, who is known for her comedic and sometimes controversial sensibility. Behar will continue to co-host "The View." Broadcast TV: Digital Transition is 'Too Late' Washington Post Friday's U.S. migration to digital television transmission may be too late for broadcasters. "Broadcasting had a heck of a run for 50, 60 years, says Reed Hundt, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. "It's not completely irrelevant now, but it almost is." FCC Chief Nominee to Get Hearing Next Week Bloomberg Julius Genachowski, President Obama's choice to head the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, will get a June 16 confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. Genachowski, a former FCC aide and Internet exec, was nominated March 3 to head the agency. Disney is 'Pleased' with ABC; Sale Unlikely Reuters Disney CFO Tom Staggs says the company is seeing "signs of stability in the marketplace," but warns that ad buyers are still "cautious." When asked about a possible sale of its underperforming ABC network, Staggs says he and CEO Bob Iger are "pleased" with its direction. ESPN Secures Bodenheimer Well Into 2011 Sports Business Journal George Bodenheimer will continue guiding the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" for a while. The 28-year ESPN employee is quietly renewing his agreement with Disney, inking a three-year extension that will keep him presiding over the premier sports media brand through most of 2011. CBS Mulls Launch of Financial News Channel Hollywood Reporter CBS shares will rise as the economy strengthens, says CEO Les Moonves, speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting. When asked why CBS hasn't launched a financial news channel, Moonves responds: "We have explored it. Right now the market is way too crowded." Letterman, CBS in Deal to Extend 'Late Show' New York Times David Letterman and CBS are said to have worked out a new contract that will see him continuing to host the "Late Show" through August 2012. Significantly, CBS will pay less for the show. But the reduced fee does not necessarily mean that Letterman will take a pay cut. Broadcasters Compete to Put TV on Cellphones Los Angeles Times This week's U.S. switch to digital from analog will allow live television to be sent to mobile devices -- cellphones, computers, car systems. Broadcasters and companies including MobiTV, Qualcomm's Flo TV and Transpera will vie to turn the feature into a "must-have." Clear Channel Boosts Digital with Media Player Associated Press Clear Channel is launching an online media player that consolidates access to its roughly 850 U.S. radio stations at IHeartRadio.com. The player also serves as a streamlined showcase for advertisers, including full-page ads with interactive "widgets" that can be embedded in blogs. CBS: Is David Letterman Taking a Pay Cut? Hollywood Reporter CBS is said to be close to resigning David Letterman to continue hosting "Late Show" through the 2011-12 season. Given the economic climate, CBS is negotiating a lower license fee with "Late Show's" production firm. It is not clear if the fee cutback impacts Letterman's salary. NBC's Canceled 'Earl' Might Find Life on TBS Hollywood Reporter TBS is in talks to order new episodes of "My Name Is Earl," the sitcom canceled by NBC just a few weeks ago. A deal, however, is far from a lock as the sides have to figure out whether an expensive network series can be produced under a basic cable network's economic model. NYC TV Stations to Pool Video News Content Mediaweek Four television stations in the largest U.S. TV market are forming a local news service to pool video newsgathering resources, a practice that is fast becoming standard procedure in major markets. The participating New York City stations are owned by Fox, CBS, NBC and Tribune. TBS Ascends After Time Warner's AOL Spinoff Atlanta J-C After Time Warner ditches its troubled AOL unit, Turner Broadcasting System will emerge from the relative shadows to become half of the media giant, based on the profits of its cable networks -- CNN, TBS, TNT and others. CEO Jeff Bewkes says that TBS is "central to our future." Hearst-Argyle Eyes Revenue in User Content Broadcasting & Cable Hearst-Argyle Television is completing the rollout of its user-generated content program "u local" at its local TV stations, and sees opportunities to drive revenue with it. Proud parents can purchase photos of kids in their Little League games, and the station gets a cut of the revenue. CBS Cut to Near Junk by S&P on Ad Decline Bloomberg Standard & Poor's is cutting its credit rating on CBS to its lowest investment grade because advertising from shuttered auto dealers probably won't ever return. "It is unclear how quickly these once very substantial revenues will be replaced by new sources," S&P says. Sirius Satellite Radio Drifts Toward Failure DailyFinance Sirius XM Radio has seen its stock fall 95% since Howard Stern's first satellite radio show. U.S. auto sales are dropping, and Sirius XM is feeling the impact as fewer vehicles with satellite radios are sold. The company has lost more than $300 million in the past two quarters. NBC Universal Owner Orders 'Ban' on Nielsen DHD Jeff Immelt, CEO of NBC Universal parent General Electric, is said to have ordered a company-wide ban on Nielsen after the media publisher's The Hollywood Reporter ran a story about a purported news slant favoring President Obama. NBC is "not allowed to talk" to THR. Current TV Journos Sentenced to 12 Years Associated Press Laura Ling and Euna Lee, journalists with Al Gore's Current TV, have been sentenced by North Korea's top court to 12 years in prison for a "grave crime" against the nation and of illegally crossing into North Korea. Analysts believe negotiations will likely lead to their release. Viacom-Led Epix TV Channel Nears Launch NewTeeVee Epix, the new pay-television channel venture from Viacom's Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM, is launching a private beta of its online film distribution on Monday. Its Web site will be available at no extra charge, commercial-free, to cable subscribers with Web authentication. MTV Turns TV Awards Show Into Online Event NewTeeVee Last weekend's MTV Movie Awards, with the Bruno/Eminem interaction, helped MTV.com record 13 million video streams on Monday. MTV is keeping most of the online viewers for itself by offering an embeddable player and aggressively taking down unauthorized copies. Obama: No More Delays in Shift to Digital TV Reuters President Obama is issuing a statement warning Americans who have not prepared for next Friday's transition to digital television that their TVs could go dark if they are not prepared. "I want to be clear: there will not be another delay." He admits: "Some people are not ready." Clear Channel Lenders in Push to Default Financial Times Large lenders to the private equity groups that led the $23.8 billion buyout of Clear Channel Communications intend to turn down a proposed debt exchange, hoping to drive the radio and outdoor advertising firm to default. The creditors aim to take control at a steep discount. Televisa, Social Site hi5 to Air TV Online Associated Press Mexican media giant Televisa and the social networking Web site hi5 plan to provide television programming free online in Latin America. Users of hi5 will be able see Televisa programming on a new hi5 page this summer. The page won't be accessible in the United States, however. Disney, Hearst, NBC Talk Cable Venture Broadcasting & Cable Disney-ABC Television, Hearst and NBC Universal are discussing a change in their joint ownership of A&E Television Networks, folding in Lifetime. The deal would expand the relationship between Disney-ABC and NBC Universal which are also partners in the video site Hulu. Hearst Set to Take Over Hearst-Argyle TV Associated Press Hearst Corp. is set to raise its share of class A stock in Hearst-Argyle Television to 96%, setting up the next step in the company's takeover of the TV-station operator. Hearst already owns 67% of Hearst-Argyle's class A shares and all of its class B shares. Oprah Dethroned by Jolie on Forbes' List Forbes Angelina Jolie has dethroned media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey to top this year's "Celebrity 100 list," the annual ranking by Forbes of the world's ultra famous. While Winfrey is the list's top earner, viewership for her daily talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," continues to erode. ABC News Ramps Up Digital Division Hires Hollywood Reporter ABC News is expanding its digital reporter corps by adding its first digital staffers in the United States. ABC first deployed a team of seven digital reporters to foreign posts in 2007. The new journos will contribute reporting to ABCNews.com, ABC News NOW and other platforms. EchoStar Causes 'Substantial' Harm to TiVo Bloomberg Dish Network is being ordered by a federal judge to stop using a digital video recording service that infringes a TiVo patent. Dish and EchoStar also are being told to pay TiVo $192.7 million in damages because their software continues to infringe on a TiVo patent. NBC: 'Jay Leno Show' to Debut Sept. 14 UPI "The Jay Leno Show," the comedian's new prime time talk series, is scheduled to premiere on NBC Sept. 14, the network is announcing. NBC notes that "The Jay Leno Show" will be the first entertainment program to be stripped across prime time on broadcast network television. Comcast's DailyCandy Teams Up with Target Wall Street Journal Target, the U.S. retailer, plans to announce a partnership with DailyCandy, the email newsletter and Web site owned by Comcast that covers fashion and culture for a female audience. DailyCandy editors will offer recommendations on a special section of Target.com. MTV Unites Paul, Ringo for Beatles Videogame Reuters Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of The Beatles, are appearing together to unveil "The Beatles: Rock Band." The videogame is a production of Apple Corps, the company founded in the 1960s by the legendary band, and MTV Games' Harmonix Music. Disney: Here Comes 'High School Musical 4' Multichannel News Disney plans to squeeze out a fourth entry in its lucrative "High School Musical" franchise, to air on Disney Channel next year. In 2007, "HSM 2" became the most-watched program in cable television history. "HSM3," released in theaters, grossed $250 million worldwide. CBS News to Ustream 'Evening News' with Ads New York Times Seeking a younger audience online, CBS News is joining with a live video Web site UStream to simulcast its newscasts, including "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric." Ustream allows users to chat beside the live coverage and embed the video player on other sites. NBC: Conan Makes Debut on 'Tonight Show' Associated Press Conan O'Brien debuted as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" Monday with comedy bits emphasizing his entry into a new culture. Over at CBS, rival late-night host David Letterman slyly made mention of NBC's transition: "I'm still here; I knocked off another competitor." Tribune TV Reporter Admits Dating LA Mayor Los Angeles Times Lu Parker, a reporter with KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, is dating L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, about two years after his extramarital affair with another local newscaster led to the breakup of his 20-year marriage. Parker, the station says, "will no longer be covering politics." NBC Will Still Be Here This Fall, Leno Says Reuters Jay Leno on Friday ended his 17-year run as host of "The Tonight Show." His move to 10 p.m. this fall, which will save NBC millions by avoiding production of a costly TV drama, is a gamble, he admits. "I'm betting NBC will still be around in three months, but that's not a given." MSNBC 'Morning Joe' Brewed by Starbucks New York Times Starbucks is becoming a sponsor of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," in the closest integration between an advertiser and a national news show in recent memory. Voice-overs will tell viewers that "Morning Joe" is "brewed by Starbucks." The show may start airing from Starbucks outlets. BBC, Google Eye Launch of Global iPlayer Telegraph The BBC is said to be in talks with Google about rolling out an international version of the British broadcaster's iPlayer, supported by Google-owned YouTube. The move would mean BBC shows could be seen globally in their entirety on the iPlayer platform supported by YouTube. Zucker: NBC Wants to Buy Cable Channels Wall Street Journal Cable television channels, which generate both advertising and subscription dollars, remain rosier than broadcasting, says NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker. NBC would be interested in purchasing more cable networks if they come up for grabs. "We're at our core a cable company." Twitter: Verizon TV Tests Real-Time Tweets Wall Street Journal Verizon's FiOS TV is testing a service that will run a stream of real-time Twitter posts related to programming a viewer is watching. The Twitter TV widget is in beta now, and employees are trying it out. "This seems to be an experience people really want," Verizon says. Lionsgate Sells Stake in TV Guide Channel Reuters Lions Gate Entertainment is selling a 49% stake in the TV Guide channel for $125 million to One Equity Partners and media entrepreneur Allen Shapiro. Lions Gate plans to transform TV Guide into an entertainment network similar to the Bravo, FX and AMC channels. NBC Mulls Lifestyle Show to Replace News New York Observer NBC Universal, in a reconfiguration of its approach to local media, is rumored to be considering the creation of a daily 5 p.m. lifestyle show that could debut on affiliate stations around the country as early as fall 2009. The move could spell the end of local 5 p.m. newscasts. Disney's ESPN to 'Repurpose' About 100 Jobs Broadcasting & Cable ESPN is shedding around 100 positions in a cost-reduction move as a result of the slumping economy. The job cuts are expected to be across a wide variety of levels, from production assistants up to executive roles. ESPN says: "Most of the jobs are being repurposed." Viacom's MTV to Go After Young Male Audience Dow Jones Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman says that the company's MTV network is lagging in ratings because it lost touch with young male audiences as it pursued programming for young women, such as "Laguna Beach." Says Dauman: "We expect to see results" at MTV. NBC Prime-Time Ratings Drop to Historic Low Associated Press NBC is setting a low-water mark of historic proportions for television viewership. Last week the network averaged 4.4 million prime-time viewers, the smallest-ever audience outside of the summer doldrums. NBC hasn't had such a small audience since the early days of TV. Fox Responds to 'Idol' Voting Controversy Hollywood Reporter Fox, "American Idol" producers and AT&T are defending themselves against charges of voting irregularities during the finale of the singing competition. Fox and "Idol" producers say in a statement that they are "absolutely certain" that Kris Allen is, "without a doubt, the American Idol." BBC to Launch U.S. Channel for Children Variety BBC Worldwide is appointing exec Susanna Pollack to spearhead the launch of a CBeebies channel in the United States. CBeebies, a U.K. channel for pre-schoolers, is a huge success, and the BBC's commercial arm sees the U.S. market as "potentially hugely lucrative." Liberty's Malone Wants to Kill Off 'Free' TV Forbes Internet-based content providers cannot make sufficient revenues from advertising, says Liberty Media chief John Malone, and they must find novel approaches to get consumers to pay. "The world is evolving. Whether it's fast enough or big enough to save CBS, I don't know." CBS Radio Applauds Microsoft's New Zune HD Crain's New York Microsoft's newly introduced Zune HD will be the first portable media player to carry an HD Radio receiver. Once the device goes on sale in the fall it could lure more advertisers to HD Radio side channels, says CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason. It "opens up a whole new area." AT&T May Have Swayed Fox's 'Idol' Results New York Times AT&T, one of the biggest sponsors of "American Idol," might have influenced the outcome of this year's competition by providing phones for free text-messaging services at parties organized by fans of Kris Allen, the Arkansas singer who won. Fox officials decline to comment. ABC Expected to See Exec Shuffling, Layoffs DHD ABC is said to be preparing for "executive shuffling and pinkslipping," as Steve McPherson consolidates his power as head of ABC Entertainment Group overseeing both ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. Layoffs are expected in business affairs, publicity, legal and other areas. ESPN, Disney to Partner for Innovation Lab Orlando Sentinel Disney's ESPN and Walt Disney World resort are building a new research facility at the Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla. Dubbed the "ESPN Innovation Lab," the operation will allow the cable-sports network to test new applications, such as virtual graphics. Disney Rebrands TV Channels Across Europe Los Angeles Business Disney is rebranding its Jetix television channels in eastern and central Europe as the Disney Channel. The rebranding will extend the Disney Channel's reach in Europe to 12 million households. Each channel will be localized for the market, including dubbing programming. Tucker Carlson to Launch HuffPost Alternative The Hill Former CNN pundit Tucker Carlson plans to launch a right-leaning news site resembling the Huffington Post within weeks. Carlson's TheDailyCaller.com will seek to "drive" the news, similar to the Drudge Report, the New York Times and other major news outlets, he says. NBC's Rebranded Syfy Preps Video-Game Series Financial Times NBC Universal is preparing to embark on an aggressive global expansion of its Sci Fi television channel, rebranded as Syfy. The channel will launch a new show and subscription-based online game called One Earth, the first series developed in tandem with video-game producers. MTV Sues Wireless Provider Over Content Deal Bloomberg Viacom's MTV Networks is filing an $11.6 million lawsuit against Kajeet, a cell phone service for children, accusing it of failing to follow through on a licensing deal. Kajeet is charged with dropping MTV to enter a competing deal with Time Warner's Cartoon Network. CNN: Ratings Plunge for 'Anderson Cooper' New York Post Ratings are dropping for CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360." The show is down nearly 30% in the coveted 25-to-54 demographic, averaging less than 250,000 viewers. Insiders say top brass is questioning the strategy of turning CNN into "the Anderson Cooper network." Online Video: Not a Phenomenon Among Teens Home Media A mere 8% of teens watch repurposed television shows online, according to a survey by independent analyst Bruce Leichtman. The likes of Hulu and TV.com are not yet "an alternative venue for watching TV shows." Use of online video sites "remains much more about short-form video." News Corp: 'Idol' Faces Questions Over Future Reuters Fox's "American Idol" this year drew its smallest finale audience since 2004, slowing the television ratings juggernaut and raising questions about the show's future. While "Idol" is still the most watched U.S. TV show, its audiences have been declining during the past few years. Oprah: Skype is My Latest 'Favorite Thing' Wall Street Journal "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is dedicating an entire episode to Skype, the eBay Internet communications service. Host Oprah Winfrey is giving sales-boosting endorsements to a seemingly increasing number of tech outfits, including Twitter and Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. CW Adds Shows for Teens to 'Tweet' About New York Times CW, the CBS-Time Warner broadcast network, is unveiling a programming slate aiming to appeal to teenage viewers. The lineup, which includes shows such as "Gossip Girl," will be promoted in a campaign with a rotating tagline: "TV to text about" and "TV to tweet about." Television: U.S. Still Prefers Traditional TV TVWeek Traditional television remains the screen of choice for Americans, according to a report by Nielsen. The average American watches 153 hours of TV every month at home -- a 1.2% increase from last year. Viewing on the Web and mobile-video viewing also continues to grow. E! to Run Celebrities' Tweets in News Crawl Broadcasting & Cable E!, the entertainment news channel, plans to run tweets from celebrities' Twitter feeds in the news crawl at the bottom of the screen during its programming. In addition, the Comcast-owned network will feature a "Celebri-Tweet" widget on the home page of its Web site. TV Networks Seek Comic Relief in Schedules Bloomberg The broadcast networks, facing a battered economy and losing audiences to the Web, cable TV and video games, are taking a cue from marketers in betting that boosting their comedy programming will help lure more advertising. At the moment, "advertisers like comedies." CBS Shifts Hits After 'Sea Change' at NBC Los Angeles Times CBS is scheduling two strong returning shows, "Medium" and The Mentalist," later in prime time, aiming to take advantage of NBC's risky decision to give its 10 p.m. slot every weeknight to Jay Leno. "It's a huge sea change," says CBS chief Les Moonves of NBC's Leno move. NBC Vows Not to 'End Up Like Newspapers' Financial Times Moving Jay Leno to prime time is the biggest priority for NBC Universal, says CEO Jeff Zucker, addressing a gathering of 155 local-station reps. Broadcasters can't "keep their feet planted in the cement blocks of the past. ... "I'm not going to end up like Detroit or local newspapers." Cablevision to Roll Out Controversial DVR PC World Despite possible legal challenges, Cablevision plans to deploy its Remote Storage-DVR this summer, a service that allows cable-television subscribers to record shows on the cable company's servers rather than on a home DVR. Programmers claim the service violates their copyrights. ABC Turns to Outside Studios to Save Money Los Angeles Times Eight of the 11 new shows ABC is lining up for next season are made by outside suppliers, breaking with tradition. The move could save money for ABC because most shows fail, losing millions for the studios that produce them. Even successful programs typically lose money. NBC's 'Chuck' Rescued by Subway Ad Deal New York Times A special sponsorship with Subway sandwich shops is enabling NBC to renew "Chuck" for a third season. Subway played a role in an episode of the series last month. Chuck's girlfriend, Sarah, works at a mall food court. She could be selling Subway sandwiches next season. Fox: 'American Idol' Down But Not Yet Out USA Today As Fox's "American Idol," U.S. television's No. 1 series, ends its eighth year, the juggernaut is seeing a 8.4% drop in average audience this season. While advertisers spent $903.3 million on "Idol" last year, it "has begun to show signs of wear," analysts say. Twitter: Will It Help Save 'My Name Is Earl'? Los Angeles Times After NBC "unceremoniously" cancelled "My Name Is Earl," one of the sitcom's actors, Ethan Suplee, turned to Twitter to complain. His actions helped spark a Twitter-based campaign to resurrect the series. An earlier geek-led campaign purportedly helped save NBC's "Chuck." Comcast Earns Customer Love by 'Tweeting' Bloomberg U.S. cable giant Comcast climbed the most in customer-satisfaction ratings among its peers by using Twitter to calm disgruntled subscribers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Comcast employs 10 people to monitor tweets about the company. ESPN Integrates Video Player on YouTube Advertising Age Disney's ESPN will become the first media company to integrate its own video player on YouTube, as well as the first network to offer pre-roll advertising on the video site. The sports media brand is "programming dayparts as if ESPN.com was a new network." Oprah Rejected Offer to Move Show to NBC Variety A few years before NBC signed up Jay Leno to host a nightly series in prime time, the network approached both Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman about taking on similar gigs. NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker says Winfrey declined his offer to move her show to the network. Discovery, Amazon.com Litigation Heats Up Wall Street Journal Amazon.com is filing a lawsuit alleging that Discovery Communications infringed four of Amazon's e-commerce patents. The suit comes in the wake of a suit that Discovery filed against Amazon in March, alleging infringement of a patent to technology used in Amazon's Kindle e-reader. Fox: New Slate Bolsters Schedule Around 'Idol' Bloomberg News Corp.'s Fox television is unveiling a new schedule aiming to lure more prime-time viewers next season. Two new shows, "Human Target" and "Sons of Tucson," will begin airing in 2010 to benefit from the added viewers who tune in when the top-rated "American Idol" returns. Marketers Demand Multi-Platform TV Ad Buys USA Today As the broadcast TV networks tout their fall prime-time schedules this week, advertisers are looking for more than hit shows. Marketers are demanding ever-more-specific data about viewers and multiple-platform packages to promote their brands from mobile devices to the Web. Peabodys Honor Stars of TV, News, Internet Hollywood Reporter The George Foster Peabody Awards, saluting electronic media, presented honors this year to such diverse outlets as NBC's "Saturday Night Live," NYTimes.com, the Onion News Network and YouTube. Emcee Brian Williams observes: "There's so much good writing on the Web." Time Warner Cable Drops Mark Cuban's HDNet PR News Now Time Warner Cable will no longer carry Mark Cuban's HDNet television channel in the New York City area, per a statement on the cable provider's Web site. The two sides are said to have been in talks over the issue for months. HDNet programming includes "Dan Rather Reports." CNN's King Writes of His 'Remarkable Journey' USA Today Larry King, host of CNN's "Larry King" Live for 24 years, is releasing a new memoir, "My Remarkable Journey," out Tuesday from Weinstein Books. King renewed a three-year contract with the Time Warner news network last year. Any plans to retire? "Retire to what?" he asks. ABC, NBS News Anchors Start Music Blogs Associated Press NBC News anchor Brian Williams and ABC News anchor Dan Harris are launching side gigs as music bloggers. Both of their blogs appear to be passion plays, rather than calculated attempts to reach younger audiences. Williams vows not to become "a tragic hipster." Cablevision in Talks to Rival Expedia, Orbitz Bloomberg Cablevision, the New York-area cable-television provider, is in talks to offer an interactive travel service to subscribers in competition with Web sites such as Expedia and Orbitz. The service would allow Cablevision customers to book trips through their TV sets. TV: Traditional Tube Getting 'Squeezed Out' Washington Post With television shows increasingly available online, younger viewers are finding they do just fine without a TV set -- or paying a cable bill. The broadcast networks may be the most vulnerable: "Teenagers today barely understand the idea of watching TV on someone else's schedule." U.S. Broadcasters to Vie for Smaller Ad Pie Reuters U.S. broadcast networks will introduce their 2009-10 prime-time schedules in the coming week and get down to negotiating billions of dollars worth of deals with advertisers. ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox are expected to collect up to 15% less than the $9.2 billion they won a year ago. CBS: We're in Catbird Seat for Upfront Sales Crain's New York CBS chief Les Moonves can boast of being No. 1 in prime time among total viewers during his remarks Wednesday at his network's "upfront" presentation to advertisers. CBS insists it is in the catbird seat. "We're really well positioned," says sales head Jo Ann Ross. NBC Universal to Gauge Value of Video Ads Mediaweek Starcom is collaborating with Applebee's and NBC Universal to develop a model that defines the value of video advertising. Over the next three months, the advertising firm will measure the performance of Applebee's creative across MSNBC and NBC News properties. NBC Still Waiting for Hit Shows from Silverman New York Times Ben Silverman, the co-chief of NBC Entertainment, came to the network two years ago as a rising star with an eye on a turnaround. But his first programs have not yet produced a hit. Some detractors, rooting for his exit, suggest that he and NBC can't wait to part company. Fox's 'Simpsons' to Take On Mickey Mouse USA Today The creators of "The Simpsons" aim to turn Fox's top revenue-generating property into a "timeless classic" to rival Disney's Mickey Mouse in terms of raking in money from merchandising. They have to move fast: Ratings for the nearly 20-year-old series are sliding. DirecTV, Liberty in Lawsuit Over Merger Plans Associated Press Two public pension funds are suing DirecTV and Liberty Media over plans to merge the satellite television firm into Liberty's entertainment unit, then spinning them off into a new public company. They claim that the deal's $450 million breakup fee will deter other potential bidders. CNN Punk'd: Kutcher Fulfills Twitter Promise CNN Ashton Kutcher, in a quest to fulfill his promise to "ding-dong-ditch" Ted Turner's house after winning a race to attract 1 million followers on Twitter, unfurled a giant banner with his microblogging account's name over the CNN logo on the Time Warner network's building in Atlanta. TBS: Leno, Digital to Drive 18-49 to Cable Los Angeles Times Broadcast networks will see their ratings among the coveted 18-49 audience plummet next season, says Turner Broadcasting researcher Jack Wakshlag. Both Jay Leno's move to NBC prime time and the conversion from analog to digital will cause younger viewers to flee to cable, he claims. Sirius XM CEO Karmazin Forfeits Options Bloomberg Sirius XM Radio, the unprofitable satellite-radio broadcaster, says CEO Mel Karmazin forfeited 30 million options to buy shares, making them available to attract and retain other employees. Sirius XM is reducing costs to offset losses; the firm lost 404,422 subscribers in Q1. Clear Channel Mulls Bankruptcy Filing New York Post Clear Channel, the radio and billboard giant, is starting to reach out to lenders about restructuring the company's massive debt load just nine months after the firm was acquired in a $27 billion leveraged buyout. One topic being debated is a pre-packaged bankruptcy. Radio Payments to Labels OK'd by House Reuters U.S. radio stations may be forced to pay music companies for playing their songs, as proposed legislation moves a step closer toward approval. Radio is already facing a secular decline as advertisers move some of their radio spending to new areas like the Web. CBS Interactive Chief Smith Said to Eye Exit AllThingsD Quincy Smith, the head of CBS Interactive since November 2006, is said to be planning to leave to start his own consultancy, possibly as soon as this summer. His departure isn't believed to be imminent. CBS says it declines to comment on rumor and speculation. Time Warner's 'TV Everywhere' Gets a Leader Advertising Age Longtime Time Warner Cable exec Andrew Heller is being named vice chairman of Turner Broadcasting System, where he will act as coordinator for Time Warner's "TV Everywhere." The initiative aims to make cable TV content available online for verified subscribers. CBS 'Insider' to Test Kutcher's Web Series Variety Ashton Kutcher's production firm aims to turn the celeb-focused animated Web series "Blah Girls" into a television property. "Blah Girls" will debut as brief interstitials on the CBS syndicated entertainment show "The Insider." CBS then plans to spin it off as its own half-hour series. DirecTV Sued Over Ads on Charter's Bankruptcy Associated Press Charter, a cable television operator that filed for Chapter 11 in March, is suing DirecTV over advertisements that try to persuade subscribers to switch TV service by touting Charter's bankruptcy filing. The ads claim that Charter can't provide the latest technology, given its troubles. Radio Tunes Out Google's Offline Ad Push Wall Street Journal Google is pulling the plug on its attempt to automate radio-advertising sales after stations refused to turn over airtime to a computer algorithm that set prices far lower than their own rates. In a statement, Google says the service "didn't have the impact we had hoped for." GE's Peacock Equity Invests in EveryZing Associated Press The Peacock Equity Fund, a joint venture between GE Capital's Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal, is joining an $8.25 million investment round for EveryZing, a provider of search technology for online content, including news and entertainment. Cablevision: We're Not Selling MSG, Newsday Newsday Cablevision says it is not considering the sale of Madison Square Garden, Newsday of any other company businesses. The cable firm announced last week that it is mulling a spinoff of MSG. The company says it wants to emphasize it is looking at a "spinoff" and not a "sale." Digital TV Transition May Get Early Test Washington Post U.S. government agencies and broadcasters are working on plans for an early test of the digital-television transition, saying millions of Americans remain at risk of losing TV reception on June 12. One approach under consideration is a nationwide flip of the switch on May 21. ABC's 'Nightline' Launches Twitter Web Show ABC News ABC's late-night news show "Nightline" is expanding its relationship with Twitter to develop "NightTline," a half-hour digital program hosted by the show's anchors and correspondents that provides a forum for viewers to simultaneously discuss the news of the day through Twitter. CNN Star Anderson Cooper in Sharp Decline Los Angeles Times The audience for the 10-11 p.m. hour of Anderson Cooper's "AC360" has dropped this month to 933,000 viewers -- the first time he has fallen below the 1-million mark since the dog days of last August. CNN has invested heavily into marketing Cooper as the face of the network. MSNBC's Carlos Watson Preps Web Venture BusinessWeek MSNBC anchor Carlos Watson and a small group of staffers are launching The Stimulist, a news and opinion Web site melding aggregation and features à la Huffington Post and Daily Beast. The new site targets the "change generation" of young professionals age 25 to 49. ESPN Local Web Site May Kick Off Web War BusinessWeek ESPN Chicago, a new Web site for sports fanatics in the Windy City, may set off a digital war in regional sports. The ESPN local sports site raises questions about whether the network one day might bid for local sports television rights now secured by Fox and Comcast. Hulu TV Ads Luring Traditional TV Viewers Advertising Age Hulu, the online video site joint venture of News Corp., NBC Universal and Disney, is using millions of dollars worth of television ads to the lure viewers away from TV. The strategy is "incredibly effective," says CEO Jason Kilar. Also: McDonald's is buying a prime-time "roadblock" on Hulu. TV Broadcast Upfront Could Be Down 20% Advertising Age U.S. broadcast networks could see a 20% decline in the 2009 television upfront advertising market from the $9.23 billion in commitments from marketers secured last year, analysts say. That could mark the first serious decline in upfront dollars since the 2001 economic downturn. Cable, Satellite TV Firms See Threat in Hulu Los Angeles Times Hulu's owners are straining their lucrative relationships with cable and satellite operators, such as Time Warner Cable and DirecTV. Hulu is mulling a cable-industry initiative that would require users to prove they are pay-TV subscribers before they can watch current shows on the site. Liberty CEO Says DirecTV Sale is 'Possible' Associated Press Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei says a purchase of its DirecTV unit by another company is possible after the satellite television operator is spun off. Liberty Media is combining DirecTV with its entertainment unit, then spinning them off as a separate company. CBS Chief Joins Rivals in Recovery Talk Broadcasting & Cable CBS is reporting a Q1 net loss of $55.3 million. Nonetheless, CEO Les Moonves is joining a chorus of rival media execs in predicting easier times ahead. In the earnings statement, Moonves alludes to "early signs of an improving local advertising marketplace." TV Networks May Deny Airtime to Obama Hollywood Reporter Broadcast network execs say that President Obama has cost them $30 million in advertising revenue this year with his primetime news conference pre-emptions. Execs are hoping that Fox's rejection of Obama's April 29 conference will act as precedent for denying future requests. Sirius XM Sees Serious Subscriber Declines CNBC Sirius XM says it finished Q3 with 18.6 million subscribers, down by 400,000 from just three months earlier. Sirius XM's shrinking subscriber base indicates satellite radio is not a necessity in the recession. When paid promotional trials expire, many people don't renew. Cablevision Eyes Madison Sq Garden Spinoff Bloomberg Cablevision says it may spin off the Madison Square Garden unit that owns the New York arena and the Knicks basketball team, bowing to shareholder pressure. The spinoff may value the unit at $3 billion and allow Cablevision to focus on its more profitable cable-television business. Oprah's New TV Network Seen in Trouble The Wrap OWN, Oprah Winfrey's forthcoming cable network, is going through tough times. OWN president Robin Schwartz has resigned and the launch date has been moved back. And it remains unclear whether "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will move to OWN after its syndication deal expires. Oprah Online Coupon Promo Overwhelms KFC Associated Press Customers at a New York City KFC outlet, hoping to redeem downloadable coupons from Oprah.com for a free meal, became upset when the fast-food restaurant ran out of its new grilled chicken. But Internet rumors of a riot are unfounded, says Kentucky Fried Chicken. CNBC Former Host Ratigan Lands at MSNBC Associated Press Former CNBC "Fast Money" host Dylan Ratigan will host a new daytime program at MSNBC. The new show will offer a mix of talk and news with "personality," marking a continued cable-news shift away from news programming to more personality-driven offerings. Broadcasters Group CEO Rehr is Resigning Bloomberg David Rehr is resigning as president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, the U.S. trade group says. Rehr will stay on during a transition phase, the Washington-based organization says in a statement. It says a successor has not been named. Weather Channel Forecasts Stormy CEO Search New York Post Former CNBC boss Bill Bolster is said to be demanding that the partners that own The Weather Channel supply him with a private jet as part of his compensation package to run the network as CEO. But sources say Bolster isn't likely to get the job. The CEO search is "continuing." CBS: 'Wardrobe Malfunction' Back in Court Associated Press The U.S. Supreme Court is ordering a federal appeals court to re-examine its ruling in favor of CBS over entertainer Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." The $550,000 fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission on CBS could be reinstated. Radio Royalties Eyed by Music labels, Artists Wall Street Journal U.S. Congress is considering a bill that could force radio companies to pay royalties of as much as $500 million a year to record labels and artists whose music they play. If the deal goes through, it could change the economics in the struggling music industry. NBC: Leno Willing to Do Live Commercials Advertising Age NBC is taking five of its prime-time hours out of consideration with its new "Jay Leno Show," featuring the longtime host of its late-night "Tonight Show." Leno will be "advertiser friendly," network execs say. "He's not afraid to experiment with live commercials." CW to Give Up Programming Sunday Nights Variety CW will be out of the Sunday programming business entirely as of next year. The CBS-Time Warner network is in talks with affiliates to give up five hours of network time, 5 to 10 p.m., on Sunday, which has long been a weak spot for CW and its WB Network predecessor. Fox to Test TMZ User-Generated Series Variety A half-dozen Fox television stations are set to test "Beyond Twisted," a half-hour reality series produced by Harvey Levin of "TMZ" that will offer "engaging and shocking" user-generated content from YouTube and other sources, along with commentary from the show's staff. Fox News' Beck in Multi-Imprint Book Deal Crain's New York Fox News' biggest new star is about to get bigger -- in the book world. conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck and his longtime publisher, CBS' Simon & Schuster, are launching a multi-imprint partnership, which will include nonfiction books, audio books and e-books. DirecTV, Liberty Entertainment to Merge Dow Jones Satellite-television provider DirecTV plans to combine with Liberty Media's entertainment unit, gaining control of Game Show Network and three regional sports channels. The move allows mogul John Malone to have more direct control over both DirecTV and Liberty Entertainment. Discovery Mulls Deals Like Oprah, Hasbro MediaPost Discovery Communications, which is reporting a big boost in Q1 profits, is examining other partnerships for its networks -- similar to the deals it has made with both Oprah Winfrey and Hasbro. Discovery is eyeing its channels and trying to determine if they need a "bigger voice." Oprah to Make Jenny McCarthy a Media Star Hollywood Reporter Jenny McCarthy is poised to become the next star in Oprah Winfrey's media empire. McCarthy is entering a deal with Winfrey's Harpo to develop projects, including a syndicated talk show. The first collaboration under the pact is a blog by McCarthy on Oprah.com. Hearst-Argyle Supports Hearst Buyout Offer Associated Press Hearst-Argyle Television's board is recommending that its shareholders accept the buyout offer from Hearst Corp. A special committee of the board says the $4.50 per share offer, worth $76.2 million, is "fair." Hearst would be buying the rest of Hearst-Argyle it does not already own. Chicago TV Stations to Share News Crews Chicago Tribune In a cost-cutting move, Chicago's WMAQ (NBC), WFLD (Fox), WBBM (CBS), and WGN (Tribune) are joining forces to set up a local news service to share newsgathering resources. WLS (ABC), the market's No. 1 station, is the lone holdout among the broadcast news outlets. Local TV Aims to Prosper as Newspapers Die Broadcasting & Cable As daily U.S. newspapers teeter on folding, local television station execs are studying what new prospects await them in a paper-free world. There is a chance to become a more trusted source of local news, they say. "Where there's a void, a well-branded TV station will fill in." WPP to Slash 7,200 Jobs to Cut Costs Observer WPP, one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, will cut 7,200 jobs this year, many in Europe and the United States, where growth has been falling as the recession forces companies to slash their ad budgets. WPP clients include Ford, Colgate and Kellogg's. TV Networks Uneasy About Declining Ads Los Angeles Times Analysts estimate that the major broadcast networks could be down as much as 15% to $7.4 billion for prime-time advertising sales for the fall season. During the crucial upfront market, which takes place in late May and June, "we expect to see year-over-year declines." Local TV Suffering as Revenue Shrinks Variety Revenue is drying up at local television stations, thanks to new technologies, shifting demos and the down economy. New sources of income aren't materializing quickly enough to offset the ebbing tide. "There's no way to mitigate the losses," says NATPE head Rick Feldman. CBS Advertises on Front Page of NY Times Associated Press CBS is launching an aggressive advertising campaign to publicize its prime-time successes in advance of its upfront ad sales presentation, trying not to be dragged down by the economy and struggling rivals. The campaign includes a front-page ad in the New York Times. NBC to Expand SNL's 'Weekend Update' New York Times "Weekend Update," the satirical television news segment on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," will be produced as a series of half-hour specials next season. The specials are likely to air on Thursday nights, the home once again of a critically praised comedy lineup on NBC. MTV to Share Ad Revenue with Web Sites Advertising Age MTV's new show "What You're Watching With Alexa Chung" will allow viewers to interact with the host and its celebrity guests via Twitter and Facebook. MTV describes the show as a "joint venture" with Facebook and Twitter, with revenue-sharing advertising deals in the works. Disney Takes Stake in Hulu for ABC Shows Bloomberg Disney is acquiring a 27% equity stake in Hulu, gaining a new Internet outlet for television shows such as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost." Disney is joining NBC Universal and News Corp. as investors in the third most-watched video site. Hulu would welcome CBS, says CEO Jason Kilar. CBS Reacts as Lone Broadcast Hulu Holdout Broadcasting & Cable CBS is now the lone Hulu holdout among the big four broadcast networks. CBS, which runs its own video site, TV.com, issued a statement following Disney's announcement: "Controlling our own rights for [our] content -- in all media -- preserves its value." Discovery, Hasbro Form TV, Web Venture Financial Times Hasbro and Discovery are joining forces to take on Disney, Viacom's Nickelodeon and Time Warner's Cartoon Network in the lucrative children's television market. The toymaker will inject $300 million for a 50% stake of a new cable TV and online venture with Discovery. Comcast: NFL Network Won't Go Dark Philadelphia Inquirer Comcast and the National Football League say they are negotiating a new carriage deal, and that the NFL Network will not go dark on Comcast's cable system when the current contract expires on Friday. The two have sparred over the network for two years. Sirius XM Radio Adopts Poison Pill-Type Plan Associated Press Sirius XM Radio is adopting measures that will make it less attractive to buy chunks of company stock without board approval. Under the satellite radio firm's new poison pill-like plan, the value of the losses it will carry forward may be impaired if the company faces a takeover. Sony to Add More Free Films to Crackle.com Variety Sony is making more of its films available for free on Crackle.com, the company's online movie and television video site, adding "Spider-Man 2" and other titles as it looks to attract more viewers and advertisers. The latest additions specifically target younger males. MTV Veteran Wolf Joins Slide Advisory Board Hollywood Reporter Social entertainment outfit Slide is adding Michael Wolf to its board of advisors. Wolf is a former president/COO of MTV Networks and managing partner of the global media and entertainment group at McKinsey & Co. Slide was founded in 2005 by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin. Clear Channel Eliminates 590 Radio Jobs Bloomberg Clear Channel Communications is cutting 590 jobs in its radio division and suspending its 401(k) employee-matching program as part of a restructuring. So far this year, the largest U.S. radio broadcaster has cut its workforce by 12%. The company slashed 1,850 jobs in January. F---! FCC 'Fleeting Expletive' Rule is OK Washington Post The U.S. Supreme Court says that the Federal Communications Commission may penalize even the occasional use of certain expletives on the air. The court's ruling says the FCC -- prompted by Cher's use of the F-word during a 2002 live broadcast -- is justified in fining broadcasters. Al Jazeera Channel Cracks the U.S. Dial Washington Post Al Jazeera English, launched 30 months ago, has been all but ignored by U.S. cable and satellite carriers, some fearing an alleged anti-American bias. But under an agreement with MHz Networks, the news channel will soon be available to viewers in some 20 U.S. cities. Cablevision to Offer 'Super-Fast' Internet Reuters Cablevision plans to roll out super-fast Internet access connections that can allow a customer to download a full-length high-definition movie in less than 10 minutes. The cable operator is also doubling the speed of its Wi-Fi service as it aims to compete with Verizon FiOS. MTV Embraces Social Networks for New Show Variety MTV is joining forces with both Facebook and Twitter for its new "The Alexa Chung Show." The show will be similar in format to MTV's former "TRL." Audiences -- whether on the set or watching from home -- will be asked to tweet their reaction to guests while the show is on the air. CBS: TV.com Sees Surge in Video Audience Mediaweek CBS' significantly redesigned TV.com is seeing its video audience skyrocket, as the former reference site becomes a destination for full-episode viewing of television shows. TV.com's viewer base soared by a whopping 401% to 3.5 million users from February to March. Fox Rejects Obama's Request for Airtime Hollywood Reporter Fox is the first broadcast network to decline President Obama's request for primetime coverage. Fox will air regular programming Wednesday night instead of an Obama news conference. Obama's interruptions are costing networks millions of dollars in advertising. Oprah, Insurer in Lawsuit Over 'Aha Moment' Chicago Tribune Oprah Winfrey and her production company are being sued by Mutual of Omaha. The insurance firm says it holds approval of a trademark for the slogan "Official sponsor of the aha moment," while Winfrey is claiming rights to the phrase "aha moment." Hearst Ups Bid for Stake in Hearst-Argyle Associated Press Privately held Hearst Corp. is boosting its offer price for the remaining stake in Hearst-Argyle Television, the TV station group owner, by 12.5% to $4.50 a share. Hearst already owns 67% of Hearst-Argyle. Last month, Hearst offered to pay $4 a share for the stake. MTV's '$5 Cover': A New Media Franchise Los Angeles Times "$5 Cover," a new series both on MTV and at fivedollarcover.com, is "a fascinating experiment in new-media storytelling." The series, which follows a group of real-life musicians in Memphis, encompasses reality TV, music videos and mini-documentaries on several media platforms. TV Networks Peeved at Primetime Obama New York Post The major television networks are said to be unhappy with President Obama's frequent primetime speeches, which are costing them some $10 million per hour in lost advertising revenue. Their revenue models didn't "anticipate monthly State of the Unions." Time Warner Cable Cuts Off Bandwidth Hog GigaOM Time Warner Cable may have publicly backed off of metered broadband, but a subscriber in Austin, Texas claims his broadband service from the systems giant was cut off without warning because he downloaded an "excessive" 44 gigabytes of data in a one-week period. Disney to 'Take Over' YouTube for Jonases Multichannel News Disney Channel will "take over" YouTube's home page this week to promote the new series starring tween heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers. The network will run videos on YouTube, as well as on Jonas Brothers-based sites on Facebook and at jonasbrothers.com. CBS Chief Moonves' Salary Dropped in '08 Los Angeles Times CBS boss Les Moonves' overall compensation for 2008 was valued at about $32 million, compared with $36.8 million in 2007, according to the company's proxy report. CBS stock lost 70% of its value last year. Moonves has indicated he will not take a pay raise in 2009. NBC: Jay Leno Is Top Marketing Priority Broadcasting & Cable NBC says Jay Leno is its top marketing focus for 2009. "Leno is the single most important marketing priority of the year,” according to marketing head Adam Stotsky. The network is considering positioning the new primetime Leno show as a companion to its news programming. ABC, 'Lost' Actor Face Harassment Claim Associated Press ABC employee Chelsea Stone is suing the network and "Lost" actor Henry Ian Cusick, claiming she was sexually harassed and then fired from the hit television show. The suit claims that Stone reported a "fondling" incident by Cusick to her supervisor, but was fired 12 days later. Fox Faces Uncertainty Over 'Idol' Judges Reuters Fox is facing an uncomfortable future, as Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell -- the two biggest stars on its No. 1-rated show "American Idol" -- openly discuss leaving, which could send viewership plummeting in future seasons. Millions of dollars in advertising revenue could be at risk. CNN's Middle Road News Formula in Doubt NYT / Mediaweek CNN, whose strategy is to steer the middle course in its news coverage, is ranked fourth among the cable news channels. Even CNN's own staffers say its news formula may be preventing the network from competing effectively. Also: Fox News aims to surpass USA as cable's top network. MTV Co-Founder Joins Music-Sharing Site AllThingsD MTV Networks exec and co-founder John Sykes will replace outgoing CEO Owen Van Natta as the new head of Project Playlist, the controversial music-sharing site. Van Natta is being named CEO of MySpace. Sykes, who helped launch MTV 25 years ago, left the company last year. Cable TV's Canoe Ads Stir Privacy Concerns Associated Press As part of a broader discussion over Internet privacy issues, lawmakers are focusing on Canoe, cable television's newest advertising endeavor, which is yet to launch. Lawmakers are asking whether, and to what degree, set-top box data will be used to send targeted ads to viewers. Time Warner Cable Eyes Acquisition of Joost CNET Joost, the beleaguered online video service, is said to be seeking a buyer and Time Warner Cable is one of the companies interested. Joost, which launched in 2007, has struggled with management shakeups and tech setbacks, and has fallen behind rivals YouTube and Hulu. MTV, NBC Partnering for 'Celebrity' Series Broadcasting & Cable MTV and NBC are said to be close to a unique partnership on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" The summer reality series will be scheduled to air on both networks. NBC continues to pursue creative deals as the broadcast model becomes increasingly stressed. NBC: Leno is Hospitalized, Cancels Taping Associated Press Jay Leno checked into a hospital with an undisclosed illness Thursday and canceled the taping of the NBC "Tonight" show. The comedian is said to be doing well and plans to return next week. Leno, who turns 59 on Tuesday, will leave the "Tonight" show May 29 after 17 years. CNN: Matalin to Join Team as Contributor TV Week Republican strategist Mary Matalin is joining CNN as a political contributor. Matalin will appear on shows including "Anderson Cooper 360." She also will appear alongside her husband, CNN political contributor James Carville, on "State of the Union with John King." Clear Channel Signs Liberal Talker Rhodes Wall Street Journal Randi Rhodes, the liberal talk-radio host perhaps best known for her stint on the Air America radio network, is joining Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks, home to Rush Limbaugh and many conservative voices. "It's all about getting audience we don't have," Premiere says. NPR Cuts Include Layoffs of 13 Employees Washington Post National Public Radio says it will lay off 13 employees and furlough all of its employees for five days over the next five months in its latest round of belt-tightening. The cuts are part of a series of measures that will help NPR close a projected $8 million budget gap this year. Current TV Journos Face Trial in North Korea Associated Press Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two journalists who work for Al Gore's Current TV, are accused by North Korea of crossing into the country illegally from China and committing "hostile acts. The two will be tried on criminal charges. Ling and Lee were arrested March 17. Turner Broadcasting Takes On Network TV BusinessWeek Turner Broadcasting CEO Phil Kent is pushing for advertising rate parity with the major broadcasting networks. If Time Warner spins off its AOL division as expected, the Turner cable channels — including TNT, TBS and CNN — will contribute nearly half of the media giant's earnings. GM to Buy TV Ads Despite Financial Woes New York Post General Motors is gearing up to buy commercial time during next month's "upfront" advertising marketplace even as the struggling carmaker lurches toward bankruptcy. The television networks have doubts about GM's ability to pay and may want to limit their exposure. NBC's 'Chuck' Saved by Twitter, Subway? Los Angeles Times Josh Schwartz, co-creator of NBC's "Chuck," says there is a push on the Internet to get fans to go to Subway to buy sandwiches to support the ratings-challenged series. (The sandwich shop was featured in a recent episode.) Also, many fans are Twittering their support. Fox News 'Drama' at GE Shareholders Meeting Hollywood Reporter The hostility between Fox News Channel and MSNBC reached a fever pitch when Fox producer Jesse Waters infiltrated the GE shareholders meeting and asked company execs about an alleged leftward political slant at their cable news channel. Waters' microphone was cut off. Network TV Business Model 'Must Change' BusinessWeek NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox are facing both growing competition and dwindling advertising dollars. The 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. prime-time period is likely to become shorter and networks may start turning over programming to outsiders on some nights of the week, say industry execs. Viacom to Start Channel for 'Tyler Perry' Crowd New York Times Viacom, the owner of BET, is launching a new cable television channel for middle-aged African-Americans. The channel, to be named Centric, will complement BET, execs say, by targeting an older, affluent audience — the "underserved Tyler Perry" viewership. Disney/Hearst: 'Runway' Landing in August Reuters "Project Runway" will make its long-awaited return on Aug. 20 on its new home on Disney/Hearst's Lifetime cable channel. The sixth season of the hit fashion reality show was delayed for months by an industry dispute over its move from NBC's Bravo cable outlet. Lions Gate to Sell Stake in TV Guide Channel Bloomberg Lions Gate is said to be in talks to sell a minority stake in its TV Guide cable channel. The film studio will choose from among three bidders in "the very near term." Lions Gate plans to remake the TV Guide channel into an entertainment network similar to Bravo and F/X. Martha: Co-CEO Millard Not a Good Thing New York Post Wenda Harris Millard, co-CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is stepping down to join advisory firm MediaLink, after less than a year in the position at the lifestyle media company. A rift reportedly developed between Stewart and Millard over "control issues." PBS Opens Its Own All-Free Video Portal Los Angeles Times The Public Broadcasting Service is launching its own video site, allowing online viewers to stream many of its top shows, including "Masterpiece Theater," for free. PBS is joining the ranks of Hulu and YouTube — places for consumers who aren't wedded to watching TV on a TV. Oprah TV Network Head Exits in Shakeup Los Angeles Times Robin Schwartz is resigning from OWN, the Oprah Winfrey cable television network, which is set to launch early next year. The shakeup comes two months after former MTV exec Christina Norman was hired as CEO. Norman is "streamlining" prior to launch. MySpace, Fox News Team for UReport Broadcasting & Cable News Corp. siblings Fox News and MySpace are teaming up to create a user-generated content portal. UReport will allow MySpace users to submit content with the potential for it to appear on Fox News. The portal is similar in concept to CNN's user-generated iReport. Air America Not 'Begging' for Donations Radio & Records Air America CEO Bennett Zier says that Monday's Wall Street Journal article portraying the radio network as considering soliciting donations is not correct. The company is not "putting out the begging bowl." It is, however, mulling offering premium subscriptions. CBS Chief Moonves, Chen Expecting Child New York Post CBS boss Les Moonves and wife Julie Chen are expecting a child. Moonves, 59, who married Chen, 37, four years ago, has three grown children from his first marriage. Chen, who is due to give birth in October, will have to take maternity leave from "The Early Show" and "Big Brother." MTV Eyeing Socially Conscious Image New York Times Meet MTV for the era of Obama: The cable network for 14- to 26-year-olds is trying to gloss its escapist entertainment with a veneer of positive social messages via new "inspirational" programming. Today's young are "becoming more civic-minded" and are "demanding a new MTV." TV Execs See Bleak Future for Networks Pittsburgh P-G / Variety The future of prime-time network television is murky at best, thanks to the likes of Hulu, according to panelists at a Syracuse University symposium. The Internet "has nothing but growth ahead," says Fred Silverman. Also: Broadcast networks are "rewriting the rules" for fall. TiVo to Challenge Nielsen on TV Data USA Today TiVo will challenge Nielsen, whose audience ratings provide the basis for most ad sales, with a service that will provide year-round, second-by-second information about the shows and commercials watched by people who have one of the company's digital video recorders. Kutcher vs CNN Leaves Oprah Atwitter Reuters / Mediaweek A week of Twitter mania culminated on Friday with actor Ashton Kutcher winning a popularity contest against CNN on the Web platform and Oprah Winfrey sending her first "tweet." Also: Lamar Advertising volunteered to post "follow Ashton Kutcher" on its network of outdoor billboards. Washington, D.C. to Get Free Mobile TV Associated Press Washington will be the first U.S. city to get free digital television broadcasts for mobile devices, broadcasters are set to announce Monday. Broadcasts using new "mobile DTV" technology are expected to begin in late summer, according to the so-called Open Mobile Video Coalition. FoxNews.com Sees Increase in Audience Mediaweek The Web's top news sites are losing little if any audience in the nearly six months since Barack Obama was elected president. MSNBC.com and CNN.com and seeing slight dips slight dips since their November peak; FoxNews.com is actually seeing its audience climb this year. Time Warner Nixes Billing-by-the-Byte Trial Wired Time Warner Cable is pulling the plug on its plan to charge its broadband customers by the byte in four U.S. cities, ending an experiment that critics saw as an attempt by the company to protect its lucrative cable television business from disruptive online video services. DirecTV, Comcast Hit with Do-Not-Call Fines Dow Jones DirecTV is to pay $2.3 million and Comcast $900,000 to settle charges of violating the U.S. "do not call" law. The satellite-television provider and the U.S. cable-TV concern were accused of having employees call consumers who had told them not to call again. ESPN to Launch Ad-Supported ESPNDB.com MediaPost ESPN is set to kick off ESPNDB.com (the DB stands for database), a site it hopes will serve as a sports encyclopedia-archive-statistical compendium. Like Wikipedia, ESPNDB will feature some user-generated aspects. The site will be free and supported by advertising. CNN Acquires Leading Twitter Account CNET CNN is gaining nearly a million Twitter followers by acquiring the account @cnnbrk. The account, the largest on Twitter with 947,000 followers, had been maintained by user James Cox. CNN did not disclose details of the acquisition, possibly because Twitter prohibits account sales. CBS Rakes in Millions from Online Sports BusinessWeek CBS taking home in millions of dollars from online streaming of the Masters Tournament and other sporting events. The network raked in $30 million alone from the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament. Users "will actually pay for online sports content." Hulu Rival TV.com in Talks for UK Deals New Media Age CBS site TV.com, a rival to NBC Universal and News Corp.'s Hulu, says it is in talks to replicate its U.S. video-on-demand service in the United Kingdom through partnerships with broadcasters. Recent reports suggest that Hulu is in talks to launch a U.K. version. ABC Exec Drawing Heat for Lack of Hits New York Post Stephen McPherson of ABC could be the broadcast network programming exec under the most pressure to produce a hit heading into next month's upfronts. ABC has lost more viewers than any other network since 2006. McPherson is "feeling the heat" to find a new hit. CNBC Said to Meet on 'Obama-Bashing' New York Post General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker recently ordered CNBC execs to a "secret" meeting to discuss whether the news channel has turned into the "President Obama-bashing network," sources say. CNBC may be "beating up on Obama too much." Disney vs Time Warner on Online TV Models New York Post Disney CEO Bob Iger and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes are at odds about the model for offering television shows online. Disney, which owns broadcaster ABC, plans to make TV shows available for free; Time Warner, which owns cable channels, supports a pay model. FCC Wants Women, Minorities to Own Media Dow Jones Michael Copps, acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, says he intends to "right the injustice" of the lack of diversity in U.S. broadcasting. The agency is OKing a proposal to improve data collection about media owned by women and minorities. NBC: Boston Affiliate to Air Leno Show Boston Globe After a week of discussions with NBC, Boston's WHDH-TV says that Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. comedy show is a go this fall in the time slot in which it had planned to run its early newscast. Both sides say that that their differences have been resolved. NBC calls it "a happy ending." NBC Eyes Exec Bromstad to Revive Prime Time Los Angeles Times NBC passed over exec Angela Bromstad two years ago. Now the network is counting on her to find hits as the new chief programmer of dramas and comedies. The pressure is on to revive the fourth-place NBC as it heads into the all-important advertising selling season. Fox Finds 'Glee' in Disney's 'HS Musical' New York Times In May, Fox will broadcast a "sneak peek" of its new television series "Glee," a comedy-drama about a high school glee club that has echoes of Disney's lucrative "High School Musical." After airing the pilot episode May 19, Fox will re-introduce "Glee” this fall. NBC Affiliates See 'Leno' as a Likely Loser Broadcasting & Cable NBC affiliates largely appear to side with the network on the flap concerning WHDH Boston and its refusal to air Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. program. But several managers at NBC affiliates privately say a 10 p.m. news show would likely be far more lucrative. CBS Opens MoneyWatch Site with Partners MediaPost CBS is launching MoneyWatch.com, a personal finance site supported by partnerships with LinkedIn and others. The site's editorial talent will be featured as contributors on CBS News shows. Top editor Eric Schroenberg is a former managing editor of Money magazine. FCC Studies Affordable, Fast Internet Plan USA Today The Federal Communications Commission is beginning work on a national broadband plan, with the goal of ensuring that all U.S. consumers have access to services that are fast and affordable. The plan could guide "the future of telecommunications regulation and the Internet." Cable TV Group to Offer Google-like Ads Associated Press Canoe Ventures, a group formed by the six largest U.S. cable operators to launch targeted and interactive advertising on a national platform, kicks off this summer. The group is taking a page from online ad behemoths like Google to bring so-called "addressable" ads to TV. Cox Plans to Launch a Cellular Network Wall Street Journal Cox Communications, the U.S. cable operator, plans to start a wireless service this year. Cox is building its own cellular network -- a strategy that contrasts sharply with that of its peers, Comcast and Time Warner. Cox could attempt to exploit the nascent mobile video market. MTV Networks, Netflix in Streaming Deal World Screen Several Nickelodeon shows and Comedy Central's "South Park" are being added to the instant streaming service on Netflix. The online movie rental service currently offers MTV Networks properties on DVD and obtained its first digital license from the company last year. CBS Eyed for Downgrade on Ad Concerns Dow Jones Standard & Poor's is placing its long-term credit ratings on CBS on watch for downgrade on concerns about lower local advertising revenue and wider trends affecting radio, television and outdoor advertising. CBS recently reported a drop in TV, radio and billboard revenue. NBC in Transit Launches in NY, NJ Trains Hollywood Reporter New York and New Jersey PATH train riders are getting information, news and entertainment courtesy of NBC Universal's NBC Everywhere arm and transit partners. Digital screens in train stations and trains will offer local news, weather, lifestyle and entertainment clips. ABC: 'General Hospital' Going High-Def UPI ABC daytime soap "General Hospital," the network's longest-running dramatic serial, is set to be broadcast in HDTV starting April 23. "The people and places in Port Charles will never look better," says ABC. The network's "The View" made the HD transition in 2006. MySpace to Hold Fox 'Simpsons' Contest TechCrunch Fox's "The Simpsons" is teaming with News Corp. sibling MySpace for a contest inviting users to create their own "couch gags" for the animated series' opening intro. The winner will get to attend the premiere party for the show's 21st season, among other prizes. Yahoo Music to Link to iTunes, YouTube Variety Yahoo is launching Artist Pages that allow users to connect to digital music at YouTube, iTunes, Pandora and other sites. Artist Pages are designed to showcase music videos, streaming tunes and more. The online destination eventually will let users publish their own music. Air America Launches Montel Williams Show New York Daily News Longtime television host Montel Williams is starting a daily show on Air America radio, with the goal of changing both the tone and depth of today's talk media conversation. "My beliefs include both left and right," he says. Williams has a three-year contract with Air America. Radio Stations to On-Air Talent: You Must Blog R&R Off-air interactivity is the lay of the land for radio-station DJs, as blogging is rising in popularity along with MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Some station managers all but mandate that on-air personalities maintain blogs, and allow DJs freedom in what they post. Fox News Fires Online Columnist for 'Piracy' DHD Roger Friedman, the entertainment industry columnist for FoxNews.com, is being let go after writing a review from watching a pirated copy of "Wolverine," from corporate sibling 20th Century Fox. Parent News Corp. says it has "zero tolerance" for actions that "promote piracy." NBC Mulls Affiliate Legal Fight Over Leno New York Post NBC is considering legal action to get Boston's WHDH-TV to back down from a plan to air local news in the 10 p.m. slot instead of comedian Jay Leno's show when it debuts in the fall. "Make no mistake," NBC says. "The new Leno show will air at 10 p.m. in Boston on NBC." CBS 'Harper's Island' Tests Web-TV Tie-Up TV Week "Harper's Island," a new limited-run horror mystery series, running April 9 to July 2, will be telecast with an Internet-based companion series. The Web version aims to lure viewers via social marketing. If successful, CBS says it will duplicate the model for future shows. NY1 Anchor Starts Online News Aggregator New York Times Pat Kiernan, a morning anchor on Time Warner Cable news channel NY1, is launching PatsPapers.com, a pre-skimmed selection of articles from newspapers around the country. The Web site will "cut through the clutter" and compile the most relevant articles. Borrell: TV Stations Hit $1B in Online Ads Mediaweek Broadcast television stations reached the $1 billion revenue mark for online advertising sales for the first time in 2008, according to a Borrell Associates report. Last year, traffic to local TV Web sites surpassed newspapers' sites in 22 out of 80 markets. TMZ Looks to Expand Its Role in Washington Reuters Time Warner celebrity site TMZ.com is expanding its coverage of Washington, D.C., and attempting to put a new face on U.S. lawmakers. TMZ mastermind Harvey Levin is looking to hire a second D.C. staff member who will give politicians the TMZ "star treatment." Time Warner: Can't 'Blow Up' Cable Model MarketWatch Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes is defensive of the company's "TV Everywhere" premise. The industry "can't just blow up the revenue structure" that cable operators and programmers have come to rely upon by continuing to stream shows free online to people who don't pay. Viacom CEO Sees No Backlash to Web Pay MarketWatch Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman says that there is unlikely to be a negative consumer backlash against the Time Warner-led "TV Everywhere" plan. "People are used to paying for video subscriptions. They're used to paying for broadband service, so there's nothing new there." Disney CEO: Pays Walls Are 'Anti-Consumer' Dow Jones Disney CEO Bob Iger has reservations about walling off online content on a subscription basis, particularly content from broadcasters like ABC, which he notes is free over the air and depends on advertising. Such a move "could be viewed as anti-consumer." Warner, Sony Take On CBS, Clear Channel Bloomberg Music labels and radio broadcasters are going toe-to-toe as they lobby U.S. lawmakers about legislation to make stations pay royalties for playing songs. Music labels and radio stations are both struggling as listeners turn to the Internet and devices such as the Apple iPod. NBC Boston Affiliate Says No to Leno Show Associated Press Boston NBC affiliate WHDH plans to air a local newscast instead of Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. talk show. The move is prompting a threat from NBC to strip the TV station of its network affiliation. Station owner Ed Ansin says he does not believe Leno's new show will be successful. CBS May Benefit from Rerun Sales to Cable Bloomberg Share of CBS are up 21% in New York trading after Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen predicted sales of reruns to cable channels will boost results in the second half of the year. "We do not believe CBS is receiving appropriate credit for its 'locked-in' revenue." MSNBC Goes High-Def After Beating CNN UPI MSNBC will begin telecasting in 1080i high definition starting June 29. "MSNBC is in the best competitive place it's ever been, beating CNN in prime time," says president Phil Griffin, "Broadcasting in HD is only going to help us build on the great success we've had." Discovery Unveils Oprah TV Network Slate Adweek Discovery Communications is offering a sneak peak at the programming slate for the startup OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Among the "Best Life"-focused offerings is a newsmagazine dubbed "Lisa Ling Investigates." The full schedule will be announced later this year. Time Warner Cable Eyes TV Ads for Web MarketWatch So far, programmers aren't generating much money from online video advertising, observes Time Warner COO Landel Hobbs. To help remedy the situation, viewers should see the same commercials during television shows on the Web as they do on traditional TV, he says. Comcast CEO: Web Video 'Friend, Not Foe' Dow Jones Comcast chief Brian Roberts says that the rise of online video is a "friend, not foe" to the cable industry. The prospect of "cord-cutting" is a chief concern to cable execs. However, online video, he insists, represents a way to monetize products in a "horrific" advertising market. CNN to Boost Web Site in 'Tough' Market Bloomberg Time Warner's CNN, surpassed by MSNBC for the first time in primetime ratings last month, will hire about 30 workers for its newswire service and plans to recruit more for international news. Also, CNN.com plans to introduce enhancements later this year. CBS: Turned Off 'Light' May Move to Web TV Week After 72 years, "Guiding Light," the longest-running U.S. soap opera, will end its network run Sept. 18. "Light" is the lowest-rated of the eight network soaps still on the air. Producer Procter & Gamble says it will explore other avenues to keep the show alive, such as an online version. NBC, Weinstein Settle 'Project Runway' Fight New York Post NBC Universal, the Weinstein Co. and Lifetime are resolving their dispute over the hit fashion reality show "Project Runway." Weinstein will pay NBCU in the "multiple millions of dollars" for the right to move the show to Lifetime, which will start airing the show this summer. TV Guide Channel Mulls New Name, Format Advertising Age TV Guide Channel, sold to indie studio Lionsgate in January, is planning a re-make that will include ditching the familiar scrolling "guide," adding original programming and possibly changing the name. Lionsgate is eager to transform its new buy into a venue for programming. Fox Tackles ESPN in Fight for Soccer Series Associated Press News Corp.'s Fox Soccer Channel is beating out Disney's ESPN for the rights to show European Champions League soccer games next season. ESPN held the right since the 1994-95 season. ESPN shares Major League Soccer rights with Fox and other networks. MSNBC Tops CNN, But Fox News is Still No. 1 New York Times MSNBC is surpassing CNN in prime-time ratings for the first time ever, posing trouble for CNN, which is now ranked third. Fox News, the longtime No. 1 cable news operation, is extending its lead over CNN and MSNBC. CNN dismisses its rivals as "the partisan extremes." Fox Eyes Wanda Sykes for Saturday Late Night Broadcasting & Cable Fox is said to be planning to launch a Saturday late-night show featuring comedienne/actress Wanda Sykes. The show is believed to be more in the mold of Bill Maher's show on HBO than a typical talk show. It will air Saturdays at 11 p.m. ET and will be an hour long. Fox: 'The Simpsons' to Get U.S. Postage Stamp Hollywood Reporter "The Simpsons" will be immortalized on U.S. postage stamps, honoring the longest-running primetime comedy's 20th anniversary. News Corp. exec Elie Dekel says: "This has been a dream for Fox and 'The Simpsons' creative teams for some time, and we've finally made the cut!" CBS: Odd Broadcaster Out in Hulu Offerings VentureBeat A deal to bring Disney/ABC content to Hulu is "basically done," meaning that the video portal will be providing content from all the major broadcast networks except CBS. The network has its own deal with Hulu rival Sling, among other places. Blackberry Phones to Air NBC, CBS Shows Reuters QuickPlay Media plans to deliver full-length television shows to BlackBerry smartphones via Research In Motion's applications store after forging agreements with networks including NBC, CBS and MTV. QuickPlay will charge a monthly fee of $7.99 for the service. NBC Universal: Going Green Saved $2M Associated Press NBC Universal says it saved $2 million last year by going green. The media giant has been promoting environmentally friendly efforts on its television shows and in practice, looking for reduced power costs and telling its execs to lay off the bottled water. Comcast Seeks Hearst's Stake in NECN Boston Globe Comcast, the largest U.S. cable provider and half-owner of New England Cable News, is in talks to become the sole owner of the regional 24-hour news network. Hearst, which co-owns the 17-year-old NECN, is expected to sell its half to the cable giant. Cable Execs to Focus on 'Cutting the Cord' MarketWatch The Cable Show convention, which kicks off Wednesday in Washington, D.C., is taking place as the cable sector faces increasing competition, ranging from telecommunications firms to YouTube and Hulu. The phenomenon of "cord-cutting" is a growing concern. Time Warner, Abu Dhabi in Talks to Revamp BusinessWeek Time Warner's Warner Bros. is in talks with Abu Dhabi Media to restructure a $1 billion agreement to build a theme park and movie theaters. The two sides are "not close to a resolution." The theme park is being redesigned and won't break ground this year as planned. CBS Radio Puts Live Commercials Online FMQB CBS Radio will start incorporating live audio commercials into the online and mobile streams of its radio stations, as well as those of AOL Radio and Yahoo. The live reads will be done by station personalities. Advertisers will gain access to listeners of 500 streaming radio stations. CBS Falls After UBS Cut on Deeper Ad Slump Bloomberg CBS dropped the most in four months in New York trading Monday after UBS analyst Michael Morris recommended selling the shares because the advertising slump may be deeper and longer than expected. Industry-wide ad sales in 2010 will be "very similar" to this year. CBS: 'Guiding Light' to Move to the Web? TV Week CBS is mulling the possibility of canceling "Guiding Light," the 70-year-old U.S. soap opera, due to low ratings. The network's current deal for the Procter & Gamble-produced series will end in September. "Guiding Light" could be kept alive on the Web. Disney Pacts with YouTube; Hulu Deal Near Bloomberg Disney is entering a deal to put video clips from ABC and ESPN on Google's YouTube video site in an advertising-revenue sharing arrangement. Disney also is near an agreement to take a stake in rival video portal Hulu, whose owners include NBC Universal and News Corp. Time Warner to Test HBO on the Internet New York Times Time Warner Cable is testing a subscription service in Milwaukee for online television viewing. Residents who pay for HBO can watch entertainment programs from the Time Warner pay channel on their computers, using special software and a personal log-in. CNN Drops to Third Place for First Time Associated Press Time Warner's CNN is set to finish March third in prime-time ratings behind Fox News Channel and MSNBC, the first time this has ever happened for the channel that pioneered the cable news genre. CNN is suffering more audience erosion than its rivals. Fox News Launches Site to Rival HuffPost Washington Post Fox News Channel hopes to leverage its conservative news brand online with The Fox Nation, a new Web site built around its on-air personalities. The site will emulate parent News Corp.'s MySpace by encouraging readers to post comments and argue with one another. Viacom's MTV to Air Music Videos Again New York Times MTV is adding more music videos to its schedule -- at 3 a.m. The Viacom network is launching "AMTV," a six-hour block for music videos and related programming, harking back to MTV's origins as a 24-hour home for music videos. The new schedule gives MTV a "palette to experiment." ABC In Talks with Former CNBCer Ratigan New York Post Dylan Ratigan, the co-creator and anchor of CNBC's "Fast Money," who abruptly quit on Friday, is said to be in preliminary discussions with ABC and will most likely land there this autumn after his six-month, noncompete clause with CNBC expires. NBC: 'ER' Seen as End of an Era on TV Los Angeles Times The NBC drama "ER" will air its series finale Thursday after 15 seasons, leaving behind a splintered prime-time landscape as the networks struggle to compete in a digital world. Executive producer Neal Baer admits: "I doubt we will ever see the likes of a show like 'ER' again." Sirius XM Faces Serious Threat from Web BusinessWeek Web radio upstarts like Pandora, Foneshow, Stitcher and Slacker broadcast portable and mobile content that makes Sirius XM satellite radio look overpriced and stodgy, observers say. The new companies are airing portable and mobile content that is cheaper or even free. TV Still Dominates Media; PCs Surpass Radio New York Times Television remains the dominant medium for media consumption and advertising, says a study released by the Council for Research Excellence. The data suggests that computer usage has supplanted radio as the second most common media activity. Print is ranked fourth. Nickelodeon Asks Kids to Unplug Devices Associated Press Viacom's Nickelodeon cable network is asking its young audience to unplug their hand-held gadgets, games and cell phones for a minute on Earth Day to symbolize a commitment to helping the environment. The "unplugged minute," however, doesn't extend to television sets. ABC News Plans 'Top Line' Political Webcast Broadcasting & Cable ABC News is launching a daily 15-minute political webcast, "Top Line," live on ABCNews.com. The webcast, featuring interviews and audience interaction, will be hosted by Rick Klein, political reporter and author of "The Note," and political director David Chalian. Hearst-Argyle Board to Weigh Buyout Offer Associated Press Hearst-Argyle Television says that a special committee of its board will meet to consider Hearst Corp.'s offer to buy out the rest of the company's shareholders. Hearst Corp. is offering $4 per share to make the Hearst-Argyle TV-station group a wholly owned subsidiary. CNBC Anchor Ratigan Eyes Exit in 'Flare-Up' New York Post CNBC "Fast Money" anchor Dylan Ratigan is said to be resigning amid a conflict with network VP Susan Krakower. Ratigan's contract expires next week and he is in talks with other networks, insiders say. CNBC refuses to say if he is exiting: "The premise of your story is incorrect." Stewart, Colbert Replacing the Old News Guys Popeater Nearly a third of young Americans believe Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert are taking the place of traditional news sources like CNN, according to a new Rasmussen poll. The "CBS Evening News" is being "replaced" by "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show." Hearst Again Bids to Take TV Group Private MarketWatch Hearst is making another bid to take Hearst-Argyle Television private -- this time for about $375 million -- about 18 months after a previous bid for the TV-station group was rejected by shareholders. The new bid is for $4 a share; the earlier bid was for $23.50 a share. Oprah to Become Discovery's Biggest Brand Forbes Discovery CEO David Zaslav is seen as cable television's "fastest rising star," with a media empire across 173 countries. Zaslav's boldest move may be the new Oprah Winfrey Network, a channel he will launch by early next year. Oprah is expected to be Discovery's "biggest brand." Barbara Walters to Exit ABC When Contract Ends National Enquirer Veteran ABC personality Barbara Walters is said to be telling pals that she plans to leave television when her contract expires this summer. ABC reportedly wants her to continue at the network, "but Barbara's decided she's done it all," says a source. NBC Eyes Salary Freeze for News Execs, Talent Gawker NBC News is said to be instituting a freeze on raises for execs and talent, even those with contracts guaranteeing salary increases. The network is "asking employees to voluntarily delay any contractually obligated salary increases for six months." Weather Channel's New CEO May Be Ex-CNBCer New York Post The Weather Channel is said to be close to naming as its CEO retired, former CNBC exec Bill Bolster, who is credited with boosting the news network's earnings during his tenure there. Bolster has the support of Jeff Zucker, boss of NBC Universal, the channel's co-owner. Fox: 'Remote Free TV' Ad Experiment a Winner MarketWatch Fox Broadcasting's move to offer the new drama "Fringe" with limited commercial interruption is finding success, with audiences showing better-than-average ad recall, according to Magna Global. Viewer ad recall is "enhanced" by fewer, shorter breaks. NBC May Be Losing Audiences to Video Games Mediaweek Americans, as a whole, spend more time playing video games than they do watching the CW, according to a new report by Nielsen PreView. And video games -- the real "5th Network" -- may even be closing in on NBC. Big game users, however, are also "big time TV viewers." Free Online TV, Piracy a Threat to Industry Variety More viewers will be lured away from traditional television to free online entertainment, says a report by London media research firm Screen Digest. By 2011, ad-supported, online TV shows will account for 10 times more U.S. consumption than paid-for online content. CBS.com Gets a Boost from Incoherent Actor Broadcasting & Cable CBS.com is recording a record-setting 21 million unique viewers for the month of February, with a 576% increase for the month. The network can thank actor Joaquin Phoenix, whose incoherent interview on "David Letterman" won 7.5 million clips views online. Arbitron to Lay Off 110 Employees in Cost Cuts Associated Press Media ratings company Arbitron is cutting 10% of its full-time employees, or about 110 people, in a move that will save more than $10 million a year. Arbitron makes the Portable People Meter, a cell-phone-size device that records what radio stations their wearers hear. Verizon to Launch New York City News Channel Wall Street Journal Verizon Communications plans to launch its own local television channel in New York City this summer. The move is a response to Cablevision's News 12 and Time Warner Cable's NY1. Those 24-hour news channels are helping their owners keep some customers from jumping to Verizon. MSNBC Exec to Run New Media for Republicans TechCrunch Todd Herman, a former Microsoft and MSNBC.com employee and streaming media expert, is being named the director of new media for the Republican National Committee. Herman founded and ran SpinSpotter, a startup that provides tools to detect spin in news stories. Fox TV Stations to Syndicate to Bloggers Broadcasting & Cable Fox Television Stations is entering a deal with Redlasso that gives the Web broadcasting outfit the rights to syndicate content from Fox local newscasts. Registered bloggers and news sites will be able to search content from Fox stations and customize clips for their own sites. NBC Affils Launch Study to Shape 'Leno' Broadcasting & Cable Hoping for input into Jay Leno's fall primetime program, the NBC affiliates board is conducting a study to keep local newscasts from suffering due to the network's decision to move "Leno" to 10 p.m. The study will help reveal, for example, the ideal length of Leno's monologue. DirecTV, NFL Extend Pact in $4B Deal Wall Street Journal In a sign that media rights for major sports may defy the recession, the National Football League is entering a four-year extension with DirecTV valued at $4 billion -- a 43% increase over the current deal. The league will soon seek new deals with broadcasters. Hulu Gets More Viewers After Super Bowl Ads PC Magazine Apparently, advertising on traditional television still works: Viewership on Hulu surged 55% in February, thanks to the video site's Super Bowl commercials featuring "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin, says comScore. That growth put Hulu at No. 2 of top-gaining properties. NBC: Obama on 'Leno' Wins Big Viewership Bloomberg / NYDN President Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" attracted the largest audience to the NBC program in more than four years. The first late-night talk-show appearance by a sitting U.S. president posted an 11.2 rating. Also: Obama is the new "King of All Media." CBS: March Madness on iPhone a Slam Dunk USA Today Advertisers for CBS broadcasts of the NCAA men's basketball tournament are getting a bonus: Their ads show up in games viewed on iPhones via a $4.99 app. Coke, for one, is happy: "It's an innovative application that gives us an additional way to connect with NCAA fans." ABC Radio 'News Guy' Found Dead at Home New York Daily News Police are investigating the death of New York radio newsman George Weber, who was found stabbed to death in his Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment Sunday. Weber was laid off from WABC last year. Calling himself "the news guy," Weber maintained a lively blog. MSNBC in Talks with Radio Host Ed Schultz New York Observer MSNBC is said to be in talks with Ed Schultz, the progressive radio talk show host, about a permanent position at the cable news channel. The liberal-leaning MSNBC is seeking a 10 p.m. host to replace the time slot's repeat of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." CNBC, WSJ Join Web Video News Network Forbes Telecommunications billionaire Craig McCaw is backing 1Cast, a start-up that takes news outlets' video feeds and clips them into short segments searchable online. CNBC, Reuters and other news organizations will pool their videos in 1Cast for a cut of advertising revenues. Comedy Central's New Star: Jeff Dunham Variety / Mediaweek After his Christmas special became the most watched show in Comedy Central history, ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is signing a multiplatform deal with the Viacom network that includes a series order. Dunham is vying to join Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as a face of the network. Fox's 'Idol' Gets Plug from Obama on 'Leno' New York Times "American Idol" came up during President Obama's appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the first time a sitting U.S. president visited a late-night talk show. Washington, D.C. "is like 'American idol,'" jokes Obama, "except everybody's Simon Cowell." Charter Set for Takeover by PE Firm Apollo Reuters Private equity firm Apollo Group is said to be planning to take ownership of most of Charter Communications through the cable company's reorganization in bankruptcy court. Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who controls the company, could see his equity stake increase. NBCU, Microsoft to Partner for 2010 Olympics Mediaweek NBC Universal will once again partner with Microsoft to support its online delivery of the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2010. As it did during NBCU's much-ballyhooed Web coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Microsoft will provide the video-streaming technology for the games. NBCU CEO: Hulu Unlikely to Replace TV Revs Financial Times Hulu is unlikely to ever replace the lost advertising revenue from television as more viewers watch shows online, says NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker. The challenge of replacing the lost analog dollars of traditional TV with digital pennies is "at digital dimes now." Viacom CEO Skeptical of 'TV Everywhere' Plan Broadcasting & Cable Viacom CEO Philippe Daumann appears skeptical about the idea of authenticating consumers as pay-TV subscribers before offering access to online video. "It wouldn't be very effective if you have to type a pin number in. It has to be seamless to the consumer." TiVo to Benefit from Economic Crisis, CEO Says Reuters Cable and online television companies bet they can defy the economic crisis and grow despite tough times, arguing consumers are choosing to sit out the downturn and spend on home entertainment. "People are clearly looking for cheaper entertainment," says TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. Joost CEO Eyes Growth, Targets 10 Million Users Bloomberg Joost, the Internet television site that shows TV programs made by Time Warner and Viacom, aims to have 10 million visitors per month by the end of 2009, says CEO Mike Volpi. "Our profitability depends on how aggressively we pursue growth, and right now our priority is growth." MTV, MySpace in Online Distribution Talks TV Week MTV Networks, which already has online distribution deals with sites including MSN and Joost, is in talks with other partners -- including MySpace -- to expand the reach of its programming online. MySpace co-founder Tom Anderson once said that MySpace "has replaced MTV." CBS' Success Gets Applause from Wall Street Los Angeles Times Caris & Co. analyst David Miller is upgrading CBS, noting that the network is the only broadcaster to see ratings grow across the board this season. Even among the desirable demo of viewers ages 18 to 49, the network is logging a 3% uptick while its rivals are all down. TV.com Adds Content Deals to Boost Videos TV Week CBS' TV.com is making several content deals, bringing its video library to more than 2,000 hours of content. The new content deals with NCAA and Starz Media are in addition to existing agreements with companies including MGM Studios, PBS, Showtime and Sony Pictures Television. NBC Mulls Importing Humorous 'News' Show TV Week NBC is closing in on a deal with the United Kingdom's Hat Trick Productions to bring the BBC panel show "Have I Got News for You" to the United States. "News" features teams of celebrities and newsmakers humorously trying to answer questions about current events. Discovery Sues Amazon Over Kindle E-Reader Reuters Discovery Communications is filing a lawsuit against Amazon.com, accusing the online retailer's Kindle of infringing its patent on encryption technology. The e-reading device is already drawing fire from publishers that say Amazon is trying to avoid paying royalties. Report Expected to Explode TV Viewing Myths Broadcasting & Cable A cross-industry think tank of top execs from agencies and television networks will "explode" some myths about how consumers watch TV in findings to be unveiled next week. The new survey is expected to show that younger viewers are "not running screaming" from TV. CBS Hires 'Lonelygirl' Guy for TV-Web Event Forbes Miles Beckett, co-creator of the Internet hit "Lonelygirl15," is rolling out "Harper's Globe," a so-called online "social series," developed in partnership with CBS. The Web series will complement the network's forthcoming prime-time television event, "Harper's Island." NBC's 'Leno' to Give Obama Unfiltered Platform Reuters President Obama will take his economic strategy to Jay Leno's comic couch on Thursday in the first appearance by a sitting U.S. president on a late-night TV talk show. Obama will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to discuss his economic plan and "other topics." NBC Digital's 'Mr Hulu' Kliavkoff Joins Hearst AllThingsD George Kliavkoff, who left his job as NBC Universal's chief digital officer last year, is joining Hearst to run digital operations for entertainment head Scott Sassa. Kliavkoff helped launch Hulu while at NBC. He plans to both build and buy properties for Hearst. FixCNBC.com Online Petition Gains Momentum Multichannel News An online petition FixCNBC.com, prompted by Comedy Central's Jon Stewart's savaging of CNBC's Wall Street coverage, is receiving about 400 signatures an hour. Among those listed as sponsoring the letter are reps for Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting and Free Press. Imus, Radio Host, Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer Bloomberg Talk radio host Don Imus says he has been diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer. Imus, 68, hosted a morning talk show for almost 30 years before he was fired by CBS in 2007 for racially charged remarks. He was hired by Citadel in 2007 to host a new syndicated program. Sirius XM: CEO Karmazin Fights to Rescue Firm Fortune Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin insists that having averted its credit crisis, the company is on the verge of living up to its early promise of doing for radio what satellite TV did for television. Sirius XM will be "very profitable," he says, but admits he sees a threat in Internet radio. Clear Channel, Google Execs Launch Goom Radio Radio Ink Former Clear Channel exec Robert Williams and former Google exec Drew Hilles are launching Goom Radio, which aims to "redefine radio for the digital generation" by offering users tools to create their own radio stations. The objective is to "create remarkable radio experiences." Comcast, Sony to Open Joint Retail Store Philadelphia Inquirer Comcast and Sony are teaming up to open a retail store, Sony Style Comcast Labs, housed in Comcast's new headquarters tower in Philadelphia. Additional outlets are possible. The goal is to "demystify technology" and offer "a sneak peek of what's next." NBC's Fallon Lures Geeks to 'Late Night' Los Angeles Times "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon is interviewing bloggers and showcasing gadgets in a digital embrace that may help draw hip, plugged-in consumers who don't watch much television. Fallon has already interviewed Digg co-creator Kevin Rose and Engadget editor Joshua Topolsky. CBS: '60 Minutes' Still the Hottest TV Show Newsweek "60 Minutes," at age 30, is back in a big way. Thanks to a renewed focus on hard news, along with some exclusive interviews, the audience is up to 15 million per episode. "Our success is a direct reflection of America's hunger for news," says executive producer Jeff Fager. ABC: Stephanopoulos to 'Twitterview' McCain Associated Press ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos and Arizona senator John McCain will come together online for a "Twitterview" to be conducted on Tuesday. The public will be able to read the real-time 15-minute exchange by signing up at the microblogging site. CW: 'Top Model' Melee in Midtown Manhattan WPIX Fights broke out during auditions for the hit CW Network show "America's Next Top Model" in Manhattan, leading to three arrests. Police estimate 10,000 model-wannabes showed up to audition. The CW says it is "working with local authorities on the matter." CBS: TV.com Site to Upgrade High-Def Video Home Media CBS's TV.com is testing a high-definition video gallery that allows users to watch ad-supported network programming online in 1080p resolution. Supported by Adobe's Flash platform, the 1080p video gallery will augment the site's current HD gallery. Sirius XM Radio Plans Stream to iPhone, iPod Associated Press Sirius XM Radio plans to stream its subscription service to Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices beginning this spring. The struggling satellite radio provider wants to step up sales directly to consumers. New car purchases -- Sirius' best source of customers -- are way down. Comcast Emerges as Major Phone Provider Dow Jones Comcast says it has become the third-largest U.S. residential phone service provider as the cable-television giant's customers continue to add phone to their services from the company. Only AT&T and Verizon have larger numbers of residential phone service customers. CNBC Spat Mints Comedy Central Web Hits CNET Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are seeing traffic to their Web sites and online video clips soar after the two fake-news pundits went on mocking vendettas against CNBC personality Jim Cramer. The shows' Web sites are seeing their highest traffic of the year so far. 'Sesame Street' Sees Hard Times, Job Cuts Bloomberg Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization that produces "Sesame Street," is cutting 20% of its workforce, or 67 jobs, because of the recession. "Sesame Street," the home to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, is the world's most widely viewed children's TV show. Sirius XM Radio Has 'Mystery' Beneficiary BusinessWeek One of the Sirius XM's programmers was awarded a $27 million payout when the satellite radio companies completed their merger. Sirius XM declines to identify the recipient. The obvious thought is the guy with the massive exclusive programming deal: Howard Stern. Hearst-Argyle Sells Stake in Baseball Team MediaPost Hearst-Argyle has a deal in place to sell its microscopic stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. The operator of 29 TV stations expects to receive $2.25 million from the divestiture. The sale is seen as another signal of how challenging the station business has become. Belo to Cut 150 Jobs, Lower Staff Salaries Associated Press Belo plans to cut 150 jobs, reduce some employee salaries by 5% and suspend its 401(k) matching contributions to help reduce expenses. The owner of 20 television stations also will indefinitely suspend its dividends to focus on paying down debt and conserving cash. CNN: More Viewers Watch TV On the Go World Screen Top execs are increasingly watching television on their laptops, desktop computers and mobile devices, according to a survey conducted by CNN International and telecommunications firm Ericsson. Also, 73% of CNN's global online audience share user-generated videos. Disney Ex-Chief Creates Series for Viacom Mediaweek Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner is developing a television series for rival Viacom's Nickelodeon cable channel. "Glenn Martin, DDS," a stop-motion animated series, will debut this summer. The effort will be the first TV series from Eisner's Tornante company. Traditional TV Ad Revenue Forecast to Plunge World Screen Revenues from traditional television spot ads are expected to fall by 75% within 10 years, according to analysis from Generator Research. "The biggest losers will be the terrestrial networks who have no way of delivering their own ads over the Internet to television sets." ESPN Brings Dynamic Ads to Live Sports ClickZ ESPN is introducing technology that will digitally insert advertising into live sports on ESPN360.com for college basketball's championship week. Viewers will see pods of 15- and 30-second video ads streamed via technology developed by ESPN and Disney Interactive. NBC Movies, TV Shows Join PlayStation Reuters Sony will make movies and television programs from NBC Universal available to buy or rent through Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. With the new deal, Sony's video service now features more than 1,300 movies and 4,500 TV episodes. Sirius XM Radio to Become 'Ubiquitous' Radio Business Report Stung by the downturn in auto sales, Sirius XM satellite radio ended last year only a 10% increase in subscribers. Liberty Media president Greg Maffei, who just invested $530 million in Sirius XM, says he wants the service to become ubiquitous -- on all types of radios. CBS Radio Drops Opie and Anthony in NYC Associated Press CBS Radio is switching the format of WXRK in New York, better known as K-Rock, to a Top 40 format. The move is intended to help lure a larger and more youthful audience. Radio "bad boys" Opie and Anthony will have their morning show dropped in the format overhaul. Radio May Be Forced to Pay Music Royalties Bloomberg Radio companies such as Clear Channel and CBS would have to pay song royalties to singers and music labels under new legislation being considered by Congress. But broadcasters insist they provide valuable "free exposure" to musicians and music companies. CBS Expects Boost in Internet Ad Revenue Bloomberg CBS says it expects a 30% increase in revenue from online advertising for college basketball's postseason tournament. Online ad revenue will be about $30 million, up from $23 million a year ago, and Internet ad inventory is almost sold out, says CBSSports.com exec Jason Kint. Clear Channel Ratings Cut by Moody's Associated Press Moody's Investors Service is cutting its ratings on Clear Channel further into junk status, citing a "high probability" that the radio station operator will be forced to restructure its debt. "In the current economic environment, a capital structure will not likely be sustainable." NBC Unveils 24-Hour Channel for NYC NBCNewYork NBC is launching its long-awaited 24-hour news and lifestyle television channel, dubbed New York Nonstop. In addition to up-to-the-minute business, politics and current events, Nonstop will "explore the trendsetters and emerging voices at the heart of New York City." 'American Idol' Heads to Apple iPhone Hollywood Reporter FremantleMedia is launching a mobile application for "American Idol." Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to get videos of the current 13 finalists in a confessional format, along with pictures, news and other content. A $1.99 charge will last for rest of this season. CBS, NBC Buy 'Cheap' Canadian TV Shows Bloomberg CBS and NBC, looking to cut costs as advertising shrinks, are turning to Canadian television producers for new shows. Both networks will debut shows that are filmed and set in Toronto. Canada is "palatable" to U.S. audiences; Canadians "drive on the same side of the street." Fox: TV Won't See Another 'American Idol' Associated Press Fox's lucrative "American Idol," the most-watched U.S. television series, is "the last of its breed," says Fox exec Mike Darnell. "I don't believe there will ever be another show like this," as the consumer pool is increasingly splintered by broadcast, cable, DVRs and the Internet. Disney Aims to Find Next Jonas Brothers Forbes Disney plans to package 21-year-old actor Kelly Blatz in a marketing juggernaut across the media giant's many platforms, from television and film to music and merchandise. Blatz, the star of the new Disney XD series "Aaron Stone," could be the next Jonas Brothers. AT&T, MTV in Online Music Video Tie-Up World Screen The new AT&T-sponsored Music Vault will enable users to unlock a virtual portal that offers access to music videos from MTV Networks that have never before been released on the Internet. Fans access the videos via an online trivia game and can share their access with friends. Local TV Stations Risk Shutting Down TV Week With local advertising in the tank, times are tough for U.S. television stations. Industry execs are talking about more station owners declaring bankruptcy, getting taken over by their banks or even shutting down operations. Smaller stations can't "live off the crumbs." Viacom-Led Epix Channel Faces Trouble Los Angeles Times Epix, the forthcoming Viacom-Lions Gate-MGM movie channel, is having trouble securing distribution with cable and satellite TV companies. Carriers are skittish about adding a pricey new network during a recession. In response, Epix could turn to online pathways into the home. CBS May Have to Borrow to Pay Off Debt Bloomberg CBS may face an $893 million funding gap for bonds maturing next year, even after slashing its dividend by 81% to save cash, according to Barclays Capital analyst Scott Shiffman. CBS may have to sell new debt to help pay off $1.4 billion of bonds due in 2010, he says. NBC: Olympics Committee Delays TV Bids Bloomberg The International Olympic Committee is delaying seeking bids for broadcast rights to future games for "some time," according to NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol. "They are waiting for a healthier, brighter economic picture, particularly in the United States since they depend on it so much." CNN: Gupta Won't Be U.S. Surgeon General UPI CNN medical reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta is withdrawing his name from consideration as U.S. surgeon general, says an Obama administration official. "He has removed himself from consideration to focus more on his medical career and his family." Digital TV: U.S. 'Totally Unready' for Shift Reuters U.S. regulators say some consumers are still unprepared for the June 12 television industry switch to digital broadcasting, which will affect Americans who do not receive their signals through cable or satellite. About 5 million U.S. households remain "totally unready." Radio Eyes New Media Channels for Future Reuters Radio industry leaders are looking to new technologies and devices, like Apple's iPod, to keep the oldest broadcast media business vital. Execs say they see a future where FM radio chips are embedded in mobile phones and other devices. "We need to be ubiquitous." CBS Nears Sell Out for Basketball Online Mediaweek With about two weeks until the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, CBS is nearly sold out of inventory and is approaching $30 million in ad revenue for March Madness On Demand, its Web video product that allows fans to stream online each of the games it televises. NBC: New York Nonstop to Debut Monday New York Daily News The long-promised new cable and digital channel New York Nonstop will launch Monday, as NBC's latest step to drive content to as many people as possible. The "local information and lifestyle channel" will be built on a "pod format," with news and programming of varying lengths. Scripps May Buy Stake in Food Network Bloomberg Scripps Networks Interactive may buy Tribune's minority stake in the Food Network by the end of 2009, says finance chief Joe NeCastro. Scripps is putting together a formal offer after negotiations were slowed by Tribune's bankruptcy filing in December, he says. Media Giants Back Personalized ZillionTV Reuters Disney, NBC Universal, News Corp., Time Warner and Sony are providing content to a new personalized television service called ZillionTV, which will offer on-demand content via high-speed Internet. The service will allow viewers to "personalize" advertising categories. Home Shopping Network Owner Cuts 250 Jobs Reuters Home Shopping Network operator HSN Inc. is reporting that it cut about 250 jobs during the fourth quarter, and canceled merit increases to contain costs. The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based company was a subsidiary of Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp until last August. NBC: Fallon's 'Late Night' Debut Bests Rivals Bloomberg Jimmy Fallon's debut Monday as host of NBC's "Late Night," a 12:35 a.m. show he took over from Conan O'Brien, drew higher ratings than competitor Craig Ferguson on CBS. Fallon's show attracted 2.3% of U.S. television households; Ferguson's show delivered a 1.6 rating. CBS Has Its Eye on Fox's Ratings Prize 'Idol' Los Angeles Times Thanks to "American Idol," Fox is still No. 1 with the key 18-to-49 audience, but not by much. In fact, CBS is beating Fox in total viewers. Major programming shifts could loom next season. "Idol" appears to be in the "early stages of its journey toward obsolescence." 'TV Everywhere' Plan Gains Media Momentum Associated Press Comcast, DirecTV, NBC Universal, Viacom and News Corp. are among the media companies saying they are receptive to the new, so-called "TV Everywhere" industry initiative. The effort aims to give subscribers exclusive online access to television shows. Sirius XM's Woes Traced to Auto Slowdown Bloomberg Sirius XM Radio, the money-losing satellite broadcaster, is "challenged" by the slowdown in U.S. car sales, says Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei. Liberty is buying a 40% stake in Sirius XM. The collapse in auto sales is cutting demand for Sirius XM radios, which come installed in cars. Disney to Crank Out Another 'HS Musical' Los Angeles Times Disney's lucrative "High School Musical" franchise keeps producing product. The Disney Channel is announcing that "High School Musical 4" will premiere on the cable network in 2010, and will have a "Romeo & Juliet" spin with "a new generation" cast of high schoolers. Blockbuster Explores Bankruptcy Filing Bloomberg Blockbuster is said to be hiring legal counsel to explore a possible bankruptcy filing. Kirkland & Ellis is being asked to evaluate restructuring options for the movie-rental giant. A Blockbuster spokeswoman insists: "We do not intend to file for bankruptcy." ManiaTV to Shut Down as Ads Disappear Mediaweek ManiaTV, which launched in 2004 as an attempt at melding live TV and the Web, is said to be shutting down, due in part to declining advertising. The Web video network made a name for itself with its former live show hosted by onetime MTV comedian Tom Green. NBC Universal to Unleash 'New York Nonstop' New York Observer NBC Universal and WNBC-4 are on the verge of launching their long-awaited, 24-hour "hyper-local" digital news channel, dubbed New York Nonstop. News pieces on the service aim to "look live." WNBC-4 news exec Michael Horowicz says: "If it looks like a newscast, we're dead." TV Guide Network Sale to Lionsgate Closes Variety Lionsgate is closing on its $255 million deal with Macrovision to acquire the TV Guide Network and the TV Guide Online business, which includes TVGuide.com and JumptheShark.com. TV Guide Network fetched a bargain-basement price in a down market overall for media sales. Time Warner Plots 'TV Everywhere' Initiative Advertising Age Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes has a plan to put all cable programming on the Web in places such as Hulu, MySpace and even YouTube. To get it, however, consumers must subscribe to a pay television service. The "TV Everywhere" drive is intended to be an industrywide effort. TiVo Loses 611,000 Subs Over Last Year Multichannel News TiVo lost 611,000 net subscribers in the last 12 months, to stand at 3.3 million as of Jan. 31, says CEO Tom Rogers. However, cable giant Comcast is making progress in deploying its DVR service, he adds. Plus, Comcast "is in the process of adding and sharpening offers." Broadcast Network Ratings See Decline Broadcasting & Cable Live viewing at CBS, Fox, NBC, My Network TV and The CW are dropping, according to a report from Los Angeles-based advertising agency RPA. Ratings are being hurt by fewer new shows and the return of shows that typically wouldn't have been renewed, among other factors. Mobile TV is Next Killer App, Study Says Broadcast Engineering North America will see a high growth rate in broadcast mobile television between 2008 and 2013, reaching over 32 million TV-enabled mobile phones by 2013, says research firm NSR. "Web-empowered consumers will clearly be more than back-seat TV watchers." Satellite TV Firms Take Hit as Rivals Increase MarketWatch While Dish Network is posting a 24% increase in fourth-quarter profit, the No. 2 U.S. satellite television provider is losing thousands of customers, reflecting intensifying competition. Similarly, EchoStar is reporting a quarterly loss of almost $700 million owing to a handful of one-time costs. Clear Channel Hires Exec to Boost Revenue San Antonio Business Clear Channel is announcing a $5 billion quarterly loss and hiring a new exec who will work to improve revenue at the radio broadcaster. John Kaufman, formerly of Extended Stay Hotels, is being named senior VP of revenue management, a newly created position. CBS's Moonves: Networks May Sell Fewer Ads Bloomberg U.S. television networks may sell fewer advertisements before the start of the 2009-2010 season, according to CBS chief Les Moonves. Prices for such "upfront" ads are expected to rise. He adds that CBS is producing fewer pilot TV programs to cut costs. Tribune Closes 'Obsolete' DC Broadcast Bureau Crain's Chicago The Chicago Tribune is closing its Washington, D.C., broadcast news bureau, a move that will eliminate 10 jobs. The bureau is obsolete, says VP Bob Gremillion in a memo announcing the decision. Consumers are finding "more and more places" to get their national news. Tribune TV Hires Unpaid Students as Journos Associated Press Tribune's WPIX-TV in New York is arming area college students with video cameras to work as unpaid contributors to its newscasts. The program is raising alarms among some professional journalists who wonder if such efforts could one day threaten their jobs. Univision Lays Off 300 Workers Amid Downturn Los Angeles Times Univision, the largest U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster, is laying of 300 people, citing the weakening economy and a sharp downturn in advertising. A leveraged buyout two years ago by a group of private investors saddled the company with $10 billion in debt. Broadcast TV Faces Struggle to 'Stay Viable' New York Times Broadcast networks are facing a deep advertising recession that is hitting both them and their local stations, while cable rivals are propped up by subscriber fees. NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker warns that broadcast TV is "in danger of becoming" like the newspaper industry. News Corp Tests FlopTV Internet Web Venture Variety News Corp.'s Fox International Channels is launching its first Internet television service, using Italy as a testing ground. The new FlopTV will present both professional and user-generated video clips, aimed at younger audiences. FlopTV could be expanded to other countries. Viacom-Led Epix Channel to Premiere Online USA Today Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM plan to premiere Epix, a new premium television service, on the Internet in May, followed by a launch as a cable-TV channel in October. The service will run movies about nine months after they first appear in theaters -- earlier than other premium channels. CBS Makes TV Shows Available on iPhone Newsfactor CBS shows including "CSI" and "David Letterman," as well news updates, can now be viewed by iPhone and iPod touch users by downloading a free TV.com app from Apple's App Store. Currently, the average user of TV.com is 34 years old, with 55% female and 45% male. NBC: Fallon to Debut 'Late Night' with Blog Orlando Sentinel Jimmy Fallon officially replaces Conan O'Brien as the new host of NBC's "Late Night" on Monday. The show plans to relaunch its Web site on Monday as well, and is hiring three full-time bloggers. "We're not going to hide the fact that people are on the Internet all day," Fallon says. Interactive TV May Bloom Into 'Huge Business' Multichannel News U.S. cable operators plan to upgrade millions of digital set-tops with code to run interactive-TV applications. The move will make it possible for viewers to use their remote to, say, ask an advertiser to e-mail them more information. Interactive TV is set to be a "huge, huge business." TV: Prime Time Isn't So Prime Anymore BusinessWeek Late-night network television shows such as "Conan O'Brien, "Carson Daly" and "Nightline" are outdoing the likes of "CSI," and advertisers are starting to take notice. "The value equation has changed dramatically," says Peter Gardiner, chief media officer of ad agency Deutsch. Web Sites Aim to Be 'TV Guide of the Web' Associated Press Several upstart Web sites, including Tilzy.tv and Tubefilter.tv, vow to direct users to the best television series online. The site eGuiders.com began last week, touting itself as the "TV Guide of the Web." The site distinguishes itself with Hollywood celebrity "guest editors." Fox: 'The Simpsons' to Clinch TV Record Reuters News Corp.'s Fox network is ordering two more seasons of "The Simpsons," ensuring the animated show that started in 1989 will surpass "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running prime-time U.S. television series. "The Simpsons" will start its 21st season in the fall. CNN Exec: TV News Must Embrace New Media Miami Herald The Internet is a threat to the entire business structure of broadcast television, say attendees of the We Media conference in Miami. Twitter is even scooping television news, points out CNN senior VP David Bohrman. "Everything needs to be deconstructed. Everything is going to be changing." Liberty: No Plans to Merge Sirius, DirecTV Los Angeles Times Liberty Media doesn't plan to combine the satellite operations of DirecTV with Sirius XM Radio, says CEO Greg Maffei. Bundling subscriptions to DirecTV and Sirius XM may be an "opportunity down the road." Last week Liberty agreed to buy a 40% stake in Sirius XM. Discovery Profits on Cable Turnaround New York Post Discovery might be the best-equipped media company to weather a recession. The cable-network owner is reporting a profit of $105 million. Discovery's cable networks are among the top-rated in the business. For example, Discovery Channel draws a heavy male audience. CBS Chips Away at Fox's 'American Idol' Bloomberg CBS is winning viewers in head-to-head competition with Fox juggernaut "American Idol," demonstrating rival programs can succeed against TV's most-watched show. CBS's crime drama "NCIS" is attracting 44% more 18-to-49 age viewers, with rock music and funnier dialogue. NBC Universal Hires Flack to Target Blogs Deadline Hollywood NBC Universal's corporate communications office is assigning media-relations exec Kevin Goldman to monitor Web sites and blogs. "We have to have relationships with blogs and a response to what they post," says an insider, "as print is becoming less and less relevant." ABC Makes $72M on 26 Minutes of Oscar Ads TV Week ABC sold 26 minutes of advertising time for about $72 million in its Feb. 22 Academy Awards broadcast, the most since 2004, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Marketers still "understand the unique power of TV advertising for marquee events such as the Academy Awards." Hearst-Argyle TV Suspends Dividend for Cash Associated Press Hearst-Argyle Television, the owner or operator of 29 U.S. television stations, says it fell to a $552 million loss in the fourth quarter due to a huge write-down in the value of its assets. The company also says it will suspend its quarterly dividend of 7 cents per share to conserve cash. Fox News Channel Nabs ABC Digital Exec Los Angeles Business Michael Clemente is leaving his position at ABC News to become the senior VP of news for Fox News Channel. Clemente spent 27 years at ABC News, most recently as senior executive producer of the ABC Digital Media Group, where he produced ABCNews.com and ABC News Now. CNN Loses Viewers as Fox, MSNBC Gain Los Angeles Times Fox News and MSNBC are seeing big audience gains, while CNN is shedding a large share of its audience. CNN shows hosted by Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs are losing viewers; MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is bringing in 134% more viewers than the time period had last year. CBS: TV.com Offers Video Internationally World Screen For the first time, clips from classic hit shows such as "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "MacGyver" are now available to Web users around the world on CBS's TV.com. Domestically, TV.com is positioning itself as a rival to NBC Universal and News Corp.'s Hulu. Comcast, Cable Partners Prep Web TV Launch Reuters Comcast, Viacom and other cable and satellite television providers are working on a free, Hulu-like online video service to deliver cable shows to computers and mobile phones. One stumbling block in the proposed venture is the low level of revenues generated by Internet advertising. Musicians Want Radio Stations to Pay Royalties Associated Press Sheryl Crow, will.i.am, Patti LaBelle and other musicians are urging Congress to force AM and FM radio stations to pay performers when their music is broadcast. The musicFIRST Coalition is pushing legislation to require radio stations to pay royalties to musicians. TV, Mobile Consumption Reach All-Time High Los Angeles Times Nielsen's new "Three Screen Report" -- referring to televisions, computers and cellphones -- says the average American now watches more than 151 hours of TV a month, an all-time high. Thanks to the recession, people are staying home and watching more video on various screens. ABC Oscar Telecast Among Least Watched Associated Press Some 36.3 million people watched this year's Academy Awards, up about 4 million from last year's least-watched Oscars show. Still, there are only two Oscar telecasts with fewer viewers. The largest Oscars audience was in 1998, when 55.2 million watched "Titanic" win best picture. MTV May Experiment with 15-Minute Shows Broadcasting & Cable While some claim MTV let the Internet-crazed world pass it by, Viacom's flagship cable channel is unveiling a slate of original programming aiming to bring back young male viewers. Also, MTV may experiment with program length; for instance, scheduling 15- or 20-minute shows. NBC's 'Project Runway' Unlikely to Take Off Crain's New York "Project Runway" filmed its sixth-season finale Friday at New York's Bryant Park during Fashion Week, as the Weinstein Co. and NBC Universal continue to fight in court over rights to the reality-TV hit. The combatants have yet to go to trial, and the outcome will be subject to appeal. Broadcasters Large and Small Vie for Olympics Reuters All of the major U.S. broadcasters, as well as some smaller players, are expressing an interest in acquiring the rights to air the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games, says International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge. NBC paid $2.2 billion for the 2010-12 U.S. Games. U.S. Digital TV Transition Seen as Bungled Wired America's shift to digital television signals was bungled, observers say, thanks to a flawed voucher program and a time frame that left the nation stranded between administrations. The U.S. government is "making profit" off the transition, while consumers are "being asked to pay for it." FCC's Likely Chief 'Receptive' to Web Media MarketWatch Julius Genachowski, the expected next chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, is an active Web investor who is likely to be receptive to "non-traditional media," observers say. Google and Yahoo could come to "eat away" at the regulatory influence of the telecom giants. ABC Cuts Oscar Ad Rates Amid Celeb Glut Reuters ABC is dropping prices for 30-second ads for Sunday's Academy Awards broadcast. One problem: the show does not resonate with younger viewers. Also, catching sight of stars on the red carpet isn't what it used to be, thanks to the glut of celebrity magazines, Web sites and TV shows. Cable Giants Explore Offering TV Online Wall Street Journal Comcast and Time Warner Cable are in talks with Viacom, NBC Universal and other TV-network owners to explore a solution to the threat of online video: putting cable shows online, but accessible only to cable subscribers. Such Web services are expected to lure new subscribers. ESPN, Discovery: Top Cable 'Must-Keeps' Multichannel News If viewers had to pick just a handful of TV channels they could keep, ESPN and Discovery Channel would be the first two cable networks on their lists, says a survey by Solutions Research. MTV fell to 36th place. The major broadcasters, in order of preference: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. CBS Strikes Back at Hulu in Web Video War Wall Street Journal A day after news broke that Hulu had pulled its video content from CBS's TV.com because of "contractual" issues, CBS is fighting back with a statement: "CBS Interactive is well within its rights to stream Hulu video content on TV.com under its agreement with Hulu." CNN Eyes Facebook, Web-Only Programs Broadcasting & Cable Look for CNN to start doing more Web-only pieces and shows, according to a network spokesperson referencing on-air/online coverage planned for President Obama's first address to Congress Feb. 24. Also, CNN will re-team with Facebook to create an online community for the event. CBS to Cut Dividend, Jobs After Ad Loss Dow Jones CBS is reporting a 52% decline in fourth-quarter earnings and announcing plans to slash its dividend by 81%, as the economic downturn takes a big bite out of advertising revenue. The company also plans to make job cuts in its television, radio and billboard businesses. ABC May Pay for 'Dark Knight' Oscar Snub Bloomberg ABC is unlikely to attract a big viewership for Sunday's Oscars telecast, due to the film academy's snub of box-office hit "The Dark Knight." The Academy Awards broadcast attracted its largest audience when all-time box-office leader "Titanic" was voted best picture for 1997. ESPN Emulates HuffPost with Local Web Site Chicago Tribune ESPN is launching its first Web site devoted to local sports fans in Chicago. The new ESPNChicago.com will provide a "24/7 Chicago sports news operation." ESPN will mix original stories with aggregated Web content. The Huffington Post launched a local Chicago edition last year. Hulu Content Vanishes from Other Platforms Wired A sudden disappearance of Hulu content from CBS-owned TV.com is leaving viewers mystified. In addition, Hulu plans to remove content from the social viewing platform Boxee at the request of its content providers. There is "no immediate win" for users, admits Hulu CEO Jason Kilar. MTV to Get a Rival from Verizon, Next New Hollywood Reporter Online TV firm Next New Networks and Verizon FiOS are launching an online network called $99 Music Videos to showcase the talents of emerging musicians and filmmakers. The companies say they are looking to create an "MTV for the digital and iTunes age." Hulu Yanks Content Off CBS-Owned TV.com CNET Hulu is pulling its content off CBS-owned TV.com, which relaunched last month as a beefed up online video rival. Attempts to access episodes of "Heroes" and other programming from NBC and News Corp. partners in the Hulu joint venture display a "video unavailable" message. Viacom Loses Appeal to Win Jackass.com Domain Name Wire Late last year, MTV parent Viacom filed a complaint to obtain the Web domain name Jackass.com, one of thousands of generic domains registered by Future Media Architects. The arbitrator in the case has decided that Future Media did not register the domain in bad faith. CBS: 'Uniquely Vulnerable' to the Recession Los Angeles Times CBS, the broadcast network controlled by Sumner Redstone, reports its fourth-quarter earnings today, and Wall Street is bracing for grim numbers. Viewership is up 6% over last season, a notable achievement. However, 70% of the broadcaster's revenue comes from advertising. ABC: Oscarcast Loses Ads, Movie Promo Ban New York Post Faced with a weak economy, L'Oreal is joining General Motors in backing out of running commercials during the Academy Awards, traditionally the second-biggest TV event after the Super Bowl. Organizers are lifting a 50-year ban on ads for upcoming movies to offset lost revenue. Digital TV Switch Finds Americans Are Ready USA Today The U.S. switch to an all-digital TV format began in earnest Tuesday, with 421 stations making the change in advance of the June 12 deadline. By midday, there were no reports of major problems, says the National Association of Broadcasters. "No news is certainly good news." Al Jazeera Launches Myth-Dispelling Web Site Brand Republic Al Jazeera is launching a Web site, I Want Al Jazeera, aimed at extending its reach among U.S. and Canadian audiences and dispelling myths that it supports terrorism and airs beheadings. The site also asks for support to help it gain carriage deals with U.S. cable and satellite firms. Liberty Media Takes 40% Stake in Sirius XM Associated Press Sirius XM Radio and Liberty Media say they have signed a deal in which Liberty will invest $530 million in the financially struggling satellite radio company. The investment will save Sirius XM from possible bankruptcy and give John Malone's Liberty a 40% equity stake. CBSSports.com Signs Deal with Microsoft Sports Business Journal CBSSports.com is signing a deal with Microsoft to use the software giant's Silverlight video player for March Madness on Demand, aiming to improve the video quality. Microsoft will make "a significant advertising spend," but will not receive corporate branding on the video player. Many TV Stations to Drop Analog Tuesday Associated Press Some 641 U.S. television stations still plan to turn off their analog broadcasts Tuesday, the originally scheduled date, despite a government move to delay the digital transition to June 12 over concerns that viewers won't be ready. No one knows how many viewers will be affected. Viacom to Shut Off MTV Music Video API TechCrunch Viacom plans to restrict the embedding of music videos from its MTV Networks. "All of our online video is and will remain embeddable for end users, just like Hulu," says MTV. However, "allowing developers to use the open music video API can be a money-losing proposition for us." 'Lost,' 'SNL' Top Most-Viewed TV Online World Screen ABC.com's "Lost" and NBC.com's "Saturday Night Live" top the list of the most-viewed shows from U.S. network online video players, according to Nielsen. "SNL's" online popularity suggests that "there is a Web audience that might otherwise not watch these programs at all." CBS: Hulu Rival TV.com Sees More Traffic TV Week TV.com is posting major Web-traffic increases after its partnership with CBS Interactive ushered in new content -- particularly premium video -- to the site, says Nielsen. The rebranding of TV.com as a destination for content that also appears on television makes it a rival to Hulu. ABC May See Drop in Oscar Ad Revenue Broadcasting & Cable ABC could see a 21% drop in advertising revenue from the Academy Awards compared to last year, says TNS Media Intelligence. The network is being forced to battle marketers' cost-cutting due to the poor economy. The outlook for Feb. 22 telecast "is anything but golden." Sirius XM May File Chapter 11, Oust CEO WaPo / WSJ Sirius XM Radio may file for bankruptcy as early as Tuesday if it cannot find a way to renegotiate its debt payment of $175 million. Also: A group of Sirius XM Radio creditors says it is prepared to seek the ouster of CEO Mel Karmazin if the company files for bankruptcy. Young Broadcasting Files for Bankruptcy Associated Press Young Broadcasting, the New York television station operator, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. U.S. TV broadcasters are under pressure as more customers turn to the Web for entertainment and the economy sends advertising revenue spiraling downward. Clear Channel to Be Cut Deeper Into Junk Reuters Standard & Poor's says it may cut its ratings on Clear Channel deeper into junk territory, citing concerns the media company may breach terms in its debt agreements in late 2009 or 2010. Also, "negative secular trends" facing the radio industry could "limit a rebound in 2010." Cumulus Media to Restructure, Cut Jobs Atlanta Business Cumulus Media, the second-largest U.S. radio company, plans to restructure, cutting up to 259 employees in its various markets. "The entire advertising sector has seen a big drop off," says CEO Lew Dickey. "Like all media companies, we are not immune to this." Comcast: No Exec Salary Increases in '09 Bloomberg Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and other top managers will forgo salary increases as the recession threatens the cable provider's growth. Large U.S. companies are under fire from some lawmakers, who see executive pay as too generous at a time when the economy is faltering. TV Stations Blocked from Digital Switch Washington Post The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is informing the owners of 123 TV stations that had planned to go ahead with the switch to digital broadcasts next week that they cannot do so unless they can show that consumers in their viewing areas will not be left in the dark. Univision: YouTube's Most Pirated Network Ad Age Univision is the most-pirated U.S. broadcast network on YouTube, thanks to its popular telenovelas. The Spanish-language television channel, which is currently squabbling with Televisa over digital-rights issues, has little incentive to invest heavily in anti-piracy efforts. Charter Communications to File Chapter 11 Reuters Cable operator Charter Communications, controlled by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, says it will file for Chapter 11 by April 1, after it reached a deal with some of its creditors helping to reduce its debt by around $8 billion. It had a debt load of around $21 billion as of Sept 30. Disney Goes Where (It Hopes) The Boys Are Forbes The Disney Channel has the tween girl market cornered, thanks to hits like "Hannah Montana." Now the company wants to do the same with boys with the new Disney XD cable channel and Web site, debuting Friday. Corporate cousin ESPN will help develop programming. DirecTV Owner to Seek Deal for Sirius XM New York Times Sirius XM Radio, the satellite radio giant that is on the brink of bankruptcy, is said to be in preliminary talks with Liberty Media, the conglomerate controlled by John Malone. A deal between Sirius XM and Liberty could create a battle with EchoStar for control of the company. Howard Stern: Satellite Radio Will Survive Reuters Shock jock Howard Stern dismisses the financial troubles plaguing Sirius XM Radio as "growing pains" and says he believes his employer will be a successful business. "Don't get fooled by what you read." Analysts attribute Sirius' woes to expensive deals with high-priced talent like Stern. NBC: Writers Guild May Discipline Jay Leno Variety Writers Guild of America, West is reviewing the possibility of disciplinary action against Jay Leno for "Tonight Show" monologues he delivered last year while the guild was on strike. Leno is both a WGA member and a writer for the NBC late-night show. Sinclair to Suspend Dividend, Cut 200 Jobs Associated Press Sinclair Broadcast Group is reporting better-than-expected earnings and sales for the fourth quarter, boosted by political advertising. But with a non-election year ahead and a continuing recession, the company is suspending its quarterly dividend and cutting more than 200 positions. Obama Signs Bill Delaying Digital TV Switch Associated Press President Obama has signed a bill to delay the switch to digital TV to June 12. The change was to have taken effect next Tuesday. Obama says the new date will give viewers more time to prepare. Still, nearly 500 stations intend to go ahead with the switch on Tuesday and not wait until June. NBC Denies Paying for Octomom Exclusive New York Post Did NBC pay Nadya Suleman close to $1 million for exclusive video of the mother and her eight babies? The network denies it. But an insider says that Suleman's people "said negotiations would start at $1.2 million, which is when producers from ABC and CBS left the room. NBC stayed." TMZ Application Available For iPhone, iPod Broadcasting & Cable Gadget freaks who love "TMZ" can now take the syndicated television show's celebrity gossip with them anywhere they go. The Warner Bros. entertainment magazine is launching a free application at Apple's App Store that brings all things TMZ to iPhones and iPod Touches. Sirius XM Radio Preps for Bankruptcy Filing New York Times Sirius XM is working with advisers to prepare for a possible bankruptcy filing within days. The move could put pressure on satellite-TV giant EchoStar, which owns much of the satellite-radio company's debt. Sirius would be one of the largest companies to file for Chapter 11 so far this year. Clear Channel Debt Sparks Bankruptcy Talk Wall Street Journal Clear Channel's debt is trading at sharply lower levels after it announced it was tapping $1.6 billion in credit, as investors grow more skeptical about the radio and outdoor advertising giant's ability to pay back its loans. Debtholders' demands could send the company into bankruptcy. TV Stations Still Plan to Make Digital Switch Washington Post With viewers still apparently unprepared for the U.S. switch to digital TV, nearly 500 stations across the nation are preparing to move ahead with the transition and drop traditional over-the-air broadcasts next Tuesday. The move means that some viewers will no longer get TV reception. Comcast Turns to FBI in Adult Content Probe Multichannel News Comcast's Tucson, Ariz., system is turning over the investigation into who was responsible for inserting adult content into its Super Bowl broadcast feed to the FBI. After an internal probe, Comcast says it found that the incident was "an intentional malicious act." Murdoch TV Network Changes Business Model Hollywood Reporter News Corp.'s MyNetworkTV no longer is a broadcast network. The venture is cutting back on original programming and will air syndicated content, such as a two-hour block of NBC's "Law & Order." The traditional broadcast model "is not working," says MyNet president Greg Meidel. Local TV Stations May Face a Fuzzy Future Wall Street Journal Many local TV stations face the prospect of being cut out of the picture as both viewership and advertising continues to decline. Execs at some major networks are beginning to talk about eventually taking shows straight to cable, where networks can take in steady subscriber fees. TV Networks Targeting Growing Mobile Market TV Week NBC Universal and MTV Networks are among the media companies that are working to capitalize on the iPhone-stoked demand by optimizing Web sites for cell-phone viewing. More than a third of iPhone users watch video on their phones, 10 times the average mobile user. DirecTV Profit Drops as Rivals Eat Into Demand Bloomberg DirecTV is reporting a decline in fourth-quarter profit after rivals curbed subscriber growth. The largest U.S. satellite-television provider faces mounting competition from cable and phone companies, which offer Internet service, phone calls and TV programming in one package. CBS Effort to Boost Grammy Ratings Pays Off Bloomberg CBS's broadcast of the Grammy awards Sunday night won some 19.1 million viewers, a gain of 11% from 2008 and enough to win the evening's prime-time ratings contest. Grammy organizers booked performers such as Lil Wayne and Coldplay in an effort to boost the show's ratings. ABC Pays Radar Online for Octuplet Interview Los Angeles Times ABC's "Good Morning America" is licensing footage of an interview with octuplet mother Nadya Suleman's own mother from RadarOnline.com, a Web-only version of the celebrity magazine that folded last fall. ABC describes the payment to Radar as a "nominal fee." Media Celebrities May Have 'Less Value' MarketWatch Television news execs say that a sea change is coming in how industry stars will be compensated. On-air reporters and anchors may seek long-term contracts at reduced wages. TV stations are expected to start hiring younger, less experienced news professionals to keep costs down. TV, Movie Viewers Turning to the Internet CNN / Dow Jones As more Web sites like Hulu and Joost offer free movies and television shows, some consumers are taking advantage and eliminating their cable or satellite TV subscriptions. Joost CEO Mike Volpi says: "We believe that the majority of TV will be viewed over the Internet." Viacom: MTV Set for Global Music Shake-Up Billboard MTV plans to introduce new programming focusing on new acts and live performances, which will air across 62 channels in 162 countries. A "Push" initiative, dedicated to new artists, will roll out using MTV's on-air, Web and mobile assets, with online interviews and blogs. Sirius XM Got, and Rebuffed, Ergen Bid Wall Street Journal Charles Ergen is said to have made an unsolicited offer last year to take control of Sirius XM Radio, and was rebuffed. Despite the rejection, Ergen is still interested in taking control of Sirius. Ergen reportedly believes that satellite radio would complement his satellite television operation. Fox Business to Launch Show on Internet Multichannel News Fox Business Network is premiering a live weekday Web show. Hosted by FBN's Jenna Lee and Connell McShane, "FoxBusiness.com Live" will air in HD on foxbusiness.com for one hour weekdays at noon and feature breaking financial news reports and business interviews. Broadcasters May Pay for Obama in Primetime Washington Post The broadcasting networks are bracing for the likelihood of three primetime interruptions by President Obama in three weeks, which could cost millions in lost advertising revenue. "His economic stimulus package apparently does not extend to the TV networks," grumbles one network exec. Some TV Stations to End Analog Signal Feb. 17 Associated Press U.S. television viewers who are expecting a few more months to prepare for digital television may not have much time left before their sets go dark: Many stations still plan to drop analog signals in less than two weeks. The shift could unfold in a confusing patchwork of different schedules. CBS News: Schieffer to Host Weekly Webcast TV Week CBS political news icon Bob Schieffer will host a new 15-minute weekly Webcast, "Washington Unplugged," in one of the first initiatives by a broadcast network to create an original news show for the Web. Audiences can interact with the show by submitting questions via email. HBO: Fox's Buck to Replace Exiting Costas New York Post Fox sports announcer Joe Buck will host a new HBO program starting in May, helping the cable network fill the void left by Bob Costas, who is leaving for the MLB Network. Buck will continue with his National Football League and Major League Baseball play-by-play duties for Fox. Zucker: NBC Universal Seeing 'A Better Year' Newsweek NBC remains in fourth place among the major broadcasters. Still, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker is upbeat: "I don't think there's a media company out there that's had a better year." NBC's losses, he points out, have been offset with the success of sister networks like CNBC and Bravo. Freston: Oprah's TV Network Is the New MTV Fortune Ex-Viacom CEO Tom Freston is now a consultant for Oprah Winfrey's forthcoming cable television channel, OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network, set to launch by early 2010. OWN, he says, "is as big an idea now as MTV was then. It's the first network about empowerment and life purpose." EchoStar May Seek Control of Sirius XM Radio Wall Street Journal Charles Ergen's EchoStar is quietly accumulating a substantial portion of Sirius XM Satellite Radio's maturing debt in what could be the first salvo in an attempt to take control of the embattled company. Ergen's move comes as Sirius XM shares have sunk to just 14 cents each. U.S. Digital TV Switch Gets OK from Congress Reuters The U.S. switch to digital television signals will be delayed to June 12 from Feb. 17 under legislation that has cleared Congress and now goes to President Obama for his signature into law. Obama supports the delay, out of concerns that poor and rural households aren't ready. NYC TV Production Stalls, Threatening Jobs Crain's New York A state tax credit that brought television production in New York City to a record high last year has run out of money, threatening jobs. "None of us has booked a single pilot this year," says Alan Suna, head of Silvercup Studios. "Everybody is sending their pilots elsewhere." Tribune Merges Operations of Two TV Stations Crain's Chicago Tribune is combining the operations of WGN-TV/Channel 9 and CLTV. The two stations will operate in one newsroom at WGN’s facility in Chicago. CLTV, currently located in Oak Brook, Ill., will continue to be a stand-alone 24-hour cable news channel. Time Warner Cable to Lay Off 1,250 Staffers Associated Press Time Warner Cable plans to lay off 1,250 people in the face of slowing growth at the second largest U.S. cable operator. The New York-based company is reporting a net loss of $8.16 billion in the fourth quarter. Time Warner expects to save $90 million a year from the job cuts. Time Warner Cable to Lay Off 1,250 Staffers Associated Press Time Warner Cable plans to lay off 1,250 people in the face of slowing growth at the second largest U.S. cable operator. The New York-based company is reporting a net loss of $8.16 billion in the fourth quarter. Time Warner expects to save $90 million a year from the job cuts. CNBC: 'News Star' Wald in Surprise Exit MarketWatch CNBC is announcing that Jonathan Wald, its top daily news exec, is leaving the network. Wald, "a star in the news world," is leaving CNBC under what appear to be sketchy circumstances. He hasn't announced his future plans. The network has yet to designate a successor. Bloomberg to Cut Jobs in TV, Radio Units New York Post Bloomberg LP is set to hand out pink slips to 60 employees in its unprofitable television and radio operations. The company yesterday canceled the "Night Talk" TV show hosted by Mike Schneider. Bloomberg's TV and radio units are losing some $20 million a year. Fox Business to Expand via Dish Network MarketWatch The fledgling Fox Business Network is entering a deal with satellite provider Dish Network to carry the cable channel, extending its total distribution to almost 50 million U.S. households. Also, Fox News Channel is renewing its distribution agreement with Dish. NBC Claims Super Bowl Record Viewership Los Angeles Times NBC is calling Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast "the most-viewed television program in U.S. history with a total audience of 151.6 million viewers." The claim comes with a footnote: Nielsen's definition of "total audience" includes anyone who caught as little as six minutes of a broadcast. Comcast, AT&T Scoff at Obama Online Plan Bloomberg President Obama may face friction from the leading U.S. cable providers on his plan to wire rural areas for high-speed Internet access. Cable giants are seen as unlikely to participate unless lawmakers provide more money for installation of costly broadband lines. NBC: 'SNL' Sells Sketches to Advertisers Associated Press An NBC "Saturday Night Live" bit with a comical over-the-top promotion for Pepsi aired the next evening as a commercial during the network's Super Bowl broadcast. The sketch actually was a paid commercial by Pepsi, made in collaboration with producer Lorne Michaels' "SNL." CBS, Head & Shoulders Launch Web Series TVWeek CBS Interactive and Procter & Gamble's Head & Shoulders shampoo brand are teaming up to produce an original Web series, "Heckle U," starring Tom Arnold, debuting on CBS.com and TV.com. CBS sees Web originals as a "win-win for both programmers and marketers." Super Bowl No. 3 Telecast of All Time Los Angeles Times Some 95.4 million viewers tuned in to NBC's telecast of the Super Bowl, a drop of just 2% from last year's game on Fox. Still, Sunday's game was the third most-watched telecast in TV history. The Super Bowl "again proved its ability to captivate America," says NBC Universal exec Dick Ebersol. NBC Ran Hulu Super Bowl Spot for Free MediaPost Super Bowl commercials cost several million dollars, but Hulu received 60 seconds on NBC for free. When the online video hub launched, it received credits to run ads on the properties of co-parents NBC Universal and News Corp., but had not cashed any in until Sunday night. Comcast 'Mortified' by Adult Content Slip Bloomberg Comcast, the largest U.S. cable-television provider, says that some Super Bowl viewers in Tucson, Ariz., were inadvertently exposed to adult content during the final minutes of the game. Comcast is investigating to determine how it happened, says a spokeswoman. "We are mortified." ABC: Oscar Ceremony to See 'New Tricks' Reuters This year's Academy Awards telecast, to be hosted by actor Hugh Jackman, will "take many risks, some bold." The 2008 broadcast, hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, hit a record low of 32 million U.S. viewers. Still, the show remains a top-rated program on U.S. television. Charter Said to Prepare Bankruptcy Filing Reuters U.S. cable television system operator Charter Communications, struggling with a $21 billion debt, is said to be preparing a bankruptcy filing. The company missed a $73.7 million interest payment in mid-January. Charter's largest single investor is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Sirius XM Debt Payments to Test Viability Wall Street Journal Sirius XM Satellite Radio is facing a test of its viability: how it handles $174.6 million in debt coming due Feb. 17, as well as $750 million more in debt due later in the year. The company is yet to prove to the investment community that its business of paid subscription radio has legs. NBC: Web to Stream 3D Version of 'Chuck' UPI A special 3D episode of the NBC sitcom "Chuck" is to stream for free on NBC.com in both 3D and regular 2D formats a day after airing on television. NBC.com "has again demonstrated the complimentary relationship between online and on-air," says NBC Universal digital exec Vivi Zigler. ABC's New iPhone App Delivers Local News ABC News ABC News is launching a free application for the Apple iPhone that uses location-based technology to give users local news video from ABC's owned stations nationwide. The app determines where users are and the closest affiliate station, and delivers the relevant local news video. TV Industry 'Evolving' Toward the Internet Reuters President Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration marked the first time that online viewers outnumbered television-watchers. The TV industry is moving slowly toward the Internet, analysts say, but the "flawed but efficient" 70-year-old TV model continues to bring in more revenue than online. TV, Video Games Increase Teen Depression AFP Spending more hours watching television or playing video games as a teenager may lead to depression in young adults, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Media messages "may inspire fear or anxiety and hamper identity development." NBC: Super Bowl Ads Still Airing Online Associated Press NBC sold out the 69 advertising spots for Sunday's Super Bowl, pushing total advertising revenue to a record $206 million. The Super Bowl is a "uniquely American" holiday, says NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker. Game ads are now running on NBC.com, Hulu.com and Superbowl.com. Hulu Says 'We're Evil' in Super Bowl Ad CNET Hulu, the NBC-News Corp. Web video joint venture, premiered its television commercial during the Super Bowl, describing itself as "evil" in a humorous spot featuring NBC star Alec Baldwin. The ad is seen as important for Hulu, as many TV audiences had likely never heard of it. Internet Won't Replace TV, Pittman Says TheDeal Television is one area of the media that won't be threatened by the Internet, according to Bob Pittman, speaking at Columbia Business School. The former MTV and AOL exec says that Web video can't "do the same thing" as TV. Newspapers, however, are in for a painful adjustment. NBC: Super Bowl is 'More Than a Game' LAT / USAT NBC's nearly all-day coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday will include appearances by President Obama and Bruce Springsteen. Also: Advertisers, who are spending $3 million for a 30-second spot, are under more pressure in "the first Super Bowl of the Great Depression 2.0." Diller: TV Challenged by Internet's 'Plenty' The Wrap Television will "forever be challenged" by the Internet, according to IAC/InteractiveCorp chief Barry Diller. "More than likely will be the 'creative destruction' of assets, particularly those of distribution," since the Internet provides "a world of infinite plenty." Oprah Hires MTV Vet to Run TV Network Fortune Oprah Winfrey is naming former MTV president Christina Norman as CEO of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. The cable channel co-venture with Discovery is slated to launch in late 2009 or early 2010. Winfrey's first choice for CEO, however, was former Viacom boss Tom Freston. Time Warner Cable Freezes Execs' Pay Bloomberg Time Warner Cable, the second-largest U.S. cable operator, will forgo raises for top execs this year as subscriber growth slows, hurt by the deepening recession. No raises will be given to employees at the VP level or above. Job cuts have not been discussed. Disney Lays Off Hundreds at ABC, ESPN Los Angeles Times Disney-ABC Television is laying off 400 people, citing the weakening economy. "This was not an easy decision," says group head Anne Sweeney. The news comes a day after Disney's ESPN said it would cut 200 jobs. More layoffs at ABC are anticipated in the coming months. CBS Wooing Dave to Stay on 'Late Night' New York Daily News CBS and late-night funnyman David Letterman have begun talks on a new deal to keep him at the network beyond his current contract, which expires next year. Letterman and CBS may see an opportunity to take advantage of Jay Leno's departure from NBC's "Tonight Show." ABC.com: Increase in Ads Not a Problem Hollywood Reporter The more ads the merrier on ABC.com, according to new research Disney-ABC TV Group commissioned from Nielsen Media Research. Doubling the ad load in a full-length program shown on ABC.com didn't decrease customer satisfaction, according to the study. ShopNBC: No Buyers Amid Market Turmoil Dow Jones ShopNBC will continue to try and stay in business after being unable to find a buyer. The television-shopping network, owned by ValueVision Media, in September began reviewing its options as sales continued to sag. ShopNBC said that no one submitted a final bid amid the market turmoil. House Kills Bill to Delay Shift to Digital TV Washington Post Bucking the Obama administration, House Republicans have defeated a bill to postpone the U.S. transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12, leaving the Feb. 17 deadline intact. GOP members warned that postponing the transition would confuse consumers. Yahoo, News Corp to Develop TV Show New York Times Yahoo aims to extend its brand to television by developing a half-hour newsmagazine with Twentieth Television, a unit of News Corp. The program, called "Yahoo Buzz" and inspired by the Web feature of the same name, will be syndicated to TV stations as early as this fall. TiVo CEO: TV Needs New Business Model New York Times Penetration of DVRs is set to reach 50 million U.S. homes within the next three years -- half of all television households -- and somewhere along the way it could be game over for the traditional business, warns TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. TV execs must "commit to urgent action." NBC Finds Selling Super Bowl Ads 'Tough' Bloomberg NBC sold most of its Super Bowl ads for less than it planned to charge. The broadcaster sold 12 spots for the Feb. 1 game for $3 million each and others in the "high 2 millions," said NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol. Amid the financial downturn, selling the ads has been a "tough slog." CBS Interactive to Launch MoneyWatch.com Reuters CBS Interactive has announced plans to launch a personal finance site. Unlike other such sites now available, the new MoneyWatch.com will "have a life across the Web, TV, and radio." The site will be led by former Money magazine managing editor Eric Schroenberg. AT&T, Comcast May Help Fight Web Piracy CNET AT&T and Comcast, two of the largest U.S. Internet service providers, are expected to be among a group of ISPs that will cooperate with the music industry in battling illegal file sharing. The Recording Industry Association of America said last month that it had enlisted the help of ISPs. Cox to Test 'Prioritizing' Internet Traffic Associated Press U.S. cable giant Cox Communications has stepped on to battleground of "Net Neutrality," saying it will test a new way to keep subscribers' Internet traffic from jamming up. In parts of Kansas and Arkansas, Cox will give priority to Internet traffic it judges to be time-sensitive. Sirius XM: Satellite Radio Set for iPhone OrbitCast The uSirius StarPlayr iPhone app, which will allow users to play Sirius XM Radio on Apple's iPhone, is said to be going public soon. According to sources, the app will be submitted to the Apple Store by Jan. 31, and will be available to the public after Apple's approval. Viacom, Partners to Launch Channel Online CNET Epix, the new premium movie channel from Viacom's Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lions Gate, is expected to debut in May as an on-demand Web site five months before its television launch. The venture has not yet landed a distribution deal with any cable or satellite TV provider. NBC Scores Obama for Super Bowl Talk USA Today NBC says it has landed the "first television interview from the White House" with President Obama since his inauguration. The live interview, with NBC News's Matt Lauer, will air during the pre-game show before Sunday's Super Bowl. More of the interview will air the next day on "Today." NBC-Lifetime Spat Won't Stop 'Runway' New York Post The next season of "Project Runway" may never make it to television, but producers plan to film the big New York Fashion Week finale anyway. The show remains tied up in lawsuits between NBC's Bravo, its producers at the Weinstein Company and new "Runway" owner Lifetime. Senate Votes to Delay Digital TV Switch Associated Press The U.S. Senate is voting unanimously to postpone the transition from analog to digital television by four months to June 12, setting the stage for Congress to pass the proposal as early as Tuesday. The Senate vote is seen as a big victory for the Obama administration. CBS May 'Drastically' Reduce Dividend Bloomberg CBS, the television broadcaster controlled by Sumner Redstone, may "drastically" cut its dividend to preserve its credit rating, according to analyst Michael Nathanson at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. "Local ad trends continue to shock us with unimaginable rates of decline." Senate Nears Deal to Delay Digital TV Washington Post Key senators have reached a compromise on a bill that would delay the U.S. switch to all-digital television from Feb. 17 until June 12. A vote is expected early this week. President Obama earlier this month urged Congress to postpone the transition claiming that consumers are not prepared. Oprah Eyed for Senate Seat, Blago Says ABC News Illinois' beleaguered governor Rod Blagojevich says that when he was deciding who would take President Obama's Senate seat he considered appointing talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. "She seemed to be someone who had helped Barack Obama." DirecTV Aims to Become More Like HBO New York Times Liberty Media's DirecTV plans to create a new premium network with HBO-like programming for its subscribers. The satellite television service aims to become "a pre-cable window for premium channels." DirecTV also will produce original movies that will serve as pilots for potential series. NBC Kicks CBS Off American Airlines Variety NBC Universal is entering a deal with American Airlines to take over the carrier's in-flight entertainment service. As part of the deal, the airline will part ways with CBS, which had programmed American's in-flight service for more than 10 years. CBS had sold the in-flight ad time; NBC will not. ABC Affiliate in Washington Fires 26 Washington Post WJLA, an ABC affiliate television station in Washington, D.C., is laying off 26 staffers, including prominent on-air reporters, in what parent company Allbritton characterizes as a financial necessity due to economic straits. Remaining employees will see a 3.9% pay cut. Young TV Viewers Pick Web Over DVRs InformationWeek Television viewers age 18 to 34 years old are already living in a post-DVR world, according to a survey from Solutions Research. While 70% watch TV online, only 36% have ever viewed a show on a DVR or TiVo. More TV viewers overall are heading to the Web to watch video legally. NBC Universal Hires Local Bloggers TVWeek NBC is contracting with local bloggers to produce reports for its television station's Web sites, in an effort to attract younger demographics. Traditional TV reports will live alongside edgier stuff from bloggers. Says NBC exec Brian Buchwald: "We are not about traditional TV news." NBCU Revenue Hit by Declines at TV Stations Dow Jones General Electric is reporting that its fourth-quarter net income fell 44%. "We expect 2009 to be extremely difficult," says CEO Jeff Immelt. At GE's NBC Universal, earnings fell 6.3% while revenue slid 2.7% as strong cable earnings were offset by declines at local stations. Disney Merges ABC Entertainment, Studios Dow Jones The Disney-ABC Television Group plans to merge its ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios units to streamline the creative process and "address the changing realities" of entertainment. The new unit, the ABC Entertainment Group, will be led by longtime ABC exec Steve McPherson. CBS Puts Couric in Prime Time for Promo New York Times On Wednesday at 8 p.m., CBS will pre-empt "The New Adventures of Old Christine," to air a special edition of "The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric." The move is not intended as a tryout for a new show, CBS says. The broadcast aims to attract new viewers to the evening news. Univision, Televisa Settle High-Stakes Lawsuit Los Angeles Times Univision, the dominant U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster, is making concessions to ensure it continues to have exclusive access to Televisa's telenovelas. "This is good, good for everyone," says Televisa chief Emilio Azcarraga Jean of the new agreement. CBS Uses Web to Tap Outdoor Advertisers MediaPost CBS Outdoor is launching a Web site, WannaBillboard.com, offering a library of ready-to-use creative that advertisers can customize to their brands and then swiftly hit the streets. WannaBillboard aims to appeal to local and regional advertisers that do not have available creative. Obama Names Copps Acting Chair of FCC Washington Post President Obama is appointing Democratic commissioner Michael J. Copps as acting chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The appointment is expected to be temporary. Julius Genachowski, Obama's tech adviser, is expected to be named the new FCC head. NBC, Gannett Invest in Text-Message Ad Firm New York Times NBC Universal and Gannett are among the companies investing in 4INFO, a startup that provides technology for sending text advertising via cellphone. It is also an ad network selling text message ads and banner ads on the mobile Web sites of the 100 publishers in its network. MSNBC Developing Show to Target Fox, CNN New York Times Building on the momentum of its prime-time hours, MSNBC is developing a 10 p.m. program to complement its left-leaning evening lineup. A new program could increase the competition between NBC's MSNBC and its two chief competitors, Fox News Channel and CNN. CBS, Hulu to Test Online-Video Ad Formats Wall Street Journal Microsoft, Yahoo, CBS Interactive and Hulu are joining forces to attract more money to the fledgling online-video advertising marketplace by testing ad formats. The project, dubbed "the Pool," developed by Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest, aims to create standards in online video. YouTube to Let Content Partners Sell Ads TechCrunch YouTube is trying to convince big media companies that "love is better than war" by giving them a cut of advertising revenues from their videos that appear on the site, regardless of who put them there. The prospect of selling ads against videos on YouTube has media "salivating." Comcast in FCC Probe Over Phone Practices Associated Press Comcast is being investigated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission over concerns that it is giving preferential treatment to its phone service at the expense of similar services from competitors. The FCC is asking Comcast to justify this "disparate treatment." Cablevision, Cox Fined Over Channel Changes Associated Press The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is fining Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox and six other cable television operators a total of about $500,000 for attempting to thwart its probe of a practice in which analog channels were transferred to a more expensive digital tier. Sirius XM Rumored to Prepare Price Increase Orbitcast Sirius XM Radio is rumored to be planning a price increase for multiple satellite radio subscription packages. According to one source, the multiple receiver radio is going to increase in price by $2 per month, starting in March. Also, online listening will no longer be free. NBC: New Fallon Show Eyes Product Placement Broadcasting & Cable While plans for NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," debuting March 2, are still being formulated, network and show execs are already looking at ways to bring in ancillary dollars. Execs say they will pursue both branded integrations and live commercials amid a challenging ad environment. CNN.com Sets Record for Obama Live Stream Crain's New York People flocked to CNN.com, MSNBC.com and other news Web sites Tuesday afternoon to witness President Obama's inaugural speech, setting records, and in some cases, causing technical hiccups. CNN.com set an all-time record, serving more than 21.3 million live video streams. Clear Channel Cuts 1,850 Jobs in Radio, Outdoor Bloomberg Clear Channel, the largest U.S. radio broadcaster, is cutting 1,850 jobs, or 9% of its work force, six months after being taken private in a $17.9 billion buyout by private-equity firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee. The company is facing an "unprecedented time of distress." NBC 'Tarnished' the Brand with Leno Plan Broadcasting & Cable Peter Lassally, a chief architect of "The Tonight Show" in the halcyon days of Johnny Carson, says he is saddened by NBC's decision to schedule Jay Leno's new show at 10 p.m. "It's a very adventurous decision. It can change things for NBC in either direction." Viacom Plots SpongeBob Anniversary Blitz Promo Viacom is unveiling T-shirts and a jewelry line to kick off a campaign around the 10th anniversary of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. A documentary about the development and history of the cartoon character will debut later this year across all of the MTV networks. ABC Mulls Cost Cuts Amid Rising Pressures Reuters Disney's ABC is tightening its belt as it weathers the U.S. economic downturn and tries to remain relevant in an industry challenged by digital entertainment. "We need to be bold," says ABC entertainment head Steve McPherson, "otherwise we will be left by the wayside." NBCU's Zucker to Keynote Media Summit World Screen Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal, will be a keynote speaker at the sixth annual Media Summit New York, set for March 18 and 19, presented by McGraw-Hill. The event will host a slate of panels, among them "The Changing Face of Media and News." Charter Hires Advisers for Bankruptcy Filing Bloomberg Charter Communications, billionaire Paul Allen's money-losing cable-television company, is said to be hiring law firm Kirkland & Ellis and investment bank Lazard to advise on a possible bankruptcy. The company may file as soon as this week. Allen is a co-founder of Microsoft. Clear Channel to Lay Off 1,500 Employees Wall Street Journal Clear Channel plans to lay off about 7% of its U.S. staff and replace more local shows with syndicated content, moves that could affect the broader radio and outdoor-advertising businesses for years to come. The layoffs, mostly in ad sales, are expected to be announced Tuesday. Disney Channel Sees Jonas Bros as Monkees Reuters Could the Jonas Brothers become the next Beatles? Or merely the new Monkees? The chart-topping teen idols will appear as themselves in "Jonas," a new Disney Channel comedy series inspired by the Beatles' movies as well as the zany made-for-TV group the Monkees. Broadcasters Pay $5M for Obama Exclusives Washington Post Barack Obama's inaugural committee is entering deals with HBO, MTV, ABC and Disney Channel for exclusive access to inaugural events. But the deals are prompting questions about Obama's efforts to raise some $5 million by turning his inauguration into made-for-TV productions. Digital TV Delay Blocked by Senate Repubs Associated Press Senate Republicans are blocking a bill to delay the Feb. 17 U.S. shutdown of analog television signals until June. However, Democrats are vowing to bring the measure back for a vote this week. Barack Obama wants a delay due to concerns that many Americans aren't ready for the transition. CNN Tests TV-Style Ad Breaks on the Web NYT / FT CNN.com, the No. 1 global news site, aims to extend its reach through more experimental forays. During its coverage of Barack Obama's inauguration coverage, the site will test television-style commercial breaks. Also: CNN will "go 3D," with help from Microsoft. Clear Channel Set for Big Revamp, Layoffs New York Post Bain Capital Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners, the new owners of radio giant Clear Channel, will next week begin a massive restructuring that seeks to cut $400 million in costs, including layoffs. Clear Channel is likely to move toward a less costly "national programming" model. Entravision Radio Station to Go Web-Only Variety Entravision's Indie 103, an alternative rock station in Los Angeles, is ending its FM broadcast and instead only exist on the Web. "Because of changes in the radio industry," the station says, "Indie 103 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course." Viacom Signs New Carriage Deal with AT&T Broadcasting & Cable AT&T is announcing a new distribution deal with Viacom's MTV Networks and BET Networks, covering new high-definition and international channels, renewal for existing channels, advertising expenditures and content for AT&T CruiseCast, a satellite-based in-car entertainment service. Web Video Beats TV Among Viewers 18-to-24 MediaPost Coveted 18- to-24-year-old consumers now spend more time watching Web-distributed video than broadcast television, according to a survey released by online video advertising network LiveRail. The trend is seen as due to an increase in quality content on sites like Hulu and TV.com. Al Jazeera TV Deal to Broaden U.S. Reach Reuters Al Jazeera plans to announce that it has signed a deal to run its news on Worldfocus, a New York-based syndicated news program distributed throughout the United States. So far, the leading Arabic-speaking world news network has been available to only a limited U.S. audience. Comcast Buys Stake in Retirement Living Wall Street Journal Retirement Living TV, offering original programs for older viewers, is said to be signing a deal with Comcast to expand the channel into more than 12 million U.S. homes. Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, also is taking a minority stake in the network. U.S. Digital TV Shift May Be Pushed to June USA Today Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., incoming chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, is proposing legislation to delay the U.S. switch to digital television nearly four months, to June 12. "I firmly believe that our nation is not yet ready to make this transition." CBS to Seek Citizens' Videos About Obama Hollywood Reporter CBS News is soliciting videos from ordinary Americans who will talk about what they think Barack Obama should do to improve the country. The network also is giving away camcorders to help viewers record their thoughts. Video can be uploaded via CBSNews.com. MSNBC Makes Videos Easier to Search, Clip Wall Street Journal MSNBC.com is adding a feature to its online video player to make it easier to find specific passages of videos and allow users to paste selected clips on other sites, such as blogs. The feature's launch is timed to Barack Obama's inauguration address on Tuesday. TV Over the Web May Remain Years Away Washington Post Television's transition to the Web may be years from completion. The big obstacle: Most Web video downloads and streaming-video services employ "digital rights management" software to prevent unauthorized viewer use of TV shows -- at the cost of reduced compatibility. 'American Idol' to Get Its Own Virtual World VentureBeat / LAT FremantleMedia's "American Idol" is teaming up with Habbo, the world's biggest online world for teens, to create an "Idol" virtual community where users can interact via cartoon-like characters. Also: "American Idol's" television audience is getting older, with the median age hitting 40. ABC to Stream 'The View,' 'GH' on the Web Broadcasting & Cable ABC will begin streaming full episodes of daytime talk show "The View" and soap opera "General Hospital" on its Web site. The network calls ABC.com a "proven platform" for giving existing viewers more access to its shows, as well as a "great way" to introduce shows to new audiences. CBS: Ratings Success Proves TV is Viable Reuters The success of CBS, the No. 1 U.S. network in prime time, proves that broadcast television remains a viable business despite challenges posed by the Internet, says chief programmer Nina Tassler. "The CBS audience was up in the first half of the season. Network television still works." NBC Eyed by FCC Over Golden Globes Los Angeles Times The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is reviewing NBC's Sunday telecast of the Golden Globes awards after receiving 18 complaints. Darren Aronofsky, the director of the film "The Wrestler," was caught on camera jokingly "flipping the bird" at actor Mickey Rourke. Viacom's MTV Ditches Inaugural Party Washington Business MTV is canning its inaugural party to join the bandwagon of the official "Youth Inaugural Ball." A spokeswoman says that "it ended up making most sense" to coordinate with the Presidential Inaugural Committee to hold "one, official youth ball." MTV had not yet sold tickets to its event. News Corp: 'American Idol' Viewers Drop Bloomberg "American Idol," the most-watched show on U.S. television, drew a 10% lower rating than last year in the opening of its eighth season on News Corp.'s Fox, according to initial ratings. The talent contest won its time slot with a 16.7 rating over two hours Tuesday night. Disney, News Corp Vie for Soccer Rights Bloomberg Disney's ESPN plans to bid for the rights to air English Premier League soccer games live, going up against the current holders, News Corp.'s British Sky Broadcasting and Irish pay-television company Setanta Sports. If its bid is successful, ESPN may start a new U.K. TV channel. TV Digital Switch Delay Lures Lawmakers Washington Post Plans to become a more digital United States are in disarray just five weeks before television stations are supposed to shut off analog broadcasts. Congress is toying with postponing the Feb. 17 switch, and now a possible way to distribute more coupons may no longer be plausible. NBC: Ad Buyers Don't Like Leno Time Shift Bloomberg Late-night king Jay Leno may be turning from a winner to an also-ran for NBC. Ad buyers won't spend as much on his new show in the 10 p.m. time slot as on his ABC and CBS competitors, says Andy Donchin, director of TV ad buying at Carat USA. "Leno won't win the time period." MSNBC to Air Inauguration at Starbucks New York Times MSNBC plans to announce a partnership with Starbucks to simulcast its coverage of Barack Obama's inauguration in 650 of the company's stores. The cable news channel will also project its inauguration coverage in movie theater screens in 21 cities next Tuesday. CBS to Debut Interactive Murder Mystery Broadcasting & Cable "Harper's Island," a new CBS murder mystery from the creators of YouTube hit "lonelygirl15," isn't just coming to television. The new series, premiering this spring, will be presented as a multi-platform interactive program with portions airing online and on mobile devices. CBS Radio Web Traffic Sees Record High MediaPost CBS Radio's network of radio station Web sites saw its total number of visitors increase 30% in December 2008, compared to the same month in 2007, according to Web analytics service OneStat.com, reaching an all-time high. Online radio's growth is a rare "bright spot" for the radio business. Radio May Face FCC Problem Over Britney MTV Some U.S. radio stations may pass on playing "If U Seek Amy," the new single from pop star Britney Spears, fearing possible fines or threats to yank their licenses from the Federal Communications Commission. The spelled-out profanity in the cheeky title puts the song into a "gray area." Air America Hires Wonkette Blogger Cox MediaPost The left-leaning Air America Media is hiring former Wonkette blogger Ana Marie Cox as its first Washington, D.C.-based national correspondent. Cox will contribute text, video and audio to airamerica.com, while handling a weekly show on Air America's radio network. IAC Exec Chosen by Obama for FCC Chair Washington Post Barack Obama is set to name longtime friend Julius Genachowski as the new chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, replacing Kevin Martin. Genachowski is a former chief counsel under ex-FCC chief Reed Hundt and a former exec with Barry Diller's IAC. Cablevision's DVR Eyed by Supreme Court Dow Jones The U.S. Supreme Court wants the Justice Department to weigh in on whether the court should consider a legal challenge to the new remote-storage digital video recorder planned by Cablevision. Major television networks and Hollywood studios are suing to stop the service. EchoStar: Sling Media Co-Founders Depart New York Post Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian and other top execs are exiting after butting heads with Charlie Ergen, chief of owner EchoStar, which last year paid $380 million for the television place-shifting company. Ergen is "a bit of a control freak, and the Sling guys felt suffocated." NBC's Golden Globes Sees Drop in Viewers Reuters The Golden Globes award ceremony reeled in the big stars, but not much of a television audience. Sunday's awards ceremony on NBC averaged 14.6 million viewers, the second-lowest TV audience since 1995. For the last telecast of the ceremony, in 2007, the audience was 20 million. CBS: Showtime to Test 'Tara' on Gawker UPI CBS pay-cable network Showtime, in "one of the largest distribution campaigns ever," will make the first episode of its new show "The United States of Tara" available for free streaming on hundreds of Web sites, including TV.com, YouTube, Facebook and Gawker. MSNBC to Show Inauguration in Theaters Hollywood Reporter Barack Obama is on his way to the big screen, thanks to a deal between MSNBC and Screenvision that will put the news channel's inaugural coverage in 27 movie theaters across America. Free tickets are being handed out via MSNBC.com to see the inauguration and parade. NBC Passes 90% Super Bowl Ad Sellout Mediaweek NBC says it has sold about 90% of its available advertising inventory for Super Bowl XLIII, leaving between eight and 10 of the 67 available spots up for grabs, at a going rate of $3 million a pop. NBC is expected to break Fox's record ad haul of $186.3 million. CBS, Verizon in Mobile Deal for TV Shows Dow Jones Verizon is broadening and extending its rights for retransmitting CBS content via its FiOS television platform and its wireless V Cast video service. Under the new deal, Verizon is securing mobile rights for full episodes of some of CBS's top-rated programs, including "60 Minutes." Cable-Ready Gives Way to 'Internet Ready' Los Angeles Times Sony, Samsung, LG and other major television set manufacturers are unveiling models that can offer video from the Internet, such as Yahoo's TV Widgets. In short, "cable ready" is giving way to "Internet ready." The development will bring "profound changes" to the TV landscape. Web TV to 'Force Rethink' of Business Models Paley Center The recent Time Warner Cable-Viacom dispute over carriage of cable networks resurrected the "a la carte" debate, writes Joe Flint. However, the debate may soon be obsolete, as more channels put programming on their Web sites. "The industry better be ready to change." CBS: Moonves Says Ad Sales Not 'Hunky-Dory' Bloomberg CBS boss Les Moonves says Internet advertising sales have weakened since his company's $1.6 billion purchase of Cnet Networks, the online tech publisher. "There's no question that advertising has gone since we made the acquisition, and that has not helped CBS." Viacom's MTV 'Empowers' Viewers in Facelift Forbes MTV plans to give its programming a major overhaul, as the 26-year-old network struggles to retain relevance among its fickle 12-to-34 audience. Rather than offer more unscripted shows about "backbiting and bitchiness," MTV's 16 new series will be "empowering and uplifting." Disney's ABC Supports Delay in Digital TV Bloomberg ABC says it supports Barack Obama's bid to delay the Feb. 17 U.S. switch to digital broadcasting. "As many of our viewers would lose their ability to access broadcast information and entertainment," the network says in a statement, "ABC supports the call" for delay. FCC Head Opposes Obama Digital TV Delay AFP U.S. Federal Communication Commission chief Kevin Martin is against the possible move to delay the digital television shift. "I'm concerned about the confusion." He adds that U.S. government should subsidize broadband infrastructure to insure "universal" high-speed Internet access. Oprah TV Network Hires Ex-Viacom Execs Fortune Oprah Winfrey is preparing to launch her own television network, OWN, later this year or in early 2010. The 50-50 partnership with Discovery Networks is employing former Viacom CEO Tom Freston as a consultant. OWN digital boss Rob Tercek started in cable as a creative director for MTV. TV Execs to Rethink Focus on Young Adults Los Angeles Times Broadcasters are moving away from focusing on 18- to 49-year-olds, which could have a huge influence on programming. The demo's importance to advertisers may be "wildly overblown." Says CBS boss Les Moonves: "A 50-year-old today is different than a 50-year-old 25 years ago." CBS Takes On Hulu with Revamped TV.com Wall Street Journal CBS's television site TV.com is bolstering its programming with more than a thousand full episodes of shows ranging from "Starsky & Hutch" to "Dexter." The site plans to announce programming deals with MGM Studios, Sony, PBS, Endemol USA and CBS's subscription cable channel Showtime. Deloitte: Portable Video, Blogs More Popular E-Commerce Times About half of U.S. consumers want the freedom to view video on any platform they choose -- be it television, cellphone or PC, according to a new media survey from Deloitte. Also, a whopping 67% of young consumers watch movies online. This audience is also more receptive to blogs. AT&T Bows Service to Compete with Sirius XM PC World A new rival for Sirius XM? AT&T plans to launch a satellite-based in-car television service this spring. AT&T Cruisecast promises 22 channels of satellite TV at launch and 20 more of satellite radio. Popular cable fare will include Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, MSNBC and CNBC. Broadcasters to Offer Free TV on Cellphones USA Today Millions of consumers by year's end should be able to watch free, over-the-air television on cellphones and other mobile devices as the result of a new initiative by U.S. electronics manufacturers and the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and others. The move is seen as "quite significant." Clear Channel Lays Off 122 in Restructuring Advertising Age Clear Channel is laying off 122 employees as part of an overhaul of the staff for Katz Media Group, a subsidiary radio rep firm. Katz will lose 8.5% of its employees, primarily in advertising sales, coinciding with a restructuring of Clear Channel's sales execs. Shop NBC Parent Company to Cut 60 Jobs KEYC Valuevision Media, which operates the struggling online and cable television shopping channel Shop NBC, is cutting 11% of its work force. Valuevision also says it will suspend its 401k - match and freeze salaries and bonuses. Most of the layoffs will come at its headquarters. Obama Urges Delay in U.S. Shift to Digital TV Reuters Barack Obama is backing a move to delay the Feb. 17 mandatory U.S. switch to digital television signals on fears viewers are unprepared and as the government has run out of coupons to help pay for converter boxes. Obama's move into the issue is likely to boost the case for delay. Disney Backs New Intel Chip for 'Lost' Finale Reuters Disney is throwing its weight behind a new Intel chip that lets television viewers interact with their favorite programs. Disney-ABC chief Anne Sweeney says viewers may be able to access extra content during the series finale of the hit TV series "Lost" next year through the chip. CNN's Gupta Opposed for Surgeon General Associated Press Key Democratic House member John Conyers is rallying opposition to CNN correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta becoming the next U.S. surgeon general. "It is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone like this who lacks the requisite experience to oversee [this] federal agency." Facebook, CNN Team to Stream Inauguration Mediaweek CNN.com and Facebook are joining forces in an effort to create what they hope will become the largest live event in the history of the Web. CNN.com will stream live footage from Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony, allowing viewers to provide updates to their Facebook profiles. Fox News Battles Online Startup Over YouTube MediaPost Online news startup Progress Illinois is gearing up for a possible court battle with Fox News about YouTube clips. The startup, which had all of its clips taken down from YouTube after Fox complained about alleged copyright infringement, claims its use of Fox video excerpts is lawful. Disney Aims to Create a Male 'Hannah Montana' Associated Press Disney is launching a series called "Aaron Stone" to help rebrand its sagging Toon Disney cable channel as Disney XD, aimed at boys aged 6 to 14. The series, which is similar in format to the hit "Hannah Montana," features a regular boy who is also a "larger-than-life crime fighter." DirecTV, Comcast in Dispute Over Sports Cost Reuters DirecTV is informing Comcast that it plans to file for arbitration in a dispute over rate increases to carry the cable giant's sports networks in New England and the San Francisco areas. DirecTV says Comcast is asking for increases of 25 to 40% for its subscribers to be able to view games. NFL Claims 13 of 15 Most-Watched TV Shows Bloomberg The National Football League claims 13 of the 15 most-watched television shows during fall programming, as 225 million Americans tuned in to games. ESPN's Monday Night Football accounted for 14 of the 15 most-watched shows on cable, averaging 12 million viewers. Arbitron Must Pay Broadcasters to End Suit Bloomberg Arbitron, the provider of radio-station ratings, is settling lawsuits by New York and New Jersey that claimed a new method for estimating the number of listeners under-represented minorities. Arbitron is required to pay the states and contribute $100,000 to minority broadcasters. MSNBC Host Matthews Not Running for Senate Washington Post MSNBC's Chris Matthews is ending the speculation that he is considering a bid for U.S. Senate, telling his producers that he has decided not to jump into the 2010 race in his home state of Pennsylvania. The "Hardball" host is expected to sign a new contract with MSNBC. Oprah is 'Depressed, Losing Zest for Life' Chicago Sun-Times Oprah Winfrey, who admits she has gained 40 pounds since 2005, says on her U.S. talk show that she had "given up" on herself and realized her life was out of balance. Winfrey adviser and fitness expert Bob Greene says he told the media star he thought she was "mildly depressed." HBO Wins Rights to Obama Inaugural Ceremony Hollywood Reporter HBO will kick off coverage of Inauguration Week with an exclusive Jan. 18 telecast of the star-studded opening ceremony, two days before the saturation coverage of U.S. president Barack Obama's inauguration begins. HBO has been awarded the rights for an undisclosed sum. MSNBC Bows New Site for Joe Scarborough Multichannel News MSNBC is launching a new Web site for its weekday show "Morning Joe," hosted by Joe Scarborough. The site includes embeddable video and podcasts, allowing visitors to add show segments to their own Web sites or blogs. The site will offer "extras" that "can't fit into the broadcast." CBS Chief Moonves Optimistic About Ad Market Bloomberg CBS plans to reduce capital spending to $350 million this year and would sell more radio stations, according to CEO Les Moonves, speaking at an investor conference. He adds that he is optimistic advertising will recover: "CBS is going to get the bulk of that revenue." NBC, CBS Set to Disappear, Analysts Say Advertising Age As more cable channels produce must-see programs, a top-rated cable outlet could come to reach as many viewers as one of the broadcast networks, according to industry analysts. Within three or four years, "you probably could lose one" of the major broadcasters. Time Warner Cable Allows CBS to 'Start Over' Bloomberg Time Warner Cable is signing a new deal to carry CBS's flagship network and Showtime premium channel. CBS and Showtime will be part of Time Warner Cable's "Start Over" feature that lets viewers restart shows and the "Look Back" service that makes programs available for three days. Macrovision Changes Channels on TV Guide Associated Press Macrovision is canceling its deal to sell the TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com for $255 million to Allen Shapiro and One Equity Partners, and will instead sell them to movie studio Lions Gate for the same price but better terms. The new agreement "represents an improvement." CBS's Scribner Buys Laura Bush Biography Bloomberg Laura Bush will write a book about her experiences in the White House to be published by CBS's Scribner unit for an undisclosed sum. The wife of President Bush, whose term expires Jan. 20, will work with a co-writer to produce a book detailing her years in the White House. NBC to Air First-Ever 3D Super Bowl Ad Event Broadcasting & Cable In what is likely to be the most talked about event of Super Bowl, NBC is to air the first ever 3D commercial event ever aired in the big game. The event will promote DreamWorks' movie trailer for "Monsters and Aliens" and will be followed by a 60-second spot for Pepsi's Sobe Lifewater. MSNBC's Matthews to Decide on Senate Bid Los Angeles Times "Hardball" host Chris Matthews is expected to let his bosses know in the coming weeks whether he plans to pursue a Senate run in Pennsylvania or renew his contract at MSNBC. The cable host is in talks with MSNBC about reupping his deal with the network. NBC Bumps Ann Coulter, Denies Conspiracy Hollywood Reporter NBC News is denying a Drudge Report story claiming that conservative author Ann Coulter has been banned from the network after "Today" dropped her from Tuesday's program because of breaking-news events. "We look forward to welcoming her back in the future," says NBC. Televisa, Univision Clash Over Telenovelas Los Angeles Times Televisa, the world's largest producer of telenovelas, is seeking to end a 25-year programming contract with Univision. If their deal falls apart, the nature of Spanish programming in the United States could change, say observers. Univision could be hit with new "financial pressures." ESPN.com Formally Launches Redo with Video Los Angeles Business Disney's ESPN is formally launching its redesigned Web site after keeping the design in a beta for a month. ESPN Beta was available to subscribers to ESPN's Insider service. The new site puts a greater emphasis on video, including a player that offers clips in a 16x9 aspect ratio. CBS to Launch P&G Branded Internet Series PPN CBS will launch a Web series, "Heckle-U," sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show will complement the network's coverage of the NCAA March Madness, following the life of a slacker who takes pleasure in heckling and taunting players of the opposing team during games. Oprah Had a 'Weighty' 2008, Columnist Says Fox News Was 2008 the year of Oprah? Fox News columnist Roger Friedman points out that multimedia star Oprah Winfrey "selected" America's new president, survived a scandal at her school in Johannesburg, endorsed another fake memoirist, and announced she had gained 40 pounds. CNN: Griffin 'Inappropriate' on New Year's Show New York Post CNN issued a statement saying that comic Kathy Griffin thought she was off-air when she razzed a heckler during the cable news network's live New Year's Eve telecast, co-hosted with newsman Anderson Cooper. CNN officials said there was no word on whether she would be asked back. FCC: TV Stations to Lose Viewers in Digital Move Bloomberg One in nine U.S. television stations will lose broadcast viewers after the Feb. 17 transition to digital signals, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Signals from 196 stations will reach fewer people. The transition has been called the FCC's "most important challenge." TV Industry Revenues Decline 7% in '08 TV Week Television industry revenues are expected to be down 7% this year, according to BIA Advisory Services estimates. TV -station revenues will be $20.1 billion in 2008, their lowest number in seven years. The decline is attributed to the economic crisis and stagnant advertising. Fox Business Sues U.S. Treasury Dept Politico Fox Business Network is filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department for failure to provide data on the bailout funds on America's "troubled" financial institutions. "It's more important than ever to hold the government accountable," said Fox News exec Kevin Magee. Fox News Ranks No. 1 in Cable News Broadcasting & Cable Fox News Channel will finish 2008 as the most-watched cable news network -- for the seventh consecutive year. The network is the No. 3 ranked basic-cable network in prime time, behind USA and ESPN. CNN, the most-watched network on election night, is No. 10. MTV to Cut About 80 Jobs in London Guardian MTV U.K. is to cut up to 80 jobs, around 10% of its work force, as part of parent Viacom's global plan to save $250 million next year. Viacom last week announced it would be shedding 850 jobs worldwide as part of a cost-cutting initiative as well as freezing management pay. Sirius XM Ends '08 With 22% Less Staff TheStreet Sirius XM Radio said it will have trimmed 22% of its work force by year-end, as the satellite radio provider moves to slash costs. The company will have cut 458 people from its staff, going down to 1,600 people from the 2,058 it employed before the July acquisition of XM. FCC to Ease Enforcement Under Obama? MSNBC Under new U.S. president Barack Obama, will the Federal Communications Commission loosen up its enforcement reins? Some observers believe that Obama may find government intrusion in issues like "wardrobe malfunctions" and "fleeting expletives" to be "appalling." Macrovision to Sell TV Guide, Web Site Silicon Valley Business Macrovision Solutions has agreed to sell the TV Guide Network to Allen Shapiro and One Equity Partners for about $255 million. The deal includes TVGuide.com but not TV Guide magazine, which Macrovision said in October it would sell to OpenGate Capital. Sirius XM Seeks Help to Pay Off $1B Debt Wall Street Journal Sirius XM Radio shareholders plan to meet to vote on a new share issuance designed to bolster finances. The satellite radio operator has almost $1 billion in debt coming due next year. At Wednesday's closing price, however, the extra shares would be worth just $455 million. CBS, Time Warner Discuss Olympics Bid Associated Press CBS and Time Warner execs have discussed joining forces to bid on rights to televise the Olympics in 2014 and 2016. Such an alliance would increase the competition for Olympic television rights. NBC, Fox and the ABC-ESPN team are already expected to bid on the U.S. rights. NBC 'SNL' YouTube Clip Raises Eyebrows CNET A video clip by NBC "Saturday Night Live" cast member Andy Samberg has won a huge viewership on YouTube. Unauthorized NBC clips typically are pulled down fast. However, the skit was produced by Samberg's production company, which uploaded the clip to YouTube -- not NBC.com. Fox TV Producers Asked to Trim Budgets Associated Press News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox Television studio has asked producers of shows such as Fox's "24" and "My Name is Earl," produced for NBC, to trim their budgets by 2%. The move is part of a cost-cutting initiative at News Corp.'s Fox properties as advertising revenue drops. Deloitte: Young People Watching Less TV Hollywood Reporter Young Americans just aren't watching television like they used to. Put another way, the older you get, the more you watch, according to a report due out from Deloitte indicating that "millennials," the generation of ages 14 to 25, watch just 10.5 hours of TV a week. TiVo: Timeshifting Gains for Network TV World Screen Among users of TiVo, at least half of the viewership for U.S. network series premieres this fall was on a timeshifted basis, according to data from the company's ratings service. Some 52% of people who tuned in to ABC's "Life on Mars" had recorded the program for later viewing. MTV Announces CollegeHumor Site Series Hollywood Reporter MTV has made the long-awaited news official: CollegeHumor will get its own series on the network in 2009. "The CollegeHumor Show" will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the "offbeat" twentysomething-run Web site. CollegeHumor is part of Barry Diller's IAC. Oprah to Offer 'Eclectic' Programs on HBO Associated Press Time Warner's HBO and Oprah Winfrey's production company have reached an exclusive three-year deal to develop movies and miniseries. Winfrey's Harpo Films had been working with Disney's ABC for 15 years. Oprah's programming on HBO will be more "eclectic." Fox May Drop Actors Guild for TV Shows Bloomberg News Corp.'s Fox Television said it may bypass the Screen Actors Guild and produce new shows for the next season under an agreement with the smaller actors' union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. For existing shows, Fox is "exploring every option." Rudy May Replace O'Reilly on Radio Show New York Post Rudy Giuliani is said to be the leading candidate to replace Bill O'Reilly, who is quitting his radio show to concentrate on his Fox News television program. Westwood One, which syndicates the O'Reilly show, is believed to be in talks with the former mayor of New York City. Disney's ESPN.com Becomes More Like TV New York Times Disney's ESPN has unveiled a substantial redesign of its primary Web portal. The new ESPN.com design decreases its emphasis on text, while adding easier access to video. The new site gives advertisers more options for displaying messages on high-traffic pages. CBS Eyes Web Video Push with TV.com New York Post CBS has begun renovating its TV.com site to bring video to the front. The site was owned by CNET, which CBS acquired in May. TV.com doesn't aim to become a rival to Hulu or YouTube. Instead, it will increase video offerings to enhance the site's database on 19,000 television shows. CBS Hit by Budget Cuts; Top Execs to Exit TV Week CBS has joined other television companies in cutting staff, with two top execs at the company’s television studio and several mid-level network staffers among the casualties. CBS's corporate cousin Viacom has already announced 850 workers would lose their jobs. Clear Channel, CBS to Swap Radio Stations Dow Jones CBS Radio will swap five midsize radio stations for two large-market stations with Clear Channel. The swap satisfies U.S. Justice Department conditions placed on its approval of Clear Channel's sale to Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital Partners earlier this year. Comcast Removes Channels, Sparking Probe Bloomberg Comcast's basic-cable service in some U.S. markets no longer features the Soap Network or National Geographic Channel. Subscribers are forced to rent a digital set-top box to access the channels, or settle for fewer channels at the same fee. Federal regulators are investigating. Time Warner Releases 'Cable Guy' Calendar Associated Press Time Warner Cable has released a tongue-in-cheek 2009 calendar featuring its technicians and call center reps posing while having fun. Mr. January grins while connecting cables for three admiring women. Customers can request a free calendar through its Web site. CBS News Sheds Staff in Europe, Mideast Hollywood Reporter CBS News has slightly trimmed its work force and reduced bureaus in Europe and the Mideast. The one-person bureau in Bonn, Germany, has been shuttered. Small cuts have been made in the bureaus in Moscow and Tel Aviv. The moves are part of the division's operations review. NBC 'SNL' Criticized for Spoofing Blind Gov Associated Press The National Federation of the Blind said it considers NBC's "Saturday Night Live" skit making fun of New York governor David Paterson an attack on all blind Americans. The portrayal on Saturday's show suggesting Paterson as befuddled because of his blindness is "absolutely wrong." Fox's 'American Idol' to Get Format Tweak Hollywood Reporter Fox is to announce some "American Idol" format changes after the tweaks have been rumored online. The changes include fewer audition episodes and more Hollywood-round episodes. Also, to emphasize the most talented singers, the semifinalist rounds will feature more top contestants. Sirius XM: Howard Stern Mulling Retirement Orbitcast Is Howard Stern looking to retire when his contract with Sirius XM Radio ends in 2010? The topic came up during the shock jock's show. "This is my swan song," Stern told a caller on the air. After two more years, Stern said he thinks he is "done." NBC Universal Aims to Keep Exec Silverman New York Post NBC Universal is discussing the extension of its chief programmer Ben Silverman's contract for at least another year. Silverman, who was brought in by CEO Jeff Zucker to strengthen the schedule and now helps set the prime-time line-up, has been the target of many critics. NBC Mulls Japan Broadcast Satellite Channel Reuters NBC Universal is said to be considering applying for broadcast rights in Japan to launch a channel, likely to be named Universal Channel. The service could begin broadcasting in July 2011 and would be available for a fee, with advertising as another source of revenue. CBS Sheds Jobs as It Consolidates CNET Buy Dow Jones CBS has moved to merge its online operations with CNET, the Web property it bought for $1.8 billion last summer, cutting an undisclosed number of jobs. CBS boss Les Moonves said: "I love the acquisition, but we would not be making an acquisition of that size today." A&E Cuts 20 Positions in Drive for Efficiency Ad Age A&E Television Networks, home of A&E, History and the Biography Channel, has laid off 20 workers. "We're looking at ways to operate more efficiently," said spokesman Michael Feeney. A&E is a joint venture between Hearst, Disney's ABC and NBC Universal. ReelzChannel Cancels 'Dailies,' Lays Off 40 Los Angeles Times ReelzChannel, the cable and Web network that runs programming about movies, has canceled its flagship show, "Dailies," and laid off more than 40 people. The Minnesota operation, owned by Hubbard Media, still employs about 125 people in Los Angeles. Gannett Appoints One-Person TV News Crews Washington Post The shrinking economy is taking a toll on local television news-gathering: Gannett's WUSA will become the first station in Washington, D.C., to replace its crews with one-person "multimedia journalists" who will shoot and edit news stories single-handedly. Viacom-MGM Movie Channel is Named 'Epix' MediaPost Epix has been selected as the name for the premium cable channel set to launch next year by a Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate joint venture. The channel will compete with Time Warner's HBO, as well as Showtime, the pay-TV channel operated by former Viacom sibling CBS. CBS May Drop Affiliate TV Stations, CEO Says MarketWatch CBS may no longer have traditional affiliated television stations in 10 years from now, according to CEO Les Moonves. Instead, the network could offer its feed straight to cable and satellite operators. For now, however, CBS has contracts with local stations that are binding for many years. NBC: Hello Leno, Goodbye Scripted Shows? Los Angeles Times NBC's decision to move Jay Leno to 10 p.m. next fall sends a clear warning that the expensive, scripted programs that have dominated prime time for decades may go the way of the Edsel. Replacing dramas with Leno "could put a lot of people in Hollywood out of work." Broadcast TV: A 'Historically Bad Season' Associated Press Broadcast television's fall season is going so poorly that four out of five returning programs have a smaller audience than they had in 2007, according to a report from Turner Networks research chief Jack Wakshlag. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox may see "a historically bad season." National Public Radio to Eliminate 85 Jobs Reuters Facing a $23 million shortfall, National Public Radio will cut 7% of its workers and drop the shows "Day to Day" and "News & Notes." Many of the job cuts will come from those two shows. "Our revenue sources are under pressure," said NPR CEO Dennis Haarsager. ABC Rumored to Mull Plans to Merge Units Hollywood Reporter With NBC announcing that it will combine operations with sister studio Universal Media Studios, industry sources have been buzzing about similar plans under consideration at ABC. Entertainment head Stephen McPherson is rumored to run the new unit. CBS, Moonves Feel Pressure to Cut Dividend Bloomberg Pressure is mounting on CBS to lower its dividend, now yielding 14% after a 73% decline in the shares this year. Investors may be anticipating a dividend cut as slumping advertising sales hurt cash flow at the broadcaster, according to Moody's analyst Neil Begley. DirecTV Freezes Hiring, Postpones Projects Associated Press DirecTV said that while it remains bullish about 2009, hiring will be frozen and all but the most critical capital projects will be suspended as visibility on the economy remains poor. The largest U.S. satellite television provider also plans to raise rates next year. Fox News Among Top Google Searches in '08 PC Mag Google has released its Zeitgeist 2008, a comprehensive look at the top searches of 2008. Among the "fastest rising" U.S. searches in contrast to 2007: Obama, Facebook, Att, iPhone, YouTube, Fox News, Palin, Beijing 2008, David Cook, and Surf the channel. FCC Is Dysfunctional, Needs Reform, Dems Say Reuters A group of U.S. House of Representatives Democrats have blasted Kevin Martin, head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, claiming he "manipulated, withheld or suppressed information." President-elect Barack Obama is still mulling candidates for FCC chairman. NBC May Cut Programming, Keep Leno THR / NYT NBC is exploring cuts to the number of prime time hours it programs, said chief Jeff Zucker. "Can we continue to broadcast 22 hours in prime time?" Also: NBC is expected to keep Jay Leno five nights a week, but in prime time. The move would be a novelty for a broadcast network. CBS Interactive Exec Replaced by CNETer AllThingsD Patrick Keane, the former Google exec hired as CBS executive VP and chief marketing officer in February 2007, is out. In his place is Mickey Wilson, who was senior VP of marketing at company property CNET. CBS employees report that Keane hasn't been working there for weeks. MTV, Hearst to Create Virtual Seventeen Mediaweek Hearst and MTV Networks have partnered to produce a digital issue of Seventeen magazine, available within newly launched Web-based virtual world Virtual MTV. The virtual Seventeen features exclusive content, including branded virtual goods such as a Ralph Lauren bag. Oprah Cited for 'Dizzying Array' of Media THR / Variety Oprah Winfrey has been named the most powerful woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter, honoring her "immense cultural influence." Also: Winfrey will host her television show live from Washington, D.C., the day before Barack Obama takes the presidential oath of office. NBC Universal Shakes Up Television Unit DHD / NYP NBC Universal is shaking up its entertainment division, pushing out the head of the company's television studio and replacing top NBC execs in charge of both scripted and reality series. Also: The departures include "Black Widow" Katherine Pope, who led the NBC Universal television studio. ABC Rumored to Prep Layoffs Next Year New York Observer ABC execs are said to be considering cuts to the news division, aiming to slim down political units the network had bulked up during the presidential campaign. The cuts could affect as many as 35 staffers. Still, "nothing has been written in stone," according to one source. NBC: Fallon to Debut as Video Blogger Broadcasting & Cable Jimmy Fallon is said to be making his online premiere as "Late Night" host Monday as a video blogger for NBC. New installments will be posted online every weeknight at 12:30 a.m. to help acquaint fans with Fallon's time slot before he makes his broadcast debut in spring 2009. BBC Admits to Mistake in Using Twitter TechRadar The BBC has admitted that it might have been more careful after running a false Twitter rumor during its coverage of the Mumbai terrorist attacks. "Should we have tried to check it and then reported back?" asked online news editor Steve Herrmann. "We've learned a lesson." CBS News, BusinessWeek to Collaborate Associated Press CBS News and BusinessWeek plan to collaborate on stories and segments to be broadcast on the "CBS Evening News" with Katie Couric and appear in the McGraw-Hill magazine as well as on the companies' Web sites. The reports will be cross-promoted online, on air and in print. CNBC Puts 'Big Idea' with Deutsch on Hiatus Associated Press The CNBC show "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch, hosted by the advertising exec, will be put on hiatus. The move is part of the cutbacks announced this week by parent NBC. Deutsch will now work on a monthly special and appear regularly on CNBC and NBC's "Today Show." Fox's Bill O'Reilly to Give Up Radio Show New York Daily News Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly is giving up his popular radio program to devote more time to television, saying he has just run out of hours in the week. "The media business is getting more intense," said O'Reilly. "We've got to keep the TV show at the level we have it now." Oprah's Plug Helps Sell Out Amazon E-Reader Wall Street Journal Amazon.com's Kindle e-book reader is out of stock, and more of the devices won't be available until mid-February, at the earliest. In October, Oprah Winfrey had described it as her "favorite new gadget" on her television show. The demand for Kindles soon overwhelmed Amazon. CNBC May Cut Staff as Belt-Tightening Continues New York Post NBC Universal's cost-cutting moves may soon hit its CNBC unit. As many as 80 staffers could be getting pink slips as early as Thursday, according to sources. The expected cuts are said to be across the board but will not affect the business channel's on-air talent. WNBC Set for Radical Redo as 'Content Center' Variety NBC's flagship station in New York City is getting a $15 million makeover that aims to turn it into a "content center" for multiple platforms. The redo includes an exodus of many well-paid veteran staffers. A single "content producer" with a camcorder will be dispatched to cover news. ABC TV Soaps, Stars Hit by Cost-Cutting Moves Associated Press Salaries of "All My Children" regulars including longtime star Susan Lucci are seeing their paychecks shrink in a cost-cutting effort at ABC's daytime dramas. The move follows last month's exit of longtime cast members Deirdre Hall and Drake Hogestyn of NBC's "Days of Our Lives." CNN Dismantles News Unit; O'Brien to Leave Associated Press Miles O'Brien, CNN's chief technology and environment correspondent since 2007, is departing as the network dismantles its science and technology unit. Six producers also will be leaving. CNN's coverage of science and technology has been "integrated into the general editorial." Radio Faces Bleak Prognosis as Ads Decline Billboard The U.S. radio industry could be on track to record its worst annual drop in advertising revenue in decades, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. October marked the industry's 18th consecutive month of year-on-year revenue declines. The future "doesn't appear bright." CBS Radio Inks Deal with Yahoo Launchcast Crain's New York CBS Radio is joining forces with Yahoo Music's Launchcast Radio in a deal to combine their combined 300 stations. A new CBS Radio player will become part of the Yahoo Music site. In addition, CBS will take on responsibility for advertising sales for the combined group. Sirius XM Radio: We Don't Need to Be Acquired Reuters Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin said he sees fourth-quarter revenues growing and is confident the company can refinance its $1 billion debt coming due in 2009. He also ruled out any interest in selling the satellite radio company in the near term. "We don't feel that we need to be acquired." NBC 'Furious' Over Leaks to Media Blogs New York Post NBC is said to be holding back from announcing David Gregory as the new host of "Meet the Press" because "they're furious about leaks" that tipped off the media. One source said the brass blame MSNBC host Chuck Todd for tipping off media blogs on Gregory's new gig. Comedy Central Rolls Out a 'Hulu for Stand-Up' Mediaweek Comedy Central has relaunched Jokes.com, positioning the property as a Hulu for stand-up comedy. Jokes.com will serve up 5,000 video clips from hundreds of stand-up performances. The site also gives some 1,000 comedians a home page that aggregates their videos and jokes. CBS Web Site Compromised in Malware Hack Techworld CBS has become the latest big name to have its Web site used to host malware, according to security firm Finjan. It appears that Russian malware distributors were able to launch an iFrame attack on a subdomain of the cbs.com site so that it was serving remote malware to any visitor. Oprah to Cut Back on Her 'Favorite Things' Chicago Tribune Oprah Winfrey's almost-annual "favorite things" episode of her daytime talk show is usually packed with lavish merchandise. But this year, citing hard times, Winfrey replaced it with "How to Have the Thriftiest Holiday Ever," presenting "favorite things" that "cost next to nothing." NBC 'Meet the Press' May Name Gregory Host Los Angeles Times Speculation about who will be the next moderator of "Meet the Press" ratcheted up another level as the Huffington Post reported that the job was going to NBC White House correspondent David Gregory. However, a spokeswoman for NBC News said: "We have nothing to announce." Hollywood Actors Strike 'Won't Cripple' TV Los Angeles Times The Screen Actors Guild has said it would push for a vote to authorize a strike. But a large number of television shows would likely be unaffected by any possible walkout. Producers have pushed to get more series covered with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. CBS Outernet, Rachael Ray Ink Partnership Mediaweek Attention shoppers: Nutrition tips from Rachael Ray in the produce aisle. Tapping the growing segment of out-of-home media, the perky television personality's cooking magazine, Everyday with Rachael Ray, is giving airtime on flat-screen TVs in supermarkets to certain print advertisers. NBC: No More Rosie Live, O'Donnell Blogs Extra TV Only 5 million fans of Rosie O'Donnell tuned into her NBC variety show last Wednesday night -- prompting Ro to pull the plug on "Rosie Live." "There will b no more," O'Donnell wrote on her blog. "No ratings. Bad reviews." She ended her blog post with, "Still -- a thrill 4 me." Hulu, Joost May Steal Viewers from Cable TV San Jose Mercury News Video Web sites such as Hulu, Joost and Veoh are starting to seen as an alternative to cable television, especially among young viewers. According to Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey, younger audiences are "more open to the idea that it's not even TV anymore." MTV Vows to Keep the 'On-Demand Generation' Economist Viacom's MTV is battling the likes of Facebook and YouTube to keep the attention of its young audience. Its outdated 10-year-old "Total Request Live" series ended this week. CEO Judy McGrath said she plans to expand more into digital content: "Change has to be in everyone's DNA." Weather Channel Cuts Jobs in Stormy Economy Atlanta Journal-Constitution The Weather Channel, which NBC Universal bought in September, has been forced to lay off some employees because of the stormy economy. Officials at the cable network declined to say how many people have been let go. "Economic realities have created challenges," the network said. NBC's Silverman Joins Peacock Equity Fund Hollywood Reporter Ben Silverman is adding his voice to another entity in the NBC Universal empire. The co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio has joined the board of the Peacock Equity Fund, which invests in and works with firms developing new technologies. Roger Ailes Renews His News Corp Contract Financial Times Fox News Channel creator Roger Ailes renewed his contract with News Corp. as a new U.S. presidential administration brings a fresh opportunity for the cable news network to reclaim its heritage as America's alternative news source. Ailes signed a new five-year contract. Lifetime Files Counter Lawsuit Over 'Runway' Reuters The Lifetime cable television network has counter-sued NBC Universal, Bravo and the Weinstein Co. over the rights to "Project Runway" in the latest legal action that has left the hit show in limbo. The suit seeks exclusive rights over the fashion design contest. ABC, Walgreens Sell Ad Time in Times Square New York Times Some of the signs on the Walgreens drugstore opening on Thursday at 1 Times Square will be as tall as 17 stories. The signs will serve as an advertising network of sorts as Walgreen and its sales rep, ABC New Media Services, peddle commercial time to marketers. MTV Digital Exec Does Interview via Twitter Tallahassee Democrat Tallahassee Democrat reporter Amanda Nalley interviewed MTV digital account exec Jeremy Winter Delaplane via Twitter prior to his appearance in Tallahassee to speak about digital media. MTV's young audience, Delaplane said, is "constantly connected" and is not "hindered by tradition." Sirius XM Dogged by Automakers' Troubles The Deal As the big automakers plead with the U.S. government for bailout money, Sirius XM Radio is cheering them on the sidelines. Sirius's survival is partly reliant on the American auto industry's existence. Sirius XM has admitted that sluggish auto sales have "negatively impacted" growth. Comcast May Face Fine for Digital TV Pricing Reuters Comcast could be fined for its inadequate response to a U.S. Federal Communications Commission request for data on cable company policies as they switch to digital signals. "They didn't even answer the questions directly," said FCC chief Kevin Martin. "They had a narrative." NBC-Weinstein Dispute Puts 'Runway' in Limbo New York Times The sixth season of the Bravo hit "Project Runway" has already been shot, but the new episodes are unlikely to air anywhere for several months, due to the ongoing NBC Universal-Weinstein Co. dispute over the series. A decision isn't expected until spring, said one lawyer involved. NBC's Silverman: Will He Hold On to His Job? Daily Beast An item on Page Six last week blamed NBC exec Katherine Pope for the network's poor ratings. The industry's collective assumption was that the item came from Pope's own boss, NBC head Ben Silverman. Pope has been seen as Silverman's possible successor. MSNBC Ex-Anchor Abrams Forms Consultancy New York Times Dan Abrams, the chief legal correspondent for NBC News who recently lost his MSNBC news show, is forming a consulting firm aiming to connect media experts with businesses that need strategic advice. Former Huffington Post media editor Rachel Sklar is helping recruit experts. TV Insiders Mixed on New Media Helpfulness Hollywood Reporter Traditional television execs, speaking at a Future of Television conference, said that full-length Web videos on sites like Hulu are helping, not hurting, TV use. Yet a forthcoming IBM study showed that TV use is declining among viewers who watch TV shows on computers and mobile devices. CBS Rolls Out Play.it Streaming Radio Wired CBS's radio division is quietly rolling out its Play.it music streaming service, which allows listeners to create customized stations, play artist-themed stations or listen to over 340 traditional channels from CBS Radio and AOL Radio. Play.it runs off of a catalog of about 1.3 million songs. NBC Signs Short-Term Lease at 30 Rock Crain's New York NBC Universal has signed a lease for roughly 100,000 square feet at 75 Rockefeller Plaza, an interim step to consolidating much of its operations at one still-undetermined site. Some departments are expected to move to a new location within the next two years. ESPN Tackles Fox for Top College Games Wall Street Journal College football's biggest games are on the way to Disney's ESPN. The shift became official Monday when News Corp.'s Fox Network failed to match ESPN's $500 million bid for the media rights to college football's Bowl Championship Series, one of the most high-profile sports events. Cablevision's IFC 'Media Project' to Debut Los Angeles Times "The IFC Media Project," which premieres Tuesday night on the Independent Film Channel, is a six-part documentary series hosted by MTV veteran Gideon Yago that aims to explore the influences shaping today's media coverage -- biases, corporate influence, profits, ratings and more. Online Video Chips Away at TV, Study Says Hollywood Reporter Online video appears to be cannibalizing television consumption. After polling 2,800 people in six countries, IBM says 76% have viewed video online and 45% do so regularly. Of those who have watched online video, 36% say that as a result they watch "significantly less" TV. Clear Channel, Amazon Offer Britney Preview MTV Britney Spears is giving fans an online preview of her new album "Circus," due out Dec. 2. The singer is previewing tracks via the Web site for Clear Channel New York radio station KTU, as well as Amazon.com. KTU.com offers a six-song mix; Amazon is posting 30-second snippets. BBC: 'Web to Be Our Second Biggest Channel' Press Gazette Erik Huggers, the BBC's new director of future media and technology, has set a target for the company's Web site to overtake the audience of all of its channels except BBC One. "I would like to see a world where, by 2012, bbc.co.uk is only second to BBC One in terms of reach." Sirius XM Hears Static from Fans After Merger Chicago Tribune Sirius XM Radio is eliminating duplicate operations to cut costs, following this summer's merger of the two satellite radio outfits. Channels and programming are being dropped, angering many subscribers. The abrupt change could "hasten, rather than forestall" the company's demise. CBS Lawsuit by Rather Suggests Role of GOP New York Times Former CBS anchor Dan Rather, who has a $70 million lawsuit against his former employer, has unearthed documents showing that network execs used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel charged with investigating his "Memogate" scandal. GE Chief Signals Appetite for Media Assets Financial Times CEO Jeff Immelt has declared his interest in buying media assets -- a sign that a slumping economy has not shaken General Electric’s confidence in its NBC Universal division. There are "opportunities in media consolidation," Immelt said. "And my hope is that we can play." NBC, Fox TV Stations Team Up to Cut Costs USA Today Rivals NBC and Fox have unveiled a local television news-sharing plan that promises to reduce the number of reporters, trucks and helicopters assigned to cover major events -- and could grow into a nationwide effort to slash one of the biggest costs for most TV stations. Fox is 'Biggest Loser' Among Broadcasters Mediaweek Midway through the November 2008 sweeps, three U.S. broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC -- are sharing leadership. While CBS ranks as the most-watched, all three networks are down year-to-year. The biggest loser is Fox, which ranks fourth in three of the four surveyed categories. NBC: 'Black Widow' Blamed for Failed Series New York Post NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman isn't getting all the blame for the network's lackluster fall schedule. The culpability for the newly canceled series "Lipstick Jungle" and "My Own Worst Enemy" is falling on Universal Media Studio head Katherine "Black Widow" Pope. Clear Channel, CBS Grow in Online Radio New York Post Clear Channel, CBS and other radio station groups are grabbing more listeners online as Web giants Yahoo and AOL flinch at the costs associated with streaming music. Online-only radio programmers are cutting back in the wake of a recent ruling that hiked royalties for streaming content. TV's Web Sites Hunker Down Amid Slowdown TV Week Television networks' online video destinations are girding for the economic slowdown by focusing on proven programming, said execs at sites including Hulu at the NewTeeVee conference in San Francisco. ABC.com said it will devote less to original online content in the months ahead. FCC Chief to 'Punish' Cable Until His Exit Bloomberg U.S. Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin will step aside when Barack Obama is inaugurated Jan. 20 and names a replacement. Martin's "priority" has been to punish the cable industry, according to observers. "That will continue until he leaves office." Cable News Eyes Obama's Use of Digital Media Bloomberg CNN, Fox News and MSNBC are taking cues from Barack Obama's use of the Web and mobile devices to lure younger audiences. "Our television success is based on our digital success," said CNN exec Greg D'Alba. "New newsies found our brand online and followed our brand to TV." MTV's 'TRL' a Victim of 'Internet Explosion' New York Post MTV's "TRL" comes to an end Sunday night when the cable network brings down the curtain with "Total Finale Live," a special paying tribute to the music television series, which began in 1997. The Internet helped kill off the show, according to observers. "TRL" "lost its ability to be unique." QVC Home-Shopping Channel to Lay Off 700 Wall Street Journal Liberty Media's QVC home-shopping channel laid off 160 U.S. workers and said it expects to eliminate 700 jobs, or 5.8% of its work force, over the next 14 months. The shopping network has been hit hard as low-income consumers have ratcheted back spending amid the weak economy. Disney Eyes Palin for 'Desperate Housewives' New York Post ABC "Desperate Housewives" series creator Marc Cherry is said to be "very hot to trot" to have Sarah Palin appear on the season-five finale of the series. "The idea has gone over surprisingly well with execs at Disney." But an ABC rep insisted: "There's no truth to it." CBS Wins First Post-Election Obama Interview CBS News U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has agreed to give his first post-election interview to "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft. The interview includes future first lady Michelle Obama and is to take place on Friday in Chicago. The interview is scheduled to air Sunday. Lifetime, Shop.com Pact for Shopping Site Variety Disney/Hearst's Lifetime has partnered with Shop.com to create a co-branded e-commerce site targeted to women. The site will be integrated into Lifetime's larger broadband portfolio. The new myLifetime.Shop.com will offer goods from 2,000 retailers. Fox News Host O'Reilly Both 'Loved, Hated' B&C Most viewers either couldn't or wouldn't pick a favorite among the journalists covering or commenting on the U.S. election, according to a new Pew Research Center poll, but of those that did, Bill O'Reilly's name came up most frequently as both their favorite and least favorite. CanWest to Cut 560 Jobs in Print, Television Toronto Star Canada's Canwest is cutting 560 jobs from the media company's television and newspaper holdings, which include the National Post. The parent company of the Global Television network and the Canwest newspaper chain said 5% of its workforce will disappear, saving $61 million. NBC Universal Budget Cuts to Hit CNBC New York Observer CNBC is said to be preparing to scale back budgets. Sources inside the business news network have heard that the cuts could reach 10%. "It's only logical that after cut after cut at NBC News and MSNBC that CNBC would eventually have to come to the table," said one insider. Current TV to Cut Videos, Lay Off Staffers CNET Current TV, the cable network co-founded by Al Gore, has eliminated 60 positions while "30 new positions have been created," the company said in a statement. Current TV is believed to be dropping its shorter, user-generated videos in favor of traditional 30-minute programs. Howstuffworks.com Heading to TV Screens B&C Discovery is taking its Howstuffworks.com property to television, creating a new show based on the site. The new series, "Howstuffworks," will follow the lengths people go through to "turn raw materials into objects we see and use every day." Discovery acquired Howstuffworks.com in 2007. MSNBC Host Now Guarded by 7-Second Delay Associated Press After an F-bomb dropped on "Morning Joe," the MSNBC news-talk show has added a seven-second delay to protect against future eruptions. Amid his on-air apologies, host Joe Scarborough said, "My wife is going to kill me." The delay will not be added to other MSNBC programming. Disney in Pursuit of Obama's Daughters Access Hollywood Barack Obama's two daughters have been invited to appear on the Disney Channel kids show "Hannah Montana," said actor Billy Ray Cyrus, the father of "Hannah" star Miley Cyrus. The show has asked Malia, 10, and Sasha Obama, 7, to take part in an episode around April. Lifetime Seeks Growth in Online Games VentureBeat Disney/Hearst's Lifetime, the cable network for women, has seen the future: online dress-up games. The company announced Monday that it has acquired South Korean gaming startup Roiworld.com. Lifetime will open a game development studio in Seoul to create more online games. MSNBC Signs Up Olbermann Through 2012 New York Observer MSNBC has extended host Keith Olbermann's contract through 2012. The new agreement appears to extend Olbermann's commitment to the cable news network through the 2012 presidential election. Olbermann is "at the core of MSNBC's success," said network president Phil Griffin. Al Gore to Export Current TV to Canada Canadian Post Canada's CBC Television is launching a joint venture with Al Gore's Current TV, an interactive network created by the former U.S. vice president, maintained in large part by user-generated content. Current is due to hit Canadian airwaves in late 2009. Fox Business Net to Expand in Hotel Rooms B&C Rupert Murdoch's Fox Business Network is expanding its distribution in U.S. hotel rooms, thanks to a new agreement with the Hotel Networks. The multiyear deal will add the network to more than 300,000 hotel rooms nationwide. Participants include Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Hilton. Sirius XM: 'Pleased And Proud' of Results Radio Ink Sirius XM Radio CEO Mel Karmazin said he is "pleased" with the company's third-quarter report of a $4.88 billion net loss. Sirius XM's performance was "very impressive" in light of the weak economy. He added that about 22% of the combined Sirius and XM workforce has been eliminated. Obama's FCC Chair May Be African American BusinessWeek Barack Obama is considering appointing the first African-American woman as chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The short list is said to include Video Access Alliance head Julia Johnson and Public Service Commission of South Carolina member Mignon Clyburn. Oprah to Quit TV Show in 2011, Partner Claims Chicago Tribune David Zaslav, the CEO of Discovery Communications, Oprah Winfrey's business partner in her forthcoming OWN cable channel, said he expects the daytime talk queen to retire her longtime syndicated television show in 2011. But Winfrey's spokeswoman insisted that is not yet set in stone. MTV to Roll Out Ad-Supported Widgets to Blogs Mediaweek MTV Networks has announced a partnership with widget producer Clearspring to push various advertising-supported widgets onto blogs and social networking sites. The new partnership comes on the heels of MTV's pact with MySpace aimed at monetizing its copyrighted video content. NBC Suffers From Ill-Defined Brand, Critics Say Crain's New York NBC continues to be in fourth place among its target audience of 18- to 49-year-olds -- a position it has held since 2004. New shows have proved disappointing. Observers say that one of NBC's biggest problems has been its inability to find an identity, a feat its rivals have pulled off. Disney's ABC Studios Asks Shows to Cut Costs Associated Press Mark Pedowitz, the head of Disney's ABC Studios, has asked some two dozen shows, including "Desperate Housewives" and "Dirty Sexy Money," to trim costs 2% this season. The broadcasting company aims to address a $150 million operating loss in its most recent quarter. HBO Buys Rights to New Obama Documentary Hollywood Reporter HBO has closed a seven-figure deal for U.S. rights to an untitled Barack Obama documentary produced by actor Edward Norton. The film chronicles the U.S. president-elect's history in politics. HBO, which has been pursuing rights for several months, plans to air the documentary next year. MTV Exec: I'm the New CEO of MySpace Music CNET Courtney Holt, MTV's chief of digital music, has told friends he will accept the job as MySpace Music's new CEO, according to a source close to Holt. His name is not yet on the dotted line, but Holt has given a verbal commitment to MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe. NBC's 'SNL,' Fey Take Web Video Mainstream BusinessWeek The election-season zingers on NBC's "Saturday Night Live's" were so dead-on that they became watercooler fodder from coast to coast. Folks who didn't stay up late could watch the bits on NBC.com, Hulu and other video sites. That audience could finally turn online video into a big business. CBS Eyed Blogger Drudge to Judge Dan Rather New York Observer According to papers now being made public in anchor Dan Rather's $70 million lawsuit against CBS, the network in 2004 compiled a list of individuals to be considered for a review panel of the newsman's "Memogate" scandal. Among the names on the list: blogger Matt Drudge. Air America Preps Expansion Into Other Media Radio Ink Air America Radio plans to go beyond just talking politics, according to new CEO Bennett Zier. The liberal talk network will ride the wave "of being a new media company," he said. Air America "is interested in listeners, viewers and readers. And we will have space in all three of those areas." Sirius XM Faces New Threat in Internet Radio Chicago Tribune Internet radio could become a major threat to satellite radio's Sirius XM, "but it needs to get on the [car] dash," according to industry observers. When auto-based Internet connections come along, the value proposition of satellite radio will become "very questionable." CBS: Dan Rather Lawsuit a 'Fishing Expedition' New York Daily News CBS is firing back at former news anchor Dan Rather, who has filed a $70 million lawsuit over his ugly 2005 exit, for trying to prove he was the victim of a conspiracy: "Rather's theory is a fantasy and ... is nothing more than an intrusive and expensive fishing expedition." Sirius XM Says Auto Troubles Will Hurt Growth Reuters Sirius XM Radio warns that the dramatic slowdown in car sales will hurt subscriber growth next year, as it issues an updated financial outlook in light of its negotiations with banks to cover debt coming due in 2009. New vehicle sales are a key avenue for Sirius XM subscriber growth. NBC Is Now a Digital Media Company, Exec Says New York Times On Monday, George Kliavkoff, the chief digital officer at NBC Universal, announced he would leave NBC to start, run or invest in digital media companies. Digital media is now a part of every unit of NBC and there is no longer a need for a distinct digital media head, he claims. Web Rises, TV Falls Among Election Audiences NewTeeVee With new online resources, visitors flocked to news sites in droves for U.S. election news. But notably, the big three networks -- ABC, NBC and CBS -- were down 16% vs. the election four years ago. Cable networks CNN and Fox News Channel actually beat CBS Tuesday night. Oprah Vows to 'Unleash' After the Election WKBN Television talk-show star Oprah Winfrey, who came out in support of Barak Obama in 2007, has shied away from discussing politics on her show. But after the election she plans to "unleash," she says. Winfrey also reveals she created a "vision board" to imagine an Obama presidency. Time Warner Center Hosts CNN Election Bash Variety A crowd of journalists, celebrities and execs made the scene at CNN's election-night bash at Time Warner Center in New York. The news network rechristened its cafeteria the CNN Grill. Meanwhile, CNN.com is said to have logged "unprecedented traffic." Web Sites Name Election Results Before TV New York Times While U.S. television networks were reluctant to report election results early, Web sites such as Slate, Huffington Post and Time.com showed much less restraint. "Obama Wins the Presidency," Slate bellowed at 9:27 p.m. ET, more than 90 minutes before the first of the networks. Cox Communications Plans to Cut 460 Jobs Atlanta J-C Cox Communications, the third-largest U.S. cable television company, plans to cut about 460 jobs, aiming to "position for future growth.” Cox Communications is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, which also owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. Cable Operators Eyed for Gouging Customers Chicago Tribune U.S. federal regulators are investigating whether cable companies -- including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision -- are exploiting broadcast television's transition to digital by overcharging subscribers. Cable customers are "getting less and being charged the same or more." U.S. Supreme Court Hears 'Fleeting Expletives' Wall Street Journal The U.S. Supreme Court appears to be split over the threat of broadcasting vulgar words. A liberal justice questions the Bush administration's crackdown on broadcasters, while a conservative justice suggests television had helped desensitize viewers to offensive language. Google-Backed Plan to Free Airwaves Wins OK Bloomberg U.S. regulators are agreeing to free up unused television airwaves for wireless Internet access, handing a victory to Google and rejecting claims by broadcasters that the plan would disrupt TV signals. Google says the plan will expand U.S. Internet access, offering "Wi-Fi on steroids." TV Networks Losing Ground in Fall Season USA Today Prime-time television viewership is up 2% this fall, but many fans are going elsewhere for TV. Continued growth in streaming online and time-shifting with DVRs -- now in 28% of homes -- is stripping the immediacy from scripted TV viewing, and risks leaving once-loyal fans less so. TV Ad Sales Execs: Scatter Market is 'Dead' New York Post Demand for television advertising time sold closer to the actual air date -- what is known as the scatter market -- is plummeting as TV execs report that their phones are eerily quiet during what is normally a busy time of the year. "The marketplace is dead," says one cable ad exec. Viacom: We're Working on Problems at MTV MarketWatch Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman says the company is working to resolve ratings problems at MTV, one of its core cable channels. MTV plans to increase the amount of original programming and introduce "interactive applications" to engage its target 12- to 24-year-old viewers. Sirius XM Suit Aims to Fire CEO Karmazin Radio Ink A shareholders group called "Save Sirius," which claims some 500 members, is filing a lawsuit against Sirius XM, seeking to stop a proposed stock split. "We are working to gain control of our company by seeking to remove board members as well as top executive Mel Karmazin." NBC Universal Digital Media Star to Step Down CNET George Kliavkoff, the NBC Universal exec behind hit digital-media services like Hulu, is leaving the company. Kliavkoff says he has accomplished the goals he set for himself and is taking time off before jumping into his next project. NBC digital revenues will exceed $1 billion in 2009. Television Can Get Teens Pregnant, Study Says The Week Television can make teenagers pregnant, according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, linking TV content with pregnancy rates. Teens who view the most kissing, racy conversation, and "adult" scenes are twice as likely to become pregnant or get a partner pregnant. AMC 'Mad Men' in Danger Over Pay Stand-Off Guardian The future of AMC's "Mad Men," the first original drama series on the Cablevision network, may be in jeopardy. Creator Matthew Weiner is said to be seeking a $10 million, multi-season deal. But AMC "is no HBO" and is "unwilling to splash that sort of cash." Bravo 'Runway' Takeoff in Another Court Move Multichannel News The Weinstein Co. is asking a federal court to lift a state judge's decision blocking "Project Runway's" move from NBC's Bravo to Lifetime, claiming the delay will allow Bravo to get its own new fashion-reality show ready. NBC insists that its new "Fashion House" is not a "Runway" ripoff. Fox vs FCC Ruling May Limit Agency's Authority Variety A decision in the "fleeting expletives" case of Fox vs. FCC, headed for the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, could sharply cut back -- or even eliminate -- the Federal Communications Commission's authority to police American airwaves for indecent content, experts say. Oprah Boosts Interest in Amazon.com's Kindle Ad Age Visits to Amazon.com rose 6% on Oct. 24, the day Oprah Winfey endorsed the online retailer's Kindle e-reading device on her television show. A 6% bump can translate into hundreds of thousands of visitors. Also, the word "kindle" saw a 479% bump in search traffic that day. DirecTV Rumored to Prepare Online TV Service TechCrunch Will DirecTV become a "Hulu killer"? Liberty Media's satellite television provider is rumored to be entering the online television wars with a new Web site called DirectTV Web On Demand. The site would compete with start-ups like Hulu, Joost, Fancast and Sling. MTV, MySpace Aim to Monetize Pirated Videos Los Angeles Times Viacom's MTV Networks plans to pair advertising with clips from "The Daily Show," "Punk'd" and other shows that MySpace users upload to the social network through a deal with Silicon Valley ad-tech firm Auditude. Says MySpace sales exec Jeff Berman: "This is a game changer." TV Networks Turn to Gizmos for Election Night Associated Press Television news outlets are "going all-out" for their Election Night coverage. CNN will employ a "virtual-reality Capitol" to track control of Congress, as well as a "holograph projection device" for interviews. Execs fear that viewers will turn away "if you do just traditional stuff." EPSN: Election Eve McCain, Obama Interviews Chicago Tribune ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman is set to hold separate satellite interviews with both John McCain and Barack Obama that will run during the halftime of "Monday Night Football" -- ostensibly because no U.S. presidential candidate passes up a chance to reach an audience of 12 million. Emmis Communications Cuts Salaries, 35 Jobs Radio Ink Emmis Communications is cutting 4% of the staff of Emmis Radio. The remaining radio and corporate employees who earn more than $50,000 will see a 3% reduction in pay. The cutbacks are part of a series of steps to face "the challenges of a struggling media sector." CBS Eyes More Cuts as Ad Sales Drop Bloomberg CBS says it will make more cost cuts throughout the company as the financial crisis spurs advertisers to reduce spending. One analyst observes that "the headwinds are strong" for a totally ad-dependent media company that is "navigating the worst advertising downturn in decades." TV Isn't Being Replaced by Internet, Study Says Bloomberg Television and Internet use are proving to be complementary activities, according to a new study by Nielsen. The top fifth of Internet users spend an average of 250 minutes a day watching TV. Online usage appears to be "complementing, not substituting for, traditional TV viewing." NBC's Bravo Finds a 'Runway' Replacement UPI NBC Universal's Bravo is picking up a new U.S. fashion design creative competition series called "The Fashion Show," in which the winner is chosen by viewers. Bravo's previous fashion-designer show "Project Runway" is in the midst of a struggle as it plans a move to Lifetime. Fox: Lowest-Ever Ratings for World Series Bloomberg Baseball's World Series on News Corp.'s Fox network drew the lowest ratings since Nielsen began tracking the audience 40 years ago. The five-game series, won by the Philadelphia Phillies, drew an average rating of 8.4. Poor weather was a factor, Fox claims. NBC: McCain Set for 'Saturday Night Live' MSNBC John McCain is said to be planning to make a guest appearance on this week's "Saturday Night Live," the last live episode before the election. A rep for the show won't confirm or deny the visit. A McCain source says: "It's really his last chance to appeal to younger voters." Time Warner 'Discriminates' Against Rival MASN The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is ruling that Time Warner Cable discriminated against the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network by refusing to place its broadcasts on a basic cable tier in North Carolina. The agency is warning Time Warner to begin carrying MASN within 30 days. Liberty Media May Rethink DirecTV Spinoff Dow Jones John Malone's Liberty Media, feeling the effects of the slowing economy, plans to restructure the debt at its tracking stocks to shore up the credit position at Liberty Interactive. The company is also reassessing the spinoff of DirecTV parent Liberty Entertainment, "given market conditions." Viacom Nabs Beatles for MTV 'Rock Band' Financial Times Beatles music will be used in the popular "Rock Band" video game, marking the first big digital foray by the Fab Four. Viacom's MTV Networks, which owns the game, and Apple, the company established by the Beatles to oversee their interests, are due to reveal a "global music project." Redstone to Seek Sale of CBS, Insider Says Daily Beast Rupert Murdoch is likely to "run a story every day" in his New York Post on the many business problems of rival media mogul Sumner Redstone, says a former Redstone colleague. One longtime Viacom insider believes that Redstone, despite his denials, may be looking into selling off CBS. CBS Reports Loss; Sees More Ad Declines Bloomberg CBS is reporting a $12.5 billion third-quarter loss, as advertising sales fall across the company's local television and radio stations. Sales climbed partly due to the addition of new online acquisition Cnet Networks. But CBS's core problem, analysts say, is "sagging ad revenue trends." MTV Exec Holt Offered MySpace Music Job CNET MySpace Music is said to have offered its vacant CEO position to Courtney Holt, MTV Networks' executive VP of digital music and media. Holt's possible exit from MTV comes at a time of upheaval at parent Viacom. Holt's digital-media division is believed to be eyeing a reorganization. TV Stations Fail to Benefit from Obama Bloomberg Barack Obama's record $600 million fundraising isn't turning into an advertising bonanza for U.S. television stations. A lack of competitive big-state Senate races and rival John McCain's decision to accept campaign spending limits have led to a shortfall. TV execs are "surprised." Google, Not TV, Eyed for Obama Ad Appeal ClickZ Rather than appeal for donations to help buy television ads for Barack Obama -- a longtime tactic of many political campaigns -- Sen. John Kerry is asking supporters to donate money to buy ads on Google. "This isn't like donating to run a television ad," says an e-mail, dismissively. Sirius XM's Business Model Faces Doubts RBR.com Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Wienkes is cutting his target price for Sirius XM, to 25 cents from the previous 50. The analyst sees "near-certain dilution" for shareholders. Wienkes is concerned about the viability of the business model as the company faces big debt refinancing. Comcast: Our Business Model is Resilient MarketWatch Comcast says that its third-quarter profit rose 38% on increased demand for its video, broadband and telephone services. The largest U.S. cable operator adds that it is comfortable that its subscription-based business model is "resilient" under difficult economic conditions. Murdoch's Fox Eyes Rights to Olympics Chicago Tribune Rupert Murdoch's media group is securing its third Olympic deal this year in Europe and soon could challenge for the most lucrative prize of all -- the U.S. broadcast rights. The Turkish rights to the 2014 and 2016 Games have been awarded to Murdoch's Fox Turkey. Comedy Central Wins Obama Return Visit Associated Press In the final days before the election, U.S. presidential nominee Barack Obama will make time on Wednesday to appear on Comedy Central's satirical news program "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. Obama, marking his fourth visit to the show, will tape his appearance via satellite. Univision, Microsoft Team Up for Downloads Miami Herald Spanish-language network Univision is partnering with Microsoft music service Zune to launch a music download service on Univision.com, the most-visited Web site among U.S. Hispanics. The new service gives Zune a new weapon in its arsenal against rivals iTunes and Amazon.com. Fox Wins Rights to Air Olympics in Turkey Hurriyet Rupert Murdoch's media empire is buying the Turkish rights to broadcast the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Games. Fox Turkey will be allowed to provide coverage on free-to-air television, pay channels, and through the Internet and mobile phones. ABC Jumps Too Late on Obama's Ad Buy Washington Post ABC finally offered Barack Obama's camp the 8 p.m. half-hour on Wednesday for his campaign program, which will air at that time on the other broadcast networks. However, the U.S. presidential candidate's team passed on the offer, saying it has allocated the funds elsewhere. CBS Boss Moonves Crows: We're No. 1 TV Week One month into the 2008-09 television season, CBS is U.S. television's top-rated network in viewers, adults 25 to 54, as well as adults 18 to 49. "It's still about the programming," says CBS boss Les Moonves. Even in an age of video streaming and DVRs, "scheduling does matter." NBC Exec Generates Buzz -- For Himself Fortune NBC's new shows aren't generating much buzz, but network entertainment co-chief Ben Silverman is, thanks to his "cavalier, off-the-cuff" personal style. One colleague calls him "the Paris Hilton of NBC." His overtly commercial programming approach, however, is yet to produce any hits. Leno Still Mulling Future with NBC Universal Cincinnati Enquirer Jay Leno's boss says NBC Universal is still trying to convince the top-rated late-night host to stay with the network after he hands off "The Tonight Show" to Conan O'Brien" June 1. "We've made him lots of offers. He's weighing his options," says NBC exec Rick Ludwin. Weinsteins Strike Back at Bravo Over 'Runway' Hollywood Reporter NBC's Bravo isn't the only one claiming it has been damaged by the decision to move "Project Runway" to Lifetime. In new court papers, producer Weinstein Co. claims Bravo "sabotaged" the reality series by refusing to promote Season 5 because of the move and is seeking damages. MTV Launches Hulu-like Music Video Site Ad Age Viacom's MTV Networks is launching MTVMusic.com, a music-video site described as a "dead ringer" for Hulu, the joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp. Like Hulu, the site will be free, ad-supported and provides the ability to embed clips on blogs and personal Web pages. Disney's 'HSM' Transitions Away From TV Los Angeles Times Disney's "High School Musical 3" opened as the top film at U.S. theaters this weekend with $42 million in sales, making it the best-ever debut for a movie musical. The franchise, which began on the Disney Channel in 2006, has produced millions of dollars through spin-off products. Time Warner Cable Viewers May Drop HBO Bloomberg Comcast and Time Warner Cable may rely more on Internet and phone services for growth as viewers pressed by a slowing economy cut back on extras such as HBO. The amount customers are willing to pay may drop, say analysts. Monthly cable bills can often exceed $100. Cox Cable to Launch Own Cellphone Service USA Today Cox Communications plans to rock the wireless phone business by unveiling plans to launch cellphone service that ultimately will make the No. 3 U.S. cable operator a rival of AT&T, Sprint Nextel and Verizon. Cox says that subscribers will be able to watch television shows on their handsets. Oprah: I Won't Become Obama's Ambassador Contactmusic.com Oprah Winfrey is refuting talk that she has been courted by U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama to become ambassador to Great Britain if he is elected into office next month. A spokeswoman for Winfrey's Harpo Studios insists: "Oprah hasn't been approached." TV to Take Cues From Social Networking Wall Street Journal Analysts say social networking has the potential to play a key role in shaping what people watch and do on their television sets -- which could pay off in subscription revenue or advertising. Understanding what friends are watching or doing on their TV screens will have "tremendous value." NBC '30 Rock' Returns with Future at Stake Newsday NBC's "30 Rock" will make its third-season debut this week, with red-hot writer-actress Tina Fey and an upcoming cameo by Oprah Winfrey. Still, the sitcom's ratings could be much better, critics say. NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman admits: "We talk about that all the time." CBS 'Kingpin' Designer Dorfsman Dies at 90 UPI Designer Lou Dorfsman, who helped the CBS network develop its advertising identity, has died in Rosyln, N.Y., of congestive heart failure. Dorfsman joined the Columbia Broadcasting Co. in 1946. Fellow designer George Lois says Dorfsman's CBS work made him a design "kingpin." Allbritton News Anchor Dies After Attack Ark Democrat-Gazette Anne Pressly, a news anchor for Allbritton station KATV, an ABC affiliate in Little Rock, Ark., died Saturday, five days after she was found severely beaten in her home. Pressly, 26, had a small role in the Oliver Stone movie "W." Police have yet to identify a suspect. ABC News Cuts Costs, Cancels Subscriptions New York Observer ABC News president David Westin is sending out an email to employees warning that the company is not "immune from the downturn," and that Disney Media Networks will be cutting costs. One move: canceling all magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Oprah May Kindle Big Interest in E-Books Financial Times Sales of Amazon's Kindle digital-book reader are likely to get a significant boost, with talk-show megastar Oprah Winfrey apparently about to endorse the product. Amazon.com is featuring a trailer of her Friday show with Winfrey talking about her new "favorite gadget." Hollywood Eyes Palin as Future 'Media Star' Hollywood Reporter As more and more polls cast doubt on the McCain-Palin ticket, Hollywood producers and agents are discussing possibilities for capitalizing on Sarah Palin's fame, ranging from an Oprah-style syndicated talk show to a Sean Hannity-like perch in cable news or on radio. NBC Preps 'Project Runway' Copycat Show New York Post NBC is using its legal clout to delay "Project Runway" from moving over to Lifetime while it launches a copycat show on its Bravo network, according to insiders. A casting call for Bravo's new "Fashion House" is remarkably similar to pitches made by "Project Runway." NBC 'SNL' Online Clips Soon to Eclipse TV Ad Age The number of people watching the online clips of Sarah Palin's appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" is growing and will soon surpass the 15 million that viewed her guest spot on television. Pirated versions alone have been viewed nearly 3 million times on sites like YouTube. Karmazin: Sirius XM Radio Faces Big Debt BusinessWeek Sirius, which completed a merger with XM Satellite Radio in July, is facing a serious cash squeeze. It has more than $1 billion in debt coming due next year, and it doesn't have the money, at least not yet. Sirius insists it can continue to fund operations and avoid filing for bankruptcy. Martha In Feud With New Co-CEO Millard New York Post A rift is said to be developing between Martha Stewart and new co-CEO Wenda Harris Millard. The pair "isn't seeing eye-to-eye" on a number of operational issues. Companies in the online world from which Millard hails are hoping things get bad enough that they can steal her away. Comcast Cuts 300 Jobs in Consolidation Philadelphia Business Comcast plans to eliminate 300 positions in its Eastern Division as a result of a consolidation of the division's six regions into four. The U.S. cable, Internet, phone and media company says that most of the jobs being eliminated are at the division and regional management levels. Broadcast Network Audience Keeps Eroding Wall Street Journal Broadcast television shows such as NBC's "The Office" are seeing their audiences jump when counting people who record the shows and watch them later on DVRs. But the rise in delayed viewing isn't offsetting a broader trend: Fewer people are watching the big broadcast networks. NBC Local Mulls Staff Shakeup, Aggregation New York Observer NBC Universal local media head John Wallace says the company is facing a "perfect storm" of challenges, suggesting that the future will involve focusing on both journalism and aggregation on multiple platforms. Many off-air employees are to be replaced by "content producers." News Corp Vows Fight for 'Tasteless' TV B&C The U.S. government needs to get out of the business of regulating "indecent" broadcast speech, says News Corp. president Peter Chernin, speaking at The Media Institute's annual awards dinner. News Corp.'s Fox Broadcasting will "fight" to put "even tasteless content on the air." Onion News Network Sees Global Growth Hollywood Reporter The Onion News Network, an offshoot of the satirical newspaper the Onion, will be available to online viewers across Europe and Asia following a new deal with digital distributor MyVideoRights.com. The deal is partly fueled by "unprecedented interest" in the U.S. presidential election. Oprah In Lawsuit Over Extortion Arrest Associated Press A Louisiana man is filing a lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey, claiming she and an attorney made false statements that led the FBI to arrest him on charges that he tried to extort the talk-show host. Keifer Bonvillain, who had the charges dismissed, is seeking damages of $180 million. DirecTV Eyes Central Americans in U.S. Multichannel News DirecTV is expected to announce this week the launch of Telecentro, a new Spanish-language channel with programming from six television networks in Central America. Telecentro hopes to capture the nearly 6 million Central Americans who live in the United States. Nickelodeon Viewers 'Vote' for Obama UPI Barack Obama is the winner of the 2008 Kids Pick the President poll, held by Nickelodeon. The Viacom channel has held a kids' vote every presidential election year since 1988, and children have correctly predicted the winner in four out of the last five U.S. presidential campaigns. Oprah Hires Digital Chief for TV Network Forbes The Oprah Winfrey Network, slated to launch on the former Discovery Health Channel cable network in 2009, is naming Robert Tercek as president of digital media. Tercek recently co-founded several online entertainment companies, such as Comedy.com. Allbritton News Anchor Attacked at Home KATV Anne Pressly, a news anchor for Allbritton station KATV, an ABC affiliate in Little Rock, Ark., is in critical condition after being found beaten in her home. Local police say they are still unsure if the TV personality was specifically targeted. Pressly, 26, has a small role in the Oliver Stone movie "W." Study: TV's Lower on Holiday Wish Lists B&C Televisions are falling on U.S. consumer's holiday wish lists, according to the annual study by the Consumer Electronics Association. Computers come in second place, behind "peace and happiness." TV fell to sixth place from third place last year. For teens, TV drops off the list entirely. Time Warner Lets Web Users Be 'Celebs' Multichannel News Time Warner Cable is letting Internet users star in a celebrity tabloid TV segment of their own devising, in a viral-video campaign to promote the operator's triple play. Visitors are allowed to upload their own photos and create a one-minute mock celebrity exposé starring themselves. Analyst: CBS Faces Pressure to Cut Dividend Barron's Is CBS heading for a dividend cut? Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield thinks so. In a research note, Greenfield observes that 70% of the company's revenue comes from advertising. As the outlook for the U.S. economy deteriorates, he says, margin declines will accelerate. Fox May Strike Out In World Series Ratings Bloomberg World Series ratings on News Corp.'s Fox may slump now that the Tampa Bay Rays' triumph over the Boston Red Sox puts two teams with limited appeal outside their home markets in Major League Baseball's championship round. Fox insists it won't be hurt because the ad time is already sold. Moonves: Internet Serves as 'Cable TV' for CBS Bloomberg CBS's $1.8 billion acquisition of Cnet Networks, owner of sites including TV.com, is already adding to the company's operating profit and boosting the ability to distribute content on the Internet, says CEO Les Moonves. "We view the Internet perhaps as our cable play." CBS Opens 'Social Viewing Rooms' on Internet Hollywood Reporter CBS is launching an online "social viewing room" feature enabling groups of viewers to collectively watch streaming television content. Groups of friends will be able to join a virtual room on CBS.com to view programs while chatting and taking polls, offering a more communal experience. NBC Universal to Make $500 Million in Cuts Los Angeles Times NBC Universal president Jeff Zucker is calling for $500 million in cuts across the company next year, citing the slowing global economy and a drop in consumer confidence. Zucker is asking department heads to recommend cuts in staffing, promotional expenses and other areas. CBS College Sports Sacks 30 Employees Crain's New York CBS College Sports network is firing 30 staffers as it shifts focus to high-definition game coverage and cancels its studio programming. "We had a couple of studio shows," says a CBS Sports spokeswoman, "and they carried a significant cost." CBS acquired the network in 2005. Couric to Host Webcast on Election Night Mediaweek CBS News anchor Katie Couric will host a live Webcast on both CBSNews.com and CNET on Nov. 4 following the network's broadcast coverage of election night. The live event will mark the 11th such Webcast CBS has produced during the 2008 presidential election season. NBC Sends Viewers to Web for Palin Clip Broadcasting & Cable This week's NBC "Saturday Night Live," which featured VP candidate Sarah Palin as guest, included an announcement at the start of a commercial break after her appearance: "Miss the real Sarah Palin on 'SNL'? Check it out at NBC.com." The Palin "SNL" clips are being removed from YouTube. Discovery Shuns Long-Form Content Online New Media Age Discovery is opting against putting long-form content online as there isn't a strong enough economic model, according to CEO David Zaslav. He says the company will focus instead on short clips. "It remains to be seen how aggressively people will take up these services." Lifetime Enters Court Battle Over 'Runway' New York Post Disney/Hearst's Lifetime, which aims to lure "Project Runway" away from NBC-owned Bravo, is seeking to move the contract dispute over the hit reality series into federal court. NBC says the move will delay the case and keep the next season of "Runway" off the air even longer. TV Networks Revive Old Series to Lure Fans Variety / NYT As broadcast network ratings continue to erode, execs are plotting revivals of old favorite series like "The Partridge Family" and "Hawaii Five-O," which have built-in interest from fans of the originals. Also: Competition-based reality-shows, led by "Survivor," appear to be losing steam. TiVo CEO: Television Industry Faces 'Crisis' Ad Age In the next two to three years, the television industry "is going to face a crisis more severe for it than our current financial crisis," claims TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. Two thirds or more of the households advertisers care about reaching "will be fast forwarding through television ads." Time Warner, Cox Fined in Move Against DVRs Dow Jones The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is ordering fines against Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications for preventing subscribers from receiving certain channels. Customers who use digital video recorders are being blocked from some channels. Telemundo to Cut 85 Jobs Amid Ad Slowdown Los Angeles Times NBC Universal's Telemundo is cutting 85 jobs, reducing its workforce 5%. "We are basically adjusting to reflect the economic realities of the current market," says the Spanish-language television operator. Two years ago, Telemundo laid off 110 people, primarily in its TV station group. NBC's 'SNL' to See Palin as Guest, McCain Says Los Angeles Times The big news out of John McCain's appearance on CBS' David Letterman show Thursday night is that VP contender Sarah Palin plans to appear in person on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Palin will "probably get more of an audience than our debate did," McCain says. Fox News Hires Glenn Beck Away From CNN New York Times News Corp.'s Fox News Channel is bringing in a big name from a rival, signing up Glenn Beck, the host of a widely viewed talk show on Time Warner's CNN Headline News. Beck frequently raises hackles in liberal circles with his acerbic conservative commentary. AMC's 'Mad Men' Faces Questionable Future New York Post With the season finale of "Mad Men" just days away, the future of the hit television drama series is in question. Creator Matthew Weiner has not signed for another season. The official renewal of the first basic cable series to win the Best Drama Emmy Award has not been announced. Sirius XM Radio to Lay Off 80 Staffers Orbitcast Sirius XM Radio is reported to be laying off about 80 employees, mostly at the satellite radio company's music channels. CEO Mel Karmazin is "concentrating on the talk formats, which are the ones where he can sell ads." Another round of job cuts may come in early November. Fox to Delay World Series for Obama Ad Los Angeles Times Major League Baseball is agreeing to delay the start of a World Series game by about 15 minutes to allow Fox Broadcasting to carry a half-hour television commercial that Barack Obama plans to run. The spot will also be shown on CBS and NBC stations. YouTube, PBS Urge People to Video Voting Beet.TV YouTube and PBS are teaming up for a "Video Your Vote" project to solicit, stream and broadcast user-generated video from polling places across the United States on Election Day. The effort aims to "increase the transparency" of the voting process, including potential problems. Cable-TV Access Seen as 'Waste of Money' New York Post There are now so many ways to watch television that paying a cable provider "seems increasingly pointless," observers say. "My tech-savvy friends definitely think cable is a waste of money," says Benny Goldman, a reporter for the gadget site Gizmodo. "They rarely flip on the TV." CNN to Start Weekend Comedy Show Associated Press Time Warner news network CNN is starting a Saturday night show with comedian D.L. Hughley. The show, tentatively titled "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," is described as a news-oriented talk show -- more like David Letterman and Jay Leno's program than Jon Stewart's. Sirius XM 'Won't Be Hurt' by Ad Downturn CNET Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius XM, insists that his firm is on the right track, despite doubters on Wall Street. "We're probably one of the top 25 media companies," he claims. Any advertising downturn won't hurt satellite radio, he adds, since most of Sirius XM's revenue comes from subscriptions. CBS Creates a New Holiday with Web Florist Crain's New York CBS is teaming up with 1-800-Flowers.com to create "Ex Day," a holiday to bring new life to old relationships by sending a special floral bouquet. The holiday, to be celebrated on Thursday, is in partnership with the CBS show "The Ex List," about a florist with relationship issues. MTV, CNN Partner for Concert for Veterans Associated Press MTV's "Choose or Lose" campaign and CNN are teaming up to air a concert Oct. 24 and 25 to support veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. News packages from CNN and MTV News will air throughout the special. The concert, featuring 50 Cent and Ludacris, will also run online. NBC Airs '30 Rock' New Season Online First MediaPost Fans of "30 Rock" will be able to get a look at the show's season premiere a week early. NBC is making the full episode available on NBC.com next week -- seven days before its on-air takeoff. The debut will be streamed on the site starting Oct. 23, as well as on sibling site Hulu. NBC's 'SNL' Plotting Own Video Web Site New York Post NBC's "Saturday Night Live" is quietly developing a Web site dedicated to the show, offering access to hundreds of sketches. Other fare expected to be available includes dress rehearsal sketches that never made it to television and original films by "SNL" talent. NBC Stations Launch 'Local Only' Web Sites WebProNews NBC is rolling out local Web sites in its affiliate-station cities across the United States, aiming to help local users stay connected with activities in town. The sites will provide news, photos, videos and blogs from NBC local stations as well as aggregated sources. ESPN Hires Magic Johnson as Analyst Bloomberg Hall of Fame player Magic Johnson is joining ESPN as a studio analyst for National Basketball Association coverage. Johnson will work with Stuart Scott, Mike Wilbon and Jon Barry on ABC's pre-game show, starting on Christmas Day when ABC and ESPN broadcast three games. Disney Houston Station Helicopter Crashes Houston Chronicle A pilot and photographer for Disney/ABC-owned Houston television station KTRK died Monday when their helicopter crashed while on the way to cover a news story. The cause of the crash is not immediately known. The helicopter was leased by the station. Hearst-Argyle to Operate News from KC Kansas City Star Hearst-Argyle Television, one of the largest U.S. television station groups, is saying goodbye to its longtime VP of news, Fred Young, who is retiring at year's end. His successor is Kansas City, Mo.-based Hearst-Argyle exec Brian Bracco. Bracco will remain in Kansas City. Delayed TV Viewing Brings Uneven Gains New York Times Nielsen Media Research is releasing figures for delayed viewing for the new season, and for most television shows the numbers rose, especially the hits and those that appeal to younger viewers. The least recorded of all were live sports programs. CBS: McCain to Guest on 'Letterman' Thursday Associated Press David Letterman and John McCain will get a chance to make up. The U.S. presidential candidate is scheduled to appear on Letterman's "Late Show" on Thursday. It will be McCain's 13th visit to the CBS program but his first since he angered Letterman by canceling last month. Sirius XM: Howard Stern Is Losing Listeners Los Angeles Times Howard Stern, the "King of All Media," once drew a U.S. audience of 12 million with his syndicated radio show. But since jumping to satellite radio three years ago, his listeners have dwindled to a fraction of that. His Sirius XM audience is said to be between 1 million and 2 million. Arbitron Hit with Lawsuit Over Rating System Dow Jones New York's and New Jersey's attorneys general are suing Arbitron over the company's rollout of its new Portable People Meter radio-ratings system. Arbitron is accused of releasing a service "without curing known flaws" that could lead to "driving minority broadcasters out of business." Air America to Go Digital, Prep Ad Network ClickZ Air America is hiring a chief digital officer and plans to launch a vertical advertising network with similar left-leaning publications, aiming to become a leading political player by the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Air America isn't "just a radio company," says CEO Bennett Zier. Univision Sees Future In Carriage Fees Wall Street Journal Time Warner Cable is bracing for a showdown with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision over carriage fees, and industry observers say the outcome will set the pace for a slew of similar deals. By negotiating a fee, broadcasters can secure extra revenue as ratings decline. NBC's Bravo Opens Web Fashion Store B&C NBC Universal's Bravo is launching Shop by Bravo, an online store offering fashion and accessories designed by some of the cable network's talent. The new site's sale of "Project Runway" products is not expected to be affected by the court case regarding the show's proposed move to Lifetime. CBS, NBC Half-Hours Bought by Obama Washington Post Barack Obama's campaign is buying a half-hour on both CBS and NBC for a primetime infomercial on Oct. 29, just six days before the U.S. presidential election. Obama is also said to be looking to make half-hour buys on other broadcast networks. The buys could cost about $2 million each. Fox Business to Benefit from Slowdown BusinessWeek News Corp.'s year-old Fox Business Network aims to exploit the economic crisis, hoping to gain on its well-established rival, CNBC. But Fox News exec VP Kevin Magee admits: "If we just divide up CNBC's audience there won't be enough for either of us to survive." CNN Viewers Vote Online for $100K 'Hero' Associated Press Time Warner's CNN will air a "Heroes" special on Thanksgiving night, honoring citizens are "doing things to help others." The awards show -- unusual for a cable news network -- will give $100,000 to one of 10 individuals selected by viewers through a vote on CNN.com. Viacom's MTV Falls In Online Brand Awareness CNET Amazon, Rhapsody, and iTunes are the big winners in a study by market researcher Ipsos of which music services are most popular among people who download music. Viacom's MTV and VH1 fell in those areas. MTV shut down its own service and last August and teamed with Rhapsody. Comcast Offers Free TV to Woo Subscribers Reuters U.S. cable operator Comcast is offering special deals of free television for a year in a bid to win new subscribers ahead of a government-mandated digital television switch-over on Feb. 17. New customers who sign up for Comcast Internet or phone service will receive free basic cable. TiVo-Dish Partnership Seen as Spat Ends Dow Jones With four years of litigation between TiVo and Dish Network winding down, the relationship between the television companies might be entering a less-contentious phase: partnership. The two companies will now figure out a way to work together, many analysts say. Time Warner Cable Brings Web Video to TV MediaPost Time Warner Cable is entering a deal with ActiveVideo Networks to give Hawaiian residents Web content and interactivity. The new service streams traditional and Web-based content to any digital set-top box. Subscribers can play interactive games and get customized news. ABC to Run Programming at Dentists' Chairs Associated Press The company behind InChairTV is bringing television commercials to the dentist's chair in the form of personal video goggles that patients wear while having their teeth cleaned or root canal. The headsets also provide the captive audience with TV shows licensed from ABC. FCC to Probe TV's Use of Military Analysts Bloomberg The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether broadcasters improperly failed to tell viewers that military analysts discussing the Iraq war had ties to the Defense Department and its contractors. "We have an obligation to pursue this," the agency says. CBS 'Fraud' Hurt Dan Rather, Lawyer Says Associated Press Dan Rather could have made millions of dollars more per year if CBS had not defrauded him before firing him, his lawyer argues after a hearing on the former network newsman's $70 million breach-of-contract lawsuit. CBS was supposed to use Rather on other shows "or pay him and let him go." NBC Makes Edits to 'SNL' Skit on the Web DHD NBC is reposting online an edited version of a "Saturday Night Live" skit that poked fun at Democrats and the U.S. federal bailout. The network says: "Upon review, we caught certain elements in the sketch that didn't meet our standards." NBC lawyers removed the unedited clip on YouTube. Broadcasters Face Declining Revenue, Cash Flow Bloomberg U.S. broadcasters' revenue and cash flow will suffer "significant" declines in the next 12 to 18 months because of lower advertising sales, says Moody's Investors Service. Deepening unemployment, falling consumer confidence and the credit squeeze may drive sales down up to 20%. Oprah Sued for Defamation by Ex-School Head Associated Press Nomvuyo Mzamane, the ex-headmistress of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa, is suing the talk show host and her production company for defamation, claiming Winfrey falsely suggested she tried to cover up abuse at the school. The lawsuit is seeking $250,000 in damages. CBS: Letterman to Patch It Up with McCain New York Post Reps for U.S. presidential contender John McCain and CBS "Late Show with David Letterman" are said to be negotiating an appearance on the show near the time of the final presidential debate on Oct. 15. McCain ticked off Letterman two weeks ago when he abruptly canceled an appearance. NBC Said to Censor 'SNL' Online Video Clip Mashable NBC, Hulu and YouTube are said to have all yanked an online video clip from "Saturday Night Live" lampooning the bailout bill announcement from CSPAN. Right-wing political pundits claim the clip was pulled because it made light of the Democrat position in presenting the bill. Arbitron Sues NY Over Radio Ratings Meter Associated Press Arbitron is filing a lawsuit to prevent the New York attorney general's office from stopping the rollout of an electronic measurement service for radio ratings. New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo fears the company's new Portable People Meter may hurt minority stations. Dish to Pay TiVo $104M After Court Ruling Reuters Dish Network and EchoStar will pay $104 million to TiVo after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Dish's appeal of a patent infringement case. The court's decision follows legal wrangling over TiVo's "Time Warp" software that lets users record one television program while watching another. Viacom: MTV 'Rock Band' the New iTunes? Fortune MTV's "Rock Band" video game is one of the few breakout growth stories in the repertoire of parent company Viacom. The cable network's execs argue that it could become "the new iTunes," because a central part of the game's business model is to offer song downloads for players. Time Warner's CNN iReport Goes 'Awry' Bloomberg The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether a bogus report on CNN's citizen-journalist site iReport.com intended to push down Apple's stock price. The computer maker's shares dropped 5.4% after a post claimed that CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack. Time Warner Cable Sends Viewers to Web New York Times In the midst of a contract dispute with LIN TV, which owns 15 television stations, Time Warner Cable is telling its customers to hook up a computer to their television and watch their favorite shows using the Internet. The cable operator made a video showing how to watch programs online. NBCU Eyes Synergy at 'Access,' iVillage Hollywood Reporter NBC Universal is synergizing the syndicated television show "Access Hollywood" with its female-targeted hub iVillage.com. The iVillage entertainment section will sport an "Access"-branded module feeding news links to AccessHollywood.com and will host video from the site. Allbritton, Politico Benefit from Tie-Up B&C Allbritton's WJLA in Washington, D.C., says it is benefiting from sharing its newsroom with the Politico newspaper and Web site. "We use each other constantly," says Bill Lord, VP of news for the ABC affiliate. Politico plans to launch a spin-off Web site to focus on the next U.S. president. Time Warner Spat Darkens TV Stations Multichannel News LIN TV stations carried on Time Warner Cable systems are going dark as the television station operator fails to reach a new retransmission-consent deal. LIN and Time Warner are at odds over the compensation LIN is seeking for carriage. The standoff involves 15 U.S. stations. Fox Business Network Sees Growth Spurt New York Times Coverage by News Corp.'s Fox Business Network of the current economic turmoil is attracting enough viewers to exceed the minimum Nielsen Media Research needs to certify its statistics as reliable. The figure, 81,000, is seen as a milestone for the nearly year-old channel. CBS Testing Online Social Viewing Room TechCrunch CBS is testing a new product called Social Viewing Room. "The idea is that you show up to the site, pick a show that’s on right now, and watch it with your friends or whoever is there. You can comment, LOL or take quizzes for points." The service could prove to be popular for live broadcasts. Digg Highlights 'CBS Censorship' Story Los Angeles Times A story headlined "Katie Couric and CBS News Censor Embarrassing Palin Tape" made it to No. 1 on Digg, the social site where users vote on the news. The story, from a liberal political blog called Blue Tidal Wave, claims that CBS News is withholding footage of a gaffe by Sarah Palin. ESPN Expands Globally with America Channel Associated Press Disney's ESPN is extending its presence in Europe and the Middle East with the rebranding of a channel dedicated to American sports. North American Sports Network, which was acquired by ESPN last year, will become ESPN America. ESPN describes the move as "momentous." CBS Gets Rude Lesson in Citizen Journalism Ad Age A user of the free CBS iPhone app that enables users to upload news to the network's user-generated CBSeyemobile.com news site discovered uploaded images of explicit adult content -- a jarring juxtaposition with CBS's storied news brand. The system moderator "isn't working." NBC Pressures YouTube to Yank Obama Ad Adweek YouTube is pulling a Barack Obama advertisement from its site at the insistence of NBC, which charges that the spot infringes on its copyrighted content and that it did not give Obama's campaign permission to use the material. NBC blasts the ad as "outrageous." 'SNL' Palin Skits Seen More on Web Than TV TV Week More than half of the viewers for NBC "Saturday Night Live's" recent skits with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin watched the sketches on the Web, says a survey by Solutions Research Group. About 51% of viewers who have seen at least one of the skits are watching on the Internet. Bloomberg TV to Provide Video for AOL Hollywood Reporter Bloomberg Television is entering its first major online video syndication deal, making content available on AOL Money & Finance. The deal between the Time Warner online arm and the financial news network comes amid increased interest in business news because of the financial crisis. TV's Fall Lineup Disappoints Network Execs Wall Street Journal The first week of the U.S. fall television season is bringing grim news to network execs hoping for a swift recovery from last year's audience-zapping writers strike. Many viewers now prefer to watch shows on digital video recording devices and online -- or not watch them at all. Rosie Live 'Hour' Heads to NBC Prime Time EW Rosie O'Donnell, the former magazine publisher and co-host of ABC's "The View," will headline an hour-long variety show live in NBC prime time on Thanksgiving. "Rosie's Variety Hour" is a "backdoor pilot" that could lead the special to becoming a fixture on the network's schedule. NBC's 'Friday Night' Rescued by DirecTV Los Angeles Times The low-rated but fan favorite NBC drama "Friday Night Lights" is beginning its third season with a commercial-free, 13-episode run on DirecTV. The satellite television service is subsidizing the series' costs. NBC will air edited versions of DirecTV-produced episodes early next year. CBS: Little $ From YouTube Letterman Video Ad Age A video clip of David Letterman's tirade against John McCain is generating millions of views on YouTube. But CBS is barely making a dime from the clip of its late-night show host because most of the views are attributed to a pirated version. The clip may have been uploaded by a CBS staffer. MTV Eyes Wal-Mart for New Video Game MTV MTV is creating a special version of its popular "Rock Band" video game for the hard-rock group AC/DC that will be sold exclusively through U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart. MTV and Wal-Mart may open "temporary shops" in U.S. cities that don't have Wal-Mart outlets to help sell the game. MTV Seeks More Ads with New Web Metrics Reuters MTV plans to start tracking second-by-second viewing of Web commercials and videos. The Viacom network also will measure use of its videos that have been embedded on social networks like MySpace or blogs. Advertising on MTV networks is seeing slower growth than many cable rivals. Sirius, XM Add Channels to Radio Service Reuters Oprah Winfrey, professional hockey and basketball games and other programming previously exclusive to XM Satellite Radio can now be heard on Sirius's service, some two months after the completion of their merger. Similarly, Sirius's Howard Stern channels are now available on XM. McCain Backers Prefer TV; Obama's Pan Media Mediaweek Most of U.S. presidential candidate John McCain's supporters get their news from television, while a majority of rival Barack Obama's supporters tend to be "media generalists" who get their news from assorted media platforms, says a study by media agency MediaVest. Orpah, Sweeney: Most Powerful Women Fortune Media figures on Fortune magazine's 11th annual list of the 50 Most Powerful Women include Oprah Winfrey, Anne Sweeney, Judy McGrath, Ann Moore, Sue Decker and Cathie Black. Google's Marissa Mayer, at age 33, is the youngest woman ever to make the list. ABC Favorites Return to Low Ratings TV Week ABC's "Stay at Home Week" ended Sunday night with the season debuts of "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers and Sisters," which met their lowest-rated numbers ever. "Desperate," "Brothers" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" declined compared with their premieres last year. TV Guide Channel Goes Up for Sale Variety Macrovision, which bought Gemstar-TV Guide International in May, is sending out the preliminary briefing books on TV Guide Channel to prospective bidders. The cable channel is expected to fetch a fire-sale price of about $400 million because of the turmoil in the financial markets. TidalTV: A TV Guide for the Internet Forbes Scott Ferber, CEO of video site TidalTV, aims to create a "TV Guide" for video programming on the Web. "Everyone on the Internet thinks you can do everything through search," says Ferber. But, he says, you can't. "We need a programming capability, a guide-like look." NPR to Offer Online Social Networking Associated Press National Public Radio, already strong online with free downloads from many of its shows, is boosting its digital ambitions by introducing social-networking features akin to Facebook. The effort aims to capture younger people who aren't habitual radio listeners. Eisner, ESPN Duo Launch Web Series Associated Press Former Disney chief Michael Eisner's latest effort is "Back on Topps," a 25-episode comedy-sports series made for the Web. It features Jason and Randy Sklar, a comedic team of brothers who are regulars on ESPN, along with scores of sports stars. New episodes roll out twice a week. NBCU Tallies New-Media Olympics Views Multichannel News NBC Universal, which touts its 2008 Olympic Games coverage as the most-watched television event ever, is picking up big numbers in the digital arena with its presentation from Beijing. NBCU says its mobile Web site racked up 6.5 million visitors over the course of the event. NBC Mulls Ensemble for 'Meet the Press' New York Times NBC News is expected to make a final decision about who will replace Tim Russert and his interim successor, Tom Brokaw, at the helm of "Meet the Press," by early December. The network is said to be leaning toward an ensemble of hosts led by NBC political director Chuck Todd. 'Project Runway' May End Up on NBC New York Post If producer Harvey Weinstein loses out in NBC Universal's lawsuit over "Project Runway's" move to Lifetime, NBC may regain control of the hit reality show. Instead of returning to Bravo, it could go instead to another NBC Universal network, most likely NBC itself. NBCU Prevents 'Project Runway' Takeoff E! Online A judge is granting NBC Universal a preliminary injunction that prevents the Weinstein Co. from moving "Project Runway" from NBCU-owned Bravo to Disney-Hearst's Lifetime. "NBC Universal is pleased," the company says. Lifetime had planned to debut "Runway's" sixth season in January. NBC: Springsteen to Play Super Bowl UPI Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will headline the Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show in Tampa, Fla., the NFL and NBC are announcing. Springsteen will join a high-profile roster of performers who have played the halftime spectacle -- including Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. ABC Declared Winner of Debate Night Wall Street Journal About 57 million people watched John McCain and Barack Obama debate Friday night, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research. The major broadcast networks aired the debate, as did the cable news channels. ABC won the night among the broadcasters. Fox's 'Disturb': Fall TV's First Casualty San Francisco Chronicle One week into the 2008-09 television season is bringing its first casualty: Fox's freshman sitcom "Do Not Disturb," starring Jerry O'Connell. Viewers are returning after last season's devastating writers strike, but "not always in the numbers that each network wants." CBS Picks Up First Web Series for TV.com TubeFilter "Easy To Assemble," a Web comedy series created by and starring Illeana Douglas, is being picked up by the CBS Web site TV.com after attracting 300,000 views on YouTube in its first five days. The IKEA-sponsored series is TV.com's first foray into original entertainment content. C-SPAN Launches Debate Hub for Gadgets ZDNet C-SPAN, the cable network known for airing government proceedings, is unveiling the Debate Hub, an online social destination for the U.S. presidential debates. The site will let users follow the debates in near-real-time on their gadgets and simultaneously see how the Web is reacting. NBC: We're Concerned by U.S. Downturn Reuters The U.S. economic downturn is having a severe impact on NBC's local television stations, says CEO Jeff Zucker. "We haven't seen an advertising slowdown on a national level yet in the United States but obviously we're concerned. If you're not concerned you're in denial." CBS: 'Everybody Wants to Buy New Media' Hollywood Reporter CNET might not have the sex appeal of YouTube, MySpace or Facebook, but CBS chief Les Moonves is working hard to make a return on his recent $1.8 billion acquisition. The CNET sites are attracting hundreds of millions of advertising dollars -- an achievement that so far is eluding YouTube. NBC Should Be Sold Off, Wall Streeters Say Dow Jones As General Electric struggles in amid the U.S. financial crisis, the debate on Wall Street over whether it should sell off NBC Universal is heating up. "NBC is not a strategic asset for GE," analysts say. But CEO Jeff Immelt insists that the media unit is "very well-positioned in the cycle." Bloomberg TV to Get Ads from Google CNET Google is entering a partnership with Bloomberg TV to supply advertising. The Internet giant's TV ad technology can tell advertisers which ads the audience is watching second by second. Google is trying to branch out from its dominant business selling search ads. CBS's Letterman Lashes Out at McCain Washington Post John McCain cancelled his appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" to focus on the economic bailout of Wall Street, prompting the talk-show host to lash out at the presidential candidate. CBS is making a clip of the incident available on the network's YouTube page. NBC's Russert Regrets Obama Statement Associated Press NBC News reporter Luke Russert says he made a "dumb" misstatement on the "Today" show when he suggested that smart people support Barack Obama for president. Russert, 23, son of the late "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert, is covering youth issues for NBC News. CBS Partners Biz Site with SeekingAlpha Crain's New York CBS Interactive is entering a deal between its BNET.com business resource site and SeekingAlpha.com, a business site known for providing news, earnings reports and conference-call transcripts. Seeking Alpha and BNET will share and link to each other's content. Broadcasters Eye Olympics' Digital Ads Wall Street Journal U.S. broadcasters are crunching a new set of numbers in anticipation of a bidding war next year for media rights to the Olympic Games in 2014 and 2016. Broadcasters are trying to evaluate the Internet audience in the wake of millions of online visitors to NBC's Beijing coverage. Disney to Rename Sports Venue ESPN Orlando Business Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Fla., is expanding further into sports tourism with its plan to rename Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex as the ESPN Wide World of Sports and add new events. In July 2009, Disney and ESPN will spotlight top U.S. high-school athletes. Oprah to Voice Character for Disney Film Associated Press Oprah Winfrey will voice the character of Eudora in the hand-drawn Disney animated movie "The Princess and the Frog," the studio says. The talk-show host will play the mother of the main character, Tiana, in the film, which is slated for release at Christmas 2009. CBS, Philly Newspaper Sued by Anchor Philadelphia Daily News Alycia Lane, a former news anchor at Philadelphia CBS station KYW-TV, is filing a lawsuit against her former employer, the Philadelphia Daily News and others, claiming that media coverage of an incident in which she was charged with assaulting a police officer led to her dismissal. Discovery, YouTube In Global Partnership World Screen Discovery Communications and YouTube will jointly launch channels in the United States and internationally and set up a number of program promotion initiatives. One project will provide YouTube users the opportunity to contribute to a special "Mythbusters" episode. NBC 'Office' Social Network Preps Parties UPI Parties to celebrate the start of the new season of the situation comedy "The Office" are being planned in 26 cities across America. The parties are being organized through DunderMifflinInfinity.com, the social network site for "The Office" fans on NBC.com. CBS to Take Money From Newspapers Wired CBS aims to leverage its purchase of the tech network CNET to shift away from being an "old media company," says CEO Les Moonves, speaking at the MIXX 2.8 conference. He adds: "One of the advantages of the Internet is we're taking money from newspapers." Cable Nets Take Ads from Broadcasters Bloomberg Cable television networks are benefiting from a shift of marketing dollars from broadcasters and see a "favorable advertising environment," says John Landgraf, president of News Corp.'s FX Networks. "For now the economics really play in the favor of basic cable." NBC: We Have Formula for Fighting Piracy CNET NBC Universal, buoyed by its recent successes with the Olympic Games and "Saturday Night Live, says it has found a "template" for protecting videos from online piracy. YouTube and other video sites now have the ability to quickly pull unauthorized videos, which is "game changer." Diller's IAC Eyes Plum TV Cable Network New York Post Plum TV, the nascent niche cable network targeting the affluent, is said to be in informal talks focused on either an outright purchase or an equity infusion. Possible suitors reportedly include Barry Diller's InterActiveCorp, Terry Semel's Windsor Media and Teddy Forstmann's IMG World. Gemstar-TV Guide Exec Rejoins Murdoch Bloomberg Rich Battista, the former CEO of Gemstar-TV Guide International, is rejoining News Corp. as president of Fox's national cable networks, overseeing channels including FX and Speed. Battista previously managed business development of Fox Entertainment Group. Hearst-Argyle TV Names Bennack Chairman Bloomberg Hearst-Argyle Television, owner of 26 television stations, is naming Frank Bennack Jr. chairman. Bennack, who is CEO of Hearst Corp., the TV company's majority owner, is replacing Victor Ganzi, who led the parent company before resigning suddenly in June. CBS iPhone App Targets Citizen Journos TechCrunch CBS is announcing that Eyemobile for iPhone is available in the iTunes App store for users that want to submit photo and video content to the company's new citizen journalism site, CBSeyemobile.com. Eyemobile lets users upload content from their iPhones. NBC Eyes Olympic TV/Web Data to Plan Ads Reuters NBC Universal will present a new study showing that audiences recall advertisements more clearly when they are run on both television and the Internet. The research, undertaken by NBC during its airing of the Olympic Games, may change the way commercial time is bought. MTV to Share Videos Among Its Web Sites Financial Times Viacom's MTV Networks is purchasing the rest of software company Social Project it does not own with plans to integrate social network features such as sharing of videos among its global network of Web sites and, within two to three years, the television. Disney, CBS to Stream TV Shows on Netflix Reuters Online movie rental company Netflix is entering deals with CBS and Disney Channel that will allow current season episodes of several television shows to be streamed online. Netflix will offer shows including CBS's "CSI" and the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana." Rather's CBS Lawsuit Seen as 'Slam Dunk' Associated Press A New York judge says news anchor Dan Rather can proceed with his $70 million lawsuit accusing CBS of violating his contract when the network fired him. Other charges, including a business interference complaint against CBS and former owner Viacom, are being dismissed. ABC Emmy Show the Least-Watched Ever Bloomberg ABC's Sunday-night broadcast of the Emmy Awards, the television industry's biggest awards show, attracted a mere 12.2 million viewers, trailing NBC's broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers football game. The Emmy ratings were the lowest since at least 1992. Disney: 'Hannah Montana' Is Not Leaving People Disney and Miley Cyrus are shooting down rumors that the teen star of the television hit "Hannah Montana" is seeking to exit. Reports of on-set squabbles are said to be "just gossip." "Hannah Montana" is the basis of a huge Disney merchandising empire for pre-teens. Hockey League to Air Most Games Online Wall Street Journal Professional hockey is making an aggressive push online, introducing a service that allows subscribers to watch nearly every game live on its Web site. The National Hockey League sees the new service, called GameCenter Live, as a way to serve its young, tech-savvy fans. NBC Flagship Station May See Cutbacks Crain's New York Morale is plummeting at WNBC, the New York flagship station of NBC, as the channel switches to a 24-hour news format. Longtime writers and producers are being told to apply for new jobs as "content producers," with no guarantee that they will be hired or paid their current salaries. CBS Kicks Off Auction of Radio Stations New York Post The U.S. radio market's vibrancy will be tested with the kickoff of the auction for 50 stations owned by CBS. First-rounds bids are due today. "We don't know what the marketplace is," admits CEO Les Moonves. "If we don't get the right pricing for it, we're not going to sell." Fox News: Bill O'Reilly's Web Site Hacked Wired A hacker claims to have cracked the Web site of Fox News Channel commentator Bill O'Reilly and purloined a list of his subscribers. The attack is described as retaliation for comments that O'Reilly made about Web sites that published emails of U.S. VP contender Sarah Palin. Emmys: The Big Winners Hail From Cable New York Times The big winners at the 60th Emmys Awards this year hail from cable television rather than from the broadcast networks. Cablevision's AMC won three awards, two of them for "Mad Men," which won best drama series, becoming the first basic cable show to win the honor. Disney, JibJab Create 'HSM' Web Video AdAge Disney is teaming up with JibJab, best known for its political satire composite videos, to offer free customizable Web videos of a song from "High School Musical 3." Pre-teen fans will be able to upload their photos and paste their heads onto the lead characters' bodies. MTV's Spike.com Airs 'PG' Adult Content Hollywood Reporter Spike.com, the MTV Networks service aimed at young men, is launching a short-form series that will bring together primetime television stars and actresses from adult films for comic -- and platonic -- vignettes. The online series aims to spoof the adult-film genre. 'Colbert Report' to Get Internet Makeover World Screen ColbertNation.com, the Web site for Comedy Central's hit political series "The Colbert Report," is being revamped to offer an online community, plus more than 2,800 videos dating back to 2005. The new site will also feature links to all Colbert-related gossip online. ABC Unveils Revamped Online Video Player B&C ABC.com is revamping its full-episode video player. Added functionality includes improved navigation, true full-screen viewing, closed-captioning and parental ratings for new content. More than 180 episodes of 15 different programs can be launched using the player. ABC News Lays Off Staffers at D.C. Bureau B&C ABC News is laying off "a handful" of employees at its Washington, D.C., bureau, marking the latest in a number of job moves and cuts there. The cuts come as the bureau increasingly becomes a backup for New York, where some news-programming production has moved. MSNBC Opens Site for 'Predator' Reporter Mediaweek MSNBC.com is launching TheHansenFiles.com, a new Web destination centered around the work of "Dateline NBC" investigative reporter Chris Hansen, who is known for his "To Catch a Predator" reports. Viewers will be encouraged to pitch story ideas to Hanson via the site. Sirius XM Shares Drop on Growth Prospects BusinessWeek Shares of Sirius XM satellite radio have plummeted some 30% in recent days, closing at 88 cents on Sept. 16, a five-year low. Analysts say subscriber growth prospects aren't likely to improve. Satellite radio "appeals very much to a very small group of people." CNBC Ratings Rise Amid Wall St Turmoil Wall Street Journal NBC Universal's CNBC, the top-rated cable business-news network, is drawing its highest audiences since the 2001 terror attacks with its coverage of the Wall Street crises this week, with top shows "Mad Money" and "Fast Money" each attracting their largest audiences ever. CBS to Begin Talks to Sell Radio Stations Bloomberg CBS boss Les Moonves says talks to sell as many as 50 radio stations will begin by the end of the month. The broadcaster sent out proposals to about 40 prospective buyers and has heard from several. "If we don't get the right price, we can always pull back." NBC, NYT Break Their Records on the Web Beet.TV "Saturday Night Live's" acclaimed Sarah Palin/Hilary Clinton skit is resulting in the most popular online video clip ever published by NBC, with 5 million streams. Also: The New York Times is breaking its traffic record -- close to 9 million visitors -- with its coverage of Wall Street's woes. NBC Online Strategy Differs From Rivals USA Today For the third year, NBC plans an aggressive campaign to make new series widely available on the Web a week before their premieres -- a strategy is at odds with that of most other networks. "If you don't embrace people's behavior," says NBC exec John Miller, "you can be lost by it." Tribune, Local TV to Combine Newsrooms Chicago Tribune Tribune and Local TV Holdings plan to combine news operations and share programming at their television stations in Denver and St. Louis. Owned by Oak Hill Capital, Local TV consists of TV stations formerly owned by the New York Times and News Corp. NBC Zaps YouTube Uploads of 'SNL' Skit Wired Google searches for the terms "SNL Palin," "Saturday Night Live" and "Tina Fey as Palin" rocketed over the weekend. But the take-down notices from NBC Universal went out just as quickly, notifying Google's YouTube that clips from "Saturday Night Live" infringe upon copyrights. MTV to Cancel Music Video-Focused 'TRL' Wall Street Journal After more than 10 years, MTV's music-video showcase "Total Request Live" will draw to a close in November. The end of "TRL" will eliminate one of the Viacom network's top vehicles for airing new music videos. MTV is becoming far better known for its reality series. Current TV Adds Twitter to Debate Coverage CNET Current, the edgy news and culture television channel co-founded by Al Gore, is coming up with a new way to broadcast the presidential debates: show Twitter commentary on what people are saying. Current will broadcast "Hack the Debate," with Twitter updates shown in real time. NBC's Silverman Says He's Not Leaving Hollywood Reporter Despite some media reports to the contrary, NBC entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman said he is staying put at the network. "I am so committed to this job," says Silverman, speaking at the New York Television Festival. "I may be the Paris Hilton of NBC." Sirius XM Radio Mulls Going Private Wall Street Journal Given Sirius XM's low stock price, CEO Mel Karmazin says he would love to take the company private. But given the state of the credit markets, "How do you find [the money] today?" Satellite radio's growth is slowing and Wall Street is said to be "rattled." Comcast to Beef Up Its Fancast Site Associated Press Comcast is entering deals with ABC, CW, Showtime, HBO and The Food Network to offer free advertising-supported television episodes and clips on its entertainment site, Fancast.com. Comcast recently added an online store to Fancast where consumers can buy or rent video. NBC 'SNL' Opener Sees Ratings Soar New York Times The season opener of "Saturday Night Live," featuring Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, delivered the show's highest ratings since 2002, NBC says. Saturday's show, hosted by Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, averaged a 7.4 household rating/18 share in the 55 metered markets. ABC Palin Interview Scores on YouTube SAI ABC News' Charlie Gibson landed the biggest get of this presidential cycle, with his interview with Sarah Palin. But he didn't reap all the benefits on the Web: Far more people have watched clips of Gibson's interview on YouTube (2.8 million) than on ABCNews.com (600,000. MTV Eyes Tribes Web Sales Strategy Mediaweek Viacom's MTV Networks is rolling out Tribes, a mini-network that will recruit and vet various small to mid-sized Web sites and blogs similar in demographics and content, then aggregate them for advertisers, with its own sites -- MTV, VH1, CMT -- serving as anchors. Lifetime Exec Grasso to Join Oprah Net Variety Lifetime original programming senior VP Maria Grasso is expected to leave for rival Oprah Winfrey Network. Insiders said Grasso is departing because she was passed over for the top programming job at Lifetime. Grasso is to report to OWN entertainment head Robin Schwartz. BET Entertainment Chief Hudlin to Resign Washington Post Reginald Hudlin, a Hollywood veteran who was brought to Viacom's Black Entertainment Television three years ago to overhaul programming, is leaving the embattled network. His exit is said to be "a mutual decision." During his tenure, BET's viewership declined significantly. NBC Sells Most of '09 Super Bowl Ads AdAge NBC, which will broadcast Super Bowl XLIII from Tampa, Fla., next year, says it has sold more than 80% of its available advertising inventory for the game, with a dozen 30-second spots selling for $3 million each. NBC execs say they are "pleasantly surprised" by the "zeal." ShopNBC to Be Shopped for a Sale Multichannel News Two weeks after angry shareholders said ShopNBC should be put up for sale, the television and online shopping service is being put on the block. ShopNBC's board is appointing a committee of directors to review "strategic alternatives aimed at maximizing shareholder value." AT&T Asks FCC to Force Cox to Open Up Bloomberg AT&T, seeking to add more television subscribers, is asking U.S. regulators to force Cox Communications to provide access to San Diego Padres baseball games. Cox's regional sports network is "illegally preventing" AT&T's U-verse TV service from airing the games, AT&T claims. TV Better Than Web, Other Media, Execs Say Reuters Television advertising sales are weathering the current economic storm better than media categories like radio and publishing, and perhaps even the Internet, according to a number of media execs. "Cautious" marketers are "redirecting dollars from interactive to TV." ABC Cuts Management Jobs In Operations B&C ABC is eliminating up to 20 management positions in broadcast operations and engineering in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Says ABC: "These positions were eliminated due to the increased efficiencies of advanced technology recently put in place." CBS Complains, YouTube Takes Down Ad TV Week A John McCain campaign Web ad that uses a clip of CBS News anchor Katie Couric to chastise rival candidate Barack Obama is being pulled by Google's YouTube, because of the broadcaster's copyright complaints. CBS News says it "does not endorse any candidate." Disney, Nickelodeon Face Off on the Net BusinessWeek Disney is leading Viacom's Nickelodeon in the race for online kiddie traffic after adding new features to its Web site, but Nick users stay online longer. Within the coming week, Disney intends to roll out a beta version of an online Fairies games, with a subscription version due by year-end. MTV to Launch Twitter-Like Online Game CNET MTV on Monday will launch Backchannel, a live, play-while-you watch online game. Users will join a "room" of other viewers while watching an MTV show, and submit snarky or insightful one-liners in a competition for points that may become a virtual currency for real-life prizes. Fox Criticized For Skipping Cancer Telethon E! Online Friday's "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon aired live and commercial-free on NBC, ABC and CBS. Speaking before the show, executive producer Laura Ziskin took a swipe at Fox for not participating. News Corp. sent flowers, she quips, but a "large donation" would have been better. CBS Offends Catholic Church With New Book New York Post Simon & Schuster's "101 Places To Have Sex Before You Die" encourages couples to have sex in church confessionals. S&S is part of the media empire of Sumner Redstone, whose Viacom got into hot water in 2002 when its WNEW-FM promoted a couple having sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. ESPN Short-Form Video to Debut on Bebo CNET Time Warner social network Bebo is making short-form video from Disney's ESPN available to its U.S. visitors. The programming will include "SportsCenter Right Now," "Pardon the Interruption" and "Around the Horn," as well as clips from select news and game footage. MSNBC Ready to Set Sail as 'Must-Sea' TV TV Week MSNBC is setting sail on a new distribution platform, landing a multiyear deal to deliver news live via satellite to passengers cruising the Mediterranean. MSNBC will be added to the service from Wave Entertainment Network that delivers programming to cruise ships. NBC Restores Shows to iTunes, Ending Feud Los Angeles Times NBC Universal is ending its battle with Apple, restoring some of the most downloaded television shows to the iTunes store. The two companies had tangled over Apple's insistence on a $1.99 price for all shows. NBC and Apple appear to be "meeting in the middle," analysts say. Sirius XM: Advertisers 'Leaving In Droves' MarketWatch Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin says the company is still short of his goal of having advertising comprise 10% of revenue, partly because national advertisers are leaving both traditional and satellite radio "in droves." Says Karmazin: "I like that we have subscription revenue." CBS Stock Drop May Lead to Going Private Reuters Asked whether the sharp drop in CBS stock would lead him to consider taking the company private, boss Les Moonves replies that such a decision is out of his hands. "Not my call," he says. "Obviously, we have a chairman that likes a public company. Yes, our stock price is a bargain." Radio Host Franken Wins Demo Senate Nod Associated Press Comedian Al Franken is grabbing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Franken is a former cast member of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and syndicated show host for Air America Radio. Google to Sell NBC Ads, Digitize Newspapers Reuters Google is entering a deal with NBC Universal to act as a broker to sell television advertising on NBC cable channels including MSNBC and CNBC. Also: Google aims to make old newspapers searchable online by partnering with publishers to digitize millions of pages of news archives. Viacom's 'South Park' Faces Ban In Russia Moscow Times Prosecutors in Moscow are starting legal proceedings aimed at the satirical cartoon "South Park" in a bid to "kill Kenny" on Russian television. A commission claims that the Comedy Central series is "extremist" in nature and promotes "hatred between religions." CBS Eyes TV.com as Web Video Destination BusinessWeek CEO Les Moonves aims to transform CNET Networks, which his company acquired in May, into a $1 billion Internet business. The key will be CNET's TV.com site, which he plans to make into a destination for online television viewing. "Who is going to have a better address than TV.com?" Facebook, MySpace to Embed CBS Episodes B&C CBS Interactive and widget creator iWidgets are teaming up to create a CBS widget for social-networking platforms. The widget will enable users of Facebook, MySpace and other sites to embed full episodes of a number of CBS shows within their profiles or in their blogs. Fox Promotes 'Fringe' as 'Remote-Free TV' AdAge Fox's new "Fringe," a much-buzzed-about drama from J.J. Abrams, will run roughly half the standard amount of commercials, in hopes that viewers will not want to fast-forward past the ads. Marketers are paying a premium of 40% to run commercials during the untested series. CNN to Launch News Show Based on Twitter WebProNews Twitter, the social networking and microblogging service, may get a big push into mainstream society, thanks to CNN. News anchor Rich Sanchez is posting a tweet saying that the Time Warner news network is launching a so-called "Twitter show" called "Rick Sanchez Direct." MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as Anchors Washington Post MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the news anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the U.S. presidential campaign. NBC newsman David Gregory will take over during such events. Viacom, Comcast Channels Skip McCain Speech Bloomberg John McCain attracted 38.9 million television viewers to his acceptance speech Thursday night, exceeding the 38.4 million who watched rival Barack Obama's address. Viacom's BET and Comcast's TV One, channels aimed at black audiences, both carried Obama's speech, but not McCain's. Oprah Targeted for Boycott by Republican Group St. Petersburg Times The Florida Federation of Republican Women is calling for a boycott of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" following reports that Winfrey will not have U.S. VP candidate Sarah Palin on as a guest before the election. "We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey's decision," the group says. Reagan Set to Broadcast via Air America Radio Seattle Times Ron Reagan, the son of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, is returning to radio airwaves on Seattle's KPTK. "The Ron Reagan Show," which will be nationally syndicated via Air America Radio, will air live weekdays. Reagan previously hosted a talk show on Seattle's KIRO. U.S. Gov Preps Sale of Emergency Airwaves Washington Post A plan to create a national U.S. communications network for police, fire and other first responders is being announced by the Federal Communications Commission. The network could be auctioned as one national block of radio spectrum or as 58 separate regional airwaves licenses. CW '90210' Debut Hit With Indecency Charge Los Angeles Times The U.S. Parents Television Council is encouraging advertisers to boycott the CW television network because of an "adult" scene in the opening segment of its newest hit series, "90210." The CW sent "a sucker punch to viewers and a lot of families," the council says. Lifetime Delays 'Runway' Takeoff Amid Battle EW Disney/Hearst's Lifetime cable network won't debut the sixth season of "Project Runway" until January so it has more time to promote the show that it swiped from NBC Universal's Bravo. The news comes as a lawsuit over the rights to the hit reality series continues to battle in court. CBS Sues NFL Players Over Fantasy Football Associated Press CBS is filing a federal lawsuit to clarify who can use the statistics that underlie fantasy football leagues. The lawsuit claims the NFL Players Association has threatened to sue the company if it does not pay licensing fees for the statistics, which CBS says are publicly available. CNN.com, MSNBC News Emails In Spam Alert Los Angeles Times Spam e-mails are reported to be going out with subject lines that appear to be about breaking news from U.S. cable television networks CNN or MSNBC. Clicking on a link in these e-mails leads to a Web page that downloads a virus that enables remote access users' computers. ABC Moves 'Motherhood' Web Series to TV Hollywood Reporter InTheMotherhood.com is moving from the Web to prime-time television with some new leading ladies. ABC is handing out a 13-episode order to a comedy series based on MindShare's online show. The ABC version will star Chelsea Handler, Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines. HBO Launches Web Series With 'Lonelygirl15' Hollywood Reporter HBO's experimental online programmer HBOlab is launching "Hooking Up," a scripted Web video series featuring Jessica Rose, star of the Web sensation "lonelygirl15." The series will be distributed on YouTube and MySpace as well as via HookingUpShow.com. CBS Enters Restaurant Biz With 'CBS Scene' Bar CNBC CBS is opening the CBS Scene at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots football team, in Foxborough, Ma. "It's the best sports bar in the world," declares CBS boss CBS Moon