B&C Eye
By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/14/2001 8:00:00 PM
Try, try again
Warner Bros. has cleared Moral Court on KCAL-TV Los Angeles and WCIU-TV Chicago for fall 2002. Feeling some déjà vu? It's understandable, given that Moral Court ran during the 2000 season on those stations, among others, but was canceled last May. The show, starring radio personality Larry Elder, usually hovered around a 1.0 Nielsen national average. WCIU-TV General Manager Neal Sabin hopes the bigger numbers he's currently getting with Moral Court reruns (4.5 rating/13 share last Wednesday) will persuade other stations to sign on. With Judge Mills Lane and Curtis Court out of the picture, Moral Court has room to stage a comeback, Sabin says. He can't recall a strip's shutting down and starting back up, but, with syndicators experimenting with different distribution models, he says, "all the rules have changed." Deborah McDermott, head of operations at KCAL-TV owner Young Broadcasting, is a "big fan of the host," whose radio show is based in L.A.—S.A.
FCC hopeful
Jonathan Adelstein, legislative assistant to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), is the latest candidate to surface in the race for the seat of former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani. Adelstein handles telecommunications for Daschle and enters the running after former AT&T Broadband lobbyist David Krone removed his name from consideration. Krone was a leading contender, with the backing of both Daschle and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.). But Krone chose to follow mentor Leo Hindery to New York City and the YankeeNet cable network. Adelstein has been with Daschle since 1995. He started in the Senate in 1987 as a legislative assistant to Sen. Donald Riegle Jr. (D-Mich.) and became a professional staffer in 1989. He graduated from Stanford in 1985 and got a masters degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 1987.—P.A.
Talk heats up
A prospective 2002 talk show executive-produced by Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels has been delayed to make way for NBC Enterprises syndicated projects from legal activist Erin Brockovich (above) and criminal hunter John Walsh. Both are on the fast track to get 2002 talk shows. Walsh's has been in development at NBC for awhile, but the current U.S. mood in the wake of the terrorist attacks is fueling movement on the show, as well as the Brockovich project, say insiders. There are no details on the formats, but Walsh's show is further along. NBC is likely to take out at least one of the projects for 2002 and is expected to decide by mid November.—S.A.
Shakeup at TW Cable
Just eight weeks after a corporate clash prompted the exit of Time Warner Cable Chairman Joe Collins, the AOL unit is being shaken up again. Collins replacement Glenn Britt is moving HBO President John Billock over to the cable systems unit as vice chairman. President Tom Rutledge is out, pursuing "a different career direction." Returning to the cable industry is ex-Comcast Cable President Tom Baxter, now Time Warner Cable president. He left Comcast in 1998 and was most recently president of Internet audio company Audible.—J.H.
No-fly zone
The Taliban opposition group, the Northern Alliance, has welcomed Western journalists to its territory in Northern Afghanistan and ferried many into the region on helicopters. Since the air strikes began, however, the alliance-controlled airspace has been closed. That means there are no longer helicopters shuttling reporters and supplies over from Tajikistan. It also eliminates the air route to safety for Western journalists. "We'd have to drive out, and it would take several days to get to Tajikistan," said CNN's Chris Burns.—A.R.
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