Fast Track

After Congress complained about Sinclair Broadcasting's plans to air a documentary critical of Sen. John Kerry, the FCC decided to bow out of the fight.

Chairman Michael Powell last week said the FCC is not in the business of regulating editorial decisions of media companies, including blocking the broadcast of a show.

He said the commission would look into the issue, but he added, "There is no rule that I'm aware of that would allow the commission—nor would it be prudent—to prevent the airing of a program. In a later CNBC interview, he said it would be illegal prior restraint for the FCC to prevent a program from airing.

After years of talk and little action, electric companies are one step closer to offering high-speed Internet and other communications services over power lines.

The FCC last week approved rules that would allow utilities to offer broadband service over power lines while attempting to safeguard broadcasters and other existing licensed services against harmful interference.

Broadcasters are wary of the new service because the FCC did not forbid utilities from offering the service at frequencies that could interfere with TV channels, particularly digital ones.

Twentieth Television has cleared Fox's thriller 24 for an off-net syndicated run on Viacom stations in 18 major markets, covering 34% of the country. Under the terms of the deal, Twentieth and stations will split the ad time, with each getting seven minutes to sell.

Comedy Central has renewed half-hour comedy Reno 911 for a third season. Thirteen new episodes will debut in summer 2005. The show has been one of the network's top performers since its debut.

Vowing not to repeat last year's halftime show featuring a singing, gyrating Jackson, the NFL has selected the producer of the 2005 show, whose previous experience includes, well, producing a Super Bowl halftime show featuring a singing, gyrating Jackson.

The NFL sought out Don Mischer Productions to produce the halftime show on Fox, but not to worry. Mischer produced the 2003 show, featuring a fully clothed Michael Jackson rather than a wardrobe-challenged Janet, and the NFL will have sign-off on all elements of the new production, including talent "and wardrobe," adds NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. He says it will be an entirely collaborative process, with Mischer "executing the NFL's vision."

Mischer is a decorated veteran awards-show producer—13 Emmys—though, ironically, awards shows are the other live programming genre to draw heavy indecency fire. Now that all the networks are putting delays on awards shows, Mischer also has experience producing with a delay, including at least one bleep of an offending phrase on the most recent Emmy telecast, which he produced.

VARIETYCAREERS.COM, an online job resource for the media and entertainment industry, launched on Oct. 18. The Web site aims to provide entertainment companies with more qualified candidates than other broad-based sites, says Charlie Koones, executive vice president and publisher of the Variety Group, which operates the site.

"For job seekers in media, it's an extraordinary resource with over 3,500 jobs at launch combined with the editorial resources for research and context," Koones says.

The Variety Group is a collection of business publications that includes B&C.