BC Beat
Commentary, analysis and observations on the business of television from the staff of Broadcasting & Cable.
Stern Doesn't Want to Make 'America's Got Talent' Into 'The Howard Stern Show'
In advance of his debut next Monday on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, new judge Howard Stern held a press conference in New York Thursday, where he responded to critics’ assertion that his no-holds-barred style would not play nicely with network television audiences. Saying Stern has been no stranger to controversy would be a massive understatement. However, Stern knows what type ...... Read More
Comments (0)NOMINATIONS: B&C's Next Wave of Leaders 2012
The editorial staff of B&C is pleased to announce the beginning of the nomination process for the 2012 Next Wave of Leaders. We are soliciting nominations for our annual list of executives who are the rising stars in our fast-changing industry. Every year at this time we honor a group of people who have already done great things, and are expected to continue that trend for years to come. Some ...... Read More
Comments (0)Where to Be, What to Watch: Week of May 7-May 13
Here is a rundown of where to be and what to watch the week of May 7-May 13. * Monday, May 7 * ABC’s Castle Season Finale When: 10 p.m. ET CBS’ 2 Broke Girls Season Finale When: 8 p.m. ET * Tuesday, May 8 * Discovery Communications Q1 Earnings Conference CallWhen: 8:30 a.m. ETClick here to access the webcast. E.W. Scripps Q1 Earnings Conference Call When: 9 a.m. ETClick here to acces ...... Read More
Comments (0)Remembering Mike Wallace (1918-2012)
Family, friends and a veritable who’s-who of television news turned out Tuesday morning to remember legendary 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace, who died last month at the age of 93. The memorial, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, featured video tributes to Wallace fond stories from his colleagues like CBS Chairman and 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager, 60 Minutes corre ...... Read More
Comments (0)DIY Net in Search of Products, Advertisers at Hardware Show
DIY programmers will be scouring the exhibit floor at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas May 1-3 to search for the newest and most innovative home products to feature on its show I Want That. But the network will be looking for more than products at the trade show – it will also be looking for advertisers through a new partnership with the Hardware Show that has DIY sponsoring the ...... Read More
Comments (0)Where to Be, What to Watch: Week of April 30-May 6
Here is a rundown of where to be and what to watch the week of April 30-May 6. * Tuesday, May 1* CBS Corp. Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call When: 4:30 p.m. ETClick here to access the webcast. NBCUniversal Digital Media NewFrontWhere: Skylight West, New YorkWhen: 6:30-10 p.m. ETClick here for more information. ABC’s Last Man Standing Season FinaleWhen: 8 p.m. ET Paley Center: Person of Inter ...... Read More
Comments (0)Fox Sports Gets It Right: Now Keep It That Way
Fox Sports — or more specifically its Fox Soccer Channel — was handed an absolute masterpiece of a game Tuesday afternoon and did exactly what a network should do with it — stayed the hell out of its way. The telecast was of the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament that ends with the Super Bowl of European club soccer, and was an absolute classic that saw Engla ...... Read More
Comments (1)Amanpour Juggling Roles at ABC, CNN 'With Great Skill'
When it was announced last December that Christiane Amanpour would leave as host of ABC’s This Week and launch a new show on CNN International while maintaining a presence at ABC News, it drew comparisons to the deals of anchors like Anderson Cooper, who hosts CNN’s AC360 as well as contributes to CBS’ 60 Minutes. But Amanpour wants people to know that she was actually the fir ...... Read More
Comments (0)Driving Mr. Dempsey
I’m sitting next to Patrick Dempsey in the back seat of a black SUV as it races us toward a helicopter that is waiting to take off into the sunset. Well, in full disclosure, the helicopter is just for Dempsey, who is taking it to JFK airport where he has to catch a plane to Los Angeles to resume shooting of Grey’s Anatomy. And since we’re in midtown Manhattan at rush hour, we& ...... Read More
Comments (3)Bert Sugar and the Sweet Science
I was sad to hear of Bert Sugar’s death yesterday. Sugar was a well known figure in boxing circles, an author dozens of times over on the sweet science, and a TV personality and pundit. He was 75. The NY Times described him as “boxing’s human encyclopedia, a prolific writer and editor and a flamboyant and ubiquitous presence in the world of the ring,” as well as ȁ ...... Read More
Comments (5)Starz Hopes 'Magic City' Can Cast a 'Mad Men' Spell
By renewing Magic City two weeks in advance of its series premiere on April 6, the premium cable channel is hoping that the 1960s-era drama enchants just as many viewers as AMC’s Mad Men – although, as Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said, sharing the same decade is where the similarities between the two series end. “I think the characters are totally different; the storylines are to ...... Read More
Comments (2)NBC News Touts 'Power of One' at Upfront Lunch
“This is not an upfront presentation; it wasn’t designed to be that,” said John Kelly, executive VP of NBC News and information media sales & marketing, in opening what NBC News dubbed its “Insider Event” in New York on Thursday. And indeed it wasn’t. Kelly kept his remarks brief, as did NBC News President Steve Capus, with nary a mention of ratings, a ...... Read More
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