BC Beat
Commentary, analysis and observations on the business of television from the staff of Broadcasting & Cable. Edited by Senior Editor Joel Topcik.
Comcast/NBC U Domain Déjà vu: An Update
Since I noted the problem of website cyber-squatting as it relates to the NBC Universal-Comcast acquisition two weeks ago, the deal has marched slowly forward, while the name of the new venture remains a mystery. But a Twitter conversation, started by Variety’s Michael Schneider (@franklinavenue) and former B&C‘er turned Los Angeles Times media maven Joe Flint (@jbflint) has spur ...... Read More
Comments (0)Industry Tweets That Caught Our Eye: Nov. 12, 2009
Below are B&C’s picks for the top five industry tweets of the day. @JohnKingCNN (Chief National Correspondent, CNN) Thanks for all the kind words about soon to be new gig. And to the skeptics, hope you will watch before judging. @shondarhimes (Creator/EP, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice) I can’t convince anyone to join twitter. Am not a magic-twitter-joiner-fairy perso ...... Read More
Comments (0)Hannity to Address 'Daily Show' Claims on "Tea Party" Video
Fox News host Sean Hannity has said that he will address charges tonight on his self-titled primetime show that a recent segment used misleading video footage to inflate the attendance of a recent anti-Obama rally in Washington. The decision comes after a Nov. 10 segment on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart presented apparent evidence that Hannity’s Nov. 5 report on an ...... Read More
Comments (0)Balloon Boys Unite
A warning to CNN, Fox News, and others tapped into the citizen journalist movement. If there is suddenly a rash of new balloon boy sightings, take it with a grain–make that a shakerfulof salt. Balloon Boys, a new cell phone app, is now available at the iTunes story, according to Mosa Motion Graphics, which created the application. “iPhone users can now create their own balloon ...... Read More
Comments (0)Industry Tweets That Caught Our Eye: Nov. 11, 2009
Below are B&C’s picks for the top five industry tweets of the day. @SyFy (Craig Engler, SVP & GM of Digital, SyFy) Looks like Fox finally canceled Dollhouse. (No, I don’t think we’ll pick it up.) @SteveLevitan (Co-Creator/EP, Modern Family) The comedy world has lost one of its best. Legendary David Lloyd was a wonderful guy and an amazing writer. No ‘Chuckles&#x ...... Read More
Comments (0)NBC Shakes Up The Format For ‘The Jay Leno Show’
When NBC announced the format of The Jay Leno Show, the network made it a point to note that it would be turning the structure from The Tonight Show on its head. While it would start with a monologue, the network said Jay would save the signature comedy bits for the end of the episode in order to provide the strongest news lead-in for its local affiliates. “The signature pieces people like ...... Read More
Comments (17)White House Spokesperson Dunn Steps Down
Anita Dunn, the White House communications director who escalated the administration’s clash with Fox News, is stepping down. Dan Pfeiffer, her deputy will take over. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza broke the news this morning on The Fix. Dunn will not sever all ties with the White House. Hired as an interim communications director when Ellen Moran left to take a job at the Comm ...... Read More
Comments (2)Sunny Day...
So, Sesame Street turns 40 today, and besides reminding me that I’ll be marking the same milestone soon enough (thanks, Sesame Street!), this sunny day reminds me how much I enjoyed Street Gang, Michael Davis’ history of this ongoing experiment in children’s educational programming. We saluted Davis’ book back in January, as the country was preparing to inaugurate its ...... Read More
Comments (0)Industry Tweets That Caught Our Eye: Nov. 10, 2009
Below are B&C’s picks for the top five industry tweets of the day. @CarltonCuse (Writer/EP, Lost) Now that pets are getting swine flu, here’s my money-making idea: A Purell pet mat. Dogs and cats step on it on their way in the house. @ricksanchezcnn (Host, CNN Newsroom) i’m not on air, so i tweet. @HartHanson (Creator, Bones) Off for a catch-up lunch with the irrepressible ...... Read More
Comments (0)‘Gossip’ Heats Up But CW Affils Sit Tight
Some still-unidentified comely young people will engage in a threesome on Monday night’s episode of Gossip Girl and a torrent of criticism from the Parents Television Council hasn’t compelled any of the CW’s affiliates to preempt the show as of presstime Monday afternoon. “We have no affiliate pull-outs whatsoever,” said the network’s Senior VP of Communic ...... Read More
Comments (0)Fort Hood Story Takes A Turn
The horrific shooting at the Army training base at Fort Hood, Texas took a dramatic turn on Thursday night when Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone announced at a press conference that shooting suspect Major Nidal Malik Hasan was not dead as the Army had previously asserted. It was Cone who told the media at a press conference less than an hour after the shooting that Hasan as well ...... Read More
Comments (1)Television Covers Fort Hood Shooting
The shooting at the Fort Hood Army training base in Texas sent television news into overdrive on Thursday. Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said at a news conference that one shooter had been killed and two suspects were apprehended. News of the shooting broke inside the 3 p.m. hour. MSNBC’s David Shuster reported the news at 3:13 p.m. followed by Fox News’ Shepard Smith at 3:16 p.m. ...... Read More
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