Broadcasting & Cable Today: The Business of Television
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Broadcasting & Cable Today: The Business of Television



Tuesday, March 4, 2008

TODAY'SNEWS

The CW Restructuring Eliminates Comedy Department
By Ben Grossman
The CW is restructuring its operations, eliminating its stand-alone comedy department and combining its drama and current programming divisions. On the heels of a tough fall for The CW (and most of network television) followed by the 100-day writers' strike, the restructuring resulted in roughly 25-30 layoffs.

FCC Votes for Government-Mandated DTV Consumer-Education Campaign
By John Eggerton
The FCC voted to require broadcasters, cable operators and others to undertake a government-mandated digital-TV consumer-education campaign, although there is some flexibility for broadcasters. It also said it will help the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make sure that retailers are getting DTV-to-analog converter boxes onto the shelves.

Copps Pushes for Investigation of WHNT-TV Outage During 60 Minutes
By John Eggerton
FCC commissioner Michael Copps formally asked FCC chairman Kevin Martin to investigate a "technical difficulty" at WHNT-TV Huntsville, Ala., that prevented some Alabama viewers from seeing a Feb. 24 60 Minutes story about an alleged campaign by Karl Rove, former aide to President George W. Bush, against Don Siegelman, former Democrat governor of Alabama, who was eventually jailed for corruption.

Copps Continues Push for Real-World DTV Testing
By John Eggerton
Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps continued to push for more real-world testing of the digital-TV switch before the plug is pulled on full-power analog stations Feb. 17, 2009.

Feb. 18, 2009, Is Only a Year Away... The DTV Countdown Begins Now
Introducing The DTV Countdown, a new channel on broadcastingcable.com providing complete coverage of the 2009 digital-TV transition.

Click here...


Supreme Court Makes No Decision on Fox Profanity Case
By John Eggerton
The Supreme Court apparently hasn't yet decided whether to hear the appeal of a lower court's ruling that the FCC's fleeting-profanity policy was insufficiently justified, arbitrary and capricious, according to the Supreme Court practice of law firm Akin Gump, which posted the notice on SCOTUSblog.com, its Supreme Court-monitoring blog.

Douglas Holloway to Head NBC Affiliate Relations
By Michael Malone
Douglas Holloway was named president of NBC Network Distribution Partnerships and Affiliate Marketing. He succeeds John Damiano, who retired last year.

Small Cable Ops Ask FCC for Blanket Exemption on Dual Carriage
By Glen Dickson
After months of public lobbying for less onerous digital-must-carry requirements, the American Cable Association filed with the FCC asking the agency to formally exempt the smallest and most bandwidth-starved cable systems from carrying both analog and digital versions of broadcasters’ signals.

TBS Unveils Development Slate
By Alex Weprin
TBS unveiled its development slate Monday, confirming that The Bill Engvall Show, Frank TV and My Boys will return for new seasons and previewing shows under development.

truTV Green-Lights Six Series
By Alex Weprin
truTV picked up six series, the network announced Monday. truTV also detailed four series still in development.

Supreme Court Won't Hear John, Timothy Rigas Appeals
By John Eggerton
The Supreme Court Monday declined to hear the appeal of former Adelphia Communications executives John Rigas and son Timothy Rigas on their convictions of conspiring to commit securities and bank fraud.

FROMB&CMAGAZINE

An Idea Whose Time Has Come...Again
By David Bianculli
Television is busy this season reviving individual TV shows from past decades, hoping for lightning to strike quickly with remakes of Bionic Woman, American Gladiator and Knight Rider—and that's just on NBC. Some of those efforts would be better served reviving an entire programming concept: T.G.I.F
From the 03/03/2008 issue of Broadcasting & Cable




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