Fox Will Follow Red Sox Surge With Reality TV
By BILL CARTER, The New York Times, November 1, 2004

Two weeks ago, the Fox network was deep in the ratings basement, its performance so dismal it was unclear how it would climb out of the hole it had dug for itself.

Then along came the Boston Red Sox. By winning their first World Series in 86 years, the Red Sox did more than just reward their long-suffering fans; they set up what could be the closest ratings race ever among the four major broadcast networks.

While Fox's overall ratings this new season are down about 6 percent from last year, the network has moved from fourth place into first among viewers from ages 18 to 49, which all the networks other than CBS define as the only competition that counts.

Now, Fox needs to maintain that momentum. And it plans to compete with an onslaught of reality programming never seen before in network television.

Beginning this week, Fox is unveiling a schedule that no scriptwriter could love. Although the drama "The O.C.'' and comedies like "Arrested Development'' and "The Simpsons'' are returning, nine of the network's weekly 15 hours of programming - 60 percent of its total schedule - will be made up of reality shows.

This Wednesday, a ferocious nanny will begin teaching a family how to behave, in "Nanny 911." "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss,'' a spoof of NBC's "The Apprentice'' in which a fake boss makes a group of contestants all but grovel for his approval, makes its debut on Sunday. And beginning on Nov. 9, the British entrepreneur Richard Branson will try to teach a group of young people how to risk life and limb to become wealthy in "The Rebel Billionaire."

Fox is banking on reality to hold the ratings fort until January. That is when some new scripted series and returning shows like "24'' - along with the network's reality life preserver, "American Idol" - go on the air.

The strategy is a risky one. Reality shows tend to be less attractive to advertisers, and by introducing so many reality series, the network might kill off a genre that has all but saved network television over the last five years.

"It's flying in the face of what is happening elsewhere,'' said Steve Sternberg, senior vice president of the media buying company Magna Global USA, referring to the failure of several new reality shows (like "The Next Great Champ'') and the success of new dramas (like "Desperate Housewives'').

But Fox, which announced its intention last spring to reconstruct the whole nature of the television season, is simply playing its own game.

"I don't even know what's normal anymore," said Preston Beckman, executive vice president of program planning for Fox.

Fox has been among the most aggressive networks in moving away from the classic September-May television season, staggering the premieres of shows so it can run original programming throughout the year. That approach allows broadcast networks to avoid repeats, which have a tendency to send viewers to the original programming playing on cable channels.

In addition, the baseball playoffs put Fox at a disadvantage for starting new shows in September, because it would have had to pre-empt episodes through much of October.

Mr. Beckman said Fox decided this year that it needed "to take a different approach coming out of baseball."

That meant not trying to start up a batch of new series, some clearly aimed at women, as it did last year with dramas like the ill-fated "Skin." Instead, Fox larded its baseball coverage with promotions for man-friendly reality fare like the Branson series (a combination of "The Apprentice," "Amazing Race" and "Fear Factor") and especially "Obnoxious Boss" in an attempt to create a kind of "obnoxious" franchise.

Last year, Fox scored with an obnoxious fiancé; this year an actor playing an ersatz business mogul systematically humiliates some hapless contestants, all in good fun. Fox, viewing the show as a comedy, has placed it on Sunday at 9 p.m., after four situation comedies.

That night is one of the few where Fox has any concentration of scripted series. The only other night where two hours of scripted shows run back to back is Thursday, where Fox has placed its most promising series, "The O.C.," putting it up against CBS's "Survivor'' and NBC's "Joey'' in the hopes it can finally reap some of the lucrative ad money spent on Thursday night by movie companies and car dealers.

"I'm feeling optimistic that we may finally get a toehold on the most important night of the week," Mr. Beckman said.

Monday, meanwhile, has two reality hours, "Trading Spouses," the wife-swapping experiment, and "The Swan," the beauty contest for post-cosmetic-surgery ugly ducklings. Wednesday has "Nanny 911." Friday has two half-hour video-clip shows, followed by "Renovate My Family," a makeover show for entire family units. And Saturdays have the hoary Fox reality duo, "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted."

Part of the rationale for this heavy dose of reality is boldness: Mr. Beckman noted that Fox was trying to deconstruct the traditional television season. Another part, he acknowledged, is pure necessity. Fox saw one returning scripted show, "Bernie Mac," put on hiatus.

But some critics and industry executives suggest another explanation: Fox is all but bereft of strong scripted series.

"They don't have the scripted guns anymore," said Stacey Lynn Koerner, executive vice president of Initiative Media. "They had 'Ally McBeal,' they had 'X-Files.' Those shows don't exist anymore."

Fox has a few newer scripted shows like the comedy "Quintuplets" and the soap "North Shore." But Mr. Sternberg said that neither of these elicited much more than a tepid response in tryouts earlier. In addition, several long-running Fox shows, like "Malcolm in the Middle," "King of the Hill" and "That 70's Show," are showing signs of wear.

"In some other publication, I accused Fox of creative bankruptcy," said Jon Mandel, the chairman of MediaCom US, the media service division of Grey Global. Although he said that Mr. Beckman had disputed that characterization, he said two of Fox's new reality series, "Trading Spouses" and "Nanny 911," are copies of ABC shows.

Mr. Mandel added, "I think I stand by my line about creative bankruptcy."

The other potential downside to a reality-centric schedule is that it almost surely cannot make as much money as a schedule skewed toward scripted series, said Mr. Mandel, whose MediaCom clients include such big television advertisers as Procter & Gamble, Mars Inc. and BellSouth.

In general, advertisers are still more reluctant to back reality shows, Mr. Mandel said, or at least certain reality shows. " 'American Idol' is O.K. for any advertiser,'' he said. "It's when you get to the schlocky stuff, like 'The Swan' and 'Obnoxious Boss,' that it becomes a problem for some advertisers.''

The style of Fox reality, he said, tends "to have a negativity that unfortunately a lot of people don't find very entertaining.''

Although the idea of a cohesive schedule may be a relic, Mr. Mandel added: "I think there will be such a thing as a cohesive brand. With CBS, for example, you pretty much know what you're going to get. With Fox, you don't really know. I wonder if those negative, put-down reality shows don't affect the traditional scripted shows.

"When you do a great show like 'Arrested Development,' it can't get arrested," he said. "Maybe it's because nobody expected it on Fox.''

Ms. Koerner, however, praised the network. "I applaud them for sticking by what they said they were going to do,'' she said. "They have rolled out their schedule just as they said they would."

And Mr. Sternberg, pointing to previous midseason successes like "The Simpsons'' and "Malcolm in the Middle,'' said that Fox should never be counted out.

"They have a long history of being able to come up with new hits when they really need them,'' Mr. Sternberg said.

November Looms For NBC

By A.J. Frutkin mediaweek.com November 01, 2004

In what may be the tightest sweeps contest in years, the race to capture adults 18-49 in the November ratings period (Nov. 4–Dec. 1) looks like a nail-biter. Most advertisers predict CBS will win among total viewers. But as to who walks away with the adults 18-49 crown, that prize remains up for grabs.

The uncertainty is due to the fact that incumbent NBC’s ratings have dropped, while ABC and CBS have grown their numbers. “Everyone had a chance to get new toys this season, but NBC didn’t. And the game has much stronger players now,” said Shari Anne Brill, vp/director of programming at Carat USA.

Among those players are ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Lost, and CBS’ CSI franchise. In addition to scheduling a 90-minute CSI: Miami on Nov. 8, CBS also has set its Dallas Reunion for Nov. 7; the natural-disaster miniseries Category Six: Day of Destruction for Nov. 14 and 17; and the launch of Amazing Race 6 for Nov. 16.

With the median age of the CBS viewer hovering at around 51, the irony of a possible win in adults 18-49 isn’t lost on CBS executives, who maintain that their target audience is adults 25-54. “But the fact that we have a chance to win [in adults 18-49] is a testament to how far we’ve come,” said Kelly Kahl, CBS executive vp of program planning and scheduling.

Without baseball, a patchy Fox is depending on a boost from the second-season launch of The O.C. on Nov. 4 and the Nov. 7 return of its Sunday-night comedy lineup. But most advertisers said Fox might have to wait for a win in the 18-49 category until American Idol returns in January.

Following the success of its two hit dramas, ABC’s sweeps status remains the wild card. “The playing field has been leveled,” said Jeff Bader, executive vp at ABC Entertainment. The network has a few other tricks up its sleeve as well, like the Dec. 1 Christmas special starring not-so-newlyweds Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.

Several advertisers warned against counting NBC out just yet. After all, stunting is NBC Universal TV Group president Jeff Zucker’s strength. Among the network’s announced events are crossover episodes between Crossing Jordan and Las Vegas on Nov. 7 and 8, and a Seinfeld retrospective on Thanksgiving night.

More are sure to follow.

“You just can’t underestimate Zucker’s scheduling prowess,” said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, senior vp/director of SMG Entertainment.

Sunday ratings added in latest news.

(From Marc Berman's column "The Programming Insider" at Mediaweek.com)

Primetime Ratings: Weekend Highlights

Friday Oct 29 Winners:
Nothing

Friday's Losers:
Joan Of Arcadia (CBS)
Totally Outrageous Behavior (Fox)
World's Craziest Videos (Fox)
Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN)
What I Like About You (WB)
Renovate My Family (Fox)
dr. vegas (CBS)

Ratings Breakdown:
On this typically bland Friday, NBC won the evening, beating the No. 2 network (CBS in households and total viewers, ABC among adults 18-49) by an average of 17 percent in households, 1.11 million viewers and 12 percent among adults 18-49. NBC's Dateline opened the evening first in households (6.2/12) and total viewers (8.48 million), while ABC sitcoms 8 Simple Rules (HH: #3, 5.0/ 7; Viewers: #2, 7.56 million; A18-49: #1, 2.4/ 9) and Complete Savages (HH: #3, 4.3/ 8; Viewers: #3, 6.52 million; A18-49: #1t, 2.3/ 8) were No. 1 among adults 18-49.

Third in the 8 p.m. hour was CBS' sinking Joan Of Arcadia (HH: 4.9/ 9; A18-49: 1.8/ 7), followed by Fox's Totally Outrageous Behavior (HH: 2.2/ 4; A18-49: 1.2/ 5) and World's Craziest Videos (HH: 2.4/ 4; A18-49: 1.4/ 5). UPN's Star Trek: Enterprise (HH: 1.9/ 4; A18-49: 1.3/ 5), and the WB's combination of What I Like About You (HH: 2.0/ 4; A18-49: 1.2/ 5) and a repeat of A Scooby Doo Halloween (HH: 1.8/ 3; A18-49: 1.1/ 4) were neck-and-neck for the No. 5 spot. Biggest disappointment in the hour: Joan Of Arcadia, which last year at this time showed enormous potential.

At 9 p.m., NBC's Third Watch was first in households, total viewers and adults 18-49, while CBS' JAG and declining ABC comedies Hope & Faith and Less Than Perfect split the No. 2 spot. Take a look:

Friday 9-10 p.m.
Third Watch (NBC)
HH: 6.5/12 (#1), Viewers: 9.69 million (#1), A18-49: 3.1/10 (#1)

JAG (CBS)
HH: 6.2/11 (#2), Viewers: 9.32 million (#2), A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#3)

Hope & Faith (ABC) - 9 p.m.
HH: 4.7/ 8 (#3), Viewers: 7.01 million (#3), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#2)

Less Than Perfect (ABC) - 9:30 p.m.
HH: 4.0/ 7 (#3), Viewers: 6.11 million (#3), A18-49: 2.3/ 7 (#2)

Also in the 9 p.m. hour were two episodes (original and repeat) of the WB's Reba (HH: #4, avg. 2.7/ 5; A18-49: #4, avg. 1.4/ 4), Fox reality dud Renovate My Family (HH: #5: 2.0/ 4; A18-49: #5, 1.2/ 3), and a repeat of America's Next Top Model on UPN (HH: #6, 1.3/ 2; A18-49: #6, 0.9/ 3).

At 10 p.m., NBC's Medical Investigation (HH: 5.9/10; Viewers: 9.04 million; A18-49: 3.4/11) remains a modest No. 1 in the hour, followed by ABC's diluted 20/20 (HH: 5.5/10; Viewers: 7.93 million; A18-49: 2.6/ 8), and CBS' dr. vegas (HH: 4.8/ 7; Viewers: 7.22 million; A18-49: 1.9/ 6). Barbara Walters - we miss you!

----------

Saturday 10/30/04

Note: The following ratings are based on the fast affiliate results:

Saturday's Winners:
Nothing

Saturday's Losers:
The night overall

Ratings Breakdown:
Although reality programming on Fox is normally enough to win Saturday, this past weekend was CBS and ABC's turn, with CBS first in households and ABC No. 1 in total viewers and adults 18-49. ABC got some mileage on The Wonderful World of Disney, with theatrical Monsters Inc. at a 4.8/ 8 in households (#2 in the time period), 8.06 million viewers (#2) and a 2.7/ 9 (#1) among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. A repeat of lead-out Desperate Housewives at 10 p.m. was second in households (4.8/ 9) and total viewers (7.60 million), but first among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. (2.8/ 9).

On CBS, a repeat of Without A Trace at 9 p.m. (HH: #1, 5.8/11; A18-49: #3, 2.1/ 7) aired between two episodes of 48 Hours at 8 p.m. (HH: #1, 4.8/ 9; A18-49: #3, 1.7/ 6) and 10 p.m. (R, HH: #2t, 4.8/10; A18-49: #3, 2.0/ 6).

Over at Fox, four repeat episodes of Cops (HH: #3, avg. 3.9/ 7; A18-49: #2, avg. 2.2/ 7 from 8-10 p.m.) was well below average.

Finally, on NBC, a repeat of Sci Fi reality hour Scare Tactics opened with a last-place finish in households (2.3/ 4), total viewers (3.56 million) and adults 18-49 (1.2/ 4), followed by special Ghost Hunter at an also fourth-place 2.3/ 4 in households, 3.56 million viewers and a 1.4/ 4 among adults 18-49. At 10 p.m., a repeat of Law & Order: SVU was first in households (5.2/10), total viewers (7.81 million) and adults 18-49 (2.3/ 8).

----------

Sunday 10/31/04

Metered Market Ratings

Yesterday's Winners:
60 Minutes (CBS)
Cold Case (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Honorable Mention:
Crossing Jordan (NBC)

Disappointing:
Boston Legal (ABC)

Yesterday's Losers:
Steve Harvey's Big Time (WB)
Made-for: The Madam's Family (CBS)
Movie: The X-Files R (Fox)
The Mountain (WB)

Ratings Breakdown:
Although CBS managed to win Sunday in the overnights and total viewers on the strength of an NFL Football overrun in the 7 p.m. half-hour (14.9/24), 60 Minutes and Cold Case, ABC remains the network to beat among adults 18-49 thanks to Desperate Housewives. Primetime's hottest new drama grew to a 15.7/23 in the overnights, 22.32 million viewers and a 9.8/23 among adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m., beating NBC's once unstoppable Law & Order: Criminal Intent (#2: 8.9/13; Viewers: 11.42 million; A18-49: 3.8/ 9) by 76 percent in the overnights, 10.90 million viewers and 158 percent among adults 18-49. Desperate Housewives also outdelivered its potent Extreme Makeover: Home Edition lead-in (#2: 9.5/14; Viewers: 14.86 million; A18-49: 6.2/16 at 8 p.m.) by 65 percent in the overnights, 7.46 million viewers and 58 percent among adults 18-49.

Although Desperate Housewives lead-out Boston Legal was also first at 10 p.m. among adults 18-49 (4.8/13, a second place finish in the overnights (8.5/14) and total viewers (12.58 million), with erosion out of Housewives of 46 percent in the overnights, 9.74 million viewers and 51 percent among adults 18-49 means that ABC can do better -- much better -- at 10 p.m.

Earlier in the evening, ABC's veteran America's Funniest Home Videos was second in the overnights (5.7/ 9), total viewers (9.34 million), and adults 18-49 (2.8/ 8) at 7 p.m.

Leading out of the NFL Football overrun on CBS was 60 Minutes (#1: 14.2/22, A18-49: #1, 5.5/14 from 7:30-8:30 p.m.), Cold Case (#2, 12.0/17; A18-49: #2, 4.0/10 from 8:30-9:30 p.m.) and made-for, The Madam's Family (#3: 6.3/10 from 9:30-11:30 p.m., A18-49: 2.6/ 7 from 9:30-11 p.m.). Note: Due to the football overrun, all ratings for CBS are approximate.

On NBC, Dateline (5.1/ 8; A18-49: 1.8/ 5) and American Dreams (5.3/ 8; A18-49: 2.4/ 6) remained the distant No. 3 choices from 7-9 p.m., while Crossing Jordan at 10 p.m. (#1: 9.2/15; Viewers: #1, 12.60 million; A18-49: #2, 4.4/12) managed to beat ABC's Boston Legal in the overnights and total viewers despite the benefit of Boston Legal airing out of Desperate Housewives.

Over at Fox, a repeat of The Simpsons (#2, 5.2/ 8; A18-49: #2t, 2.5/ 8) led into a repeat of theatrical The X-Files at a distant fourth place finish in the overnights (2.5/ 4), total viewers (3.29 million) and adults 18-49 (1.3/ 3) from 7:30-10 p.m.

In time-period premiere news, the WB may want to reconsider those four additional scripts it ordered for The Mountain given the mere 1.6/ 2 in the overnights, 1.59 million viewers and a 0.7/ 2 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, that was a decline out of lead-in Charmed (#4: 3.6/ 5; Viewers: 3.89 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5) of 56 percent in the overnights, 2.30 million viewers and 61 percent among adults 18-49. At 7 p.m., Steve Harvey's Big Time on the WB continues to also flounder at a 1.8/ 3 in the overnights, 1.98 million viewers and a 0.7/ 2 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data


Upcoming on ABC: Nov. 2004 Sweep Items

With the start of the November sweeps now just three days away, what follows are some of the programming highlights worth noting on ABC:

Season Premiere:
-Life Of Luxury: Monday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. ET (With new host George Hamilton)

Season Finale:
-The Bachelor: Wed., Nov. 24, 8-10:02 p.m. ET (followed by The Bachelor: After the Final Rose)

Movies:
-Saving Private Ryan: Thurs., Nov. 11, 8-11:20 p.m. ET
-Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Thursday, Nov. 25, 8:30-11 p.m. ET

Specials
-The 32nd Annual American Music Awards: Sun., Nov. 14, 8 p.m. ET
-A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (R): Thurs., Nov. 25, 8 p.m. ET
-Nick and Jessica's Family Christmas, Wed., Dec. 1, 9:01 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
-Robert Wagner, Jaclyn Smith and Jenny McCarthy on Hope & Faith: Fri., Nov. 5 and 12, 9 p.m. ET
-Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) on Desperate Housewives: Sun., Nov. 7, 9 p.m. ET
-Dana Delany (China Beach) on Boston Legal: Sun., Nov. 7, 10:01 p.m. ET
-Jimmy Smits on NYPD Blue: Tues., Nov. 9, 10 p.m. ET
-Adam Arkin and Colby Donaldson (Survivor) on 8 Simple Rules: Fri., Nov. 12, 8 p.m. ET
-Raquel Welch on 8 Simple Rules: Fri., Nov. 19, 8 p.m. ET
-Nick Lachey (Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica) on Hope & Faith: Fri., Nov. 19, 9 p.m. ET
-Joanna Kerns and Valerie Harper on Less Than Perfect: Fri., Nov. 26, 9:30 p.m. ET

Of Note:
-My Wife and Kids: Wed., Nov. 16, 8 p.m. ET - Episode No. 100

TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest

More Wife Swap:
ABC has renewed reality hour Wife Swap for the remainder of the season, with an order for 9 additional episodes. The network has also ordered nine more scripts for Tuesday comedy Rodney and four more for Friday's Complete Savages.

David Boreanaz Takes a Bite Out of ABC:
Former Angel star David Boreanaz is set to star in an upcoming ABC drama based on undercover hit man Jack Ballantine. The show, still untitled at press time, has received a script commitment from the network.

Eight Fall Newcomers Earn Script Orders

By Brian Ford Sullivan (thefutoncritic.com)
LOS ANGELES -- Eight new fall series - ABC's Rodney HD and Complete Savages, HD CBS’s dr. vegas HD and Clubhouse, HD UPN's Second Time Around, HD Veronica Mars HD and Kevin Hill HD as well as the WB's The Mountain HD - all inched closer to full season orders over the weekend as their respective networks gave additional script orders to each.
Leading the pack was ABC's "Rodney," which received a commitment for nine additional scripts, followed by "Savages" (six), "Kevin Hill" (four), "Veronica Mars" (four), "The Mountain" (four), "Second Time Around" (three), "dr. vegas" (two) and "Clubhouse" (two).
Said orders cover the gamut from solid success stories (UPN's "Kevin Hill," which is up over 40% from UPN's Wednesday, 9:00/8:00c hour last season) to middling performances (ABC's "Rodney," which is on par with "Less Than Perfect's" numbers in the Tuesday, 9:30/8:30c half hour last season) to downright failures (CBS' "Clubhouse" which is down 23% from "The Guardian," the show it replaced from last season).
Nevertheless, whether any of the group will get the production green light for additional episodes beyond their initial 13-episode order will be decided in the next several weeks.
Meanwhile in other freshman series news, FOX and producer Rocket Science Laboratories also confirmed over the weekend they won't be moving forward with the reality entry "The Partner." The series was originally targeted for the Sunday, 9:00/8:00c hour this fall but was instead replaced by "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss." "With the numerous boardroom-type unscripted programs on the various network's schedules, we have decided to focus our mutual efforts on other unscripted material," the pair said in a joint statement to the press.


+ + +and the take on the same story from zap2it.com: + + +

Stick to the Script: Networks Cautious on New Shows

(zap2it.com)--Normally by the beginning of November sweeps, networks have a pretty good idea of which new shows are succeeding and which are falling through the cracks and back-nine orders are in place. This fall, though, uncertainty seems to be fueling restraint. Rather than ordering fresh episodes of tepid freshman performers, several networks are ordering more scripts and taking a wait-and-see attitude.

With the exception of a few obvious hits (ABC's "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives"), several average performers on a struggling network (NBC's "Medical Investigation" and "Joey") and a critically respected drama on a netlet (The WB's "Jack & Bobby"), networks have been hesitant to make full season plans.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC has ordered nine more scripts for "Rodney," which has provided solid, but unremarkable numbers on Tuesday nights, and six more scripts for "Complete Savages," which has yet to find any traction on Fridays. Airing with a strong "According to Jim" lead-in, "Rodney" has averaged 9.24 million viewers per episode this season, while "Savages" has only pulled in 5.59 million viewers, though the Mel Gibson-produced comedy hasn't had as much help coming out of the faltering "8 Simple Rules."

Over on CBS, "dr. vegas" has drawn 8.38 million viewers, better than the Emmy nominated "Joan of Arcadia," but fewer than NBC's competing "Medical Investigation." That performance has led CBS to ask for two more scripts. The network has also ordered two more scripts for "Clubhouse," which was shipped off to Saturday after failing to make the starting lineup on Tuesdays.

Neither of UPN's freshman offerings have become an out-of-the-box success, but the netlet wants to see four more scripts for both "Kevin Hill" (3.69 million viewers) and "Veronica Mars" (2.64 million) and three more scripts for the comedy "Second Time Around" (3.24 million).

The WB had previously announced the ordering of four more episodes of the critically slammed dud "The Mountain."

Originally posted by fredfa
Six Shows on the Ropes
Fall season shakes the hits from the misses

If you like any of these shows you may want to stop watching now. Network executive toadies will be descending on these shows, with idea-filled notepads in hand, "fixing" these shows to try and improve the ratings numbers. Your characters, sets and storylines will change before your very eyes, often without explanation, and there will be more cleavage. To my recollection it never works, but they always try it.

Good, solid point, GregF.
Yet Complete Savages, The Mountain and dr. vegas have all just received orders for additional episodes.
Go figure.
So I've taken them all off my HD Shows in Ratings Trouble list -- for now.

I realize that this is NOT HD news, but in case there is some interest in what will be on the networks tomorrow, here is Variety's election night preview:

Electoral collage: Nets prep for long night of vote coverage

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK Variety.com

NEW YORK -- Finally -- or maybe not.

Appearing Saturday on CNN's "Larry King Live," Walter Cronkite said Tuesday's presidential election could come and go without the nets being able to declare an immediate winner.

Most newsies agree.

"I think it's one of the biggest messes we've had in a long time. I believe that we're undoubtedly not going to know the results of this election," Cronkite said. He suggested it could even take until spring to know.

The broadcast news divisions and cable news networks, which spent the weekend putting the final touches on their elaborate election coverage plans, are prepared to stay on duty through Tuesday night and into Wednesday should the race prove too close to call. They've spent millions of dollars covering the 2004 presidential race.

But the nets hardly own the election. With the success of alternativepolitical fare such as Michael Moore's doc "Fahrenheit 9/11" and Comedy Central's fake newscast "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," this year's fierce race between George W. Bush and John Kerry has permeated pop culture. As a result, many experts are predicting record turnout at the polls, with many younger voters expected.

Eminem exhorts voters

Over the weekend, rapper Eminem performed a fiercely pro-Kerry song on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," singing, "Kerry-O you give me hope" and railing against Bush for failing to capture Osama Bin Laden. At the end, he held up a cue card instructing the audience to "vote."

On Tuesday, MTV is planning unprecedented election coverage, airing two hourlong election news specials at 5 and 11 p.m. ET. MTV's news division also plans to break into regular programming throughout the day with live reports.

"Honestly, the reason we are doing so much programming is because we are hearing from our audience how engaged they are in this election," said MTV veep of news Ocean MacAdams.

The national election will take over the primetime sked Tuesday. ABC News, CBS News and NBC News will provide live coverage from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET, and longer as warranted, anchored by, respectively, Peter Jennings, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw. Fox Broadcasting will begin its election coverage at 8 p.m. ET anchored by Fox News Channel's Shepard Smith.

Cable news nets will go wall-to-wall. Brit Hume will anchor coverage on Fox News Channel, while Chris Matthews will be in the No. 1 seat for MSNBC. Wolf Blitzer will lead CNN's coverage.

No rush to judgment

If there's one buzzword sawing its way through the news divisions as voters head for the polls, it is caution. No one wants to get it wrong and have to explain to Capitol Hill lawmakers, as they did after the 2000 race, why they rushed to air projections of winners, only to have to recall them later.

The NBC News empire -- the net's network news division, MSNBC, CNBC and Spanish-language Telemundo -- has constructed an elaborate series of outside studios around the perimeter of the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

Brokaw and lead NBC political host Tim Russert will sit in the center outside studio and face 30 Rock, where there will be a large TV screen and an obelisk encircled by digital news tickers. The skating rink itself will have a large map of the U.S., with portable blue and red pieces representing a state's vote.

CNN is trying to amp up its coverage by broadcasting live from the Nasdaq MarketSite in Gotham, complete with a 96-screen video wall and Blitzer in the anchor chair. CNN Intl. will simulcast CNN U.S.' election coverage throughout the night.

Attention shoppers

Meanwhile, Fox News has teamed with Premier Retail Networks to provide an election-night news feed to all WalMart stores across the country.

With the close race, news nets have correspondents positioned in the key battleground states, including Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Unlike in the past, nets won't project a winner in a state until the polls have closed there.

Telemundo competitor Univision announced Friday that its cable network Galavision will provide live election coverage from 7-11:30 p.m. ET and again at 12:20-1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Related airings

Television will offer plenty of election fare Monday night. NBC will air "The Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2004: The Great Debate" at 10 p.m.

The Independent Film Channel will air feature two political docs tonight: Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11: A Movement in Time" and David O. Russell's "Soldier's Pay." The Sundance Channel plans to airing feature docu "Bush's Brain."

At least two conservative TV station groups have tried to counter the impact of such fare by airing conservative-leaning programming, but they have encountered stiff criticism since they are broadcasters and subject to equal-time rules. Cable is not.

The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said California broadcaster Pappas Telecasting cannot offer $325,000 in airtime to more than a dozen Republican county committees unless it makes the same offer to non-GOP candidates. Pappas had said the free time repped a gift and was not subject to FCC rules.

Late last month, Sinclair Broadcasting scaled back the airing of an anti-Kerry doc after a loud public outcry and legal threats by shareholders.

Put a number on NBA's broadcast days

So it seems, with fewer games and low ratings
By Toni Fitzgerald medialifemagazine.com
The NBA tips off the season this week on ESPN and TNT. It will be almost two months before any games reach broadcast television, where regular-season games averaged an all-time low last year.
But with ESPN and TNT both recording regular-season and postseason ratings increases last year, it seems to beg the question: Does the NBA have a future on broadcast? Or is the once-mighty sport better off becoming more of a cable exclusive?
Nothing like that will happen for at least four more years, when ABC’s current deal runs out. But it’s an interesting question to ponder, especially if regular-season viewing for ABC continues to dip at a rapid pace.
Basketball’s broadcast expiration began long before ABC acquired NBA rights two years ago, but it has sped up since then. Last year featured the second-fewest regular-season NBA broadcasts since 1989-’90, 16, and they averaged a record-low 2.2 household rating.
That was down 14 percent from the average rating from the previous season, when ABC showed only 12 broadcasts, and down 24 percent from 2001-’02's average rating, when NBC showed 31 games.
Regular-season broadcast ratings have decreased or remained level every year since 1994-’95, when they averaged a 5.0. The league has half the average viewers it did back then, just after Michael Jordan’s first retirement.
Although last season’s NBA finals rebounded from the previous year’s record-low average, they were still the third-lowest-rated in history, averaging an 11.5 rating.
But on cable it was a different story. ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT all posted year-to-year increases in their regular-season household averages, with TNT and ESPN both averaging better than a 1.1.
Equally important, all three increased year-to-year in the NBA’s target demo of men 18-49, where ABC’s broadcasts were down nearly 15 percent. Several playoff games on TNT were also among the most-viewed basketball games in cable history.
ABC still averages a higher household rating than the cablers for the games, but not by all that much.
But no matter where the games air, there is another serious problem facing the NBA. And ABC can’t do anything about this one.
The league suffers from a serious image problem. The squad of NBA all-stars representing the U.S. in the Olympics barely captured bronze, Kobe Bryant’s rape trial began and ended under bizarre circumstances, and Kobe and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal did their best Bush-Kerry imitation in a war of ugly words. Most recently Carmelo Anthony, last year’s co-rookie of the year, was busted for marijuana possession last month.
With all that bad publicity and a dull defending champ in defensive-focused Detroit, will regular-season basketball stop its nine-season decline on broadcast television?
It seems doubtful. Matching last year’s cable numbers and preventing another decline on ABC would be a relative victory for the NBA. More ratings slides would be yet another embarrassment the league doesn’t want to deal with right now.
In other sports ratings, NBC’s coverage of the Subway 500 last weekend averaged a 4.4 household rating, up 10 percent versus last year’s 4.0. The average rating for the network’s Chase for the Cup races has increased 4 percent compared with last year to a 4.7.

For chart of last week’s TV sports ratings go to:
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2004/nov04/nov01/1_mon/news3monday.html

The Peacock Network Seeks to Reverse Slide

After a decade of dominance, NBC is losing viewers. Programmers are trying to reinvigorate the schedule by taking more risks.
By Meg James Los Angeles Times Staff Writer November 1, 2004
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nbc1nov01,1,869120.story?coll=la-headlines-business

For years, NBC has been TV's greatest success story.

The venerable network has earned mountains of profit for its parent, General Electric Co. It has won eight of the last nine seasons by delivering the audience prized by advertisers, 18-to-49-year-old viewers. Its morning and late-night shows typically crush the competition. And its executives? They've never missed a chance to rub it in.

At a conference for TV critics last year, Jeff Zucker, then the network's programming czar, drew attention to NBC's dominance by starring in a spoof of its gross-out show "Fear Factor." Presented with a buffet cart of "hors d'oeuvres" representing rival networks, Zucker turned up his nose at a mouse (Walt Disney Co.'s ABC) and a small, fluffy-tailed creature (Fox). But when offered a candy eyeball, he popped it into his mouth.

"We've been eating CBS for lunch all season," he quipped of the network whose logo is an eye.

Now, however, the proud peacock is eating a little crow.

Six weeks into the TV season, CBS has been on top, fueled by its forensic franchise "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Two weeks ago NBC, whose "Must See TV" slate once ruled Thursdays, posted its worst ratings on that night since 1987. Last week it tied for third place with ABC after postseason baseball pushed News Corp.'s Fox Broadcasting Co. ahead.

In all, NBC has lost 12% of its prime-time viewership this season among 18-to-49-year-olds.

"We've gotten spanked," Zucker said, referring particularly to the blows delivered by two new hit shows: ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and CBS' "CSI: NY."

"I'm not in denial," said Zucker, president of NBC Universal Television Group. "We've got issues."

But he predicted that the competition would make NBC stronger. "We're in a dogfight, and dogfights make you hungrier."

NBC executives knew this season was going to be tough. Two of their pillars of prime time — "Friends" and "Frasier" — were gone. Several other stalwarts were aging, including "The West Wing," "ER" and "Law & Order." And next month, the public face of the network, news anchor Tom Brokaw, plans to retire after 38 years with NBC.

What's more, NBC's programming chief, Kevin Reilly, is still finding his footing six months after taking the reins from Zucker, who returned to New York to oversee content for the company's broadcast and cable networks.

A respected former FX executive who helped develop such provocative shows as "Nip/Tuck" and "The Shield," Reilly is charged with reinvigorating the schedule and rallying a development staff unaccustomed to having to find success by stretching beyond the familiar.

"When you've been No. 1 for a long time, you tend to play within a certain range," Reilly said. "You go to certain writers and stick with certain formats. There's a complacency that sets in."

NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright agreed.

"When you have had so much success, you begin to lean on that, thinking that success will breed success," said Wright, who cautioned against such thinking when he met with network development executives in Burbank late last month.

At that meeting, Wright urged NBC's creative team to shed what he called a "sense of entitlement."

"My message was that every day we start from scratch," he said in an interview last week. "What we did two years ago, or last year, doesn't matter. Every day is a new day."

For the first time in a decade, Wright noted, none of the four major networks has a lock on the ratings title. "We now have parity," he said. "And we're not accustomed to that."

During the nearly four years Zucker spent in Burbank, he excelled at squeezing maximum potential from the winning lineup he inherited. He employed clever scheduling stunts, negotiated a two-year extension of "Friends" and recognized the ratings potential of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice."

But Zucker was unable to land many new scripted hits, despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on program development. Since the fall of 2001, NBC has launched 32 scripted shows, only nine of which are still on the air. (During the same period, CBS tried 31 new shows, with 12 still alive.)

Then there was the one that got away — the sleeper hit "Desperate Housewives."

Marc Cherry, the writer who created the show, said he shopped an early script to NBC, where he found a fan in Karey Burke, who was then in charge of prime-time development.

"I loved it," Burke said last week. "The writing was good, and the tone was really black and sexy."

Burke distributed the script to Zucker and other executives, she said, because decisions at NBC are often made "democratically, by committee."

But, she said, "the consensus in the building was that it was 'too female,' that it didn't have enough male appeal." Burke said some of her colleagues worried the show would go the way of "Watching Ellie" or "Leap of Faith," both of which flopped.

"Reluctantly, I had to pass on it," said Burke, a producer who now has a development deal at NBC.

Zucker said he never saw the script.

Being No. 1 in the key demographic of 18-to-49-year-olds is about more than bragging rights. It's about money — $200 million to be exact.

That's the premium that advertisers paid this year for prime-time commercial spots on NBC, which has been able to leverage a decade of dominance into ad rates 10% higher than those of its closest competitor.

Randy Falco, president of NBC Universal Television Networks Group, said NBC executives anticipated that prime-time ratings would be down for this season, so they adjusted the ratings guarantees they made to advertisers.

"We are just about where we thought we would be," he said.

Still, if this season's prime-time ratings slide continues, it could cost NBC Universal plenty. NBC acquired Vivendi Universal's movie studio, film library, theme parks and cable channels this year, in part to diversify its revenue so it wouldn't be so dependent on ad sales. Nonetheless, the network provides a third of NBC Universal's $2.5 billion in profit.

A measure of the ratings effect will come next spring, when NBC sells the bulk of its commercial time for the 2005 season.

NBC's new shows have been a mixed bag. "Medical Investigations" and the "Friends" spinoff "Joey" are solidly chugging along. But a cop show, "Hawaii," has been canceled. The Heather Locklear airport drama "LAX" and DreamWorks Animation's "Father of the Pride," a computer-generated comedy about Siegfried & Roy's lions, have whimpered in the ratings.

Perhaps most surprising for NBC this season has been the vulnerability of its bedrock "Law & Order" franchise, produced by Dick Wolf.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" has lost 18% of its 18- to 49-year-olds watching on Sunday night, when it is up against ABC's "Desperate Housewives." On Wednesdays, when CBS aimed its new "CSI: NY" directly at the original "Law & Order," the 14-year-old show's ratings tumbled 24%.

In an interview, Wolf downplayed the softening ratings of the franchise — which NBC acquired an ownership stake in six months ago. He said, for example, that Tuesday night's "Law & Order: Special Victims' Unit" was up 8%.

"Not exactly chopped liver," he said, adding that his shows "are designed ultimately for stability, not necessarily growth."

There's general agreement that next season will be key in determining whether NBC's slide is an anomaly or a trend. That puts Reilly — known as an even-tempered executive with a knack for story lines — in the hot seat. He's got support from the top: Wright calls him "the right man at the right place at the right time." But he's got an unenviable task ahead.

Beyond a largely lackluster slate, Reilly has inherited a staff that is used to doing things Zucker's way. Zucker was beloved in Burbank, where many credit him with bridging longtime rifts and championing his winning team. It may be difficult, some say, for Reilly to forge a new leadership style that encourages more risk taking, especially because Zucker has moved up, not out.

Reilly is upbeat. He noted that NBC has turned its fortunes around before. Its last slump, in the early 1990s, ended when it found "Friends" and "ER."

"This is not a low-pressure job, that's for sure," Reilly said. "But this is a winning team and we can rise to the challenge. It's game time."

'West Wing' is still a notch above


By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercuty News Nov. 1, 2004
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/columnists/charlie_mccollum/10068380.htm?1c

Some flotsam and jetsam we found bobbing on the constantly churning sea of TV:
• This may constitute revisionist critical thinking but maybe we should give credit to the current incarnation of ``The West Wing'' HD
for what it still does fairly well.
Sure, it's not ``The West Wing'' of the days when creator Aaron Sorkin was writing almost every word. Sorkin never would have let it drift into the kind of excessive melodrama (Leo McGarry's heart attack) that have marred key episodes since his departure. (Warning: Spoiler in next sentence.) While he might have come up with this Wednesday's (9 p.m., Chs. 8, 11) plot twist, -- C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) becomes the new White House chief of staff -- Sorkin certainly wouldn't set up the surprise choice by making the other, more senior staffers look like idiots.
And the show sure could use more Sorkin-esque wit and screwball comedy dialogue.
But based on the first three episodes, the White House drama remains a very watchable, well-produced series with a fine cast and a willingness to talk about issues with some intelligence. That puts it a step above most dramas on network TV, even if the show is just a shadow of its former greatness.
One thing, though: It's time for ``The West Wing'' to end. The producers should not try to extend the series' run by bringing in a new president and staff. This is not a drama like ``ER'' or ``Law & Order'' where the formula can stay the same while characters can come and go. As Matt Roush of TV Guide said recently, ``It is the story of the Bartlet presidency, pure and simple.''
Let President Bartlet leave office at the end of this season and call it a day.
• Shifting to the real world of politics, all the TV news organizations are trotting out new gadgets for election night in an attempt to freshen the way they present the returns. But a couple are doing more than the others.
CNN has rented the NASDAQ headquarters in New York for the night so anchor Wolf Blitzer can be surrounded by 72 computerized TV screens able to display vote counts from all 50 states simultaneously. And NBC and MSNBC will be outdoors at New York's Rockefeller Center, using the center's famous skating rink as a gigantic map of the United States and the side of the nearby General Electric building to display graphics on the electoral vote count.
Frankly, after what happened four years ago, I'll settle for TV getting the results right even if they have to be displayed on a blackboard.
• There are all kinds of theories floating around about what's happening on that mysterious island on ``Lost.'' The one I like best: The series is a riff on the great 1956 sci-fi film ``Forbidden Planet,'' which itself was a rethinking of Shakespeare's ``The Tempest.'' In case you've forgotten, the movie took place on a planet where people's most powerful emotions became physical manifestations. That would explain a lot -- like the polar bear, Locke's sudden ability to walk, Jack's dead father turning up and even whatever it is rumbling around in the jungle.
• Does anyone else find it just a little bit weird that Terry O'Quinn, the very good character actor who plays the sometimes creepy Locke on ``Lost,'' shows up the very next hour on Wednesdays playing the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on ``The West Wing''? Just asking.
• Fox finally gets back into the Sunday night game this week with the season openers of ``King of the Hill,'' ``Malcolm in the Middle'' and ``Arrested Development'' plus a (very good) repeat of a Halloween special from ``The Simpsons'' and the debut of ``My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss.'' The latter wants to do for ``The Apprentice'' what the surprisingly addictive ``My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'' did for reality dating shows.

NBC Movie of the Week- 11/13- Men In Black (first movie of season, don't know if HD)

Another look at the November sweeps:

Post-Baseball, Who Will Post?

So Far, NBC, Fox Aren't Knocking Them Out of the Park
A media critique by Wayne Friedman, mediapost.com Monday, November 1, 2004
TV Watch for Monday, November 1, 2004: http://www.mediapost.com/dtls_dsp_TVwatch.cfm?fnl=041101

This could be a memorable and mythical season for events that haven't occurred in years - the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series of baseball and NBC losing the World Series of television.
Starting this month - the November sweeps - the real race begins to be the king of the TV broadcast networks. And just like the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, NBC needs a few big hits to make it through the season.
The odds aren't in its favor as a number of new shows - or existing ones - have landed in a certain ratings range they are not likely to get out of. "Joey" isn't going to be a world-beater on Thursdays. "Law & Order" is probably not going to regain its No. 1 status on Wednesday.
Since the framework for the season is pretty much set, NBC would need another surprise mid-season show, such as "The Apprentice," to pull off a victory.
Since misery loves company, NBC could have a traveling companion.
Now that the World Series is over, Fox is just starting its real season. Fox has a great rating send-off from its big-rated baseball playoffs and World Series. Its bet for the year is - surprise - more reality shows, for which the network is devoting 60 percent of its primetime schedule.
In the past, Fox has mostly flopped in launching shows off baseball's big promotional push. What's worse is Fox's even deeper dependence on reality this season. No matter how well some of those shows are doing, we all remember "Joe Millionaire" which came into its second season a dollar short and a day too late.
Considering the unexpected rise of scripted dramas in the form of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," viewers may not be as desperate as Fox programmers think they are to get back into reality. Fox could be chasing a programming curve that has gone around the corner.
NBC uses reality more as a last resort, with its bread still buttered by scripted programming. It now has the "The Biggest Loser," a reality contest for the fat person who becomes the thinnest, fastest. But "The Biggest Loser" has yet to become a big winner.
November will tell the tale of the tightest and perhaps, just like the Red Sox, the most surprising and myth-breaking races. Look not just at the U.S. presidency, but also for one broadcast network to create its own saga.

(Wayne Friedman is a veteran media and advertising writer based in Los Angeles and a regular contributor to TelevisionWeek. )

NBC Sweeps plans
NBC GIVES FALL A POST-ELECTION KICK WITH MONTH-LONG HARVEST THAT BRIMS WITH NEW 'SEINFELD' CAST RETROSPECTIVE, 'VEGAS'-'JORDAN' CROSSOVER, 100TH 'FEAR FACTOR' EPISODE, AND MUSICAL MOVIE 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'
Released by NBC

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SEVERAL SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

Also Among Events: Jimmy Smits and Kristin Chenoweth Join Cast of "The West Wing"; Broadcast of "ER" Shot in Real Time; Premiere of "$25 Million Dollar Hoax" Unscripted Series; a Tim McGraw Special; and More Series Guest Stars, Including Julianna Margulies, Alec Baldwin, Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Tavis Smiley, Fantasia Barrino, David Spade, Kyle MacLachlan, Richard Kind, Mercedes Ruehl, Ed O'Neill, Joe Piscopo, Charisma Carpenter and Ed McMahon

BURBANK, Calif. - November 1, 2004 - NBC celebrates the end of election season with a colorful burst of lively Fall primetime programs beginning November 4 that includes: the anticipated "The 'Seinfeld' Story" cast retrospective, crossover episodes between "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas," the 100th episode of "Fear Factor" on location in New York City, the premiere of the "$25 Million Dollar Hoax," an "ER" episode shot in real time -- and such guest stars as Alanis Morissette, Kelly Preston, Kristin Davis, Snoop Dogg, Ray Liotta, and Matthew Perry, among others.

Other events include such specials as: "Tim McGraw: Here and Now" on November 24; "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina," and "A 'Seinfeld' Story" on November 25, "A Christmas Carol" on November 28 and "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" on November 30.

Also, "Fear Factor," "Joey," "Will & Grace," "LAX" and "Father of the Pride" will have Thanksgiving-themed episodes while "American Dreams" celebrates Christmas on November 21. On November 23, Matthew Perry ("Friends") will guest-star and direct an episode of "Scrubs" that includes his father, guest star John Bennett Perry.

NBC's additional series guest stars include Julianna Margulies (two episodes of "Scrubs"), Alec Baldwin, Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Victor Garber, Tavis Smiley, Fantasia Barrino, David Spade, Kyle MacLachlan, Billy Campbell, singer Jojo, Richard Kind, Mercedes Ruehl, Ed O'Neill, Joe Piscopo, Charisma Carpenter, Charles Haid, Austin Pendleton, Sam Robards, Chris Sarandon, Dana Delany, Judith Light, Lewis Black, Rip Taylor, Jeff Kober, Madchen Amick, Kelly Clarkson, Garry Marshall and Ed McMahon.

Following are days, times (ET) and storyline information.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4
JOEY - (8-8:30 p.m.)
"Joey and the Dream Girl, Part I"
KELLY PRESTON GUEST-STARS AS JOEY'S DREAM GIRL--Joey (Matt LeBlanc) gets excited when his high school crush Donna (guest star Kelly Preston, "Twins") decides to visit Gina (Drea de Matteo) for the weekend but when Joey finds out that Donna is getting divorced, he thinks he has a chance with her. Meanwhile, Michael (Paulo Costanzo) finds old videos of himself when he was a kid and discovers that he was actually pretty good at baseball. Andrea Anders also stars.
WILL & GRACE - (8:30-9 p.m.)
"Will & Grace and Vince & Nadine"
'SEX AND THE CITY'S' KRISTIN DAVIS GUEST-STARS -- When Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) meet Vince's (guest star Bobby Cannavale) best female friend, Nadine (guest star Kristin Davis, "Sex and the City"), they notice some striking similarities with their own relationship. Meanwhile, Karen (Megan Mullally) is still angry with Grace and decides to leave the interior design firm when Jack (Sean Hayes) comes to her rescue and hires his friend to be his new assistant at "Out TV."
THE APPRENTICE - (9-10 p.m.)
"Bringing Down The House"
THEY'RE BACK! RETURN OF FOUR FIRED CANDIDATES -- Four previously fired candidates return to settle some old scores and also help the two teams renovate homes on Long Island. One project manager gets overwhelmed, the other deals with an inept contractor.
ER - (10-11 p.m.)
"An Intern's Guide to the Galaxy"
NEELA RETURNS BUT COMPETITION AMONG INTERNS HEATS UP; MADCHEN AMICK GUEST-STARS -- When Neela (Parminder Nagra) returns to the ER after working at the convenience store, Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) expects the interns, Abby (Maura Tierney), Ray (Shane West) and Neela to take on a large patient load during their shifts. Pratt turns processing the patients into a competition, in which Ray is clearly going to be the winner. In the rush to process the patients and stay in the lead, however, Ray makes a big mistake donating a patient's organs against the family's wishes. Ray also helps Abby obtain HIV medication from the pharmacy against hospital policy for a patient who had unprotected sex. Carter (Noah Wyle) asks attractive Wendall (Madchen Amick) to walk out with him in a coy pursuit.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5
THIRD WATCH - (9-10 p.m.)
"Leap of Faith"
TOUGH CRUZ GETS A TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE FROM INTERNAL AFFAIRS AS YOKAS IS CALLED TO TESTIFY -- CHARLES HAID GUEST-STARS -- Internal Affairs drops a bomb on the envelope-pushing Detective Cruz (Tia Texada) as she is taken away and struggles to survive in jail while Captain Finney (guest star Charles Haid) drills Detective Yokas (Molly Price) for information that will nail Cruz -- but the torn cop secretly knows that she pulled the trigger on a career criminal that frames the case against Cruz. Elsewhere, Officer Sullivan (Skipp Sudduth) reveals more about his running feud against Finney and his rookie son (Josh Stewart) while Carlos (Anthony Ruivivar) and his friendly partner Levine (guest star Yvonne Jung) keep calling on a suicidal woman (guest star Anney Giobbe). Coby Bell, Cara Buono, Chris Bauer, Bonnie Dennison, Nia Long and Jason Wiles also star.
MEDICAL INVESTIGATION - (10-11 p.m.)
"Mutation"
DR. CONNOR'S TEAM CONFRONTS UNSTOPPABLE MUTATING VIRUS THAT THREATENS BACKWOODS HAMLET -- A remote West Virginia hamlet becomes ground zero for a deadly mutating and contagious virus that has claimed 10 percent of the town's citizens. Dr. Connor (Neal McDonough) suspects a dead animal carcass could be the genesis -- and time is running out to find the common link when more patients flood the town's tiny hospital. But to explain how the lethal contagion began, Connor and Dr. Durant (Kelli Williams) might have to look both above and below ground. Christopher Gorham, Troy Winbush and Anna Belknap also star.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6
THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS GAME SHOW MOMENTS 3 - (8-9 p.m.)
ALL NEW HILARIOUS GAME SHOW MOMENTS - In this third installment of NBC's trio of game show specials, "The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 3" will feature even more clips that have not been seen on network television. Hosted by Bob Eubanks ("The Newlywed Game"), the special includes other comical, unscripted moments between contestants on past and present game shows such as "To Tell the Truth," "Family Feud," "Password," "$100,000 Pyramid" "Say When," "Name That Tune," "Scrabble," and "The Joker's Wild," among others. "The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 3" is from NBC Studios.
THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS GAME SHOW MOMENTS 4 - (9-10 p.m.)
NBC brings back more laughs with the fourth installment of the popular series of game-show specials that will feature even more clips that have not been seen on network television. Co-hosted by Bob Eubanks ("The Newlywed Game") and Chuck Woolery ("Lingo"), the special includes other comical, unscripted moments between contestants from past and present game shows. "The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 4" is produced by NBC Studios.
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT - (10-11 p.m.)
"Obscene"
A YOUNG TV STAR IS ATTACKED AND THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS RADIO SHOCK JOCK WHO MAY HAVE GONE TOO FAR; DANA DELANY AND LEWIS BLACK GUEST-STAR -- Well-known actress Jesse (guest star Maggie Grace), who is the star of a controversial teen show, is raped in her trailer on the set and as Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Fin (Ice-T) investigate, they find the actress is hated by many community members, such as Carolyn Spencer (Emmy Award-winning guest star Dana Delany, "China Beach"). Carolyn's public statements of hatred and disapproval of the actress make her a prime suspect. The investigation unravels further clues, which point to Carolyn's son Danny (guest star Ricky Ullman), who is arrested after being placed at the scene of the crime. Although it appears that he was acting out his mother's wishes, the boy also was influenced by the directions of a radio shock jock (guest star Lewis Black, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"). Diane Neal also stars and Judith Light guest-stars.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7
AMERICAN DREAMS - (8-9 p.m.)
"What Dreams May Come"
ALANIS MORISSETTE GUEST-STARS AS A SINGER IN THE LAIR; TAVIS SMILEY ALSO GUEST-STARS AS THURGOOD MARSHALL --When the news reaches home that J.J. is missing in action, everything seems to remind Helen (Gail O'Grady) of her absent son. Looking for answers, Jack (Tom Verica) decides to go to Washington, D.C. -- and agrees to bring Meg (Brittany Snow), not realizing she has an ulterior motive. Upon their return, the family receives an unexpected package from JJ during Thanksgiving dinner. Meanwhile, instead of spending Thanksgiving with his family, Sam (Arlen Escarpeta) goes to Melanie's (guest star Benita Krista Nall) house and meets Justice Thurgood Marshall (guest star Tavis Smiley, "The Tavis Smiley Show"). Alanis Morissette ("You Oughta Know") guest-stars as a singer in the Lair singing "Offer." Jonathan Adams, Rachel Boston, Ethan Dampf, Vanessa Lengies and Sarah Ramos also star.
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT - (9-10 p.m.)
"Magnificat"
CAR BOMB SHATTERS FUTURE OF YOUNG FAMILY WITH HIDDEN PAST; SAM ROBARDS GUEST-STARS -- Horrified Detectives Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) contemplate a car bomb blast that killed three young boys and injured their mother (guest star Carrie Preston) and surviving brother as they check out suspicious Arabic-speaking men -- and the family's controlling husband/father (guest star Sam Robards) who works in a top-secret electronics firm. The police probe yields shocking connections when they discover the wife's earlier postpartum depression and questionable behavior of the dedicated dad. Jamey Sheridan and Courtney B. Vance also star.
CROSSING JORDAN - (10-11 p.m.)
"What Happens in Vegas Dies in Boston"
'CROSSING JORDAN' CROSSES OVER TO 'LAS VEGAS' TO SOLVE MURDER CASE; JAMES CAAN, JOSH DUHAMEL, AND VANESSA MARCIL OF 'LAS VEGAS' GUEST-STAR -- When a Montecito Hotel Lear jet arrives in Boston with casino host Sam Marquez (guest star Vanessa Marcil, NBC's "Las Vegas") and security operative Danny McCoy (guest star Josh Duhamel, "Las Vegas") -- along with a dead high roller with $3 million handcuffed to his wrist -- Sam and Danny find themselves as potential murder suspects as Jordan (Jill Hennessy) and Woody (Jerry O'Connell) discover clues which may clear them. Jordan and Woody follow the new suspects to Vegas and team up with Danny -- leaving everyone wondering if what happens in Vegas really stays in Vegas. Meanwhile, Macy (Miguel Ferrer) gets a special visit from the Montecito's Ed Deline (guest star James Caan, "Las Vegas") while he continues to deal with an unexpected announcement by D.A. Walcott (guest star Susan Gibney). The series crossover will conclude on "Las Vegas" tomorrow night (November 8). Kathryn Hahn, Ravi Kapoor and Steve Valentine also star.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 8
FEAR FACTOR - (8-9 p.m.)
"New York 100th Episode"
MILESTONE 100TH EPISODE BITES 'THE BIG APPLE' -- The landmark 100th episode of this hit reality series starts spreading the fear with a road trip to America's most fearless metropolis -- New York City. Taped on location in and around Manhattan, the milestone episode features challenges such as a flag grab from the bottom of the Roosevelt Island tram as it traverses the East River and an aerial stunt suspended below two helicopters near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Joe Rogan hosts in this series in which all stunts take place under the supervision of professional Hollywood stunt coordinators.
LAS VEGAS - (9-10 p.m.)
"Two of a Kind"
IN CROSSOVER EPISODE, 'CROSSING JORDAN'S' JILL HENNESSY AND JERRY O'CONNELL VISIT VEGAS; SNOOP DOGG ALSO GUEST-STARS -- Ed (James Caan), Danny (Josh Duhamel), and Mike (James Lesure) combine forces with the investigative team of Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) and Det. Woody Hoyt (Jerry O'Connell) -- both from "Crossing Jordan" -- to solve the murder of a high-stakes gambler. The mystery intensifies when it appears that the gambler's wife may not be the only woman who wants him dead. Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg (as himself) is trying to convince Delinda (Molly Sims) to allow the Montecito to be the site of his next music video. Elsewhere, Ed must deal with the demands of his wife Jillian (Cheryl Ladd), who has temporarily moved into the Montecito. Vanessa Marcil, Nikki Cox, and Marsha Thomason also star.
$25 MILLION DOLLAR HOAX - (10-11 p.m.)
"Premiere"
NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES PREMIERES -- "$25 Million Dollar Hoax" is NBC's newest one-hour unscripted series about Chrissy, a daughter who plays a "practical hoax" on her family by convincing them she has won the lottery -- and thereby changed from a level-headed, sweet girl to a selfish spend-a-holic. In this episode, Chrissy questions her decision to pull this elaborate prank on her family. Veteran prize-presenter Ed McMahon ("Star Search," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson") and George Gray ("The Weakest Link") help set up the ruse.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 9
THE BIGGEST LOSER - (8-9:30 p.m.)
"#103"
FINAL 10 CONTESTANTS VIE FOR PRIZE -- Ten contestants are left in this compelling weight-loss drama in which two celebrity fitness trainers join with top health experts to help overweight contestants transform their bodies, health and ultimately, their lives. Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch") hosts the unscripted series in which two competing teams follow comprehensive diet and exercise plans to undergo radical physical makeovers. In this 90-minute episode, the red-and-blue teams take the stage for a lively "pop star" challenge, where the teams have to write and perform a song about their weight struggles in front of a live audience.
SCRUBS - (9:30-10 p.m.)
"My Malpractice Decision"
THREAT OF MALPRACTICE HANGS OVER THE HOSPITAL -- JULIANNA MARGULIES AND RICHARD KIND GUEST-STAR -- Trouble looms for J.D. (Zach Braff) and Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) when they feel threatened by a patients' daughter (guest star Julianna Margulies, "ER"), a malpractice attorney with seemingly evil intentions -- and J.D. seeks to escape her flirty and conniving ways. Meanwhile, Elliot (Sarah Chalke) attempts to hide Doug (guest star Johnny Kastl) from the attorney due to his tendency to cause medical malpractices. Elsewhere, Turk (Donald Faison) pulls a fast prank on the Janitor (Neil Flynn). Richard Kind ("Spin City") guest-stars as a former patient who tries to retaliate. Judy Reyes and Ken Jenkins also star.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - (10-11p.m.)
"Conscience"
A BOY IS KILLED AT THE HANDS OF A DISTURBED NEIGHBOR; KYLE MACLACHLAN GUEST-STARS -- When a 5-year-old boy disappears from a playground, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) meet Jake (guest star Jordan Garratt), the boy's 13-year-old neighbor, who witnessed the boy being watched by a man earlier that day. The case takes a grim turn when the boy is discovered suffocated -- and all clues lead to Jake as the killer. Kyle MacLachlan, "Sex & the City") guest-stars as the victim's psychiatrist father. Tamara Tuni also guest stars. Richard Belzer, Ice-T, Diane Neal, B.D. Wong and Dann Florek also star.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10
LAX - (8-9 p.m.)
"Thanksgiving"
THANKSGIVING -- THE BUSIEST TRAVEL DAY OF THE YEAR! CHARISMA CARPENTER GUEST-STARS -- In the midst of the busiest travel days of the year, Thanksgiving, Roger (Blair Underwood) attempts to keep passengers and planes moving while avoiding his drunken ex-wife who claims to be in town to spend the holiday with her daughter. Elsewhere, Harley (Heather Locklear) reunites with her little sister (guest star Charisma Carpenter, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") in the hopes of finally reconnecting with her family for the holidays. Meanwhile, Tony (Paul Leyden) and Henry (Frank John Hughes) deal with the sudden bankruptcy of a major airline that leaves both passengers and stewardesses stranded in the terminal. Wendy Hoopes and David Paektau also star.
THE WEST WING - (9-10 p.m.)
"Liftoff"
THE WHITE HOUSE IS OFFERED WEAPONS-GRADE URANIUM -- JIMMY SMITS JOINS THE CAST -- The Bartlet Administration must decide what to do when an emissary from the Republic of Georgia walks into the White House and offers them weapons-grade uranium that's from a research reactor the Russians left behind when they pulled out of Georgia. Meanwhile, Josh (Bradley Whitford) goes looking for support of the tax cut -- and along the way, meets with Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits, "L.A. Law"), a bright and enigmatic congressman from Texas. Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney and Dule Hill also star.
LAW & ORDER - (10-11 p.m.)
"GOV LOV"
GOVERNOR IN TROUBLE WHEN WIFE IS MURDERED AND HIS AFFAIR WITH BUSINESSMAN LEADS TO GAY MARRIAGE SHOWDOWN -- CHRIS SARANDON GUEST-STARS -- In a controversial episode, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) follow the sensational murder of the wife of Connecticut Governor Riordan (guest star Robin Thomas) -- but their spadework turns up a corrupt developer (guest star Zeljko Ivanek) whose business and romantic links to Riordan cause the official to step down in shame. However, A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) is stymied when he can't get a third man (as Devin, guest star Jeremy Webb) to testify against the crooked business exec after he claims to have already married him, forcing the dogged McCoy to take the crucial gay marriage issue before the state's supreme court. Chris Sarandon ("The Princess Bride") also guest-stars as Kaplan's defense attorney. S. Epatha Merkerson, Elisabeth Rohm and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11
JOEY - (8-8:30 p.m.)
"Joey and The Dream Girl, Part II"
JOEY AND THE DREAM GIRL, PART 2-- When Donna's (guest star Kelly Preston, "Twins") ex-husband calls to reconcile, she is torn between her feelings for Joey (Matt Le Blanc) and her history with her ex-husband. Gina (Drea de Matteo) tells Joey about Donna possibly getting back with her ex after Donna fails to tell Joey face to face on their date. Meanwhile, Alex (Andrea Anders) learns the meaning of "hot girls get stuff for free." Paulo Costanzo and Ben Falcone also star.
WILL & Grace - (8:30-9 p.m.)
"Saving Grace Again, Part I"
BACK AT IT AGAIN IN FIRST OF TWO-PART EPISODE -- When Grace (Debra Messing) decides to re-enter the dating pool, an eager Will (Eric McCormack) comes to the rescue by setting her up on a date, but somehow Grace falls back into her old self-destructive dating ways. Elsewhere, Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally) decide to play matchmaker with each other -- but the pair decide to choose each other's blind dates.
THE APPRENTICE - (9-10 p.m.)
"Runaway Pride"
EXEC CANDIDATES HAVE MARITAL PROBLEMS -- It's a day to always remember when the candidates open up competing bridal shops -- but one project manager is overwhelmed by their lack of expertise in this particular field. The other team has to deal with a car accident, a marketing plan gone awry, and a project manager that rides the coat tails of a teammate.
ER - (10-11 p.m.)
"Time of Death"
'ER' SHOT IN REAL TIME; RAY LIOTTA GUEST-STARS -- In a groundbreaking episode which traces the real-time events in the emergency room, Kovac (Goran Visjnic), Abby (Maura Tierney) and Sam (Linda Cardellini) try to save the life of Charlie Metcalf (guest star Ray Liotta), a man who comes in complaining of a stomach ache, but is later diagnosed with far, far worse. Mekhi Phifer and Shane West also star.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12
THIRD WATCH - (9-10 p.m.)
"Broken"
CRUZ DETERMINED TO CONVINCE BLOODIED CITY COUNCILMAN TO TESTIFY AGAINST ASSAILANT; DYLAN BAKER GUEST-STARS -- A battered Detective Cruz (Tia Texada) returns to the 55th after her arrest ordeal and confronts a nerve-wracked city councilman (guest star Dylan Baker) who was horribly beaten but refuses to identify his assailant. Cruz, a victim of sexual assault herself, investigates why the frightened victim does not want an arrest. Meanwhile, Officer Davis (Coby Bell) gets an earful when he tracks down the imprisoned convict (guest star Jamar Allah) who murdered his father decades earlier -- and discovers he was following the demands of another cop. Cara Buono, Nia Long, Molly Price, Anthony Ruivivar, Josh Stewart and Skipp Sudduth also star.
MEDICAL INVESTIGATION - (10-11 p.m.)
"Little Girl"
ORPHANED YOUNG GIRL FIGHTS FOR HER LIFE AS MEDICAL TEAM SEARCHES FOR RELATIVES -- When a 10-year-old girl is found deathly ill from lack of healthy bone marrow, Dr. Connor (Neal McDonough) and the NIH team work feverishly to keep her alive long enough to find a family member who would make a worthy marrow donor. Unfortunately, her adoptive parents just died days before, so Eva (Anna Belknap) makes it her personal mission to find the adrift child's biological mother. But the case's urgency intensifies when others in the same area fall ill from the identical aplastic anemia while Eva struggles to convince the girl's reluctant real mom (guest star Catherine Wadkins) to help save the abandoned daughter she wants to forget. Kelli Williams, Christopher Gorham and Troy Winbush also star.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK - MEN IN BLACK - (8-10 p.m.)
WILL SMITH AND TOMMY LEE JONES STAR IN SCI-FI CLASSIC -- Academy Award-winning Tommy Lee Jones ("Space Cowboys," "Double Jeopardy") and Golden Globe-nominee Will Smith ("The Legend of Bagger Vance," "Wild,Wild West") star as top-secret agents in a highly-funded, unofficial government organization established to monitor and police alien activity on earth. And when the aliens initiate a plan to blow up the planet, the two "Men in Black" must protect Earth and its human inhabitants. Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"), Linda Fiorentino ("Dogma"), Vincent D' Onofrio (NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Rip Torn ("The Insider") and Siobhan Fallon ("The Negotiator") also star. Based on the Lowell Cunningham comic book series, "Men in Black" is directed by Barry Sonnenfield ("Get Shorty") and executive produced by Academy award-winning Steven Spielberg ("Memoirs of a Gesha," "Saving Private Ryan").
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14
AMERICAN DREAMS - (8-9 p.m.)
"One in a Million"
FANTASIA BARRINO ('AMERICAN IDOL') GUEST-STARS AS ARETHA FRANKLIN -- JJ (Will Estes) is found alive in the jungle by a Frenchman (guest star Phillipe Durand) who takes him in, but JJ soon learns that his "friend" is known for turning over American soldiers to the Vietcong, he tries to escape. Meanwhile, Meg (Brittany Snow) is upset when she is asked to speak about JJ during the assembly to honor East Catholic High students serving in the war. Helen (Gail O'Grady) goes to see a psychiatrist that Beth (Rachel Boston) recommends, but finds that the best medicine is the hope in her new grandson, John Pryor III. Fantasia Barrino ("American Idol") guest-stars as the legendary Aretha Franklin singing "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Tom Verica, Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta, Vanessa Lengies, Sarah Ramos, and Ethan Dampf also star.
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT - (9-10 p.m.)
"Inert Dwarf"
WILL GOREN AND EAMES WEAR DUNCE CAP -- OR DISCOVER THEORY OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN MURDER OF SCIENTIST -- AUSTIN PENDLETON GUEST-STARS -- When a tormented scientist is murdered by radiation poisoning, Detectives Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) discover that the victim was working with Dr. Manotti (guest star Austin Pendleton, "A Beautiful Mind"), a famous physicist in a wheelchair, on the controversial "Theory of Everything" -- an unproven design that would re-configure the definition of the universe. Even as the police duo suspects the brainiac's beautiful and controlling trophy wife, they are curious about an approaching international conference in Berlin that would require Manotti to explain his theory -- which would ensure his scientific immortality. Jamey Sheridan and Courtney B. Vance also star.
CROSSING JORDAN - (10-11 p.m.)
"Fire From the Sky"
JORDAN AND HER TEAM INVESTIGATE A MASSIVE PLANE CRASH -- Jordan (Jill Hennessy) snaps when Devan (guest star Jennifer Finnigan) calls asking her to cover her graveyard shift at the morgue but when an exhausted Jordan arrives at the morgue, she finds the entire place full of action as they prepare for the victims of a plane crash. At the site of the crash, Macy, (Miguel Ferrer) Bug (Ravi Kapoor) and Nigel (Steve Valentine) scramble to find any remains before they are completely burned up from the airplane fuel fire. Woody (Jerry O'Connell) is devastated when he comes across the flight manifest and realizes that Devan's name was on the list. Kathryn Hahn and Emy Coligado also star.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 15
FEAR FACTOR - (8-9 p.m.)
"Co-Ed Models"
MALE AND FEMALE FASHION MODELS GET WET -- Among the challenges facing male and female fashion models in this episode is a swing across gymnastic-style rings while suspended below a helicopter hovering over water. In addition, these "model" contestants must swim against the tide through large, high-pressure tubes that, when pulled out of a lake, flush out the models with extreme force. Joe Rogan hosts this series in which all stunts take place under the supervision of professional Hollywood stunt coordinators.
LAS VEGAS - (9-10 p.m.)
"Degas Away with It"
THE MISSING DEGAS; ALEC BALDWIN AND ED MCMAHON GUEST-STAR--Ed (James Caan) uses his past connections and some old-school tactics to hunt down the man who stole a priceless Dega work of art from the Montecito but his frantic search for the piece leads to an uncomfortable reunion with his former partner Jack Keller (guest star Alec Baldwin), who cannot be trusted. Meanwhile, Danny (Josh Duhamel) and Mike (James Lesure) are dispatched to deal with a fight between their tenants and find themselves smack in the middle of a lovers' quarrel. Elsewhere, Sam (Vanessa Marcil) puts together an exotic weekend for a young couple in love that ends with only Sam smiling. Molly Sims, Nikki Cox and Marsha Thomason also star.
$25 MILLION DOLLAR HOAX - (10-11 p.m.)
"Episode #2"
LANCE BASS MAKES CAMEO APPEARANCE -- The second episode of NBC's newest one-hour unscripted series features a cameo appearance by Lance Bass of boyband N'Sync at a recording studio where Chrissy Sanford hopes to record a Britney Spears tune, which is the long-time wish of Chrissy's sister. This series presents a daughter, Chrissy Sanford, who plays a "practical hoax" on her family by convincing them she has won the lottery and changed from a level-headed, sweet girl to a selfish spend-a-holic. Veteran prize-presenter Ed McMahon ("Star Search," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson") and games show host Geroge Gray ("The Weakest Link") help set up the ruse.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 16
THE BIGGEST LOSER - (8-9:30 p.m.)
"#104"
RED AND BLUE TEAMS GO TO NEW HEIGHTS -- Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch") hosts the unscripted series in which two competing teams follow comprehensive diet and exercise plans to undergo radical physical makeovers. In this 90-minute episode, the teams must face the challenge of climbing 74 stories in the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
SCRUBS - (9:30-10 p.m.)
"My Female Trouble"
FEMALE TROUBLE ABOUNDS WHEN JULIANNA MARGULIES AND RICHARD KIND GUEST-STAR -- J.D. (Zach Braff) stirs things up with his newfound relationship with Neena (Julianna Margulies, "ER") the ice queen who treats him with no respect and threatens everyone around her with her cold-hearted ways. Meanwhile, the battle in court continues between Mr. Korman (guest star Richard Kind, "Spin City"), Neena, and Turk (Donald Faison) over allegations that Turk's shoulder surgery performance destroyed Korman's tennis serve. John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes and Sarah Chalke also star.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - (10-11 p.m.)
"CHARISMA"
A CHILD IS PREGNANT AT THE HANDS OF A DANGEROUS CULT LEADER -- HOLLISTON COLEMAN AND JEFF KOBER GUEST-STAR -- When 12-year-old Melanie, (guest star Holliston Coleman) is hospitalized with pregnancy complications, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) make a hospital call and discover that the girl's "husband" (guest star Jeff Kober) -- and father of her unborn child -- is the leader of a cult that claims Melanie. The investigation takes an emotional turn when the detectives pay a visit to the cult leader and make a horrifying discovery. Tamara Tuni also guest stars. Richard Belzer, Diane Neal, B.D. Wong, Dann Florek also star.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17
LAX - (8-9 p.m.)
TBA
THE WEST WING - (9-10 p.m.)
"The Hubbert Peak"
JOSH'S SUV ACCIDENT CREATES BIG PROBLEMS FOR THE BARTLET ADMINISTRATION -- KRISTIN CHENOWETH JOINS THE CAST -- Josh (Bradley Whitford) test drives an oversized SUV and crashes into a hybrid car resulting in bad publicity for The White House. Annabeth (Kristin Chenoweth), the new Press Secretary, has been on the job for only a week and is preparing to face the press corps for the first time. Toby (Richard Schiff) is concerned that she looks too young and may not be prepared for their probing questions. Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney and Dule Hill also star.
LAW & ORDER - (10-11 p.m.)
"Cry Wolf"
PUBLICITY-SEEKING RADIO PERSONALITY MAY BECOME VICTIM OF HIS OWN 'STUNT MUGGINGS' -- JOE PISCOPO GUEST STARS -- A street thug-turned-radio personality (guest star Jose Zuniga) who had a penchant for attracting headlines through "publicity stunt muggings" is thought to be faking again when he's shot and almost killed. However, when other bodies start to stack up, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) now must believe the danger is for real. Joe Piscopo (NBC's "Saturday Night Live") guest stars as a martial arts movie star. Sam Waterston, Elisabeth Rohm, S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18
JOEY - (8-8:30 p.m.)
TBA
WILL & GRACE - (8:30-9 p.m.)
"Saving Grace Again, Part II"
TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP-- VICTOR GARBER AND RIP TAYLOR GUEST-STAR -- Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing), Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally) go on a road trip for Grace's getaway weekend -- two days devoted to avoiding the mention of the name "Leo." Meanwhile, Jack and Karen hate the car ride and decide to bail on the plan and Jack spots Peter (guest star Victor Garber, "Alias") whom Jack remembers from a commercial Jack saw when he was a kid -- and he recruits him to be the new face of "Out TV," much to the surprise of Rip Taylor (as himself) who also wants the gig.
THE APPRENTICE - (9-10 p.m.)
"The Butt Stops Here"
TEAMS WORK WITH LEVIS -- The teams compete to be the right fit when Donald Trump assigns them the task of creating an in-store catalogue for Levis jeans. It's all about the butt for Apex as one member tries to hijack an innovative design idea, while a member of Mosaic takes control of the project -- much to everyone's dismay.
ER - (10-11 p.m.)
"White Guy, Dark Hair"
RAPE VICTIM STRUGGLES TO HELP POLICE -- Sam (Linda Cardellini) and Kovac (Goran Visjnic) treat a woman who was brutally beaten and raped but wants to help police even though she can barely speak. Meanwhile, Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) schedules an emergency drill without telling the staff and Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) and Abby (Maura Tierney) treat a girl complaining of kidney problems --which is just the beginning of her adventure. Laura Innes, Mekhi Phifer, Parminder Nagra and Shane West also star.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19
THIRD WATCH - (8-9 p.m.)
"Sins of the Father"
DAVIS IN DANGER WHEN HE SEEKS VENGEANCE OVER HIS FATHER'S SLAYING -- CHARLES HAID GUEST-STARS -- A seething Officer Davis (Coby Bell) jeopardizes his career and life when he faces down the corrupt Captain C.T. Finney (guest star Charles Haid, "Hill Street Blues") over the murder of his father 20 years earlier while Detective Yokas (Molly Price) probes the murder of a female Arab-American teenager who might be the victim of her boyfriend -- or even her own family. Elsewhere: Sullivan (Skipp Sudduth) agonizes over what to do to help his ex-partner David; younger Officer Finney (Josh Stewart) wonders why paramedic Grace (Cara Buono) is avoiding him, and suddenly single Yokas tries to convince her teen daughter Emily (Bonnie Dennison) to accept her custody. Anthony Ruivivar, Chris Bauer and Nia Long also star.
MEDICAL INVESTIGATION - (9-10 p.m.)
"Price of Pleasure"
DR. CONNOR AND TEAM INVESTIGATE DEATHS OF ADULT FILM STARS -- When a porn star falls into a coma, Dr. Connor (Neal McDonough) and his team arrive in Los Angeles only to discover that two other adult film actresses have died -- and just as they begin to think that the source is a form of sexually transmitted disease, a squeaky-clean suburban mother falls ill and displays the same respiratory symptoms. But Dr. Durant's (Kelli Williams) research reveals another possibility -- that the women suffer from a toxic species of bacteria that can be traced to a common elective surgery. Christopher Gorham, Anna Belknap and Troy Winbush also star.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- ERIN BROCKOVICH (8-10 p.m.)
Three-time Golden Globe winner Julia Roberts ("Pretty Woman," "Ocean's Twelve") stars in this stirring and unconventional drama based on true events, as the twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins. Following a car accident, Erin Brockovich (Roberts) finds herself in a tight spot when her attorney fails to land her a settlement to help her financial difficulties. With nowhere else to turn to, Erin convinces her attorney, Ed Masry (Emmy and Golden Globe winner Albert Finney, "The Gathering Storm"), to hire her at his law firm. While working, Erin takes on a $300 million case that not only reinvents her life but proves her strength to triumph over insurmountable odds. This three-time Oscar nominated movie was directed by Oscar winner Steve Soderbergh ("Ocean's Eleven").
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21
AMERICAN DREAMS - (8-9 p.m.)
"Tidings of Comfort & Joy" (Commercial-free by Ford)
KELLY CLARKSON REPRISES ROLE AS BRENDA LEE, AND JOJO GUEST-STARS AS A YOUNG LINDA RONSTADT -- In a commercial -free episode sponsored by Ford, JJ (Will Estes), barely alive in the jungle, finds a Christmas miracle in the form of a fellow American soldier, Joey Tremain (guest star Chris Pine). Together they encourage each other to stay alive until they find help -- and hopefully a way to get home to their loved ones. Meanwhile, Helen (Gail O'Grady) teaches Beth (Rachel Boston) some important tips on caring for her new baby. However, Beth becomes infuriated when Helen invites her estranged father over to the house to meet his new grandson. When Meg (Brittany Snow) gets upset that Army recruiters are visiting the campus and encouraging students to enlist, she finds herself in a dangerous situation when Chris (guest star Milo Ventimiglia) and two of his friends decide to take matters into their own hands at the recruiting center. Kelly Clarkson ("American Idol") reprises her role as Brenda Lee singing "Rock Around the Christmans Tree," and singer JoJo guest-stars as a young Linda Ronstadt who auditions for "Bandstand." "Extra" co-host Dayna Devon and Nick Warnock ("The Apprentice") also guest-star. Tom Verica, Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta, Vanessa Lengies, Sarah Ramos and Ethan Dampf also star.
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT - (9-10 p.m.)
"Silver Lining"
GOLD-SHIELD DETECTIVES CHASE WILY BURGLAR WHO HAS LETHAL PREFERENCE FOR SILVER -- A female antique appraiser is murdered, and Detectives Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) lock onto the trail of an elusive, highly organized and proficient thief (guest star David Harbour) who specializes in lifting priceless silver settings. The Major Case squad discovers a long line of burglaries attributed to their taunting suspect -- but an arrest will only stick if they can link him to his treasure stash of valuables. Jamey Sheridan and Courtney B. Vance also star.
CROSSING JORDAN - (10-11 p.m.)
"Necessary Risks"
WOODY AND JORDAN INVESTIGATE THE REPORTED SUICIDE OF A COLLEGE FENCING STAR AND DISCOVER THAT MURDER MIGHT BE THE POINT -- Detective Woody Hoyt (Jerry O'Connell) and Dr. Cavanaugh (Jill Hennessy) think they have an open-and-shut case after a college fencing star is found dead in his dorm room from an apparent suicide. However, forensic tests indicate evidence points to murder rather than suicide and the search for the killer begins. Meanwhile, when a body is discovered in a motel room with all its organs removed, Dr. Macy (Miguel Ferrer) and Nigel (Steve Valentine) team up with Lois Carver (guest star Amy Aquino) to solve a crime that is identical to a classic urban legend. Macy and Carver must race against time to trace the organ thief before the killer strikes again. Kathryn Hahn and Ravi Kapoor also star.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 22
FEAR FACTOR - (8-9:30 p.m.)
"Thanksgiving Show"
FOUR STUNTS, 90 MINUTES -- THANKSGIVING AT ITS BEST -- Thankfully, the contestants in this special 90-minute episode don't have to eat everything on their plates at the "Fear Factor" holiday feast in this Thanksgiving episode. But they do have to choose three of the five tasty delights from a menu of sheep brain pie, bile "jello" with cave spider topping, night crawler green beans, worm and beetle stuffing and maggoty mashed potatoes. Later, the contestants disembark from their pilgrim-like sailing vessel by walking the plank with a 10-pound ball and chain attached to their waist. Joe Rogan hosts this series in which all stunts take place under the supervision of professional Hollywood stunt coordinators.
$25 MILLION DOLLAR HOAX - (9:30-11 p.m.)
"Episode #3-Finale"
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY -- "$25 Million Dollar Hoax" is NBC's newest one-hour unscripted series about Chrissy, a daughter who plays a "practical hoax" on her family by convincing them she has won the lottery and changed from a level-headed, sweet girl to a selfish spend-a-holic. In this finale, Chrissy must confront her family and confess that her story has been one outrageous hoax. As her family watches with trepidation as she spins the big wheel, the truth about the money is finally revealed -- and the question is: will Chrissy's loved ones be able to forgive her when she is forced to tell them that her story has been one big lie? More importantly, has playing this practical hoax been worth it or has she permanently lost the trust of her family? Veteran prize-presenter Ed McMahon ("Star Search," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson") and George Gray ("The Weakest Link") help continue the ruse.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 23
THE BIGGEST LOSER - (8-9:30 p.m.)
"#105"
A TEAM LIGHTENS UP THROUGH ELIMINATION -- Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch") hosts this unscripted series in which two competing teams follow comprehensive diet and exercise plans to undergo radical physical makeovers. During the challenge in this 90-minute episode the two teams face their greatest temptation, and one more contestant is eliminated after that person's team realizes they are being manipulated.
SCRUBS - (9:30-10 p.m.)
"My Unicorn"
MATTHEW PERRY MAKES DIRECTORIAL DEBUT AND GUEST-STARS AS WILLING KIDNEY DONOR -- Emmy Award nominee Matthew Perry ("Friends") returns to NBC as he guest-stars and makes his directorial debut. Perry plays a man who is willing to donate one of his kidneys to his ailing father (guest star John Bennett Perry, who is Perry's real-life father) until complications arise. Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Donald Faison, Judy Reyes, Neil Flynn and Ken Jenkins also star.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - (10-11 p.m.)
"Doubt"
PROFESSOR'S ALLEGED RAPE ACCUSATION DEVOLVES INTO CONFUSING BATTLE OF 'HE SAID, SHE SAID'; BILLY CAMPBELL GUEST-STARS -- After a woman claims to have been sexually assaulted by her college professor (guest star Billy Campbell, "Once and Again"), the accused academician agrees to help Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) by volunteering to submit a DNA sample for testing. But the case turns into a classic "he said, she said" stand-off when the professor claims the alleged victim showed up at his apartment seeking more then professional advice. Tamara Tuni also guest stars. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Diane Neal, Ice-T and B.D. Wong also star.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 24
TIM MCGRAW: HERE AND NOW - (8-9 p.m.)
SUPERSTAR TIM MCGRAW RETURNS WITH HIS SECOND NBC SPECIAL -- Since his first NBC Thanksgiving special -- which incorporated footage from his years on tour and a concert performance from his hometown of Start, Louisiana -- superstar Tim McGraw has completed and released his much-anticipated ninth album, "Live Like You Were Dying." Just in time for a new Thanksgiving holiday, McGraw is back with a new music special that includes footage from two recent performances in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
THE WEST WING - (9-10 p.m.)
"The Dover Test"
AMERICAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN BARTLET'S PEACEKEEPING MISSION -- When a U.S. peacekeeping compound is attacked and American soldiers are killed, the White House struggles to contain the story even as the father of one of the slain soldiers speaks out against the mission. Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Santos (Jimmy Smits, "NYPD Blue") attaches his patients' bill of rights to a Republican piece of legislation -- and effectively keeps the Democratic elements in line while maintaining a Republican agenda. Also, Leo (John Spencer) gets a lesson in life and business from his nurse. Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney and Dule Hill also star.
LAW & ORDER - (10-11 p.m.)
"All in the Family"
FOUR PEDESTRIANS MOWED DOWN ON STREET AS DETECTIVES CONSIDER JEWELER'S RUSSIAN MOB CONNECTION; MERCEDES RUEHL GUEST-STARS -- After four people, including tourists, are shot dead on the same sidewalk, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) learn that one was a philandering jeweler with criminal ties to the Russian mob who was cooperating with federal authorities -- until someone close to the victim "ratted him out." In the meantime, the investigators find the hit men, but A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) must wrestle with the federal prosecutor over jurisdiction -- and both cases might hinge on the obscure clue that the jeweler was an Orthodox Jew. S. Epatha Merkerson, Elisabeth Rohm and Fred Dalton Thompson also star. Mercedes Ruehl guest-stars as the jeweler's wife.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 25
THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE - (9 a.m.-12 p.m.-all time zones)
MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE CONTINUES ANNUAL TRADITION ON NBC -- The 78th anniversary of America's favorite Thanksgiving Day parade features all the spectacular pageantry, fun and surprises that have made this annual New York City extravaganza a perennial favorite. Heralding the start of the Christmas season, this beloved holiday parade features colorful grand floats, lively marching bands, amazing character balloons and special performances by some of today's hottest stars and Broadway performers -- plus an appearance by Santa Claus. Brad Lachman is the executive producer of this live (in some time zones), three-hour special from NBC Entertainment. Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and Al Roker will host the event
THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA - (12- 2 p.m.- all time zones)
JOHN O'HURLEY HOSTS ANNUAL HOLIDAY EVENT WITH 'THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA' -- Hosted by John O'Hurley ("Seinfeld), "The National Dog Show" takes place as part of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia's annual dog show, one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting events in North America, and one of only six remaining "benched" dog shows where the public can interact with the show dogs. The show is expected to feature more than 2,000 of the nation's leading canines in a wide variety of more than 150 breeds and varieties, all vying for "Best in Show" honors.
WILL & GRACE - (8-9 p.m.)
"Everybody Loves Vince"
SECRETS REVEALED FOR THE HOLIDAY-'THE SOPRANOS' JAMIE-LYNN DiSCALA AND BOBBY CANNAVALE GUEST-STAR -- When Vince's (guest star Bobby Cannavale) mother injures her leg and is unable to make her traditional Italian Thanksgiving, Will (Eric McCormack) comes to the rescue by offering to make his own special dinner -- but Vince's slap-happy mother refuses to give Will any credit. Meanwhile, Jack (Sean Hayes) gives Vince's sister Ro (guest star Jamie-Lynn DiScala, "The Sopranos") a few pointers on a big secret she is keeping from her family and fiance. Elsewhere, Grace (Debra Messing) and Karen (Megan Mullally) get very cozy with Vince's much younger brother.
THE APPRENTICE - (9-10 p.m.)
"Episode #12"
WHICH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THE WINNING EDGE? -- Candidates work on branding campaign for PepsiCo's new soft drink, Pepsi Edge.
THE 'SEINFELD' STORY - (10-11 p.m.)
'SEINFELD' RETROSPECTIVE SPECIAL HOSTED BY JERRY SEINFELD RECALLS SERIES' CLASSIC MEMORIES -- NBC will celebrate the best memories of one of television's all-time classic comedies with a retrospective special commemorating the mega-hit "Seinfeld." Hosted by Jerry Seinfeld, the special will include interviews with fellow cast members Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as co-creator and executive producer Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). During interviews, each cast member will talk about the series' genesis and concentrate on the first four years when "Seinfeld" formed its unique style until it emerged as an acclaimed comedy classic.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26
DATELINE - (8-9 p.m.)
DATELINE TOM BROKAW RETROSPECTIVE - (9-11 p.m.)
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- IT'S A WONDEFUL LIFE - (8-11 p.m.)
CHRISTMAS CLASSIC 'IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE' RETURNS TO NBC -- Frank Capra's 1946 holiday classic, "It's a Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore, returns to NBC. The film follows the life of George Bailey (Stewart) from childhood to maturity in the town of Bedford Falls. On what might be his last Christmas Eve, a discouraged Bailey wants to throw his life away. Fortunately, Clarence (Henry Travers), a second-class angel, is sent to show him the value of life. After Clarence gives Bailey a view of Bedford Falls without him, Bailey realizes how precious his life is and gets a second chance. He comes to learn that Clarence was right when he said, "No man is a failure who has friends." The film, which earned Oscar nominations for best picture, director, actor and film editing, was produced and directed by Capra.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- SHREK - (7-9 p.m.)
NBC PRESENTS HIT ANIMATED BLOCKBUSTER 'SHREK' -- In a strange and colorful land populated by fairy tale characters, an ogre named Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) must go on a quest to rescue the fair princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) from a dark tower guard by a dragon so that she can live happily ever-after with the allegedly valiant Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow). Along for the adventure is Shrek's "noble steed" Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy), who battles alongside the ogre as he fights for the best of motives -- to rid his beloved swamp from unwanted storybook creatures in the hopes of living a happy and completely lonely existence.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL - (9-11 p.m. ET)
EMMY WINNER KELSEY GRAMMER STARS IN MUSICAL VERSION OF BELOVED FAMILY CLASSIC 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL' -- Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") stars as Scrooge in the beloved classic holiday tale by Charles Dickens. Based on the long-running Madison Square Garden stage production, this musical extravaganza also stars Tony Award winner Jason Alexander ("Jerome Robbins' 'Broadway,' "Seinfeld"), Jesse L. Martin (NBC's "Law & Order), Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski ("Nine the Musical," "Ally McBeal"), three time Golden Globe nominee Geraldine Chaplin ("Mary, Mother of Jesus," "Mother Teresa") and Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Heartbreakers," "Garfield: The Movie").
MONDAY NOVEMBER 29
FEAR FACTOR - (8-9 p.m.)
"Pairs"
BEST FRIENDS, BLOOD TIES -- This new episode features four pairs of best friends performing stunts outrageous enough to test any friendship, including transferring live, blood-sucking leeches mouth-to-mouth -- while blindfolded. Joe Rogan hosts.
LAS VEGAS - (9-10 p.m.)
"My Beautiful Launderette"
DIRTY LAUNDRY -- MICHAEL LOWRY GUEST-STARS -- Sam (Vanessa Marcil) gets involved with a drug cartel when she learns that one of her clients is illegally laundering drug money through the Montecito. When Ed (James Caan) finds out, Sam agrees to help the FBI capture several key members of the cartel to help put an end to them. Meanwhile, Mike (James Lesure) is convinced that he has met the woman of his dreams, and does everything in his power to persuade her to date him. Elsewhere, Delinda (Molly Sims) meets and falls for Cody Barnes (Michael Lowry), a handsome Rodeo champion. Josh Duhamel, Marsha Thomason, and Nikki Cox also star.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 30
CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER - (8-9 p.m.)
NATIONAL HOLIDAY TRADITION CONTINUES WITH TREE-LIGHTING IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER -- NBC continues a holiday tradition with its live annual telecast of the 72nd celebration of the world's most famous Christmas tree in "Christmas in Rockefeller Center," a star-studded one-hour special from Rockefeller Center in New York City. The popular musical lineup will include a mix of current hits along with holiday music. "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" is produced for a national audience by TWI, the television division of IMG (International Management Group), and WNBC. Steve Mayer and Adele Rifkin are executive producers.
THE BIGGEST LOSER - (9-10 p.m.)
"#106"
TEAMS TREK TO BEACH FOR A CHALLENGE -- Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch") hosts this unscripted, one-hour series in which two competing teams follow comprehensive diet and exercise plans to undergo radical physical makeovers. In this episode, the teams put their new stamina to the test and Blue Team Trainer Bob reaches his boiling point after one contestant refuses to workout. Also, an elimination surprise divides one team.
LAW & ORDER: SVU - (10-11 p.m.)
"Weak"
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1
THE APPRENTICE - (8-9 p.m.)
"A Look Back"
A look back at the highlights of the second season of "The Apprentice."
THE WEST WING - (9-10 p.m.)
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
BARTLET'S CHINA SUMMIT IS THREATENED; ED O'NEILL GUEST-STARS -- Final preparation goes into President Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) visit to China when he accepts a flag from the Taiwanese delegation representing the Taiwanese Independence Movement -- prompting China to mobilize for military action. Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney, Dule Hill also star. Ed O'Neill ("Married... with Children") guest-stars as a United States senator.
LAW & ORDER - (10-11 p.m.)
"Fixed"
CHILD MURDERER GETS DOSE OF DEADLY HEAVY METAL AS POLICE LOOK BEHIND PRISON WALLS FOR SUSPECT -- When a convicted child murderer is struck and left for dead by a motorist just weeks after his prison release, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are not enthused about finding out who ran him over. When the murderer dies, they look inside the walls where he served his sentence -- and find evidence that leads A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) to make a startling discovery. S. Epatha Merkerson, Elisabeth Rohm and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

And another look at Fox's future:

Fox Fielding New Team for November Sweep

By Cynthia Littleton Mon Nov 1, 5:10 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The moment the Boston Red Sox broke the curse and clinched the World Series (news - web sites) on Wednesday night, the battle began anew for the entertainment programming team at Fox Broadcasting Co.

Now that Fox's annual primetime break for postseason baseball is completed -- with a historic World Series win by the Sox that yielded the highest ratings for the Fall Classic since 1995 -- it's once again time for network's entertainment division to step up to the plate.

Fox turned itself inside out this year to find a way to work around the double-edged sword that baseball's October pre-emptions bring to the network. The league playoff games and World Series bouts give Fox a huge promotional platform to build on, but they also mean weeks of schedule disruptions at a time when viewers are just settling in with the broadcasters' new fall lineups.

Fox's solution to this quandary has been to shift its primetime calendar to a pattern of rolling out original programming on a year-round basis. The network mounted a miniseason of new shows in June, but it still hasn't been able to avoid the need to launch a bunch of new shows on the back of baseball, which happens to coincide with the start of the November sweep.

"We've been down this road enough to know that even with the enormous ratings for baseball, it doesn't mean that we've raised our expectations for how we're going to perform going forward," says Preston Beckman, Fox executive vp strategic program planning. "Our No. 1 priority is to improve our performance over last November and December."

During the next two weeks, Fox will rolling out three new reality shows -- "Nanny 911," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" and "The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best" -- plus a new medical drama, "House," and the return of its promising Emmy-winning-but-ratings-challenged comedy "Arrested Development" to a new, post-"Simpsons" Sunday time slot.

Indeed, Fox has a lot riding on Sunday night, where ABC's sudden explosion with "Desperate Housewives" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has upped the competitive stakes considerably since the broadcasters mapped out their 2004-05 season scheduling strategies in the spring.

After last year's disappointment with "Joe Millionaire 2," Fox brass also are gamely trying a new spin on last season's reality hit "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" with "Obnoxious Boss" in the Sunday 9 p.m. berth opposite "Housewives."

Beckman admits that "Boss" is either going to be a hit or a miss -- there won't be any middle ground -- and though it has to face the hottest new series of the season, it at least has the counterprograming advantage of being the only unscripted offering in the time slot.

Fox won't be at full strength until January, when "American Idol" sings out again and the clock is reset for the fourth season of "24." But in Beckman's view, the network's biggest challenge of the season arrives Thursday, when "The O.C." returns for its second season in an unfamiliar time slot: 8 p.m. Thursday.

There's no questioning "O.C.'s" pop culture bona fides -- it's hard to find a magazine cover that hasn't had an "O.C."-related face on it during the past month -- but how well it performs in its new time slot, a zone that once belonged to "Friends" and is now dominated by CBS' "Survivor: Vanuatu," will speak volumes about Fox's competitiveness during the next six months.

"It's our first opportunity (in years) to really get in the game on this night, not only because 'Friends' is gone but because we have a real (hit) show here," Beckman says. "We're being realistic about what to expect ... but we also know it's our big move of the year, and how it fares will say a lot about how Thursday night will go for us and a few other networks."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

'Pride' Is Sweeps 'Loser' at NBC

Animated series heads to hiatus
(zap2it.com)---What happens in Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden is staying in Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden, at least for the coming sweeps period.
NBC has pulled its expensive but modestly rated animated comedy "Father of the Pride" for November sweeps, which begin Thursday (Nov. 4). The network will expand its unscripted series "The Biggest Loser" to 90 minutes for three weeks starting Tuesday, Nov. 9 to fill "Pride's" 9 p.m. ET Tuesday spot.
The final Tuesday of sweeps, Nov. 30, will feature the annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" special at 8 p.m., with "The Biggest Loser" moving to 9 that night.
A sweeps hiatus is rarely good news for any show, but it could be particularly dire for "Father of the Pride" since episodes of animated shows take so much longer to complete than live-action series. NBC ordered additional scripts for the show earlier in the season but hasn't given the go-ahead to make new episodes.
"Pride" has averaged about 9.6 million viewers per week through seven airings, down significantly compared to the same period last year, when a declining "Frasier" was still drawing about 12 million people per week. Its ratings among adults 18-49, NBC's favorite demographic, have been reasonably competitive but not stellar.
The network hasn't made a decision on what to do with the remaining six "Father of the Pride" episodes.

Monday's Ratings are posted under Latest News

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Primetime Monday Ratings:
ABC Opens on a Winning Note

Monday 11/01/04

Note: The following ratings exclude the West Palm Beach market.

Metered Market Ratings

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 10.2/15
CBS: 8.9/13
NBC: 8.3/12
WB: 5.6/ 8
Fox: 5.5/ 8
UPN: 2.4/ 3

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Nov. 3, 2003):
Fox: +45
NBC: + 1
WB: - 8
ABC: -14
CBS: -25
UPN: -31

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
ABC: 13.13 million
CBS: 12.61
NBC: 12.54
Fox: 7.38
WB: 5.87
UPN: 2.91

Adults 18-49:
ABC: 5.2/13
NBC: 5.1/13
CBS: 4.3/11
Fox: 3.2/ 8
WB: 2.2/ 5
UPN: 1.2/ 3

Yesterday's Winners: Fear Factor (NBC)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
7th Heaven (WB), CSI Miami R (CBS)
Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2004: The Great Debates (NBC)

Dominant but Diluted:
Monday Night Football (ABC)

Honorable Mention:
Everybody Loves Raymond R (CBS)
Two and a Half Men R (CBS)
Las Vegas (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
With CBS in repeats, and a special edition of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (How'd They Do That?) anchoring the night, ABC won Monday, beating the second-place network (CBS in the overnights and total viewers, NBC among adults 18-49) by an average of 15 percent in the overnights, 520,000 viewers and 2 percent among adults 18-49. Although a special edition of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: How'd They Do That? at 8 p.m. (#1, 8.1/12; Viewers: #2, 11.44 million; A18-49: #2, 4.4/11) beat NBC's veteran Fear Factor (#2: 6.9/10; Viewers: #1, 12.15 million; A18-49: #1, 4.9/13) in the overnights, Fear Factor remained No. 1 in total viewers and adults 18-49. Even so, the Extreme Makeover special was a considerable improvement over recent time period occupant The Benefactor.

Third overall in the 8 p.m. hour based on the overnights was WB stalwart 7th Heaven (6.2/ 9), followed by repeats of CBS' Still Standing (6.2/ 9) and Listen Up (5.6/ 8), a Monday edition of Fox's Trading Spouses (5.6/ 8), and repeats of UPN's One On One (2.2/ 3) and Half and Half (2.4/ 3). Third based on adults 18-49 was Trading Spouses (3.4/ 9), followed by Still Standing (3.1/ 8) and Listen Up (2.9/ 7), 7th Heaven (2.3/ 6), and One On One (1.1/ 3) and Half and Half (1.2/ 3).

At 9 p.m., ABC's Monday Night Football, Miami vs. New York Jets, was below average at a 10.1/16 in the overnights from 9 p.m. to 12:15 a.m., with 13.67 million viewers and a 5.7/14 among adults 18-49 in primetime. Although repeats of CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond (#2: 10.2/14; A18-49: #2, 5.1/12) and Two and a Half Men (#2: 9.5/13; A18-49: #2, 4.9/11) trailed the first hour of Monday Night Football, a repeat of CSI: Miami at 10 p.m. was first in both the overnights (10.8/16) and total viewers (14.41 million), with a third-place finish among adults 18-49 (5.0/12). Competing NBC special, Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2004: The Great Debates, was third in the overnights (9.1/14) and total viewers (13.06 million), but first among adults 18-49 (5.9/15) at 10 p.m.

Third at 9 p.m. was NBC's reliable Las Vegas (9.2/14; A18-49: 4.6/11), followed by Fox's tired The Swan 2 (5.4/ 8; A18-49: 3.1/ 7), the WB's Everwood (5.0/ 7; A18-49: 2.0/ 5), and repeats of UPN comedies Girlfriends (2.6/ 4; A18-49: 1.3/ 3) and Second Time Around (2.2/ 3; A18-49: 1.2/ 3).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Reader Feedback Forum: CSI: NY

"I was initially looking forward to CBS' CSI: NY, but am beginning to turn it off. The dark lighting has become annoying (as if New York is permanently under an eclipse and no indoor lighting is available), and the characters are too young. I doubt most cops in New York have the hair, clothes, and body shapes of these crime scene investigators. I thought this version of CSI was supposed to be character driven but after five episodes I don't even remember the name of Mac's wife. What does that tell you? My suggestion to the producers: lighten up!
-D.A., Chicago, IL

The P.I.:
Now that unproven sitcom Center of the Universe is leading into CSI: NY (instead of repeats of CSI or CSI: Miami, which bring more viewers to the table), ratings for CSI: Miami spin-off are also probably going to lighten up. Based on last Wednesday's series low delivery, you are not the only viewer beginning to turn off CSI: NY.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Primetime 2004-05: Freshman Series Update

Six weeks into the new season, here is an updated status of the primetime freshman class of 2004-05 (including Fox's summer roll-outs):

ABC
-The Benefactor: Canceled
-Boston Legal: Likely to be picked up for the remainder of
the season.
-Complete Savages: 4 more scripts have been ordered.
-Desperate Housewives: Full season order.
-life as we know it: Unlikely to survive past midseason.
-Lost: Full season order.
-Rodney: 9 more scripts have been ordered.
-Wife Swap: Full season renewal.

CBS
-Center of the Universe: Too soon to tell.
-Clubhouse: Moving from Tues. 8 p.m. to Sat. 8 p.m. in
November.
-CSI: NY: Bona fide hit, shoo-in for renewal.
-dr. vegas: 4 more scripts have been ordered.
-Listen Up: Likely to be replaced with Yes, Dear in
midseason.

NBC
-Father of the Pride: The cancellation clock is ticking.
-Hawaii: Canceled.
-Joey: Full season order.
-LAX: Moved to Wed. 8 p.m. from Mon. 10 p.m., and waiting
for the axe to swing.
-Medical Investigation: Full season order.

Fox
-The Casino: Canceled.
-The Jury: Canceled.
-Method & Red: Canceled.
-North Shore: Moving to 9 p.m. Thursday out of The O.C. on
Nov. 4.
-Quintuplets: Returning Wed. Nov. 10 at 8:30 p.m., full
season order.

UPN
-Kevin Hill: Likely full season renewal.
-Second Time Around: 50/50 on more episodes.
-Veronica Mars: More scripts have been ordered.

WB
-Blue Collar TV: Full season order.
-Commando Nanny: Canceled before it even began.
-Drew Carey's Green Screen: Waiting for the axe to swing.
-Jack & Bobby: Full season renewal. Poor start in new Wed.
9 p.m. time period.
-The Mountain: Four more scripts ordered. Poor start in
new Sun. 8 p.m. time period.
-Studio 7: Canceled.

CBS sweeps plan: Flex those muscles
It's already strong schedule could put it at No. 1
By Toni Fitzgerald Medialifemagzaine.com
Going into the new season, everyone expected CBS to become more competitive among adults 18-49, the ad-friendly demographic the network had long ignored. But did anyone seriously believe that by November the home of “Judging Amy” would have emerged as the favorite to win sweeps, albeit by a narrow edge?
If any network can boast the favorite tag entering one of the tightest sweeps periods in recent memory, it may be CBS. The “CSI” franchise has pushed it to No. 2 in the demo season-to-date, and it would be No. 1 if it wasn’t for Fox’s successful baseball postseason.
The network is up 8 percent in 18-49s year to year, even more than much-buzzed-about ABC. With a combination of solid-if-not-outstanding ratings for its new comedies and the continued growth of “ER” competitor “Without a Trace” on Thursdays, CBS is in the best shape of any network entering sweeps.
There are still a few problem areas on the schedule, most notably struggling new dramas “dr. vegas” on Friday and “Clubhouse,” recently exiled to Saturday. But the return of summer’s most-watched reality series, “The Amazing Race,” will go a long way to easing that pain as well.
With sweeps starting Thursday, Media Life will examine where each network stands entering sweeps, what their strategies are, and what they have to gain.

CBS

Season-to-date averages (through week five): Households: 8.5 (no change); Persons 2+: 4.6 (no change); Adults 18-49: 4.0 (+8 percent).

What's at stake
The first adults 18-49 sweeps win in who-knows-how-long, as well as perhaps a win among 25-54s, where CBS leads season-to-date by 9 percent over second-place Fox.
After a successful upfront, where CBS finished second to longtime money-leader NBC, many predicted CBS would challenge NBC for No. 1 in ad dollars next year, but the 18-49 picture was a bit murkier.
NBC’s early struggles, however, and the uncertainty surrounding Fox’s yet-to-roll-out schedule, place CBS a firm contender for No. 1 for sweeps if not the season.
The network simply has the most consistency in its schedule, challenging for No. 1 on three nights per week. NBC and ABC’s schedules are too up and down to maintain the momentum from one night to the next.
The only serious weak link on CBS’s schedule, Tuesday, will be patched for sweeps by “Amazing Race.”
Sweeps strategy
CBS, like ABC, prefers to enhance its already-set schedule rather than trot out special after special, and this year especially that seems to be a smart strategy.
The network already has three of TV’s top dramas among adults 18-49 – the “CSI” trio – and two of the top comedies, Monday’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” and increasingly impressive “Two and a Half Men.”
But perhaps the smartest pre-sweeps move was booting “Clubhouse,” which decreased among 18-49s each week, from Tuesday to Saturday, freeing “Amazing Race” to relocate to Tuesday.
CBS dropped “The Guardian” last season to make way for “Clubhouse” and what it hoped was a show more attractive to 18-49s. There’s no guarantee that “Race” can match its summer average of better than 4.0, but even a 3.5 would boost CBS’s 18-49 average substantially on this night.
It’s also smart not to waste “Amazing Race” on Saturday nights, where the network’s CrimeTime rotation of “CSIs,” “Cold Case” and “Without a Trace” reruns has been doing fine.
Thursday remains the most important night for CBS. It is now handily beating NBC in 18-49s and 25-54s that night, ensuring a nice cushion to balance out disappointing Friday nights, where “vegas” is dogging and “Joan of Arcadia” has dipped from this time last year.
What specials CBS does boast should perform well, most notably Sunday’s “Dallas” reunion.
Must-wins
Thursdays, which won’t be a problem, and Mondays, where ABC could catch up to CBS if new “Monday Night Football” lead-in “Life of Luxury” performs better than the disastrous “Benefactor.”
Wednesday continues to be tight, but CBS doesn’t have to finish No. 1 to win sweeps. So long as “CSI: NY” takes the 10 p.m. hour, CBS will be in good shape. Still, the first week of new sitcom “Center of the Universe” was promising, slightly outrating lead-in “King of Queens.” Any padding that can be gained on this night is a bonus.
CBS sweeps specials/launches
Sunday, Nov. 7 – “Dallas Reunion: The Return to Southfork" (8 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 9 – “38th Annual Country Music Awards" (9 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 16 – “The Amazing Race 6” (9 p.m.) (season premiere)
Wednesday, Dec. 1 – “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (8 p.m.)

NBC sweeps plan: Try this on for size

A mix of stunts to gain whatever edge it can
By Toni Fitzgerald medialifemagazine.com
For the first time in years, NBC is not favored to win sweeps among adults 18-49. What’s perhaps more surprising, the network could end up as far back as third or fourth, depending on how Fox’s new lineup performs.
NBC is already suffering the biggest declines year-to-year among 18-49s of the Big Four networks. Only one of its new shows could be called a hit, Thursday’s “Friends” spinoff “Joey,” and even that hasn’t lived up to the network’s preseason hopes.
What’s more, several of its other new shows – “LAX,” now-canceled “Hawaii” and benched-for-sweeps “Father of the Pride” – have been downright disappointing. NBC’s biggest problem continues to be an inability to schedule successful new shows.
Of course, slumps by returning favorites “Fear Factor” and “Law & Order” have also contributed to the network’s early hole.
As one media person says, “This sweeps is too close to call,” but NBC’s lack of strong new programming to replace deceased hits like “Friends” could very well hold it back from yet another 18-49 sweeps win, opening the door for CBS, ABC and Fox.
With sweeps starting Thursday, Media Life will examine where each network stands entering sweeps, what their strategies are, and what they have to gain.

NBC
Season-to-date averages (through week five): Households: 6.7 (-9 percent); Persons 2+: 3.6 (-10 percent); Adults 18-49: 3.8 (-12 percent).

What's at stake
Pride, money and momentum heading into the rest of the season. NBC finished first in all three sweeps periods last year, part of its fourth-straight season crown among adults 18-49.
This year it has barely managed to finish first for a week, let alone four straight. It is tied with once-lowly ABC for third place this season among adults 18-49.
Advertisers are reportedly alarmed by the performance of new and returning shows alike. For example, “The Apprentice” was supposed to challenge CBS’s “CSI” for No. 1 among 18-49s but instead finishes a consistent No. 2 in the Thursday 9 p.m. time slot, down more than 15 percent from last season.
NBC hopes that former winners like “Fear Factor” and “Law & Order,” both down at least 10 percent from last year, can start re-exerting some strength now that baseball is over and the networks’ schedules have finally begun to settle.
That momentum is pretty important considering “L&O’s” third spinoff, “Trial by Jury,” will arrive in two months. NBC doesn’t think the franchise is tapped out, but lagging ratings by Sunday’s “L&O: Criminal Intent” point to another conclusion.
Sweeps strategy
NBC loves to stunt, and special limited-run reality shows like “The Biggest Loser,” solid after two weeks on the air, and “$25 Million-Dollar Hoax,” a Fox-like fake-out show temporarily taking “LAX’s” place on Mondays, fill that urge. Specials such as "A 'Seinfeld' Story," "A Christmas Carol" and "Tim McGraw: Here and Now" also pepper the schedule.
Also look for super-sized "Loser" episodes to counter "Pride's" disappearance, as well as Thursday hits like “The Apprentice” (which despite its dropoff is still outperforming last year’s combo of “Will & Grace” and “Coupling” in the 9 p.m. Thursday slot) popping up on unexpected nights.
The first week of sweeps alone will feature guest stars Alanis Morissette on “American Dreams,” Kelly Preston on “Joey,” the “Crossing Jordan” and “Las Vegas” casts doing a crossover, Kristin Davis on "Will & Grace" and David Spade on “Father of the Pride.”
It may not be the season-long Band-Aid that NBC needs, but any small tweak to boost November ratings will be worth it, especially when the competition is expected to come down to a few tenths of a point.
Must-wins
Thursdays are no longer winnable among households or 18-49s for NBC, so it must concentrate on building bigger ratings Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays have been its steadiest night thus far, partly because ABC’s 8 p.m. comedies aren’t pulling their weight.
Wednesday is trickier. ABC and CBS have the night’s two hottest shows in “Lost” and “CSI: NY,” respectively, and NBC has been finishing third or tied for second. One problem is that “LAX’s” move to Wednesday, replacing “Hawaii,” hasn’t helped much. Wednesday specials like Tim McGraw should give NBC somewhat of a boost.
The network will need a “L&O” resurgence to challenge again for No. 1.
Thursday will remain important, as the network’s highest-rated night, but it can’t generate the ratings cushion that it has in the past. And it's uncertain how new Thursday contender "The OC" on Fox will cut into CBS and NBC's ratings. Fridays have been a pleasant surprise, with the mild hit “Medical Investigation” winning its time slot and boosting NBC to No. 1 on the low-rated night the past few weeks.
NBC sweeps specials/launches
Saturday, Nov. 6 – “Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 3” (8 p.m.)
Monday, Nov. 8 – “$25 Million-Dollar Hoax” (10 p.m.) (series launch)
Wednesday, Nov. 10 – “The West Wing” (9 p.m.) (Jimmy Smits joins the series)
Wednesday, Nov. 24 – "Tim McGraw: Here and Now" (8 p.m.)
Thursday, Nov. 25 – "A 'Seinfeld' Story" (10 p.m.)
Sunday, Nov. 28 – "A Christmas Carol" (9 p.m.)

DirecTV's Loss Balloons With Satellite Write-Down

A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
November 2, 2004 12:27 p.m. ET

DirecTV Group Inc.'s loss widened considerably from the year earlier despite higher revenue as the satellite-broadcast company was hurt by a huge charge related to its decision to abandon its Internet-via-satellite efforts.

DirecTV, majority owned by News Corp., reported a third-quarter net loss of $1.01 billion, or 73 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $23 million, or two cents a share, in the same period last year.

Revenue climbed 20% to $2.86 billion from $2.38 billion in the year-earlier period.

The latest results were weighed down by a $903 million after-tax satellite-asset impairment charge, higher subscriber acquisition costs and increased upgrade and retention costs at DirecTV U.S.

DirecTV said it finished the period with 12.1 million subscribers, an increase of 18% over a year ago. Average revenue per customer increased 4% to $66.46, the company said. Customer churn, or the rate at which subscribers leave the service, was 1.67%.

"Unprecedented demand contributed to a record 484,000 net owned and operated subscribers, marking the fourth consecutive quarter in which we have added more than 400,000 net new customers," said President and Chief Executive Chase Carey in prepared remarks.

However, Mr. Carey said he recognizes there's room for improvement in areas such as "managing our customer churn and operating margins."

The company took the huge write down for its Spaceway satellites. The company originally hoped to use the satellites for broadband services and Internet connections, but announced earlier this year their purpose would be shifted to expand the company's high-definition video-broadcasting capacity.

DirecTV has stepped up subscriber growth since News Corp. gained a controlling interest in the satellite-to-home broadcaster last year. However, News Corp. hasn't been as receptive to the concept of using satellites to provide Internet access, looking instead to team up with telephone companies to offer various bundled services.

CBS Reclaims Weekly Ratings Lead

zap2it.com--Like a fine meal at an expensive restaurant, FOX loved having the World Series around last week, but the network's only quibble was with the portion size. Because the Red Sox trounced the Cardinals in just four games, FOX only had two baseball games for the week ending Sunday, Oct. 31, and while both scored big, CBS dominated the rest of the period.

Total Viewers:
CBS 8.8/14 13.48 million viewers
Fox 7.3/12 11.28 million viewers
ABC 6.4/10 10.14 million viewers
Nbc 6.2/10 9.31 million viewers
WB 2.6/4 3.92 million viewers
UPN 2.5/4 3.75 million viewers

Adults 18-49:
CBS 4.2
Fox 4.0
ABC 3.9
NBC 3.5
WB 1.6
UPN 1.6.

The week's most watched show was "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which attracted 29.6 million viewers and was the No. 2 rated show with an 18.1/27. The rest of the usual assortment of Jerry Bruckheimer forensic dramas also posted good returns for CBS, led by "CSI: Miami" 14.3/22, 4th), with "Without a Trace" (14.1/23, 5th) and "Cold Case" (10.5/16, 11th) right behind. The network also got strong performances out of the unscripted "60 Minutes" (12.6/20, 7th) and "Survivor: Vanuatu" (11.7/19, 8th) and from Monday night comedies "Two and a Half Men" (11.2/6, 9th) and "Everybody Loves Raymond" (10.5/15, 11th).
Also making the Top 20 for CBS was "NCIS," which did a 9.2/14, for No. 16. The early results were less rosy for the premieres of "King of Queens" (7.0/10, 32nd) and "Center of the Universe" (6.8/10, 34th), but didn't do horribly, but clearly hurt their "CSI: NY" lead-out, which fell to No. 22 with an 8.4/13.
The climatic Game Four of the World Series, which led to the first Boston championship win in 86 years, was the week's top rated program, giving FOX an 18.2/28. Game Three, also won by the Red Sox, was No. 3 with a 15.7/24. The Game Three pregame was No. 15 with a 9.3/15 and the set-up for Game Four was No. 20 with an 8.7/15.
With the World Series out of the way, FOX is launching its reality-heavy fall schedule this week.
ABC was paced by the successful freshman dramas "Desperate Housewives" (13.3/20, 6th) and "Lost" (10.4/16, 13th) and by a so-so "Monday Night Football" battle between the Broncos and the Bengals, which was No. 10 with an 11.0/18.
Over on NBC, the down week was highlighted by "The Apprentice 2" at No. 14 with a 10.1/15. "Law & Order" bounced back at No. 17 with a 9.1/14, beating "CSI: NY," and "ER" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" tied for No. 18 with the same 8.8/14.
On The WB, "7th Heaven" had a 4.4/7 and held onto No. 68, while UPN's best was "WWE Smackdown!" at No. 80 with a 3.5/5.
In its time period premiere on Sunday night, The WB's "The Mountain" held the title of the week's least watched show on any of the major networks, doing a 1.1/2. Those results, for the show the New York Post recently called a "word of mouth hit," tied the snowy soap with PAX's "Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye" for No. 117.

More details on “dr. vegas”

Variety.com ---CBS confirmed Tuesday morning that Lowe starrer "Dr. Vegas" is being pulled from the schedule effective immediately.
A repeat of "Without a Trace""Without A Trace" will air in the show's 10 p.m. Friday slot this week; during the rest of the November sweeps, Eye plans to air encores of either "CSI" or "CSI: Miami""CSI: Miami" on Fridays. On Saturdays, CBS will rely on "Without a Trace" or "Cold Case" reruns to fill the "Crimetime Saturday" slot.
There's no official word on whether "Dr. Vegas" is done for good, but industry insiders don't expect the series to return. Production on the show is expected to halt following the completion of the current episode; five unaired episodes remain.

ESPN scores rare full-month first-place sweep

A look at October’s cable ratings

By JOHN DEMPSEY, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK From Variety.com
NFL Football and Major League Baseball on ESPN and the presidential debates on Fox News drew more viewers to cable TV in October than did any other programming.
ESPN engineered a rare full-month sweep of first place in the four most-watched Nielsen categories: total viewers and adults 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54. The network racked up five of the top-10 individual programs for October. Four were Sunday-night National Football League games, led by the 49ers-Bears contest Oct. 31, with 8.63 million viewers (second place overall), and the Ravens-Redskins contest Oct. 10, with 8.43 million viewers (third overall). The fifth was the Twins-Yankees MLB playoff game Oct. 6.

Fox News scores
The other five programs in the top 10 for the month were Fox News' coverage of the presidential debates, highlighted by the No. 1 program, the Sept. 30 faceoff, which delivered 9.56 million viewers.
Fox News scored 11 of the top 12 cable news shows. And -- for the first time ever -- Fox chalked up the top six programs, elbowing out CNN's "Larry King Live," which ended up in seventh place.
Fox News finished a close second to ESPN in total primetime viewers, averaging 2.4 million for the month, a humongous gain of 116% compared with October 2003. (First-place ESPN was down 11% from a year ago.)

USA takes silver
In adults 18-49, USA came in second in primetime to ESPN, trailed closely by third-place TBS. TNT was second to ESPN in 25-54, with USA a close third. Similarly, in 25-54, TNT was second and USA third.
The highest-rated scripted show for the month was the Oct. 5 episode of "Nip/Tuck" on FX, which pulled 5.2 million viewers to finish 14th overall.
The best-performing cable movie during October was the firstrun "Plain Truth" on Lifetime. It delivered 4.68 million viewers Oct. 4, 21st overall for the month.
Spike was the general-entertainment network that performed best year to year in primetime, shooting up 61% to finish in eighth place overall. Spike's Monday-night World Wrestling Entertainment numbers are off, but its reruns of "CSI" are pulling hundreds of thousands of viewers to the network.

Newsies gain
Among the news networks, CNN averaged 1 million primetime viewers for the month, up 35%. MSNBC also saw strong growth, averaging 500,000 primetime viewers, up 94% from October 2003.
Fox News' top six shows for the month were "The O'Reilly Factor," "Hannity & Colmes," "The Fox Report With Shepard Smith," "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren," "Special Report With Brit Hume" and "The Big Story With John Gibson." All were up significantly in ratings over October 2003.
"On the Record" saw the most growth of all the Fox News shows, up 104% from the same frame last year. "Hannity & Colmes" wasn't far behind, up 92%. "Big Story" was up 76%.
O'Reilly, whose numbers particularly shot up after a legal battle ensued with a former producer accusinghim of sexual harassment, saw his aud grow by 70%.

Show stoppers
Fox News' morning show "Fox & Friends" (1 million viewers) beat out all other competitors in the 7-9 a.m. ET timeslot, including CNN's "American Morning" (473,000), MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning" (379,000), CNN Headline News (224,000) and CNBC's "Squawk Box" (95,000, down 45%).
MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews" beat out CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" last month (612,000 viewers vs. 596,000). CNN's "American Morning" was down 9%. Net plugged the fact that its primetime lineup beat out CNN in year-to-year growth.
In regards to its daytime lineup, MSNBC also pointed out that "Imus" -- whose radio show is simulcast on MSNBC -- saw strong growth, up 89%.
CNN said it delivered its best month since the war in total viewers, with "Crossfire," "Lou Dobbs Tonight" and "Paula Zahn Now" posting their highest viewership since the Iraq conflict. Also, Cooper's show was up 43% in viewership over the same frame last year.
CNBC was down 34% in total day (121,000 viewers) and down 9% in primetime.

Due to what Nielsen describes as a complicated set of circumstances, ratings for Tuesday night well be delayed for several hours.
None the electiuon night ratings concern HD programming, of course, but for all you numbers junkies (like me) I'll post them nonetheless later in the day.

Tuesday (election night) ratings have been posted under Latest News.

Fox's sweeps plan: Whatever it takes

Flock of reality shows could give it a goose

By Toni Fitzgerald medialifemagazine.com
You could say that the November sweeps will be a referendum on reality, at least as a major network building block rather than occasional crutch.
Fox will become the first among the Big Four to program more reality than scripted series this November, with nine hours weekly of the former and six of the latter.
It seems rather risky considering in the past two years Fox missed badly with reality shows like “Joe Millionaire 2,” “Paradise Hotel” and “Married by America.”
But by that same token the network hasn’t programmed many successful scripted series in that time either – remember “Skin” or “A Minute With Stan Hooper?” – while limited-run shows like “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé” and “Joe Millionaire” thrived.
Thus Fox is the biggest wild card entering sweeps. It has three new shows yet to debut and a handful of popular returners that also will premiere. If one or two of its reality shows catch on, the network could challenge for second or third among adults 18-49 during sweeps (first seems a stretch).
More importantly, a solid sweeps will keep postseason baseball gains intact and carry the network into January, when its season really starts with the return of the highly rated “American Idol.”
With sweeps starting tomorrow, Media Life will examine where each network stands entering sweeps, what their strategies are, and what they have to gain.

Fox
Season-to-date averages (through week six): Households: 7.1 (-14 percent); Persons 2+: 4.0 (-15 percent); Adults 18-49: 4.2 (-11 percent).

What's at stake
Not having to dig out of a hole when “American Idol” returns in January and salvaging something from the unsuccessful summer rollouts of several shows. Despite Fox’s losses compared with last season in 18-49s, the network is actually in better shape to compete with the other networks, none of which has gotten off to a strong start.
Fox enters sweeps as the No. 1 network among 18-49s. That’s solely due to baseball; the network’s early sitcom rollouts have slumped. “That ‘70s Show” and “Bernie Mac” were both down compared with last season, and “Method & Red” left the schedule after only a few weeks.
Though reality is a stop-gap, Fox has perfected its use, probably because it relies on the genre more than any other network. It has realized that outrageous limited-run series that don’t wear out their welcome a la “The Bachelor” are more effective in the short run than investing in pricey flops like “Skin.”
And for now Fox is mainly interested in the short term. It simply wants to stay competitive until “Idol” pumps it back into the Tuesday and Wednesday competition. The past two years, it fell too far behind in November and December to compete for the season-long crown.
But without a really strong competitor breaking out in 18-49s, Fox’s season-long chances look more promising.

Sweeps strategy
Whatever it takes. Fox is notorious for flipping its schedule before the season starts – shows including “Next Great Champ,” “The Casino,” “The Jury” and “The Partner,” which never even premiered, are already gone from the November schedule Fox laid out last May.
Some replacements look promising. “Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy” has performed respectably opposite NBC’s “Fear Factor” on Monday, and “My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss” is a nice fit on Sundays. Fox learned from “Millionaire” by slightly changing the premise of last season’s “Fiancé,” and if the show is successful we’ll see it more of it on the Fox schedule before the month ends.
More of a gamble is the Tuesday lineup of “Rebel Billionaire” and “House.” With Mark Cuban’s “Apprentice” ripoff bombing on ABC and even NBC’s original off versus last season, it’s questionable whether anyone wants to watch yet another Richie Rich mess with the poor folk.
Must-wins
Actually, Fox doesn’t have any surefire win nights save Saturday, and ABC has been challenging it there. ABC is a big bother to Fox on both weekend nights.
The network’s Sunday comedy lineup has long been strong among 18-49s, even after some dip last year. But ABC’s new combination of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “Desperate Housewives” may be impossible to beat.
Tuesday is a possible growth night for Fox because no network has swept way ahead. NBC just this week yanked its disappointing “Father of the Pride” from the 9 p.m. slot, and ABC is slowed by its 8 p.m. comedies and the aging “NYPD Blue.”
If World Series viewers were intrigued by commercials for “House,” the new 9 p.m. drama, Fox could challenge for Tuesday night. The show is a bit reminiscent of former time slot occupant “24,” in that it’s a different, higher-concept show.
Then again, so was “Skin,” and despite similar endless promotion during last year’s playoffs, that flopped.
Thursday will be the most interesting night for Fox. The network will boldly challenge CBS and NBC by relocating its popular teen soap “The OC,” but it’s uncertain whether fans will be as loyal when the show does not follow “Idol” on Wednesdays.

Fox sweeps specials/launches
Sunday, Nov. 7 – “My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss” (9 p.m.) (series premiere)
Tuesday, Nov. 9 – “The Rebel Billionaire” (8 p.m.) (series premiere)
Tuesday, Nov. 16 – “House” (9 p.m.) (series premiere)
Wednesday, Nov. 24 – “Kelly, Ruben & Fantasia: Home for Christmas” (9 p.m.)

Add NBC Movie of the Week to the premiere list.


And switch The Partner from premieres to cancelled. It's now cancelled before airing.

"Meanwhile in other freshman series news, FOX and producer Rocket Science Laboratories also confirmed over the weekend they won't be moving forward with the reality entry 'The Partner.' The series was originally targeted for the Sunday, 9:00/8:00c hour this fall but was instead replaced by 'My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss.' 'With the numerous boardroom-type unscripted programs on the various network's schedules, we have decided to focus our mutual efforts on other unscripted material,' the pair said in a joint statement to the press."

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/gofuton.cgi?action=newswire&id=6761

Another premiere:

Life of Luxury, November 8, ABC, not HD

Thanks f44.
I've posted that information, just forgot to update.

'60 Minutes,' Ticking Off a Win for CBS

By Lisa de Moraes washingtonpost.com Wednesday, November 3, 2004; Page C07
Fox was buoyed by the final two games of the Boston Red Sox' stunning World Series win early last week, but struck out after that and had to settle for a second-place finish, behind CBS.

The week's 10 most-watched programs, in order, were:
1---CBS's "CSI," HD
2---Fox's World Series Game 4, HD
3---Fox's World Series Game 3, HD
4---ABC's "Desperate Housewives," HD
5---CBS's "Without a Trace," HD
6---CBS's "CSI: Miami," HD
7---CBS's "60 Minutes,"
8---CBS's "Survivor: Vanuatu,"
9---CBS's "Two and a Half Men" HD
10--ABC's "Monday Night Football." HD
Here's a look at the week's homers and strikes:
WINNERS
"60 Minutes." With its cameras catching Ashlee Simpson in the lip-sync act, plus "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels insisting he was shocked -- shocked! -- to learn there was lip-syncing on his show, the CBS newsmag coughed up its largest audience in more than four years.
"Desperate Housewives." Driven by its best performance to date with men between the ages of 18 and 54, "Desperate Housewives" last Sunday bagged its biggest total audience to date -- more than 22 million.
"Center of the Universe." The twice-delayed premiere of John Goodman's new CBS sitcom held on to nearly 100 percent of its "King of Queens" lead-in with 10.4 million viewers opposite the final game of the Series.
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Despite its lousy Tuesday time slot opposite the World Series, this holiday classic was the No. 1 show of the week among kids aged 2-11. In that age bracket, it scored the highest rating of any prime-time broadcast on any network since the final episode of "American Idol 3" last May. In case you're wondering, there have been more than 2,400 prime-time broadcasts across the six networks since that "American Idol" finale.
World Series Game 4. Wednesday's final game attracted nearly 29 million viewers -- Fox's highest rated World Series game since Game 7 in 2002.
LOSERS
Ewan McGregor. On the one hand, film star McGregor ("Star Wars: Episodes I, II and III," "Moulin Rouge!") probably got Bravo to foot the bill for his little round-the-world motorcycle-riding, beard-growing vanity tour otherwise known as "Long Way Round." On the other hand, first-episode stats show that McGregor has only 191,000 fans so devoted they plan to sit through this six-episode exercise in self-indulgence. That, in turn, will probably drive down his salary on his next film by about 15 percent. Sometimes, pookie, it's best to pay your own way and not assume your fans find your every movement utterly fascinating.
NBC. The peacock network's rerun-laden lineup finished fourth last week among 18-to-49-year-olds, which the network says is the age group on which it makes all its ad sales. It's the first time NBC has finished fourth in the demographic during an official TV season since the week of April 9, 2001.
"CSI: New York." CBS's latest "CSI" clone clocked 13 million viewers last Wednesday -- the smallest audience ever for a "CSI" original telecast. Which means that ABC's new drama "Lost" moved ahead of "CSI: New York" in season-to-date averages and ABC could, for one week at least, claim it had the top two new series of this television season: "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost."
Rob Lowe. Another Lowe-led drama bites the dust. CBS announced yesterday afternoon that it had scrubbed "Dr. Vegas" from its Friday lineup for the November sweeps, in favor of rerun episodes of "Without a Trace" and various "CSI."
Radio Music Awards. The promise of an actual Ashlee Simpson performance resulted in 2.2 million fewer viewers than last year for this trophy show, and 24 percent fewer 18-to-49-year-olds. Last year, Michael Jackson had put in an appearance; this year they only had Janet.
"Father of the Pride." NBC has shelved its animated sitcom about the Siegfried & Roy lions for the November sweeps after last week's episode scored a series-low 6.6 million viewers. The network will blow up its fat-farm competition "The Biggest Loser" to 90 minutes for the next three weeks to cover for its lack of "Pride."

Are you sure Men in Black is in HD?

Also, sorry if I confused, Life of Luxury has no comma in its title.

Wednesday ratings have been posted in Latest News

Also, you didnt list a date for Men in Black (11/13)

Cable's the big gainer in this election

Fox News triples its audience as networks sink
medialifemagazine.com
In what was a tight and bitter presidential race, much of the pre-election media talk was over whether the networks would again bungle, as they had in 2000, by calling a winner too soon. But the real looming issue was just how many more viewers the cable news networks would steal away from the broadcast networks.
As it turns out, it was quite a lot.
The largest gainer by far was Fox News, whose primetime audience more than tripled this election eve versus four years ago, growing to 8.1 million viewers from 2.4 million in 2000 and giving the network its highest rating ever. A lot of that growth reflected the network's expanded coverage since '00, to 85 million homes from 53 million.
But also clocking gains was CNN, whose audience between 8 p.m. and 11p.m. grew from 5.8 million in 2000 to 6.2 million this election eve, an increase of 6.9 percent.
In all, according to Nielsen Media Research, some 55.1 million people watched the election results on the Big Three broadcast networks and the three cable news networks, giving the six a combined household rating of 34.5, which was actually off from four years ago.
Among the broadcast networks the lineup of most-watched news coverage directly reflected their standings in their evening news broadcasts, with NBC the leader with 15.2 million viewers, followed by ABC with 13.2 million and CBS with 9.5 million.
But NBC was down 17 percent from 2000, when it drew 18.4 million viewers, and ABC was down 11 percent, having pulled in 14.8 million viewers four years ago.
CBS was off the most, 27 percent. It drew slightly fewer than 13 million viewers four years ago. Certainly part of CBS's decline could stem from anchor Dan Rather's admission several weeks back that he had stumbled by basing a "60 Minutes" report on President Bush's military service on documents that may have been fabricated. Yet ratings for his nightly news show, while dipping in the following days, appeared to have returned to normal in the weeks following.
Also seeing strong gains this election was Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, where the faux news anchor hosted a special watched by 2.1 million viewers, or almost three times the number who tuned in four years ago.
Bush may be returning to the White House by a narrow margin, but in election coverage Stewart was this year's clear winner as the most-written-about pundit.
A pre-election Media Life survey found that the largest number of readers would watch the election returns on NBC. Then came Fox News, but in third place, albeit a distant third, came Stewart's "Daily Show."
The one cable network to see a decline in viewers was MSNBC, long the distant third behind Fox News and CNN. But that decline was slight compared with CBS's, a drop of 5.4 percent, from just fewer than 3 million to 2.8 million.
Univision led the Hispanic networks, drawing 2.8 million eyeballs for the two-hour period between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. That was almost four times the average for Telemundo, which attracted 750,000 viewers during the same two hours.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Primetime Wednesday Ratings: Lost Leads ABC to Victory

Wednesday 11/03/04 Metered Market Ratings
Household Rating/Share
ABC: 9.1/13
NBC: 8.6/13
CBS: 7.9/12
Fox: 4.8/7
UPN: 4.0/ 6
WB: 3.7/ 5

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Nov. 5, 2003):
UPN: +29
ABC: +25
Fox: -14
NBC: -20
WB: -26
CBS: -27

Note: CBS aired The 37th Annual Country Association Awards on the year-ago night.

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
ABC: 12.84 million
CBS: 11.62
NBC: 11.03
Fox: 7.44
UPN: 4.49
WB: 3.75

Adults 18-49:

ABC: 5.1/13
CBS: 4.0/10
NBC: 3.4/ 9
Fox: 3.4/ 8
UPN: 2.1/ 5
WB: 1.7/ 4

Yesterday's Winners:
Lost (ABC)
The West Wing (NBC)
CSI: NY (CBS)
Wife Swap (ABC)

Honorable Mention:
America's Next Top Model (UPN)
Smallville (WB)
Nanny 911 (Fox)

Fading Fast:
That '70s Show (Fox)

Yesterday's Losers:
LAX (NBC)
Quintuplets (Fox)
The Bachelor (ABC)
Jack & Bobby (WB)

Ratings Breakdown:
Led by must see Lost, ABC took winning control of Wednesday, beating No. 2 CBS by an average of 6 percent in the overnights, 1.22 million viewers and 27 percent among adults 18-49. Total viewers and adults 18-49 are based on the fast affiliate ratings.

Lost opened the evening with a 12.7/18 in the overnights, 18.60 million viewers and a 6.7/17 among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m., outdelivering the No. 2 show in the hour (CBS' 60 Minutes in the overnights and total viewers; Fox's That '70s Show and Quintuplets among adults 18-49) by 108 percent in the overnights, 9.36 million viewers, and 127 percent among adults 18-49. Third behind 60 Minutes in the overnights was NBC dud LAX (5.8/ 8), followed by the WB's Smallville (5.0/ 7), America's Next Top Model on UPN (above average 4.6/ 7), and comedies That '70s Show (4.4/ 7) and Quintuplets (3.3/ 5) on Fox. Comparatively, and opposite Lost, That '70s Show was off 28 percent year-to-year in the overnights (6.1/ 9 to 4.4/ 7). Lost, needless to say, was the top-rated show of t he evening.

Third overall at 8 p.m. among adults 18-49 following Lost and the Fox comedies was a tie between LAX and America's Next Top Model (2.6/ 6 each), followed by 60 Minutes (2.5/ 6) and Smallville (2.4/ 6).

Although ABC's The Bachelor at 9 p.m. should be benefiting leading out of Lost, the fading reality hour was third overall in the overnights (6.8/ 9) behind NBC's The West Wing (10.9/16), and CBS comedies King Of Queens (7.5/11) and Center of the Universe (6.5/ 9). Comparatively, and based on the overnights, week two of Center of the Universe was off 13 percent from King of Queens but just 4 percent from its debut one week earlier (6.8/ 9 on Nov. 3).

In series-premiere news, and still based on the overnights, Fox's Nanny 911 scored a respectable, and fourth place, 5.8/ 8 in the overnights, building from lead-in Quintuplets by a considerable 76 percent. Fifth in the hour was UPN's Kevin Hill (3.4/ 5 -- off a disappointing 30 percent from lead-in America's Next Top Model), followed by the relocated Jack & Bobby at a paltry 2.4/ 4.

Based on adults 18-49, and sticking with 9 p.m., The West Wing (4.5/11) was No. 1 overall, followed by the CBS comedies (King of Queens: 4.4/10 and Center of the Universe: 3.7/ 9 - avg. 4.1/10), The Bachelor (3.9/ 9), Nanny 911 (3.8/ 9), Kevin Hill (1.6/ 4) and Jack & Bobby (1.0/ 2).

At 10 p.m., although CBS' CSI: NY (#1, 10.6/17; A18-49: #1, 5.6/15) was a typical first in the hour, building from lead-in Center of the Universe by 63 percent in the overnights and 51 percent among adults 18-49, keep in mind that NBC's Law & Order (#2: 9.3/15; A18-49: #3, 3.4/ 9) was a repeat. Despite airing out of fading The Bachelor, ABC's just full-season renewed Wife Swap (#3: 8.1/13; A18-49: #2, 4.8/13) remains an underrated success story worth noting. Year-to-year, and based on the overnights, Wife Swap was up 42 percent from former time period occupant Karen Sisco (5.7/ 9 on Nov. 5, 2003).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Late Night Scorecard: Season to-Date Ratings Update

Based on ratings for the first five weeks of the 2004-05 season (9/20-10/24/04), CBS' growing Late Show With David Letterman has narrowed the gap opposite NBC's dominant, but declining The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. ABC's Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, are close to year-ago levels. Take a look (and note that change versus the year-ago period appears in parentheses):

Households:
Tonight Show With Jay Leno: 4.1/11 (- 5), Late Show With David Letterman: 3.3/ 9 (+14), Nightline: 2.7/ 7 (- 4), Jimmy Kimmel: 1.2/ 4 (- 8)

Total Viewers
Tonight Show With Jay Leno: 5.55 million (- 5), Late Show With David Letterman: 4.41 million (+16), Nightline: 3.58 million (- 3), Jimmy Kimmel: 1.56 million (- 7)

Adults 18-49
Tonight Show With Jay Leno: 2.0/ 8 (- 9), Late Show With David Letterman: 1.6/ 7 (+14), Nightline: 1.1/ 5 (- 8), Jimmy Kimmel: 0.7/ 4 (no change)

Adults 25-54
Tonight Show With Jay Leno: 2.2/ 8 (-12), Late Show With David Letterman: 1.8/ 8 (+ 6), Nightline: 1.4/ 5 (no change), Jimmy Kimmel: 0.8/ 4 (no change)

As the search for a new host of CBS' Late Late Show continues, a declining Conan O'Brien on NBC (who is inheriting The Tonight Show in 2009) still holds a considerable lead.

Households:
Conan O'Brien: 1.9/ 7 (- 5)
Late Late Show: 1.3/ 5 (no change)

Viewers:
Conan O'Brien: 2.31 million (- 8)
Late Late Show: 1.69 million (+10)

Adults 18-49:
Conan O'Brien: 1.1/ 7 (- 8)
Late Late Show: 0.7/ 5 (no change)

Adults 25-54:
Conan O'Brien: 1.1/ 7 (no change)
Late Late Show: 0.8/ 5 (no change)

As for NBC's Last Call With Carson Daly, year-to-year the half-hour talker is off by 8 percent in households (1.3/ 7 to 1.2/ 6), 170,000 viewers (1.59 to 1.42 million) and 13 percent among adults 18-49 (0.8/ 6 to 0.7/ 6), but flat among adults 25-54 (0.7/ 6).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest

Elton John Tests the Sitcom Waters:
In a potential project for ABC, music legend Elton John is developing a sitcom about an aging rock star and the people around him. I guess one of those people won't be Madonna!
N O T E: Though he might occasionally guest in the sitcom, there apparently are no plans for Elton John to appear as either a lead or a regular in the proposed series.

Name corrections:

"Jerry Ohrbach " should be Jerry Orbach.

"Missy Elliot" should be "Missy Elliott"

and Nanny 911 has premiered.

thanks again for your eagle eye, f44:)

10 more episodes fill 'CSI: NY' slabs

Show surprised many by beating time period rivals

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Variety.com
CBS has picked up a full season of "CSI: NY," ordering 10 more episodes of the frosh drama hit.
Back orders usually consist of nine episodes, but CBS could always use an extra episode of "CSI: NY." Show surprised many by beating its time period rival -- NBC's veteran skein "Law & Order" -- out of the box.
After five episodes, "CSI: NY" has averaged 16.7 million viewers and a 6.2 rating/16 share in adults 18-49. That makes it the third-biggest new drama in both measurements, behind ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost."
Produced by CBS Prods., Jerry Bruckheimer TV and Alliance Atlantis, "CSI: NY" is a spinoff of the net's "CSI: Miami" and the third member of the "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" trilogy. Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes star as forensic investigators in the Big Apple.
Eddie Cahill, Vanessa Ferlito, Carmine Giovinazzo and Hill Harper also star.
"CSI: NY" is exec produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Danny Cannon, Andrew Lipsitz and Jonathan Littman.
"CSI: NY" is the first -- and possibly only -- freshman drama to get a full-season pickup from the Eye. Net recently pulled new drama "Dr. Vegas," while CBS' other new drama, "Clubhouse," was shipped to Saturdays after a disappointing start.

Thursday night's ratings are now posted in Latest News

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
CBS Wins; Fox's The O.C. Opens at Respectable Levels

Primetime Thursday Ratings: Thursday 11/04/04

Metered Market Ratings

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 16.1/23, NBC: 12.0/17, Fox: 5.0/ 7, ABC: 4.6/ 7, UPN: 3.8/ 5, WB: 2.3/ 3

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003):
Fox: +72
CBS: + 3
WB: - 7
WB: - 8
NBC: -13
ABC: -23

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
CBS: 24.18 million
NBC: 15.07
Fox: 6.67
ABC: 6.09
UPN: 4.48
WB: 2.00

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 8.5/21
NBC: 7.1/18
Fox: 2.9/ 7
ABC: 2.0/ 5
UPN: 1.6/ 4
WB: 0.9/ 2

Yesterday's Winners:
Survivor: Vanuatu (CBS)
CSI (CBS)
Without A Trace (CBS)
ER (NBC)

Honorable Mention:
The Apprentice 2 (NBC)

Yesterday's Losers:
Drew Carey's Green Screen (WB)
Extreme Makeover (ABC)
life as we know it (ABC)
North Shore (Fox)


Ratings Breakdown:
Thanks to the one-two-three punch of Survivor: Vanuatu, CSI and Without A Trace, no show (and that includes Fox's The O.C.) can stop the CBS Thursday juggernaut. Comparably, CBS bested No. 2 NBC by an average 34 percent in households, 9.11 million viewers and 20 percent among adults 18-49. Although the second-season premiere of Fox's The O.C. did indeed lift the 8 p.m. hour considerably, Survivor: Vanuatu (12.3/18; Viewers: 20.75 million; A18-49: 7.8/20) was first, followed by NBC sitcoms Joey (10.0/14; Viewers: 12.55 million; A18-49: 5.2/14) and Will & Grace (9.9/14; Viewers: 11.89 million; A18-49: 5.2/13), and The O.C. (6.4/ 9; Viewers: 8.48 million; A18-49: 3.7/ 9).

Comparably, growth for The O.C. of 88 percent in households, 4.56 million viewers and 118 percent among adults 18-49 versus former time period occupant Tru Calling (Overnights: 3.4/ 5; Viewers: 3.92 million; A18-49: 1.7/ 5 on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003) is certainly worth noting.

Also in the 8 p.m. hour were ABC's Extreme Makeover (#4: 4.9/ 7; A18-49: #4, 2.0/ 6), followed by UPN's reliable WWE Smackdown! (#5: 3.7/ 5; A18-49: 1.5/ 4), and the WB's Blue Collar TV (#6: 3.3/ 5; A18-49: #6, 1.4/ 4) and Drew Carey's Green Screen (#6: 2.4/ 3; A18-49: #6, 0.8/ 2). Although both Blue Collar TV and Drew Carey's Green Screen were last in their time periods, erosion for the Carey mishmash out of Jeff Foxworthy and company of 27 percent in the overnights and 43 percent among adults 18-49 puts Drew where he belongs - in the loser's column.

Overall, WWE Smackdown! averaged a typical (and fifth-place) 3.8/ 5 in the overnights, with 4.48 million viewers and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49.

At 9 p.m., CBS blockbuster CSI soared to a 20.9/29 in the overnights, 30.14 million viewers and a 10.6/26 among adults 18-49 -- outdelivering NBC's still potent The Apprentice 2 (12.6/18; Viewers: 16.09 million; A18-49: 7.8/18) by 66 percent in the overnights, 14.05 million viewers and 36 percent among adults 18-49. That's right -- even The Donald can be beat.

Although Fox was hoping the relocated North Shore would benefit out of similar appeal The O.C., the struggling serial dipped to a 3.6/ 5 in the overnights (#4), 4.87 million viewers (#5) and a 2.0/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#3). Retention for North Shore out of The O.C. was just 56 percent in the overnights, 57 percent in viewers and 54 percent among adults 18-49. See Shannen -- you never should have bolted from Charmed (or Beverly Hills, 90210 for that matter).

Also in the 9 p.m. hour were ABC's barely visible life as we know it (#5: 3.1/ 4; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4), and a repeat of the WB's Charmed (#6: 1.7/ 2; A18-49: 0.6/ 1).

Leadership remained mixed at 10 p.m. with CBS' Without A Trace (15.3/23; Viewers: 21.64 million; A18-49: 7.2/19) first in the overnights and total viewers, and NBC's veteran ER (13.5/21; Viewers: 16.91 million; A18-49: 8.2/22) No. 1 among adults 18-49. Word of warning to ER: you are using Maura Tierney's Abby too much. Let's see more of the other characters, please. A distant third, as usual, was ABC's Primetime Live at a 5.9/ 9 in households, 7.58 million viewers and a 2.5/ 7 among adults 18-49.

'Six Feet Under' to cease production
after upcoming fifth season

By DENISE MARTIN Variety.com
HOLLYWOOD -- Alan Ball is closing the coffin on hit HBO mortuary drama "Six Feet Under HD."
HBO has announced that the series' creator-exec producer, whose credits include the Oscar-winning screenplay for "American Beauty," has given notice and will shutter production on the one-hour after its upcoming fifth season.
"I think, as always, we rely on our creators to develop the story arc and to tell us when they feel like they've told their story," HBO entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss said. "Alan has now said he's told his."
Production on the final 12 episodes begins in two weeks. No premiere date has yet been set, but Strauss said the fifth season would probably start next year. The end of "Six Feet," along with this year's departure of "Sex and the City" and the upcoming final year of "The Sopranos," marks the end of the road for HBO's Big Three Sunday skeins and makes it important that the net's upcoming batch of dramas and comedies catches on with auds.
"Working on 'Six Feet Under' has been enormously fulfilling creatively, but if the show is about anything, it's about the fact that everything comes to an end," Ball said in a statement. "I will miss working with such enormously talented writers, cast, staff and crew, and I'll always be grateful to HBO for allowing and encouraging us to tell the story we set out to tell in a challenging and uncompromising way."
Insiders close to the show say the skein's final episode, which Ball has already written, effectively kills any possiblity for the series to go on. HBO execs, for their part, chose not to continue "Six Feet" without Ball on board.
The show’s fourth season averaged 3.7 million viewers, down from its second season peak of 5.6 million. Newcomers "Deadwood" and "Carnivale," while not as universally hailed as "Six Feet" initially was - HBO had ordered up a second season of "Six Feet" before the first had even premiered -- drew bigger Nielsens last year.
It will likely be the second to leave the air, behind "Sex" and before "Sopranos," which will follow suit in 2006 after its sixth and final season.
Should Ball later decide to pull a David Chase and extend the life of "Six Feet," the pay cabler will be game.
"We can always hope," Strauss said. "He seems fairly certain about things, but you never know."

TV on your own terms

DVDs have given weak shows new life, boosted revenues and changed the way we watch
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic November 5, 2004

Arrested Development starts its second season Sunday bolstered by an Emmy victory as best sitcom, steady promotion from Fox and good word of mouth from fans.

The ratings-challenged series needs every bit of help. But the best advertisement comes in a form that viewers can wrap their hands around: the DVD set that contains all 22 episodes from the first season.

"It's one of those shows that benefits from being rewatched," creator Mitch Hurwitz says. "It's an ideal show for DVD. We'll see if it translates into new viewers."

The DVD market is bringing new money and attention to the television industry. Video Store Magazine projects that sales of television DVDs this year could reach $2.3 billion, up from $1.4 billion last year. Top sellers range from Chappelle's Show, the Comedy Central hit, to Friends.

The DVD can bring viewers to prime time. The first-season disc set of 24 paid off handsomely for the intense Fox thriller as it began its second year. The strategy was developed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, which seeks a repeat with Arrested Development.

"After it won the Emmy, there's a lot of curiosity about the show," says Steve Feldstein, senior vice president of corporate and marketing communications. The DVD, he says, is "obviously a revenue source, and it's simply a way to keep it in the public consciousness."

Arrested Development airs at 8:30 p.m. Sundays, locally on WOFL-Channel 35. It follows The Simpsons, which has flourished on DVD. The technology also has revived the dormant Family Guy and celebrated short-lived series, such as Freaks and Geeks.

Beyond its effect on individual series, the DVD phenomenon has the potential to change the television business in profound ways.

"You'll see shows stay on the air because they can make money in DVDs," says Al Jean, executive producer of The Simpsons. "Animation is getting a second look because DVDs do well. The DVD changed the equation for shows and was a huge plus for us."

He points to figures revealing that the fourth-season DVD set of The Simpsons grossed $38 million in its first year of circulation. Yet the DVDs can present a mixed blessing.

"It generates more fans, and people have bought DVDs in huge numbers, but there are so many ways of watching The Simpsons," Jean says. "We often compete with ourselves."


An eye toward forever


DVDs offer a crucial difference from syndicated reruns, which can be edited to increase commercial time. The small discs allow viewers to see the program as it originally aired.

"There's no better place for a show to live on than DVD," says Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. "It's pristine. It's like your own museum. In that regard, we make shows with an eye toward forever. You'll see on our show there are no topical jokes. We want the show to last the way The Honeymooners lasts."

Rosenthal describes himself as a geek when it comes to DVDs and owns some series that influenced him: The Honeymooners, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

"Some of these are classes in a box," Rosenthal says. "To have Martin Scorsese take you through Raging Bull shot by shot, where are you going to get a class better than that?

"We are, on a much smaller scale, doing it on episodes of our show. We're not just trying to be entertaining but trying to impart what's going on in our minds as we write and create shows. Maybe they will be useful to other people."

So far, season one of Raymond is out, and the second season will arrive before Christmas. Rosenthal and star Ray Romano are doing audio commentaries to take viewers through the process. More extras, such as gag reels and deleted scenes, will be added for the later seasons when Raymond grew in popularity.

The extras, from commentaries to alternate endings, become selling points. The DVD craze could provide more programming. NBC will hitch a ride on the Seinfeld release in a Thanksgiving special in which the cast reminisces.

"The DVD could change the nature of scholarship," says Ron Simon, television curator at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York. "So much was based on memory. Now you can dig into a show. Whatever you want to look at you can freeze-frame."


In touch without cable


The DVD is allowing viewers who don't have pay cable to catch up with much-discussed HBO offerings, such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Sex and the City. The disc set lets people immerse themselves quickly in boundary-pushing programs, such as FX's The Shield and Nip/Tuck.

Simon says the DVD set might force producers and writers to focus more on how narratives play out over a season. The storytelling, in effect, would become more like that of a novel.

"It could be that producers will start to think more in terms of a Sopranos season rather than discrete episodes," Simon says. "The DVD imposes a uniform quality to a season. In many ways, the series is promotion for the DVD. It will be available even when the show is off the air."

The disc set also is increasingly becoming a promotional tool for the series when it airs on network television. Season one of The O.C. has been released, and series creator Josh Schwartz sees only good things in that development. Viewers have access to 27 straight hours of the serial, which started its second season Thursday.

"As much as people can watch the DVDs and get up to speed, if they didn't catch the show last year . . . that's great for us," he says. "I'm really proud of everything we did last year. I think it's also going to be interesting for people to track Ben McKenzie's changing hairstyle through the year." Ben is the James Dean-style hero who seems destined for a long run on Fox.

Another advantage of DVDs is that they accommodate series that weren't winners. Freaks and Geeks lasted only one season on NBC, but it receives the deluxe treatment on disc. The set contains the complete series of 18 episodes and more than 40 hours of bonus material.


A second chance for series


Then there's the unusual case of Family Guy, an animated series that had a hard time on Fox. It, however, has thrived on DVD.

"It re-energized existing fans and brought new fans to the party to the point where the network and production division took a second look and said, 'Let's put it back on the air,' " says Feldstein of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Family Guy will rejoin the Fox schedule next year. But don't look for the DVD to end broadcasting as we know it.

"There will always be network television," Raymond creator Rosenthal says. "People are into the communal experience of watching something when it's on and coming in the next day and talking about it. Would we want to wait for a sporting event to be on DVD?"

Of note, regarding "Family Guy": About a month ago, during the cards (messages) that Adult Swim displays during commercial breaks, Adult Swim thanked Fox for canceling, greenlighting, developing, canceling again and selling Adult Swim the rights to those new "Family Guy" episodes (that was loosely quoted from memory), as well as a new show by Seth McFarlane, "American Dad". If that is correct, the article about DVD sales fueling episode production is still true, but FOX will be airing these shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, not FOX primetime. Just FYI. Of course FOX execs may have changed their minds again.

Originally posted by GregF
Of note, regarding "Family Guy": About a month ago, during the cards (messages) that Adult Swim displays during commercial breaks, Adult Swim thanked Fox for canceling, greenlighting, developing, canceling again and selling Adult Swim the rights to those new "Family Guy" episodes (that was loosely quoted from memory), as well as a new show by Seth McFarlane, "American Dad". If that is correct, the article about DVD sales fueling episode production is still true, but FOX will be airing these shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, not FOX primetime. Just FYI. Of course FOX execs may have changed their minds again. Seriously? I hadn't heard that last part, "cancelling again?" Before it ever even aired? How stupid is that?! *shrug* I guess it's par for the course at FOX.

Another interesting cancelled series that's proliferated on DVD (and quite an oversight for the article) is Firefly (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/), which FOX summarily dismissed before ever airing (they didn't understand why a space show had horses… *shrug*), and did as little as possible to promote while on air (not to mention, airing the 2-hour pilot episode last! :mad: ), has sold well enough on DVD to warrant at least one theatrical motion picture, potentially three within the current contract. I highly recommend checking out the DVD, and look for Serenity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/), coming in April 2005.

Friday's ratings are posted in Latest News

Fat Cats Get Fatter

And four more changes in the next four years under George W. Bush

By Bill McConnell – Broadcasting & Cable, 11/8/2004
The more things stay the same, the more they change.
While the reelection of President Bush implies that policy won’t shift in the second term, media companies can still expect a torrent of changes. As the technology, programming and regulation of TV continue to mutate, both government and industry can rely on one thing: a fast pace.
Only four years ago, for example, the transition of the nation’s broadcast stations to digital was at a standstill as TV stations, set makers and cable operators bickered. Now expect a nastier fight, as the FCC and Congress zero in on a final deadline—there’s even strong disagreement over an exact date among the newly confident Republicans in Congress. To keep the transition on track will require compromise from all sides. In return for new digital broadcast rights, certain FCC commissioners will want new programming quotas for news, educational and public affairs.
By the time President Bush takes the oath of office, vigorous debate is expected in Congress, sparking what amounts to a constitutional convention for the media industry: revamping the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The most urgent issue for lawmakers: putting cable and Web-based telephone service under the same obligations to subsidize universal service and lease lines to competitors as traditional local phone companies.
If the act is dismantled, lawmakers will jump to make alterations beyond phone service. Ownership limits, cable indecency regulation and public-interest obligations would be up for grabs. Such a bill, which is expected to be the focus of the key House and Senate Commerce Committees for the next two congressional sessions, would be enormously complicated and take years to become law.
Even with the same president, uncertainties abound. No incident proved how fast an issue can catch fire than Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl breast flash; before that, the notion of policing prime time scripts wasn’t even a blip on the White House radar screen. With overwhelming election support from social conservatives, the FCC under Bush will continue the clampdown on prime time swearing, over-the-top sex scenes and raunchy shock jocks.
As lawmakers struggle to strike the right balance, here are five issues to look out for:

1. FAT CATS GET FATTER.
Media giants Comcast, News Corp., Viacom and other conglomerates will seek to strike new deals to grow their empires in a more relaxed regulatory environment. Media companies see consolidation as a means to economies of scale, whereby they can theoretically deliver superior services at a lower cost. A second Bush administration will resurrect deregulation to make it so.
Even before the election, liberal Democrat Sumner Redstone, Viacom’s feisty 81-year-old CEO, made the startling declaration that he believed the election of Bush “is better for our company.” Viacom, which has reached station-ownership limits, would love to buy more. Cable giants like Comcast Corp., which today reaches about a third of the country, want to fill out their national footprints and revive long-forgotten FCC plans to raise subscriber limits.
At a time when many broadcasters want to tighten their grip on local markets, the agency will also likely lift a ban on owning a TV station and a newspaper in the same area. Several media companies, particularly News Corp., Media General Inc. and Tribune, have been pushing to abolish the ban.
All this could be good news for deal-hungry Wall Street. If ownership limits start to fall, a new round of mega-deals could follow, boosting media stock prices stuck in the doldrums. A strong economy helps most. If gross domestic product grows, say 5% instead of 3%, the ripple effects roll throughout the media.
Given the court ruling this year that ordered the FCC to rewrite its deregulation of broadcast-ownership rules, any tweaks are sure to be challenged. “Any changes that are going to happen are a function of the courts, not the agencies,” says Sinclair CEO David Smith.
The courts, however, gave the FCC room to deregulate as long it as does a good job of explaining any changes. “We think the FCC will get a second chance to deregulate,” says Bear, Stearns media analyst Victor Miller.
Lifting restrictions will lead to “fewer owners controlling even more assets,” said Leonard Hill, head of the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers and Directors, which represents the independent TV production community. “They’ll be able to curry favor with entrenched Washington power in turn for relaxation of regulations designed to protect the public interest.”
2. MORALITY POLICE WILL SEE RED OVER BLUE TV.
Howard Stern will be glad he left commercial radio—for now. Conservative groups, many reveling in the Republican victory, will turn up the pressure on the FCC and Congress to scrub filth out of broadcast prime time—a reward for keeping President Bush in the White House.
The margin of Bush’s victory provided by social conservatives was a “tremendous validation of our agenda to protect children,” says Tim Winters, executive director of the Parent Television Council. He insists that cleaning up the airwaves resonates with liberals, too/ “It’s not a Democratic or Republican issue.”
With as many as four Supreme Court spots likely to open in the new Bush presidency, a new posse of ultra-conservative judges could take their seats. Upcoming retirements also give social conservatives their most fervent wish: a high court dedicated to reversing America’s “moral decay.” Cable and satellite companies, missed in the most recent indecency crackdown, might be hit, too.
If Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s illness forces him to exit, likely successor Antonin Scalia will rewrite past court rulings to put cable and satellite radio under indecency restrictions. Best-case scenario under Scalia: Cable is forced to offer individual channels à la carte. Worst case: Cable loses huge profits when cable porn is outlawed.
Many in Hollywood are concerned that freedom of speech will be curbed even further, and the chilling effect will force writers to hold punches. Steven Bochco, a veteran TV writer, winner of eight Emmys, and the creator of NYPD Blue, says his hit cop series would never make it to the air if it were to premiere today (see Q&A, page 21). When it debuted in 1993, the show pushed the limits of explicit language and sexual situations shown on the broadcast networks. The current regulatory climate has been building, says Bochco.
One big change that worries cable operators: if Congress forces cable systems to sell channels individually, or à la carte, the same way they sell HBO. That way, viewers offended by racy MTV or FX wouldn’t have to pay for them. “I worry a little bit that the fundamentalist-right agenda is all about indecency, which then translates into à la carte,” says the CEO of a top-10 cable operator.
One big broadcaster believes the ballyhoo over indecency fades. Says Emmis Communications CEO Jeff Smulyan, “I think everyone backs off once you’re out of an election cycle.”
Adds HBO’s Oz creator Tom Fontana, “I’m more afraid of media consolidation than them taking away my right of saying on cable the word '****.’”
3. FCC CHIEF POLISHES HIS IMAGE, THEN QUITS.
Still smarting after big-media activists painted him as the poster boy for deregulation run amok, the FCC chairman gets time for a makeover.
Powell, the 40-year-old burly, balding son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, first joined the FCC in 1997. Few stay around for a tenure so long, and he is itching to leave. Thanks to Bush’s reelection, he will probably stay at his post until the president can win a confirmation for his replacement—probably next summer.
The front-runners to replace him are Michael Gallagher, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; Rebecca Klein, former Texas utilities regulator; and Janice Obuchowski, telecommunications consultant and former NTIA chief. There’s also an outside chance Bush could replace Republican Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, whose term expired this year, although he can let her stay through the end of 2005, without submitting her name to Congress for reconfirmation.
The new chairman is likely to keep a lower profile than the brash Powell, who rarely ceases to speak his mind about the merits of media deregulation.
In the meantime, Powell will focus on the projects he wants to claim as his legacy: accelerating the transition to digital television, rolling out Internet TV and backing other gee-whiz technologies. To help him make those proposals into rules, Powell will have a temporary 3-1 Republican majority, thanks to Democrat Jonathan Adelstein’s pending departure from the five-member commission. His term is up, and he must leave no later than December.
First, Senate Democrats must choose a new minority leader before the party’s FCC pick is named. The longer they take to decide—spring is the earliest a pick would be made—the more time Powell and company have to push through their plans.
4. GOP STANDS DIVIDED ON DIGITAL DEADLINE.
Chairman Michael Powell, House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) and the White House disagree over the best way to convert Americans to digital TV. Powell wants to accelerate the day when TV stations go all-digital and return their old analog channels—to 2009. Without some pushing from the FCC, broadcasters won’t have to return their old channels for a decade or more. That’s because no station has to go digital until 85% of viewers in its market are equipped to receive a digital picture.
Powell has been drafting a plan, controversial among broadcasters, that would require stations to give up their analog channels long before that threshold is met. Under this plan, some cable homes would be counted as digital even if they don’t own if a digital set.
Barton, however, wants Powell to move even faster and end the DTV switch in 2006. If a plan must be enforced, no doubt TV stations will get behind Powell, since his plan will allow them more time.
Congressional budget writers are pressuring him to raise money by auctioning those channels as soon as possible. A chunk of those channels are also earmarked for local public-safety departments around the country, and he wants that hand-off as soon as possible.
But meeting either man’s deadline requires Uncle Sam to cover the cost of digital equipment for low-income viewers who don’t subscribe to pay TV. Otherwise, their sets would go dark. The White House is balking at coughing up the necessary $1 billion for the equipment and instead wants to light a fire under broadcasters by making them pay a fee every year they retain analog channels past 2006.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is amused by the Republicans’ quandary. Powell’s effort to get consensus led to the plan’s becoming a “moving target.” In fact, Powell hasn’t yet submitted anything formal to other commissioners. Copps predicts the logjam will loosen and negotiations will commence once Powell puts something in writing. Says Copps, “We need to know a little more about his plan and get a sense of the new Congress.”
5. CONGRESS REOPENS THE TELECOM ACT, REAPS A WINDFALL.
Congress plans to launch a massive rewrite of the laws governing media, phone and wireless industries sometime next year. Traditional phone companies are now screaming for relief from the load of regulatory burdens that prevent them from competing with cable and Internet phone service.
A big side benefit to House and Senate members is that telecom companies, fearful of losing favor, will feel obligated to donate millions over the next session. If past legislative battles are any indication, Congress will milk the opportunity for campaign cash rather than pass legislation quickly. Drawn-out fights over major legislation goes hand-in-hand with fundraising.
“That’s the reality in Washington,” says Mark Cooper of Consumer Federal of America. “My first fight over what became the Telecommunications Act of 1996 occurred in 1984.”

Originally posted by GregF
Of note, regarding "Family Guy": About a month ago, during the cards (messages) that Adult Swim displays during commercial breaks, Adult Swim thanked Fox for canceling, greenlighting, developing, canceling again and selling Adult Swim the rights to those new "Family Guy" episodes (that was loosely quoted from memory), as well as a new show by Seth McFarlane, "American Dad". If that is correct, the article about DVD sales fueling episode production is still true, but FOX will be airing these shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, not FOX primetime. Just FYI. Of course FOX execs may have changed their minds again.


Fox will be airing both shows during primetime, Adult Swim has rights to show same-week reruns.

CBS Sports Pres: Leagues to Stick With Nets for Coverage

(Mediaweek.com) -- Speaking on a Future of TV Sports panel at ESPN's annual sports upfront in New York last week, CBS Sports president Sean McManus said he believes that all the major professional sports coverage, for at least "the next decade," will continue to be televised on TV networks not owned by the leagues themselves.

David Hill, chairman/CEO of Fox Sports Television Group, said what the professional sports leagues "have to ask themselves is, will they be willing to forgo the cash and promotion they get from the broadcast networks" if they choose to begin airing games on their own cable or digital tier networks.

And a comment that is sure to give John Bogusz, CBS Sports sales president, some angst, McManus derided the growing use of what he described as forced and cluttered product placement in sports telecasts. "We are very dangerously close to annoying the viewer with product placement," McManus said. "I would like to see us roll it back because we are doing way too much. We are very close to taking away the enjoyment of the game for the fans." —John Consoli

Saturday prime time ratings have been posted in Latest News.

fredfa, for the Saturday ratings, don't you mean to credit it to Zap2It and not thefutoncritic?

yup, thanks f44

Voom hears a boom

Hi-def service snaps up 193 Miramax titles

By JOHN DEMPSEY Variety.com
Chuck Dolan's high-definition programming service called Voom has bought exclusive high-definition rights to 193 movies from Miramax Films and its Dimension Pictures sibling for a total license fee of $10 million-$15 million.
Voom offers its subscribers 38 HD channels, including 10 movie services featuring a range of content from Westerns to foreign films to black-and-white classics.
The movies in the deal include 64 martial-arts pictures starring such action veterans as Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Chow Yun Fat. Foreign-language titles make up 28 more movies, led by "Amelie" and "Farewell My Concubine."
Four pictures are listed as representative of the English-language grouping from Miramax/Dimension: "Clerks," "Prophecy II," "The Picture Bride" and Woody Allen's "Celebrity."
Profit in doubt
Despite the deal, many Wall Street analysts are skeptical of Voom's profit-making potential. Voom's parent company Cablevision Systems is still planning to spin it off into a separate operation along with AMC, WE: Women's Entertainment, IFC and a batch of regional sports networks, all of which are part of Dolan's Rainbow Media Enterprises.
The reason analysts have doubts about Voom is that only 28,700 households have signed up for the service in the past year, according to Cablevision, which said Voom lost $72 million in the second quarter alone.
People aren't feverishly signing up for Voom because the installation and rental of the satellite dish can cost as much as $499. That's only for starters. Voom sets its monthly rental fee for the digital box at $9.50, and the combination of 21 HD channels and 85 basic-cable networks cost subscribers an additional $49.90 a month. The full package, encompassing all of the HD channels, has an $89.90-a-month pricetag. (Among the ad-supported networks not available to Voom customers are Lifetime, the Weather Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TV Guide Channel, Golf Channel and National Geographic Channel.)

Other outlets

Since DirecTV and EchoStar are adding lots of high-def services to their offerings, Richard Greenfield, an analyst with Fulcrum Global Partners, said satellite customers don't need Voom to satisfy their hankering for HD programming.
But Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, said the naysayers have underestimated Cablevision in the past.
"Chuck Dolan is a creative visionary who has the guts to compete in the early stages of what will be a great concept," Sands said. "High-definition television has proven to be the most desirable medium through which viewers can enjoy a filmmaker's vision as it was meant to be seen."

If you have ever wondered why some shows seem to miraculously stay on the air, despite overall ratings that aren’t the best, this story from TVWeek just might answer a few of your questions:

ABC Turns On Affluent Set

`Housewives,' `Lost,' `Boston Legal' Draw Advertisers' Most Prized Demo

By Jon Lafayette TVWeek.com November 8, 2004
ABC's successful new dramas have helped the network attract the kinds of upscale viewers that advertisers are desperate to reach.
For the first six weeks of the season, "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Boston Legal" are all among the top 15 shows in attracting viewers 18 to 49 with household incomes of more than $75,000 and more than four years of college education. "Housewives" is the top-rated program in that category.
Those shows have been the backbone of a remarkably quick turnaround for ABC among upscale viewers. Its ratings jumped to a 4.5 in this important demographic, up from 3.6 last year. And its concentration of upscale viewers jumped from a slightly below-average index of 98 to a 110. ABC's index figure trails NBC, the longtime leader in both categories. NBC's rating also is a 4.5, down from 4.9 last season, with a 117 index, up from 111.
Advertisers will pay more to reach affluent households, and they're starting to take notice of the change at ABC. Market sources said American Express, which covets upscale viewers, has bought ABC for a new campaign it is about to launch. American Express bought ABC sparingly last season.
"The upscale viewer is very, very hard to reach because typically, they're not the heaviest TV viewers, so it's especially a wow factor for us that our dramas in particular are now capturing this elusive, hard-to-reach audience," said Geri Wang, executive VP of sales at ABC.
"We had been a very mainstream network, indexing in the high 90s. Now we're at 110, which is amazing. Our audience is 10 percent more likely to live in a home making more than $75,000 and be college-graduated. It's astonishing that in six weeks we've been able to change the demographic base of this network."
That change makes ABC more attractive to certain key advertisers.
"It's not that important to a packaged goods [company], but it's obviously important to an automotive company or a technology company, a financial company. That audience is difficult to reach and if you can find it, that's great," said Shari Cohen, co-executive director of MindShare, which handles media buying for American Express.
She declined to talk about American Express's plans, but said ABC has "definitely improved for the upscale demo, and that's a desirable demo for American Express. We'd be remiss if we didn't look at all our options."
Having upscale viewers has helped ABC get higher prices for its commercials.
"It's allowed us to push up CPMs," Ms. Wang said. "We are writing above the upfront. It's not some crazy, out-of-control marketplace. But there's been a nice steady stream and clients want to buy our shows."
Market sources say spots on "Desperate Housewives" are selling for up to $375,000, up from about $185,000 in the upfront.
Most of that increase reflects that viewership is nearly double what the network and most buyers estimated before the season started. ABC held a lot of inventory out of the upfront and that strategy is paying off. But with the overall market weak, CPM increases have been limited, buyers said.
"There's a huge wow factor attached to this show. Not only in volume, not only in its critical acclaim, not only because it's fun to watch but also because we have that upscale story," Ms. Wang said.
In the past, ABC has offered its Academy Awards broadcast as its primary way to reach rich viewers and business leaders. "Now that we have `Desperate,' which has been the highest upscale demo ratings out of every show on network television, it's kind of cool," Ms. Wang said.
"Even our repeat of `Desperate Housewives' on Saturday is over a 100 index," she said, "and our advertisers are always looking to ferret out these demographic nuggets."

NBC Still Strong

While "Desperate Housewives" has the highest ratings among upscale viewers, some NBC shows still have the highest concentration of those upscale viewers.
NBC's "The West Wing" and "The Apprentice," which had the highest indexes last year, are tops again so far this season. "West Wing" has a 167 index, up from 148 last year. "The Apprentice" has a 157 index. Other NBC shows with strong indexes include "Will & Grace," "Law & Order," "Joey" and "ER."
In terms of an index, "Boston Legal" is ABC's top show with upscale viewers, with a 144. "Desperate Housewives" is second with a 135, which ties it with NBC's "Will & Grace."
CBS's show with the highest index is "60 Minutes," with a 128.
With its younger overall viewership, Fox has no shows that index over 100 for upscale viewers. Its top performer is "North Shore" with a 98. Overall, the network averages a 1.7 rating and 76 index for the demographic.
CBS last week also made claims for upscale viewers. For the first four weeks of the season, CBS said it is ranked first among $100,000-plus-income households and, for the first time since 1996, first among adults 25 to 54 in $100,000-plus-income households. The top-ranked shows among viewers 25 to 54 in these very upscale households are "Desperate Housewives," "CSI" and "The Apprentice." The $100,000 income figure is new for Nielsen, introduced just last season.

Originally posted by fredfa
Since DirecTV and EchoStar are adding lots of high-def services to their offerings, Richard Greenfield, an analyst with Fulcrum Global Partners, said satellite customers don't need Voom to satisfy their hankering for HD programming. Huh? Both D* and E* "adding lots of high-def services..."? Did I miss something?

Originally posted by SonomaSearcher
Huh? Both D* and E* "adding lots of high-def services..."? Did I miss something?

I think that is a forward looking statement being made by a financial analyst, by all reports DirecTV is set to become the 800lb gorilla with 500 HD-LiL by mid 2005 and Fox-HD, ABC-HD, TNT-HD and ESPN2 on the near horizon. Personally all the proprietary HD Voom has has never been an attraction for me..

A NICE RESPONSE FROM DIRECTV ABOUT SPORTS PROGRAMMING>>>

I Contacted Investor Relations at DirectV with the following questions and received a thoughtful response:

MY ISSUE:
Subject: Directv is being held back...

...by a slow transition to specific sports related HD content...I
believe
that sports fan are the "stickiest" customers and they want their
regional
Comcast/Fox Sportsnets in HD and TNT HD...if you study user forums (as
I've
done at length), these are the issues most often mentioned by DTV
customers
with Voom loyalists calling for them to change.

It also seems that customers feel Directv gives them little guidance of
potential plans. My sense is that people would wait for channels if they
had
a firmer sense that new hd channels were being considered.

Please pass this along to the appropriate parties.

THE RESPONSE:

Brian,
Thanks for the feedback. This is a situation we are well aware of.
Current capacity constraints make it difficult to put up regional sports
in HD everywhere it is available. We do have some capacity for more HD
but not significant capacity. That will change around mid-2005 after we
launch two additional satellites (we announced this in September). These
satellites will allow us to launch an additional 500 local channels,
which could also include regional sports nets.

We have only just started pushing HD programming to our current subs -
featuring our HD NFL Sunday Ticket package. I'm sure you have seen that
advertising over the DIRECTV airwaves as well as in you billing package.
As NFL is the biggest driver in sports programming in the country, this
has been our focus in starting our HD push.

Over the next 12 months we will continue to add additional programming
in HD and as we do we will let our customers know via the airwaves and
other mailings. For some customers I realize that it's not soon enough,
but we hope to accelerate these offerings in 2005.

Thanks again for the feedback - I will pass it along to our programming
department...
Martin


I give Martin credit for taking the time to respond and buy his explanation.

Sunday ratings (courtesty Marc Berman and mediaweek.com) have been posted.

'Boomtown' Vet Grabs '24' Desk


(Monday, November 08 10:04 AM PT)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)--- Although much has been made of the absence of key members of the CTU team on FOX's "24," there were be at least two new actors playing regular roles in the counter terrorism unit, either assisting Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer or making life more complicated.
Lana Parrilla and Roger Cross will be regulars on the upcoming fourth season of FOX's Emmy-winning drama as CTU operatives. Between the on-screen deaths of certain characters and the uncertain, reduced or eliminated roles of Carlos Bernard, Elisha Cuthbert and Reiko Aylesworth, viewers can expect a number of fresh faces fighting terrorism when the show returns with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, Jan. 9.
Parrilla is best known from stints on ABC's "Spin City" and NBC's "Boomtown." She has appeared on multiple episodes of both ABC's "NYPD Blue" and HBO's "Six Feet Under" earlier in this year. Cross appeared in this summer's "The Chronicles of Riddick" and the actor's other credits include appearances on "The Days," "Star Trek: Enterprise" and "Peacemakers."

Originally posted by fredfa
(Among the ad-supported networks not available to Voom customers are Lifetime, the Weather Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TV Guide Channel, Golf Channel and National Geographic Channel.)

This isn't up to date. Voom has The Weather Channel & The Golf Channel.

Perhaps VOOM's public relations department might want to get information of that sort out to leading trade publications like Variety.

Fred, you have PM.

(courtesy of keenan's sharp eyes)

Viacom: FCC Super Bowl Fine Unconstitutional


By Todd Shields mediaweek.com November 08, 2004
In a filing late last Friday to the Federal Communications Commission, Viacom and its CBS television network argued that the proposed $550,000 fine for the controversial Super Bowl broadcast violates the First Amendment, could threaten an end to live broadcasting, and should not be levied against them.

The FCC’s newly aggressive indecency policy imposes “a broad chilling effect on broadcasters,” the company said in its filing. The FCC on Sept. 22 proposed the fine against Viacom’s 20 CBS stations in response to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl halftime show broadcast, in which singer Janet Jackson’s right breast was revealed for 9/16 of a second. With Viacom’s response in hand, the agency now must decide whether to press ahead. There is no deadline.

“The ‘costume reveal’ was as much a shock to Viacom as to everyone else,” Viacom said in its filing. It called the glimpse “a stunt concocted by the performers themselves shortly before the show” that “was neither explicit nor graphic…and was not used to titillate or shock.”

“If it stands, the [fine] will lead to the end of live broadcasting as we know it by placing broadcasters on notice that they risk massive liability and perhaps license revocation if they fail to adopt technical measures to avoid the possibility of a spontaneous transgression,” Viacom said.

It said many broadcasters already were facing the decision whether to install “elaborate delay mechanisms,” or forego coverage of live events including those “involving politicians, sports figures and other newsmakers.”

UPN's 'Mars,' 'Hill' Get Full Seasons


zap2it.com--Despite some of the new season's warmest reviews, neither of UPN's freshman dramas -- "Kevin Hill" and "Veronica Mars" -- has come out of the box as a clear hit. However, both shows are showing enough progress to earn a vote of confidence from UPN. The netlet has given both shows a full season order.
"We've been thrilled with the creative auspices for 'Veronica Mars' with its terrific ensemble cast, sharp writing and high production quality," says UPN Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff. "Every episode that comes in keeps getting better and better. And our critically acclaimed drama 'Kevin Hill' has helped strengthen our performance on Wednesday night with double- and triple-digit time period gains in our core demographics."
Through its first five airings, "Veronica Mars" averaged 2.65 million viewers per episode, but the drama, which stars Kristen Bell as a high school student who occasionally moonlights as a private investigator, has shown slow improvement. The most recent episode hit new ratings highs and the series has improved 40 percent among adults 18-49 since its premiere.
Although "Veronica Mars" has been saddled with the incompatible lead-in of "Eve," the series has given UPN dramatically boosted demographic ratings compared to the performances of "Rock Me Baby" and "The Mullets" in the same time period last year.
"Kevin Hill" has also helped UPN improve a formerly weak time period. The legal series, which features Taye Diggs, has averaged 3.77 million viewers, in large part due to its "America's Next Top Model" lead-in. "Kevin Hill" has provided increases of 89 percent among adults 18-49, 200 percent women 18-49 and 59 percent among total viewers over "Jake 2.0" in the same time period last season.
Although UPN recently ordered new scripts for first year comedy "Second Time Around," it has yet to receive a back nine order.

More on the demise of "Six Feet Under"

Clumps of dark sod for 'Six Feet Under'

Creator tells HBO: This season is the show's last
(medialifemagazine.com)---HBO is losing another one of its acclaimed shows, though this one doesn’t pack quite the ratings punch as the recently deceased “Sex and the City.”
“Six Feet Under” creator Alan Ball told the network Friday that the fifth season of the show will be its last, saying its storylines will be played out by the end of its next 12-episode go-round.
The show has been a huge hit with critics if not audiences, drawing nearly 40 Emmy nominations in its first two years and getting nearly unanimous critical raves upon its 2001 debut.
But unlike “Sex,” which departed last winter, or “The Sopranos,” whose final season will begin next year, “Six” has never drawn big audiences.
The show’s fourth season this past summer averaged 3.7 million total viewers. That was well off its second-season high of 5.6 million viewers, and far behind the 7 million who tuned in weekly for “Sex” or the 10 million for “Sopranos.”
In fact, even HBO’s less-acclaimed new series “Deadwood” and “Carnivale” each boasted better averages during their first seasons, though they also had the advantage of airing out of “Sopranos” and “Sex.”
HBO has not said when “Six’s” final season will air, though next spring or summer seems likely. Production on the final season will begin next week.
With “Six’s” departure, HBO is now on the lookout for the kind of buzzed-about show that “Sex,” “Sopranos” and even “Six,” despite its small viewership, became during their runs.
Thus far, its efforts to replace the shows have been somewhat disappointing. Most discouraging was the highly touted half-hour comedy “Entourage,” which aired out of “Six” over the summer and lost about 50 percent of its lead-in’s audience.
HBO did order a second season of the show, but viewership would probably need to increase for it to get a third.
Though “The Wire” remains a critical favorite, it is far too edgy to attract the mainstream “Sex” crowd. “Deadwood” and “Carnivale” are slated to return in January and March, with new dramas “Big Love,” about a Utah polygamist, and “Rome,” about the titular empire, premiering next year as well.
In a statement Friday, Ball, who executive produces the show, said, “Working on 'Six Feet Under' has been enormously fulfilling creatively, but if the show is about anything, it's about the fact that everything comes to an end.”
Despite its many Emmy nominations, the show has never won in the major categories.

Originally posted by fredfa
More on the demise of "Six Feet Under"



I'm sad to see this one go, it's been one of my favorites..

More thoughts on last week's DirecTV 3rd Quarter numbers:

DirecTV Churn Dismays Wall St.

Satellite Operator Growing Subs,
But Analysts Question Future

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com November 8, 2004
Is DirecTV Group's white-hot streak starting to cool?
Though the satellite operator last week continued the performance it has reported the past several quarters, reporting robust subscriber growth in subscribers in its third-quarter results, Wall Street's enthusiasm for the company flagged upon learning the company's churn rate.
Churn rose to nearly 1.7 percent in the third quarter from a year-earlier rate of 1.6 percent. The increase caught many analysts off guard and raises questions about the quality of new customers signing up for DirecTV service and whether investors ought to brace themselves for higher churn rates in the future.
DirecTV has been on a subscriber-growth tear for most of the year, an effort that accelerated once Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. took control of the satellite company late last year.
In the third quarter alone DirecTV added more than 1 million new subscribers as a result of its own efforts as well as its partnerships with telephone companies BellSouth and Verizon Communications. A lot of the growth has come at the expense of cable operators, which in recent months have stepped up their own efforts to beat back the satellite tide.
But with the latest churn numbers, analysts are starting to quietly wonder whether DirecTV's growth has come at the expense of consumer quality.
Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett described the churn number as a "key concern" because it wasn't a result of recently acquired customers from DirecTV reseller Pegasus Communications, whose churn rates were historically higher than DirecTV's, but rather a function of a highly competitive marketplace and, perhaps more worrisome, a higher number of disconnects for nonpayment.
"The latter could cast a question about the quality of the gross additions in recent quarters," Mr. Moffett warned.
For their part, DirecTV officials admitted the churn number was higher than they wanted it to be and have begun several initiatives designed to better identify customers with riskier credit profiles. They blamed the increase on subscriber growth rates that proved more difficult to manage than initially expected.
DirecTV President Mitch Stern added: "Voluntary churn was still too high."
Despite raising the churn number, the growth helped DirecTV report a double-digit increase in revenue. It wasn't enough to offset a one-time charge or increased marketing costs booked in the quarter.
The company, which is 34 percent controlled by News Corp., fell deeper into the red, reporting a third-quarter loss of $1.01 billion versus year-earlier red ink of $23 million. Revenue surged 20 percent to $2.9 billion.
Driving much of the red ink in the 2004 quarter was an adjustment DirecTV made to the fair value of two satellites the company expects to launch next year. Originally planned for use as part of the company's satellite-based high-speed data service, DirecTV scrapped the broadband plans and decided to use the satellites to deliver video. However, because video wasn't the main purpose of the satellites, DirecTV had to adjust downward the value of the satellites from an original worth of $1.9 billion to $390 million. That led the company to book a charge in the 2004 third quarter of $903 million.
The quarter also reflected $260 million in marketing and customer-retention costs spent in the quarter.
Despite the questions about churn, many analysts still forecast significant growth for DirecTV, particularly as the company continues its relationships with the telephone companies, which accounted for more than half of DirecTV's subscriber growth in the quarter.

CBS, FOX, DirecTV Extend NFL Deals.

(zap2it.com)---The National Football League will stay in its Sunday-afternoon TV home for six more years, but the future of "Monday Night Football" isn't nailed down yet.
CBS and FOX have each agreed to new six-year contracts with the league to continue broadcasting AFC (CBS) and NFC (FOX) games on Sunday afternoons. Each network will also get two Super Bowls in the new agreement, which runs from 2006-11 (the current TV contract expires after the 2005 NFL season).
The NFL says the two networks paid a combined $8 billion for the rights. CBS and FOX aren't discussing specifics of their individual deals, but the NFC package, which features more large-market teams, typically costs more than the AFC package.
"These agreements represent the NFL's premium position as the No. 1 sports and entertainment attraction on television and in stadiums," NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue says in a statement. "Our goal in the negotiations has been to continue to deliver our games to the widest possible audience. The agreements underscore a unique commitment to broadcast television that no other sport has."
The league also renewed its deal with satellite-TV provider DirecTV for its "NFL Sunday Ticket" package, a premium service that allows subscribers to see any Sunday-afternoon game they choose. The $3.5 billion extension runs through the 2010 season.
The extension of the CBS, FOX and DirecTV deals mean that only Disney-owned ABC and ESPN, which carry "Monday Night Football" and the league's Sunday prime-time game, have yet to renew their agreements. Disney is reportedly not in a rush to complete a new deal, and there has been some speculation that other networks might bid for the "Monday Night Football" franchise and the Sunday-night game.
The current NFL deal cost ABC, CBS, FOX and ESPN more than $17 billion over eight years.

And from MultiChannel News:

No ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ for Cable

By Mike Reynolds Multichannel.com11/8/2004 7:36:00 PM
DirecTV Inc. has tackled the exclusive rights to the National Football League’s “NFL Sunday Ticket” out-of-market package through 2010.
Valued at some $700 million per season from 2006-2010, the deal again shuts cable out of sports’ most lucrative pay-per-view package.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said cable companies had an opportunity to get a piece of Sunday Ticket, but they balked at the high price, which totals some $3.5 billion and supersedes the last two seasons of the current contract.
The DirecTV announcement comes in concert with NFL agreements with Sunday-afternoon incumbent carriers Fox and CBS, valued at a combined $8 billion, through the 2011 season. The NFL's current deal with the broadcasters ends after the 2005 season.
The pro-football league, at press time, had not yet come to terms on its primetime packages, currently held by ABC and ESPN.
Those packages could be complemented by an additional primetime cable offering late in the season that evidently would meld games on Thursday nights after Thanksgiving with Saturday-afternoon games that were previously televised by CBS and Fox.

And more details, this time from Broadcasting & Cable:

NFL Grabs $11.5B in Rights Blitz

By Allison Romano – Broadcasting & Cable 11/8/2004 6:07:00 PM
Fox and CBS will ante up $8 billion to keep the National Football League on their networks through 2011. The early renewal comes as a something of a surprise.
The NFL unveiled another big re-signing on Monday, extending its Sunday Ticket out-of-market deal package with DirecTV through 2010 with a new $3.5 billion deal.
The exclusive deal means cable operators are shut out of the out-of-market package once again, missing out on a feature analysts have said could help drive cable penetration and video on demand.
The league’s current TV package – which also includes deals with Disney’s ABC and ESPN – does not expire until after the 2005-06 season and negotiations weren’t expected in earnest until after the current season.
While CBS and Fox moved early to sign new six-year extensions, the NFL has not reupped ABC or ESPN yet. "As we've said, our intent is to retain the Monday and Sunday night packages, and we will continue our ongoing conversations towards that end," ABC/ESPN said in a statement.
As part of the new deal, CBS and Fox will carry two Super Bowls each.
“This happened quickly, ahead of where we thought it would happen, but [we're] thrilled with the deal we made,” said Viacom co-COO and co-President Leslie Moonves, who said negotiations have being going on for several months.
Moonves declined to say how much of the $8 billion rights CBS will shoulder, although he did note that his network’s American Football Conference package is less expensive than Fox’s National Football Conference deal.
Under the current deal, CBS pays about $500 million a year, 10% less than Fox’s fees. As part of a new agreement, CBS and Fox will eventually offer every game in high definition. The CBS deal also includes “a provision to discuss flexible scheduling,” CBS Sports President Sean McManus said.
DirecTV’s new deal also includes technological and programming enhancements. DirecTV will offer a premium package with interactive features and extra programming. It will also offer all games in HD and by remote access on broadband and wireless devices.
The new deal includes two other interesting wrinkles. The NFL has the option to create a late-season, eight-game package to sell to cable or satellite programmers or distributors. The package would be carved out of the other broadcasters’ packages and DirecTV’s games. It could be used as a Thursday or Saturday night package for new buyers, say Comcast, NBC Universal, ESPN or TNT.
Also, to sweeten its Monday Night package, which has suffered from some weaker contests, the NFL retains rights to shift some strong Sunday games to Monday nights, particularly late in the season.

The WB Pulls Down Its 'Green Screen' for Sweeps
By Brian Ford Sullivan
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The WB is giving "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show" a break as the network plans to pull the show from its schedule for the remainder of the November sweeps period.
In addition, fellow Thursday newcomer "Blue Collar TV" will permanently shift to Fridays at 9:30/8:30c following "Reba" beginning November 12. Repeats of "Charmed" had been airing in the Thursday, 9:00/8:00c hour in recent weeks.
The news comes as little surprise for "Green Screen" as last week's installment earned a paltry 1.4 rating/2 share in households and a 0.8 rating in adults 18-49 according to preliminary fast national Nielsen data. Said numbers were down 33.33% in households and 42.86% in adults 18-49 from lead-in "Blue Collar TV" (households: 2.1/3; adults 18-49: 1.4).
"Green Screen" nevertheless will remain in production and is expected to return in a new time period later this season.
As for Thursday nights, the Frog intends to fill its two-hour block with movies for the time being. The theatrical "Save the Last Dance" will air this week with an encore of the network's original "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday" on Thursday, November 25.

The Associated Press version has some quotes:

NFL OKs 6-Year Extensions With Fox, CBS

By BARRY WILNER Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL agreed Monday to $8 billion in contract extensions with Fox and CBS to televise Sunday afternoon games for six more years, deals that would also allow the league to show better matchups late in the season in prime time.
The current eight-year contract, which expires after the 2005 season, was worth $17.6 billion, including the Sunday night (on ESPN) and Monday night (on ABC) packages. The extensions will run through 2011 and represent a 25 percent increase in rights fees.
The league still is in talks for the prime-time packages. The exclusive negotiating period for ABC/ESPN extends for nearly another year.
The deals give the NFL the option to move seven late-season games from Sunday to Monday night to feature more attractive matchups, according to an official within the league who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The NFL also can develop late-season prime-time satellite or cable packages of eight games, which would be televised on Thursdays and Saturdays. Or the league could take those eight games and show them regionally in prime-time telecasts on Sundays and Mondays.
``We got some protections,'' Fox Sports chairman David Hill said. ``The last several weeks of the season, the NFL has the right to pull a game for Monday Night Football and we're still in conversation on (details).''
DirecTV also extended its deal with the league through 2010 for the Sunday Ticket package. The satellite distributor will pay $3.5 billion for the five-year extension.
Fox will pay $4.3 billion, or $712.5 million per year for the NFC games, the source said, while CBS will pay $3.7 billion, or $622.5 million a year. In the current deal, Fox is paying $550 million a year and CBS is paying $500 million.
``We're extremely excited to have a new six-year deal with NFL,'' CBS co-president Leslie Moonves said. ``This happened ahead of when we thought it would happen, but we are thrilled with the deal we made.
``We made money on the last deal and will make even more on this deal.''
CBS continues to televise AFC games, a package it acquired in 1998. CBS handled NFL games from 1956 through the 1970 merger, then took over the NFC until 1993, when Fox outbid CBS for that package. CBS then outbid NBC for the AFC games.
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said there will be no changes in the traditional Sunday afternoon kickoff times for regular-season games.
Each network gets two Super Bowls during the contract period. CBS will do the game on Feb. 4, 2007, and Fox will handle the game a year later. The other Super Bowls for the networks will be assigned later.
The agreements also include a commitment by CBS and Fox to phase in high-definition coverage for all games and introduce new interactive elements to NFL game telecasts.
DirecTV televises via satellite every Sunday afternoon regular-season game to markets that otherwise would be blacked out of those games.
``Our DirecTV partnership complements and supports our broadcast television packages,'' Tagliabue said. ``This new agreement expands our joint commitment to the ongoing development of innovative ways for fans to enjoy the NFL.''
In addition to some interactive services, DirecTV will institute a separate "Red Zone'' channel devoted to taking viewers from game to game when a team is inside an opponent's 20-yard line and poised to score.

Sunday Won't Be Only Ticket in N.F.L.'s New TV Deal

By BILL CARTER The New York Times November 9, 2004

For the first time, the National Football League concluded only part of a long-term television deal yesterday, settling its Sunday afternoon packages with Fox and CBS through the 2011 season, but leaving its prime-time and cable packages unresolved.

The new deals with Fox for National Football Conference games and with CBS for American Football Conference games will bring in $8 billion over the next six years. Fox will pay an average of about $712 million a year and CBS an average of about $622 million, according to an executive on one side of the negotiations. Each figure is up substantially from the current deal, which runs through next season. CBS had been paying about $500 million a year and Fox about $550 million. (Ratings for N.F.C. games have been higher.) Each network is guaranteed two Super Bowls.

The N.F.L. also reached a five-year deal with the DirecTV satellite company for its "Sunday Ticket" package of games that viewers pay for by subscription. The league will receive $3.5 billion, an average of $700 million a year, up from an average of $400 million a year in the current deal.

But much more is still to come. Beyond the cable and prime-time deals, which are both held by the Walt Disney Company for ESPN and ABC, the N.F.L. is creating still another television package of eight games over the last six weeks of the season starting in 2006. Those games, to be televised on Thursday and Saturday nights, beginning Thanksgiving, will come out of the Fox and CBS packages, meaning those networks will be paying more for less in the new deal.

They may also be giving up a few of their better games on Sunday afternoons. In an effort to ratchet up the value of "Monday Night Football," the N.F.L. has won the right to negotiate with Fox and CBS for one Sunday afternoon game to be moved to Monday nights in the last seven weeks of the season. ABC, which has long complained about weak matchups at the end of the season, has sought that concession. The other networks have staunchly opposed the idea.

But an N.F.L. executive said flatly yesterday, "We have the right to do it in the new deal.'' Sean McManus, the president of CBS Sports, said such an arrangement was only "open for discussion at this point."

That concession could enhance the value of the Monday night package, which ABC has held for 35 years, but which has had its marquee status diminished by declining ratings in recent years. Several network executives said ABC had been losing as much as $170 million a year on the Monday night games, and there has been widespread speculation that the network might be thinking of passing on renewing that deal - while concentrating on keeping the Sunday night cable package for ESPN.

Disney was the conspicuously absent partner in the N.F.L.'s television announcement yesterday. George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports, released a statement saying, "Our intention is to retain the Monday and Sunday packages, and we will continue our ongoing conversations toward that end.''

Disney's reluctance to join the other N.F.L. television partners in concluding a deal early may be traced to the uncertainty of the future leadership at that company. Michael D. Eisner, the Disney chairman, has announced his intention to step down at the end of his contract in September 2006. A successor, who will be chosen by next June, may or may not want to continue the costly deals with the N.F.L.

The N.F.L., which cannot deal with any other potential bidder for those deals until Disney's exclusive negotiation period expires next fall, is clearly setting out a marker now anyway. The league intends to gain the same kind of price increases in the remaining deals that it won from Fox and CBS - and the early conclusion of those deals inevitably increases the league's leverage with Disney.

Leaving potentially two cable packages and one prime-time network package open enables the N.F.L. to invite a wide range of potential new - and old - partners to the party. ABC's cable deal could be threatened by competitors ranging from NBC Universal, which has the USA cable network, to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which has been openly talking about creating an all-sports channel to compete with ESPN on DirecTV, to the N.F.L. itself, which could put its own cable channel, the NFL Network, on the map by granting it the new Thanksgiving-to-Christmas series of games.

Murdoch's track record worldwide for building his businesses around exclusive sports rights also led several executives to suggest yesterday that he may even bid for the ABC prime-time package and move it to Sunday night on Fox, giving that network a whole day and night of football.

He could then presumably move the cable package to Monday for his new satellite sports channel. But at least one rival executive questioned whether the N.F.L. would want to tie up so much of its television rights business with just one partner.

Left out of the bidding so far has been NBC, whose executives have said they would not lose money on sports deals - though the N.F.L. executive said yesterday that NBC had participated in talks with the league.

CBS has always said its makes money on its N.F.L. games, a comment that has drawn skepticism from its rivals. But Leslie Moonves, the CBS chairman, said last night: "We feel we got a terrific deal, and it's a win-win for both sides. We made money on the last deal and we'll make more money on this one."

The Fox deal has been a steady money loser, though Peter Chernin, the chief executive of the Fox Group, said yesterday that he expected Fox's money-losing N.F.L. days to end in this deal.

CBS, Fox and DirecTV Sign NFL Deals Totaling $11.5 Billion

By STEFAN FATSIS and JOE FLINT Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 9, 2004; Page B3
The National Football League demonstrated again that it is the most valuable reality-television programming around.
Viacom Inc.'s CBS, News Corp.'s Fox and satellite broadcaster DirecTV Group Inc. agreed to pay a total of $11.5 billion to retain TV rights to the NFL into the next decade.
The deals represent an overall 40% increase compared with current contracts and reflect the sustained allure of America's most popular and powerful sports league amid the decline of broadcast-TV viewership.
The two broadcast networks will pay $8 billion combined over six years, through the 2011 season. Fox's payments under its $4.3 billion pact will average $712.5 million annually, a 30% increase over the current deal's $550 million average. CBS's $3.7 billion deal averages out to $622.5 million a year, up 25% over its current $500 million average. Each network will air two Super Bowls under the new contract.
The NFL's current deals with Fox, CBS and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC and ESPN expire after the 2005 season. The league hasn't announced extensions with ABC, which airs "Monday Night Football," or ESPN, which shows a game on Sunday nights.
The increase for the Sunday-afternoon games on CBS and Fox represents a decline from the 72% jump the NFL received when it last renewed the contracts, in 1998. In the current TV environment, however, the increase is considered substantial. Ratings for regular-season NFL games declined 10% overall from 1999 through 2003. But as the NFL and the networks have noted, that came against much sharper ratings declines for other programming. Plus, the Super Bowl remains the most-watched TV show of almost any year.
The two networks, however, could be paying more money for a smaller or less desirable inventory of games. That is because, according to people familiar with the deal, CBS and Fox agreed to let the NFL sell a package or packages of as many as eight games a season for Thursday and Saturday nights, or to cherry-pick better late-season games to showcase on "Monday Night Football."
The satellite-TV deal was a key to the renewals. DirecTV, controlled by News Corp., will pay the NFL $3.5 billion over five years through 2010, or $700 million a year, up from the $400 million a year it pays now. The "NFL Sunday Ticket" package gives subscribers access to as many as 14 games a week.
DirecTV Group Chief Executive Chase Carey put the cost of the new agreement at $3 billion, not $3.5 billion, because it encompasses the last two years of the existing contract, which carried higher costs than the earlier years of the deal. He said DirecTV will receive the NFL programming exclusively for the duration of the new deal; the old one allowed some programming to be sold to cable operators.
CBS and Fox renewed their deals despite what analysts describe as enormous losses on current contracts. ABC's "Monday Night Football" has been estimated to post losses of as much as $250 million a year, a figure ABC executives don't dispute. Fox in 2002 wrote off $397 million from its current $4.4 billion deal, but it came back for more.
Viacom executives said CBS hasn't lost money on the NFL. Additionally, the first year of the new deal represents only a 4% increase over what the network will pay the NFL in the final year of the current contract, according to a person familiar with the details.
ABC and ESPN have said they aren't interested in negotiating until after the season ends.

Its Audience Declining, NBC Mulls a Deal with the NFL

CBS and Fox Reupped; Now NBC Needs to Decide Whether to Play

The Small Screen By Joe Flint The Wall Street Journal November 9, 2004

Will a disappointing season lead NBC to reconsider football?
Although the National Football League's current eight-year deals with Fox, ABC, CBS and ESPN, worth a total of $17.6 billion, still have another year to go, the mating dance for NFL suitors has already started.
Monday, the NFL announced it signed new six-year contracts with Viacom's CBS and News Corp.'s Fox and DirecTV for Sunday-afternoon games. CBS will be paying $622.5 million a year and Fox $712.5 million a year. DirecTV will be paying $700 million a year for its exclusive Sunday Ticket package of games.
Recently, insiders at NBC, which swore off NFL football in 1998, have said there could be some interest in bringing the league back to the network, though they warn that they won't overpay.
Six years ago, when NBC passed on the keeping the NFL (it took a similar stance with the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball), the network was dealing from strength. It had "Seinfeld." "ER" was still hot, and the network was dominating in ratings and ad revenue.
Now, though, NBC is struggling. "Friends" and "Frasier" are gone, "The Apprentice" is not doing the huge numbers it did a year ago, "ER" and "The West Wing" are showing their age and "Law & Order" is under siege from CBS's "CSI: New York."
Since it dropped the NFL, NBC's prime-time audience has steadily declined, from almost 15 million viewers in the 1997-98 season to 9.9 million through October of this season, according to Nielsen Media Research. It is a similar story in the key 18-49 demographic and in the hard-to-reach but lucrative male audience, with viewership in both declining about 37-40%.
Those drops cannot be attributed entirely to the loss of NFL football. While football is a great promotional platform, it's not as though people watching games on Sunday afternoon get hypnotized into watching the same network on Sunday night. NBC's inability to create new hit comedies has hurt the network. Plus, the other broadcast networks have seen similar drops in those ratings categories, in large part due to the rise of cable.
Still, NBC's decline has been steeper than that of CBS, ABC and Fox over the same time period. While the NFL's absence may not be entirely to blame, it certainly hasn't helped the network.
A deal with the NFL would be pricey -- that's one of the reasons NBC lost interest in the first place. But with two of its most expensive shows, Friends and Frasier, now off the air, the network might have more change to throw at football.
The question is what kind of piece of the NFL action NBC could get, and whether football ultimately would help NBC's bottom line. Financially, NFL football has had a mixed record for channels. While Viacom's CBS swears that it makes a little money from it, Walt Disney Co.'s ABC and Fox have both had huge losses from NFL football (as much as $250 million annually for Monday Night Football, people at ABC say). NFL football is profitable for ESPN (majority owned by ABC), which, as a cable network, benefits from the dual revenue stream of advertising and subscriber fees.
Despite the results, CBS and Fox have reupped, and ABC Sports and ESPN President George Bodenheimer recently said Disney intends to renew both deals. So where might NBC fit in? The NFL, looking to create new revenue streams, will likely carve out some new windows in its next television contract.
One that has grabbed NBC's interest, a person at the network said, is a Thursday package the league is floating. Under one scenario, the package would start on Thanksgiving and run through the end of the season in December with some Saturday games thrown in as well.
For NBC, the Thursday package would likely be less costly than Fox's or CBS's package. One network insider suggested that NBC might air the Thanksgiving game and then put the other games on its USA Network. But even if NBC could get the league to go for that -- and it's doubtful -- it would mean NBC could forget about getting a Super Bowl telecast, which it might be able to land if it agreed to a Thursday package solely for the broadcast network.
In any event, the league may keep that package for its own cable network, launched last year. The NFL Network has made gains in distribution, but by adding regular season games, it would surely be able to get into most homes. The issue for the league will be whether it can get more bang for its buck by selling the games to itself or to another network.
While some believe additional packages could dilute the games' overall value, an NFL spokesman expressed confidence that won't happen. "If you speak to any network head, ask them in seven, 10, or 15 years what will be a top 10 show. We can safely say it will be NFL games. They'd be hard pressed to say 'Joey' is going to be there in five years." It's a fact that some at NBC already seem to realize.

CBS' 'Clubhouse' strikes out

Sports drama misses the mark

By JOSEF ADALIAN Variety.com
CBS has sent "Clubhouse" to the showers.
Eye has canceled the struggling frosh drama, yanking the ensemble hour from its sked, effective immediately. Baseball-centered skein from Spelling Television struck out in its first Saturday airing this past weekend, scoring disastrously low demo numbers.
CBS will stunt its way through the November sweeps on Saturdays at 8 p.m., repeating the "Dallas" reunion this week; a repeat of the "Amazing Race" season premiere Nov. 20; and a "Cold Case" rerun Nov. 27.
"Clubhouse" garnered positive reviews and was a fave of Eye execs hoping to add another non-crime drama to the net's lineup. After an extensive marketing campaign, show bowed to weak numbers in its original Tuesday night slot and grew weaker in subsequent airings. Eye gave the show another shot on Saturdays, but it tanked.
A 9 p.m. timeslot following "Joan of Arcadia" might have made sense, but CBS execs were probably loathe to move the aging "JAG" one more time.
Cancellation of "Clubhouse" follows last weekend's axing of Eye Friday frosh "Dr. Vegas." "CSI: NY" has been renewed for the full season; no word yet on the fate of new comedies "Listen Up" and "Center of the Universe."
As for other nets, the WB has quietly restructured its Thursday and Friday lineups for the rest of the calendar year. Movies will now air on Thursday nights, while original episodes of "Blue Collar TV" shift to 9:30 Fridays, right after "Reba."
"Drew Carey's Green Screen Show" will return at a later date.
NBC has killed "Hawaii" and "Father of the Pride"-- though the Peacock hasn't yet copped to the latter death -- while the WB axed "Studio 7" before the season began. Over at Fox, net nixed "The Jury" and "Method & Red."

NFL may add two more nights

By Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY
With $11.5 billion in deals with Fox, CBS and DirecTV in its coffers, the NFL now will turn to three prime-time contracts.
An eight-game Thursday and Saturday package is expected to be added to the Sunday night and Monday night deals from 2006 to 2011 that could push the NFL's overall rights revenue to more than $20 billion over those six years.
"Monday's announcements put enormous pressure on ABC and ESPN," said TV consultant Neal Pilson. "ESPN has to renew its (Sunday night) package to maintain its per-subscriber pricing with the cable industry. ABC probably is looking at a minimum 25% increase on a (Monday night) deal that already is incurring losses of $150 million a year, and that's a hard call."
CBS Sports President Sean McManus says he thinks the NFL will not set its late-season Monday night slate in advance under a new deal, "which we factored into our bid" for Sunday afternoon games.
There is no shortage of competitors for the unclaimed packages.
NBC, saddled with disappointing prime-time entertainment ratings, might need Monday Night Football more than in the past. Issuing a statement from Beijing, where he is dealing with matters related to the 2008 Olympics, NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol praised the TV deals, calling the NFL "America's leading sports league." George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, reiterated his intent to renew their deals in ongoing talks.
NBC Universal-owned USA Network, TNT, Comcast Communications, a potential new Fox cable sports channel and the league-owned NFL Network are expected to compete for the Sunday night games, which might be split into two half-season packages. The same cable outlets, minus ESPN, likely will vie for the Thursday-Saturday prime-time package.

Monday's ratings, courtesy of Marc Berman's The Programming Insider column at mediaweek.com, have been posted in Latest News.

Fox is debuting another sports channel and we're supposed to care?

Wouldn't that just be Fox Sports Network 3 (FSN3)?

I would guess that if Fox were to get the rights for some NFL games, it would presumably, bundle them in with other rights it currently owns (Pac-10, Big XII, maybe some ACC) and try to add more content to its new national network.

EchoStar's Net Nearly Triples,
Plans $455 Million Dividend

A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
November 9, 2004 10:45 a.m.
EchoStar Communications Corp.'s third-quarter profit nearly tripled, thanks to strong subscriber growth at its Dish Network business, the second largest U.S. satellite TV service.
The Englewood, Colo., company also said Tuesday that its board declared a one-time dividend of $1 a share, or about $455 million, for its Class A and B common stock. The dividend is payable on Dec. 14 to shareholders of record Dec. 8.
For the third quarter, EchoStar reported net income of $102.3 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with $35.1 million, or seven cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue increased 28% to $1.86 billion from $1.45 billion. Price increases pushed the company's average revenue per subscriber up 10% to $56.11. Customer churn, or the percent of customers that discontinue service, was 1.77% in the quarter, compared with 1.72% a year earlier.
EchoStar said it added about 350,000 net new Dish Network subscribers in the latest quarter. The satellite-TV operator ended the quarter with about 10.5 million Dish Network subscribers, up 15% from the year-earlier period.
In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing of its quarterly results, EchoStar said a "material" portion of the new subscriber additions came from its partnership with phone carrier SBC Communications Inc. SBC has a joint marketing agreement with EchoStar that offers a phone, broadband Internet and satellite-TV service bundle.
EchoStar said in the SEC filing that its net new subscriber growth could be hurt by SBC's decision to roll out an advanced fiber network in 2005. The fiber network would enable SBC to deliver video services to homes, in direct competition with services like EchoStar's Dish Network.
Separately, EchoStar said it settled a legal dispute with News Corp.'s Fox Sports Net in October. EchoStar said it would pay an "immaterial amount." Fox Sports Net sued EchoStar in June alleging the satellite TV distributor owed at least $25 million in subscription fees for carrying its 12 regional channels. News Corp. owns EchoStar's biggest rival, DirecTV.

More specifics and some new quotes:

No ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ for Cable


By Mike Reynolds Multichannelnews.com
Call it Rupert Murdoch's prevent defense.
DirecTV Inc., looking to keep cable locked at the line of scrimmage, has tackled the exclusive rights to the National Football League’s “NFL Sunday Ticket” out-of-market package through 2010 via a five-year, $3.5 billion deal.
The DirecTV announcement came in concert early Monday evening with NFL agreements with Sunday-afternoon incumbent carriers Fox and CBS, valued at a combined $8 billion, through the 2011 season.
Fox’s National Football Conference contract averages $712.5 million per season, a 30% jump from its current deal, while CBS will pay $622.5 million, 25% more per campaign, to retain its American Football Conference connection. Each network will televise a pair of Super Bowls during the life of their new pacts.
Valued at some $700 million per season from 2006-2010, the direct-broadcast satellite deal, a 75% hike from current rates, again shuts cable out of sports’ most lucrative pay-per-view package -- one that has helped DirecTV, which Murdoch's News Corp. now owns a controlling interest in, become a distribution powerhouse over the past decade.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said cable companies had an opportunity to get a piece of Sunday Ticket, but they balked at the high price.
Under the current deal -- which DirecTV signed late in 2002 and was slated to extend through the 2007 season -- the DBS leader was paying an annual rights fee of $400 million. It should be pointed out, though, that DirecTV did not hold exclusivity for the 2006 and 2007 seasons under the previous pact. DirecTV’s new contract supercedes the remaining years on the previous deal.
The NFL's current deal with the broadcasters ends after the 2005 season with CBS, Fox, ESPN and ABC paying a combined $17.2 billion over an eight-year span.
The pro-football league, at press time, had not yet come to terms on its primetime packages, currently held by ABC and ESPN.
Those packages could be complemented by an additional primetime cable offering late in the season that evidently would meld games on Thursday nights after Thanksgiving with Saturday-afternoon games that are presently televised by CBS and Fox.
"As we've said, our intent is to retain the Monday- and Sunday-night packages, and we will continue our ongoing conversations towards that end," ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said.
Under the new agreement, DirecTV officials said, the DBS provider will offer a premium NFL Sunday Ticket package that will feature enhanced applications, interactive features and expanded programming.
One such play: a new "Red Zone" channel that will take viewers from game to game when teams are poised to score. The premium package will also provide viewers with the ability to index, search for and view plays of a specific NFL player, team or play type from games played that Sunday.
Additionally, DirecTV subscribers with digital-video recorders who currently receive the highlights-on-demand feature will receive expanded and unique NFL-related content and highlights downloaded to their DVR hard drives.
DirecTV will also have the right to provide remote access to games and content via broadband or wireless devices.
And the DBS giant has gained the exclusive opportunity to develop and distribute, for the first time, enhanced and exclusive versions of NFL postseason games, including the Super Bowl.
All games will be produced in high-definition format.
To that end, both CBS and Fox executives said HD will become the norm for all of their games in the new deal.
On a conference call announcing the AFC renewal, Viacom Inc. co-chief operating officer and co-president Leslie Moonves would not address specific outlays, other than to say that Fox paid more for the NFC package, which is home to the bigger TV markets.
Moonves said CBS was thrilled with the new deal. Asked about profit prospects, he noted, "We're making money now and we will make more on the new deal." CBS pays an average of $500 million per year on its extant contract.
Officials at Fox -- which has taken writedowns on its current NFL deal, valued at some $550 million per year -- also professed that finishing in the black will be part of its new pro-football playbook.
News Corp. president Peter Chernin, speaking on a conference call, said Fox’s existing contract was hurt by the burst of the dot-com bubble and Sept. 11, but Fox expects to be profitable between the network and its owned-and-operated stations
"The NFL doesn't want its partners losing money," he added. "That was a basic tenet of the negotiations. I know we're looking seven years into the future, but both sides think we can avoid those kinds of losses, and it allows the NFL to get its advances."
Both CBS and Fox officials acknowledged that the new deals contained provisions for flexible scheduling that could afford the primetime carriers the right to select games late in the season. In recent seasons, there has been talk about giving ABC a chance to select from CBS’ or Fox's pool of Sunday games in the hopes of televising better matchups on Monday Night Football.
Chernin said Fox worked very closely with the NFL in trying to bolster the Monday-night package and "protecting our ratings. I think we reached a place in the middle."
Chernin stiff-armed a question about Fox having interest in any of the NFL primetime packages.
"We're happy with what we achieved today,” he said. “We might have a series of discussions if anything else makes sense. But all of our attention and analysis has been against the most valuable package in sports."
News Corp. chairman Murdoch has said that the only way the company would pursue a new national cable network would be with the NFL as a centerpiece.
While ABC and ESPN hold exclusive negotiating rights for their existing packages until next October, the NFL wants to conclude TV matters shortly.
Other possible players in the mix include NBC and its general-entertainment cable channel, USA Network, along with Turner Network Television and Comcast Corp.
Some observers suggested that if ABC passes on MNF, ESPN could switch over to that night, thereby opening the door to a split-season Sunday-night scenario.
Others contended that the league-owned NFL Network could be in line for some contests -- or, at the worst, that its presence affords the league further negotiating leverage.
As part of the DirecTV deal, NFL Network’s carriage deal with the DBS carrier was extended, as well.

Voom losing more than it's gaining

BY HARRY BERKOWITZ NEWSDAY STAFF WRITER November 9, 2004

In a sign of mounting woes, the nationwide satellite TV service that Cablevision Systems Corp. launched last year lost more customers than it signed up in August and September, the company said yesterday.

And that's before the service, called Voom, began dropping its many non-paying customers in October, Cablevision said.

The disclosure came in an amended filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is considering whether to approve the spinoff of Voom and three cable channels owned by Cablevision.

Cablevision also disclosed that rather than retain $350 million in preferred securities from AMC and WE: Women's Entertainment when the channels are spun off as part of the new company, as it had planned, it will shift the interest back into the spinoff because of "expected increases in the financing requirements."

That move will increase the new company's $1 billion in borrowing capacity and may smooth the approval process for the spinoff by cutting off links to Cablevision, said analyst Aryeh Bourkoff of UBS.

Cablevision's stock price fell by $1.06 per share, or 5 percent, to $20.03, on the news.

Voom, which competes with satellite TV giants DirecTV and EchoStar Communications, had 26,000 customers Sept. 30, compared with 28,700 on Aug. 31 and 25,000 on June 30, according to the SEC filing.

"Through the end of September 2004, we had attracted fewer subscribers than we anticipated and have lost more subscribers than we expected," the SEC filing states.

The service, which has struggled to overcome equipment, installation and operating glitches, continues to test and alter pricing, promotion and marketing approaches and probably will continue to do so into 2005, according to the filing.

"It is possible that at various times during this period we may lose more customers than we add," the SEC filing says.

A "large number" of the customers have never made payments to Voom or are behind in payments. In October, Voom began to cut them off. And many are unable to watch local broadcast channels through Voom.

Cablevision, the biggest cable TV operator in the New York City metro area, had hoped to complete the spinoff by September but now is aiming for the current quarter and has revised its filing four times.

The filing says Jericho-based Voom is considering scaling back its national effort to target "specific markets in the country which we believe are most promising" - referring to those with digital broadcast signals from local stations that Voom equipment can pick up.

Wall Street analysts are skeptical Voom will ever succeed, given its setbacks and the dominance of DirecTV and EchoStar. Those two have a total of more than 23 million customers, including a gain by DirecTV of more than 400,000 in the third quarter. Also, DirecTV plans to vastly expand its ability to provide high-definition TV programming, which is the heart of Voom's offering.

Since Voom was launched in October 2003, one of every three customers it attracted ended up dropping the service.

Viewers Elect CBS Weekly Winner

zap2it.com--CBS ran repeats of its hit shows for the early part of the week and finished last among the major networks in election viewership, but came on strong at the end, easily winning the period ending Sunday, Nov. 7. The Tiffany network, which already has a commanding viewership lead for the season, perked up at the end of the week to launch the crucial November sweeps period in good form.

Household Rating/Share
CBS 8.5/13 12.93 million viewers
NBC 7.4/12 11.29 million viewers
ABC 7.1/11 10.97 million viewers
Fox 4.1/6 6.31 million viewers
WB 2.7/4 4.07 million viewers
UPN 2.5/4 3.57 million viewers

Adults 18-49:
ABC 4.2
NBC 4.2
CBS 4.1
Fox 2.8
WB 1.7
UPN 1.5

CBS had the week's most watched program with Thursday's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which drew 30.58 million viewers and an 18.8/28. With Thursday marking the start of the sweeps period, CBS also got strong performances from "Without a Trace" at No. 3 with a 14.2/23 and "Survivor: Vanuatu" at No. 4 with a 12.0/18. The network's sweeps momentum continued on Sunday with good returns for "60 Minutes" (11.4/17) and "Cold Case" (11.4/16), which tied for No. 7 and "Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork," which was No. 20 with an 8.5/14.
Even in repeats, Monday's "CSI: Miami" (10.3/17, 11th), "Everybody Loves Raymond" (9.8/14, 12th) and "Two and a Half Men" (9.2/13, 17th) did well, as did Wednesday's new "CSI: NY" (9.7/16, 13th).
On its way off the air, "Clubhouse" bombed in its Saturday premiere with a 3.0/5 for No. 87.
Thursday offerings "ER" (11.7/18, 5th) and "The Apprentice 2" (10.5/15, 10th) paced NBC and Sunday night's "Crossing Jordan" (the first part of a crossover with "Las Vegas") had a strong week with a 9.5/14, tying for No. 15. Tuesday's election gave NBC a 9.5/14 for the night in primetime, joining that No. 15 tie, just ahead of the faux politics of "The West Wing" (8.9/13, 19th).
"Desperate Housewives" hit new ratings peaks for ABC coming in at No. 2 with a 14.9/21 and attracting 24.6 million viewers. The second part of Sunday's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was close behind with an 11.5/17 for No. 6. "Lost" had a strong week with an 11.3/17 for No. 9 and the "Monday Night Football" matchup between the Dolphins and Jets was No. 13 with a 9.7/16 (and the seven-minute pregame was No. 18 with a 9.1/14).
FOX's return to regular programming after the World Series yielded only mixed results. At the higher end of the spectrum were the Halloween episode of "The Simpsons" (6.3/9, 39th), the premiere of "Nanny 911" (5.7/8, No. 49) and the premiere of "The O.C." (5.5/8, 51st), which help up well against Thursday competition. Things were less rosy for the launch of "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" (2.8/4, 91st) and the returns of "Quintuplets" (3.6/5, 79th) and "North Shore" (3.4/5, 83rd). While the early returns were positive for the premiere of Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development," the show's audience plummeted in the final Nielsen figures, dropping to a 3.9/6 with 6.62 million viewers.
On The WB, "7th Heaven" had a 4.4/7 for No. 66, though the network failed to turn the first part of "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (3.0/4, 87th) into much of a television event. UPN's best was "America's Next Top Model" at No. 77 with a 3.8/6.
The Week’s Top 20 Programs:
1. CSI CBS HD 18.8/28
2. Desperate Housewives ABC HD 14.9/21
3. Without A Trace CBS HD 14.2/23
4. Survivor: Vanuatu CBS 12.0/18
5. ER NBC HD 11.7/18
6. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC 11.5/17
7. 60 Minutes CBS 11.4/17
7. Cold Case CBS HD 11.4/16
9. Lost ABC HD 11.3/17
10. The Apprentice 2 NBC 10.5/15
11. CSI Miami (Rpt) CBS HD 10.3/17
12. Everybody Loves Raymond CBS HD 9.8/14
13. Monday Night Football (NY Jets-Miami) ABC HD 9.7/16
13: CSI: NY CBS HD 9.7/16
15. Crossing Jordan NBC HD 9.5/14
15. Election Night Coverage NBC 9.5/14
17. Two And A Half Men CBS HD9.2/13
18. NFL Monday Night Pregame ABC HD 9.1/14
19. The West Wing NBC HD 8.9/13
20. Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork CBSHD 8.5/14

Last Week’s Top 10 Primetime Programs:

Adults 18-49:

1. Desperate Housewives ABC HD 11.1
2. CSI CBS HD 10.8
3. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC 8.5
4. ER NBC HD 8.3
5. The Apprentice 2 NBC 7.8
6. Survivor: Vanuatu CBS 7.6
7. Without A Trace CBS HD 7.2
8. Lost ABC HD 6.7
9. Monday Night Football ABC HD 6.0
10. Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash ’04 NBC 5.8

(From TVWeek.com)

Viewers vote for NBC, Fox News Channel

'Brokaw' performance the best since February

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK Variety.com
NEW YORK -- Election-week spoils went to NBC News on the broadcast side, with Tom Brokaw's evening newscast easily beating out rivals ABC News and CBS News.
Cablewise, Fox News Channel trounced the competition -- along with entertainment nets -- to become the top-rated cable channel of the week.
According to Nielsen Media Research, "Nightly News With Tom Brokaw" averaged 11.4 million viewers as it broadcast throughout the week from the Peacock's elaborate outside election staging area, Democracy Plaza. Performance was the show's best since February.
The Alphabet's "World News Tonight With Peter Jennings" averaged 9.6 million viewers for the week, while the Eye's "Evening News With Dan Rather" averaged 7.7 million viewers.
"Nightly" averaged a 3.4 rating in the key news demo of adults 25-54 compared to a 2.7 for "World" and a 2.2 for "Evening."
On Nov. 3, the eve after the election, "Nightly" drew a whopping 12.3 million viewers and a 4.1 rating in adults 15-54, outperforming ABC by more than 3 million viewers.
Fox News Channel -- which drew its largest primetime audience ever on election night -- finished last week nearly doubling CNN's primetime aud (4.1 million vs. 2.2 million), according to Nielsen's numbers for Nov. 1-7. MSNBC averaged 998,000 viewers.

The eagerly-awaited (at least by me!) weekly ratings commentary column from Lisa de Moraes of the Washington Post:

ABC Gets Out the Youth Vote

By Lisa de Moraes washingtonpost.com Wednesday, November 10, 2004; Page C07
Election Week was not without its upsets -- like ABC landing three series in the week's top 10 and finishing No. 1 among the 18-to-49-year-olds broadcasters target.
Here's a look at the week's peaks and vales:

WINNERS

"Desperate Housewives." Nearly 25 million caught Sunday's episode, another record for ABC's new series, now breathing down the neck of CBS's "CSI."

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." A series high 20.2 million viewers put ABC's home makeover show on par with CBS's "Survivor" last week.

"The Daily Show." Election-night antics catapulted Comedy Central's late-night show to its largest weekly audience ever, just under 2 million viewers. On Tuesday, election night, the show's live, one-hour "Prelude to a Recount" averaged 2.1 million viewers and the following night the show grabbed 2.2 million -- the third and second largest "Daily Show" crowds ever.

Fox News Channel. FNC averaged 8.1 million viewers -- its largest haul ever -- on election night. Same night in 2000 the cable network copped 2.4 million. NBC News, helmed by departing Tom Brokaw, led the pack on election night with a prime-time audience of more than 15 million, but NBC, ABC and CBS news operations all clocked smaller crowds than they had in '00.

"The O.C." Prime-time soap returned to Fox's schedule last week with an audience of 8.6 million -- down about 2 million compared with its first-season finale. But last season "O.C." aired on Wednesday, and this season it's on Thursdays at 8 p.m., when 8.6 million becomes Fox's biggest audience in that time slot in nearly seven years. Fox's copycat soap "North Shore" benefited from close proximity, copping 5 million viewers Thursday at 9 -- its biggest audience since its June unveiling.

"Without a Trace." CBS's crime drama enjoyed its biggest margin of victory yet over NBC's doc drama "ER" -- 4.8 million viewers.

LOSERS

"Primetime Live." Princess Di went to prison. Nobody cared.

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss." Last season, Fox's "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" opened with nearly 20 million viewers immediately after an episode of "American Idol"; this past Sunday, following "Arrested Development," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" mustered an anemic 4.4 million. Say bye-bye to this franchise.

NBC Thursday. For the first time since at least 1991, NBC did not win a Thursday in a November ratings sweeps among the 18-to-49-year-olds it targets. In fact, in that demographic, last Thursday was NBC's lowest rated in any sweeps period since Nielsen began tracking demographics in 1987.

"Huff." Showtime's unveiling of its latest scripted series averaged just 456,000 viewers Monday night at 10. For comparison's sake, the premiere of "Dead Like Me" had bagged 1.2 million and "The L Word" 936,000 in its first episode.

"Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork." "Desperate Housewives" clobbered CBS's "Dallas" reunion, which nabbed just 12.7 million viewers Sunday night.

For Disney, Pressure Is On to Make a Play For NFL Contract

By JOE FLINT and STEFAN FATSIS
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 10, 2004; Page B1
Walt Disney Co. has one more headache: what to do about the National Football League. On Monday, Viacom Inc.'s CBS and News Corp.'s Fox agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years to extend relationships with the league.
News Corp.'s DirecTV Group Inc. satellite service renewed its valuable "Sunday Ticket" football deal for seven more years for an additional $3 billion, locking out cable operators from the package.
That puts Walt Disney under new, unexpected pressure to decide its future with the popular sports league. Disney's ABC broadcast network airs "Monday Night Football" and its ESPN cable network carries a weekly Sunday-night game.
"Right now you'd have to say the ball's in Disney's court," says Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, chairman of the NFL's TV committee.
It may take Disney a while to figure that out. The company faces internal tumult regarding the search for a successor to Chairman Michael Eisner and a distraction in the trial over former company president Michael Ovitz's exit package. George Bodenheimer, president of ABC Sports and ESPN, says the networks won't be rushed into a deal. "Our timetable has not changed, and our intention remains the same: to renew both packages," he said in a statement yesterday.
Behind the scenes, however, the pressure is on. The central question for Disney is whether to pony up for "Monday Night Football," a fixture at ABC for 35 years but also a perennial money loser. The ESPN cable package has been profitable. Disney brass has met with top NFL executives, most recently in Los Angeles three weeks ago, and Disney President Robert Iger and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue have had multiple phone conversations over the past 48 hours.
At the time of the Los Angeles meeting, "it appeared they didn't want to do anything," Mr. Bowlen says of Disney. "I can understand that. They have different problems that are attracting their attention." Now, however, he says, "they know where we're at."
People involved in the negotiations say Disney executives were caught off guard by the timing and the size of the CBS and Fox deals, which set a baseline price increase of 25%. That would boost the cost of a Disney package for Sunday and Monday nights to between $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion a year, from $1.15 billion now. Analysts have estimated that ABC has lost between $150 million and $250 million annually on "Monday Night Football," figures that people at the company don't debate.
Additionally, football and TV industry executives say other networks, broadcast and cable, are angling for Disney's NFL assets. Waiting too long could give competitors greater opportunity to meet with the NFL and formalize proposals -- potentially raising the league's asking price for the programming. While the NFL can talk to other networks, it can't cut a deal with anyone else until Nov. 1, 2005. Mr. Bodenheimer has said Disney doesn't want to begin serious negotiations until the current season ends in February.
"There are other people out there that are interested," says Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL players' union.
Possible suitors for "Monday Night Football" include Fox and General Electric Co.'s NBC, which has walked away from major professional sports leagues because of the cost but may be having second thoughts as its prime-time schedule takes on water. Fox adding Monday night to its Sunday package -- as well as to its lineup of postseason baseball -- seems unlikely. But News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch has been aggressive in using sports to expand his network.
People familiar with Disney's thinking say the company wants to keep both Sunday and Monday nights, but the ESPN games are the bigger priority. "The economics of 'Monday Night Football' are pretty daunting," says Neal Pilson, a former CBS Sports president who runs his own consulting firm. Though the audience is smaller, the dual revenue stream of advertising revenue and subscriber fees makes cable more appealing. And ABC finally has some prime-time bright spots with "Desperate Housewives" and other shows.
One potential solution for Disney: Let ESPN absorb a much larger chunk of the NFL costs, insulating ABC from big losses. Disney already has done this in the past with the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League.
The NFL is offering ABC one big carrot: agree to demands by ABC to reschedule games late in the season to guarantee better matchups on Monday night. That would avoid late-season clunkers, a longtime ABC irritant.
The league also is considering a package of games for broadcast or cable on Thursday and Saturday nights. Disney could argue the extra games would dilute its prime-time exclusivity, helping to reduce the Monday price. NBC, and its cable USA Network, among others, are considered possible bidders for such a package.

'MNF' to gain flexibility, but ABC may miss out

By Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY Wednesday, Nov. 10

It's interesting to note that while the NFL has new six-year deals with CBS and Fox starting in 2006, ABC has yet to negotiate its Monday Night Football contract — and reap the benefits of a new, flexible, late-season schedule that ABC officials have championed for years.
Although ABC Sports and ESPN president George Bodenheimer has said his goal is to renew contracts for ABC and ESPN's Sunday night games, heavy losses of $150 million to $250 million a year preclude ABC from being a lock to retain MNF.
In combined $8 billion NFL deals announced Monday, CBS and Fox, which previously had been against the plan, agreed to a flexible schedule for the last seven weeks of Monday Night Football games. The move would reduce the chance for mismatches that diminish the ratings for MNF.
"We're confident the prime-time package can be embellished without hurting the Sunday afternoon schedule," CBS Sports president Sean McManus said Tuesday.
Details on the flexible schedule can't be made final until ABC or another network, most likely NBC, signs for the MNF package. Several scenarios are under discussion, and ESPN has not been ruled out of participating in the flexible format. But the cable network, which has shown a profit on the NFL with its subscriber fees and ad income, probably won't be included.
Two scenarios stand out:
•Fox and CBS would get to protect a Sunday game each of the seven weeks before the selection of the Monday Night Football game, said TV consultant Barry Frank of IMG. With two games blocked before the MNF game is selected through discussions between the NFL and ABC (or another network), the chances of this plan being adopted are slim.
•The plan with the most weight has the Sunday network with the single game keeping all its telecasts. The network with the doubleheader would designate which matchup it wants as its main game. Then the MNF network would choose its game. The MNF network would not necessarily get the best games late in the season. But it would still have an attractive game and avoid the ratings disasters of mismatches involving unexpected losing teams.
Fox Sports chairman David Hill said on a conference call that the selection of games likely would be made two or three weeks before each flexible schedule weekend. But he stressed more discussions will be held before the format is determined.
With this flexibility, TV consultant Mike Trager said, "The NFL has increased the value of Monday Night Football by giving the package a much better schedule when the games are more meaningful."
Fox and CBS, even losing four games a year in the new deal — likely to the new Thursday-Saturday prime-time package — saw value to boost its Sunday NFC package by 30%, from the $550 million annual average to $712.5 million a year.
If ABC can find the money after incurring heavy losses in the current MNF deal, its bonus in jumping from the current $550 million a year average to more than $700 million a season will be its goal of a flexible schedule.
Around the dial
The NFL's biggest rights fee jump was the 75% boost in DirecTV's $3.5 billion package, from an average of $400 million a year in the current deal to $700 million annually from 2006-2010. That kept Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.-owned DirecTV from having to share the NFL Sunday Ticket package with digital cable outlets. ... Ratings game: With an 11.6 national rating for Monday's Vikings-Colts game, ABC's season average for MNF is 11.1, down 4% from last year.

Tuesday's ratings, from zap2it.com, have been posted in Latest News.

Don't expect ABC to rush an NFL deal
Building up Monday will increase its leverage
By Paul Curcio Medialifemagazine.com
Now that CBS and Fox have renewed their contracts with the National Football League, the question becomes when and if ABC, home to “Monday Night Football,” will also re-up.
Certainly the NFL would like to close a deal as soon as possible, presumably confident that it can get the same 25 percent bump on a six-year package that it received from CBS and Fox Monday.
But don't expect ABC to rush in, suddenly nervous that it's at risk of losing a franchise it's owned for 35 years. Indeed, it’s to ABC’s advantage to take its time on these negotiations, with renewal far from a sure bet.
It must first weigh the numbers, which are hefty. The network has been incurring $150 million to $250 million losses for “MNF” each season. Re-upping its current $550 million per-year at a 25 percent premium would raise its costs by just under $140 million, with all of that falling into the loss column. Going forward, its losses could approach $400 million per year.
For another, in addition to being costly, "MNF" severely hamstrings ABC’s scheduling during the second half of the season. The network has been unable to find anything to take “MNF’s” place on Mondays, much less find a competent lead-in to the show during its September to January run. And of course when football ends the network is left with a huge hole in its schedule.
Rumors have circulated for months that ABC is considering simply cutting “MNF.”
The question is whether it can afford to. The show is one of the network’s highest-rated among households and adults 18-49.
It ranks No. 10 for the season with a 10.8 household rating and No. 9 among 18-49s with a 6.7 average. Non-football Mondays barely average a third of that, and in a year when ABC is suddenly competitive among 18-49s and looking to become more so, losing a ratings powerhouse is even less attractive.
There is also the prestige factor of having carried “MNF” for 35 years, which ABC will not want to lose. NBC is said to be interested in the franchise as well.
“The options remain limitless,” observes David M. Carter, a principal with the Sports Business Group, a sports business consultant based in Redondo Beach, Calif. “You’ve got to believe that the NFL maintains an extraordinary upper hand on the rest of these negotiations.”
But that doesn't mean ABC must rush to make a deal. The network has an exclusive negotiating window with the NFL through next fall. Its contract expires after the 2005 season.
That gives it valuable time to see whether it can come up with a successful Monday schedule this winter. If it can, that would do two things: Give ABC a real viable alternative to "MNF" while offering savings of hundreds of millions of dollars. But it would also strengthen its negotiating position with the NFL, putting it in a stronger position to walk if the talks don't go the right way.
ABC has yet another concern as it considers renewal. It's news that the league has created another primetime football package, for cable or satellite, that would run for four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
That can’t sit well. That will mean a thinning of ad market dollars.
“It looks like there are going to be many more outlets--and more outlets mean more competition for ad dollars,” notes Peter Stern, president of New York-based Strategic Sports Group.
“Hopefully, that leads to a marketplace where you can get competitive pricing, which should be good news for the advertisers.”
ESPN will also be negotiating its “Sunday Night Football” package, which costs $600 million per year. That has been a profitable deal, but the Disney channel’s return is also far from assured, especially with rumors that NBC Universal is interested in a broadcast/cable package.
“What I see happening is there’s going to be a new cable partner that’s going to step up,” says Stern. “I don’t think that ESPN’s going to be able to hold the rest of the bag with the expansion that [the NFL’s] doing with these new packages they’ve created.”
ESPN won’t likely drop out of the picture, Stern says, but the question will be in what capacity the cable channel will remain as an outlet for NFL games.
Stern says that while traditional cable outlets like Turner channels or the USA Network could strike deals, Fox could be a wild card and start a new cable sports network, using NFL games as a means to build distributorship.
Carter doesn’t think that’s likely, though. “When you consider the possible inclusion of NBC through the USA Network, it's much less likely that Fox would be a player on the cable side,” he says.
Another option for games on cable could be the new NFL Network, which currently has no game rights. A package of one or two games a week could bring revenue straight to league coffers, and owners’ pockets.
http://69.20.6.242/news2004/nov04/Nov08/3_wed/news1wednesday.html

fredfa,
The Next Great Champ's remaining episodes are still airing on FSN.

Also, list Second Time Around as in ratings trouble (don't know if it is an HD show). UPN has cut its first season to 13 episodes.

'Bernie Mac' Still in Sick Bay

(zap2it.com)--"The Bernie Mac Show" will be off the air a little longer than originally planned as its star recovers from pneumonia.
Production of the FOX comedy was scheduled to start this week, but Mac is still shaking off the effects of pneumonia, which was compounded by the comic's unusually hectic work schedule over the summer. The show is now set to go back into production next week, the Hollywood trade papers report.
Mac and the show's producers agreed in mid-October to take a few weeks off to let him recover. When the scheduled start date came around this week, however, both the star and the producers agreed that Mac needed more time.
Since "The Bernie Mac Show" is a single-camera show, production takes longer than on a traditional, multi-camera comedy. Mac appears in almost every scene of the show, which makes for long workdays.
The handful of episodes that have aired this fall were shot last spring, before Mac went to work on "Ocean's Twelve" and another feature, "Guess Who," with Ashton Kutcher. He followed those two shoots with promotional work for the film "Mr. 3000" and was planning to jump back into the show without a break.
FOX will continue airing the unscripted series "Nanny 911" in "Bernie Mac's" 9 p.m. Wednesday spot for at least the next two weeks.

Thanks f44. (It IS in HD.)

Killing Private Ryan

By John Eggerton & Allison Romano Broadcasting & Cable.com. 11/10/2004 3:40:00 PM

Fearing the Federal Communications Commission but also obviously making a point about the recent indecency crackdown, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Scripps Howard's ABC affiliates (11 stations in all), the Cox ABC affiliate in Atlanta, WSB, a Pappas Telecasting station in Nebraska and at least one of Citadel Communications Corp.'s stations -- WOI Des Moines, Iowa -- confirmed that they are not planning to air Saving Private Ryan, ABC's unedited Veteran's Day broadcast of the Oscar-winning theatrical.

Another Citadel station, KCAU, Sioux City, Iowa, will air the film, but not until 10:30 (the indecency "safe harbor" begins at 10 p.m.), instead running a music special and Return to Mayberry at 7-10, when Ryan was to have aired.

The film is being introduced by Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war John McCain (R-Ariz), who told B&C he did not think the film was indecent.

"Saving Private Ryan is a powerful and important depiction of the sacrifices made for our country and for freemdom during World War II," McCain said. "While it contains violence and profanity, these are not shown in a gratuitous manner. The FCC faces the dificult task of determining when content is indecent, and in my estimation, the content of this film, aired in the context of a national holiday, paying tribute to our veterans, and with appropriate warnings to parents, does not come close to crossing that line."

Cox, McGraw-Hill, and Hearst-Argyle are also said to be considering preempting the film, according to executives at other stations. A Cox station executive said that group is letting individual stations make the call.

The decision is being billed as a reaction to the FCC crackdown on indecency.
ABC has aired the movie twice (as has WOI)--in 2001 and 2002--both times uncut and including profanity and graphic violence. Part of their deal with director Steven Spielberg is that the movie airs uncut.

But the FCC's standards have changed since then, with the FCC saying profanity is now actionable, though not necessarily so.

In a statement being prepared as a broadcast advisory, WOI-TV President Ray Cole said:
"As many of you may be aware, the Federal Communications Commission has changed its standards for certain content related to programming broadcast before 10 p.m. These changes followed the Janet Jackson incident at the Super Bowl earlier this year.

"The inconsistent manner in which the FCC is choosing to apply these rules puts TV stations like ours in a most difficult position. As this relates to Saving Private Ryan, our concern centers on whether the FCC would consider the context in which the intense adult language and graphic battleground violence is presented in the movie.

"Would the FCC conclude that the movie has sufficient social, artistic, literary, historical or other kinds of value that would protect us from breaking the law? Can a movie with an “M” rating, however prestigious the production or poignant the subject matter, be shown before 10 p.m?

"With the current FCC, we just don’t know. This is the case even though this same movie has been broadcast in prime time twice before on this station without complaint. Adding to our frustration is the fact that a fine motion picture like Saving Private Ryan can be shown on cable or satellite without any government agency restriction or regulation.

"We regret that we are not able to broadcast a patriotic, artistic tribute to our fighting forces like Saving Private Ryan. However, on this Veterans Day, we do wish to pay tribute to all the men and women –past and present –who so nobly serve our country."

Scripps Howard station SVP William Peterson agreed both that it was a fine film and that his station group couldn't risk airing it, saying in his statement:
“The movie contains profanity to help depict the confusion, violence and horror of combat in the Normandy Invasion. Due to graphic violence and intense adult language, the movie is rated “TVMA”.

"While it has been broadcast twice before, recent federal regulatory decisions on profanity appear to make it clear the Federal Communications Commission prohibits the broadcast of the type of profanity used in the movie. Clear unequivocal warnings to viewers about the mature language and violent content do not appear to mitigate a TV station’s obligation to prohibit the broadcast of profane language prior to 10 p.m.

“We do not believe we have the contractual right to edit the movie to remove the profanity and ABC has mandated that the movie be broadcast as scheduled. If the profanity cannot be edited and the profanity cannot be broadcast, then the movie will not be cleared for broadcast on our TV stations in this current regulatory environment.”

Pappas had this to say:
“Many ABC affiliates are airing the extraordinary film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Thursday night in Prime-time.However, Pappas Telecasting Companies has decided that the interests of the viewers of KHGI, in the Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, Nebraska market, are best served by pre-empting this program.

"This decision was made reluctantly, and only after Pappas Telecasting sought permission to edit profane language from this fine film, and such permission was refused.Other ABC affiliates have reportedly made this same decision for the following reasons.

"As our viewers know, Pappas Telecasting and its management have been in the forefront of regulatory efforts to eliminate profanity, indecency, and gratuitous violence from network programming, particularly during times when children may be watching.

"Moreover, as is evidenced by recent decisions of the Federal Communications Commission, stations that air network programming with indecent or profane content are subject to significant fines and the threat of license revocation.For these reasons, although we have aired ‘Saving Private Ryan’ in years past, we are pre-empting it Thursday evening and instead are airing the feature film ‘Father of the Bride 2,‘ starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, from 7-9 p.m., followed by ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ hosted by Tyra Banks, from 9-10 pm. “

Earlier in the day, Motion Picture Association of America President Dan Glickman was asked during a Q&A about Ryan's airing uncut on TV. He said he felt it was the kind of movie that ought to air on television for its realistic portrayal of a soldier's experience.--Allison Romano contributed to this story.
Stations that do air the movie won't get into trouble with arguably the highest-profile indecency watchdog, the Parents Television Council, which says it will file no complaints against Ryan.

“Context is everything," said PTC President Brent Bozell. "We agreed with the FCC on its ruling that the airing of ‘Schindler’s List’ on television was not indecent and we feel that ‘Saving Private Ryan’ is in the same category. In both films, the content is not meant to shock, nor is it gratuitous. We applaud ABC for letting viewers know ahead of time about the graphic nature of the film and that the film would be uncut."

The FCC had not put out any statement in response to the station moves, but when asked by legislators and others to pass judgment on a Sinclair John Kerry special before it aired, FCC Chairman Michael Powell pointed out it would be illegal prior restraint for the FCC to rule on a show's content before it aired.

Private Ryan has passed muster before, but that was before the FCC's recent profanity crackdown.

This is ridiculous, I fear we are headed into the dark ages as far as censorship on broadcast TV goes...

This strikes me as a stunt to embarrass the FCC or draw attention to the fines unfairly levied by the FCC against the FOX stations for the wardrobe malfunction.

EDIT: I knew it was CBS, why was I thinking FOX? ;-)

Actually, the fine was levied against Viacom (which owns CBS), and whose subsidiary, MTV, produced the half-time show (and bragged on the MTV website about how over-the-top it was going to be ahead of time).
But I agree that it is (at least) ironic to see pretty conservative companies self-righteously fight the FCC on this one.

And Viacom is opposing that fine, it makes one wonder if broadcast networks are worried about further erosion of viewership to cable/sat/pay networks...

Second Time Around is not cancelled. The season has been shortened. UPN still has the option for a second season. They want to premiere other comedies.

More on "Private Ryan"

Some Stations Won't Show 'Private Ryan'

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
More than 20 ABC affiliates have announced that they will not participate in the network's Veterans Day broadcast of "Saving Private Ryan," saying its violence and language could draw sanctions from the Federal Communications Commission.
The Steven Spielberg film, which includes profanity and a violent depiction of the D-Day invasion, ran uncut on ABC with relatively little controversy in 2001 and 2002.
In a statement on the Web site of WSB-TV in Atlanta, its vice president and general manager, Greg Stone, said broadcasters could not get any clarification from the F.C.C. on whether the film violated its standards.
An F.C.C. spokeswoman said the agency responded to complaints but did not monitor television broadcasts. The agency received a complaint after the 2001 broadcast of "Saving Private Ryan," but it was rejected, she said.
The F.C.C. has taken an aggressive stand against obscenity and profanity since Janet Jackson's breast was bared during this year's Super Bowl halftime show.
ABC said in a statement that it was proud to show the film again.

'Saving Private Ryan': A New Casualty of the Indecency War

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Thursday, November 11, 2004; Page C01
ABC suits scrambled yesterday to try to contain the mutiny among stations that refuse to air tonight's broadcast of the unedited "Saving Private Ryan," citing indecency concerns.
At press time, ABC stations owned by Cox Television, Citadel Communications, Belo Corp., Hearst-Argyle and Scripps Howard Broadcasting, among others, had declined to air the 1998 Academy Award-winning movie. They say they're afraid the film's scenes of extreme violence and intense adult language will lead to sanctions by the Federal Communications Commission under its new, supersize anti-indecency standards. Among those preempting the World War II movie are stations in Dallas (the country's seventh largest television market), Atlanta (No. 9), Tampa (No. 13), Phoenix (No. 15) and Orlando (No. 20).
Ironically, most of them already aired "Saving Private Ryan" when ABC ran it, unedited, to commemorate Veterans Day in 2001 and 2002. Of course, those broadcasts predated the FCC's decision to slap CBS-owned TV stations with a record $550,000 fine over the national debut of Janet Jackson's breast at the Super Bowl, and the commission's ruling that a rocker's spontaneous use of an expletive at a trophy show broadcast by NBC was indecent and profane.
ABC has told its affiliate stations it would cover any fine the FCC might choose to impose over the movie broadcast. However, should the FCC fine a station, that could be used against it when its license comes up for renewal.
"The Federal Communications Commission has changed its standards for certain content related to programming broadcast before 10 p.m.," Ray Cole, president of Citadel Communications, said in a news release. Citadel's ABC affiliates in Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., are preempting the movie.
Cole told The TV Column that Citadel attempted to get an advance waiver from the FCC but the commission refused, saying that stations need to "exercise their own good-faith judgment." The FCC declined to comment on any aspect of this story.
"Without an advance waiver from the FCC . . . we're not going to present the movie in prime time," Cole said. "Under strict interpretation of the indecency rules we do not see any way possible to air this movie. To be put in this position is unfortunate, and reflects the timidity that exists at the commission right now."
According to Cox's Atlanta station general manager, Greg Stone, the company asked ABC for permission to edit the film or air it outside prime time but was turned down. According to news reports, ABC's broadcast rights preclude any editing. Cox's ABC affiliates in Orlando, Atlanta and Charlotte will not air the movie.
On Atlanta's WSB-TV Web site, Stone cited the FCC's March ruling that it was both indecent and profane when NBC broadcast live Bono exclaiming, "This is really, really [expletive] brilliant!" as he picked up his trophy at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards. That same word comes up often in the movie. The Bono ruling "reversed years of prior policy that the context of language matters," Stone said.
Belo is pulling the broadcast from all four of its ABC stations, in Dallas, Austin, Louisville and Hampton-Norfolk. Belo stations ran the movie in 2001 and '02, but "sensitivity to these kind of matters has changed over the last few years," Belo Vice President Carey Hendrickson explained to The TV Column.
"Community tastes are not constant and change over time. Every time something like this comes up, you have to evaluate and reevaluate; we felt this was appropriate for this time."
Scripps Howard has pulled the movie from all five of its ABC affiliates, in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Phoenix and Tampa, Poynter.com reported. In a statement, the company said it did so because "recent federal regulatory decisions on profanity appear to make it clear the Federal Communications Commission prohibits the broadcast of the type of profanity used in the movie. Clear unequivocal warnings to viewers . . . do not appear to mitigate a TV station's obligation to prohibit the broadcast of profane language prior to 10 p.m."
ABC executives declined to discuss the matter with The TV Column. In a statement, the network noted the broadcast would contain 11 advisories, including one at every ad break.
And, in one of those politics-makes-strange-bedfellows moments, ABC even recruited Parents Television Council pit bull Brent Bozell to put out a statement giving a big thumbs-up to the broadcast.
Bozell is the guy who launched the successful campaign to get the FCC to declare Bono's Golden Globe comment indecent. He's also credited with initiating the letter-writing campaign about the Super Bowl incident that so impressed FCC Chairman Michael Powell. "No television event has ever received as many complaints from the American public -- over 540,000 -- as the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show produced by CBS," Powell marveled in his statement accompanying the FCC's announcement it would slap CBS stations with that record-setting fine.
"Context is everything," Bozell says in the statement. "We agreed with the FCC on its ruling that the airing of 'Schindler's List' on television was not indecent and we feel that 'Saving Private Ryan' is in the same category. In both films, the content is not meant to shock, nor is it gratuitous. We applaud ABC for letting viewers know ahead of time about the graphic nature of the film and that the film would be uncut.
"We will not be filing an indecency complaint with the FCC over the airing of this film," Bozell added reassuringly.
But Parents Television Council didn't attack ABC stations the first time they aired "Saving Private Ryan." The American Family Association, aka Donald Wildmon's conservative watchdog group, did.
These days the AFA is focusing on trying to get advertisers to promise not to buy time in ABC's new hit series "Desperate Housewives" because it features a housewife who's having an affair with her high-school-age gardener and female neighbors discussing their relationships with their husbands over dinner. But back in 2001, the AFA went after ABC over "Saving Private Ryan," filing a complaint with the FCC in hopes it would slap the stations with an indecency fine. In its complaint, the AFA noted the movie's "violence, bloodshed, language and profanity," according to a letter of response from the FCC, a copy of which was obtained by The TV Column.
Last week's presidential election also played into Citadel's decision to scrap tonight's unedited broadcast of "Saving Private Ryan" and replace it with the TV movie "Return to Mayberry."
"We're just coming off an election where moral issues were cited as a reason by people voting one way or another and, in my opinion, the commissioners are fearful of the new Congress," Cole told the Associated Press.

Company touts tool
for predicting TV hits

By DAVID BAUDER The Associated Press 11/10/2004
NEW YORK (AP) — It shocked many pundits when ABC's new series "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" became the breakout hits of the new television season. But not the folks at Initiative, a top New York media agency, who say they've developed a new tool to help predict which shows will succeed or flop.
The research device combs the Internet to pick up buzz about TV programs being developed. They hope to sell its findings to networks, advertisers and ad agencies.
"Does this mean we can predict all success? No," said Alec Gerster, Initiative chief executive. "But it does seem to pick up a growing word-of-mouth about a particular show. Historically, that's always been there."
Trying to pick a hit show in advance is like trying to predict the scores of this week's football games. It's good sport for fans, but for television executives who must make million-dollar decisions based on gut instincts, their jobs depend on it.
Getting early tips on which shows people are eager to see can help networks decide where to spend promotional money, and advertisers decide where to buy commercials.
The device, called PropheSEE, measures which shows are being talked about most on the Internet. Unlike other systems that do the same thing, it also gauges whether the talk is positive or negative.
Both "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" ranked in the top five new shows for advance word-of-mouth, Initiative said.
"Joey" was the show with the most pre-air buzz. Unfortunately for NBC, some of that chatter was negative, said Stacey Lynn Koerner, Initiative's top researcher.
The show's performance has reflected that ambivalence: it's the most successful new sitcom on the air, yet last week didn't even make Nielsen Media Research's top 20 shows for the week.
Two of the shows in Initiative's bottom five haven't made the air yet. It has to be an ominous sign for NBC that one of them is "The Contender," the midseason boxing series developed by Mark Burnett and Sylvester Stallone, which the network captured in a bidding war.
"This isn't the be-all and end-all of predictions," Koerner said. "It's the early warning system."
One of the top network researchers, CBS's David Poltrack, questions the value of PropheSEE. CBS, which has a research facility in Las Vegas, already surveys viewers in the summer about which new shows they've heard about and are looking forward to watching.
The Initiative device also doesn't take into account people who are not active on the Internet, he said.
"I don't see that this adds anything significant," Poltrack said.
Initiative, which developed PropheSEE with the research firms Trendum and TVtracker.com, said there's a value in collecting the opinions of people who aren't aware they're being surveyed. Initiative is a firm that advises advertisers on where they should target their commercials.
It's bound to be of value to industry executives at the mercy of the general public.
"The amount of panic about loss of control is palpable within the industry," Koerner said.

For those of you who never had the pleasure of crossing Robert Hager’s path, you have missed a truly remarkable reporter – and man.

NBC's Hager files his last news story

Media Mix
Peter Johnson USA TODAY Thursday, November 11, 2004
Once upon a time in the news business, before beats became specialized, one of the more noble callings was general assignment reporter — a jack of all trades who was expected to jump on breaking stories and file before the other guy did. For the past 35 years, correspondent Bob Hager has owned that beat at NBC News, a reporting Iron Man routinely credited with 200-plus stories a year.
He was always at the top of lists of most productive reporters in network news, so much so that outgoing Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw calls Hager, 66, "our Cal Ripken of correspondents, a Hall of Famer on the first ballot."
"I didn't imagine that I was going to be general assignment," says Hager, who retired last week. "But when I came to Washington (in 1979) all the major beats — Congress, White House, Justice — were all filled, so I started doing general assignment, and then I discovered I liked the variety.
"It was like going back to school every day."
But Hager realized that the days when organizations such as NBC had rows of pure general assignment reporters were ending. "I saw this opening for stories about things that really affect people's lives, an area that could be carved out that would be consumer-oriented but reporting it as straight news."
He picked aviation first, a specialty that often meant grim deadline work on plane crashes. But Hager again expanded his areas of interest, filing hundreds of stories about auto safety, meteorology, communications and the drug industry — all with an eye toward how each affected ordinary Americans.
"You feel good about yourself knowing how important it is to get it right and explain it to viewers in a really understandable fashion."
He has no patience with colleagues who look at what the news business has become and shake their heads. Sure, Hager says, "the ground rules have changed. Bottom-line ownership took over (and) ratings became a factor. ... But that's an example of how our industry moves on. It can't be stopped."
Now he's heading to his native Vermont, where he hopes to give occasional speeches. But chances seem good that he'll soon wish he were back on the job.
"On vacation, I've gone nuts," he says. "I was on vacation during the big power blackout a couple of years ago, and I went crazy watching it from Vermont."
http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2004-11-10-media-mix_x.htm

ER's ratings bleed is nothing too traumatic

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

Even ER can't stop the aging process.
After 10 years of dominance on Thursdays, the long-running NBC hit is down 13% in viewers from last fall. For the first time, it trails a time-slot competitor, Without a Trace, which marked its widest lead last week.
And even though ER still leads in the young-adult ratings craved by advertisers and networks, the CBS missing-persons drama posted its closest second-place finish among that audience last week.
NBC's troubles are particularly acute Thursdays — its strongest night, and one it used to dominate — and ER is carrying much of the ratings weight.
Analysts say ER's ratings declines result primarily from age, the reduced lead-in audience of a Friends-less Thursday and the growing appeal of third-year Trace, which benefits from its lead-in, top-rated CSI.
"It's not surprising, given the fact that over the past few years (ER) has lost as lead-in a couple of the biggest shows ever, Seinfeld and Friends. And it has still held its own," says Larry Gerbrandt of consulting firm Alix Partners.
Despite ER's losses, it's still NBC's top-rated show in viewers, including young adults. Without new scripted hits, the network depends on its war horses. Older NBC hit Law & Order has suffered bigger viewer losses than ER, falling behind CSI: NY on Wednesdays.
Executive producer John Wells says: "We're delighted this year. ... This is our 11th season. When we went on the air, all the predictions were we'd be gone in weeks."
ER has in recent seasons tried to grab viewers with a helicopter crash, a road-rage shooting and a tank assault. (The last was based on a real event.) Apart from Noah Wyle and Sherry Stringfield, who took a five-year hiatus, none of the show's original cast remains.
But Wells and executive producer Chris Chulack say ER retains plenty of creative possibilities, from new medical issues (a timely pharmaceutical plot is due soon) to an ever-changing cast that allows for different character stories.
In that vein, ER (10 ET/PT) continues a tradition of stand-alone episodes that break from the format, a chain that includes a live episode and one with the story told in reverse. "We are always searching for different ways to tell stories," says David Zabel, who wrote the episode "Time of Death." Tonight, the frenetic pace slows to focus on one patient in real time, an alcoholic who learns he has only moments to live. Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) is the guest star.
"He doesn't think he's going to die in the beginning. Then everything starts to fail. All of a sudden — boom," Liotta says by phone from England, where he's shooting Guy Ritchie's Revolver. "To sit there and know you're going to die is really creepy. It is terrifying."

Originally posted by tall1
This strikes me as a stunt to embarrass the FCC or draw attention to the fines unfairly levied by the FCC against the FOX stations for the wardrobe malfunction.

EDIT: I knew it was CBS, why was I thinking FOX? ;-) Maybe because FOX was fined $1.2 million (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28197-2004Oct12.html?nav=rss_technology/techpolicy) just a few weeks ago for some reality show shenanigans.

Originally posted by keenan
This is ridiculous, I fear we are headed into the dark ages as far as censorship on broadcast TV goes...

Only with respect to censorship on broadcast TV?? ;) :D

Wednesday's ratings have been posted in Latest News.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)

Primetime Wednesday Ratings:
Wednesday 11/10/04
Night 7 of the November Sweeps

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 9.8/14
ABC: 9.1/14
CBS: 8.1/12
Fox: 5.0/ 7
UPN: 3.9/ 6
WB: 3.7/ 5

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Wednesday, Nov 12, 2003):
ABC: +25
UPN: +15
CBS: +1
NBC and Fox: -12 each
WB: -24

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
ABC: 13.36 million
NBC: 12.50
CBS: 12.26
Fox: 7.51
UPN: 4.43
WB: 3.86

Adults 18-49:
ABC: 5.2/13
CBS: 4.3/11
NBC: 3.8/10
Fox: 3.6/ 9
UPN: 2.0/ 5
WB: 1.7/ 4

Yesterday's Winners:
Lost (ABC)
America's Next Top Model (UPN)
The West Wing (NBC)
King Of Queens (CBS)
Law & Order (NBC)
CSI: NY (CBS)
Wife Swap (ABC)

Not A Bad Fit:
Center of the Universe (CBS)

Fading Fast:
That '70s Show (Fox)
The Bachelor (ABC)

Yesterday's Losers:
LAX (NBC)
Quintuplets (Fox)
Jack & Bobby (WB)

Ratings Breakdown:
Although NBC won Wednesday in the overnights thanks to The West Wing and Law & Order (which is now beating CBS' competing CSI: NY in the metered markets), Lost led ABC to another midweek victory in total viewers and adults 18-49. The addictive Lost opened with a 12.2/18 in the overnights, 18.21 million viewers and a 6.7/18 among adults 18-49 according to the fast affiliate ratings. For more on Lost, don't miss Mr. Television's conversation with series-creator J.J. Abrams in Mediaweek this coming Monday.

Second overall in the 8 p.m. hour based on the overnights was CBS' 60 Minutes (6.7/10), followed by NBC's LAX (5.9/ 9), the WB's Smallville (4.8/ 7), America's Next Top Model on UPN (4.3/ 7), and Fox comedies That '70s Show (4.7/ 7) and Quintuplets (3.5/ 5). Second based on adults 18-49 was That '70s Show (3.4/ 9) and Quintuplets (2.8/ 7), followed by America's Next Top Model (2.5/ 7), Smallville (2.4/ 6), 60 Minutes (2.3/ 6) and LAX (2.2/ 6). Worth noting was Top Model also beating Smallville in total viewers (5.39 vs. 5.29 million).

Compared to the year-ago evening, LAX is no Ed (which was no great shakes to begin with), That '70s Show is down by double-digit percentages, and the still potent Smallville has lost steam. Other than Lost on ABC growing by considerable proportions versus former time period occupants My Wife and Kids and It's All Relative, America's Next Top Model is a definite improvement over Star Trek: Enterprise.

At 9 p.m., and opposite ABC's deadly dull The Bachelor (where did they find this guy, anyway?), NBC's The West Wing remains a force to reckon with, winning the hour in the overnights (11.4/17) and total viewers (15.18 million). It looks like President Bartlet and grating C.J. will be around longer than we expected. Take a look at the Big 4 networks in the 9 p.m. hour and notice how close the race is among adults 18-49.

Wednesday 9-10 p.m.

The West Wing (NBC)
Overnights: 11.4/17 (#1); Viewers: 15.18 million (#1); A18-49: 4.5/11 (#2t)

King Of Queens (CBS) - 9 p.m.
Overnights: 8.1/12 (#2); Viewers: 12.96 million (#2); A18-49: 4.9/12 (#1 in the 9 p.m. half-hour)

Center of the Universe (CBS) - 9:30 p.m.
Overnights: 6.6/ 9 (#3); Viewers: 11.27 million (#2); A18-49: 4.2/10 (#3t in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour)

The Bachelor (ABC)
Overnights: 6.8/10 (#3); Viewers: 10.16 million (#3); A18-49: 4.1/10 (#3)

Nanny 911 (Fox)
Overnights: 5.9/ 9 (#4); Viewers: 8.59 million (#4); A18-49: 4.0/10 (#4)

Also in the 9 p.m. hour were UPN's just full-season-renewed Kevin Hill (#5: 3.5/ 5; A18-49: #5, 1.6/ 4), and the WB's struggling Jack & Bobby (#6: 2.5/ 4; A18-49: #6, 1.1/ 3). Although the Emmys rarely recognize the WB, Christine Lahti's ongoing performance on Jack & Bobby is worth noting.

At 10 p.m., the tide has tuned in the overnights and viewers, and least for this week, with NBC veteran Law & Order (12.1/19; Viewers: 15.16 million) back in the top spot, followed by CBS' CSI: NY at a comfortable 10.5/16 in the overnights with 15.09 million viewers. A solid third remains ABC's Wife Swap with an 8.4/13 in the overnights and 11.72 million viewers. Year-to-year, that's an increase for Wife Swap over former time period occupant Karen Sisco (#3: 5.6/ 8; Viewers: #3, 6.70 million) of 50 percent in the overnights and 5.02 million viewers.

Based on adults 18-49 at 10 p.m., however, CSI: NY still finished a strong first (6.0/16), followed by Law & Order and Wife Swap tied for No. 2 with a 4.7/12 in the demo. For anyone wondering who the real winner is Wednesday at 10 p.m. (Law & Order and CSI: NY share the No. 1 spot; CSI: NY and Wife Swap are up considerably from both the lead-in and year-ago time period averages), the answer is network television. With three successful shows in one hour, this is proof that viewers will indeed respond when the right programming options are offered.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data


Ratings Box:
What's Hot/What's Not

In series-premiere news, the two-hour launch of Fox's Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best was stalled at the gate with a fifth-place finish in households (3.3/ 5), total viewers (5.09 million) and adults 18-49 (2.3/ 6) from 8-10 p.m. Given dead-on-arrival ratings for My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss, the sinking Renovate My Family, and considerable erosion for season two of The Swan, too much reality on Fox is backfiring. According to one P.I. reader:

"At least Rebel Billionaire is appropriately named, as it appears to be the surest sign yet that the public has finally decided to rebel against the over saturation of the reality genre."

(from CBS via thefutoncritic.com. There is no indication which, if any, of these shows will be offered in HD.)

TRA LA LA LA LA…IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME ON CBS

CBS SPICES UP THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ANIMATED YULETIDE CLASSICS, ORIGINAL MOVIES AND SPECIALS
CBS celebrates the holiday season with a festive assortment of animated yuletide classics, original movies and musical specials.
It's "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer's" 40th Anniversary
"Frosty the Snowman" and "Robbie the Reindeer" Also Make Their Annual Visits
Jamie Foxx Hosts "A Home For the Holidays"
Peter Falk Reprises His Role as the Angel Max in "When Angels Come to Town"
Joe Mantegna, Jean Smart and Charles Durning Star in "A Very Married Christmas"
Warren Beatty, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Elton John, Joan Sutherland and John Williams Are This Year's Honorees For "The 27th Annual Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts"
CBS's holiday programming also includes the animated special THE STORY OF SANTA CLAUS and the THE 27TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: A CELEBRATION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS.
The following is CBS's holiday themed programs:

Sunday, Nov. 28 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)
WHEN ANGELS COME TO TOWN -- Peter Falk reprises his role as the angel Max in this holiday drama about two very different families who need his help at Christmastime. This time, Max's job is at stake when his heavenly supervisor comes to earth to discipline him for contacting the wrong family. Katey Sagal and Tammy Blanchard co-star.

Wednesday, Dec. 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER -- The longest- running holiday special in television history celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since 1964 millions of families have watched Rudolph and his friends, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and the Misfit Toys save Christmas. This classic "Animagic" special features a world-renowned musical score from Johnny Marks and the voice of legendary performer Burl Ives.

Friday, Dec. 3 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT)
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN -- Frosty, that "jolly, happy soul" whose old silk hat full of magic has turned him into a musical Christmas legend, once again demonstrates his unique showmanship. Narrated by Jimmy Durante, the special also includes the voices of Jackie Vernon (as Frosty) and Billy De Wolfe (Professor Hinkle).

Friday, Dec. 3 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
FROSTY RETURNS -- The magic still in his old silk hat, the holiday season's perennially popular original dancing snowman continues his adventures and skates on the edge of danger. Jonathan Winters is the narrator with John Goodman the voice of Frosty.

Sunday, Dec. 5 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)
A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS -- A man's orderly life begins to fall apart when he learns shortly before Christmas that his wife is having an affair and wants a divorce. Joe Mantegna, Jean Smart and Charles Durning star in this movie based on the best-selling book Say When.

Saturday, Dec. 11 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT)
ROBBIE THE REINDEER: HOOVES OF FIRE -- Ben Stiller, Hugh Grant, Britney Spears, Jim Belushi, Brad Garrett, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller and James Woods lend their voices to this animated holiday special about a reindeer who must train to compete in the Reindeer Races against reindeer-gone-bad Blitzen to become a part of Santa's sleigh team.

Saturday, Dec. 11 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
ROBBIE THE REINDEER: LEGEND OF THE LOST TRIBE-- Robbie, with the help of an elusive tribe of Vikings, battles Blitzen in an effort to stop his nemesis' launch of a reindeer theme park.

Saturday, Dec. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
THE STORY OF SANTA CLAUS -- Edward Asner, Betty White and Tim Curry are the featured voices in this animated, musical holiday special about a toymaker and his wife who find themselves in dire financial straights when their heartless landlord evicts them from their small shop.

Tuesday, Dec. 21 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT)
THE 27TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS: A CELEBRATION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS -- Warren Beatty, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Elton John, Joan Sutherland and John Williams will receive this year's honors. The 2004 Honorees will be saluted by stars from the world of performing arts at a gala performance in the Kennedy Center Opera House and attended by President and Mrs. Bush, additional dignitaries, as well as artists from around the world.

Wednesday, Dec. 22 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS -- Actor, musician and comedian Jamie Foxx ("Ray"), who was adopted, hosts this touching new entertainment special that tells moving stories about adoption to raise awareness of this social issue. Black Eyed Peas and Ashlee Simpson are among the artists scheduled to perform, while Renee Russo and Jamie Lee Curtis are among the stars scheduled to present inspirational stories about adoption.

Interrupted CSI: NY To Be Repeated

From cbs.com NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2004

CBS will rebroadcast the Wednesday night episode of "CSI: NY" that was interrupted by a news report of Yasser Arafat's death.

Viewers in some parts of the country missed the last few minutes of the popular crime drama because of the Arafat report. The program will be shown again Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

CBS issued the following statement: "An overly aggressive CBS News producer jumped the gun with a report that should have been offered to local stations for their late news. We sincerely regret the error."

OK, not everything posted here can be purely "news".
There is always an appetite for the salacious.
As a public service, and to help quench that appetite, there is this item:

Bill Maher Hit With Palimony Suit

Ex accuses HBO star of physical abuse, "degrading racial comments"
NOVEMBER 11--Comedian Bill Maher was slapped yesterday with a $9 million palimony suit by an ex-girlfriend who alleges that the HBO star subjected her to physical and verbal abuse, including "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments."
In the Los Angeles Superior Court complaint, Nancy Johnson, a centerfold model and former flight attendant also known as Coco Johnsen, alleges that Maher, 48, reneged on promises to pay her expenses and purchase a Beverly Hills home.
Johnson, who says she dated Maher for 17 months before splitting from him in May, also contends that the performer promised to marry her and have children.
Johnson does not detail the degrading racial comments allegedly made by Maher, and recounts only one episode of supposed physical abuse by the host of HBO's "Real Time."
She charges that Maher pulled her arm and shook her at one party, causing "injuries to her back and neck," and later that evening warned he'd hit her on the head with a hammer if she was unfaithful. (10 pages)

(Lots more details and pictures at thesmokinggun.com)

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1111041coco1.html

Reality Shows fading?

Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle
Though it's a dangerous thing to do (history proving all cynics and critics wrong), this might be a ripe time to suggest that reality series are finally in decline.
Make no mistake, they are not going away. They will always be part of the TV programmers' arsenal.
But this fall's reliance on reality has hurt the networks. Fox's "The Next Great Champ," which beat NBC's similar boxing reality series, "The Contender" to the proverbial punch, was a dismal failure that was pulled and relegated to cable.
NBC gave up on "Last Comic Standing." It also postponed "The Contender."
ABC's "The Bachelor" has seen steep ratings declines -- as predicted, the bloom is off the rose. ABC's other offering, "The Benefactor," was a dismal bust. Apparently billionaire Mark Cuban isn't the TV draw that billionaire Donald Trump is (or was, we shall see).
The third billionaire to get his own realty series, Richard Branson, debuted with his series Tuesday night, so we'll see how that goes, but if Fox's much-hyped "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" is any indication -- it tanked -- Branson should catch the next hot air balloon out of television entirely.
Other reality series, particularly home/life makeover series, are still doing well enough to keep programmers acutely addicted to the genre. But there is a waning to this trend, which should give beleaguered TV viewers some hope.
In fact, one of the bright spots of the fall is the huge success of scripted series.
ABC's "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" have revived that network, and almost every network has fielded a credible scripted hit (though NBC in particular is lacking anything new that's worth watching). That's one way to kill reality: making hit scripted series.
Viewers seem to be tiring of cheap gimmicks and short-term tricks on reality shows. It's the franchises that raise the value of the genre.

CBS News Waits on National Guard Story Report

Nov 11, 3:24 PM EST
NEW YORK (AP) -- CBS News is still awaiting the conclusion of the independent investigation into its discredited "60 Minutes Wednesday" report on President Bush's National Guard service, a network spokeswoman said Thursday.
The network asked former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and Louis Boccardi, who retired last year as president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press, to examine how the network aired a story it later said it could not vouch for.
"The panel is hard at work and the report will be ready when the panel tells us it's ready," said Sandy Genelius, CBS News spokeswoman.
Panel members have not publicly discussed their work, including their target date for completion. But they have interviewed several people at CBS News already in piecing together what happened
The report is expected to go to CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves, and its findings could affect the futures of news division President Andrew Heyward and anchorman Dan Rather, who reported the story.
The panel has insisted that its report be made public after it is submitted to CBS.
The CBS report cited documents purported to be from one of Bush's commanders in the Texas Air National Guard. The documents say the commander, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, ordered Bush to take a medical exam, which he did not, and felt pressured to sugarcoat an evaluation of then 1st Lt. Bush.
However, several handwriting experts emerged to suggest the memos were fake and appeared to have been generated by a computer that did not exist in the early 1970s. Killian is dead.
CBS's source, retired Texas National Guard member Bill Burkett, later said he agreed to turn over the documents to CBS if the network would help arrange a conversation with John Kerry's campaign.

ABC Denies Permission to Redeploy Ryan

By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable, 11/11/2004 7:02:00 PM

It turns out that ABC didn't let anybody move Saving Private Ryan -- at least not very far.
A number of the stations that wound up preempting the special Veterans Day broadcast for fear of running afoul of FCC profanity regs, including Hearst-Argyle's ABC affiliates and KCAU-TV Sioux City, Iowa, had planned to move the broadcast, which includes graphic violence and four-letter words, into the post-10 p.m. indecency safe harbor.
"To our disappointment and regret, ABC has denied our request," said Hearst-Argyle in a statement. "The right solution for our station is to air Saving Private Ryan in its entirety at 10 p.m.Since ABC has denied that request, we are left with the choice of either broadcasting the programming at 8 p.m. and incurring serious regulatory exposure by the FCC or not broadcasting the movie at all.
"Given the current state of the law and the lack of clarity from the FCC on what legal program standards apply prior to 10 p.m., we have elected not to broadcast the movie.This is a collaborative decision between the station, corporate managers and our legal advisors."
ABC did let stations move the broadcast ahead by 21 minutes, say from 8 p.m. NYT to 7:19, so that the movie could end exactly at 11 p.m. and stations' newscasts would not be put at a competitive disadvantage.
It being a sweeps period, when stations determine their ad rates, ABC thought it fair not to push the 11 p.m. news, among a stations most profitable programs, back to almost 11:30.

CBS Picks Up 'Listen Up' for Season,
'Center' for Two More Episodes

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com November 11, 2004
CBS is giving the Regency Television/CBS Productions comedy "Listen Up" a nine-episode back order and the Warner Bros. Television/CBS Productions comedy "Center of the Universe" a two-episode and six-script order.

"Listen Up," which stars Jason Alexander, premiered Monday, Sept. 20, at 8:30 p.m. (ET) with a 3.6 rating and 10 share among adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen Media Research. The show scored a 3.5/9 in the demo Nov. 8, retaining 97 percent of its "Still Standing" lead-in.

"Center of the Universe" was initially scheduled to premiere Sept. 29 but did not make it on CBS's schedule until Oct. 27, where it garnered a 4.0 rating in adults 18 to 49 competing against a World Series game. The show scored a 4.1 rating Nov. 10, up 14 percent in the demo from the previous week.

Reality loses bite


Nets' copycat fare fails to find footing

By JOSEF ADALIAN Variety.com

It's been a brutal week for reality shows, but don't count out the unscripted genre just yet.
In the past six days alone, the nets have launched three reality shows, and all three have struck out with viewers. Fox scored back-to-back flops with "My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss" and "The Rebel Billionaire," while it turned out the joke was on NBC with the underperforming "$25 Million Hoax."
Earlier in the season, ABC's "The Benefactor" was such a loser, the net quickly found a way to get it off the air two weeks sooner than planned. A slew of controversy surrounding Fox's "The Next Great Champ" couldn't get viewers to care about boxing. And when the Peacock got greedy with the success of "Last Comic Standing" by rushing a new season of the show on the air barely two weeks after the end of the previous season, the audience thought the net was joking -- and stayed away in droves.
All this failure in such a short amount of time -- coupled with the runaway success of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" -- will no doubt have some alarmists declaring reality is dead.
A closer look at the genre's track record this fall, however, reveals that viewers are still very much in love with unscripted shows. They're just punishing networks for launching skeins that are either too familiar or rushed together too quickly.
"With quantity comes failure," admitted Mike Darnell, Fox's exec VP of alternative programming. "You can't do this much quantity without doing shows that are similar to other shows. It becomes a combination of mediocre shows or shows that are so similar to other shows, they don't stick out."

Cablers hurt, too

Broadcasters aren't the only ones suffering negative side effects from their addiction to reality. Cablers are also finding it harder to get auds interested in unscripted projects.
Bravo, which struck gold with "Queer Eye," has lost its gaydar with "Top Model" clone "Manhunt." Spike TV's "Apprentice"-like "I Hate My Job" has viewers saying, "I Don't Really Like This Show." And TBS' "He's a Lady" might as well be called "He's a Dud."
In the case of Fox, the net seems to have incorrectly bet that a heavy dose of reality would keep the net's pulse racing in September and after baseball. Just as ABC flooded the market with reality shows in the first quarter of 2003, Fox is devoting nearly two-thirds of its primetime sked this month to unscripted fare.
Alphabet's plan flopped, resulting in a sea of failure. Fox is doing a bit better, but not much.

Originals still wow

The good news: viewers still seem ready to embrace originality when it comes to reality.
ABC's "Wife Swap" is the unsung hero of the season, this week beating the mighty "Law & Order" Wednesday at 10. Fox has also seen encouraging numbers for kiddie makeover show "Nanny 911," while its "Wife Swap" clone "Trading Spouses" is quietly posting solid results.
NBC also has reason to cheer "The Biggest Loser," which -- while not a Nielsen heavyweight -- has suppressed the net's performance in the 8-9:30 p.m. Tuesday slot.
All four shows have one thing in common: They're new concepts that haven't yet saturated the marketplace.
Nets also have to be relieved that existing reality franchises are still doing fine.
"Survivor" still thrives on Thursdays, while ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has exploded in its second season. "The Apprentice" is down from last season, but still mighty, while UPN's "America's Next Top Model" has found its (long) legs after a shaky start.
Still, Darnell and others concede there may simply be too many reality skeins on the air.
"The volume was bound to implode on itself, and now we're seeing the result," said one industry vet.

Alt rocked

While nets have traditionally used reality skeins to plug holes in their midseason skeds or keep the lights on during the summer, this year saw a fall launch packed with more reality skeins than ever before. Greedy for a quick ratings fix, webheads have once again forgotten that reality is supposed to be alternative programming -- not the bread and butter of a sked.
"Unfortunately for alternative, when it becomes the staple that it is now, you're just going to have failure," Darnell said. "And you're going to have almost as much failure as in any other area."
Indeed, despite all the hoopla over ABC's hourlong hits, it's been an awful year for new scripted dramas.
CBS has already killed two of its three new hours, pulling the plug on "Dr. Vegas" and "Clubhouse." NBC has also dumped "Hawaii," while "LAX" seems headed for a final descent any day now, barring a last minute ratings tailwind. The WB's "Jack & Bobby" and "The Mountain" barely have a pulse.

Laffers suffer

And comedy? It's still pretty dead. NBC now airs just 90 minutes of comedy each week vs. 3½ hours of reality.
But while scripted vets are used to a world in which 80% of new shows bite the dust in their first year, the high mortality rate is something new for reality producers and execs. Ditto the overwhelming workload demanded when nets order up so much fare so quickly.
Producers on many skeins are working 20-hour days battling to get shows done in record time. Producers of "Biggest Loser" had to switch gears at the last second and turn hourlong episodes into 90-minute segs with hardly any notice.
Some wonder if all the rushing doesn't lead to inferior shows -- though "Loser" and "Nanny 911" are doing fine. It certainly taxes the strength of reality execs, whose relatively small staffs now find themselves juggling one or two dozen projects at a time.
Darnell, the symbolic face of TV's turn-of-the-century reality wave, insists he and his staff can keep up. He also remains convinced reality has joined sitcoms and dramas as a permanent third staple of network TV.
The exec believes Fox and other nets are "still finding our way in this genre," learning new lessons about what viewers do and don't want. He predicts more original reality ideas come January -- and he has no doubt the next "American Idol" or "Survivor" is out there.
"If it's good and it's unique and it's loud, it'll work," he said.

'CSI' Interruption: The Producer Did It!

By Lisa de Moraes washingtonpost.com Friday, November 12, 2004; Page C07
In what may be a network first, CBS has apologized for beating its broadcast competitors to a breaking news story.
The story that CBS News beat ABC News and NBC News to on Wednesday night was that Yasser Arafat, who'd been in a coma for days, had died.
But -- and here's where it really gets bad -- in order to be first with the story, CBS News broke in on the last four minutes of an original episode of "CSI: NY." By the time the news report, which included what appeared to be an obituary prepared in advance, was over, so was "CSI: NY."
As a result, viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones -- in other words a big chunk of the country -- missed the whodunit moment of this newest edition of "CSI," the network's most popular franchise. And, as affected CBS stations found out yesterday, hell hath no fury like "CSI" fans deprived of their whodunit moment.
"An overly aggressive CBS News producer jumped the gun with a report that should have been offered to local stations for their late news. We sincerely regret the error," the network said yesterday in a statement.
CBS has promised to rebroadcast that Wednesday episode of "CSI: NY" tonight at 10 p.m., instead of the rerun of the mothership program, "CSI," which had been scheduled for that time period.
So just how did this entertainment interruptus occur? According to a CBS News spokeswoman, a senior producer with the division's overnight broadcast should not have interrupted prime-time programming with the report without having first consulted a CBS News higher-up.
CBS News had put in place a procedure on how to handle Arafat's expected demise, clearly spelling out that if it occurred in prime time, it would be handled with a crawl across the screen, the rep explained. Let's not forget the networks are in the midst of the all-important November sweep, when they actually offer viewers new episodes of their favorite shows, rather than the menu of rehash they serve much of the rest of the year.
On Wednesday night, ABC and NBC waited until the end of their 10 p.m. programs to report that Arafat had died.
When asked about the fate of the producer, the CBS News spokeswoman replied, "We do not comment on personnel issues." Sounds ominous.

ABC Fought the Pre-emption of 'Private Ryan'

By REUTERS November 12, 2004


ABC television, backed by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, and others, spent much of yesterday trying to keep nervous affiliate stations from deserting a Veterans Day broadcast of the acclaimed World War II film "Saving Private Ryan."
Several ABC affiliates, including eight stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and four owned by the Belo Corporation, scheduled other programming, citing concerns about profanity and graphic violence in the film.
In Dallas, ABC's Belo-owned affiliate, WFAA, broadcast Oprah Winfrey's talk show and the movie "Hoosiers" instead of "Saving Private Ryan."
Sinclair said the recent crackdown on indecent material by the Federal Communications Commission was a major factor in its decision to shun the R-rated film, which ABC is obligated to broadcast without editing or bleeps under an agreement with DreamWorks, the studio that produced it.
While the F.C.C. declined to comment in advance of last night's telecast - "that would be censorship," a spokeswoman told The Hollywood Reporter - the agency defended the 2002 broadcast of the film in a letter to the American Family Association, ruling the film was neither profane nor indecent.
Executives at ABC, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, said most of ABC's 225 affiliates carried the film.
Mr. McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who introduced the broadcast on ABC, issued a statement saying the film "comes nowhere near indecent."
Sinclair, Belo and other stations balking at the film said they had asked ABC to permit them to show it later in the evening, when fewer children were watching, but ABC rejected their request.

NOTE:

I will travelling until late Friday and will post Thursday's ratings and other news items when possible.

It probably will be fairly late in the evening Friday Pacific time .

I am sorry for the delay.

Fred

Until fredfa gets back, (and I hope he dosn't mind) here's the Thursday overnights from Zap2It:

Fast National ratings for Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004
While ABC had a better-than-average Thursday with its showing of "Saving Private Ryan" -- in most of the country, anyway -- it didn't change things at the top of the ratings, where CBS continued its dominance.

For the night, CBS averaged a 14.5 rating/22 share, easily outdoing second-place NBC's 10.4/16. ABC took third with a 6.2/9, which includes the ratings for the 20 or so affiliates that didn't air "Saving Private Ryan" because of FCC worries. FOX was fourth at 4.0/6. UPN came in at 3.1/5 and The WB at 2.0/3.

CBS also led among adults 18-49 with an 8.3 rating. NBC, 7.5, was more competitive in its target demographic than in the overall ratings. ABC averaged 3.0, FOX 2.7, UPN 1.5 and The WB 1.2.
"Survivor: Vanuatu," 12.1/19, put CBS in front at 8 p.m. over NBC's "Joey," 7.8/12, and "Will & Grace," 8.2/12. ABC's movie was third for the hour at 6.5/10, while "The O.C." posted a 5.1/8 for FOX. "WWE Smackdown!" on UPN was fifth, and The WB movie "Save the Last Dance" trailed.

CBS expanded its lead at 9 p.m. with "CSI," 18.2/27, the night's most-watched show. "The Apprentice," 10.4/15, kept NBC in second. "Saving Private Ryan" dipped a little in its second hour but easily held onto third place. "Smackdown!," 3.2/5, moved into fourth ahead of FOX's "North Shore," which lost nearly half of its lead-in audience. The WB's movie finished up with a 2.2/3.

At 10 p.m., the conclusion of a two-part "Without a Trace" won the hour for CBS with a 13.1/21. A heavily promoted and praised "ER" averaged 12.8/20 for NBC, its best rating since the season premiere. "Saving Private Ryan" concluded with a 6.2/10 for ABC.

Thanks, Dr. Don.
Maybe someone can also post the Friday and Saturday numbers. It turns out internet access here is all but impossible.
I'll be back at home on Monday and will continue posting then.

Friday's numbers

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Friday, Nov. 12, 2004.
A hastily scheduled encore of "CSI: NY," programmed to accommodate East Coast viewers inconvenienced by CBS' decision to cut into the show to announce the death of Yassar Arafat, won its hour and pushed CBS to a tight ratings win on Friday night.

Overall, CBS averaged a 6.6 rating/11 share, narrowly beating the 6.5/11 for NBC. ABC was third with a 5.3/9, as The WB moved up to fourth with a 2.4/4, better than the 2.3/4 for FOX. UPN trailed with a 1.7/3.

NBC won the key demographic, though, earning a 2.9 rating among adults 18-49. ABC was second in that all-important category, doing a 2.7 rating, followed by the 2.5 for CBS. FOX moved back to fourth with a 1.5 rating, edging the 1.4 rating for The WB. Again, UPN was last with a 1.1 rating.
NBC started the night on top with the 7.3/13 for "Dateline." CBS was second with the 6.0/10 for "Joan of Arcadia." ABC's comedies "8 Simple Rules" and "Complete Savages" averaged a 4.7/8 for third. There was a tight race for fourth, as UPN's "Star Trek: Enterprise" did a 2.1/4. The WB followed closely with "What I Like About You" and "Grounded for Live," leaving FOX in sixth with "World's Craziest Videos."

CBS moved into first at 9 p.m. with the 6.9/12 for "JAG." NBC got a 6.2/10 from "Third Watch" to stay second. ABC's comedies "Hope & Faith" and "Less than Perfect" remained in third. The WB averaged a 2.8/5 for "Reba" and "Blue Collar TV" to take fourth. FOX was fifth as "Renovate My Family" struggled to a 2.6/4. UPN was sixth with an encore of "America's Next Top Model."

The competitive 10 p.m. hour was led by CBS with the 6.8/12 for "CSI: NY." ABC's "20/20" was second, beating the 5.9/10 for NBC's "Medical Investigation."

Has Jason Alexander broken the "Seinfeld" curse?
From Variety
CBS has rounded out its fall pickups, ordering additional episodes of frosh laffers "Listen Up" and "Center of the Universe."

Eye greenlit nine more segs of "Listen Up," making for a full 22 episode season, but ordered just two more episodes of "Center of the Universe." Latter sitcom debuted in late October, which means it still has plenty of unaired episodes in the can.

After eight episodes, "Listen Up" has averaged 10.2 million viewers, as well as a 3.3 rating/9 share among adults 18-49. Skein retains a solid 97% of its Monday night lead-in, "Still Standing."

---------------

And, I don't know if this qualifies as news, but "Law and Order" is going to court:

A lawyer sued the producers of the television show ``Law & Order'' for $15 million Friday, claiming they defamed him by portraying him as a crooked attorney in one ``ripped from the headlines'' episode.

Ravi Batra said the show titled ``Floater'' maliciously inflicted emotional, economic and professional injury on him.

The episode initially focuses on the husband of a woman whose decomposed body is found in the Hudson River. Detectives investigate the husband's alibi _ and find a corruption scandal at the courthouse where the wife worked. The scandal includes her divorce lawyer and a judge who has heard a suspiciously large number of the lawyer's cases.

Saturday's numbers:

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004.
On the strength of a night-long screening of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," ABC won the Saturday night ratings race, making mere muggles of the competition.

Overall, ABC averaged a 5.0 rating/9 share for the night, just ahead of second place FOX's 4.9/9. NBC was third with a 4.6/8 and CBS trailed with a 3.6/6.

ABC also won in the key demographic of adults 18-49, doing a 3.0 rating. FOX was again a close second with a 2.9 rating, followed by NBC's 2.3 and the 1.5 rating for CBS.

FOX actually won the night's first two hours, starting with a 4.6/8 for "COPS." The first hour of "Harry Potter" on ABC did a 4.4/8 for second. NBC was third with the movie "Men in Black," better than the 3.2/6 for CBS' encore "Dallas Reunion: Return to Southfork."

At 9 p.m. "America's Most Wanted" did a 5.2/9 for the hour, tied with ABC's "Potter" (though the ABC movie drew more viewers). The NBC movie did a 4.0/7 in its second hour, with CBS's "Dallas" special in last.

NBC won at 10 p.m. with the 6.2/11 for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." ABC's movie concluded in a strong second, with CBS' "48 Hours Mystery" doing a 4.3/8 for third.

Originally posted by Rakesh.S
Friday's numbers

...leaving FOX in sixth with "World's Craziest Videos."



It was actually a one-hour condensed encore of the premiere of "The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best." It was a last-minute switch; Zap2It must've not have caught the change.

Thanks for all the help!

Sorry.

I was more isolated this weekend than I expected, so thanks so much to DrDon, Rakesh.S, and f44 for getting the numbers posted.

Sunday’s ratings have now been posted under Latest News, and I’ll get caught up with other details and stories by the end of the day.

Thanks again for everyone’s patience and help.

is HDTV available in th UK?

I think it is coming in 2006, but to be honest, ross, I am not sure.

Pressure builds on Disney to renew NFL broadcast deals

By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — In the mating dance between the NFL and its broadcast partners over new contracts, Disney is now the only wallflower. But it is likely to renew its current $1.15 billion-a-year deal sooner rather than later, says Robert Kraft, owner of NFL champion New England Patriots.
Disney has said for months that it would wait until after the Super Bowl in February for serious talks on its NFL deal for games on its ABC and ESPN networks that expires on Oct. 31, 2005.
But last week, the other NFL networks, Viacom's CBS and News Corp.'s Fox, renewed their Sunday afternoon deals and DirecTV renewed its "Sunday Ticket" satellite package. The heat now is on Disney.
Kraft, a member of the league's TV committee that negotiates contracts, says Disney President Robert Iger has informed NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that he wants to "move forward" with negotiations.
At stake is ABC's 35-year-old Monday Night Football franchise — the network's highest-rated prime-time show the last three seasons — as well as ESPN's weekly Sunday night game.
"I've gotten indications from (Disney) that it intends to be a player here and a strong player," Kraft says. "I've gotten those feelings right from the top of the company."
Disney's take-it-slow stance is understandable, says Gene Upshaw, former Oakland Raiders star turned executive director of the NFL players union. The company has been dealing with a lot of issues this year, he says, such as the shareholder revolt against CEO Michael Eisner and a hostile takeover attempt by Comcast.
But Kraft says that the recent resurgence in Disney's earnings and ABC's ratings — with shows such as Desperate Housewives— could be a "catalyst" for a quick deal. "I would be very surprised if they don't come forward with a strong offer very soon," Kraft says.
ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys confirms ESPN boss George Bodenheimer and Iger were in talks with Tagliabue last week but said the talks were part of "ongoing" negotiations. Bodenheimer, president of both ESPN and ABC Sports, said in a statement that his timetable has not changed and, "Our intention remains the same: to renew both packages."
Disney likely will have to boost its offer 30% to $9 billion, or $1.5 billion a year over six seasons, to retain the NFL. For their deals starting in 2006, CBS and Fox agreed to pay a combined $8 billion over six seasons at price increases of 25% and 30%, respectively. News Corp.'s DirecTV will pay $3.5 billion over five years, also a big rise.
Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports, warns Disney could pay more if it waits too long — or lose football completely. "If the world perceives that their NFL rights are in play, that's not a comfortable position to be in."
Meanwhile, lurking on the sidelines is rival NBC Universal, which has approached the NFL about games for its NBC and USA networks. It can't make a formal offer until Disney's deal expires.
CEO Robert Wright told CNBC during a TV interview Friday that he's interested in a return to the gridiron: "We just have to determine whether there's room in our world to take on those cost levels."
The NFL is a mixed bag for Disney — and for Iger. While the weekly ESPN Sunday broadcast is profitable, MNF loses an estimated $150 million a year. As a sweetener for renewal, NFL will fix a longstanding grievance by giving MNF the chance to swap seven late-season games to get better match-ups.
As Iger campaigns to succeed Eisner as CEO, he doesn't want to be seen as signing a bad deal. But the former protégé of MNF founder Roone Arledge also might not want to be the executive who gave up ABC's pioneering football franchise. Particularly if it goes to NBC Universal.
Rising rights fees led NBC to drop out of the major pro sports six years ago in favor of a so-called small-ball sports mix of the Olympics, NASCAR auto racing and arena football. But now prime-time ratings are an issue. Friends and Frasier are off the air, ERis no longer dominant and Joey is not getting the numbers that many thought it would. Says Kraft: "When a network's prime-time programs start to slip, they start to appreciate NFL programming."
NBC could find a more cost-effective way back in the game by buying half of ESPN's current Sunday night cable package that was previously split between TNT and ESPN. Or it could bid on a new late-season, eight-game Thursday/Saturday night the NFL is planning.
As for football fans, Upshaw predicts that if MNF moves to NBC from ABC, they won't miss a beat. It wasn't long ago that NBC and CBS controlled Sunday afternoon, he says. Now, Fox and CBS do.
"Who's bringing you the game is an afterthought these days. You just want to know where to find it," Upshaw says.
Contributing: David Lieberman

fredfa, remove NBC Movie of The Week "Men in Black" HD Nov 13 8 pm ET. It already aired.

NBC Holiday Specials
(Released by NBC)
(from thefutoncritic.com) BURBANK, Calif. -- November 15, 2004 -- NBC rings in the holidays and jingle-bell rocks with holiday cheer as it presents a festive assortment of Thanksgiving, Christmas and other seasonal programs, including specials starring the cast of "Seinfeld," Clay Aiken, Tim McGraw, traditional favorites "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" and "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" and the holiday classics "It's a Wonderful Life," as well as new series episodes from "ER," "American Dreams" and "Will & Grace," among others.
Other bright and shiny programming events include a new musical movie musical version of "A Christmas Carol" (starring Kelsey Grammer), theatrical film hits such as "Shrek" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and NBC's airing of the traditional holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street."
Following are some of the programs, dates and times featured during the 2004 holiday season (all times ET):
WEDNESDAY NOVEMER 17
LAX -- (8-9 p.m.)
"Secret Santa"
SANTA'S STEALING CHRISTMAS -- When a fugitive Santa Claus wanted for armed robbery leads police on a high-speed chase at LAX, Harley (Heather Locklear) and Roger (Blair Underwood) work with the LAPD to track down Kris Kringle among the departing passengers. However, when Santa ditches his red coat and white beard, the airport chiefs have to think fast to stop him form boarding an outbound flight. Meanwhile, Harley faces the frightening proposition of moving in with her boyfriend and Roger attempts to save his marriage after falling off the wagon by placing a large sports bet and losing big. Paul Leyden, Frank John Hughes, Wendy Hoopes and Daivd Paetkau also star.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21
AMERICAN DREAMS -- (8-9 p.m.)
"Tidings of Comfort & Joy" (presented commercial-free by Ford)
KELLY CLARKSON REPRISES ROLE AS BRENDA LEE, AND JOJO GUEST-STARS AS A YOUNG LINDA RONSTADT -- In a commercial-free episode sponsored by Ford, JJ (Will Estes), barely alive in the jungle, finds a Christmas miracle in the form of a fellow American soldier, Joey Tremain (guest star Chris Pine) as they encourage each other to stay alive. Meanwhile, Helen (Gail O'Grady) teaches Beth (Rachel Boston) some important tips on caring for her new baby but Beth becomes infuriated when Helen invites her estranged father over to the house to meet his new grandson. When Meg (Brittany Snow) gets upset that Army recruiters are visiting the campus, she finds herself in a dangerous situation when Chris (guest star Milo Ventimiglia) decides to take matters into his own hands at the recruiting center. Kelly Clarkson ("American Idol") reprises her role as Brenda Lee singing "Rock Around the Christmas Tree," and singer JoJo guest-stars as a young Linda Ronstadt who auditions for "Bandstand." "Extra" co-host Dayna Devon and Nick Warnock ("The Apprentice") also guest-star. Tom Verica, Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta, Vanessa Lengies, Sarah Ramos and Ethan Dampf also star.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24
TIM MCGRAW: HERE AND NOW -- (8-9 p.m.)
TIM MCGRAW: HERE AND NOW -- On the heels of his box office success with "Friday Night Lights" and Billboard chart-topping CD, "Live Like You Were Dying," music superstar Tim McGraw returns to NBC for his second music special, which includes a duet with his wife -- music superstar Faith Hill -- and a special appearance by Green Bay Packers' quarterback Brett Favre. Also included is a duet with Nelly of their #1 single, "Over and Over." Tim McGraw and Anthony Eaton are executive producers of this special from Tall Pony Productions.
THURSDAY (THANKSGIVING), NOVEMBER 25
THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE -- (9 a.m.-12 p.m.-all time zones)
MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE CONTINUES ANNUAL TRADITION ON NBC -- The 78th anniversary of America's favorite Thanksgiving Day parade features all the spectacular pageantry, fun and surprises that have made this annual New York City extravaganza a perennial favorite. Heralding the start of the Christmas season, this beloved holiday parade features colorful grand floats, lively marching bands, amazing character balloons and special performances by some of today's hottest stars and Broadway performers -- plus an appearance by Santa Claus. Brad Lachman is the executive producer of this live (in some time zones), three-hour special from NBC Entertainment. Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and Al Roker will host the event
THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA -- (12- 2 p.m.- all time zones)
JOHN O'HURLEY HOSTS ANNUAL HOLIDAY EVENT WITH 'THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA' -- Hosted by John O'Hurley ("Seinfeld), "The National Dog Show" takes place as part of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia's annual dog show, one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting events in North America, and one of only six remaining "benched" dog shows where the public can interact with the show dogs. The show is expected to feature more than 2,000 of the nation's leading canines in a wide variety of more than 150 breeds and varieties, all vying for "Best in Show" honors.
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET -- (2-4 p.m.)
NBC PRESENTS ORIGINAL HOLIDAY 'MIRACLE' -- NBC continues its tradition of bringing home the holiday classics with this Academy Award-winning feature. Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn)--the real Santa Claus--is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store in New York City. His gentle, joyous spirit and magical powers soon transform those around him including a little girl (Natalie Wood) and her cynical mother Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara). However, Kris' attempts to spread the true meaning of Christmas in a cynical world land him in the psychology ward with only lawyer (John Payne) on his side.
WILL & GRACE -- (8-9 p.m.)
"Everybody Loves Vince"
SECRETS REVEALED FOR THE HOLIDAY-'THE SOPRANOS' JAMIE-LYNN DISCALA AND BOBBY CANNAVALE GUEST-STAR -- When Vince's (guest star Bobby Cannavale) mother injures her leg and is unable to make her traditional Italian Thanksgiving, Will (Eric McCormack) comes to the rescue by offering to make his own special dinner -- but Vince's slap-happy mother refuses to give Will any credit. Meanwhile, Jack (Sean Hayes) gives Vince's sister Ro (guest star Jamie-Lynn DiScala, "The Sopranos") a few pointers on a big secret she is keeping from her family and fiance. Elsewhere, Grace (Debra Messing) and Karen (Megan Mullally) get very cozy with Vince's much younger brother.
THE 'SEINFELD' STORY -- (10-11 p.m.)
CLASSIC 'SEINFELD' CELEBRATED WITH SERIES RETROSPECTIVE -- NBC will celebrate the best memories of one of television's all-time classic comedies with a special retrospective commemorating the mega-hit "Seinfeld." Title star Jerry Seinfeld will host and others who are interviewed will include fellow cast members Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as co-creator and executive producer Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). During interviews, each cast member will talk about the series' genesis and concentrate on the first four years when "Seinfeld" formed its unique style until it emerged as an acclaimed comedy classic. In addition, notable recurring characters will be seen in vintage clips. The special will be telecast in high definition (HDTV). As a result of new film transfers, this will mark the first time that "Seinfeld" has ever been broadcast in the advanced quality format of HDTV.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- IT'S A WONDEFUL LIFE -- (8-11 p.m.)
NBC marks a milestone for the nation's visually impaired as the network presents this exclusive and special telecast of Frank Capra's 1946 holiday classic, "It's a Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. Through a process of Descriptive TheatreVision, the special presentation will be described for the blind and visually impaired by former President George Bush. Bush's description will inform the viewer of what is occurring on the screen, filling the blanks where no dialogue or other sounds tell a visually impaired person what is happening during a television presentation. The film follows the life of George Bailey (Stewart) from childhood to maturity in the town of Bedford Falls. On what might be his last Christmas Eve, a discouraged Bailey wants to throw his life away. Fortunately, Clarence (Henry Travers), a second-class angel, is sent to show him the value of life. After Clarence gives Bailey a view of Bedford Falls without him, Bailey realizes how precious his life is and gets a second chance. He comes to learn that Clarence was right when he said, "No man is a failure who has friends." The film, which earned Oscar nominations for best picture, director, actor and film editing, was produced and directed by Capra.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- SHREK -- (7-9 p.m.)
NBC PRESENTS SUCCESSFUL ANIMATED TALE OF 'SHREK' WITH FOOTAGE NOT INCLUDED IN THEATRICAL VERSION -- The mega-hit animated film "Shrek" come to NBC featuring a strange and colorful land populated by fairy-tale characters. An ogre named Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) must go on a quest to rescue the fair princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) from a dark tower guarded by a dragon so that she can live happily ever-after with the allegedly valiant Lord Farquaad (voiced by John Lithgow). Along for the adventure is Shrek's "noble steed" Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) who battles alongside the ogre as he fights for the noblest of motives -- to rid his beloved swamp from unwanted storybook creatures in the hopes of living a happy and completely lonely existence. The animated tale will feature extra scenes deleted from the theatrical release as well as the in-store DVD.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL -- (9-11 p.m.)
MUSICAL VERSION OF 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL' STARS KELSEY GRAMMER -- This two-hour movie musical based on the long-running Madison Square Garden stage production, "A Christmas Carol" -- stars Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer (NBC's "Frasier") as Scrooge -- in the timeless classic by Charles Dickens and is executive-produced by Emmy-winning Robert Halmi Sr. ("Gulliver's Travels"). Tony Award winner Jason Alexander ("Jerome Robbins' 'Broadway,'" "Seinfeld") stars as Jacob Marley, while Jesse L. Martin ("Law & Order"), Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski ("Nine the Musical," "Ally McBeal"), and three-time Golden Globe nominee Geraldine Chaplin ("Mary, Mother of Jesus," "Mother Teresa") star as the ghosts of Christmas Present, Past and Future, respectively. Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Heartbreakers," the upcoming "Garfield: The Movie") also stars as Emily, Scrooge's lost love. The Madison Square Garden production of "A Christmas Carol" features a creative pedigree that includes music by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Alan Menken ("Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast"), lyrics from Tony winner Lynn Ahrens ("Ragtime," "Anastasia"), and a book by the late Mike Ockrent ("Crazy for You") and Ahrens (who also wrote the teleplay). Emmy Award winner Arthur Allan Seidelman ("Like Mother, Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes," "An Enemy Among Us") directs this production from Hallmark Entertainment.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER -- (8-9 p.m.)
NBC CONTINUES A HOLIDAY TRADITION WITH ITS LIVE, SEVENTH-ANNUAL NATIONAL TELECAST OF THE 72ND CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS CHRISTMAS TREE -- "Christmas in Rockefeller Center," hosted by Al Roker (NBC's "Today") and Nancy O'Dell ("Access"), is a star-studded, one-hour special from Rockefeller Center in New York City. The popular musical lineup for the special will include a mix of current hits and favorite holiday music with performances by Hilary Duff, Kenny Chesney, Clay Aiken, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Chris Isaak, Michael Buble, Vanessa Williams and the Radio City Rockettes. "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" is produced for a national audience by WNBC and TWI, the television division of IMG (International Management Group).
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- 'THE FAMILY MAN' -- (8-11 p.m.)
OSCAR WINNER NICOLAS CAGE STARS -- Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage ("Leaving Las Vegas") stars as Jack Campbell, a career-driven workaholic with a seemingly perfect life - until a chance meeting with a would-be robber (Don Cheadle, "Ocean's 11"), on Christmas Eve changes his life. Waking up Christmas morning in a New Jersey suburb, Jack's suddenly living a different life where he's married to his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni, "Hollywood Ending") and is the father of two children. At first he is aghast, but Jack soon warms to his new life even though he knows that it cannot last.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8
A CLAY AIKEN CHRISTMAS -- (8-9 p.m.)
JOIN CLAY AIKEN AND GUEST STAR BARRY MANILOW, GOSPEL SINGER YOLANDA ADAMS AND MEGAN MULLALLY (WILL & GRACE) AS THEY PERFORM TRADITIONAL YULE TIDE CAROLS HAVE YOURSELF A CLAY AIKEN CHRISTMAS -- "A Clay Aiken Christmas" will feature favorite carols performed by Clay Aiken and duets with Special Guest Star Barry Manilow and gospel singer Yolanda Adams as well as a solo by "Will & Grace" star Megan Mullally. The 1-hour special will air at 8pm on NBC, December 8. The intimate performance is set against a traditional Christmas backdrop complete with holly and snow. Four-time Emmy Award winner Louis J. Horvitz is the executive producer and director on this project. Songs featured in the special include "Santa Clause is Coming to Town, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, "Mary, Did You Know?" and "Happy Holidays." The special will come on the heels of Aiken's first book, "Learning to Sing" and his Holiday album "Merry Christmas with Love" album both scheduled to be released on November 16. Aiken will begin his holiday tour "The Joyful Noise" on November 21.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9
"ER" (10-11 p.m. ET)
CHRISTMAS IN THE E.R. IS ALWAYS BITTERSWEET -- On Christmas Eve, the emergency room staff scrambles to leave for the holiday as Abby (Maura Tierney) receives a dialysis patient who is in critical condition -- but she can't reach his physician because he doesn't want to be disturbed during the holidays. After much effort, a distraught Chen (Ming-Na) finally finds someone to cover her shift so she can attend to her ailing father. Concerned for her, Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) stops by her house to find her struggling with her father's worsening health. Carter (Noah Wyle) and Wendall (Madchen Amick) grow closer and share an awkward kiss as they wish each other a Merry Christmas. Also starring Shane West, Linda Cardellini and Sherry Stringfield.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION -- (8-10 p.m.)
CHRISTMAS -- GRISWOLD FAMILY STYLE -- The hit theatrical film returns and it's Christmas time again as the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark (Chevy Chase), his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
THE SEINFELD STORY -- (10-11 p.m.)
CLASSIC 'SEINFELD' CELEBRATED WITH SERIES RETROSPECTIVE -- NBC will celebrate the best memories of one of television's all-time classic comedies with a special retrospective commemorating the mega-hit "Seinfeld." Title star Jerry Seinfeld will host and others who are interviewed will include fellow cast members Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as co-creator and executive producer Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). During interviews, each cast member will talk about the series' genesis and concentrate on the first four years when "Seinfeld" formed its unique style until it emerged as an acclaimed comedy classic.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
NBC MOVIE OF THE WEEK -- SECRET SANTA -- (9-11 p.m.)
JENNIE GARTH STARS IN ORIGINAL HOLIDAY TV MOVIE -- AND LEARNS TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS -- Jennie Garth ("What I Like About You," "Beverly Hills, 90210") stars in this original movie as Rebecca Chandler, a young journalist whose cynical take on Christmas lands her in a small town on assignment to uncover the identity of a mysterious philanthropist, "Secret Santa." In the process, she learns the true meaning of Christmas. Steven Eckholdt (NBC's "The West Wing") stars as John Carter, the town's generous and handsome millionaire, who quickly becomes Rebecca's prime suspect. Television veterans Barbara Billingsley ("Leave It to Beaver") and Charlie Robinson ("Night Court") also star. Robert Tate Miller is the writer.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION -- (8-10 p.m.)
CHRISTMAS -- GRISWOLD FAMILY STYLE -- The hit theatrical film returns and it's Christmas time again as the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark (Chevy Chase), his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24
A CHRISTMAS CAROL -- (9-11 p.m.)
MUSICAL VERSION OF 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL' STARS KELSEY GRAMMER -- This two-hour movie musical based on the long-running Madison Square Garden stage production, "A Christmas Carol" -- stars Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer (NBC's "Frasier") as Scrooge -- in the timeless classic by Charles Dickens and is executive-produced by Emmy-winning Robert Halmi Sr. ("Gulliver's Travels"). Tony Award winner Jason Alexander ("Jerome Robbins' 'Broadway,'" "Seinfeld") stars as Jacob Marley, while Jesse L. Martin ("Law & Order"), Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski ("Nine the Musical," "Ally McBeal"), and three-time Golden Globe nominee Geraldine Chaplin ("Mary, Mother of Jesus," "Mother Teresa") star as the ghosts of Christmas Present, Past and Future, respectively. Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Heartbreakers," the upcoming "Garfield: The Movie") also stars as Emily, Scrooge's lost love. The Madison Square Garden production of "A Christmas Carol" features a creative pedigree that includes music by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Alan Menken ("Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast"), lyrics from Tony winner Lynn Ahrens ("Ragtime," "Anastasia"), and a book by the late Mike Ockrent ("Crazy for You") and Ahrens (who also wrote the teleplay). Emmy Award winner Arthur Allan Seidelman ("Like Mother, Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes," "An Enemy Among Us") directs this production from Hallmark Entertainment.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31
NEW YEAR'S EVE WITH CARSON DALY -- LIVE NEW YEAR'S EVE SPECIAL -- (10-11 p.m.)
CARSON DALY BEGINS NEW TRADITION WITH PRIMETIME NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION -- Carson Daly hosts a primetime New Year's Eve Special live from Rockefeller Plaza that includes a mix of musical performances and guest appearances. In addition, Daly will take the temperature of the country, most specifically Times Square, as we get ready to bring in 2005. The event will feature musical performances by Duran Duran, Avril Lavigne and Maroon 5. Confirmed guests to appear include Brian Williams, Donald Trump, and others to be announced.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2005
116th TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET)
AL ROKER ("TODAY") AND NANCY O'DELL ("ACCESS HOLLYWOOD") TEAM UP AGAIN TO HOST POPULAR NEW YEAR'S DAY EVENT -- Al Roker, the weatherman and feature reporter for NBC's "Today," and Nancy O'Dell, co-anchor of the daily entertainment news magazine show "Access Hollywood," will reunite for the fifth-consecutive year to co-host NBC's live coverage of the "116th Tournament of Roses Parade" from Pasadena, California. The parade, whose theme this year is "Celebrate Family," will feature lavish floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and lively marching bands, as well as this year's Rose Queen and her court. Arthur Forrest is the executive producer/director, Carol Kahl is the supervising producer, Tom Patino is the line producer and Stephanie Prescott is the coordinating producer for NBC Entertainment.

Nascar to Seek Rights-Fee
Parity with New NFL Packages

By John Consoli Mediaweek.com November 15, 2004
In the wake of the National Football League’s announcement last week of a new $8 billion, six-year deal with CBS and Fox to televise Sunday afternoon games through 2011, Nascar is itching to get underway with its own TV rights renewals, the first of which comes up following the 2006 season.

Nascar officials privately believe their telecasts are currently undervalued, particularly the second-half of the racing season on NBC and TNT, in which ratings have grown as a result of the new Chase for the Cup driver points system that was initiated this year.

Ratings for the last four races on NBC are up 15 percent cumulatively over last season, and Nascar is expected to seek a hefty increase from NBC if it wants to renew its telecast rights. The NBC/TNT portion is up for renewal following the 2006 season, while the Fox portion of Nascar rights runs through the 2008 season, although Nascar has the option of terminating it after the ’06 season.

If the NFL can secure hefty rights-fee increases when the TV ratings over the course of its current contract declined, Nascar officials believe they can do as well, or better, since its ratings have grown. Also bolstering Nascar officials’ hopes for big rights hikes is ESPN’s open desire to televise the races.

At a recent upfront event, George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN/ABC Sports, stated that the one property he would like to add to the ABC/ESPN schedule is Nascar.

While NBC has an exclusive window to negotiate, Nascar could hold out and allow ESPN to bid. This prospect has fueled speculation that NBC may walk away from Nascar, and concentrate its efforts on a bid for either ABC’s Monday Night Football package or the newly created NFL Thursday/Saturday package. NBC may also bid on a new Major League Baseball telecast-rights package.

Fox owns all the national baseball broadcast telecast rights, which expire following the 2006 season.

Tim Brosnan, MLB executive vp business, said, “We believe we have a good relationship with our current TV partners. If we can reach a fair price deal with our current partners, that is what we would do. But we also have an obligation to our owners to bring the package that is most valuable to them.”

NBC officials had no comment on any potential rights bids. But sources familiar with the situation believe the network is no longer adverse to spending big bucks on sports-rights deals. One source said, “NBC would do an NFL deal if it makes business sense.”

Dick Glover, Nascar vp of broadcasting and new media, would not comment on the approach Nascar would take in future TV rights negotiations, but does believe adding the Chase for the Cup format provided added value to NBC/TNT by increasing viewership during a cluttered time of year for TV sports. Glover also said an often-overlooked fact about Nascar telecasts is that 40 percent of the audience is female. “Our fan base continues to grow and our fans have unusually high product loyalty, a key point for advertisers,” he said.

While the other sports posture over future rights deals, the NFL, in the minds of media buyers, is clearly the king of TV sports, and will continue to be. “By 2011 [when the next TV rights contract ends], the NFL will be the highest-rated show on television on any night of the week,” said Jon Mandel, chairman of MediaCom. That’s why CBS and Fox jumped at the chance to renew their deals at increases of 24 percent ($622 million per year) and 29 percent ($712 million per year), respectively.

One renewal sweetener for the networks was the NFL’s willingness to reinstate in-game ad enhancements, which are banned under the current rights. The NFL will allow them on a limited basis—perhaps one per quarter. The league will also sell them, sharing the revenue with the nets. Another bone thrown to the nets was the right to telecast an additional national pre-season game, an added source of revenue.

Mandel said he is glad the NFL—rather than the networks—is controlling the enhancements because it is less likely to oversell them and create in-game clutter. “I embrace this because it protects us from ourselves,” he said. “If the networks sell it, and if [media agencies] have our way, we would trash it up. You would have enhancement creep.”

Tim Spengler, Initiative’s executive vp/director of national broadcast, said, “In-game enhancements, if they’re limited, will be valuable to advertisers. Every advertiser would love to have a position in the highest rated sports league on TV.”

Buyer reaction to the newly-created Thursday-Saturday night NFL package, still up for bid, was mixed. “The beauty of the NFL is that it is on a limited number of days right now,” Spengler said. “If they add two more days, will it dilute its specialness? That may be too much football for people.”

Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at Mediaedge:cia, said a Saturday night game would hold more value. “Right now, a few networks are really clicking on Thursdays and adding the NFL could draw viewers, particularly younger ones, away from their scripted shows,” he said. “On Saturday, no network can get itself arrested, so the NFL might bring viewers back into the tent.”

The Sunday night package that ESPN now controls also may be up for grabs. Sources say the NFL would consider splitting the rights into two halves of the season, like it did under the previous contract, when ESPN and TNT shared the rights. And the NFL has reportedly not ruled out having its own NFL Network televise some regular-season games, perhaps half of a Sunday package or the Thursday-Saturday package.

TNT/TBS is also expected to bid on either or both of those packages.

Originally posted on the first page
Sci Fi Keeps Stargate Open

(From MultiChannel News---
Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 will both return to Sci Fi Channel, the network announced Monday.
Production on 20-episode seasons of both shows will begin in March, and episodes will debut during the summer.
Stargate SG-1 is returning for a ninth original season, tying Fox’s The X-Files as the longest-running science-fiction drama series on American television, Sci Fi said.
Stargate Atlantis debuted in July.Bah-hahaha! This show just won't die! First the fifth season was going to be the last, then the seventh, then the eighth… now are they even claiming the ninth will be the last? :D Good on them, the show's still doing great, better than it ever did on Showtime, why bother quitting while you're on top? ;) Though it's interesting, Atlantis is only getting a 20-episode order as well… seems a tad short for a young show. Not that I mind… squeeze some more quality into fewer shows, not a bad policy… works wonders for HBO.

(Season Six, sadly not in HD, premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET)

An Audience Finally Catches Up to 'The Amazing Race'

By JOE RHODES The New York Times November 16, 2004
In the relatively short history of reality television there seems to have been one inescapable pattern: a show is either successful right out of the gate or it sputters and quickly dies. Slow starts are rarely allowed.
That makes CBS's late-blooming "Amazing Race" a notable survivor: it flirted with cancellation for four seasons before ratings suddenly escalated last summer, making it the most-watched reality series on television. After years of bouncing around in low-priority time slots, "The Amazing Race," in which 11 2-person teams race around the world in pursuit of a million-dollar prize, will have its sixth-season premiere with a two-hour special tonight, in the high-profile heart of the prime-time November sweeps.
"Sometimes you just get a perfect storm of elements, and that's clearly what happened in Season 5," said Kelly Kahl, executive vice president of programming at CBS. His theory? The cumulative effect of a hard-core fan base, years of effusive reviews (a number of which called "The Amazing Race" the best reality show on television in its first season), back-to-back Emmy Awards in 2003 and 2004 for best reality program, and a particularly appealing cast of competitors all came together to bolster the show's ratings, particularly among the younger viewers prized by the networks.
The late-September season finale drew nearly 13 million viewers and the summer episodes averaged 10.7 million, high numbers for that time of year. More important from CBS's perspective, the show nearly doubled its ratings among its 18-to-34 viewers and won its time period every week.
The ratings resurrection has been especially gratifying for Bertram van Munster, the show's Dutch-born co-creator and executive producer. For Mr. van Munster, the show is the culmination of his lengthy career as a globe-trotting documentarian, a rough-and-tumble life that included several seasons in harm's way as the chief cameraman on "Cops." The "Amazing Race" had such a shaky start, though, that he was convinced it would not survive.
The series had its premiere on Sept. 5, 2001, six days before the terrorist attacks. The opening sequence, which had seemed so exhilarating when it was first broadcast - a computer-generated close-up of a passenger jet racing through clouds - suddenly seemed ominous.
"Once we saw our billboards covered in dust from the 9/11 tragedy, we knew we had a problem," Mr. van Munster said. "The world had changed from one second to another, and we were doing a show about traveling overseas, about airplanes. At that point, I thought the show was over. I didn't think we had a chance."
There were other problems. In the wake of the enormous success of "Survivor," the first big wave of reality programming was flooding the networks and, programming analysts say, "The Amazing Race" got lost in the crowd.
"I think they had a hard time differentiating themselves from some of those other shows," said Stacey Lynn Koerner, a broadcast ratings analyst and executive vice president of Initiative Media Worldwide. "The ratings performances were never bad, but they didn't compare to the blockbuster numbers that 'Survivor' was getting."
The ratings might have been mediocre, but audience reaction to "The Amazing Race" was intense from the start. Reviewers gushed and Internet devotees sang its praises. Andy Dehnart, the creator and editor of realityblurred.com, a Web site devoted to reality television, said viewers were quickly hooked on the show's deceptively simple premise: teams of people with existing relationships - married couples, best friends, siblings - race from one designated location to another, performing tasks and picking up clues to their next destination, experiencing local customs and frequently getting lost along the way. The last team to arrive at each pit stop is eliminated from the race.
"I think one of the biggest reasons people love this show is that you get to live vicariously through the people on the screen," Mr. Dehnart said. "It's not like other shows where people are made to suffer or humiliate themselves. Most of the time, these people are doing things you'd like to do yourself."
"I think the cast is very important, that's half the battle," Mr. van Munster said, acknowledging that the quirky assortment of contestants in Season 5 - including a maniacally intense man named Colin, born-again Christian fashion models and an easygoing middle-aged couple who eventually won the race - had a lot to do with the increased audience interest. "We want people between 21 and 70 from all walks of life," he said.
The first season saw competitors travel from New York to Johannesburg, Paris to Tunis, Rome to New Delhi, and then to Bangkok, Beijing, Anchorage, San Francisco and back to New York. Scheming, bickering and exhausted, participants in the first five seasons have found themselves bungee jumping in New Zealand, searching archaeological digs in Egypt, stuffing themselves with cheese in Switzerland and with caviar in Russia. They have raced sampans and ox carts, crawled through temples filled with rats, ridden elephants and camels, climbed mountains, kayaked over waterfalls and hang glided from cliffs.
Through it all, the ratings remained good but not great. "There were times when it was close to being canceled," Mr. Kahl of CBS said. "It's a show that was always on the bubble. But it had a lot of things going for it. It was always one of the youngest-skewing shows on our air, if not the youngest. And the response we got from fans - letters, e-mails, phone calls - was almost unprecedented."
For his part, Mr. van Muster said: "They never told us it was in trouble or that it wasn't coming back. But sometimes the phone would be awfully quiet for a couple of months. That always made me nervous."
Last summer, though, perhaps because word of mouth had finally spread far enough or perhaps because other shows had failed to find an audience, "The Amazing Race" finally took off. "I think it just took a while for the audience to find it," said the show's executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, whose heavyweight presence (he also produces the immensely profitable "CSI" franchise for CBS) might have helped the series survive the rough spots.
Now Mr. van Munster must deal with the perils of success. For the first few seasons, he and his crew (including the show's host, Phil Keoghan) could move from place to place in relative anonymity. Not anymore. "Now, wherever we go, in southern India or running through the Jakarta airport," Mr. van Munster said, "people know who we are. They come up and yell, 'You're "The Amazing Race"!' But I don't mind, I think of it as free-flow advertising."
With so many people on the lookout for him and his racers, you would expect Mr. van Munster to be worried about Internet spoilers ruining the fun, tipping off destinations and tasks long before they hit the air. "We use decoy teams," he said, obviously enjoying the prospect of outsmarting the cyber spies. "They never really know where we're going. If I take you to Paris," he said, "I'm not taking you to the Eiffel Tower. I take you to the sewer pipes."
The only downside he sees to success is that his international production crews assume his budget has gone up accordingly. "When you start getting Emmys, then everybody all of a sudden thinks you're rich," he said. "They think CBS is doubling the budget. You can be assured that is not the case."
In the meantime, Mr. van Munster continues to scout locations for the seventh season, more than ever convinced that the world is a far less dangerous place than it sometimes seems. "Everybody everywhere has been helpful to us from the beginning," he said, "because I tell them: 'I'm not here to criticize your country or your culture. I'm here to bring Americans to learn from you and to have a good time.' Right now, the only places I wouldn't consider going are Iraq and Afghanistan. Everything else is on the board."

NBC, affils plan for weather Digi-weather net on horizon

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK Variety.com Posted: Mon., Nov. 15, 2004, 8:02pm PT

NEW YORK -- Peacock affiliates and NBC Universal launched their jointly owned tiny weather net on Monday, saying they want to catch the country by digital storm.

[B]NBC Weather Plus[/U], bowing on the 78th anniversary of NBC's debut as the country's first radio net, is among a new breed of networks made possible by the transition to digital.

In addition to broadcasting their main signal, TV stations suddenly find themselves with room left over to carry ancillary channels, however tiny.

The problem: how to get the digital signal into the living room.

So far, only one cable operator --Time Warner -- has agreed to carry Weather Plus. That's in Gotham, where Time Warner digital cable customers can find the 24/7 weather and alert net on channel 731. Digital signal is being broadcast by WNBC-TV.

NBC and its affils are initially rolling out Weather Plus in 15 markets over the next 90 days, including in Sacramento. KNBC-TV in Los Angeles is skedded to begin broadcasting Weather Plus early next year.

Without cable carriage, the ancillary weather channel will only be available terrestrially to households with digital TV sets, greatly restricting its reach.

Hearst-Argyle Television exec VP and NBC Affiliate board chair Terry Mackin said the joint venture is in discussions with multiple cable operators and that he's cautiously optimistic that deals will be cut. Talks also are under way with satcasters.

"They see us as a way of promoting their digital services," Mackin said. "I assure you that there will be many more that will follow Time Warner's example."

NBC U and the large TV stations groups also are pushing the Federal Communications Commission to require that cable operators carry all ancillary digital channels, just as they are required to carry the primary broadcast signals in any given market.

The debut of Weather Plus, which will be a blend of national and local info, marks the first time in the history of broadcast TV that a network and its affiliates co-own a channel.

NBC U exec VP Brandon Burgess declined to reveal the pricetag for the weather channel, noting programming costs are minimized since content is being provided by the existing weather staff at NBC News and the weather desks at local stations.

"If anything, the local television stations have been built out to do a lot more than they do in terms of weather. The infrastructure is already in place," Burgess said.

The Weather Channel prexy Patrick Scott said he isn't worried about the bow of NBC Weather Net, noting his channel reaches 89 million Nielsen households.

"This is a big market and they are late coming in," Scott said. "But we won't ignore it. We will track it and see how it goes."

Bow of NBC Weather Plusfollows the launch of ABC News' secondary digital cable net, ABC News Now. The tiny 24/7 net was initially slated to go off the air after the Nov. 2 election, but hasn't been yanked so far.

ABC Orders more episodes of "Complete Strangers" and "Rodney"

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Variety.com Posted: Mon., Nov. 15, 2004, 10:00pm PT
ABC has given a vote of confidence to both of its frosh laffers, picking up a full season of newcomers "Complete Savages" and "Rodney."
Net has greenlit nine more episodes of each sitcom, in addition to the 13 segs previously ordered.
Neither show has exploded out of the gate, compared with the instant success of Alphabet dramas "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." But in an age where all six nets are having a difficult time launching comedies, ABC execs have decided to show a little patience in nurturing both shows.
"Rodney," from Touchstone TV, has averaged 9.3 million viewers, as well as a 3.8 rating and 9 share among adults 18-49; NBC Universal TV-produced "Complete Savages" has posted a 2.1/7 with adults 18-49, and has averaged 5.93 million viewers.
"Rodney" regularly wins its timeslot (against regular programming) in the demo, while "Savages" has held all of its "8 Simple Rules" lead-in.
"Rodney" stars standup comedian Rodney Carrington as a family man living in America's heartland. "Complete Savages" revolves around a single man (Keith Carradine) raising five teenage boys.

Originally posted by fredfa
NBC, affils plan for weather Digi-weather net on horizon



The beginning of the end of high bitrate HD digital broadcasts....

If the FCC mandates this crap and other sub-channels to be a must-carry like NBC and others will probably want they should all be shot and fed to Mr. Wu's hogs.

Thankfully, the FCC has shown no inclination (yet) to mandate such carriage.
On the other hand, there are so many political donations yet to be made........

Originally posted by fredfa
Thankfully, the FCC has shown no inclination (yet) to mandate such carriage.
On the other hand, there are so many political donations yet to be made........

Yep, that's the scary part...

Networks have no faith in their product anymore. It wasn't until the 3rd season that "All In The Family" shot to number 1 in the ratings. Talk about patience with a program! Now it's 12 weeks or less and out. Or shuffle around for a better time slot. Meanwhile there are many good time slots just wasted. Why would anyone want to put a show opposite "NYPD Blue" or "Law & Order" proven entities? Only the Network Executive's shrink knows. Merril MIllier's book "Only You Dick Daring" has come true.

Monday's ratings have been posted.

While some stations were refusing to air "Saving Private Ryan", others were going in the opposite direction.
Well, it IS sweeps month, after all.

Nude Broadcast Breaks Record

By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable 11/16/2004 10:42 AM ET
Looks like WOIO Cleveland's shot at full disclosure worked.
According to early returns, its decision not to blur the nudity in a story on performance artist Spencer Tunick that featured one of its own anchors in the buff was a big hit with viewers.
News Director Steve Doerr, who asked anchor Sharon Reed to bare it all for the sake of news, art and ratings, said that viewer reaction to the Monday night piece had been 2-1 in support of the station. Doerr and GM Bill Applegate had already vetted the piece with their lawyers, who said it was OK given the post-10 p.m. timing, the start of the FCC's safe harbor for so-called indecent material.
The ratings returns were even more stunning. The 11 p.m. newscast did the best late news number in the station's history at a 17.1/30 share, blowing away the previous record of a 13.6/23, which came on the strength of the best lead-in in the business, last year's Super Bowl, which featured a little partial nudity of its own.
In fact, one of the reasons Doerr and Reed said the station didn't blur the piece was as a reaction to the post-Janet Jackson reveal climate that saw ABC stations refuse to run Saving Private Ryan for fear of FCC retribution. The other reason: that 17.1/30 during sweeps, of course.
Reed participated in a group photo with over a thousand other women, all naked, one of three photos of naked Clevelanders taken by Tunick last summer. He has created similar images around the world after fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for the privilege.
Any plans to re-run the piece? Doerr says no, but he does see room for follow-ups and will run reaction to Monday night's newscast in his Tuesday 4 p.m. news.

Hmmm, you just never, never know.
All the “experts” on the FCC and political matters told us that once Sen. Tom Daschle lost, his former aide, Jonathan Adelstein would NEVER get reappointed to a new term on the FCC.
And even if Daschle had won, they said, Adelstein had upset so many Republicans he would be toast.
Yet:

Bush Nominates Adelstein for New Term

medialifemagazine.com--President George W. Bush said yesterday he will nominate FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein for the remainder of his tenure in office.
Adelstein has been a commissioner since December 2002 and if approved, his term would be extended through June 2008.
Before joining the FCC, Adelstein spent 15 years as a staff member in the Senate.
From 1995-2002, he was a senior legislative aide to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
Adelstein spent his early career in academia, as a teaching fellow in the history department at Harvard University and a teaching assistant in the history department at Stanford University.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com
President Bush late Monday announced his intention to nominate Jonathan Adelstein to a new five-year term at the Federal Communications Commission.
Adelstein -- a Democrat who was just days away from leaving the agency -- is expected to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday. He will require Senate confirmation.
Adelstein was written off by many as the first commissioner to exit the FCC, especially after his mentor and former boss, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), lost his re-election bid Nov. 2 to John Thune. But Adelstein had the support of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and several Senate Democrats.
A Senate source said last week that Senate leaders and the White House reached an agreement before the election on a batch of nominees. Bush announced the nominations of 18 people in the same statement Monday.
Republican FCC commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, whose term expired earlier this year, was not included in the White House list.
Adelstein joined the FCC in 2002 to fill an unexpired term, which ended in June 2003. However, he was permitted to stay at the commission until Congress adjourned this year if no one else was confirmed to take his place.
If confirmed, Adelstein’s new term would run until June 30, 2008.
Adelstein, along with fellow FCC Democrat Michael Copps, strongly opposed efforts by FCC chairman Michael Powell on broadcast deregulation. He also opposed new policies designed to remove legacy phone regulations from Baby Bell broadband networks.

and from mediaweek.com:

Bush Reappoints Adelstein to FCC Post

By Todd Shields mediaweek.com November 16, 2004
President Bush has appointed Democrat Jonathan Adelstein to another term on the Federal Communications Commission.

Adelstein’s term had expired last year, and without presidential action he would have been forced to resign when Congress ends its session in coming days. His new appointment, announced by the White House late Monday, is for a term that expires in June 2008.

The appointment needs Senate confirmation. Adelstein enjoys bipartisan support from members of the Senate Commerce Committee, which will recommend to the full Senate whether it should confirm him.

Adelstein and fellow Democrat Michael Copps have been persistent and vigorous critics of the Republican-dominated FCC’s moves toward permitting more media consolidation. Adelstein's was one of 18 executive appointments announced on Monday, suggesting it emerged as part of a package deal struck between the White House and the Senate.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Primetime Monday Ratings: Monday 11/15/04
Night 12 of the November Sweeps

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 11.8/17
ABC: 11.1/16
NBC: 6.8/10
Fox: 5.4/ 8,
WB: 5.4/ 8
UPN: 3.0/ 4

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Nov. 17, 2003):
Fox: +20
ABC: +14
CBS: + 3
NBC: -14
WB: -16
ABC: -19

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
CBS: 17.07 million
ABC: 13.61
NBC: 9.56
Fox: 7.39
WB: 5.63
UPN: 3.60

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 6.0/15
ABC: 5.5/13
NBC: 3.8/ 9
Fox: 3.3/ 8
WB: 2.0/ 5
UPN: 1.6/ 4

Yesterday's Winners:
Monday Night Football (ABC)
Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
CSI: Miami (CBS)

9 Isn't Enough: We Need a 10th Season:
7th Heaven (WB)

Honorable Mention:
Fear Factor (NBC)
Still Standing (CBS)
Listen Up (CBS)

Yesterday's Losers:
Life Of Luxury (ABC)
The $25 Million Hoax (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS scored another Monday victory, ranking first in the overnights, total viewers and adults 18-49 despite facing Monday Night Football on ABC. At 8 p.m., although CBS sitcoms Still Standing (#1, 7.3/11; A18-49: #2, 3.6/10) and Listen Up (#2: 6.9/10; A18-49: #2, 3.6/ 9) inched past NBC's Fear Factor (#2: 6.7/10; A18-49: #1, 4.3/11) by an average of 5 percent in the overnights, Fear Factor's advantage among adults 18-49 was a still solid 19 percent. Year-to-year, however, both networks remain down in the time period by double-digit percentages.

Also down, but certainly not out, is the WB's 7th Heaven, which was third overall in the overnights (6.1/ 9) and fifth among adults 18-49 (2.3/ 6), beating declining UPN comedies One On One (#6, 2.9/ 4; A18-49: #6, 1.4/ 4) and Half and Half (#6: 3.1/ 4; A18-49: #6, 1.6/ 5) by an average of 103 percent in the overnights and 53 percent among adults 18-49. To-date, veteran 7th Heaven remains the frog net's most-watched series.

Although competing Fox reality hour Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy got some mileage, finishing fourth in the overnights (5.4/ 8) and third among adults 18-49 (3.2/ 9), ABC's Life of Luxury was in ratings poverty with a mere fifth-place 4.7/ 7 in the overnights. Stop smiling, Robin Leach! Note: Due to potential football averages being included in the 8 p.m. hour, we do not include fast affiliate ratings for Life of Luxury.

At 9 p.m., the Philadelphia/Dallas match-up on ABC's Monday Night Football was above average, with a 12.3/20 in the overnights from 9 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 16.08 million viewers and a 6.7/16 among adults 18-49 in primetime.

Although 9-10 p.m. CBS comedies Everybody Loves Raymond (12.2/17; A18-49: 6.1/14) and Two and a Half Men (11.9/16; A18-49: 6.5/15) ranked a very close second (while finishing first in total viewers), red-hot CSI: Miami perked up to a first-place 16.3/24 in the overnights, 22.19 million viewers and an 8.3/20 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Worth noting last night was Two and a Half Men, which seems to get better every week.

Also in the 9 p.m. hour were NBC's consistent Las Vegas (#3: 9.0/13; A18-49: #3, 4.3/10), followed by Fox's goofy The Swan (#4: 5.3/ 8; A18-49: #4, 3.4/ 8), the WB's Everwood (#5: 4.7/ 7; A18-49: #5, `.8/ 4), and UPN comedies Girlfriends (#6: 3.3/ 5; A18-49: #5t, 1.8/ 4) and Second Time Around (#6: 2.8/ 4; A18-49: #6, 1.5/ 3).

At 10 p.m., and opposite CSI: Miami and Monday Night Football, was NBC reality dud The $25 Million Hoax, with a paltry 4.7/ 7 in the overnights, 6.02 million viewers and a 2.7/ 7 among adults 18-49. Calling Average Joe -- NBC needs you back in the time period pronto!

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Ratings Box: What's Hot/What's Not

A New Ratings Record for Court TV:
As the verdict in the Scott Peterson case was announced last Friday, Nov. 12, Court TV reached a new ratings zenith, with a record 2.7 household rating, 2.66 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 during the quarter-hour ending at 4:15 p.m. Comparatively, just 1.6 million viewers on Court TV saw the verdict announced in O.J. Simpson's case in 1995. Court TV's daytime news and trial coverage of the case averaged a 0.8 household rating (tied for No. 5 among all ad-supported cable networks), with 730,000 total viewers during Verdict Watch. That was an increase of 300 and 254 percent, respectively, compared to the cable net's 4th quarter 2003 daytime news and trial averages.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

On the Air Tonight:
Primetime PremieresTuesday 11/16/04 Night 13 of the Nov. 2004 Sweep

CBS:
The Amazing Race 6 (season premiere, two hours)

Fox:
House HD (premiere)

The Scoop on House:
In a sea of reality on Fox comes House, a welcome scripted drama about a brilliant but cantankerous doctor (Hugh Laurie) and his handpicked team of experts. Although House could benefit if Fox leaves the drama in the time period long enough for American Idol to return in January as its lead-in, minimal support from last week's dead-on-arrival The Billionaire Rebel: Branson's Quest for the Best coupled with an unlikable lead character and Fox's quick trigger finger makes House a long-shot.

ABC Teams 'Alias' with 'Lost' for Midseason

(zap2it.com)--"Desperate Housewives" has become a runaway hit for ABC this season in the Sunday timeslot formerly occupied by "Alias." That's created a bit of a dilemma -- albeit one any network would like to have -- when it came to finding a new home for the spy series.
ABC will solve that problem by pairing "Alias" with its other freshman smash, "Lost," on Wednesday nights beginning Jan. 5. Both shows are executive produced by J.J. Abrams, and ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson is hoping that link will help "Alias" break beyond its cult-show status in the ratings.
"When we made the strategic decision this fall on 'Alias,' we only hoped to be in the situation we find ourselves in today," McPherson says. "'Lost' provides a terrific platform for 'Alias'' new season. Not only do both shows have similar audience profiles ... but they also share J.J.'s unique sensibility. This is a great two-hour block of programming."
"Alias" will open its fourth season with a two-hour premiere at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 5. ABC is sticking to its plan to air the show without repeats through the rest of the season, which would put its season finale near the end of May sweeps.
As a result of "Alias" moving to Wednesday, the "Bachelor" franchise is being shipped to Monday nights, where ABC will replace "Monday Night Football" with an all-unscripted night of programming.
Beginning Jan. 10, Mondays will lead off with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: How'd They Do That?," a behind-the-scenes look at the hit home-makeover series that ABC tried out as a special on Nov. 1, to promising results. Each episode will break down the previous night's "EM: Home Edition" to explain how host Ty Pennington and his team of contractors and designers accomplished their build.
"The Bachelorette," featuring ex-rose recipient Jen Schefft, will air at 9 p.m. Mondays. Schefft is returning to the TV-romance game after her engagement and subsequent breakup with "Bachelor" No. 3 Andrew Firestone. A new series, "Supernanny," debuts Jan. 17 and will air at 10 p.m. Mondays.
"What to do with Monday night after football has always been one of the network's biggest challenges," McPherson says. "But we think that we've come up with a strategy for success."
The schedule shuffle leaves the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," which ABC previously announced for Monday nights post-football, without a home for the time being. It and another drama, "Eyes," will be used to plug holes as needed.

CBS Weathers Storm for Weekly Win n

(zap2it.com)--CBS won a commanding victory for the first full week of the November sweeps period. The network used a mixture of typically strong original programming and some standard sweeps events and stunts to win the week ending Sunday, Nov. 14.

Overall Prime Time Ratings/Share/Viewers
CBS 9.7/15/15.04 million viewers
NBC 7.4/12/11.26 million viewers
ABC 6.7/11/10.41 million viewers
Fox 4.7/7/7.35 million viewers
WB 2.5/4/3.77 million viewers
UPN 2.5/4/3.71 million viewers


Adults 18-49:
CBS 4.8
NBC 4.2
ABC 3.9
Fox 3.2
WB 1.6
UPN 1.5

The week's most watched show, as per usual, was CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which did an 18.2/27 and drew 29.64 million viewers, right in line with its season average. "CSI: Miami" was No. 2 with a 14.4/22 and "Without a Trace" was No. 3 with a 13.1/21, filling the top of the Nielsen charts with Jerry Bruckheimer-produced procedural dramas.
The first part of CBS' sweeps spectacular "Category 6: Day of Destruction" scored a 12.3/19 for No. 5, joining fellow Sunday entries "Cold Case" (11.7/17, 7th) and "60 Minutes" (10.0/16, 14th) in the Top 20. The network's telecast of the CMA Awards drew a robust 11.5/18 for No. 9.
Also making the Top 20 for CBS were "Survivor: Vanuatu" (12.0/18, 6th), "Two and a Half Men" (10.7/16, 11th) and "CSI: NY" (9.7/16).
Over on NBC, guest star Ray Liotta helped "ER" put up a 12.8/20, for a respectable No. 4 on the week, though the only other Thursday show to make the list for NBC was "The Apprentice 2," which was No. 12 with a 10.4/15.
The full compliment of "Law & Order" offerings made the Top 20 for the week, led by the Wednesday original at No. 13 with a 10.1/16. Tuesday's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (10.0/16, 14th) and Sunday's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (9.6/14, 18th) followed. Also performing well for NBC were "West Wing" (9.7/15, 16th) and "Las Vegas" (9.5/14, 19th).
ABC's "Monday Night Football" game between the Vikings and Colts did an 11.6/19 for No. 8 to rank as the network's best (the seven-minute "MNF" pregame was No. 20 with a 9.0/13). ABC's only other Top 20 entry was "Lost" (11.2/17, 10th) as "Desperate Housewives" was benched for the American Music Awards, which did a 7.9/12 for No. 25.
FOX's best for the week was Sunday's NFL runover, which did an 8.8/15 for No. 22, though Sunday's season premiere of "The Simpsons" was No. 37 with a 6.7/10. The new season of "American Idol" can't make it to the air soon enough.
"Gilmore Girls" posted The WB's highest ratings for the week, grabbing No. 72 with a 4.2/6, while UPN was paced by "America's Next Top Model" at No. 75 with a 3.7/6.
The lowest rating show on any of the six major networks was The WB's "The Mountain." Although the primetime soap was dubbed a "word-of-mouth-hit" by the New York Post, it could only muster a 1.2/2 and 1.638 million viewers, fewer than watched PAX's "Doc."

fredfa,

The Next Great Champ has ended.

I never watched the show, but for those who care, the winner (and presumably The Next Great Champ) is:

Otis Griffin. His WBO fight will be on FSN in early December (either the 3rd of the 8th, I forgot).

Week Ending Nov. 14 Top 20 Primetime Programs:

1---CSI HD CBS 18.2/27 (29.64 million viewers)
2---CSI:Miami HD CBS 14.4/22
3---Without A Trace HD CBS 13.1/21
4---ER HD NBC 12.8/20
5—Sunday Movie: Category 6: Day of Destruction HD CBS 12.3/19
6---Survivor:Vanuatu CBS 12.0/18
7---Cold Case HD CBS 11.7/17
8---Monday Night Football (Vikings-Colts) HD ABC 11.6/19
9---CMA Awards CBS 11.5/18
10—Lost ABC HD 11.2/17
11—Two And A Half Men HD CBS 10.7/16
12—Apprentice 2 NBC 10.4/15
13—Law & Order HD NBC 10.1/16
14—Law & Order: SVU HD NBC 10.0/16
15—CSI:NY HD CBS 9.7/16
16—The West Wing HD NBC 9.7/15
18—Law & Order: Criminal Intent HD NBC 9.6/14
19—Las Vegas HD NBC 9.5/14
20—MNF Pregame HD ABC 9.0/13

(from zap2it.com and Nielsen Research.)

Murdoch Eyeing Thursday, Saturday NFL

By Mike Farrell Multichannel.com11/16/2004 5:09:00 PM ET
New York -- After landing a deal for National Football League rights for its Fox broadcasting network last week, News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch said the media giant would be interested in pursuing a new package of Thursday- and Saturday-night NFL games, possibly to kick off a new national sports network to rival ESPN.
News Corp. last week agreed to a new six-year NFL-rights agreement under which it will pay about $712 million annually for rights to Sunday-afternoon National Football Conference games.
In addition, its DirecTV Group Inc. unit agreed to pay $3.5 billion over five seasons for the league’s exclusive out-of-market “NFL Sunday Ticket” package, which allows it to broadcast up to 14 pro-football games each week.
Still on the negotiating table are the rights to NFL Sunday-night and Monday-night games, as well as a new eight-game package of late-season Thursday-night and Saturday-night contests, which will likely spread over the last five weeks of the season.
At Fox Entertainment Group’s annual meeting here Tuesday, Murdoch said it is unlikely that News Corp. would pursue the Sunday- and Monday-night package, which, he added, would likely remain with the incumbents -- The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC networks.
“We’re unlikely to want Monday Night Football in its present form. It’s been going down in the ratings,” Murdoch said. “If they did [offer a Thursday/Saturday package], it would almost certainly be [on a cable network], either a new one or an existing one. There will be quite a lot of interest in it from various people, and we would be interested, too.”
Murdoch added that if Fox was able to capture the Thursday/Saturday games, it would go a long way toward making his desire to create a national sports network to rival ESPN a reality.
“Yes,” Murdoch said in response to a question on if the NFL rights would allow him to launch a national sports network. “But then again, it would be difficult to do that,” he added.
The negotiations for the additional packages could technically last through October, when the Disney-owned networks’ negotiating window closes.
As far as new cable networks, Murdoch said the first out of the blocks would be a reality channel, which should launch in the spring. A business channel could come as early as the end of the summer.
Murdoch said the premium-cable business channel continues to be CNBC, but he added that existing business shows on Fox News Channel could give the new network a leg up.
“We already have three of the most popular business shows on cable on Fox,” he said. “I think we’re well-placed.”
Asked what type of programming would show up on the new business channel, Murdoch said it would be “more positive programming.”

ABC gets dose of reality

'Makeover' spinoff, 'Bachlerotte' on tap for revamped sked
By JOSEF ADALIAN [Variety.com[/B]
ABC will start the new year with an all-reality Monday night lineup and a two-hour Wednesday block of J.J. Abrams.
Net today will announce a post-"Monday Night Football" January sked that avoids launching any new dramas or comedies and feature only one entirely new series concept.
New Monday sked will feature "Extreme Makeover" spinoff "EM: How'd they Do That" Mondays at 8, with "The Bachlerotte" migrating from Wednesdays to 9 p.m. Monday on January 10. A week later, at 10 p.m., ABC will launch its U.S. adaptation of Brit hit "Supernanny."
Replacing "The Bachelor" franchise Wednesdays at 9 p.m. will be the Abrams-produced "Alias," which starts its fourth season January 5 with a 2-hour premiere. ABC execs hope "Alias" will benefit from its new lead-in, the Abrams- produced "Lost."
Moves mean ABC is holding back launching midseason dramas such as "Blind Justice" and "Eyes," along with its John Stamos laffer, until late February or March.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

(From Michael Ausiello’s Entertainment News at TVGuide.com
With "Law & Order's" Elisabeth Rohm leaving early next year to pursue a film career (buh-bye), exec producer Dick Wolf has narrowed down the search for a new assistant D.A. to five actresses. As reported in the current issue of TV Guide magazine, the finalists will be flown to New York later this week to shoot a full screen test with costar Sam Waterston and play hide-and-seek with S. Epatha Merkerson.

News Corp. Mulling Channel to Rival CNBC


By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com November 16, 2004

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday said his company may launch a business-news channel by summer and noted that the field is wide enough for some competition from the media giant.

Speaking at Fox Entertainment Group's annual meeting in New York, Mr. Murdoch said the company's new cable-channel launch initiative is first focusing on rolling out a reality-television-based channel by spring but could perhaps launch a rival to NBC Universal's CNBC by summer.

Saying that CNBC has done a "poor job," Mr. Murdoch said the marketplace is "wide open to competition," and that News Corp. has a leg up, given it has some of the most popular business-themed shows on cable.

Mr. Murdoch for months has indicated an interest in launching a business channel to take on CNBC, whose ratings have suffered amid the recession and a volatile stock market. Time Warner's CNN announced recently it is shutting down its business channel CNNfn amid poor ratings and carriage performance.

Mr. Murdoch also said he plans to meet with Liberty Media Chairman John Malone in the next month or two to discuss Liberty's recent move to increase its stake in News Corp. to 17 percent from 9 percent.

Liberty two weeks ago said in a filing that it is seizing an opportunity to increase its stake in News Corp., which spurred News Corp. to adopt a poison-pill strategy designed to prevent Liberty or any other shareholder from amassing a controlling stake in News Corp.

Mr. Murdoch acknowledged Tuesday that he was taken aback by Mr. Malone's move and said the two men have had "very friendly conversations" about Mr. Malone's signing a standstill agreement that would prevent Mr. Malone from launching a takeover of News Corp., though Mr. Murdoch said the talks "were too vague to report" at this time.

Mr. Malone's chance to raise his stake in News Corp. came when a number of Australian shareholders were forced to sell their holdings in News Corp. after the company announced plans to reincorporate in the United States.

Standard & Poor's, which runs stock indexes in the United States and Australia, ruled that News Corp. could not maintain a presence in both indexes if it planned to become a U.S. company, causing the Australian investors to unload their shares. Liberty snapped up the shares, effectively doubling its stake in News Corp.

NBC's News Show Widens Its Lead In Ratings Battle


By BROOKS BARNES Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 17, 2004
During the last major "sweeps" period in May, when local stations in many markets set ad prices, ABC News's Peter Jennings narrowly beat Tom Brokaw's nightly newscast on NBC for the first time in a decade.
ABC considered the win so striking it took out newspaper and television ads and celebrated with champagne.
But now, in November sweeps, as Mr. Brokaw heads into his final days in the anchor chair, he is getting his revenge.
To date in this TV season, which began Sept. 20, the NBC news broadcast has opened a substantial lead over its nearest competitor, ABC's "World News Tonight." Among total viewers, General Electric Co.'s NBC is beating Walt Disney Co.'s ABC by 1.2 million viewers, or 13%, compared with a lead of 535,000, or 6%, for the year-earlier period. NBC leads Viacom Inc.'s "CBS Evening News" by a 44% margin, according to VNU SA's Nielsen Media Research. About 10 million people view NBC's news broadcast.
It is a similar story in the key news demographic of adults 25 to 54 years old. NBC to date is leading ABC by 9%.
Some of the recent NBC gain is no doubt fueled by a blitz of attention to Mr. Brokaw's exit. Mr. Brokaw, 64 years old, is scheduled to pass the "Nightly News" baton to Brian Williams on Dec. 1.
But NBC says its election coverage also made a difference. "We've got the momentum and the others are dead in the water," said Steve Capus, "Nightly News" executive producer. As for speculation that ratings will slip when Mr. Williams takes over -- as even some senior NBC executives predict -- Mr. Capus says he isn't worried. He points to Nov. 12, when Mr. Williams beat Mr. Jennings by 6% in total viewers; it is a tighter race among viewers 25 to 54.
ABC is confident its ratings will improve as the season wears on. "We're very happy with our broadcast and with the gains we made on NBC last season," said Jon Banner, executive producer of "World News Tonight." Mr. Banner notes that "Monday Night Football" pre-empts his newscast in parts of the U.S., and that viewers seem to be responding to tweaks to the news program.

CBS' sweep success

Variety.com Online Staff Tue Nov 16
(Variety) — A fictional natural disaster wreaking havoc on the Midwest combined last week with some forensic sleuths and country crooners to lift CBS to its most convincing ratings victory of the season.

While each of the other five broadcasters was flat or down slightly year-to-year among young adults, CBS was up a nifty 20%.
Eight weeks into the season and nearly halfway through the November sweep, the Eye net is the clear leader in the demo most prized by advertisers -- adults 18-49 -- as well as its strongest-charted categories of adults 25-54 and total viewers.
Last week, all three editions of the "CSI" franchise dominated their time periods, joining Thursday's "Without a Trace" and "Survivor: Vanuatu" and Sunday movie "Category 6: Day of Destruction" among the week's top 10 in adults 18-49.
Also, Tuesday's "Country Music Assn. Awards" and Monday laffer "Two and a Half Men" cracked the top 15 as CBS enjoyed success on every night but Saturday.
Overall, according to Nielsen estimates, CBS captured the Nov. 8-14 frame in adults 18-49 (4.8/13), adults 25-54 (6.0/14) and total viewers (15 million) -- with its 14% advantage over runner-up NBC in adults 18-49 (4.2/11) the net's largest advantage on record for a November sweep week.
ABC ran third in 18-49 (3.9/10), with Fox well behind in fourth (3.2/8).
Through Monday of the current week, which saw "CSI: Miami" and "Two and a Half Men" shine (see below), CBS is the leader of the November sweep in adults 18-49 with a 4.7 rating/12 share (up 9% in rating vs. a year ago), followed by NBC (4.1/11, down 9%), ABC (4.0/11, up 18%), Fox (3.0/8, up 3%), the WB (1.6/4, even) and UPN (1.5/4, down 6%).
In adults 25-54, the CBS advantage is a healthy 23% over second-place NBC (5.8/14 vs. 4.7/11), and in total viewers it's a runaway (14.9 million vs. 10.8 million for second-place Peacock).
By comparison, the Eye's 4.8 rating in adults 18-49 (roughly 6.3 million viewers) topped the six highest-rated cable networks combined. Coincidentally, one of those six, Spike, is on the rise thanks primarily to repeats of CBS' No. 1 program, "CSI."
Leading the way as usual for CBS was Thursday heavyweight "CSI" (10.8/25 in adults 18-49, 29.64 million viewers overall), the week's -- and the season's -- top-rated program in 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers.
Also, a special 90-minute "CSI: Miami" rocked on Monday (8.1/20 in 18-49, 22.09m), Tuesday's 38th annual "CMAs" (5.9/15, 18.46m) gave the net its strongest Tuesday demos in three years and Sunday's opener of two-part disaster pic "Category 6" (6.3/14 in 18-49, 19.35m) came through with CBS' strongest demos for a scripted movie since "Jesus" in May 2000.
Sunday soph drama "Cold Case" warmed up to its best scores to date (4.8/11 in 18-49, 18.43m).
NBC ran second in most categories for the week, getting nice contributions from Thursday's "ER" (9.4/23 in 18-49, 19.83m) and "The West Wing" (4.5/11 in 18-49, 15.26m), while a handful of other shows, including "American Dreams," "Fear Factor" and "Las Vegas," hit season highs in 18-49.
Also, Friday's "Medical Investigation" (3.1/9 in 18-49, 8.94m) notched another 18-49 victory despite increased competish, and Tuesday's weight-loss skein "The Biggest Loser" was again solid (4.1/10 in 18-49, 10.00m).
ABC remained competitive -- and won the week in viewers 12-34 -- even with megahit "Desperate Housewives" making way Sunday for the "American Music Awards" (5.7/13, 12.91m), which topped the ratings of its previous three telecasts and helped the Alphabet tie for the night's 18-49 lead.
"NYPD Blue" hit season highs (3.7/9 in 18-49, 10.76m), as did the net's Friday laffers, led by "Hope & Faith" (2.9/8, 8.20m). And although the fear of Federal Communications Commission fines took it off the air in about 30% of the country, a Veterans Day repeat of "Saving Private Ryan" gave the net its best Thursday of the season (2.6/6, 7.71m).
Fox didn't have much to get excited about, although Thursday's "The OC" (3.6/9 in 18-49, 8.08m) retained most of its premiere-week aud and Wednesday's "Nanny 911" (4.1/10 in 18-49, 8.73m) remains perky. Not faring well was Tuesday's two-hour preem of Richard Branson's "Rebel Billionaire" (2.3/6 in 18-49, 5.09m).
The WB topped UPN in 18-34 for the week (1.8/5 vs. 1.5/4), with both nets down about 10% year-to-year.
Frog's Tuesday ("One Tree Hill" and the resurgent "Gilmore Girls") is up sharply year-to-year, making up for the net's struggles with first-year dramas "Jack & Bobby" and "The Mountain." Sunday's "Mountain" crumbled to a 10th-place finish for its hour in adults 18-34 (0.7/2).
For UPN, new dramas "Veronica Mars" and "Kevin Hill" and the relocated "Enterprise" are providing timeslot improvements, but Thursday's "WWE Smackdown" and the net's Monday comedies are down.
ESPN led the ad-supported cable nets for the week (1.06 rating in 18-49), paced by Sunday's National Football League game between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills (3.4/8 in 18-49, 7.78m).
Court TV achieved a milestone Friday, as its coverage of the Scott Peterson verdict (4-5 p.m. ET) averaged a net-best 2.66 million viewers.
* * *
On Monday of the current week, CBS received season-high results from both "CSI: Miami" (8.4/20 in 18-49, 22.48m) and "Two and a Half Men" (6.4/15, 17.47m) following the 200th episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" (6.0/14, 17.80m).
Eye success translated to latenight, too, as "The Late Show With David Letterman" edged out NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in metered-market overnights (5.0/12 vs. 4.8/11). And "The Late Late Show," with guest host D.L. Hughley, delivered a season-high 2.2/8 in the overnights.
Elsewhere, NBC's "Fear Factor" led at 8 in demos (4.3/11 in 18-49, 10.85m), but is looking a bit tired. Fox's "The Swan 2" picked up slightly (3.4/8, 7.26m) even as lead-in "Trading Spouses" dipped (3.2/8, 7.50m).
ABC's "Monday Night Football" (7.1/19 in 18-49, 17.11m) was on the high end with its Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles contest. NBC's "$25 Million Dollar Hoax" (2.7/7 in 18-49, 6.05m) was down in its second week.

'L&O' on hold as star faints again


D'Onofrio re-admitted for further testing

By ARMY ARCHERD Variety.com Posted: Tue., Nov. 16, 2004, 8:48pm PT

Production has been halted again on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" after star Vincent D'Onofrio fainted during production Monday in New York.
D'Onofrio, who was released from the hospital on Friday after two days of observation, was re-admitted for further testing. He had returned to work on Monday after several fainting incidents early last week that halted production for one day (Daily Variety, Nov. 16).
"It's day to day," said "L&O" exec producer Dick Wolf. "His health is of primary consideration."
Producers said D'Onofrio was in good spirits.

ABC Puts N.F.L. in 'Desperate' Situation
By JUDY BATTISTA The New York Times November 17, 2004

The National Football League, still chastened by the "wardrobe malfunction" that exposed Janet Jackson's right breast during the Super Bowl halftime show on CBS in February, was stunned Monday night by another incident, this one on ABC.
In the scripted introduction to "Monday Night Football," Nicollette Sheridan, who portrays the serial divorcée Edie Britt on the popular ABC series "Desperate Housewives," wore only a towel as she flirted with Philadelphia Eagles receiver Terrell Owens in an otherwise empty locker room. After asking Owens to miss the game, Sheridan dropped the towel; the camera showed her upper body from behind. Owens, smiling broadly, said the Eagles would have to win without him, and Sheridan leapt into his arms.
Yesterday, a league spokesman called the sketch "inappropriate and unsuitable for our 'Monday Night Football' audience," and the league office expressed its displeasure to ABC executives. ABC Sports apologized, saying in a statement, "We agree that the placement was inappropriate."
The N.F.L. said it had received dozens of calls and hundreds of e-mail messages in complaint. ABC said it also received complaints.
ABC Sports tapes an introduction to "Monday Night Football" each week, but the N.F.L. does not see it before the broadcast and does not have approval privileges. The introductions occasionally feature stars of ABC's prime-time shows, but the network's entertainment division did not request any cross-promotion for "Desperate Housewives."
The decision by ABC Sports to produce a racy introduction is curious for several reasons. The network is clearly aware of the N.F.L.'s sensitivities in the wake of the Jackson incident. It announced before the season that it would use a five-second delay in its football broadcasts to avoid any embarrassments.
"Desperate Housewives" needs no promotion; it is one of the top-rated shows on television. But ABC may have been looking for ways to increase the "Monday Night Football" ratings. It is the only broadcast network still negotiating for rights to N.F.L. games, and some executives speculate that ABC loses $170 million a year on Monday night games. CBS and Fox completed their long-term television deals with the league last week, but the prime-time and cable packages currently held by the Walt Disney Company for ABC and ESPN were left unresolved.
The Philadelphia Eagles released a statement that said: "We appreciate that ABC has taken responsibility and has apologized for the opening to 'Monday Night Football.' It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast. After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn't aired."
The Eagles declined to say whether they knew about the content of the introduction before it was shown and whether it was taped in their locker room. Philadelphia won the game against Dallas, 49-21; Owens caught three touchdown passes.
As a result of the incident at the Super Bowl, in which Justin Timberlake tore away part of Jackson's costume and exposed her breast, the Federal Communications Commission fined the CBS division of Viacom $550,000, or $27,500 against each of the 20 stations CBS owns and operates. It was the largest fine ever levied against a television company.
Paul Tagliabue, the N.F.L. commissioner, told the House subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet in February that he had been "deeply embarrassed" by the halftime show, adding, "It happened under our operation and we take responsibility for it.''
Bill Carter contributed reporting for this article.

I'd love to see what all the hubub (Desperate Housewives + Monday Night Football) is about. Is the intro available on line?

Xesdeeni

Originally posted by Xesdeeni
I'd love to see what all the hubub (Desperate Housewives + Monday Night Football) is about. Is the intro available on line?

Xesdeeni

Edit:
Moved to ABC Intro thread

Originally posted by keenan
The beginning of the end of high bitrate HD digital broadcasts....

If the FCC mandates this crap and other sub-channels to be a must-carry like NBC and others will probably want they should all be shot and fed to Mr. Wu's hogs. It hardly matters; regardless of whether must-carry applies to subchannels, the bandwidth is already gone for the HD channel. It's not like broadcasters run two separate encoders, one of full-bitrate, the other mixed with subchannels. Now you might say, "if they don't get must-carry, they won't have an audience," which is probably true, but again, it hardly matters… they've already got it into their heads that they can make more money multicasting, at the expense of HD. If this doesn't work, they'll put something else into its place. Nothing short of proving them wrong is going to change that.

Tuesday's ratings have been posted

Bottom Five Shows By Network
Week Ending November 14
(First run programs only)
Fox
Weekly Average: 7.35 million viewers
Season Average 10.35 million viewers

89---Renovate My Family 3.91 million viewers
85---North Shore 4.08 million viewers
79---My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss 4.95 million viewers
78---Rebel Billionaire (Tue) 5.09 million viewers
73t—Quintuplets 5.82 million viewers

ABC
Weekly Average 10.41 million viewers
Season Average 10.12 million viewers

75---Life of Luxury 5.64 million viewers
70---Complete Savages 6.54 million viewers
64---Less Than Perfect 7.19 million viewers
61---“Saving Private Ryan” 7.71 million viewers
60---Eight Simple Rules 7.77 million viewers

NBC
Weekly Average 11.26 million viewers
Season Average 10.23 million viewers

73t—Men in Black 5.82 million viewers
66---25 Million Dollar Hoax 7.15 million viewers
65---LAX 7.16 million viewers
62---Dateline NBC (Sunday) 7.22 million viewers
52---American Dreams 8.63 million viewers

CBS
Weekly Average 15.04 million viewers
Season Average 13.25 million viewers

72---48 Hours Mystery 5.87 million viewers
42---Joan of Arcadia 9.19 million viewers
40---60 Minutes (Wed) 9.44 million viewers
35---Listen Up 10.34 million viewers
31---Still Standing 10.77 million viewers

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Solid Tuesday 11/16/04 Night 13 of the November Sweeps

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 9.2/14
NBC: 9.0/13
ABC: 6.6/10
WB: 4.9/ 7
Fox: 4.5/ 7
UPN: 4.5/ 6

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Nov. 18, 2003):
UPN: +22
CBS + 7
WB: + 7
NBC: + 5
ABC: -11
Fox: -25

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers: [/U
CBS: 12.95 million
NBC: 12.10
ABC: 9.47
Fox: 6.18
UPN: 5.42
WB: 5.08

[U]Adults 18-49:
NBC: 5.0/13
CBS: 4.5/11
ABC: 3.4/ 8
Fox: 2.5/ 6
WB: 2.3/ 6
UPN: 2.2/ 6

Yesterday's Winners:
NCIS (CBS)
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
Gilmore Girls (WB)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Yesterday's Losers:
The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best (Fox)
Scrubs (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS remained on a winning roll in the overnights and total viewer thanks to Tuesday's combination of the growing NCIS (#1: 11.1/16; Viewers: #1, 15.26 million; A18-49: #2, 3.6/ 9 at 8 p.m.) and the two-hour season premiere of The Amazing Race 6 (#1: 2: 8.3/12; Viewers: #2, 11.80 million; A18-49: 4.9/12 overall from 9-11 p.m.). NBC was No. 1 among adults 18-49. As for The Amazing Race 6, nice knowing you Avi and Joe!

In series-premiere news, Fox drama House was sampled at 9 p.m. despite minimal lead-in support from week two of The Billionaire Rebel: Branson's Quest for the Best. Take a look:

Fox/Tuesday
8:00 p.m. The Billionaire Rebel: Branson's Quest for the Best
Overnights: 3.7/ 5 (#6)
Viewers: 5.35 million (#5)
A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#5)

9 p.m. House (premiere)
Overnights: 5.3/ 7 (#4)
Viewers 7.00 million (#4)
A18-49: 2.7/ 7 (#4)

Percent Increase - House vs. The Billionaire Rebel:
Overnights: +43 percent
Viewers: +31, A18-49: +17

On NBC, a 90-minute edition of The Biggest Loser was second overall in the overnights (7.3/11) and total viewers (10.55 million), but No. 1 and adults 18-49 (4.5/12) from 8-9:30 p.m. Although the 9 p.m. half-hour of The Biggest Loser perked up to an 8.9/13 in the overnights, 12.63 million viewers and a 5.6/13 among adults 18-49 (all first in the time period), lead-out Scrubs dipped to a 6.5/ 9 in the overnights (#3), with just 8.38 million viewers (#3) and a 3.9/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 9:30 p.m. Regardless, Law & Order: SVU still won the 10 p.m. hour, building to a healthy 12.7/20 in the overnights, 16.30 million viewers and a 6.4/16 among adults 18-49.

On ABC, the increasing strength of CBS' NCIS in the 8 p.m. hour continues to negatively impact sitcoms My Wife and Kids (#3: 5.8/ 9; A18-49: #3, 3.0/ 8) and George Lopez (#4: 5.6/ 8; A18-49: #3, 3.4/ 9). At 9 p.m., According To Jim (#3: 7.3/10; A18-49: #3, 4.1/10) continues to build from George Lopez by noticeable proportions (30 percent in the overnights; 21 percent among adults 18-49 last night), while lead-out Rodney (#3: 6.2/ 9; A18-49: #3, 3.8/ 9 at 9:30 p.m.) remains compatible. At 10 p.m., veteran NYPD was third in the overnights (7.2/11), total viewers (9.09 million) and adults 18-49 (2.9/ 7).

Over at the WB, the rejuvenated Gilmore Girls rolls on, with a 5.7/ 8 in the overnights (#3t: 5.7/ 8), 5.94 million viewers (#4), and a 2.7/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#4). Compared to the year-ago telecast (5.2/ 7; Viewers: 5.31 million; A18-49: 2.2/ 6) that was an increase of 10 percent in the overnights, 630,000 viewers and 23 percent among adults 18-49. Quite an interesting ending last night, don't you think?

Opposite The Vibe Awards on UPN, however, One Tree Hill at 9 p.m. was last in the overnights (4.1/ 6), total viewers (4.21 million) and adults 18-49 (2.0/ 5). The Vibe Awards from 8-10 p.m. put UPN on the map with a healthy 4.5/ 6 in the overnights, 5.42 million viewers and a 2.3/ 6 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data


National Ratings in Primetime - Week of Nov. 8: CBS Scores a Solid Victory

In this 8th week of the 2004-05 season (and first full week of the November sweep), it was all about a growing CBS, with the No. 1 Eye net beating second-place NBC by a considerable 31 percent in households, 3.78 million viewers, 14 percent among adults 18-49, and 22 percent among adults 25-54. NBC's sole victory was in adults 18-34. Although The 38th Annual Country Music Association Awards and the unexpected success of part one of miniseries, Category 6: Day of Destruction, certainly helped, CBS' victory was based more on the strength of regularly scheduled series CSI, CSI: Miami, Without A Trace, Survivor: Vanuatu, Cold Case, Two and a Half Men, CSI: NY and 60 Minutes.

Keep in mind that CBS' win did not include Everybody Loves Raymond, which was successfully replaced by a Monday 9 p.m. airing of Two and a Half Men. In other words, the increasingly addictive Charlie Sheen/Joe Cryer sitcom is likely to permanently inherit Raymond's time period next season.

Without Desperate Housewives, which along with Boston Legal was pre-empted for record low ratings for The World Music Awards, ABC dropped to the No. 3 spot, finishing close to year-ago levels. NBC was also relatively on par with the comparable year-ago week, while Fox, UPN and the WB were all on the downside. Biggest loser: The WB, which dipped between 6 and17 percent in the below five surveyed categories.

What follows are the final national ratings for the week of Nov. 8 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses) followed by the top-rated programs of the week:

Households:
CBS: 9.7/15 (+ 5)
NBC: 7.4/12 (- 1)
ABC: 6.7/11 (- 1)
Fox: 4.7/ 7 (- 4)
UPN: 2.5/ 4 (- 4)
WB: 2.5/ 4 (-11)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 15.04 million (+ 6)
NBC: 11.26 (no change)
ABC: 10.41 (no change)
Fox: 7.33 (- 3)
WB: 3.77 (-13)
UPN: 3.71 (- 3)

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 4.8/13 (+20)
NBC: 4.2/11 (- 2)
ABC: 3.9/10 (- 3)
Fox: 3.2/ 8 (- 3)
WB: 1.6/ 4 (- 6)
UPN: 1.5/ 4 (- 6)

Adults 18-34:
NBC: 3.5/10 (- 3)
CBS: 3.3/10 (+27)
ABC: 3.3/10 (no change)
Fox: 3.3/10 (- 8)
WB: 1.8/ 5 (-10)
UPN: 1.5/ 4 (-12)

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 6.0/14 (+18)
NBC: 4.9/11 (no change)
ABC: 4.4/10 (- 2)
Fox: 3.1/ 7 (- 3)
UPN: 1.5/ 4 (- 6)
WB: 1.5/ 3 (-17)

FOX Sets January 'American Idol' Schedule

(zap2it.com)--All of this talk of FOX's June schedule and FOX's September schedule and FOX's November schedule appears to have been moot, as the network is in the midst of its annual slide into fourth place. FOX's only truly important season begins on Tuesday, January 18 with the long anticipated (by FOX, at least) premiere of the fourth installment of "American Idol."
The new "Idol" season can't come soon enough for FOX, plagued with one big, fat, obnoxious disappointment after another. The talent show's two-hour premiere will air on Jan. 18 and will begin a month-long overview of the audition process, highlighting the events leading up to the show's first live episode on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Over three consecutive Tuesdays (Jan. 18 and 25 and Feb. 1) and three consecutive Wednesdays (Jan. 19 and 26 and Feb. 2), "American Idol" will offer the standard audition episodes from Cleveland, St. Louis, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Orlando, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Viewers will get their first glimpses of the season's most talented performers, but they'll also get to watch a slew of horrible auditions and listen to the usual litany of hilarious abuse from the judges. Who cares about meeting the next Kelly Clarkson when you can meet the next William Hung?
As a rule, the Tuesday episodes will start at 8 p.m. ET and the Wednesday episodes will begin at 9 p.m., but since FOX has been known to extend, expand and juggle "Idol" coverage, always check your local listings.
On Feb. 8 and 9 and then Feb. 15 and 16, clips from the already completed semifinal phase will lead into the first part of the Round of 32, when viewers finally get the chance to vote for their favorites.
Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson will return, as will dapper host Ryan Seacrest.
Last season, which ended with Fantasia Barrino topping Diana DeGarmo for the crown, the Tuesday performance episodes of "Idol" averaged nearly 25.8 million viewers per week and the Wednesday results shows averaged nearly 23.6 million. Both numbers were well up from the audience for the show's second season, though the audience failed to increase on a week-to-week basis as it did in the period leading up to the showdown between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. In addition, sales of the Barrino and DeGarmo singles were acceptable, but softer than the results for previous "Idol" singles.

12—Apprentice 2 HD NBC 10.4/15

-fredfa, should not be HD.

Also, add Supernanny (1/17) (one word) and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: How'd They Do That? (1/10) as ABC midseason replacements. Neither in HD. Also, The Bachelorette premires on 1/10 with a two-hour episode. Alias' premiere is also a two-hour episode.

Farmers Plant Doubts About DTV Plan

By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable 11/17/2004
Corn and soybean growers have now weighed in at the Federal Communications Commission against the so-called Ferree plan for speeding the digital transition.
That plan would insure that 85% of TV households in any market could receive a TV signal before, and after, the FCC started reclaiming analog spectrum, but that signal would not have to be digital. Instead, it could be a digital signal converted to analog and delivered over cable. With that wiggle room, the FCC says the analog spectrum can be returned by 2009. Without it, FCC Chairman Michael Powell has said, it could take decades.
Critics point out that the plan takes much of the digital out of the digital conversion. Those receiving a "digital" broadcast converted in analog would not be getting the benefit of a better picture, or access to high-definition, or any multicast digital services.
In a meeting with Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, the American Corn Growers Association and the Soybean Producers of America, joined by some unions and others, argued that the impact of a hard date for cut-off of analog service will adversely impact rural communities with less access to cable. They also argue that the switch to digital must include a multicast must-carry requirement to insure that farmers get access to crucial weather information services.
They cited as one of those services NBC's just-launched multicast digital weather network, which can deliver continuously updated local weather info.
This isn't the first time the corn growers have weighed in on the digital transition. Two years ago, the association came out against a digital-tuner mandate, though at the time its executives weren't sure why. This time, they have no such doubt.
For farmers, a weather broadcasts is far more than a guide to the day's attire or recreational plans. It is a key piece of business information that affects all their livelihoods. The topic of farm broadcasting in the digital age is likely to be a hot one at this week's National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention in Kansas City.

Falwell’s 11th Commandment: No a la Carte

By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com 11/17/2004 5:07:00 PM ET
The a la carte sale of cable channels would likely put religious broadcasters out of business, the Rev. Jerry Falwell said Wednesday on the eve of the release of an important federal-agency study on the issue.
“Though well-intentioned, the fact is that a la carte would threaten the very existence of religious broadcasting and the vital ministry conducted over the television airwaves,” said Falwell, president of the Old Time Gospel Hour.
The Federal Communications Commission is expected to release its a la carte report Thursday to members of Congress who requested it. Lawmakers asked the commission to determine whether greater per-channel offerings would lower cable rates and assist parents in keeping out indecent programming.
The cable industry has broadly condemned a la carte, claiming that it would devastate the established business model of providing large programming tiers to maximize both license-fee and advertising revenue.
Small, niche networks -- some with an orientation toward minority groups -- have argued that an a la carte world would kill them off and prevent similar networks from ever launching.
But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) are doubters. They have accused cable of imposing a one-size-fits-all regime on subscribers, forcing grandmothers to buy expensive networks like ESPN when they have no interest in sports.
Small cable operators, led by the American Cable Association, have accused Time Warner Inc., News Corp., General Electric Co., The Walt Disney Co. and Viacom Inc. of using their economic clout to force distribution of their programming in large bundles with built-in rate increases that put upward price pressure on all cable customers.
ACA members want the right to purchase wholesale programming a la carte and the flexibility to retail that programming any way they way -- either a la carte or, more likely, in thematic tiers.
Falwell was joined by nine other ministers in speaking out against the evils of a la carte, including the Rev. Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Pastor John Hagee of John Hagee Ministries.
Their joint release said a la carte would frustrate the effort of evangelical Christians to spread their message.
“In a world in which people preselect either in or out of religious broadcasts, that mission would be greatly compromised. Either they would be preaching to the choir, or not at all. Any broadcast seeking to reach out will fail under a la carte,” said Colby May, Washington-office director of the American Center for Law and Justice.
Fears that a la carte mandates would harm broadcasters, religious and otherwise, might be misplaced.
The National Association of Broadcasters told the FCC TV stations are exempt from any a la carte rules because the 1992 Cable Act mandated that every cable subscriber purchase all TV stations on the system.
The NAB did not take a position on whether providing cable and satellite
programming a la carte would advance the public interest.
A la carte is not a totally alien concept in the pay TV world. FCC rules permit direct-broadcast satellite carriers to offer local TV stations a la carte in certain circumstances. The NAB fought those rules, but a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit backed the agency's decision.

Mark Cuban's End Game

By John Heilemann, Business2.0.com November 17, 2004
Sometime in the middle of 2000, as he watched the Internet bubble that made him rich implode, Mark Cuban turned his gaze toward a more appealing sight -- and saw the kernel of his next startup. What Cuban found himself staring at was his brand-new HDTV set. And what made him view that box as a business opportunity was the skepticism swirling around it. "At the time," Cuban told me, "all the traditional media guys were looking at sets costing $8,000 and saying, 'Why should we create content for this? HDTV is never gonna happen.' But I looked at the sets and saw PCs. I knew prices were gonna come down and performance was gonna go up. And if the traditional media couldn't see that -- well, it just opened the door for me."

In the years since Cuban's HD epiphany, the billionaire co-founder of Broadcast.com has been a busy guy. As the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, he has emerged as one of the most visible and voluble owners in professional sports. And as the star of The Benefactor, he's become a prime-time celebrity -- despite proving a less bankable blowhard than the incomparable Donald Trump. But even as Cuban has devoted Trumpian energies to making a spectacle of himself -- and I say that with admiration -- he has also been pursuing his preoccupation with the business of digital media. Indeed, Cuban and Todd Wagner, his Broadcast.com partner, have assembled what Variety calls "a full-service entertainment company that encompasses development, production, distribution, exhibition, and broadcasting."
When Cuban and I sat down to talk, I remarked that it looked as if he were laying the foundations for a new kind of media empire. The 46-year-old grinned and said, "I'm just having fun." But for Cuban, fun means challenging the conventional wisdom, and it frequently leads to profit. Which is why his approach to what he calls "bit blasting" deserves examination.

The cornerstone of Cuban's incipient empire is Dallas-based HDNet. Broadcasting a pair of channels -- general-interest HDNet and HDNet Movies -- the network is Cuban's bid to create a brand synonymous with HDTV. (Think HBO in the formative years of cable.) It's also his bid to seize scarce real estate before competitors rush in. "There's not a lot of excess bandwidth; there won't be room for everyone," he explained. "So if we didn't want to be left off the island, we needed to get carriage early on." And so they have. Except for Comcast (CMCSK) and Cox (COX) -- and, trust me, Cuban is working on them -- almost every digital cable or satellite provider carries HDNet. And provided his channels attract an audience, they will prove almost impossible for the carriers to dislodge from their lineups.

At the same time, Cuban and Wagner have gone Hollywood, snapping up an assortment of Tinsel Town properties. They formed a joint venture, 2929 Entertainment -- a nod to Broadcast.com's original street address -- and then proceeded to buy Rysher Entertainment (a film and TV library), Landmark Theatres (a cinema chain), and Magnolia Pictures (a distribution company). They also took a stake in Lion's Gate Entertainment and started up two moviemaking ventures: 2929 Productions, which is working on projects with George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh's production company, Section Eight; and HDNet Films, which aims to produce lower-budget fare shot on high-definition video.

The obvious question: How do these pieces fit together? The obvious answer: Vertical integration. As Cuban explains it, "We'll create content digitally, display it digitally, and distribute it digitally, regardless of form factor or method of transport -- we'll deliver it however consumers want to get it. Being vertically integrated makes that possible, and it also allows us to experiment in ways traditional media would never dream of."

For example, Cuban and Wagner plan to buck the Hollywood system of releasing movies over many months, through separate windows for theaters, pay-per-view, DVD, and broadcast TV. Instead, Cuban said, they intend to attempt "day-and-date releases," in which their films premiere simultaneously on Landmark screens, HDNet, and DVD. "We think it's a way of maximizing our revenues, controlling marketing costs, and adding value to our brands," he said. "And we don't think giving people alternatives to going to the theater will hurt us at the box office. It's just like with the Mavericks: We still sell out the games even though they're on free TV."

Even more heretical is Cuban's opinion of DVDs, which is that they suck -- or, at least, that they're inferior to hard drives as a medium for storing digital content. "Why would we invest in DVD," he asked, "knowing that hard drives are going to grow in capacity, shrink in size and price, and can also be erased and rewritten?" He imagines selling HD movies stored on key-chain drives -- or putting multiple films on larger drives, "like software used to be packaged on PCs." Moreover, he added, "with ever-expanding storage, we can increase picture quality for years to come by taking advantage of new cameras and better compression schemes. With DVDs, we can't."

Much of Cuban's vision depends, of course, on a future living room in which DVRs, set-top boxes, and media servers have USB or FireWire ports, or can otherwise connect to hard drives. But Cuban reasonably assumes that such a future is coming, and coming soon. "We're on the brink of a war for the living room between the PC and electronics companies," he said. "And the thing we know about death wars like that is that the consumer always wins."

Cuban's predictions will come true or not. His experiments will succeed or fail. But what interests me most is the perspective behind them -- one in stark opposition to that of almost every potentate in the industries where he is a rising power. In the upper echelons of media and entertainment, digital technology is poorly understood, rarely loved, and often feared. Yet Cuban is at heart a stone-cold geek. He knows technology -- and embraces it fervently. The Internet is killing the content industry? Digital piracy is Hollywood's bête noire? Run these canards past Cuban and get ready for a loud and contrarian earful.

"It's all bullshit," he said. "A bunch of pathetic excuses. I personally have more than half a billion dollars invested in content. And I'm a lot less worried about piracy than I am about technological communism. I don't want Orrin Hatch's 'help.' I want technology unconstrained. Because if technology wins, content companies will benefit dramatically, like they always have."

Not that Cuban is in any hurry for the media establishment to catch on -- or for the changes he sees unfolding to play out. "Slower is actually better for me," he said. "If HD penetration was like a hockey stick, everyone would dive in like they did with DVD. But if everyone keeps saying there's not enough, then my ass just keeps getting bigger -- I get to build my reach, build my libraries, until my butt looks like Charles Barkley's. And by the time everyone else wakes up, I'll be sitting pretty."

The dimensions of Cuban's HD ass notwithstanding, size will never be an advantage of his in competing with Disney (DIS), News Corp. (NWS), and Viacom (VIA). Instead he'll get his edge from their congenital inertia -- and his own tech savvy and street smarts. This assessment, I'll admit, flies in the face of the prevailing view about his success at Broadcast.com: that it was mostly dumb luck. But as Cuban knows, being persistently underestimated is itself no small advantage.

"Lucky? Hell yeah, I'm lucky," he said. "But I'm not going to say that I'm stupid." And after listening to him riff and ramble, you know what? Neither am I.

The Bachelorette Season January 10 (two-hour premiere)

i think you kept the word season from "mid-season" by accident.

Apologies for Everything Except Network Timidity

THE TV WATCH
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY The New York Times November 18, 2004
The networks should just get it over with and run preventive apologies as crawls under all their regular programs: "We are so sorry you just saw that/ Please forgive our producer, he lost his head for a second/Gosh, I am such an idiot I could shoot myself."
First CBS apologized for interrupting the ending of "CSI: NY " with a news bulletin that Yasir Arafat had died (that was unforgivable). Now ABC has apologized for showing Nicollette Sheridan's bare back in a scripted skit introducing "Monday Night Football."
Unless the network was apologizing for not having allowed the actress to turn around, then the mea culpa is baffling: women's nude spines are shown on commercials for body lotion and shaving cream all the time. If viewers - and the National Football League - are so offended by the sight of an actress pretending to seduce a man while naked (her rear was not shown) - how do they get through ads for Cialis and Levitra?
If anyone should apologize, it is the National Football League: the organization actually had the nerve to say the skit, which was also a promotional spot for "Desperate Housewives," was "inappropriate and unsuitable for our 'Monday Night Football' audience." Unless the "Monday Night Football" audience is made up of small children and nuns. In which case, of course, I apologize.
However vulgar it may have seemed, the incident in itself is slight, an aftershock from the Janet Jackson Super Bowl debacle that forced CBS to issue one of its many recent apologies. Put together with other network apologies, however, it suggests a climate of cowardice inside the major media companies that does warrant an apology. ABC, after all, was so skittish that this season it began broadcasting "Monday Night Football" with a five-second delay.
It is easy to conclude that corporations like the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, are so nervous about how the re-election of George W. Bush may empower the Federal Communications Commission that they are falling over themselves to please and appease Washington.
And the victors are enjoying the moment. "I wonder if Walt Disney would be proud," Michael K. Powell, chairman of the F.C.C. said in an interview on CNBC. "It would seem to me that while we get a lot of broadcasting companies complaining about indecency enforcement, they seem to be continuing to be willing to keep the issue at the forefront, keep it hot and steamy in order to get financial gains and the free advertising it provides."
Yet ABC went ahead and broadcast the hit movie "Saving Private Ryan" on Friday, even though the F.C.C. got complaints and many affiliates refused to carry it, worried that viewers would take offense at the profanity and graphic wartime violence. (Never mind the images from Iraq that are shown on the evening news every night.) In that case, however, the ratings were high enough to overcome concerns about viewer protests.
Mostly, Disney seems intimidated by the National Football League. Last February, that bossy, thin-skinned institution forced Disney's ESPN to cancel its dramatic series about a fictional football team, "Playmakers, '' which brought up issues like sex and drugs. ABC has not yet completed its deal with the National Football League to renew "Monday Night Football." So ABC took the easy way out and apologized. Which would have been nice, except that each new network apology dilutes the power of previous ones.
Fox News apologized for posting on its Web site a bogus article by John Kerry ("I'm metrosexual") written as a joke by the network's chief political correspondent, Carl Cameron. He kept his job. CBS proudly said it fired the producer who interrupted "CSI," but nobody at the network has yet been fired for a far more egregious misjudgment - Dan Rather's reliance on suspect documents for a "60 Minutes" investigation into President Bush's national guard service.
Instead, Mr. Rather apologized.
Who's sorry now?

Series Ups and Downs

USA Today
Percentage change in viewership since last year:
Top gains
One Tree Hill (WB), +41%
Without a Trace (CBS), +28%
What I Like About You (WB), +19%
Cold Case (CBS), +19%
CSI: Miami (CBS), +18%
Gilmore Girls (WB), +15%
NCIS (CBS), +15%
Law & Order: SVU (NBC), +9%
Las Vegas (NBC), +8%
Largest losses
8 Simple Rules* (ABC), -61%
Scrubs (NBC), -40%
Less Than Perfect (ABC), -34%
The Bachelor (ABC), -32%
Hope & Faith (ABC), -27%
Joan of Arcadia (CBS), -24%
That '70s Show (Fox), -24%
All of Us (UPN), -23%
JAG (CBS), -23%
Law & Order (NBC), -22%

*: Show changed timeslot

Note: Average total viewership for season to date, 9/20/04-11/14/04, vs. comparable period in 2003 for original series episodes.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Newcomers get buzz, but the old faithfuls really count

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
The new TV season often brings a laser-like focus to the hoopla surrounding new series: the newest water-cooler shows, the biggest duds. But the health of tried-and-true returning shows is often more crucial to the networks' fortunes, if only because there are simply more of them.
So after eight weeks, it's time to take stock of hits or misses among more familiar favorites.
ABC has the season's two breakout hits in Lost and Desperate Housewives, but nearly all of its returning shows have lost viewers since last year.
CBS has few new hits, but its returning lineup has seven solid gainers, led by Without a Trace and Cold Case.
NBC suffers on both fronts. Most of its new shows have flopped, and all but two of last fall's returning shows are down.
Fox just recently brought back its top series, though most of its new reality fare has failed. UPN's new shows are doing better than last year's crop did, though its returning series, except for One on One, are down this year. And WB, like CBS, is showing strength in its returning shows, helping offset weaker new series.
In total viewers, CBS' and UPN's ratings are stable, ABC's are up but not by much, and the other three are down.
But not all downturns are created equal. "It's less damaging for us to have (ABC's) TGIF down than for NBC to have two Law & Orders down," says ABC scheduling chief Jeff Bader, because the sitcoms are "not in key time periods, and the competition is not benefiting" from ABC's Friday woes. "But we want everything to work."
Of course, most long-running shows decline as viewers tire of them. New shows tend to attract more converts midway through their freshman year, explaining why NBC's Las Vegas and CBS' Cold Case and NCIS are showing healthy growth in their second seasons.
A look at other trends:
•Crime still pays. Despite viewer interest in ABC's new dramas, networks detect sustained interest in cops and robbers. CBS' Without a Trace jumped a startling 28% this season, and CSI: Miami is up 18%, with both series averaging about 21 million viewers. The original CSI remains TV's top series with 29.2 million.
Problem spots largely result from increased competition: While NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit gained 9% on Tuesdays, the original L&O is down 22% on Wednesdays, outflanked by CBS' CSI: NY and ABC's Wife Swap. And Criminal Intent, down 14%, is crimped by Housewives.
•Comedy is hard. A record low sitcom count hasn't made viewers any more loyal to those that remain. Only a handful of comedies on the Big 4 networks — CBS' Two and a Half Men, ABC's George Lopez and Fox's Arrested Development —are up, with Lopez and Arrested benefiting from new time slots.
In contrast, 8 Simple Rules tumbled 61% from last fall when ratings surged after star John Ritter's death. Scrubs has lost 40% of last fall's post-Friends Thursday audience with its move to Tuesdays, and Fox mainstays The Simpsons and That '70s Show are way down.
•Reality has slowed. An endless stream of newcomers has soured some viewers on the genre. The Bachelor is down 32% from last fall, while Fear Factor is down 16%, and Extreme Makeover fell 22%.
But stalwarts remain. Aided by the demise of Friends, Survivor is holding up well, off just 4% in its ninth season. Wife Swap, The Biggest Loser and Nanny 911 are solid newcomers. And Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has exploded in its second season: With 16 million viewers, it's more popular than The Apprentice, which premiered last spring and is off about 20% from its maiden run.
•Time slots are everything. As Scrubs and ABC sitcoms My Wife and Kids and Less Than Perfect prove, the performance of some shows is all about location, location, location. All of those shows moved to more difficult nights this season and lost viewers.

Originally posted by fredfa
Series Ups and Downs
*snip*
8 Simple Rules* (ABC), -61%
Scrubs (NBC), -40%
Less Than Perfect (ABC), -34%
*snip*
*: Show changed timeslotInteresting that 8 Simple Rules is the only show listed as changing timeslots, when the post immediately succeeding it lists Scrubs and Less Than Perfect changing timeslots as well.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)

Primetime Wednesday Ratings:
CBS' Winning Momentum Continues

Wednesday 11/17/04 Night 14 of the November Sweeps
(Note: The following ratings exclude the New York market.)

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 11.0/16
ABC: 9.1/13
NBC: 8.8/13
Fox: 5.1/ 7
UPN: 3.7/ 5
WB: 3.4/ 5

Percent Change From Comparable Year-Ago Night (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003):
CBS: +51
UPN: +16
ABC: -13
NBC: -19
Fox: -20
WB: -32

Fast Affiliate Ratings

Total Viewers:
CBS: 16.81 million
ABC: 12.22
NBC: 10.84
Fox: 7.35
UPN: 4.16
WB: 3.96

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 5.5/14
ABC: 4.9/13
NBC 3.4/9
Fox: 3.4/ 9
UPN: 1.9/ 5
WB: 1.8/ 5

Yesterday's Winners:
Lost (ABC)
Category 6: Day of Destruction
part two (CBS)
Nanny 911 (Fox)
CSI: NY (CBS)

Honorable Mention:
Law & Order (NBC)
Wife Swap (ABC)

Yesterday's Losers:
LAX (NBC)
The Simple Life: Road Trip (Fox)
The Bachelor (ABC)
Jack & Bobby (WB)

Ratings Breakdown:
Led by the conclusion of miniseries Category 6: Day of Destruction and CSI: NY, CBS posted a rare three-tier Wednesday victory, outdelivering No. 2 ABC by an average of 21 percent in the overnights, 4.59 million viewers and 12 percent among adults 18-49. Although ABC's Lost, as usual, opened the evening on a winning note with a healthy 12.3/18 in the overnights, 17.47 million viewers and a 6.7/18 among adults 18-49, Category 6: Day of Destruction did not go unnoticed, building in each half-hour from 8-10 p.m. and moving into the No. 1 spot from 9-10 p.m. The conclusion averaged a 10.7/15 in the overnights, 16.68 million viewers and a 5.1/12 among adults 18-49. As a reminder, viewer totals and ratings among adults 18-49 are based on the fast affiliate ratings.

In what could be concerning news for Fox, a bonus episode of The Simple Life: Road Trip at 8:30 p.m. tanked with a last-place finish in the overnights (3.8/ 5), and fifth-place finish in total viewers (5.71 million) and adults 18-49 (2.6/ 7). Comparably, that was off by 21 percent in the overnights, 1.04 million viewers and 21 percent among adults 18-49 from declining lead-in That '70s Show (#4: 4.8/ 7; Viewers: 6.75 million; A18-49: 3.3/ 9).

Also in the 8 p.m. hour were NBC's waiting-to-be-axed Lax (#3: 5.5/ 8; A18-49: #6, 2.1/ 5), the WB's Smallville (#5: 4.4/ 6; A18-49: #4t, 2.4/ 6), and America's Next Top Model on UPN (#6: 4.2/ 6; A18-49: #4t, 2.4/ 6). With the conclusion of Category 6: Day of Destruction also in the competitive mix, both Smallville and America's Next Top Model were below average.

At 9 p.m., and opposite the final hour of Category 6, were NBC's The West Wing (#2: 10.0/14; A18-49: #2, 3.9/10), ABC's The Bachelor: The Women Tell All (#3: 6.6/ 9; A18-49: #4: 3.7/ 9), Fox's Nanny 911 (#4: 5.8/ 9; A18-49: #3, 4.0/10), UPN's Kevin Hill (#5: 3.2/ 5; A18-49: #5, 1.6/ 4), and the WB's Jack & Bobby (#6: 2.5/ 4; A18-49: #6, 1.3/ 3). Although Nanny 911 remains a promising new reality entry (building from lead-in The Simple Life by 53 percent in the overnights, 2.76 million viewers and 54 percent among adults 18-49), now that ABC's sinking The Bachelor is heading to Monday it looks like it might be time to finally call it quits.

Leading out of Category 6: Day of Destruction, CBS' CSI: NY moved back into the No. 1 spot in all three categories with an 11.6/18 in the overnights, 17.08 million viewers and a 6.4/17 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Although NBC's Law & Order was a comfortable second in both the overnights (11.1/18) and total viewers (13.77 million), ABC sleeper Wife Swap (#3: 8.3/13; Viewers: #3, 10.36 million; A18-49: 4.4/12) tied Law & Order for No. 2 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

TV Tidbits:

The Million-Dollar Question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire:
On today's edition of the syndicated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, contestant Jeff Gross will walk away with a cool million if he answers the following question correct:

Now used to refer to a cat, the word "tabby" is derived from the name of a district of what world capital?
a) Baghdad b) New Delhi, c) Cairo or d) Moscow.

Does anyone have a clue?


Reader Feedback Forum: Alias

"Should fans of Alias be happy about the move to 9 p.m. Wednesday? Although leading out of Lost is certainly a positive, won't established competition like The West Wing, King of Queens and, most of all, upcoming American Idol be hard to beat? If Alias gets clobbered, will ABC still renew it for 2005-06 or will the network try to move it elsewhere? And what if Wife Swap at 10 p.m. gets hurt if Alias proves less compatible than The Bachelor? Some feel this will benefit Alias but I believe it will be the final nail in the coffin."
-R.L., Chicago, IL

The P.I.:
Instead of worrying whether Alias will be on the air past this season, why don't you relax and enjoy the cult favorite in the more protected Wednesday 9 p.m. time period. Although no one should expect Alias to come anywhere near the mass appeal of lead-in Lost, ABC is wisely using the spy drama to find an audience. Plus, after last season's deadly dull edition of American Idol (Fastasia who?), season four may come down a notch, or two, in the ratings. Don't worry - just be happy Alias is back.

HDNet to Air Arafat Funeral in HD

11/18/2004 10:47:00 AM
Multichannel.com--HDNet said it has captured the only HD footage of the funeral of Palestinian leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Yasser Arafat earlier this month.
The all-HD network will air The Arafat Funeral in HD: An HDNet World Report Exclusive Sunday at 8 p.m. (EST).
HDNet correspondent Greg Dobbs and the crew from the network’s “World Report” were in Ramallah as Palestinian masses swarmed the helicopter when it landed there and, the network added, “the viewer is pulled directly into the realism of the moment, with the sights of tens of thousands of people in chaos and the sounds of crying, shouting and gunfire as the Palestinians mourn for their fallen leader.”

'Nightline' Future
Is in More Jeopardy
With Producer's Exit


By BROOKS BARNES Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 18, 2004; Page B1
A longtime producer of ABC's "Nightline" is leaving the show, signaling a larger shake-up at the money-losing late-night newsmagazine.
Co-Executive Producer Leroy Sievers, who has been with "Nightline" since the early 1990s, is negotiating an exit package after Walt Disney Co.'s ABC indicated it would not renew his contract, according to people familiar with the situation.
Mr. Sievers, a hard-news guardian of the traditional identity of the show, has run it on a daily basis since Tom Bettag, the show's other executive producer, started devoting his time to ABC's Sunday morning program "This Week" about a year ago.
The departure of Mr. Sievers comes amid an uncertain future for the 25-year-old show, which has been on a deathwatch since 2002 when ABC almost dumped the newsmagazine in a bid for David Letterman's "Late Show." In a public-relations disaster, ABC was exposed as trying to woo Mr. Letterman privately to leave CBS and take the Nightline slot, and was widely portrayed as insensitively trampling a news icon in pursuit of commercial gain.
ABC retreated, but to some anxious "Nightline" employees, it looks like the network is trying to finish the job -- this time more quietly and gracefully. (The previous incident embarrassed Mr. Letterman, who didn't want to be seen as complicit in killing a much-beloved news show.)
"Nightline" sprung up in the 1980s, out of a series of reports about the Iran hostage crisis and it became a rarity among newsmagazines: A success both financially and journalistically. With scoops and high-profile interviews and Ted Koppel as its anchor, it competed nimbly even with late-night entertainment shows.
But cable news has muscled in on many of the things "Nightline" used to do well. Ratings have suffered: An average of 3.4 million people have tuned into "Nightline" each night so far this television season, an 18% drop from the same period two years ago, according to VNU SA's Nielsen Media Research. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has attracted about 6.3 million viewers this season; Mr. Letterman's "Late Show" has 5.6 million viewers.
In recent months, as ABC executives have watched General Electric Co.'s NBC sign deals locking in Mr. Leno and Conan O'Brien, the network has renewed its interest in developing its own entertainment show for the slot. Even with the prestige that "Nightline" confers on the network, it attracts an aging audience that doesn't command top advertising dollars. With much money to be made in the time slot, ABC needs to pursue a younger audience, network executives say. A commercial on "Nightline" sells for about $30,000; a commercial on Mr. Leno's program on NBC costs more than $70,000.
One possibility for an entertainment show includes moving "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to an earlier slot. ABC just gave Mr. Kimmel a one-year contract renewal even though his ratings are lackluster. Poaching comedian Jon Stewart from Comedy Central has been mentioned, although that's unlikely as Mr. Stewart just signed a long-term contract with the cable network.
Network executives have floated several ideas about "Nightline" to recapture its must-see quality and profitability. Among them: A return to regular live broadcasts, a format change so the show tackles multiple topics each night instead of just one, and extending the newsmagazine to an hour. But such ideas require major transformations, and the staff of "Nightline," which works in Washington rather than at the New York headquarters, tends to be fiercely protective of the show's traditions.
A big sticking point: Mr. Koppel's contract expires in 2005, and he is unlikely to sign a new one that involves many changes to his current situation. His contract gives him nearly two months of vacation, a three-day workweek and a provision that the show is rarely broadcast live -- a grueling option that characterized "Nightline" in its heyday. Mr. Koppel also takes home a paycheck thought to be near $10 million -- on par with top-paid figures in network news. A spokeswoman said Mr. Koppel was not available to comment.
Mr. Sievers is well-regarded inside ABC News for his ability to zero in on the kind of hot-button news that has long been the trademark of "Nightline." He was the brains behind a controversial special edition of the show in May devoted entirely to Mr. Koppel reading the names of every U.S. serviceman killed at that point in Iraq.
Mr. Sievers said in a statement: "The company has made it clear that it is considering fundamental changes to the format and the direction that the broadcast takes in the future. We were unable to agree on those changes and are negotiating the terms of my departure."
ABC News officials dismissed speculation that "Nightline" would disappear. "We are extremely bullish on the future of Nightline," spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said, adding that Mr. Sievers is "highly respected throughout the news division."

Originally posted by fredfa
The Million-Dollar Question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire:
On today's edition of the syndicated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, contestant Jeff Gross will walk away with a cool million if he answers the following question correct:

Now used to refer to a cat, the word "tabby" is derived from the name of a district of what world capital?
a) Baghdad b) New Delhi, c) Cairo or d) Moscow.

Does anyone have a clue?[/B]Just a guess, and without looking anything up on the Internet (cheating): weren't cats domesticated in ancient Egypt? If so, I'm going to guess Cairo.

Xesdeeni

It was Baghdad, and he quit and took the $500k

(Cop out) I didn't say that was my FINAL answer ;)

Xesdeeni

Fox News coming to Canada

By OLIVER MOORE Toronto Globe and Mail
Thursday, Nov 18, 2004 UPDATED AT 1:01 PM EST
Canadians will soon have access to the "Fair and Balanced" broadcasts of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News.
In a decision released Thursday, the CRTC argued that "there is substantial demand in Canada for Fox News." It will be available to digital subscribers as early as next year.
Rejecting complaints about the station's "alleged ... ideological slant" the CRTC decided against imposing any extra conditions on Fox News.
The CRTC said that it had received 531 statements supporting Fox and only 82 opposed. But, to what extent the station's admittedly conservative views will be welcomed in Canada remains to be seen.
Critics say that, far from being as "Fair and Balanced" as their slogan declares, the station is essentially a house organ for the Bush White House. Pointing to statistics which show that many more Fox viewers believe that Iraqis used weapons of mass destruction against invading U.S. forces, that the world backed the invasion and that Saddam Hussein was intimately connected to the terrorist attacks of September 2001, they argue that Fox is a source of misinformation more than news.
The station's commentators make no apologies for their views, arguing that they are a leavening influence in a media landscape dominated by "liberals" and other evils. Even Cable News Network, well to the right of most Canadian media, has been derided for not being hard line enough. Top Fox commentator Bill O'Reilly has dismissed The Globe and Mail as "a far-left newspaper."
The National Citizens Coalition welcomed Thursday's decision.
"Free speech ... also means having the right to hear other points of view," NCC vice-president Gerry Nicholls said. "The more voices and the more points of view Canadians hear the better."
Launched eight years ago by an adviser to several former Republican presidents of the United States, Fox News is built around high-profile commentators who have become media celebrities. It claims to have 80 million subscribers.
The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association asked in April for permission to carry Fox News to Canadians with digital cable, satellite or wireless television service.

Originally posted by fredfa
Fox News coming to Canada



I removed the comment in deference to Fred's excellent thread here, no reason to sully it up with OT political comments.....Sorry Fred..:)

same here :)

I agree with Keenan on this point...post deleted.

Thanks guys -- I always like a good political argument, but (as I believe you all realize) I would have posted the same item about CNN, MSNBC or FNC.

Hill Takes Pass on DTV, Smut
ByBill McConnell – Broadcasting & Cable,11/18/2004 6:09:00 PM
Congress isn’t likely to include two big TV issues -- indecency and the digital-TV transition -- among bills lawmakers are trying to pass before leaving Washington for the year, Senate Commerce Committee chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) told reporters Thursday.
Too many lawmakers want to add controversial provisions to a bill that would raise fines for indecency violations and require the FCC to take the violations into account when renewing TV and radio licenses to pass the legislation quickly. Broadcasters can rest easy, however. “Sooner or later this is going to be enacted,” he said after a hearing on FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein’s reappointment to the FCC. Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) has pledged to reintroduce an indecency bill in the next Congress.
On the issue of the transition to DTV, McCain said: “It’s too big an issue with the American people.” Congress will pass a non-binding resolution stating when lawmakers want TV stations to complete the switch to DTV and return their old analog channels to the government, he predicted. The date of the proposed deadline was still under negotiation at deadline Thursday.
The Senate was pushing a bill that would require only channels 62 and higher to be returned by 2007. House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, however, is blocking that measure and next year will fight for binding legislation that would set “hard” deadline for returning all channels.

FCC Report Pans a la Carte
By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com 11/18/2004 5:51 PM ET
A study for release to Congress Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission effectively panned the per-channel sale of cable programming, claiming that it would not hold down cable rates, as proponents have argued.
“We don’t come out and say that, but there are plenty of inferences that we certainly don’t recommend that,” an FCC source said. “It doesn’t really endorse anything. It just gives a lot of merit to the operators -- big and, most notably, small [operators] -- and programmers that mandatory a la carte would broadly be a problem.”
The study also tackled another hot-button a la carte issue: indecency. The report concluded that efforts by the cable and direct-broadcast satellite industries to promote their digital blocking technologies were preferable to program-sale mandates that would threaten pay TV’s long-established business model of grouping channels in large tiers.
The FCC was asked to study a la carte issues in a letter sent in May by key Capitol Hill lawmakers, including House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Nathan Deal (R-Ga.).
Senate Commerce Committee chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) also sought the commission’s opinion on whether the agency currently had legal authority to impose a la carte rules.
A Capitol Hill source said that because the report had not reached the Senate, it would be impossible to issue a reaction.
The 108-page report, prepared by the FCC’s Media Bureau, included several recommendations designed to address what it described as real-world concerns about rising cable rates and objectionable programming.
The report concluded that identifiable deficiencies in the program-acquisition market could be addressed by the injection of greater competition at the distribution level, noting nascent efforts by broadcasters aligned with U.S. Digital Television Inc. to use their digital spectrum to provide pay TV services; the increasing interest by Verizon Communications and SBC Communications Inc. in entering the cable business; and the promise of broadband platforms to introduce Internet-protocol video, which currently seems to be following an a la carte model.
“More is going to give you both the idea of retail price competition and innovation competition,” an FCC source said.
The source said the recommendations were offered regardless of whether an a la carte regime was imposed on pay TV distributors.
On rate issues, FCC economists concluded that the purchase of nine networks a la carte would about equal the prices consumers pay for expanded basic. A la carte would likely lead to higher bills because the average cable home watches 17 channels, including local TV stations. In other words, consumers would pay more to maintain access to their favorite channels.
The report also focused on the higher costs consumers would need to shoulder in order for cable systems to establish a la carte services.
“The one thing it does, just by its nature, is increase operational expenses, whether that is the expense of set-top boxes [or] going all-digital,” an FCC source said. “Implementing a la carte costs a decent amount of cash. That’s also true of billing systems, and it’s also true of customer support. Those are the kinds of expenses that get passed on.”
The impact on cable networks with small but loyal viewerships was also analyzed. Those networks told the FCC they could not survive outside of large programming tiers.
“We also discuss, obviously, the potential loss of diversity,” an FCC source said. “All of your traditional diverse, niche, religious, arts networks would have a difficult time, mainly because the advertising revenues are going to have to change, and there is credence to what these people say in the economic world.”
Small cable operators told the FCC that Time Warner Inc. Viacom Inc., The Walt Disney Co., NBC Universal and News Corp. use their clout to make them carry expensive networks their subscribers don’t want to buy in a large tier.
The report tackled that issue, “but it is not definitive. It’s a lot of `mays.’ There is some legitimacy to that argument,” an FCC source said.
Some argued that a la carte would inevitably lead to price regulation of a la carte channels because cable operators would use pricing strategies to entice customers to purchase tiers.
The report “doesn’t necessarily say that, but reading between the lines, you could infer that,” an FCC source said about the need to price-control a la carte channels.
Consumer groups and family organizations formed an alliance to back a la carte as a means of lowering cable rates and filtering indecent programming at the same time. The report did not dismiss those concerns as unimportant.
“These concerns are legitimate. People are concerned about higher bills. People are concerned about indecency and, to a lesser extent, there is a growing concern about [retransmission consent],” an FCC source said.

Fred, have you cleared you mailbox? I was trying to send the link to the a la carte article earlier...

keenan: deleted.
(to all: If you are sending me a PM, please note it here also.
I usually check my PMs daily -- but I am not a fanatic about it!)

Eyes is another ABC mid-season replacement with no date set.

NBC orders 2nd helping of 'Loser'
Skein scored a 5.6 rating among adults 18-49
By JOSEF ADALIAN Variety.com
NBC is sticking to its diet, ordering up a second season of weight loss skein "The Biggest Loser."
After a modest start, "Loser" -- from Reveille, 3 Ball Prods. and 25/7 Prods. -- has turned into a Nielsen winner for the Peacock, especially since expanding to a 90-minute format. Skein's final 9-9:30 p.m. half hour has become particularly potent, this week beating all competish with a convincing 5.6 rating among adults 18-49.
Peacock has quietly expanded the first season of "Loser," upping its original eight-episode order to at least 10 segs, and possibly 11. What's more, because most of the episodes now run 90 minutes, roughly 15 hours of "Loser" will air before the show's first season finale in mid-January.
Reveille topper Ben Silverman said "Loser" has broken out from a ho-hum crop of frosh reality skeins because it's unlike anything else on primetime network TV.
"Viewers haven't seen characters like this before," he said. "Fresh ideas will always beat derivative ideas."
J.D. Roth of 3 Ball said the show has worked because producers ultimately chose to make "Loser" aspirational in nature.
"We went for the heart," he said. "Telling these people's stories is why the show's working."
Both Roth and Silverman said the second season of "Loser" won't be ready until March at the earliest.

ABC extends 'Life' with script order
MTV to air repeats next month
By JOSEF ADALIAN Variety.com
There's some life left in "Life as We Know It."
Struggling teen drama is the only ABC frosh not to snag a full-season order, but the Alphabet is giving the skein a small boost by ordering up four additional scripts.
What's more, producer Touchstone Television has struck a deal with MTV to air repeats of "Life" on the music cabler next month.
Deal with MTV is reminiscent of an agreement ABC made with the cabler a decade ago on behalf of another low-rated teen drama: "My So-Called Life." MTV will repeat the first three episodes of the newer "Life" on Dec. 4, with another set of episodes set to air on Dec. 11.
Despite some solid reviews, "Life" has had to deal with a killer timeslot (9 p.m. Thursdays) and the fact that ABC's early fall promo priorities were "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." Skein remains a fave of net execs, however, which might explain the web's patience.
"Life" was pulled from the sked for the last three weeks of the November sweeps. It's slated to return next month.

"A study for release to Congress Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission effectively panned the per-channel sale of cable programming, claiming that it would not hold down cable rates, as proponents have argued."

Duh!

Some of us didn't need a bureaucratic report to tell us that.

Ratings for Basic Cable Networks

Rankings for the top 15 programs on basic cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Nov. 8-14. Each ratings point represents 1,096,000 households. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses.

1. NFL Football: Buffalo vs. New England HD
Sunday, 8:28 p.m.), ESPN, 5.1, 5.55 million homes.
2. ``SpongeBob SquarePants'' (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.5, 3.85 million homes.
3. ``SpongeBob SquarePants'' (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.2, 3.48 million homes.
4. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.2, 3.45 million homes.
5. ``SpongeBob SquarePants'' (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.1, 3.42 million homes.
6. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.0, 3.24 million homes.
7. ``Attack of the Twonkies'' (Thursday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.9, 3.22 million homes.
8. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.9, 3.16 million homes.
9. ``WWE Raw Zone'' (Monday, 10 p.m.), Spike, 2.9, 3.14 million homes.
10. ``WWE Raw'' (Monday, 9 p.m.), Spike, 2.8, 3.11 million homes.
11. ``NFL Prime Time'' HD
(Sunday, 7:30 p.m.), ESPN, 2.8, 3.06 million homes.
12. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Saturday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.7, 3.01 million homes.
13. ``SpongeBob SquarePants'' (Sunday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.7, 2.99 million homes.
14. ``The O'Reilly Factor'' (Monday, 8 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 2.7, 2.95 million homes.
15. ``The O'Reilly Factor'' (Tuesday, 8 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 2.6, 2.87 million homes.

The Thursday ratings have been posted

Primetime 2004-05:
Freshman Series Update

Eight weeks into the new season, here is an updated status of the primetime freshman class of 2004-05 (including Fox’s summer roll-outs):

ABC
-The Benefactor: Canceled
-Boston Legal: Likely to be picked up for the remainder of the season.
-Complete Savages: Full season order.
-Desperate Housewives: Full season order.
-life as we know it: Unlikely to survive past midseason.
-Lost: Full season order.
-Rodney: Full season order.
-Wife Swap: Full season order.

CBS:
-Center of the Universe: Two-episode pick-up (with an order for 6 additional scripts)
-Clubhouse: Canceled.
-CSI: NY: Full season order.
-dr. vegas: Canceled.
-Listen Up: Full season order.

NBC
-Father of the Pride: Currently on hiatus, moving to Tues. 9:30 p.m. in December.
-Hawaii: Canceled.
-Joey: Full season order.
-LAX: Moved to Wed. 8 p.m. from Mon. 10 p.m., cancellation pending.
-Medical Investigation: Full season order.

Fox:
-The Casino: Canceled.
-The Jury: Canceled.
-Method & Red: Canceled.
-North Shore: Poor retention out of The O.C.
-Quintuplets: Full season order.

UPN
-Kevin Hill: Full season order.
-Second Time Around: 50/50 on more episodes.
-Veronica Mars: Full season order.

WB
-Blue Collar TV: Full season order.
-Commando Nanny: Canceled before it even began.
-Drew Carey’s Green Screen: On hiatus.
-Jack & Bobby: Full season order. Moved to Wed. 9 p.m. from Sun. 9 p.m.
-The Mountain: Cancellation pending. Moved to Sun. 9 p.m. from Wed. 9 p.m.
-Studio 7: Canceled.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Primetime 2004-05: Freshman Series Update
Eight weeks into the new season, here is an updated status of the primetime freshman class of 2004-05 (including Fox’s summer roll-outs):

ABC
-The Benefactor: Canceled
-Boston Legal: Likely to be picked up for the remainder of the season.
-Complete Savages: Full season order.
-Desperate Housewives: Full season order.
-life as we know it: Unlikely to survive past midseason.
-Lost: Full season order.
-Rodney: Full season order.
-Wife Swap: Full season order.

CBS:
-Center of the Universe: Two-episode pick-up (with an order for 6 additional scripts)
-Clubhouse: Canceled.
-CSI: NY: Full season order.
-dr. vegas: Canceled.
-Listen Up: Full season order.

NBC
-Father of the Pride: Currently on hiatus, moving to Tues. 9:30 p.m. in December.
-Hawaii: Canceled.
-Joey: Full season order.
-LAX: Moved to Wed. 8 p.m. from Mon. 10 p.m., cancellation pending.
-Medical Investigation: Full season order.

Fox:
-The Casino: Canceled.
-The Jury: Canceled.
-Method & Red: Canceled.
-North Shore: Poor retention out of The O.C.
-Quintuplets: Full season order.

UPN
-Kevin Hill: Full season order.
-Second Time Around: 50/50 on more episodes.
-Veronica Mars: Full season order.

WB
-Blue Collar TV: Full season order.
-Commando Nanny: Canceled before it even began.
-Drew Carey’s Green Screen: On hiatus.
-Jack & Bobby: Full season order. Moved to Wed. 9 p.m. from Sun. 9 p.m.
-The Mountain: Cancellation pending. Moved to Sun. 9 p.m. from Wed. 9 p.m.
-Studio 7: Canceled.

For CBS, a stunting lead in sweeps
And most likely an insurmountable lead as well
By Toni Fitzgerald medialifemagazine.com
For a network that claims not to believe in sweeps stunting, CBS is doing an awful lot of it. And it’s working awfully well.
A year ago it would have seemed laughable to tab the network of “Judging Amy” and “The District” the favorite among adults 18-49 for the November sweeps. Yet CBS has jumped out to what may be an insurmountable lead in this month’s sweeps, thanks in part to two extremely successful stunts.
Last week’s “Country Music Awards” and this week’s two-part “Category 6: Day of Destruction” disaster miniseries accomplished exactly what good sweeps stunting should. They gave CBS footholds on three nights--Tuesday, Sunday and Wednesday--when it does not usually finish No. 1 among 18-49s.
Through Wednesday night, CBS leads among 18-49s with a 4.8 average. NBC is second at 4.1, followed closely by ABC (4.0) and then Fox (3.1).
CBS tends to skew older on Tuesdays and Sundays, with shows like “NCIS,” the “Sunday Night Movie” and “60 Minutes.”
Those nights seemed like the network’s only weaknesses heading into sweeps. By subbing in the “Country Music Awards” last Tuesday, CBS not only boosted its season-long 2.9 average on the night, it also managed to finish first with a 5.9 nightly average.
The “CMAs” gave CBS its best Tuesday performance among 18-49s since November 2001. That had the double effect of also sapping the strength of one of ABC’s big sweeps stunts, Jimmy Smits’ reappearance on “NYPD Blue,” which averaged only a 3.7, 15 percent above its season average.
Part one of “Category 6” also gave CBS an 18-49 boost it otherwise would not have gotten. To this point in the season, the “Sunday Night Movie” has averaged a 3.6 among 18-49s.
“Category 6” averaged a 6.3, bettering ABC’s competing “American Music Awards” and helping CBS tie the usually dominant ABC for the night.
Wednesday night’s conclusion of the miniseries had a similar effect. Although “CSI: NY” is often the night’s second-highest-rated show, CBS hasn’t gotten many wins on Wednesday because its 8 and 9 p.m. shows are lower-rated among 18-49s.
But “Category 6” boosted CBS to No. 1 for the night, giving it three out of four nightly wins this week (and last night virtually assured).
CBS, ABC and UPN are all showing increases versus last year through Wednesday night in the 18-49 demo. CBS is up 16 percent, ABC 11 percent and UPN 7 percent to a 1.6, tied with the WB.
NBC is down 9 percent and the WB is off 6 percent while Fox is even to last year.

LAX Makes Schedule Departure
By John M. Higgins Broadcasting & Cable.com 11/19/2004
To no one's surprise, NBC has all but canceled airport drama LAX. The network said its Universal Television unit will complete the initial order of 13 episodes, but after that, the series is grounded.
Even a steamy sweeps sex scene between Blair Underwood and Heather Locklear couldn't turn the tide.
But it’s not clear when the show will return or if the final episodes will run in the same 8 p.m. (EST) time slot.
Somehow, viewers never bonded with Heather Locklear as co-operations manager of Los Angeles, dashing through the terminal in white suits and four-inch heels.
NBC has aired 10 episodes, but had already preempted the series for holiday programming over the next three weeks.

Congress readies Satellite Legislation

Multichannel.com---Lawmakers have reached agreement on legislation that would extend distant network rights and give EchoStar Communications Corp. just 18 months to ensure that consumers need only one dish to receive all local TV stations in a market.
The phase-out of EchoStar’s two-dish policy was contained in a bill extending the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act, which Congress is expected to pass before adjourning this weekend, according to two industry sources.
The satellite bill is expected to be included in a much larger spending measure that requires congressional approval to keep the federal government operating.
“That's what staff has been told,” a Senate Commerce Committee spokesman said.
In other provisions, the law would extend for five years direct-broadcast satellite operators’ right to transmit ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox stations in New York and Los Angeles to subscribers around the country who can’t get same programming locally.
About 2 million DBS customers take distant-network-signal packages. DBS operators do not need retransmission consent to import network programming.
The bill would also extend for five years DBS operators’ right to sell superstations to any DBS subscriber, again without needing retransmission consent.
The bill also gives the FCC nine months to conduct a study on the impact of retransmission-consent, network-nonduplication, syndicated-exclusivity and sports-blackout rules on competition in the pay TV distribution market, with particular emphasis on rural cable systems, an industry source said.
EchoStar fought for a provision allowing it to send HDTV versions of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox around the country to subscribers considered digitally unserved by their local TV stations. An EchoStar-backed group said 40 million households could not get local digital broadcasts.
The bill would allow EchoStar to provide the HDTV networks to subscribers who currently qualify as unserved by analog local-TV signals -- a much smaller universe than 40 million households, a Senate source said.
In a few years, the bill includes a provision that makes subscribers eligible for distant HDTV feeds if tests show that they can’t get the programming locally, a Senate source said.
However, DBS subscribers who buy a package of local-digital signals would not qualify for distant HDTV signals.
If a customer subscribes to a distant HDTV package before the introduction of local-digital-TV signals in the market, the customer can keep the distant package, but they are required to purchase the local package.
A Senate source said a DBS subscriber on the West Coast won’t be eligible to buy a distant-HDTV-network-signal package from an earlier time zone -- a clampdown on time shifting that would prevent Californians, for example, from viewing ABC’s Nightline or CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman at 8:30 p.m. instead of 11:30 p.m.
EchoStar offers local signals in about 150 markets, but customers in 38 markets need second dishes to view all of their local broadcasters.
The National Association of Broadcasters, branding the practice illegal and discriminatory, has made a two-dish ban a legislative priority. The NAB moved after the Federal Communications Commission refused to impose a two-dish ban.
EchoStar has said that complying with a two-dish ban within one year -- as House-passed legislation would have required -- would cost $100 million.
The legislation will allow EchoStar to use two dishes, but only if all local stations are resident on one dish. EchoStar may also offer all analog stations on one dish and all digital stations on another.
An EchoStar spokesman declined to comment.
DirecTV Inc. does not use two dishes in the same fashion.

CBS, Fox to Provide HD Aerial Coverage of NFL Games

TVWeek.com November 19, 2004
CBS and Fox plan to go high in the sky to provide high-definition aerial coverage of NFL games this season, including the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. Cablecam International, which provides camera systems for aerial shots of the games, plans to use Helinet's HD aerial camera platform for football coverage.
The coverage starts immediately.
The Helinet technology has been used for live broadcasts during NBA playoff games on TNT, providing aerial shots above the Staples Center in Los Angeles, for instance.
The system is also used by a handful of local TV stations around the country for their HD news-gathering efforts.

Out looking for new television last evening. Was told by young, snot-nosed saleskid that I could buy any television I chose but if it didnt have HD capabilities, I would be buying a new television in 2006. How true is this statement? If HD is inevitable then which one would be the most recommended?

Thanks for the opinion

paperpete69:
TV's are transitioning to an all-HD future. The bigger ones are being transformed into at least HD ready sets, the smaller sizes will gradually come in the next couple of years.
The FCC website or the CEA site has lots of information about the federal rules regarding TV sets over the next few years.
As for what you buy now, it all depends on what features you want, what your budget is, and what you consider to be qualities that are important.
I'd check the Consumer Reports.org site or the HD hardware site here.
Thursday's NY Times had a long (and very approving) article about two new Samsung and Sharp 42/43" LCD sets ($6,200 street price).
You can get thin plasmas in either HD or what many consider to be "near HD" (called ED for Enhanced Definition) starting at about $2,000 for a 42" ED set and going up - way up.
(You should be warned that many HD "purists" get very upset at ED being considered in the same breath as HD. Nonetheless, ED sets can show HD picturess [though with less clarity] and have far better quality than "regular" TV sets.)
Probably rear projection is your best value (and often quality as good or better than anything else, too). They are big and bulky (and heavy) but prices are down under $1,500.
It all depends on what you find the best mix of price to features.
One thing is certain thought: once you start watching HD, TV will never be the same for you again.
By the way, welcome to the forum. I hope we'll see you often.

Originally posted by paperpete69
Out looking for new television last evening. Was told by young, snot-nosed saleskid that I could buy any television I chose but if it didnt have HD capabilities, I would be buying a new television in 2006. How true is this statement? If HD is inevitable then which one would be the most recommended?

Thanks for the opinion

He was referring to the fact that all TV signals should be digital by 2006. Many confuse this with meaning that all signals will be HD by '06. This is not true.

Friday's ratings have been posted.

I'm confused. I watched CSI:Miami "Not Landing" HD at 9pm CST last night in Dallas. It was a repeat. Did I miss something???

I can't tell you.
I wasn't watching last night.
At 9 p.m. (CT), CSI: NY (a repeat) was supposed to be on.
But it is not at all unusual for a network to make a late schedule change and for the fast overnights not to have caught up with the late change.

FCC Says A La Carte TV Would Cost More
Advocates Fault Pricing Study
By Frank Ahrens Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, November 20, 2004; Page E01
Most consumers would end up paying more for cable and satellite television if they were allowed to pick only the channels they wanted to watch instead of being forced to buy large packages of channels, a Federal Communications Commission report concluded.
A six-month study of "a la carte" cable and satellite pricing, ordered by Congress, found that consumers would save money on their monthly bills only if they pick and pay for fewer than nine channels.
However, the study found, most households regularly watch an average of 17 channels, including traditional broadcast staples such as ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Under the a la carte plan studied, consumers would see their monthly bills rise between 14 and 30 percent if they purchased 17 channels, the report said.
Cable subscribers, consumer groups and members of Congress have increasingly complained about monthly cable bills, which have risen at three times the rate of inflation since the federal government deregulated the industry in 1996.
In May, Congress ordered the FCC to study the a la carte proposals as a possible remedy. Yesterday's report shunned the idea of requiring cable companies to offer a la carte service, saying imposing new regulations should take a back seat to fostering competition and technological breakthroughs that would offer consumers more choices. It cited the growth of video on demand, in which viewers pick and pay for only the programming they want.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), an advocate of a la carte pricing, said that yesterday's report was a disappointment and that he would push for a voluntary a la carte system. It appears, he said in a statement, "the industry has been successful once again in distracting policy makers with a 'parade of horribles' that they allege would result from a mandatory a la carte offering."
Consumers Union, the nonprofit group that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, faulted the FCC for comparing the cost of a la carte to the price for a package of channels. Instead, it said, a la carte should be offered as an option, because some consumers are happy to pay for entire packages while others would like to pick and choose. Surveys conducted by the group have found that two-thirds of cable consumers say they would like an a la carte option.
"For people on Capitol Hill, this should raise more questions than it answers -- if you charge the same for nine channels as you do for 50 channels, doesn't that mean there's something wrong with the cable market?" said Gene Kimmelman, senior public policy director of Consumers Union.
The Parents Television Council also supports a la carte pricing, saying consumers should not have to pay to receive channels that broadcast objectionable material.
"The FCC's report on 'a la carte' was hopelessly inadequate, as it barely mentioned the prime reason that so many people want cable choice: Cable is completely awash in raunch," said Timothy F. Winter, executive director of the Parents Television Council.
The large cable companies, such as Comcast Corp., have fought a la carte pricing, arguing it would drive up customers' ills and mean the demise of lesser-watched channels, such as BET, that would have to fend for themselves rather than be subsidized by popular channels, such as USA and ESPN, as they are now.
"The FCC report to Congress makes clear that government-mandated per-channel pricing would not offer any benefits to the vast majority of consumers and would in fact result in higher prices, fewer choices and less diversity in programming," said Robert Sachs, president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the trade group of large cable providers.
TV One, the cable channel co-owned by Radio One Inc. and Comcast, also praised the FCC report.
Cable operators argue that the price of service is rising because cable networks such as ESPN, HBO and Lifetime are increasing rates.
The networks, owned by media giants such as Time Warner Inc. and the Walt Disney Co., force cable and satellite providers to buy bundles of channels, requiring them to take new or less-popular channels to get the channels consumers want most. In other words, if a cable system wants Viacom Inc.'s popular MTV, it may also be required to carry the lesser-watched Spike TV.
Matthew M. Polka, president of the American Cable Association, the trade group of small cable operators, said the FCC should require media companies to release more information about their pricing and bundling practices so they can be held accountable.
"I have seen this a la carte used by major media programmers as a diversionary tactic to avoid being accountable to Congress, the FCC and the public," Polka said

Fast National ratings for Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004

(zap2it.com)-- FOX and fans can't get enough of those bad boys, letting the network take the night on Saturday (Nov. 20).

Overall Prime Time Ratings/Share
Fox 5.3/9
NBC 4.9/9
ABC 3.9/7
CBS 3.4/6

Adults 18-49
Fox 3.3
NBC 3.2
ABC 1.9
CBS 1.6

The evening started at 8 p.m., with back-to-back episodes of "Cops," averaging a 5.1/10 for FOX. NBC was second with a reairing of "Erin Brockovich," while ABC went with the Dennis Quaid baseball movie "The Rookie." CBS encored Tuesday night's premiere of "Amazing Race 6," 2.6/5.
FOX was also on top at 9 p.m., with "America's Most Wanted," 5.5/10. NBC kept with "Erin," 4.9/9, ABC was still at bat, 3.9/7, and CBS finished up its "Race" premiere with a 2.8/5.
Despite FOX's overall win, NBC had the best hour of the night at at 10 p.m., , with the last hour of "Erin Brockovich" scoring a 5.9/11. CBS moved up to second place with "48 Hours Mystery," 4.9/9, while "The Rookie" slipped to third, 4.6/8.
• Ratings information is taken from fast national data. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change

fredfa,

"Eyes" (HD) is another ABC mid-season drama replacement with no date set.

Cable's Rivals Lure Customers With Packages
By KEN BELSON The New York Times November 22, 2004
For years, consumers who wanted to cut the cord with their cable company found that getting television and high-speed Internet service often meant the inconvenience of finding two new providers.
That's now changing. Cable's two hungry rivals - phone companies and satellite providers - are stealing cable's disgruntled customers with cheaper all-in-one packages that bundle TV with Internet and phone services.
In theory, cable companies like Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable, a unit of Time Warner, are ideally suited to offer one-stop shopping for all telecommunications services, including new Internet-based phone services, with their single pipe into the house. But they have not been able to shake the perception among millions of consumers that cable companies charge too much for bad service.
Not surprisingly, cable's problem has created an opening for an ungainly alliance of regional Bell companies - Verizon Communications, SBC Communications and BellSouth - and the two biggest satellite companies, DirecTV and EchoStar, which runs the Dish Network, to lure away cable customers by selling each other's products at a discount.
Frustration with their cable company was what prompted Jonathan and Courtney Rothstein to subscribe to DirecTV when they moved two years ago from New York City to Chappaqua, in suburban Westchester County. The plan they picked from DirecTV was $20 cheaper than what Cablevision, the local cable company, offered in their new neighborhood. They also ordered a TiVo digital video recorder for $4.99 a month, and received free installation of the satellite dish.
"It was more for our money," said Mr. Rothstein, an architect. "The only thing with satellite is there are so many channels that I can't follow them all."
But the Rothsteins still face one problem. Their phone company, Verizon, does not offer high-speed Internet lines in their neighborhood. So they still have to pay Cablevision $49.95 a month for broadband service, about $15 more than Verizon's high-speed Internet line.
"When we moved in two years ago, it was really the only option, so I was hostage to the price," Mrs. Rothstein said. She will happily sign up with Verizon when it brings broadband connections to her area, she said.
With aggressive advertising campaigns like "Stop Feeding the Pig" that lampoon cable companies, DirecTV and Dish Network have attracted 24 million customers in the past decade with its low-cost pitch.
But to maintain that growth rate, the satellite companies knew they also needed to offer Internet access and phone lines. At the same time, phone companies crave the ability to offer television without having to invest huge sums of money.
"We feel good because we don't have to spend billions of dollars to provide our customers with video," said Ron Dykes, the chief financial officer at BellSouth which, like Verizon, sells DirecTV's service to its customers. "Our main objective is to replace cable."
SBC Communications, the most aggressive of the three Bells in recruiting satellite TV customers, works with Dish Network and has even invested $500 million in its parent, EchoStar.
The three Bells have signed up 325,000 subscribers for satellite TV so far this year, 13 percent of the 2.5 million new customers satellite companies have added over the period. Most of those customers were former cable customers.
During the first three quarters this year, the eight largest cable providers combined, excluding Adelphia, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, have lost 552,000 subscribers for basic cable services. Many of the losses have come at the weaker cable companies, including Charter Communications.
Still, 19 percent of American households now have satellite service, up from 12 percent four years ago, while cable's share of the TV market has fallen to 62 percent, from 66 percent, during the same period.
Some industry analysts say the partnership of satellite and phone companies has not greatly altered those industries. Others say the Bells will abandon the satellite providers once they start selling television programming over the fiber-optic networks they are now building.
"With the Bells poised to enter the video business, how long can these partnerships last?" said Craig Moffett, an industry analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. "They will go from a position when they were both aligned against a common competitor - cable - to a position where they are competing" against each other.
For the most part, the phone companies are just beginning to build fiber networks and assembling the programming necessary to sell television on their own. SBC, for one, has said it will offer programs from the Dish Network through its network, and struck a deal with Microsoft last week to acquire the software to do so. But until fiber lines become common, the satellite-phone alliance gives both industries a way to challenge cable's strengths.
The Bells are promoting big discounts - up to 20 percent off customers' monthly bills - if they order a television plan and a full complement of phone and Internet services. The discounts have also allowed the satellite companies to focus more on products rather than just price.
"We have been very successful at positioning ourselves as a low-cost provider," said John Scarborough, a spokesman for EchoStar. "Now we're positioned in a bundle with SBC, and we have the common objective of beating out the evil-doers of cable."
There are gaps in what the phone and satellite companies can offer, though. Satellite providers have fewer local and high-definition programs than cable companies, and satellite technology does not allow video-on-demand and other services that require two-way signals. Satellite customers also complain about losing television signals during rain and snowstorms.
Phone companies, too, have limitations in competing with cable. For one, they cannot deliver high-speed Internet connections to customers like the Rothsteins, who live too far from their local switching stations. That is a particular problem for customers in rural and suburban areas, and it limits the number of satellite customers who might otherwise sign up for broadband services from phone companies.
In the meantime, cable providers have responded aggressively to the new threat with advertising campaigns to promote cable-only features like free video-on-demand, their faster Internet connection speeds and cheap Web phone service.
"Bundles are where cable's priorities are," said Char Beales, the chief executive of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, an industry-funded group. "If you look at the deals the satellite providers are putting together with the phone companies, they've definitely got bundle-envy. Cable is more consistent."
Still, she said it would take a long time to change consumer perceptions. Customer satisfaction surveys by J. D. Power and Associates showed that though the cable industry had improved in the eyes of consumers, it continued to lag behind satellite providers, which were considered friendlier and cheaper.
"It's hard for the cable industry to close the gap," said Steve Kirkeby, an analyst at J. D. Power. "Fundamentally, satellite customers are much happier than cable customers. And at the end of the day, there's no doubt that satellite is winning the hearts and minds of customers on cost."
For now, the phone companies are biding their time, riding on the satellite industry's coattails, until they can offer television programming of their own.

A Not-So-Divided Television Nation
TVWeek Finds Country United on Top 10 Series Despite 'Red'/'Blue' Ideology
By James Hibberd TVWeek.com November 22, 2004
The electorate may be as divided as ever, but when voting with a remote control, liberal and conservative markets tend to have similar tastes.

Following the Nov. 2 election, which heightened the sense of there being an ideological divide between so-called red and blue states, TelevisionWeek examined season-to-date household ratings for 10 markets whose post-election results showed a strongly partisan stance and show rankings in urban versus rural counties.

Though several examples confirm or break common assumptions about the partisan appeal of certain shows, the overall findings are clear: The country is united under prime-time television.

"One of the lessons is that whatever [a county's] political or social leanings, they tend to be more alike than different," said Tim Brooks, head of research for Lifetime. "There are a few shows that scream urban or rural, but most programs have no discernable political stripe to them."
For the "blue" designated market areas, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Seattle were used. For the "red" markets, Dallas-Fort Worth, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Fla., Oklahoma City and Atlanta were chosen. Show ratings also were examined among all counties across the United States. Nielsen Media Research divides all counties into sizes A (urban, most densely populated and typically more liberal) to D (rural, less populated and typically more conservative), with suburbs in between. All ratings are from Nielsen.
Starting with wide trends, the top 10 shows were highly similar in red and blue markets, rural and urban. "CSI," "Without a Trace," "60 Minutes," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "CSI: Miami," "ER" and other popular favorites showed little fluctuation based on region or population.
By genre, popular police procedurals and broad-appeal reality fare such as "Survivor: Vanuatu" tended to be nonpartisan in their draw, though there were exceptions.
Among reality shows, for example, "The Apprentice" was more popular in urban metro areas than in the most rural areas. Among A counties, it's the fourth-highest-rated show in prime time. The show's rank gets progressively lower as the counties get more rural, averaging a rank of 43 among D counties. While the highly ranked "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" performed equally well in urban and rural environments, the show tended to be slightly more favored in red markets than blue markets.
Some Clear Divides
As one might expect, the liberal-skewing politics of "The West Wing" performed best in blue markets. But the division was much sharper when comparing the show by county size. The show averaged a rank of 13 among urban centers, and plummeted to 70 in rural areas. To a lesser extent, the critically lauded bubble-comedy "Arrested Development" also skewed blue and urban.
The racy "Desperate Housewives" was a top five show in every surveyed market, though it performed slightly better in blue markets and firmly better in urban centers.
"There are remarkably few people who take offense at the violence and gore in `CSI' or occasional nudity in `Survivor' or `Desperate Housewives,' but we hear a lot about it," Mr. Brooks said. "Where you find real differences is in shows that have an overt political bent like `The West Wing' or programs that are breaking the mold in sex."
Another clear divide was caused by shows with gay-themed content. "Will & Grace" ranked higher in blue markets and urban centers, going from a 13 in the most populous counties to 50 in the least. Likewise, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" posted its highest numbers among surveyed cities New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago, while barely registering in cities such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Salt Lake City.
While Fox's "The O.C." is a soap opera set in conservative Orange County, the program ranked high in blue markets. The show does best among surveyed area Los Angeles (35 ranked, which included Orange County) and worst in Oklahoma City (ranked 126).
As for across-the-board red-market appeal, "Blue Collar TV" handily ranked higher in conservative markets-Orlando, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Atlanta were its top cities among the surveyed, ranking from 75 to 79. In New York (112), Boston (99) and other blue cities, viewers were less interested.
Among Christian-themed prime-time shows such as "Joan of Arcadia" and "7th Heaven," results were mixed. "7th Heaven" skewed red, but not by a strong margin. "Joan," a rather dark and edgy show despite its premise, did not show any consistent ideological skewing.

Parisse to uphold 'Law'
New 'Order' for long-running skein
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Variety.com
Annie Parisse is the new "Law & Order" assistant district attorney. Parisse, who joins the show in midseason, fills the void left by the departure of Elisabeth Rohm, who announced last summer that she'd leave the show some time this season.
Parisse joins the show in this season's 14th episode, which is expected to air sometime in January. Her character has not yet been named.
Parisse appears in feature "National Treasure"; other feature credits include "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." She's also no stranger to the Dick Wolf/"Law & Order" franchise: Thesp gueststarred on the show in the 2001-02 season.
She becomes the sixth actor to play the assistant district attorney role on the skein, following Richard Brooks, Jill Hennessy, Carey Lowell, Angie Harmon and Rohm.
Long-running "Law & Order" is no stranger to cast changes. Most recently, Dennis Farina joined the show, replacing Jerry Orbach (who has moved to the new "Law & Order: Trial by Jury").
Parisse's other credits include soap "As the World Turns" as well as guest spots on "Friends," "Third Watch" and "Big Apple."

Sunday's ratings have been posted.

For anyone interested, the complete 107-page satellite retransmission bill, passed by the House and Senate Saturday as part of the $388 billion spending measure, has been posted over at satellite guys.
I've read it; it is dry and very hard to understand, but if the issue will effect you, it is worth spending the time and effort to read.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/rbbrittain/SHVIA.pdf

For those interested, here are two different reports on the SHVERA act passed late Saturday:

Congress Passes DBS Legislation
By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com
Congress passed legislation Saturday that gives EchoStar Communications Corp. just 18 months to ensure that consumers need only one dish to receive all local TV stations in a market.
The phase-out of EchoStar’s two-dish policy was contained in a 1,000-page, $388 billion spending bill that funds Cabinet departments and dozens of federal agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission, for the current fiscal year.
Lawmakers, their aides and lobbyists reached agreement late last week, producing a compromise that, on balance, gave the edge to the National Association of Broadcasters.
But that didn’t mean EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen came away empty-handed.
Congressional and industry sources said EchoStar secured permission to beam HDTV versions of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox network programming to eligible subscribers around the country. But the number of households that would actually qualify for the service is much smaller than EchoStar had wanted.
Nevertheless, the Digital Television Coalition -- a group supported by EchoStar that claimed that 40 million households were in “digital white areas” not served by local TV stations -- claimed victory.
“This provision will provide relief to millions of television viewers -- particularly those in rural America -- who cannot receive their local ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox affiliate in digital,” the DTC said in a prepared statement.
Congress had to complete work this year on the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act because key provisions were due to expire Dec. 31. The new law is called the Satellite Home Viewer Extension Reauthorization Act.
“Passage of SHVERA will increase competition and consumer choice by both allowing satellite providers to continue to provide local and network broadcasts to viewers otherwise unable to receive local programming in their area, and to carry certain out-of-market signals in a comparable way to what cable operators are currently permitted to do,” House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) said.
Text of the new legislation was not available Sunday.
There could be one snafu: According to published reports, House aides inserted a provision in the spending bill that would allow agents of the chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to review private tax returns. The Senate quelled the uproar by dropping the tax provision and blocked sending the bill to the White House until the House did the same thing later this week.
The two-dish controversy erupted in January 2002, when federal law required EchoStar and DirecTV Inc. to carry every requesting local TV station in a market where they provided any local station.
The NAB branded the practice illegal and discriminatory, but the FCC, despite finding problems with EchoStar’s implementation of its two-dish service, did not ban it.
Losing at the FCC required the NAB to turn to Congress in search of statutory changes.
EchoStar offers local signals in about 150 markets, but customers in 38 of them need second dishes to view all of their local broadcasters.
EchoStar has said that complying with a two-dish ban within one year -- as House-passed legislation in July would have required -- would cost $100 million.
It’s not clear whether EchoStar will decide to discontinue local service in the two-dish markets or make the necessary modifications to comply with the new law.
A two-dish ban is something of a misnomer. The new law permits a two-dish requirement so long as all local stations are available on just one.
EchoStar and DirecTV may also offer all analog stations on one dish and all digital stations on another, sources said.
DirecTV does not require subscribers to obtain second dishes to view all local stations in a market.
“While we appreciate the bipartisan effort to pass legislation that considered the needs of diverse interests, EchoStar is disappointed that the bill inappropriately singles out EchoStar for unfair treatment with respect to channel positioning,” the company said in a prepared statement.
“The bill gives EchoStar only 18 months to eliminate its two-dish solution, while at the same time forcing us to wait up to three years to provide distant digital signals,” EchoStar added.
In other provisions, the new law extended for five years direct-broadcast satellite operators’ right to transmit ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox stations in New York and Los Angeles to subscribers around the country who can’t get same programming locally.
About 2 million DBS customers take distant-network-signal packages. DBS operators do not need retransmission consent to import network programming, but they do pay copyright royalties.
Similarly, the law extended for five years DBS operators’ right to sell superstations to any DBS subscriber, again without needing retransmission consent but with copyright-payment obligations.
Under the new law, the FCC has nine months to conduct a study on the impact of retransmission-consent, network-nonduplication, syndicated-exclusivity and sports-blackout rules on competition in the pay TV distribution market, with particular emphasis on rural cable systems, according to industry and congressional sources.
A congressional source said the National Cable & Telecommunications Association sought immediate statutory changes but had to settle for an FCC study.
For EchoStar, the digital-white-area provision was priority. Ergen has said local TV stations, especially in rural areas, had defaulted on their promise to blanket the country with HDTV content, slowing consumer purchase of HDTV sets and putting off indefinitely the time when broadcasters would surrender a big chunk of analog spectrum to the FCC.
“The forward-thinking digital-white-area provision will motivate local broadcasters to build their towers and broadcast at full power in order to serve their communities,” EchoStar said in a prepared statement.
“These changes will also help to accelerate the digital transition and ensure the return of the 700-megahertz spectrum to the government,” the company added.
Despite strong opposition from the NAB, Congress decided to allow DBS operators to offer network HDTV feeds to subscribers who currently qualify as unserved under analog-reception rules.
In a few years, the law permits DBS subscribers to prove eligibility for distant HDTV feeds if testing shows that they can’t get the HDTV programming locally, congressional and industry sources said.
There’s one big caveat with that provision: No testing is permitted if local digital-TV stations can’t provide a full-power signal due to factors outside of their control, such as interference coordination along the Canadian and Mexican borders and other regulatory issues, both local and national.
The law made sure local digital-TV stations are given priority over distant digital-network feeds. For example, DBS subscribers who sign up for local digital-TV signals would not qualify for distant HDTV signals.
And if DBS subscribers receive a distant HDTV package before DBS introduces local digital-TV service, they can keep the distant package, but only if they also buy the local digital package.
In an effort to address another NAB concern, Congress decided to impose time-zone restrictions on distant-HDTV-network subscribers.
A Senate source said a DBS subscriber on the West Coast who takes a distant HDTV network package is ineligible to purchase a similar package of digital-TV stations based in Eastern time zones.
That provision clamped down on time-shifting fans in California who purchase New York stations in order to watch ABC’s Nightline or CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman at 8:30 p.m. instead of 11:30 p.m.

Congress Passes DBS Legislation
by Bill McConnell – Broadcasting & Cable,
Congress has handed broadcasters a lobbying victory in the year-long battle over renewing satellite-TV providers' right to carry local TV stations.
Late Saturday lawmakers passed legislation giving direct broadcast satellite operators the right to carry local TV stations for another five years. That part wasn’t controversial, but broadcasters and DBS carriers have been battling over controversial side issues since January. The provision was tucked into a massive spending bill lawmakers approved before leaving Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Prompted by complaints from the National Association of Broadcasters, Congress ordered satellite TV provider Echostar to end within 18 months a practice that required many subscribers to install two dish antennas in order to receive all the local TV stations in their market.
Under Echostar’s current practice, affiliates of the major networks are typically available on the same dish as popular pay-TV channels while other stations in the market are relegated to the second antennas, which many subscribers don’t bother to install. Broadcasters say the practice unfairly hurts lower rated stations and violates the spirit if not the letter of the carry one, carry all requirement (If a satellite carrier elects to carry any local station in a market, it must provide all).
Echostar officials, however, complained that the legislation "inappropriately singled out" their company because it will have to spend hundreds of millions to move local channels to its main satellite.
In another defeat for Echostar, Congress rejected the company’s request to begin importing broadcast networks’ high-definition versions of Monday Night Football and other network shows from far away markets to any viewers who can’t get HD versions from their local affiliate. Echostar argues that many local stations have been too slow to roll out digital programming to their entire coverage area and DBS offers a chance to bring network HD to those customers right now.
Satellite companies already have the right to import distant analog network signals to subscribers who can't receive a sufficient-quality over the air signal.
Many local broadcasters are not reaching their entire coverage area with a digital signal because they have been transmitting DTV at low power levels. The FCC permitted the power cut to help stations save on utility costs until large numbers of consumers have acquired sets capable of receiving digital signals.
Congress did give DBS companies some small consolation. Over the next 18 months to three years, TV stations face deadlines for serving their entire market with digital. If any network affiliate fails to meet its deadline, a neglected viewer can order a DBS package that includes an imported version of the network signal.
Still, a DBS provider has some hurdles to clear even then. First it must already be providing local channels in an analog format, but not yet providing local channels in digital. Second, measurements of the broadcasters’ signal taken from the subscribers’ home must prove an acceptable digital signal isn’t available (broadcasters have complained that DBS companies are playing fast and loose with those measurements in analog delivering signals to homes that can receive a quality over-the-air signal). Finally, DBS providers must pay a higher royalty rate for imported signals than they do for local versions and must import a signal from a station in the same time zone.
Although the provision fell far short of Echostar’s request, the company praised lawmakers for approving a "forward-thinking" remedy for getting digital to unserved customers.
Despite the legislative disappointment, the measure could help Echostar's business in the long run, says Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett. That's because Echostar ultimately hopes to convince as many customers as possible to get their local digital channels directly from the broadcasters, thus saving satellite capacity for pay-TV programming.

McCartney Tapped for Super Bowl Halftime
(zap2it.com)--Say what you will about Paul McCartney, but the former Beatle and Wing is unlikely to tear his shirt off at public singing engagements. Perhaps the minimal threat of nipple exposure is a major reason why McCartney has been given the coveted, but recently stained, Super Bowl halftime slot.
According to media reports, McCartney will perform midway through Super Bowl XXXIX, which will be played in Jacksonville, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005. The game will be shown on FOX.
"There's nothing bigger then being asked to perform at the Super Bowl," McCartney says. "We're looking forward to rocking the millions at home and in the stadium."
The 62-year-old McCartney, knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1997, will attempt to return some civility to the mid-Super Bowl spectacular, which was besmirched last year in an infamous performance by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake wherein the former boy band frontman tore off a piece of Jackson's top. The exact motivation behind Timberlake's ripping and Jackson's nipping may never be known, but the incident introduced the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" and launched a year of network uncertainty over the issue of indecency on broadcast television.
CBS is protesting an FCC fine of $500,000 stemming from the Jackson performance.
McCartney has performed at the Super Bowl in the past without any kind of unnecessary exposure. He sang as part of the pregame show before the 2002 Super Bowl.
The 20005 Super Bowl halftime show will be produced by television veteran Don Mischer

Fox Sports cuts new BCS rights agreement

By John Colsoli mediaweek.com---
Fox Sports has won the rights to televise three of the four NCAA College
Bowl Championship Series games—the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and Fiesta
Bowl—for four years beginning in 2007, reports John Consoli.

Those Bowl games currently air on ABC, which earlier won its TV rights
renewal to televise the Rose Bowl through 2014. The BCS is comprised of
the six biggest college football conferences, as well as Notre Dame.

ABC, which reportedly locked up the rights to televise the Rose Bowl by
paying an average of $30 million per year, or $240 million over the eight
years of the new contract, reportedly bid $52.5 million per year in an
attempt to renew its rights for the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls,
significantly less than the $73.5 million it is paying under the current
contract. Fox then bid $60 million per year to win the rights.

Under the new TV rights contract, which will be officially announced at a
1 p.m. press conference today, Fox will televise the three Bowl games,
including the BCS Championship game, from 2007 through 2009. In 2010, Fox
will air two Bowl games, with the championship game of the Rose Bowl
airing on ABC.

Hey someone dumb it down for me re: all this congressional stuff:

Why the hell does congress care so much about DiSH having 2 dishes? How many millions in taxpayer dollars did that cost?

What's that business about private tax returns? Was that an unrelated issue they tried to sneak through? Sounds like a gross invasion of privacy if that pertained to any Americans.

Does this mean that there were no feared censorship provisions? Or is that a separate piece of legislation not finalized yet?

Broadcasters Push DTV-Decision Delay
By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable
Opponents of the Federal Communications Commission's so-called Ferree plan for speeding the digital transition have gotten organized and are taking their case to the Hill.
The National Association of Broadcasters, ABC and CBS affiliate groups and some broadcast unions have formed the Coalition for a Smart Digital TV Transition. Their goal: to keep the FCC from "rushing" a decision on the digital-TV transition. The groups plan to officially announce the coalition's formation Tuesday.
"The Coalition is united in asking the FCC not to act in December 2004, before the American public can weigh in on its plan," the group plans to tell a gathering of key Hill staffers Monday.
Broadcasters have pitched an alternative plan that would require cable to insure its subscribers can get a digital picture if broadcasters are delivering a digital signal, and have also been pushing for guaranteed carriage of not only their replicated analog signal, but any other free multicast service--data, news, weather--they can fit into their digital channel allotment.
"While the FCC looks to potentially force adoption of a complicated and unworkable digital transition plan, most Americans still don’t understand what digital television is, let alone that they’ll have to buy a new TV to continue watching their local news programs," the coalition asserts. Technically, they would only have to buy a converter box to continue receiving a signal with their old sets, but it would be analog, not digital.
Some members of Congress have advocated setting aside money from spectrum auctions to subsidize those boxes, while the administration has instead argued for a tax on spectrum "squatters" after 2006 to help fund the effort.
The FCC's current plan, named after Media Bureau Chief Ken Feree, would allow digital signals converted to analog by cable systems to count as digital, which broadcasters argue deprives viewers of the great pictures and interactivity that are DTV's biggest selling points. That definition of digital would allow analog spectrum to be returned to the FCC by 2009. Without it, says Powell, the transition could take decades.
The FCC is concerned with speeding the return of analog spectrum for other uses, including emergency communications.
Scheduled to make their case at a noon meeting Monday on the Hill were Jon Blake, General Counsel, NBC and CBS Affiliate Groups; Quinton Robinson, The Alliance for Rural Television; Dan Mahoney, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communications/Workers of America; John Orlando, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, National Association of Broadcasters; and Manny Mirabal, Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership.

Originally posted by GregF
Hey someone dumb it down for me re: all this congressional stuff:

Why the hell does congress care so much about DiSH having 2 dishes? How many millions in taxpayer dollars did that cost?

From what I've read, the thing they care about is local-into-local. They want ALL LIL stations in a market are carried on ONE dish. That way, all broadcasters in a market are on equal footing.

Originally posted by GregF
Hey someone dumb it down for me re: all this congressional stuff:


That would be really nice, anyone? 107 pages-zzzzzzzz:o

At least maybe the changes from the current situation...


Why the hell does congress care so much about DiSH having 2 dishes? How many millions in taxpayer dollars did that cost?


dline is correct about the 2 dishes, I think some of the complaints here have come from some of the religious broadcasters..

Originally posted by fredfa
Sunday's ratings have been posted.

Where? :confused:. ok nevermind found it

Basically, as far as I can tell, the two-dish ban has been the NAB and MSOs nailing EchoStar because its leader, Charlie Ergen, has long been a thorn in their sides.
This just costs him hundreds of millions of dollars.

List of Bravo's top TV characters
Bravo's "100 Greatest TV Characters," numbers 100 - 11 are listed below in order: Who's your guess for the top 10 that will be revealed in Friday's installment of the five-night special
100. "Xena"
99. "Monk"
98. Steve Urkel ("Family Matters")
97. Dr. Smith ("Lost in Space")
96. Artie ("The Larry Sanders Show")
95. Dr. Doug Ross ("ER")
94. Vic Mackey ("The Shield")
93. Maynard G. Krebs ("The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis")
92. Agent Dale Cooper ("Twin Peaks")
91. Caine ("Kung Fu")
90. Herman Munster ("The Munsters")
89. Lt. Castillo ("Miami Vice")
88. Jamie Somers ("The Bionic Woman")
87. Gomez & Morticia ("The Addams Family")
86. Maxwell Smart ("Get Smart!")
85. Napoleon Solo & Illya Kuryakin ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.")
84. Bob Hartley ("Bob Newhart Show")
83. Vinnie Barbarino ("Welcome Back, Kotter")
82. Gil Grissom & Catherine Willow ("CSI")
81. Cast of "Will & Grace"
80. Jack Tripper ("Three's Company")
79. Charles Ingalls ("Little House on the Prairie")
78. Rob & Laura Petrie ("Dick Van Dyke Show")
77. Dr. Mark Craig ("St. Elsewhere")
76. Eleanor Frutt ("The Practice")
75. Ally McBeal
74. Beaver Cleaver "Leave It to Beaver")
73. Dr. Johnny Fever ("WKRP in Cincinnati")
72. Dick Solomon ("Third Rock from the Sun")
71. Dan Fielding ("Night Court")
70. Niles Crane ("Frasier")
69.David Addison &Maddie Hayes ("Moonlighting")
68. Benson
67. Reverend Jim Ignatowski ("Taxi")
66. Carla Tortelli ("Cheers")
65. John Boy ("The Waltons")
64. Jessica Fletcher ("Murder She Wrote")
63. Andy Taylor ("Andy Griffith Show")
62. Det. Frank Pembleton ("Homicide: Life on the Street")
61. Crockett & Tubbs ("Miami Vice")
60. Mork ("Mork & Mindy")
59. Al & Peg Bundy ("Married…with Children")
58. Barney Miller ("Married…with Children")
57. Rhoda Morgenstern ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show")
56. Mick Belker ("Hill Street Blues")
55. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard ("Star Trek: The Next Generation")
54. Rocky & Bullwinkle
53. President Josiah Bartlett ("The West Wing")
52. Mrs. Emma Peel ("The Avengers")
51. Murphy Brown
50. Sam & Diane ("Cheers")
49. "Maude" Findlay
48. Ted Baxter ("Mary Tyler Moore Show")
47. Carmella Soprano ("The Sopranos")
46. Cast of "Friends"
45. Marshal Matt Dillon ("Gunsmoke")
44. Cliff Huxtable ("The Cosby Show")
43. Thomas Magnum ("Magnum, P.I.")
42. Laverne & Shirley
41. The Barone Family (Everybody Loves Raymond")
40. Fred Sanford ("Sanford & Son")
39. Kojak
38. Sgt. Ernie Bilko ("The Phil Silvers Show")
37. Marcus Welby
36. Barney Fife ("Andy Griffith Show")
35. Lou Grant
34. Kermit & Miss Piggy ("The Muppet Show")
33. Bret "Maverick"
32. Scully & Mulder ("The X-Files")
31. Samantha Stephens ("Bewitched")
30. Det. Lenny
Briscoe ("Law & Order")
29. Alex Keaton ("Family Ties")
28. Perry Mason
27. Ann Marie ("That Girl")
26. "Frasier" Crane
25. Sgt. Joe Friday ("Dragnet")
24. Louis DePalma ("Taxi")
23. Andy Sipowicz ("NYPD Blue")
22. Richard Kimblel ("The Fugitive")
21. Mr. Spock (Star Trek")
20. Ed Norton ("The Honeymooners")
19. Eric Cartman ("South Park")
18. Roseanne
17. Jim Rockford ("The Rockford Files")
16. George Jefferson ("The Jeffersons")
15. J.R. Ewing ("Dallas")
14. Hawkeye Pierce ("M*A*S*H")
13. Buffy Summers ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")
12. Edith Bunker ("All in the Family")
11. Carrie Bradshaw ("Sex and the City")

More on the Fox BCS deal from Tuesday's NY Times:

From No Big Bowls, Fox Goes to a Full Plate
By RICHARD SANDOMIR The New York Times Nov. 23, 2004
Fox Sports has never been a place to watch college sports. Except for the faded Cotton Bowl (which pays to be shown on the network), Fox has ignored college football and basketball and left them for cable coverage on its Fox Sports Net.
But that changed yesterday when Fox announced its agreement with the Bowl Championship Series to spend an estimated $330 million to $340 million to televise the Orange, Fiesta and Sugar Bowls and three national championship games between 2007 and 2010.
It is a new package, one that fascinated Fox (and two groups of sponsors that would have sold the rights to a network had either won).
Since 1998, ABC has shown the Orange, Fiesta, Sugar and Rose Bowls, with the bowls rotating as hosts of the national title game.
Under the new format, which begins with the 2007 postseason, eight teams that are ranked below No. 1 and No. 2 will play in the bowls and the new title game between the top teams will be played a week or so later at the location of one of the four bowl games. ABC, which retained the rights to the Rose earlier this year, will get one national title game, in 2010.
ABC was not enamored of the new set-up, reasoning that it would find it difficult to sell advertising for an additional bowl game without any national championship implications. Already, it estimates that it will lose $25 million on rights fees of $81 million for the 2005 and 2006 bowls.
ABC could not make a deal during an exclusive negotiation period, and had no contractual right to match higher bids.
According to an executive involved in the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, ABC presented an unsolicited bid that was close to Fox's, but it was deemed to have come in too late to be considered by the B.C.S.
Enter Fox, where the Australian-born David Hill, chairman of its sports television group, is a devout Cornhusker fan. His wife, Joan, is from Nebraska, and he has made almost annual sojourns to Lincoln for a game.
"Over the years, I've been totally converted by the passion in the family,'' he said from Los Angeles. "It's like Bill Shankly said about the Liverpool football club: 'It's not just a matter of life and death. It's far more important than that.' It's the most excitement I've ever felt at a sporting event anywhere. You've got this real, electrifying commitment from the fans where every play is dissected and it's elation or devastation.
"My brother-in-law keeps up this very biased running commentary. Not what you'd call P.C. You can't compare it to anything.''
But even if Hill said he cannot regard college football pragmatically, Fox looked at the finances of the deal with a different eye than ABC did.
"We weren't going to get into an auction," said Loren Matthews, senior vice president of ABC Sports. "We gave it our best shot.''
He said having the Rose Bowl, at $30 million a year through 2014, gave the network comfort. "It's always at least No. 2 in the B.C.S. bowls, and sometimes, it's rated No. 1," he added.
Matthews recalled how, when he was at ESPN, the network was outbid by $10 million for a package of Division I-AA football games. How, he asked Bob Wussler, then the head of Turner Broadcasting, the winning bidder, could that happen? Wussler, Matthews recalled, said, "I've got a line item in my budget that you don't have: 'presidential whim.' "
Maybe, Matthews now reasons, Rupert Murdoch, the Fox overlord, had presidential whim over the B.C.S. deal.
Hill insisted that Fox would make a profit from a deal that will give Fox more viewers in January to complement its N.F.L. broadcasts, which will be deployed heavily to promote the lineup of B.C.S. games.
The viewership of the three bowls that Fox will get ranged from 13.7 million in January for the Fiesta to 23.9 million for the Sugar, which was the site of the national championship game. Those figures will probably fall in the new deal, but viewership for a separate national title game (with Super Bowl-like hype from the hype-heavy Fox, and a large title sponsorship fee that it will keep for itself) is bound to be impressive. Since 1991, the most-viewed championship game has been the 1995 Orange Bowl, which drew 30 million.
Kevin Weiberg, the Big 12 commissioner and the B.C.S. coordinator, is sensitive to the notion that the bowl games will offer little more than a prelude to the new title game. "They're significant to the fans of those teams and part of the traditions and the fabric of college football,'' he said. "We beg to differ that those games don't matter. We think they have a very high level of interest and will do very well."

Reality to sub for WB dramas
'Big Man', 'High School' to air instead of repeats
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Variety.com
WB dramas "One Tree Hill" and "Jack and Bobby" are taking a winter vacation as the Frog schedules reality skeins "Big Man on Campus" and "High School Reunion."
Net will premiere the third installment of "Reunion," this one subtitled "Catholic School," on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 9 p.m., preempting sudsy fave "One Tree Hill" for seven weeks.
A week later, newcomer "Big Man on Campus (BMOC)" -- from "High School Reunion" exec producer Mike Fleiss -- premieres on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 9. Show fills in for "Jack & Bobby " for six weeks.
Net opted to rest both dramas rather than air repeats, which don't fare as well in the ratings.

This guy's excessive abuse of the word "skein" really makes me ill.

I agree, reading stuff from Variety with their cutesy, "in-country" slang and abbreviations is an affront to the english language..

According to my newspaper's TV Week, It's A Wonderful Life, showing on Saturday 11/27 on NBC, will be in color and HD.

Xesdeeni

Originally posted by Xesdeeni
According to my newspaper's TV Week, It's A Wonderful Life, showing on Saturday 11/27 on NBC, will be in color and HD.

Xesdeeni

That's great... now we can see the artificially colored mess in high definition.

And pillar box.

Xesdeeni

Monday's ratings have been posted in Latest News.

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
November Ratings Update:
CBS Dominates
Based on results through Friday, Nov. 19 (16 days into the November sweep), CBS rules by a rock-solid margin, with an advantage to-date over No. 2 NBC of 31 percent in households, 4.01 million viewers, 17 percent in adults 18-49, and 22 percent among adults 25-54. Although an above-average performance for miniseries Category 6: Day of Destruction certainly helped, CBS' strength is based predominantly on regularly scheduled programming. The CSI franchise, Without a Trace, Everybody Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men, Survivor: Vanuatu, The Amazing Race 6, 60 Minutes, Cold Case, NCIS, King of Queens...you name it and CBS has it.

Elsewhere, minor year-to-year losses for NBC coupled with minor growth for ABC means that the alphabet network has narrowed the gap, while reality populated Fox is close to year-ago levels. Although UPN and the WB are also on par with ratings in Nov. 2003, UPN holds an advantage in three of the below four categories. The exception: adults 18-49, which both networks are tied at with a 1.6/ 4 each.

What follows are updated ratings for the November sweep (with change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses):

Households:
CBS: 9.7/15 (- 1)
NBC: 7.4/12 (- 6)
ABC: 6.6/11 (+ 2)
Fox: 4.3/ 7 (- 2)
UPN: 2.6/ 4 (+ 4)
WB: 2.5/ 4 (- 7)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 15.12 million (no change)
NBC: 11.11 (- 5)
ABC: 10.09 (+2)
Fox: 6.75 (- 1)
UPN: 3.90 (+ 3)
WB: 3.80 (- 7)

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 4.9/13 (+14)
NBC: 4.2/11 (- 9)
ABC: 3.8/10 (+ 6)
Fox: 2.9/ 8 (no change)
UPN and WB: 1.6/ 4 (no change each)

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 6.0/14 (+ 7)
NBC: 4.9/11 (- 6)
ABC: 4.3/10 (+ 2)
Fox: 2.9/ 7 (no change)
UPN: 1.6/ 4 (no change)
WB: 1.5/ 4 (- 6)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Study: TV shows tend to be bi-coastal
NEW YORK (AP) — As far as is TV is concerned, much of the country outside of Los Angeles and New York City is flyover territory.
Those two cities account for just under half of the fictional settings for prime-time television shows going back to 1948, according to a new study by a media agency. California and New York state are settings nearly 60% of the time — even though those states make up less than 19% of the nation's population.
Alex Keaton of Family Ties lived in Columbus, Ohio, and Mary Richards of The Mary Tyler Moore Show worked at a newsroom in Minneapolis, but TV characters are much more likely to join the Friends crew for coffee at Central Perk.
"I knew a lot of shows seem to be in New York and L.A., but I didn't expect it to be so concentrated," said Rob Frydlewicz of Carat Insight, a company that studies TV trends for advertisers and conducted the research.
Of the 1,696 cable and network series where the setting was known (some, like NBC's Scrubs, don't make clear where they're from), a whopping 601 called California home and 412 were set in New York state, the study found.
Wind-swept North Dakota has never had a prime-time show of its own, while Alabama, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Delaware and Vermont had one each.
One theory for the coastal concentration is simple: that's where most TV writers, producers and executives live, so they create what they're familiar with.
The landmarks and large populations of the big cities are also important, said Nina Tassler, CBS entertainment president.
"Both Los Angeles and New York are rich in diversity, culturally and ethnically, so you have great sources to go to for unique stories," she said.
CBS turned to New York for the third installment of its CSI series; the first two are in Las Vegas — suddenly a hot TV venue — and Miami. All three of NBC's Law & Order dramas are set in New York, and so will the fourth when it premieres in midseason.
A few years ago, NBC was able to run a stunt with its comedies called "blackout Thursday," during which each show — all set in New York — had to deal with the ramifications of a power outage.
TV's historical roots may play a part in the concentration. NBC, and to a certain extent ABC, were long considered urban networks, said Ted Frank, the network's executive vice president for current series. And since the big cities have more potential viewers, why not set a show there?
"There's a danger if the shows are all set in one place," Frank said. "I think there was a time when too many of the (NBC) shows were set in one place and they became interchangeable."
A distant third on the list of most-used settings is Chicago, where the ER doctors tend to their wounded.
The locales often become an indelible part of a series' identity: Dallas and WKRP in Cincinnati.Newhart in the '80s ran a Vermont inn (its '70s predecessor was set in Chicago). Designing Women was based in Atlanta, and the oddballs of Northern Exposure lived in Cicely, Alaska. Laverne & Shirley capped bottles at a Milwaukee brewery, and Roseanne lived in Lanford, Ill.
Civic pride can result: On a pedestrian mall in Minneapolis, there's a statue of Moore's character tossing her hat in the air.
And there's evidence that such local pride also helps ratings, Carat Insight said. The ratings for three current series are more than double in the cities where they are set than in the rest of the country: ABC's 8 Simple Rules in Detroit, the WB's Everwood in Denver and NBC's The West Wing in Washington.
When NBC was looking to spin off Frasier Crane's character from the Boston-set Cheers, producers looked up and down the West Coast and chose Seattle in part because they couldn't recall any other show set there, Frank said.
Otherwise, settings usually aren't the first thing creators think about. Searching for diverse outposts should only be done "as long as it's organic to the show," Tassler said.
There are programs so unique to their big cities that they couldn't be imagined elsewhere: the neurotic characters of Seinfeld in New York, for instance, or the show-biz shallowness of Curb Your Enthusiasm in Los Angeles.
"As much as many people don't like to be in New York and Los Angeles, they're fascinated by the people who live in these two cities," Frydlewicz said.

Rather Will Give Up the Chair
By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable
Dan Rather said he will step down from the CBS Evening News March 9.
Rather, who took over the chair from Walter Cronkite 24 years ago, says he will continue to be a correspondent on both installments of 60 Minutes. That role could be something of a show of support for the anchor, who has been under the gun over his participation in a 60 Minutes story.
"I have always said that I'd know when the time was right to step away from the anchor chair," Rather said in a statement.
The timing amidst calls from some conservative quarter for him to step down over the 60 Minutes snafu suggest a connection between the two, but Rather says in the statement that he and CBS had began discussions in the summer, which would predate the election-season controversy about the badly-sourced 60 Minutes National Guard story that had industry watchers speculating about Rather's future.
Rather reported -- and initially defended -- the story, which explored questions about President George W. Bush's National Guard service. The story was partly based on documents whose credibility CBS later conceded it did not sufficiently vet. CBS was criticized by some Republicans, who saw a pro-John Kerry motive in CBS and Rather's running with the story.
Just yesterday, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone said that there was no such motive, and that if he thought differently, no one would survive at CBS News, but he also said that blaming Rather was jumping to conclusions. The report of an independent panel commissioned by Viacom to look into the story is expected to be released soon.
"I have always been and remain a 'hard news' investigative reporter at heart," said Rather. "I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full-time."
Rather's announcement marks another changing of the guard for evening network news programs. NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw is stepping down Dec. 1.

Dan Rather to quit 'CBS Evening News'
The Associated Press November 23, 2004, 12:42 PM EST

NEW YORK -- Dan Rather, embattled anchor of the "CBS Evening News," announced Tuesday that he will step down in March, on the 24th anniversary of taking over the job from Walter Cronkite.

The veteran anchor has been under fire in recent months for his role in a "60 Minutes Wednesday" story that questioned President Bush's service in the National Guard, which turned out to based on allegedly forged documents.

Rather, 73, said he will continue to work for CBS, as a correspondent for both editions of "60 Minutes."

He made no mention of the National Guard story in announcing the change, saying he had agreed with CBS executives last summer that after the Nov. 2 election would be the right time to leave.

"I have always been and remain a 'hard news' investigative reporter at heart," he said. "I now look forward to pouring my heart into that kind of reporting full time."

CBS did not mention a potential successor.

"He has been an eyewitness to the most important events for more than 40 years and played a crucial role in keeping the American public informed about those events and their larger significance," CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves said.

Rather made his name as a reporter covering the Nixon White House. His nearly quarter-century at the helm of the "CBS Evening News" is the longest continuous anchor tenure ever for a network evening broadcast.

A report on what went wrong with the National Guard story, from a two-man independent investigative panel, is due imminently. Rather anchored the story and initially defended it when it was criticized.

Rather's announcement comes eight days before his NBC rival, Tom Brokaw, steps down as "Nightly News" anchor and is replaced by Brian Williams.

The triumvirate of Rather, Brokaw and ABC's Peter Jennings has ruled network news for more than two decades. Rather dominated ratings after taking over for Cronkite during the 1980s, but he was eclipsed first by Jennings and then by Brokaw. His evening news broadcast generally runs a distant third in the ratings each week.

His hard news style was mixed with a folksy Texan style that led him to rattle off homespun phrases on Election Night. But odd incidents dogged him: In 1987 he walked off the set, leaving CBS with dead air, to protest a decision to let a tennis match delay the news. And his claim that he was accosted on the street by a strange man saying, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" led rock band R.E.M. to write a song with the same name.

Rather to Step Down in March

'CBS Evening News' Anchor to Leave on 24th Anniversary
By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer
Dan Rather said today he will end his nearly 24-year reign as CBS News anchor early next year, setting the terms of his departure instead of waiting for an investigative report on his rushed and admittedly flawed story on President Bush's National Guard service.
In saying he will step down in March, the 73-year-old anchor said he was making a "separate decision" from the fallout over his "60 Minutes Wednesday" report but that he wanted "to get as much separation as possible" between the announcement and the findings of an outside panel likely to be released next month.
"It was time," said Rather, who has held the anchor job longer than anyone else at CBS, including Walter Cronkite. "It just felt right."
CBS News President Andrew Heyward said the decision was timed to be made public "after the election and before the report comes out, to make clear this is his call and it's happening before we've seen any findings. You have an extraordinary record of achievement by one of the most significant people in the history of journalism. Certainly it would be unfortunate if that were all overshadowed by this story, which is not to minimize how importantly CBS takes this story."
Whatever Rather's reasoning -- and colleagues say he thought hard for months about relinquishing the anchor job and becoming a "60 Minutes" correspondent -- it is also possible that the report on CBS's use of apparently bogus National Guard documents would have intensified calls for Rather's dismissal.
"Dan Rather did the Texas two-step, one step ahead of the posse," said Tobe Berkovitz, associate dean of Boston University's school of communication. "It was inevitable that Viacom and CBS were going to have to get rid of him."
Richard Leibner, Rather's agent, said the discussions about Rather moving on began last summer and that, as of two years ago, his contract has not guaranteed him the right to remain as anchor. Even without the Guard story, "he never would have been there another year or two."
Rather told a cheering newsroom staff meeting in New York, where several people choked up, that discussions about his eventual transition were put on hold when "the hippopotamus entered the room," a reference to the National Guard controversy.
Once he set his departure date -- March 9, his 24th anniversary as anchor -- "I've been at peace with it," Rather said in the interview. "I'd like to think even my enemies would give me that I'm a pro. I had to stand back with a wide shot and assess the situation."
Rather said he did not want to wait until next week to announce his decision because NBC's Tom Brokaw is stepping down as anchor in favor of Brian Williams. "Next week should be Tom's week," Rather said.
CBS has made no decision about a successor, but knowledgeable insiders say White House correspondent John Roberts, Rather's principal substitute, is the leading candidate. The network could also go with "60 Minutes" reporter Scott Pelley or, on an interim basis, "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer. Taken together, the CBS and NBC moves mark a changing of the generational guard for network news for the first time in more than two decades. During that period, the networks' once-dominant audience share has eroded in the face of 24-hour competition from cable, talk radio and the Internet, and the most loyal newscast viewers have aged along with the anchors.
Rather apologized in September for a "mistake in judgment" in relying on apparently bogus documents for a "60 Minutes Wednesday" report charging that Bush received favorable treatment in the Texas Air National Guard three decades ago. But the apology followed 10 days in which Rather and his network doggedly defended the story despite mounting evidence, some of it assembled by Internet bloggers, that the memos in question could not have been written on an early 1970s government typewriter. CBS asked former attorney general Dick Thornburgh and former Associated Press chief Louis D. Boccardi to head an outside inquiry.
The uproar cast a shadow over Rather's 43-year CBS career, which took the Sam Houston State Teachers College graduate from covering Texas hurricanes to challenging Richard M. Nixon at a news conference, from walking off the set and leaving the network without programming for six crucial minutes to an on-air shouting match with George H.W. Bush over the Iran-contra affair to a much-debated interview with Saddam Hussein before last year's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Rather has always been the most colorful and intense of the Big Three anchors, winning plaudits for investigative work and flying into war zones even as detractors accused him of grandstanding and liberal bias.
Jim Murphy, executive producer of the "CBS Evening News," said of the National Guard controversy: "There's no denying this is hanging over the place right now." But, he said of Rather, "his body of work will withstand the scrutiny of history, as opposed to people who scream on talk television."
Berkovitz said Rather is a "hard-hitting" reporter, "but there was always that quirky, flaky edge that most of the network personnel don't display. He always had that fighter-pilot attitude."
Brent Bozell, who runs the conservative Media Research Center, attributed Rather's departure to "the loss of credibility" over the National Guard story. "What made it worse was the 10 days of denial by Dan Rather. He was starting to look bizarre toward the end." While the anchor was flagrantly biased against conservatives, Bozell said, "Dan Rather is a fierce patriot who loves his country and no one can take that away from him."
Nicholas Lemann, dean of Columbia's School of Journalism, said that "just because of his age and the ratings, you can pretty safely surmise that his bosses were musing over lunch whether there'd be any way to persuade him to retire" before the report. Rather's newscast has been mired in third place for years.
Rather's colleagues describe him in reverent tones. Roberts, who said he has not been contacted about the succession issue, described an "amazing" career in which Rather "has been witness to every major historical event from the Kennedy assassination on up. It's just a spectacular run he had. I don't think anyone will be able to have the kind of career Dan did."
Pelley, who also said he has not been contacted, said Rather "has been America's reporter. The timing of the National Guard story is unfortunate because there are those who are going to link that story with Dan's departure from the evening news. But it will ultimately pale when people look back across this remarkable career and all the datelines and deadlines and exclusives."
Brokaw called Rather "a tough but fair competitor" and said that when he joined Rather as a correspondent at the Nixon White House, "it was literally like going against a heavyweight champ."
Much of the reporting for the National Guard story was done by Rather's producer, Mary Mapes, who also helped him break the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal last spring. Rather reported on what purported to be memos from Bush's late squadron commander that were supplied by Bill Burkett, a retired Texas National Guard official and fierce critic of the president.
Rather later said Burkett had "lied" to the network about the ultimate source of the memos, which remains unclear. CBS rushed the story was rushed on the air within days, ignoring the advice of its own outside experts, who said they could not authenticate the documents. The commander's 86-year-old former secretary later told Rather that the memos were faked but that she had typed similar ones questioning Bush's Guard service.
"The last line on that story has yet to be written," Rather said. Thornburgh and Boccardi have mounted an aggressive probe that includes reading internal e-mail to network journalists during lengthy interviews, CBS staffers say.
Asked how he wants people to look back on his career, Rather said: "You work hard, you try hard, you report as best you can, playing no favorites and pulling no punches. When you're dedicated to that kind of reporting, you're going to take your shots. Some will be fair, some will be unfair. Dogs are going to bark and the caravan moves on."


Dan Rather to Step Down at CBS in March
By JACQUES STEINBERG The New York Times

Two months after acknowledging that he could not authenticate documents central to a broadcast report that raised fresh questions about President Bush's National Guard service, Dan Rather announced today that he would step down as anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News" on March 9, on what will be his 24th anniversary behind the anchor desk.

"I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News," Mr. Rather said in a statement issued by the network. "Along the way I've had the honor of working with some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in the world, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue doing so in the years years ahead."

Mr. Rather will continue to work full time at CBS News, as a correspondent for the Sunday and Wednesday editions of "60 Minutes." There was no word from CBS News on a successor as anchor, although the front-runners in the view of network reporters and producers have long been John Roberts, the chief White House correspondent for CBS News, and Scott Pelley, a correspondent for the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes." But neither is considered to have strong name recognition among viewers, and the network has not ruled out looking beyond its own news division.

Mr. Rather's decision represents an abrupt, somewhat ignominious end to the nearly quarter of a century that he spent in one of the most visible jobs in journalism. In announcing his decision now to quit the anchor desk, Mr. Rather, 73, is seeking to act ahead of an independent panel investigating the journalistic breakdowns that led CBS News to broadcast and then vigorously defend the Guard segment, which it later acknowledged to be based on documents whose genuineness and origins it could not substantiate.

But Mr. Rather is also choosing to depart at a moment of generational transition atop the network news divisions, as their flagship programs continue to lose viewers. On Dec. 1, Tom Brokaw, 66, will deliver his last broadcast as anchor of the "NBC Nightly News," the highest rated of the three evening newscasts. He will be succeeded the next night by Brian Williams, 45. Among the emotions that had long kept Mr. Rather from announcing his own retirement was his hope that in the wake of Mr. Brokaw's departure, he might pick up enough of Mr. Brokaw's nearly 10 million viewers to lift his program out of third place, where it has lagged behind "World News Tonight" on ABC for nearly a decade.

At least until recently, Mr. Rather had told colleagues that he hoped to remain behind the CBS anchor desk until March 2006, when he would mark the 25th anniversary of the day he succeeded Walter Cronkite. But even before the broadcast of the discredited Guard report, executives of the network, which is owned by Viacom, had begun to discuss an earlier end date with Mr. Rather's representatives. Among the scenarios being discussed was one in which he would depart the anchor chair next May, but continue to report for CBS News, most likely on "60 Minutes."

But for Mr. Rather, all that calculus was apparently erased by the strain and scrutiny of the investigation.

The inquiry's two panelists, Louis D. Boccardi, the former chief executive of The Associated Press, and Dick Thornburgh, a former United States attorney general, have interviewed dozens of people - from the highest echelons of CBS News to its rank and file, as well as outside it - and are expected to submit their report to senior network executives early next month. Among the central questions they are examining is why Mr. Rather, who anchored the segment, and Mary Mapes, the producer who shepherded it, were so convinced of the authenticity of four memorandums purportedly drawn from the personal files of Mr. Bush's Vietnam-era squadron commander.

In the documents, which were dated in the early 1970's, Mr. Bush's commander, Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, now deceased, appeared to describe the pressure he was under to "sugar coat" the record of Mr. Bush, then a young lieutenant, who was said to have disobeyed a direct order to take a physical. Surfacing less than two months before the presidential election, the documents were presented by CBS as filling gaps in Mr. Bush's official record, including questions about why he had failed to take his pilot physical.

Immediately after the report was first broadcast, on the evening news on Sept. 8 and later that night on the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes," intense criticism arose from the purveyors of Web logs and other commentators who contended that the documents - all apparently copies, none on official letterhead stationery and two without signatures - appeared to have been typed on a modern computer, not a typewriter in typical use in the early 1970's. For nearly two weeks, Mr. Rather - sometimes speaking from behind the anchor desk - asserted that the wide questioning of the records was coming, in large measure, from Republican partisans.

But on Sept. 20, Mr. Rather and his bosses reversed course. Speaking again from the anchor desk, Mr. Rather told his viewers that a former Texas National Guard officer had misled him and his producers about how the officer had obtained the documents and that relying on them to buttress the report had been a "mistake in judgment."

"I want to say personally and directly I'm sorry," Mr. Rather said, before adding, "This was an error made in good faith."

Mr. Rather's apology represented an unlikely low point in a year in which, despite the clock's ticking down on his career, he had notched some of the more memorable achievements of his more than four decades at CBS News. Just a few months before the Guard report, he joined forces with Ms. Mapes, one of the most respected producers at the network, for a segment on the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes," then known as "60 Minutes II," which reported in detail on the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

In a statement from CBS News today, senior CBS executives made no mention of the controversy over the documents and instead hailed Mr. Rather's longevity at the anchor desk and the record he has compiled throughout his entire career.

"Dan's 24 years at the CBS 'Evening News' is the longest run of any evening news anchor in history and is a singular achievement in broadcast journalism," the chairman of CBS, Les Moonves, said. "He has been an eyewitness to the most important events for more than 40 years and played a crucial role in keeping the American public informed about those events and their larger significance."

The president of CBS News, Andrew Heyward, who began working with Mr. Rather as a producer two decades ago, said that Mr. Rather "has symbolized the CBS 'Evening News' for nearly a quarter century," and noted that Mr. Rather would "continue to apply his talents to everything he does at CBS News."

Dan Rather to Quit 'CBS Evening News'
By Mary MacVean Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
NEW YORK — Dan Rather will step down as anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News" next March, on the 24th anniversary of the day he took over the job from Walter Cronkite, Rather announced today.

"I have been lucky and blessed over these years to have what is, to me, the best job in the world and to have it at CBS News. Along the way, I've had the honor of working with some of the most talented, dedicated professionals in the world, and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue doing so in the years ahead," Rather said in a statement posted on the network's website.

The hard-charging Rather has been under fire in recent months for his role in a "60 Minutes Wednesday" story that questioned President Bush's service in the National Guard, which turned out to be based on allegedly forged documents.

Rather, 73, said he will continue to work for CBS as a correspondent for both editions of "60 Minutes," Associated Press reported. He said he had agreed with CBS executives last summer that after the Nov. 2 election would be the right time to leave, AP said.

CBS made no mention of a potential successor.

Rather's NBC rival, Tom Brokaw, is stepping down as "Nightly News" anchor next month and is being replaced by Brian Williams.

"Dan's dedication to his craft and his remarkable skills as a reporter are legendary," said CBS News President Andrew Heyward. "He has symbolized the 'CBS Evening News' for nearly a quarter century. He'll continue to apply his talents to everything he does at CBS News."

A report investigating the "60 Minutes" report on Bush is due out soon from former U.S. Atty. Gen. Richard L. Thornburgh and former Associated Press President and Chief Executive Louis Boccardi.

"I believe that CBS will somehow survive this," Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said in September. "But whether there will still be a Dan Rather is something we have yet to find out."

This month, in what turned out to be his final election night, Rather peppered the broadcast with his patented down-home aphorisms, including: "This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex."

"He has been an eyewitness to the most important events for more than 40 years and played a crucial role in keeping the American public informed about those events and their larger significance," CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves said today.

In the early 1960s, Rather became known for dramatic, marathon coverage of Hurricane Carla from the seawall in Galveston, Texas. He subsequently broke the news about President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and was one of the first to report about Abraham Zapruder's film of the shooting.

Promoted to the White House beat in 1964, he stirred GOP anger in 1974, when Nixon taunted him at a news conference.

"Are you running for something?" Nixon asked.

Rather shot back: "No sir, Mr. President. Are you?"

Millions watched him tussle with Chicago police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He made headlines by slipping into Afghanistan after the Soviet Union's 1980 invasion, but also earned the sarcastic moniker "Gunga Dan."

Rather embarrassed CBS in 1987 when he walked off the set and caused the network to go dark, angered that a tennis match had preempted the start of the news. The year before, he made headlines and engendered a fair amount of joking after a strange incident in which he was beaten by a man who confronted him on Park Avenue and asked: "What's the frequency, Kenneth?"

Throughout his career, Rather has displayed two qualities that may help him ride out this storm: a devotion to the values embodied by old-style network news — impartiality, sobriety, responsibility to the public trust — and a personal resilience that may seem surprising in someone often accused of having so big an ego.

"With Dan, what you see is what you get," said Alex Jones, head of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. "He has been far more willing to talk about the problems of network news than other anchors. He has been willing to flagellate himself in public. He truly cares."

Times staff writers Josh Getlin and Elizabeth Jensen and wire services contributed to this story.

Court Seeks FCC Reply on DTV Multicasting
By Ted HearnMultichannel.com 11/23/2004 1:12 PM ET
A Federal Appeals Court has ordered the Federal Communications Commission to explain why it hasn’t acted on requests from TV broadcasters to force cable systems to carry every free digital service transmitted by local digital-TV stations.
The one-page order was released Monday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. A three-judge panel gave the agency 30 days to file a response.
At issue is a petition filed by Paxson Communications Corp. Aug. 27 that was designed to get the appeals court to pressure the FCC into adopting new digital-cable-carriage rules within a few weeks. Paxson has 14 days to respond to the commission's filing with the court next month.
Paxson -- owner of 60 local TV stations that largely rely on mandatory cable-carriage rights -- has joined the bulk of the TV-broadcast industry in lobbying the FCC to impose digital-multicasting-carriage obligations on cable operators.
The FCC ruled in early 2001 that digital-TV stations that elected must-carry on cable after they had surrendered their analog licenses were entitled to carriage of a single programming stream. The agency said a provision in federal law that requires cable carriage of a station’s “primary video” meant just one programming service.
But Paxson and other broadcasters complained that because digital technology allows them to use their digital spectrum to provide five or six programming services in the same amount of bandwidth occupied by a single analog channel, cable operators should be required to carry all of them so long as they are not subscription services.
FCC chairman Michael Powell has said that the argument that the commission has failed to act on the multicasting issue is incorrect. He added that the agency decided the issue in 2001, and it has not elected to revisit that ruling.
However, an FCC staff plan to end broadcasters’ digital-TV transition Dec. 31, 2008, would call on the agency to impose digital-multicasting-carriage obligations on cable, according to Media Bureau chief Kenneth Ferree.
Powell -- who supported the 2001 interpretation of primary video as meaning carriage of a single service -- has not publicly endorsed the staff proposal’s carriage recommendation in the digital-TV-transition plan.
The D.C. Circuit’s order was handed down by Judges Douglas Ginsburg, David Sentelle and Karen Lecraft Henderson.
The judges specifically asked the FCC to address six factors that govern whether the court should rule favorably on Paxson’s request, formally called a petition for a writ of mandamus.

and another version:

Court Puts FCC on Must-Carry Clock
By John Eggerton – Broadcasting & Cable
The D.C. Circuit Court has given the Federal Communications Commission 30 days to explain why it has not issued a decision on digital-cable must-carry.
The court was responding to a writ of mandamus request from Paxson Communications back in August that the FCC be forced to resolve the issue. Such writs compel lower courts or public officials to perform particular acts as a cross check on the balance of powers.
The FCC does not have to produce a decision before the end of December, but it must at least explain to the court's satisfaction why it has taken so long--the proceeding was launched six years ago, Paxson pointed out.
Paxson argues that the delay is holding up the digital transition and denying analog spectrum to emergency communications. Broadcasters want full carriage of any services that can shoehorn into their digital allocation, not just the duplicate of their analog channel. The cable industry doesn't want to give up more control of its channel lineups, arguing that having to make space for all those ancillary services would displace some channels they, and their subs, would rather see.
Full digital must-carry would make Paxson’s and other broadcasters’ stations more valuable either as ongoing operations or as salable assets. Paxson has long shown signs of wanting to sell his stations, either to part-owner NBC or someone else.

(from the drudgereport.com)
Some comments from Dan Rather's meeting with the CBS News staff:

ADDRESSES CBS NEWSROOM AT APPROXIMATELY 1:39PM EST [Partial transcript -- joined in progress]: No matter what you hear elsewhere, this was a mutual decision. The timing has to do with (wanting to separate) this decision to leave the anchor chair... from the (investigation) of the 60 MINUTES report. The decision got made the way I described. There is nothing more important (to me) than how honored I am to work with the greatest news organization in the world. Thank you for coming. We're not going to spend much time (on questions) because we have news to cover. (Offered to answer questions, but staff simply gave his signature 'hip hip' three cheers.) Let's get back to work. Thanks everyone.

Record 'CSI' Assists CBS' Weekly Win
(zap2it.com)--Record viewership for the 100th episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" helped CBS race out to yet another easy win for the week ending Sunday, Nov. 21. The Tiffany Network has built a prohibitive lead for the November sweeps period in most major categories.
Overall, CBS won the week with a 9.1 rating/14 share, averaging 14.07 million viewers per night in primetime. NBC was well back in second with a 7.2/11 and 10.82 million viewers, edging ABC's 6.8/11 and 10.54 million viewers. FOX was a distant fourth with a 4.4/7 and 6.84 million. UPN grabbed the top position among the netlets with a 2.8/4 and 4.19 million, leaving The WB in sixth with a 2.5/4 and 3.83 million viewers.
Things were slightly closer in the all-important young adult demographic, though CBS remained on top doing a 4.4 rating among adults 18-49. NBC's 4.0 rating and the 3.9 rating for ABC were competitive as well. FOX was fourth with a 2.9 rating, still at least beating UPN's 1.7 rating and the 1.6 rating for The WB.
CBS was paced by the heavily promoted new episode of "CSI," which drew 31.46 million viewers and earned a 19.2/28 for the night, also pushing Thursday offerings "Without a Trace" (12.8/21, 4th) and "Survivor: Vanuatu" (12.0/19, 6th) to solid nights. Sister drama "CSI: Miami" was No. 3 with a 14.6/23, anchoring a night that also saw good returns for "Everybody Loves Raymond" (11.7/17, 7th) and "Two and a Half Men" (11.5/17, 9th). The other "CSI" sibling, "CSI: NY" was No. 10 for the week with an 11.3/19, following the second part of the miniseries "Category 6: Day of Destruction," which was No. 13 with a 10.5/16.
The network also got Top 20 performances from Sunday's "Cold Case" (9.9/15, 15th) and "60 Minutes" (9.5/15, 18th) and Tuesday's "NCIS" (9.8/15, 17th).
The season premiere of "Amazing Race 6" was No. 29 with a 7.4/11.
NBC's best for the week was Thursday's "ER," which nearly reclaimed its throne from "Without a Trace," doing a 12.6/20 for No. 5, joining Thursday's "Apprentice 2," which did a 10.3/15 for No. 14. Also proving listworthy for NBC were the Dick Wolf dramas "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (11.1/18, 11th) and "Law & Order" (9.4/16, 19th) and fellow procedural "Crossing Jordan" (9.2/15, 20th).
ABC had impressive weeks for its freshman hit dramas, with "Desperate Housewives" at No. 2 with a 14.7/21 and "Lost" at No. 12 with a 10.6/16. The "Monday Night Football" rivalry game between the Eagles and Cowboys was No. 8 with an 11.6/19 (and the seven-minute pregame, which featured the controversial "Desperate Housewives" promo, was No. 20 with a 9.2/14), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (9.9/15, 15th) also made the Top 20 for ABC.
Nothing made the Top 20 for FOX. The network's leading offering was Sunday's NFL overrun, which did a 7.4/12 for No. 29. FOX's top scripted show was "The Simpsons" at No. 46 with a 5.9/9. The series premiere of FOX had a respectable, but unremarkable 4.6/7 for No. 69.
On the netlet side, The WB's top show was "7th Heaven" at No. 72 with a 4.3/7 and UPN's "WWE Smackdown!" had a 3.7/6. UPN's telecast of the Vibe Awards was No. 84 with a 3.3/5.

For ABC, it's just one for seven so far
A single show has been chopped from primetime
By Toni Fitzgerald medialifemagazine.com
For once the preseason buzz was right about the networks’ new schedules. ABC did have the strongest development slate, and for once, good buzz has been followed by even better ratings.
The network has extended additional orders to all of its new shows this season save one. Though not all are necessarily thriving--“Complete Savages” seems destined for cancellation on Fridays, and Thursday teen sex romp “life as we know it” was bumped from the sweeps schedule--ABC can claim the two highest-rated new shows of the season.
That’s resulted in an increase in its November sweeps performance versus last year. Through the first eight weeks of the season, ABC is just 0.2 behind CBS for the season-to-date lead among adults 18-49.
Among all the networks, now two months into the season, we’ve seen fewer quick cancellations than last year, when nearly 10 shows were off the schedule in a matter of weeks. This year’s outright kills have been unsurprising: NBC’s wan dramas “Hawaii” and “LAX,” CBS’s dull “Clubhouse” and “dr. vegas,” and the WB’s misplaced improv “Drew Carey’s Green Screen.”
Still, it can be hard to keep up with what’s still around, what’s awaiting the axe, and what has been renewed.
Here’s an update on the networks’ new shows, including their status as of Monday and what Media Life predicted for them when they debuted (see chart for rating scale).
Today we’ll look at ABC. Next week we’ll chart CBS, NBC, Fox, the WB and UPN.
ABC
Desperate Housewives (Sundays, 9 p.m.)
Status: Full-season pick-up. Media Life rating: 27.
One of the year’s most successful shows, averaging more than 20 million viewers per episode, “Housewives” may challenge “CSI” for the season’s top spot among adults 18-49 for all scripted shows.

Boston Legal (Sundays, 10 p.m.)
Status: Full-season order. Media Life rating: 22.
“Legal” should be retaining more of “Housewives’” incredible lead-in. Instead, it’s basically tied with NBC’s “Crossing Jordan” in its timeslot among 18-49s.

The Benefactor (Mondays, 8 p.m.)
Status: Canceled. Media Life rating: 11.
One of the year’s first casualties, “Benefactor” got compacted from eight to six episodes and booted before sweeps, proving that not all billionaires have the Donald’s appeal.

Rodney (Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m.)
Status: Nine additional scripts ordered. Media Life rating: 16.
“Rodney” is retaining 84 percent of “According to Jim’s” lead-in. That could be better, especially with NBC’s competing “Scrubs” now about 0.1 ahead among 18-49s; “Rodney’s” chances of returning were better when the network was struggling.

Lost (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.)
Status: Full-season pickup. Media Life rating: 22.
The critics’ favorite has showed encouraging growth almost every week and has overtaken “CSI: NY” as the second-highest-rated new show among 18-49s (behind “Housewives”).

Wife Swap (Wednesdays, 10 p.m.)
Status: Full-season pickup. Media Life rating: 16.
One of the season’s surprises, “Swap” has been neck-and-neck with NBC’s long-dominant “Law & Order” in one of the toughest timeslots on television.
“life as we know it” (Thursdays, 9 p.m.)
Status: Four additional scripts ordered. Media Life rating: 9.
Benched for sweeps, but ABC seems willing to give it one more chance in order to avoid the “My So-Called Life” curse: canceling a teen-appealing show too early.

Complete Savages (Fridays, 8:30 p.m.)
Status: Six additional scripts ordered. Media Life rating: 14.
Averaging 5.9 million total viewers, 0.6 million fewer than last year’s time slot occupant, the canceled “Married to the Kellys.”

The Media Life Meter
Rating fall’s new shows
30-27 Odds are this show will make it to next season.
26-22 Odds are this show will make it through this season.
21-15 Show may not survive the season.
15-9 Show will be canceled sometime this season.
8 or lower Catch it while you can – this show may not make it to four episodes.
Source: Media Life

Week Ending Nov. 21 Top 20 Primetime Programs:
1---CSI HD CBS 19.2/28 31.46 million viewers
2---Desperate Housewives HD ABC 14.7/21
3---CSI: Miami HD CBS 14.6/23
4---Without A Trace HD CBS 12.8/21
5---ER HD NBC 12.6/20
6---Survivor: Vanuatu CBS 12.0/19
7---Everybody Loves Raymond HD CBS 11.7/17
8---Monday Night Football (Eagles-Cowboys) HD ABC 11.6/19
9---Two And A Half Men HD CBS 11.5/17
10—CSI: NY HD CBS 11.3/19
11—Law & Order: SVU HD NBC 11.1/18
12—Lost ABC HD 10.6/16
13—Category 6: Eve of Destruction (Part 2) HD CBS 10.5/16
14—Apprentice 2 NBC 10.3/15
15—Cold Case HD CBS 9.9/15
15—Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC 9.9/15
17—NCIS HD CBS 9.8/15
18—60 Minutes CBS 9.5/15
19—Law & Order HD NBC 9.4/16
20—Crossing Jordan HD NBC 9.2/15
21—Monday Night Football Pregame (Nicollete Sheridan/Terrell Owens) HD ABC 9.2/14
26—Amazing Race 6 (Premiere) CBS 7.4/11
29—(Top Fox Show) NFL Overrun HD 7.4/12
46—(Top Fox scripted show) The Simpsons 5.9/9
72—(Top WB Show) 7th Heaven 4.3/7

(from zap2it.com and Nielsen Research.)

Viacom To Install Delay, Pay $3.5 million fine
Broadcasting & Cable

Viacom Inc. has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle outstanding indecency complaints against it with the exception of the $500,000 Janet Jackson Super Bowl fine, which it is challenging.

Viacom admitted that some of the broadcasts, specifically on WKRK-FM Detroit, were indecent.

The consent decree also involved CBS TV, UPN and the Viacom stations in that Viacom has agreed to install a time delay on its networks and TV and radio stations to be used in "a reasonable, good-faith effort to edit potentially problematic programming."

The FCC Tuesday denied indecency complaints against Fox's Keen Eddie for an episode about horse semen, two episodes of The WB's Off Centre, and four espisodes of NBC's Coupling.

Cable Network ratings, week ending November 21st:

Football Boosts ESPN; Wizard Boosts TBS
By Mike Reynolds [B]multichannel.com[B]

Football was the big winner for ESPN last week, but timeless classic The Wizard of Oz helped to push TBS into the fourth spot in the primetime ratings.

Led by National Football League action Sunday night and a key college matchup Saturday, ESPN averaged a 2.5 household rating Nov. 15-22, topping the 2.1 produced by Turner Network Television.

The drama network scored well with the latest iteration of its “Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation” film franchise, earning a 3.5 mark (good for a tie for seventh for the week) with The Wool Cap, starring William H. Macy in the telepic remake of Jackie Gleason theatrical Gigot.

USA Network was third for the week with a 2.0, according to a Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group analysis of Nielsen Media Research data. Aided by a trio of airings of The Wizard of Oz, TBS was fourth at a 1.8. Nick at Nite and Fox News Channel were tied for fifth, each with a 1.7 mark.

Rounding out the top 10 were Cartoon Network, which received a strong start from new Friday-night entry Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, with a 1.6; Lifetime Television with a 1.5; Disney Channel at a 1.4; and Spike TV with a 1.3.

On a total-programming-day basis, Nickelodeon was first with a 1.8, well ahead of the 1.2 earned by TNT. Cartoon and ESPN were next, both averaging a 1.1. There was a logjam for the fifth spot among Lifetime, USA, TBS and Fox News, all of which generated 1.0 ratings.

As for the key adult demos, ESPN made it a clean sweep among the 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 sets. The total-sports network tackled 840,000 of the younger group on average, while scoring with 1.49 million of the advertiser-coveted 18-49 crowd. Among the older-adult set, ESPN averaged 1.53 million watchers last week, according to a Turner Entertainment Research analysis of Nielsen data.

TBS placed second in all three of these categories counting 614,000, nearly 1.3 million and 1.25 million watchers in the respective groups.

TNT, with 1.03 million adults 18-49 and 1.09 million 25-54 watchers, came in third. MTV: Music Television took the bronze among adults 18-34 with 479,000 of those viewers on average.

ESPN’s NFL game Nov. 21 between the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans was the highest-rated show of the week, with an 8.3 household average, followed by the 4.4 generated by college football’s Florida-FloridaState showdown the night before.

The Wizard of Oz, meanwhile, touched down in Kansas and elsewhere for TBS to the tune of a 2.8 Nov. 19, a 2.7 the next night and a 2.6 Nov. 21.

Originally posted by fredfa
Week Ending Nov. 21 Top 20 Primetime Programs:

72—(Top WB Show) 7th Heaven HD 4.3/7

(from zap2it.com and Nielsen Research.)

Not HD. So close to no errors ;).

Damn, f44! :)
(When Summerland returns in a few months, we'll actually watch something on the WB!)

(I've taken this off the first page, but want to leave it here for anyone who might care.)

NOTE
For anyone interested, (and anyone who receives a signal over satellite should be) the complete 107-page satellite retransmission bill, passed by the House and Senate Saturday as part of the $388 billion spending measure, has been posted over at satellite guys.
It is dry and very hard to understand, but if the issue will effect you, it is worth spending the time and effort to read.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/rbbrittain/SHVIA.pdf