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fredfa

03-08-06, 01:49 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Bang-up premiere for CBS's 'The Unit'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 8, 2006

CBS’s second attempt at a Tuesday night drama this midseason was a lot more successful than the first.

Erasing any lingering memories of the now-canceled “Love Monkey,” the premiere of the new CBS drama “The Unit” last night averaged an impressive 18.2 million total viewers and a 5.1 rating among viewers 18-49, finishing second in the 9 p.m. timeslot behind Fox’s “House.”

“The Unit” bettered the last big premiere in the timeslot, last fall’s “Commander in Chief” on ABC, by 2 million total viewers. That was CBS's second-best new show premiere of the season, behind "Criminal Minds'" 19.8 million last fall.
"Unit's" 18-49 rating was a 55 percent improvement over the 3.3 CBS averaged in the timeslot over the last four weeks.

Another encouraging sign for CBS: “The Unit” grew from its first half hour to its second. From 9 to 9:30 p.m. the show averaged 17.8 million total viewers and a 4.8 rating among 18-49s, but that jumped to 18.5 million viewers and a 5.3 among 18-49s during its second half hour. It also jumped 34 percent over lead-in “NCIS,” which to be fair was facing Fox juggernaut “American Idol.”

The show received good reviews from critics and is a departure from CBS’s usual “CSI”-style procedural crime dramas, focusing in part on the wives of men in an Army special forces unit combating terrorism. Media Life TV critic Toni Fitzgerald wrote, “Finally there is a new element in this already stale [terrorist] formula.”
CBS’s last attempt at a new Tuesday drama, “Love Monkey,” was dropped after just a handful of outings after averaging below a 3.0.

Elsewhere last night, the one-hour debut of ABC comedy “Sons & Daughters” in the same 9 p.m. timeslot was less successful. The show averaged a 3.2 rating among 18-49s, a 14 percent improvement over the 2.8 ABC averaged in the timeslot the last four weeks. But “Sons” declined as the hour wore on, posting a 3.4 among 18-49s in its first episode before dropping to a 3.0 for the second in a back-to-back premiere.

Also last night, NBC’s returning “Joey,” off the air since December, sunk to a series low in its new Tuesday timeslot, posting just a 1.4 rating among 18-49s and averaging 4.1 million total viewers, fifth in its timeslot on both counts. It also faced Fox’s “Idol.”
Fox finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 10.0 average rating and a 25 share. CBS was second at 4.2/11, ABC third at 2.9/8, NBC fourth at 2.6/7, Univision fifth at 1.7/4, WB sixth at 1.0/3 and UPN seventh at 0.7/2.

Fox dominated the 8 p.m. hour, leading with an 11.6 rating for “American Idol.” CBS was a distant second with a 3.8 for “NCIS,” ABC third with a 2.1 for an hour of “According to Jim” and Univision fourth with a 1.9 for “Contra Viento y Marea.” NBC was fifth that hour with a 1.5 for an hour of “Joey,” WB sixth with a 1.2 for a repeat of “Gilmore Girls” and UPN seventh with a 0.7 for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”

At 9 p.m. Fox led again, this time with an 8.4 for a new episode of “House.” CBS was second with its 5.1 for “The Unit,” ABC third with a 3.2 for “Sons & Daughters” and NBC fourth with a 2.8 for an hour of “Scrubs.” Univision finished fifth with a 2.0 for “Alborada,” while UPN and WB tied for sixth at 0.8, UPN for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Girlfriends” and WB for a repeat of “Supernatural.”

CBS took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 3.7 for “The Amazing Race.” ABC and NBC tied for second at 3.4, ABC for “Boston Legal” and NBC for a “Law & Order: SVU” rerun with Univision fourth with a 1.1 for “Lo Que No Vio…”

Fox took the night among households with a 14.6 average rating and a 22 share. CBS was second at 9.5/15, ABC third at 5.6/9, NBC fourth at 4.5/7, Univision fifth at 2.0/3, WB sixth at 1.6/2 and UPN seventh at 1.2/2.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3312.asp

SVonhof

03-08-06, 03:48 PM

slocko, you haven't missed it. It's called Black.White. and it debuts tomorrow night at 10/9C on FX. Apparently two whole families make the switch, not just two people.

I saw the ad for this last night and it looks like it could be an eye opening experience for everyone involved. May have to try to catch it.

DoubleDAZ

03-08-06, 09:30 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Bang-up premiere for CBS's 'The Unit'
10 minutes into my recording and they had me hooked for the season. Hoorah!

fredfa

03-08-06, 09:41 PM

It was pretty good. That must have made keenan happy -- he's been waiting for this show for months!

Ken H

03-08-06, 10:52 PM

A Critical View:
When it comes to 'Sopranos,' I'm glad to be kept waiting

By Matthew Gilbert The Boston Globe staff March 5, 2006

Thank you, David Chase, for being a darn slug.
And thank you Mr. Gilbert, for a great read.

fredfa

03-08-06, 10:59 PM

In that vein, Ken H, there is this:
TV Review
Sopranos (five out of five stars)

By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic

The main question about The Sopranos, which starts its sixth season on HBO Sunday: How good is it?

The thrilling answer: better than ever.

A 21-month wait for new episodes would doom most series. But Sopranos creator David Chase has earned the right to work at his own pace, and when the results are this splendid, you don't complain.

Rather, you acknowledge that this drama represents the peak of the 2005-06 season. The Sopranos unfolds at a more absorbing and imaginative level than TV's strongest series, from ABC's Lost and Grey's Anatomy to Fox's 24 and House.

The new season opens with a spoken song about souls, secret names and the ancient Egyptians. The eerie sequence, which merits repeated study, foreshadows the personal and philosophical themes.

The Sopranos are in turmoil. Carmela (Edie Falco) is worried all the time. Husband Tony (James Gandolfini) is more pessimistic than ever and warns son, A.J. (Robert Iler): "I don't care how close you are. In the end your friends are gonna let you down." Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) has slipped deeper into dementia.

TV critics have seen the first four episodes, but revealing the central plot would be unforgivable. The family faces profound challenges. The first episode stuns. The second episode, which Chase wrote, is an original and unsettling hour that's destined to be a TV landmark.

Even as the public and media have embraced The Sopranos, Chase has refused to glamorize the mob or let the show go soft. The series tells blistering stories about Gene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro), who wants out of the gangsters' orbit, and Jason Barone (Chris Diamantopoulos), who runs afoul of the mob when he tries to sell his late father's garbage business.

The Sopranos continues to deploy actors in fascinating ways. After a character dies, that doesn't preclude the performer's reappearance. Hal Holbrook gives a touching performance as a thoughtful scientist.

Tim Daly returns as a screenwriter with a gambling problem. In future episodes, ER alumna Julianna Margulies portrays a real-estate agent, and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley plays himself.

The stars are in stellar form. Falco conveys Carmela's anguish and anger with remarkable intensity. The new season lets Gandolfini play addled and vulnerable sides to Tony. As the Soprano children, Jamie-Lynn Sigler reveals new maturity as Meadow while Iler ratchets up the childish ways of A.J.

The early episodes skimp on choice material for Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi and Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's nephew. The true standout is Tony Sirico, who savors his finest hour as Paulie Walnuts in the fourth episode. Sirico is equally frightening and funny as the pathetic, self-absorbed mobster.

Despite the grim events, The Sopranos provides moments of stimulating hilarity. In a zany scene, the mobsters discuss moving into the movie business. Other topics producing sharp humor include dinosaurs, Viagra and rap stardom.

To deepen the story, the series deftly mixes in pop-culture references, from the TV series Kung Fu to singer Marvin Gaye to "Over the Rainbow."

HBO will offer 12 new episodes this spring and the final eight installments early next year. Then The Sopranos will definitely end, Chase says.

In previewing the show for TV critics in January, Chase and his stars did their best not to divulge plots. The first four episodes suggest that was a wise strategy. They didn't want to ruin the story.

I don't either because The Sopranos is as good as television gets.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-tvreview-sopranos-020706,0,1573251,print.story

fredfa

03-08-06, 11:11 PM

TV Review
'The Sopranos' returns with the end in sight -- and that just makes everything juicier

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, March 8, 2006

After a full 21 months in cobwebs, "The Sopranos" returns to HBO on Sunday with a viscerally stunning reminder: It's the best series on television, end of story.

The only series competing at the same creative height as "The Sopranos" are HBO stablemates "The Wire" and "Deadwood," but what creator David Chase has set in motion this season for his mob-and-family epic makes debating this trifecta a hollow exercise. Based on the first four episodes of Season 6, what we're witnessing here is the making of a magnificent bonfire of assured creativity, as Chase burns through episodes to the end of this landmark television series.

Knowing that the series will wrap-up (12 episodes this season, eight more beginning in January) helps forgive a nearly two-year layoff that's not only unheard of but would be completely unacceptable for an inferior series. And yet, within the first few minutes -- and then with an exclamation point at the end -- the first episode jump-starts your brain into remembering how truly great "The Sopranos" really is. From the intricate structure to the nuanced characters to the detail Chase captures in their emotions, there's so much to grab onto here.

(If you haven't already been watching HBO's rerunning of Season 5, then you should hit the Web site soon and recap episodes, because events move quickly after the opening.)

When we last saw Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) running through the snow as the feds nabbed Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola), television's best drawn anti-hero was trying to put his life back together again. As Season 6 begins, Tony is off his anti-depressants and noticeably more upbeat after a tumultuous year in which he narrowly avoided a turf war, killed his cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) and had to beat back -- or snuff out -- rats in his own extended mob family including, most famously, Adrianna (Drea de Matteo).

Now Tony and Carmela (Edie Falco) are enjoying each other's company after their reconciliation -- they've even discovered sushi together, which brings them closer. (Food, yet again, plays a huge part in "The Sopranos" and is played for laughs with a deft touch this season, particularly when it comes to Vito, because actor Joseph Gannascoli lost more than 150 pounds in real life).

Die-hard fans of "The Sopranos" -- which is pretty much everyone who tunes in -- would be wise to remember that Chase doles out clues and metaphors in a fashion that outright embarrasses a show like "Lost." Each year the promotional photos are dissected for clues (which are there) and much can be gleaned from songs that are played, television shows that Tony watches and the myriad dream sequences that dot each season.

If dealing in this alternate universe appeals to you, pay close attention to the first few minutes when William S. Burroughs' "Seven Souls" spoken-word piece plays ominously over scenes of what has transpired in the lives of the characters since we last saw them (and what, by extension, may ultimately befall them). "The Sopranos" is dense with the kind of things you catch on repeat viewings, whether it's the look on someone's face or seemingly tossed off lines, such as this one from Sunday's episode -- "No good deed goes unpunished," that end up having seasonlong reverberations.

While eager fans only want to look forward at this point -- and there's certainly much to anticipate -- part of the legacy of the series is that God is definitely in the details. Past conversations, dreams, hints, the tiniest bit of seemingly pointless banter -- it all adds up, a story is being told in multiple, nuanced layers.

Chase is using an obviously sure hand as he steers this unwieldy story to its conclusion. Where others search for Big Issues, Chase tends to keep things simple when he talks about the show. He'll say, for example, that a theme for a particular season is Tony and Carmela, or Tony and his kids. And it's true that the series is rooted in some unwavering basics established from the very start:

• Tony is having troubles in both of his families.

• Ancestry, DNA and familial traits are pressing concerns for him, and others.

• Psychiatry is essential because Tony lives in his head.

What was true back then is even more true now -- the neat trick is wondering how it will all play out, which direction Chase will choose not only to finish the series, but to deal with Tony, the central figure in this dark, funny opera.

We're still a long way off from then, but the first four episodes -- a quarter of the season -- indicate Chase is no longer burdened with keeping the show slowly marching ahead, season-to-season. There's a finality that Chase can aim for and there's a nimbleness to how he gets out of the gate come Sunday.

But it's pointless to get into specifics. Fans don't want anything spoiled. They don't want too many hints. So on the safe side, the most you should know is that mooks will be mooks and nature really does abhor a vacuum.

Guns will go off, but they always do. Plans will be hatched, not all of them wise. And those dream sequences? The more bizarro the better. Twenty-one months and worth the wait. Clearly, this discussion will continue throughout the season. So cook up the baked ziti, pour the Chianti and keep your head on a swivel.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/08/DDGHGHJIJ41.DTL&type=printable

fredfa

03-08-06, 11:15 PM

TV Review
“Sopranos”: Starting it off with a big bang!

By Richard Huff New York Daily News TV Editor Wednesday, March 8th, 2006

They made us wait 21 damn months — 21 — but the wait was worth it.

Sunday night, "The Sopranos" returns to HBO's prime-time lineup, and every last one of those lovable and equally hateable mobsters — plus a few others — are back with an earth-shattering, life-changing vengeance.

Everything you missed about TV's greatest drama is there, from the always-shocking — but this time downright stunning — gunfire to the buckets of blood to the continually fraying relationships, all of which make us want more of Tony Soprano and his dysfunctional families — both of them.

It's kind of like "The Sopranos" are our old mob buddies who got sent up the river for nearly two years and are now back on the streets. And, of course, that means they're also back to their wicked ways. The difference this time around? In the sixth season, these guys are loaded with as much tension as too-tight piano wire.

"I think kind of disquieted, sort of rattled, not feeling like things are going well" is the way David Chase described the coming season to reporters in January.

He might have been underplaying that a bit.

You want action? How's this?

There's a major shooting early in the run of the new episodes. A shooting — on "The Sopranos"? Okay, on its face that isn't news, but it will be when you find out how it happens and who the victim is. Let's just say that, in this crooked world, no one is safe. The moment is so shocking, in fact, that it could blow folks out of their seats.

Not enough action for you?

Janice Soprano and her husband, Bobby Baccalieri, will have a baby girl. The flaky and fiery Janice (Aida Turturro) is probably the least-qualified mother in TV history.

Elsewhere, the Soprano kids are growing up — and, as all kids do, growing less appreciative of their family. One major incident, however, nearly makes A.J. take up his father's business, or at least a part of it, which should cause some major headaches down the road.

Now that Carmela let Tony back in the house, she worries more about the family — both of them. She seems particularly curious about Adrianna, who was last seen eating leaves in upstate New York and, presumably, taking a bullet. Chase and his team are at their best when creating gut-tightening stress, such as when Carmela wonders aloud about Adrianna to Tony.

Outside of the Soprano homestead, Johnny (Sack) Sacramoni is trying to get out of jail, having been tackled in a snow bank in the last season. Phil Leotardo takes over while Johnny's wearing an orange jumpsuit, but he doesn't play the game quite the way Sack did, causing even more agita for Tony — as if he didn't have enough problems on his very full plate.

Among them are the feds, who are also still trying to nail Tony and his associates.

"The Sopranos" has always skillfully weaved in great guest stars, and this season is no exception. You will see Julianna Margulies playing a real estate agent and Hal Holbrook as a scientist who used to work for Bell Labs. Ben Kingsley plays himself. Elizabeth Bracco, Lorraine Bracco's sister, also plays a mob wife down the road.

But that's all later.

Before the first few hours are done, viewers will spend time in familiar and unfamiliar places — hospitals, the Satriale Pork Store and everyone's favorite strip club, the Bada Bing. And they'll take a trip out of town, with Tony, sort of.

No matter where the action is happening, though, they'll know that the gun is cocked, a finger is on the trigger and, at any moment, any one of the family could be playing cards with Adrianna in heaven.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/v-pfriendly/story/397640p-336986c.html

fredfa

03-08-06, 11:18 PM

TV Notebook
Teri Hatcher helped solve Sunnyvale case

ACTRESS'S REVELATIONS OF HER PAST LED TO CONVICTION
By Julia Prodis Sulek and John Woolfolk San Jose Mercury News Wed, Mar. 08, 2006

For almost four years, Santa Clara County prosecutor Chuck Gillingham kept secret the name of the woman who helped put away a Sunnyvale child molester whose young victim killed herself.

The woman put aside concerns about her career and called Gillingham from her home in Los Angeles to say that she, too, had been molested as a child by the same man. The woman's name? Teri Hatcher, one of Hollywood's hottest TV actresses starring in ABC's hit show, ``Desperate Housewives.''

Hatcher tells her story in the April issue of Vanity Fair Magazine, which hits newsstands this week.

``At the end of the day, there was no way I was not going to put this girl first, before whatever damage might be done to me,'' Hatcher told the magazine.

Hatcher, 41, who grew up in Sunnyvale, is the niece of Richard Hayes Stone, who is serving a 14-year sentence for molesting Sarah Van Cleemput and a 12-year-old girl. Sarah, just 14, committed suicide in January 2002, leaving a mysterious note that pointed to her abuser.

Without Sarah's testimony, Gillingham was worried he didn't have enough evidence to convict Stone. The case, he feared, was doomed.

Then he got a call from Hatcher.

``The case was on the verge of being dismissed at about the time she made contact with us,'' Gillingham told the Mercury News on Tuesday.

Even though Stone, who is now 67, had told police he had a ``passionate kiss'' with Sarah, which itself would constitute child molestation, a confession alone would not be enough for conviction. Gillingham also had the girl's suicide note, but it was vague, saying only ``ask Dick'' about why she would kill herself.

Gillingham needed corroborating evidence.

``She asked what I thought,'' about coming forward, Gillingham said of Hatcher. ``I said, `I'm going to beg you to be involved, as hard as that is for you.' ''

Gillingham flew down to Los Angeles with a Sunnyvale public safety officer to take Hatcher's statement.

``When we went to interview her, she almost canceled,'' Gillingham said. ``But she had been with her daughter that morning and was thinking if, God forbid, something happened to her daughter that someone would come forward and do the right thing.''

With a tape recording running, Hatcher explained in detail how her uncle -- the then-husband of her mother's sister -- allegedly molested her in the late 1960s and early '70s when she was no more than 7.

``Obviously she took a big risk doing the interview,'' Gillingham said.

After prosecutors gave the defense a transcript of Hatcher's interview, Stone pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2002, leaving no need for a trial nor a court appearance for Hatcher.

Eric Geffon, who represented Stone at the time, did not respond to phone calls Tuesday.

Hatcher learned about the Van Cleemput case during a trip to Sunnyvale to help her parents with a garage sale at their Templeton Court home before they moved to Southern California. Her mother handed her news clippings about Sarah's suicide and Stone's subsequent arrest on charges of sexually molesting the girl, who lived across the street from him.

``It struck me so strongly that -- oh my God, he's been doing this for 35 years!'' Hatcher told Vanity Fair. ``I was just blown over by this girl's pain. I thought, boy, that's really close to being me, any day of the week. I could feel that sort of pain.''

At that time in the actress's life, she was going through a divorce and her career was tanking. Hatcher hadn't even told her parents about what her uncle allegedly had done.

If her story of molestation came out in the tabloids, she told Vanity Fair, she worried she would be viewed as a has-been actress trying to get attention.

``I thought she was extraordinarily courageous,'' Gillingham said. ``At all times, she felt deeply about the victim in our case.''

The Van Cleemputs didn't know until Gillingham told them Monday that Hatcher was the secret savior who helped their case.

``They were aware someone had come forward at almost the 11th hour, but they didn't know who it was,'' Gillingham said. ``They were obviously floored by the whole thing.''

Stone, a former engineer at National Semiconductor, was a trusted family friend of the Van Cleemputs, who had emigrated from Belgium to Sunnyvale where Patrick Van Cleemput worked for semiconductor maker Novellus Systems. The families vacationed together.

In an e-mail to the Mercury News on Tuesday, Sarah's parents and older sister also called Hatcher a ``very courageous woman.''

Patrick Van Cleemput, Sarah's father, wrote: ``The only thing we want to accomplish is to prevent other adolescents or young adults from going as far as Sarah went to be free from molestation.''

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/14045819.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

03-09-06, 12:42 AM

TV Notebook
'Sopranos' is done lying low

After nearly two years, the HBO hit series returns. But will its fans come flocking back?
By Lynn Smith Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 8, 2006

Looking back on it all, David Chase admits, no one involved in the first episodes of "The Sopranos" had a clue the show would ever make such a mark on the cultural landscape. The stories, he says, were meant to be funny and sad, and he hoped viewers would come away feeling as if they had had a satisfying "emotional meal."

Now, as Sunday's premiere of the sixth season of the HBO series nears, Chase hopes that by the end of its run, "The Sopranos" will have given them meaning as well, even some beyond the creators' control. "I hope there's more than one thing going on. I hope there are things that I and the writers and actors don't even know about. I've noticed, even with my prior work, there are intentions I was not aware of and thought, 'Wow, this thing had a subconscious life of its own.' "

The new season marks the beginning of the end for "The Sopranos," the series that put HBO on the map and put "whacked" and "bada-bing" into the nation's vernacular. The cast is just finishing production on the 12 episodes of Season 6 and, after a few months off, will start work on the final eight "bonus" episodes that will air in 2007. Chase pledges there will be no more.

"I think we've done it," he says. "We're all going to move on from here."

Until "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City," HBO was known mostly for showing uncut movies. Those signature shows elevated the network to appointment TV status. Now, HBO is facing the pressure of an increasingly fragmented audience that confronts all networks, but without its two bulwarks.

And after a nearly two-year hiatus for the show, some fans may be reluctant to come back for one last dose.

St. Louis sales manager Glen Callanan wrestles with inner conflict over that. On the one hand, he's angry that he has had to wait so long for a new episode. But, like the mafia gangsters on the show, he knows he can't just walk away.

"They get you on a string and pull you back in," he says. "There's not much you can do about it. I guess I'll be mad at them and still watch it."

According to Nielsen Media Research, viewership in the last season of "The Sopranos" fell to an average of 11 million, down from 12.5 million in 2002. But counting replays and on-demand viewings of episodes on HBO, that audience nearly doubled, according to David Baldwin, HBO's executive vice president of program planning. The show is so detailed and dense that many people watch it more than once, he says. Callanan, for instance, says he usually watches the show on Sunday and then watches it again twice during the week.

Although subscription cable does not depend on ratings like broadcast, Baldwin is hopeful Season 6 will sustain the same numbers.

As a possible hedge, the network has been heavily promoting its latest original series, "Big Love," and will air the new series about a modern polygamist family at 10 p.m. Sundays, just following "The Sopranos." HBO has enormous hopes for the series but does not intend for it to take the place of "The Sopranos," says HBO Entertainment President Carolyn Strauss.

"It's not about 'The Sopranos' successor. There will be no such thing. It's a unique animal," Strauss says. "These characters are truly three-dimensional people. Everything I've seen so far on this [new season] makes it harder and harder for me to let them go. It won't be easy for me as an executive or as a fan."

For Chase, the goal was always to "get away from the type of storytelling where characters lecture and hector each other, and say whatever is exactly on their minds and say it well and therefore teach the audience some lessons. I've never been a professor and I don't want to be."

Some say it's best to quit while they still have something left to say. Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, thinks it's a good time to wrap it up since it has played out all the themes laid out in the January 1999 pilot: Mafia don Tony Soprano, inspired by a flock of ducks, gets a chance to reform his life and enters therapy; he has trouble winning the respect he believes he deserves in a world whose "Godfather" days are long gone; his masculinity is constantly challenged — by his mother, his wife, even his therapist.

A key to its popularity is that, without its mob references, the show is basically about "an unhappy American man who's never quite gotten used to the definitions of a male in the 21st century," Thompson says. "It's a show with a violent family to make it go down better. If it's about a family with troubles, who would watch it? If someone gets whacked in every episode, it's more exciting.

"Then there's the whole issue of hypocrisy. There are great themes that make this so watchable and so much more than a bloodbath action adventure."

Callanan, 45, says he finds it hard not to like Tony. He can relate to the mob boss as a father and even as a manager.

"There's somebody in there that seems like a good person," he says.

The new season explores darkened themes of loyalty and identity and makes unusual and extensive use of dreams and metaphors, one of its artistic hallmarks.

Where the story will end is the topic of much speculation. Will Tony be redeemed? Will A.J. take over as the next generation's boss? Could it wind up, à la "Dallas" and "St. Elsewhere," as a figment of an unhappy 21st century American man's imagination?

Thompson believes that dramatic convention requires that Tony, persistently amoral, must suffer. "He's got to go to hell by the end of the season," Thompson says.

As to the speculation it may all wind up as a figment of someone's imagination, Chase promises: "That will never happen." Neither will the family wind up hugging and smiling with lessons learned, he says. "If you're asking if they find out crime does not pay, no comment." Tony is already paying a price for his behavior, he adds.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-sopranos8mar08,0,1782190,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

RussTC3

03-09-06, 01:26 AM

Can't wait till this Sunday. The Soprano's is finally back and Grey's Anatomy comes back from it's short hiatus.

keenan

03-09-06, 03:42 AM

It was pretty good. That must have made keenan happy -- he's been waiting for this show for months!
I have, any show that has David Mamet, Shawn Ryan and Dennis Haysbert involved in it deserves a good look. The first episode was good and had me hooked but it was a little rough, hopefully with upcoming episodes it will be able to do what Bochco couldn't seem to get done with Over There, keep it intelligent and gain an audience. My fear is that it will become like a CSI:Special Forces...

Next up is Thief, with Andre Braugher. :)

BTW, if this really is the last season of Shawn Ryan's The Shield, I am going to certainly miss it, this season has been oustanding, watching Forrest Whittaker's Kavanaugh and Michael Chiklis's Mackey go at each other has been some great TV.

fredfa

03-09-06, 10:13 AM

The TV Column
Will Letterman Let Stern Poke CBS in the Eye?

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 9, 2006; C07

In an interesting bit of booking, CBS's "Late Show With David Letterman" announced yesterday it has lined up Howard Stern, who is being sued by CBS, for the March 13 show.

Ostensibly, Stern will appear to chat up the video-on-demand version of his Sirius Satellite Radio show on iN Demand Networks. But we're guessing some talk of the lawsuit will find its way into the conversation.

Late last month, CBS Radio filed a lawsuit against its former shock jock, claiming Stern unfairly promoted Sirius while he was still on the air at CBS and, in the process, pocketed more than $200 million.

"This is a booking that has been planned by the show since January," CBS Entertainment spokesman Chris Ender told The TV Column.

"Obviously issues have arisen since then, but we respect the show's editorial independence and don't intend to censor their programming decisions."

Stern has been on "Late Show" 14 times -- most recently last November.

CBS claims Stern's deal with Sirius would give him 34 million shares of stock, valued at more than $200 million, if Sirius reached certain subscriber levels by a date this year. Stern fraudulently kept this secret while promoting Sirius on CBS Radio, CBS claims in its suit, which seeks undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages for breach of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment and misappropriation of CBS Radio broadcast time.

Stern moved to Sirius in January after signing a deal valued at $500 million in cash and stock.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hey -- let's play Guess Which Network Had the Academy Awards This Past Sunday.

On Monday, ABC finished a distant fourth in the ratings, including a DOA debut for its medical reality series "Miracle Workers" at 10 that night.

CBS snagged the most viewers Monday night with its regular sitcoms-plus-"CSI: Miami" lineup.

Fox finished a strong second with two hours of "24" during which computer nerd Edgar Stiles got clocked by a Russian villain using nerve gas -- so retro.

Tuesday, ABC finished a distant third, including the anemic start for its comedy from Lorne Michaels called "Sons & Daughters." "American Idol" host Fox finished first. CBS came in second but scored a major ratings win with the launch of David Mamet's drama "The Unit" (aka President Palmer meets "The A-Team"). The Dennis Haysbert vehicle logged 18.5 million viewers to become the most watched premiere of any scripted show on any network this season. (A preview of CBS's freshman drama "Criminal Minds" snared 19.6 million viewers in the post-"CSI" time slot in September, but its official "premiere" the following Wednesday averaged only about 10.5 million.)

And yet, if you guessed "The Unit" launched so well because CBS promoted the heck out of it during its broadcast of the Academy Awards -- you've picked the wrong network.

ABC had the Oscars and promoted the heck out of "Miracle Workers" and "Sons & Daughters" during the 3 1/2 -hour broadcast, which averaged about 39 million viewers -- very few of whom bothered to check out either show over the next two nights. On Monday, "Miracle Workers" averaged 8.6 million viewers; Tuesday night "Sons & Daughters" attracted about 8 million.

"Too much has been made of the promotional platform of the Olympics, Super Bowl and the Oscars," noted one TV industry exec of the high-priced special events. "People come for those shows" but are not necessarily interested in anything else the network has to offer, he added.

The "track of launching shows out of these things is sketchy."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/08/AR2006030802275_pf.html

fredfa

03-09-06, 11:29 AM

TV Notebook
Death watch: What shows won't return

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 9, 2006

Next week, at pre-upfront meetings with media buyers, the networks will preview series in development for the fall. Executives will also talk up the shows being renewed for next season.

Less talked about will be the shows that aren't coming back, but there will be a hefty number for sure. Shows that might have survived in prior seasons are at risk, as ratings improve for ABC in particular.

Many network shows have already been written off, and others will be getting the axe soon if their ratings don’t begin trending up, and fast.

Among these roughly two dozen on-the-bubble shows are the expected --NBC’s “Joey,” for example--but also a few surprises, most notably ABC’s “Commander in Chief” and NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”

Programs like “Commander” premiered with a bang, while series like “Criminal Intent” have done well for years, only to falter in recent weeks, pegging them as potential goners.

Media researchers tell Media Life that figuring which shows will be canceled is anything but a science, but any combination of falling ratings, production troubles, and deflated buzz point to shows in trouble.

Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming at Carat, notes that ABC’s “Commander” has suffered from falling ratings and serious behind-the-scenes shakeups. Series creator Rod Lurie was ousted and Steven Bochco took his place only to get replaced himself.

“I had very high hopes for that show,” says Brill. “They are now going to a third showrunner. It was Rod Lurie’s voice and vision, and with his departure the voice and vision changed. A shift like that has a big impact.”

Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director at Horizon Media, agrees.

“It was a top-rated new show in fourth quarter,” he says. “But it has an old-skewing audience and has had production problems.”

“Commander” isn’t ABC’s only show on the bubble.

A slew of sitcoms aren’t expected back, including rookie series “Crumbs” and “Freddie,” but also “Rodney” and possibly one-time hits “According to Jim,” “Hope & Faith” and “George Lopez.” ABC said earlier this season that “Alias” is finishing its run.

But fading drama “Boston Legal” and “Bachelor” will likely survive. The reality love-match show had been sinking but this season its rating came back up, and that likely ensures that ABC will bring it back.

CBS earlier this week renewed 14 programs, including all three “CSIs,” “Without a Trace,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Numb3rs,” and rookie series “Criminal Minds,” “Ghost Whisperer,” and “How I Met Your Mother.”

Not mentioned but thought to be safe are the drama “Close to Home” and newsmagazine “48 Hours Mystery.”

On the bubble are “Yes, Dear” and “Still Standing.” In fact, both shows are believed to be canceled. Also in doubt is “King of Queens.”

The fate of new sitcoms “Out of Practice” and “Courting Alex” will become clearer after ratings come in for the Monday premiere of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” If that show does well, their chances of surviving go down.

NBC has yet to confirm which programs aren’t returning. But media researchers say two of three versions of “Law & Order” are safe while “Criminal Intent” may be nearing its end.

“I can’t say any ‘Law & Orders’ are on the bubble, but maybe ‘Criminal Intent’ because it’s having a tough time against [ABC’s] ‘Desperate Housewives,’” says Brill.

“My Name is Earl” and “The Office” have already been renewed. “Las Vegas” is safe, though it may be moved from Fridays, where it moved from Monday last week.

A long list of NBC series are in trouble, including “E-Ring,” “Four Kings,” “Fear Factor,” “Surface,” the new “Conviction” and the long-running “Scrubs.”

NBC’s “Apprentice” is widely expected to return, as the network is already shooting the next season, but considering its tumbling ratings, it may return with one version per season rather than two.

“It will be back,” says Adgate. “NBC has a lot invested in it and it’s their showcase reality show.”

And most of Fox’s series are expected to return at some point next season, including “24,” “House,” “Prison Break,” “Bones” and perhaps the short-run “Skating with Celebrities.”

Fox sitcoms “Malcolm in the Middle” and “That '70s Show” have been canceled while there’s almost no chance that “Stacked” with Pamela Anderson and “War at Home” will return.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3340.asp

fredfa

03-09-06, 12:39 PM

Wednesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-09-06, 01:46 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Tyra on fyra: Returning 'Model' struts

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 9, 2006

Finally, a show that doesn’t get utterly destroyed in the face of Fox’s “American Idol.”

The two-hour sixth-season premiere of UPN’s “America’s Next Top Model” last night averaged a 3.2 overnight rating among viewers 18-34, a 10 percent increase over the 2.9 last fall’s season premiere earned.

Last night’s improved performance among 18-34s was impressive considering the show’s first hour aired head-to-head with “Idol,” which was not on the air when season five debuted last fall. Though “Idol” still dominated the timeslot, “Model” finished second at 8 p.m. and grew considerably during its final hour.

“Top Model” averaged a 2.5 rating among 18-34s at 8 p.m. and jumped 52 percent to a 3.8 during the 9 p.m. hour. In fact, during the 9:30 p.m. timeslot, UPN led all broadcast networks with a 3.9 rating among 18-34s. Fox’s “Bones” was second at 3.4.

Among women 18-34, the show was flat to last fall’s premiere, averaging a 4.7 rating. But it averaged a 5.7 in the final hour, after “Idol” had gone off the air.

Last night’s premiere also grew over season five among the slightly older 18-49 demo, jumping almost 9 percent, from a 2.3 to a 2.5.

“Top Model” host Tyra Banks is herself retired from the modeling game, but she’s building quite a TV empire. Besides last night’s successful premiere, her syndicated daytime talk show “Tyra” set several series-bests during February sweeps.

Meanwhile, Fox finished first easily for the night among 18-49s with an 8.5 average rating and a 22 share. CBS was second at 3.7/10, ABC third at 2.6/7, UPN and NBC tied for fourth at 2.5/6, Univision sixth at 1.8/5 and WB seventh at 0.9/2.

At 8 p.m. Fox bettered the combined broadcast competition with a 12.3 rating among 18-49s for “Idol.” ABC, CBS and Univision all tied for second at a 2.0, ABC for a repeat of “George Lopez” (2.1) and a new “Freddie” (1.9), CBS for an hour of “Still Standing” and Univision for “Contra Viento y Marea.”

That left UPN fifth with a 1.9 for the first hour of the “Top Model” premiere, NBC sixth with a 1.5 for “The Biggest Loser” and WB seventh with a 0.8 for a repeat of “One Tree Hill.”

Fox slipped 61 percent during the 9 p.m. hour but still led with a 4.8 rating for “Bones.” CBS followed with a 4.6 for “Criminal Minds,” with ABC third with a 3.4 for a repeat of “Lost” and UPN fourth with a 3.0 for the second half of “Top Model.” NBC was fifth that hour with a 2.3 for a repeat of “Law & Order,” Univision sixth with a 2.2 for “Alborada” and WB seventh with a 0.9 for a “Beauty & the Geek” rerun.

CBS took the lead during the 10 p.m. hour with a 4.6 for “CSI: NY.” NBC was second with a 3.7 for a new “Law & Order,” ABC third with a 2.5 for “Invasion” and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”

Fox finished first for the night among households with a 12.2 average rating and a 19 share. CBS was second at 7.8/12, NBC third at 5.4/8, ABC fourth at 4.7/7, UPN fifth at 3.5/5, Univision sixth at 2.2/3 and WB seventh at 1.4/2.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3341.asp

kb7oeb

03-09-06, 05:23 PM

The Business of TV
TV May Be Free but Not That Free

"You can pretty much guarantee, as soon as the episodes hit the states about 8 o'clock Eastern time, by 3 or 4 o'clock GMT it's going to hit the Internet," said Palmer, referring to 10 p.m. Eastern time. "Don't worry: I don't stay up that late. I have the nice advantage of having a taxi driver husband who helps me."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tvpirate1mar01,1,4677275.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true
I never understood why someone would take the time to capture a tv show and make it available on the internet. Filesharing I can understand, people ripped CD's to reburn them and most filesharing software would auto share it but sharing tv and editing out commercials is a lot more work.

AFH

03-09-06, 06:57 PM

fredfa

03-09-06, 08:56 PM

I agree entirely, AFH.
But the MediaLife story is based on information being supplied to ad buyers from the networks.

Marcus Carr

03-10-06, 10:03 AM

Swanni's TV Tech 'Hits and Misses!'
Phillip Swann predicts whether 10 new TV technology products and services will succeed or fail.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (March 9, 2006) -- Over the last five years, I have correctly predicted that:

* Voom, the satellite TV service, would fail.
* TiVo, the DVR service, would struggle because of a lack of partnerships with cable and satellite operators.
* FCC Chairman Michael Powell would resign.
* TiVo CEO Mike Ramsay would resign.

And I have correctly predicted many other events and actions in the TV technology industry. While many people in the industry get upset at my candor and bluntness, no one can say that I don't deliver. TV Predictions is more than a name; it's a reality.

But, now, I am going to jump out on the limb again and offer my predictions for 10 new TV technology products and proposals.

Here are Swanni's TV Tech 'Hits and Misses'!'

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

1. Sling Media's Sling Box
The silver-colored box enables you to watch your home TV channels from a remote location, such as a laptop or PC. Available at retail for approximately $200, the Sling Box requires a Broadband connection at both ends.

The Sling Box is well designed and very convenient for frequent travelers who want to keep tabs with local broadcasts, particularly sports. However, the Broadband requirement is a big obstacle that will take some time to remove. Most viewers are loathe to make their televisions more complicated. And knowing that the extra connection will only be useful when they are on the road, most people will not find it worthwhile.

However, Sling Media has some heavy investors, such as Liberty Media and satcaster EchoStar. Perhaps it can hang in there until Broadband TV becomes commonplace.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 30 Percent

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

2. Apple's Video iPod
With a 2.5-inch screen, the new portable device can play downloaded videos, such as ABC's Lost and Desperate Housewives. The downloads cost $1.99 each.

However, the picture on the small screen fares poorly compared to a normal-sized TV or even a DVD-enabled laptop. It's difficult to maintain your interest with a screen so small.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 5 Percent.
(Although people will still use the device to listen to music.)

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

3. DIRECTV's Broadband VOD
DIRECTV later this year will launch a Video on Demand service that will enable DVR owners to download from up to 2,000 movies and TV shows via a high-speed Internet connection. For the first time, a satellite TV service will be able to compete with cable TV's growing on-demand lineup.

The VOD service will struggle early because DIRECTV will find it difficult to persuade subscribers to connect their set-tops to Broadband. However, in time, Broadband TV will be embraced by the masses. And with the deep-pocketed News Corp. as its parent, DIRECTV has the luxury of time.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 100 percent.

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

4. Cell Phone TV
Like Apple, cell phone makers are rapidly adding video to their handheld devices. Owners can pay monthly fees to watch news and sports clips and previews of upcoming movies and TV shows.

However, again, the small screen works against the concept. The monthly subscription fees don't help, either.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 1 percent.

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

5. DIRECTV's $25-30 HDTV PPV Movie
Peter Chernin, president of News Corp., the parent of DIRECTV, says his company will soon offer HDTV films on demand 60 days after their theatrical release. The cost per viewing: $25-30, says Chernin.

The News Corp. executive says HDTV viewers will gladly pay the high price because they are "desperate" for additional high-def programming.

Don't bet on it, Pete.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 0 Percent.

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

6. MovieBeam's VOD Player
MovieBeam, which is backed by Disney, Cisco and Intel, has launched a set-top that can deliver up to 100 on-demand movies to the home without the need of a Broadband connection.

The receiver, which costs around $200, is available in large retail stores. MovieBeam says some of the 100 films are available in high-def.

MovieBeam viewers will only have to pay for the movies they order. The on-demand service will use a datacasting technology to deliver 10 new movies to the set-top every week.

The company's prime target is the frequent movie watcher. However, that person likely already has a cable/satellite receiver, a DVD player, a DVR and maybe an A/V receiver and thus may hesitate to buy yet another set-top.

In addition, despite the backing of six of the seven major studios, many film buffs may find MovieBeam's lineup of 100 titles too limiting. And, finally, the HDTV audience may find the number of high-def films too small to justify the purchase. According to MovieBeam, the early lineup of HD movies will only include titles from Disney and Warner Bros.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 10 Percent

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

7. The HDTV DVD Player
Sony and Toshiba this year will launch new DVD set-tops that can play HDTV movies. The receivers, called Blu-ray and HD-DVD respectively, will not be compatible, meaning consumers will fear another Betamax vs. VHS fiasco.

In addition, the studios are threatening to add anti-copying software that would dilute the picture for millions of high-def owners.

In short, the new DVD industry is doing everything it can to sabotage itself before the launch. However, in time, the industry will work out the kinks and the new DVD player will find its audience. High-def owners will want to watch their DVDs in high-def. It's as simple as that.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 100 Percent.

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

8. Telco TV
AT&T and Verizon are launching new TV services to compete with the cable and satellite TV operators. They hope to exploit a growing dissatisfaction with the established services over everything from high subscription prices to a lack of high-def programming.

However, the telcos are facing an uphill fight. The cable and satellite operators have roughly 85 percent of the TV market. It could take years -- and billions of dollars -- to peel away a significant portion of that audience. Of course, the telcos have the money, but will their shareholders sit still while they spend it?

Swanni's Odds of Success: 35 percent.

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

9. Online Video
Networks such as CBS and ABC are now offering their primetime shows online either for free or a small fee. The TV industry is hoping that online video will catch on with office workers and home PC users.

However, watching a long-form show or movie on a PC screen is simply not as comfortable as watching it on a big TV while sitting on a comfy couch. Consequently, the concept will stall until it's easier to download those shows directly to the TV itself.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 20 percent for video on the PC; 100 percent for online video on the TV.

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

10. The HDTV Camcorder
Camcorders that record in High-Definition have been on the market for a few years now. But prices, which have ranged up to $3,000, have been out of reach for most consumers.

However, Sanyo this month is expected to launch a $799 HDTV camcorder and it's likely other companies will follow suit before year's end. The low-cost HDTV camcorder will become a big hit, perhaps as early as this holiday season.

Swanni's Odds of Success: 100 Percent.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/hitsandmisses030906.htm

fredfa

03-10-06, 12:05 PM

Thursday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

foxeng

03-10-06, 12:29 PM

chris_h2

03-10-06, 12:52 PM

But when you predict the obvious, it isn't that hard!

Yeah, and I don't thing you can ever be called completely wrong unless you pick 100% or 0%

I also noticed that there is no mention of any of his past "wrong" predictions. I suspect that there have been a few of those. I know there are a lot of folks at TCF that think this guy is off his rocker.

fredfa

03-10-06, 01:09 PM

I stopped posting his stuff because it just doesn't seem all that prescient -- and it is pretty obvious, to my mind, at least.
Not to mention that I think his constant obsession with how awful some people look in HD is pretty boring, very mean-spirited and almost embarrassingly self-aggrandizing.
But YMMV.

fredfa

03-10-06, 01:11 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Limp post-'Idol'punch for Fox's 'O.C.'

Viewers flee in hordes from ex-hot teen soap

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 10, 2006

It appears more people are interested in watching has-been celebrities ice skate than they are in watching the super-sexy residents of “The O.C.” following an episode of “American Idol.”

In its first original episode in four weeks, Fox’s teen drama last night posted a 3.5 overnight rating among viewers 18-49, down nearly 33 percent from the 5.2 Fox earned in the same 9 p.m. timeslot last week for the season finale of “Skating with Celebrities.”

“O.C.” lost 67 percent of its lead-in, a 10.6 for “Idol,” though the singing competition did help the later show better its recent average. Last night’s 3.5 for “O.C.” was a 35 percent improvement over the 2.6 overnight rating it had averaged over its previous four episodes, all without an “Idol” lead-in. The show has been declining in that demo since last fall.

The aging teen soap opera is obviously not as hot as it was two years ago, when it regularly followed “Idol” on Wednesdays. The last time “O.C.” aired out of “Idol,” in May 2004, the show posted a 4.6 overnight rating, losing just 46.5 percent of “Idol’s” 8.6 rating.

Last night “O.C.” actually faced less competition than did “Skating” last week. In the 9 p.m. timeslot, ABC, CBS and NBC were all down versus last week. In fact, NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” and “The Office” were reruns, but they still finished ahead of “O.C.” “O.C.” did best them among 18-34s.

Why the relative disinterest in “O.C.?” Fans have been complaining about the show’s storylines for months on online messageboards. They also could be slow to return after the month-long layoff, unsure when the show was finally coming back.

On the strength of the final of three “Idol” Thursday episodes, Fox edged the competition for the night among 18-49s with a 7.1 average rating and an 18 share. CBS was a close second at 6.9/18, NBC third at 3.0/8, ABC fourth at 2.4/6, Univision fifth at 1.9/5, WB sixth at 1.4/4 and UPN seventh at 0.8/2.

Fox started the night with a comfortable lead, averaging a 10.6 at 8 p.m. for “Idol.” CBS was second with a 5.3 for “Survivor,” NBC third with a 2.1 for an hour of “Will & Grace” repeats and Univision fourth with a 2.0 for “Contra Viento y Marea.” ABC finished fifth during the hour with a 1.9 for the first hour of the movie “Bringing Down the House,” WB sixth with a 1.2 for a repeat of “Smallville” and UPN seventh with a 0.9 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Love, Inc.”

CBS jumped into the lead at 9 p.m. with an 8.6 for “CSI.” NBC moved to second with a 3.8 for repeats of “Earl” and “Office,” while Fox dropped to third with its 3.5 for “The O.C.” ABC was fourth with a 2.7 for the second half of “Bringing Down the House,” Univision fifth with a 2.1 for “Alborada,” WB sixth with a 1.7 for the season finale of “Beauty & the Geek” and UPN seventh with a 0.8 for repeats of “Eve” and “Cuts.”

CBS hung onto the lead at 10 p.m., averaging a 6.6 for “Without a Trace.” NBC was second with a 3.0 for “ER,” ABC fourth with a 2.5 for “Primetime” and Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Aqui y Ahora.”

Among households, CBS finished first for the night with a 13.0 average rating and a 20 share. Fox was second at 10.1/15, ABC third at 5.1/8, NBC fourth at 4.7/7, Univision fifth at 2.2/3, WB sixth at 2.0/3 and UPN seventh at 1.4/2.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3368.asp

fredfa

03-10-06, 01:53 PM

TV Notebook
I Am a Sentimental Fool

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

I took a look at a new episode of ''The West Wing,'' which airs on Sunday. It's still following the two tracks -- the presidential campaign between Santos and Vinnick, and the international crisis where the U.S. may have to intervene -- and even finds a place for the tracks to come together. It has some good stuff in the campaign portions, where the Santos campaign has finally pulled close and Vinnick's moderation on some issues may have to be compromised to keep his campaign viable. Ron Silver and Patricia Richardson, who have been playing members of Vinnick's team, have some good scenes.

Still, it wasn't a great ''West Wing,'' and I thought Vinnick had stepped out of his moderate box when he went knee-jerk in the debate episode.

But that, as you are undoubtedly aware, is not why I am a sentimental fool. It was the first sight of the late John Spencer, still alive and playing Leo, in this episode. It was just a glimpse, but it choked me up. I miss the guy, even more when I see him at work.

And I still love to see him work. There is a scene in this episode with Leo and Bartlet that reminds us how well those two worked together, what a good fit they were. It was a good enough scene that I just watched the characters interact, and the actors at work, without thinking once again that Spencer was gone.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

keenan

03-10-06, 02:09 PM

And he's wrong about this one,

* TiVo, the DVR service, would struggle because of a lack of partnerships with cable and satellite operators.

TiVo has a solid agreement with the largest cable company in the country, Comcast, to provide a TiVo interface on existing already deployed STBs.

Unless he is getting 75-80% right every year, his predictions could have been made by a monkey and have been just as accurate.

fredfa

03-10-06, 02:29 PM

TV Notebook
Fox locks in 'House' as 'Joey' exits

NBC orders up eight more installments of 'Deal'

By Josef Adalian Variety.com
Fox has made another appointment with "House," while NBC appears closer to finally putting "Joey" out of its misery.

Elsewhere, Peacock has ordered up eight more installments of "Deal or No Deal," the Endemol USA gameshow that's proved adept at helping the net turn on the lights in some tough time periods. Order brings to 30 the total number of segs NBC has greenlit for this season.

Extra segs will help NBC keep "Deal" on both Monday and Friday nights for the next few weeks.

Peacock was planning to air "Most Outrageous Moments" on Fridays, but the skein will now air Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m. -- the timeslot that was to have been occupied for the next few weeks by "Joey."

Opening for "Moments" appeared after NBC execs decided to again pull "Joey" from the lineup following the skein's disastrous return this week in the new Tuesday slot. Just 4 million viewers tuned in, with the half-hour skein averaging a stunningly weak 1.4/4 among adults 18-49.

"Joey," which had been struggling on Thursdays, will now return to Hiatusville and likely won't be back until summer, when NBC might opt to burn off the remaining originals. Net still hasn't confirmed "Joey's" cancellation, but the writing has been on the wall for some time now.

As for "House," early pickup was a no-brainer for Fox execs. Skein is the first procedural hit Fox has had in years.

So far this season, "House" is averaging a 5.3/13 in adults 18-49 and 14.1 million viewers, up a tad from its frosh performance. Numbers have exploded, however, since Fox started airing the show after "American Idol."

While any show would benefit from an "Idol" lead-in, "House" has impressed by retaining more than 70% of the "Idol" aud. Other skeins airing post-"Idol" are lucky to keep half of the skein's eyeballs.

cdp1276

03-10-06, 02:51 PM

Has anyone heard the status of a Season 2 of Surface? I suspect it will be canned but hadn't seen anything yet and was just curious if someone saw any facts on this?

fredfa

03-10-06, 03:53 PM

"Surface" had its last original telecast on Feb. 6. The ratings were not good.

Back in January, NBC entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said, "The show has done a pretty good job over on Monday. I think it's creative. It's got a very loyal audience.

"I think this one has fared best on its own, having to self-start at 8 o'clock. So we'll reassess in May. We'll look at the rest of the product, but no decision is made right now one way or the other."

It is still a possibility to return, but not very good, I wouldn't think.

Woodrow

03-10-06, 10:45 PM

A slew of sitcoms aren’t expected back, including rookie series.... and possibly one-time hits “According to Jim,”
Ouch

Symbios

03-10-06, 11:25 PM

Yeah, and I don't thing you can ever be called completely wrong unless you pick 100% or 0%

I also noticed that there is no mention of any of his past "wrong" predictions. I suspect that there have been a few of those. I know there are a lot of folks at TCF that think this guy is off his rocker.

"How did Swanni mess up in 2005?"
http://www.tvpredictions.com/2005parttwo121905.htm

RussTC3

03-11-06, 12:23 AM

Fred, do you have any idea what's going on with Threshold. I seen a few articles on the net, and in my local paper, saying that the show is still on the bubble and CBS has yet to make a decision on whether or not to return it.

For instance:

Shows still reportedly on the bubble include 'Threshold,' 'Yes, Dear,' 'Still Standing,' 'King of Queens' and 'Out of Practice.'
and
But no word yet on freshman drama “Threshold” and the comedies “King of Queens,” “Out of Practice,” “Still Standing” and “Yes, Dear.”

And here's an article from E! Online (http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18501,00.html?fdnews)

The network did not reveal the fates of shows including freshman drama Threshold and comedies Yes, Dear, Still Standing, King of Queens and Out of Practice. The full schedule won't be announced until May.

fredfa

03-11-06, 01:51 AM

keenan

03-11-06, 04:21 AM

I think it is still on the fence, RussTC3, and its fate probably hangs on how well other CBS shows do in the ratings the next few weeks and what the prognosis is for some of the new series expected in the fall.
It definitely didn't get an official pickup yet -- as 13 1/2 hours (of the 22 broadcast) in the current CBS schedule already have.
RE: Threshold, I though it twas already announced that the unaired episodes would air during the summer(?) on one of the cable nets. You had an article here that mentioned which channel but I don't recall. It would seem odd that if CBS were still considering retaining Threshold they would burn off the remaining episodes on another channel..?

fredfa

03-11-06, 04:31 AM

Now that you mention it, Jim, I think you are right.
CBS has certainly not gone out of its way to make any overly hopeful statements about the show.
And in the very first post of this thread, under cancelled shows, I have "Threshold" listed.
I usually don't put shows there until I have some definite sign the show is a goner. I just don't remember what was said specifically and when by CBS.

fredfa

03-11-06, 04:38 AM

The Business of HDTV
ABC Seeks Second-Generation HD

By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable 3/13/2006

For ABC, HDTV is old news. The network’s priority at NAB is replacing the first-generation 720-line progressive-scan (720p) HD playback gear that it installed at its New York broadcast center back in 1998 to launch HD broadcasts.

“We’re very focused on getting out of that first-generation HD equipment, much being prototype equipment in the 720p variety, and getting into more-mature equipment,” says Preston Davis, president of ABC broadcast operations and engineering, who will go to Las Vegas with 40 staffers looking at HD control switchers, tape machines and routers.

Davis also wants to replace proprietary HD graphics systems with new off-the-shelf, standards-based PC products. “We’re really feeling some urgency,” he says, “as the systems we have at the network are older and in need of replacement.”

ABC’s other priority is more general: identifying production equipment that can easily accept both standard-definition and HD content.

“We’re going to be straddling the SD and HD fence for some years to come in terms of delivering both analog SD and HDTV to viewers,” says Davis. “We’re looking for products that allow us to mix and match.”

Editing products, such as the nonlinear Avid systems that ABC uses, have been able to support both SD and HD for some time. Other gear—for instance, switchers—has lagged behind in providing dual SD/HD functionality, but that is beginning to change.

ABC will explore compression technologies and faster, cheaper ways to move content. The network is quickly deploying IP-over-satellite systems and would like to tap into the emerging WiMax wireless broadband infrastructures being developed in some cities.

Another hot topic is high-def newsgathering, including HD acquisition gear, microwave systems and satellite uplinks. “I don’t believe that we’re at a point where we would produce solely in HD,” says Davis. “So again, we’re focused on tools that allow us to gather and distribute in both [HD and SD] formats. We’re feeling some pressure now, as our current ENG [electronic-newsgathering] camcorder systems are beginning to feel signs of fatigue.”

ABC is looking at hard-disk–based cameras, such as Thomson Grass Valley’s Infinity system and Ikegami’s Editcam, as well as Sony’s optical XDCAM HD format. Adopting a tapeless camera has a broad impact on workflow, and Davis needs to see a tighter link between such products and ABC’s current Avid editing and content-ingest systems before making a purchase. He is also keeping an eye on Apple’s Final Cut Pro editing software, which works with several of the new tapeless systems, and he hasn’t ruled out Panasonic’s P2 solid-state format.

Many broadcasters consider the P2 storage cards, which sell for $1,400 and can store eight minutes of HD video, too expensive. But Davis isn’t sure the cost is a deal-breaker.

“If you can stream it off and get it into an edit system quickly, and then push that card back into the field, and the transfer is reliable enough that you can rely on it as your master, it almost doesn’t matter how much those things are,” he explains. “But if I have to keep it on a shelf for some time, I have to evaluate that differently.”

HDTV-NUT

03-11-06, 04:21 PM

The Business of HDTV
ABC Seeks Second-Generation HD xits

By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable 3/13/2006

For ABC, HDTV is old news. The network’s priority at NAB is replacing the first-generation 720-line progressive-scan (720p) HD playback gear that it installed at its New York broadcast center back in 1998 to launch HD broadcasts.

“We’re very focused on getting out of that first-generation HD equipment, much being prototype equipment in the 720p variety, and getting into more-mature equipment,” says Preston Davis, president of ABC broadcast operations and engineering, who will go to Las Vegas with 40 staffers looking at HD control switchers, tape machines and routers.

Davis also wants to replace proprietary HD graphics systems with new off-the-shelf, standards-based PC products. “We’re really feeling some urgency,” he says, “as the systems we have at the network are older and in need of replacement.”

ABC’s other priority is more general: identifying production equipment that can easily accept both standard-definition and HD content.

“We’re going to be straddling the SD and HD fence for some years to come in terms of delivering both analog SD and HDTV to viewers,” says Davis. “We’re looking for products that allow us to mix and match.”

Editing products, such as the nonlinear Avid systems that ABC uses, have been able to support both SD and HD for some time. Other gear—for instance, switchers—has lagged behind in providing dual SD/HD functionality, but that is beginning to change.

ABC will explore compression technologies and faster, cheaper ways to move content. The network is quickly deploying IP-over-satellite systems and would like to tap into the emerging WiMax wireless broadband infrastructures being developed in some cities.

Another hot topic is high-def newsgathering, including HD acquisition gear, microwave systems and satellite uplinks. “I don’t believe that we’re at a point where we would produce solely in HD,” says Davis. “So again, we’re focused on tools that allow us to gather and distribute in both [HD and SD] formats. We’re feeling some pressure now, as our current ENG [electronic-newsgathering] camcorder systems are beginning to feel signs of fatigue.”

ABC is looking at hard-disk–based cameras, such as Thomson Grass Valley’s Infinity system and Ikegami’s Editcam, as well as Sony’s optical XDCAM HD format. Adopting a tapeless camera has a broad impact on workflow, and Davis needs to see a tighter link between such products and ABC’s current Avid editing and content-ingest systems before making a purchase. He is also keeping an eye on Apple’s Final Cut Pro editing software, which works with several of the new tapeless systems, and he hasn’t ruled out Panasonic’s P2 solid-state format.

Many broadcasters consider the P2 storage cards, which sell for $1,400 and can store eight minutes of HD video, too expensive. But Davis isn’t sure the cost is a deal-breaker.

“If you can stream it off and get it into an edit system quickly, and then push that card back into the field, and the transfer is reliable enough that you can rely on it as your master, it almost doesn’t matter how much those things are,” he explains. “But if I have to keep it on a shelf for some time, I have to evaluate that differently.” good news!

fredfa

03-11-06, 10:27 PM

Sorry for the lengthy delay, but Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-12-06, 01:17 AM

TV Notebook
Here Comes the Judge

By Bill Carter The New York Times March 12, 2006

One night a little more than two years ago, Simon Cowell, the creator of and corrosive judge on the biggest show on television, "American Idol," was driving his car through the streets of London, thinking about the state of his entertainment-business interests. "I remember thinking: My gosh, I've sold a new talent show in Britain, and I'm taking 'Idol' off the air there. I'm launching a classical group called Il Divo. I'm changing the sound of the group Westlife, which had already sold 40 million records. And I was thinking: This could all come crashing down. This new show could fail. The classical group could fail. I could screw Westlife's career up. Why am I doing this, because it's going to be quite a high-profile bomb if that happens."

Mr. Cowell did not suffer self-doubt for long. "It was sort of a delicious thrill really," he said in his buttery British tones. "Making a lot of money usually means not putting your neck on the block anymore, but putting your neck on the block is part of the thrill. If I genuinely believe something is a good idea, then I'm willing to fail or succeed by giving it a go."

For once, Simon Cowell was putting it mildly. No one in entertainment, in either the United States or Britain, is giving the business more of a go than Mr. Cowell, who, despite being the highest-paid star in the history of the Fox network, remains much more mogul than divo himself.

The recording industry executive "never had on my wish list" to be a television star. When he reluctantly agreed to judge a little talent show in England called "Pop Idol," it was just to protect his record label's interest in the winner. Today he still thinks of himself first as a businessman. That businessman is only too happy to collect millions for telling appallingly bad singers that they're rubbish; but his real goal remains something along the lines of worldwide control over musical and any other kind of talent you can think of — from inventors to magicians to plate spinners.

In a wide-ranging interview in a spectacularly elegant Manhattan hotel suite (what other kind would someone of his current state of fame be expected to inhabit?), a relaxed and — believe it or not — unassuming Mr. Cowell discussed the many tentacles of his growing empire, part of a company he calls Syco, which at the moment includes a record label and a television production unit, both of which are cranking out products at a larruping pace.

The reach of what might be called Simon Inc. is on an impressive scale. Mr. Cowell runs the careers of numerous recording artists, including the Irish band Westlife and Il Divo, the operatic, pop-singing quartet that has reached the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. His label sells millions of albums a year and will release five new titles in 2006. In addition, Mr. Cowell created a television show in England called "The X-Factor," which proved so popular it prevented the British version of "Idol" from getting back on the air, thus prompting a lawsuit against him. And he has, in some form of production or development, a total of no fewer than 11 television ("telly-vision," as he pronounces it) series for British and American networks.

And then there's the movie. "Basically an updated version of 'Fame,' " Mr. Cowell explained.

ALL of it begins, of course, with "America Idol," which, in its fifth incarnation on Fox, is reaching more than 30 million viewers each night it is on, and in the process is doing to the rest of television what Sherman did to Georgia. Having already buried every other competitor under ratings that are, against all odds, bigger this year than even the prodigious numbers it had previously rung up, "Idol" drove NBC's recent coverage of the Olympics into retreat, forcing that network to schedule its best winter events outside the hours of "Idol."

It seemed a perfectly wise decision. NBC could have offered America a night of naked ice dancing, and "Idol" fans would have preferred another dose of unknown teenagers singing their hearts out on cover versions of Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey.

One executive at a competing network (who did not want to be identified because it is never acceptable to be admitting defeat) said finding a show to face off against "Idol" has become akin to "going into a radioactive zone — anything you put there is going to get wiped out."

ABC made a rather frank admission of how formidable the task of taking on "Idol" can be when it promoted its new comedy "Sons & Daughters" during the Oscars telecast last week. The promotion said: "If you pick only one show to watch this spring, we assume if will be 'American Idol.' But since it's on almost every night, why not take a break and check out a show TV Guide calls fresh and painfully hilarious?"

Kevin Brockman, the top corporate spokesman for ABC said: "You might as well embrace it. It's not like America doesn't know what's going on."

Mr. Cowell clearly relishes the continuing success of the reality talent show he and his partner, Simon Fuller, brought from their native England in 2002. "What for me makes 'Idol' so special is that under a reality banner so much of what we see today can't be considered reality," Mr. Cowell said. "Auditioning is reality. You win 'Idol,' the odds are you're going to get a career out of it."

But he emphasized that the reason he presides over "Idol" like Judge Dredd is that the winners join his label, which is under the aegis of BMG-Sony Music. "The only reason that I put myself through this pain is because my label gets the artist," he said. "Which is why I actually do care if I hate somebody or I actually like somebody."

"Idol" winners are signed for as many as five to seven albums. "We've sold 50 million records through 'Idol' alone in the last four years," he said. In England, the winner of this year's "X-Factor," a young singer named Shayne Ward, released a single (from Mr. Cowell's stable of songwriters) that sold a million units in a week. "He sang it on the finale," Mr. Cowell said. "We had it in the shops three days after the competition ended."

Perhaps his biggest music venture yet has been Il Divo, who are now packing concert halls, mainly with breathless female fans. Mr. Cowell said he came up with the idea one night several years ago while sitting in bed watching an episode of "The Sopranos," which he had heard much about but never seen. It was the episode when the gangsters go to Italy, and the voice of Andrea Bocelli plays behind many of the scenes.

"I literally sat up in bed," he said. "I was so mesmerized by this music against this imagery. I literally banged my forehead and said, 'Why don't we get four great opera guys together?' " An opera boy band, as it were.

Acknowledging that he knew nothing about the opera scene, Mr. Cowell said he enlisted several experts who told him it would take years to find four young, great-looking men with true opera voices for this kind of act. "I said, well, I've got years."

Almost three years later, he finally had his foursome: one from Spain, one from Switzerland, one from France, one from the United States. The first thing he had them sing was an opera-style rendition of "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton. "I never heard anything like it in my life," Mr. Cowell said. To date the group has released two albums — and sold 11 million.

"It's been especially good for me because when you're criticizing people on 'Idol," there's always people thinking: put your money where your mouth is," Mr. Cowell said. "So it was very satisfying. To put four unknown guys in front of the American public and have the album go to No. 1, that was very important for my validation, I think."

Still, as potent as the music business has been for him over the past five years, the television arm of Simon Inc. may have an even bigger upside. Mr. Cowell has three new series ready for three separate American networks. One for Fox, "Duets," sounds a little like "Singing With the Stars." Celebrities not known for singing will team up with professional singers. That one has yet to go into production.

The most immediate television venture will be "American Inventor" for ABC, with a premiere set for Thursday at 8 p.m. This one has the ring of "Idol" for the nerd set, with crackpot/genius inventors getting a chance to unveil their brainstorms (entries include a stun-gun-equipped glove and a portable fan for overheated dogs) in an audition setting. Then the finalists — as picked by a panel of experts — will get $50,000 to develop the idea and bring it to the next level. The winner, determined as usual by audience phone-in vote, will be awarded a $1 million prize.

Mr. Cowell has a deal with Amazon to sell the winning product online. More significantly, he has a deal for himself to retain one-third of the invention's total profits. "We always try when we can to get a back-end participation," he said.

Of course, he will retain a similar interest in whoever wins his new program for NBC. Still untitled, the idea is to create an "American Idol" format for just about any other kind of talent.

"I'm just as interested to see an audition of a good and bad dog act as I am of a singer." Mr. Cowell said. "I promise you the auditions are going to be like something you have never seen before." Mr. Cowell likened the show, which he said he expects to have on NBC as early as June, to an old-fashioned talent office in New York in movies in the 1930's, where "any kind of act can walk in."

THAT would include singers, he said, but ones who don't qualify under the rules for "Idol." Thus, he said, "We will attract groups, and everything from 80-year-old singers or 8-year-old singers who think they are as good as Celine Dion." He stressed that the talent might be wide-ranging, but it had to be a specific act, capable of being presented on a stage in Las Vegas — because that's the prize.

"If you are a plate spinner on my show," he said, "you have to believe you can entertain a Vegas audience spinning your plates."

Craig Plestis, the top reality programming executive at NBC, said it took almost no time for Mr. Cowell to sell this show. "We sat down for lunch, then we saw a piece of tape and we were sold," he said.

Mr. Plestis said, "He definitely wants a hit on another network."

NBC could not have landed this project if Mr. Cowell's home network had not passed on it first. Under the deal Mr. Cowell signed late last year with Fox — which will net him more than $30 million a year — committing him to five more years of judging the wailers and warblers on "Idol," he agreed to give Fox a "first look" at all his new show ideas.

"I don't think they thought it through enough," Mr. Cowell said of Fox's decision to pass on the new talent series. He acknowledged that Fox might be reluctant to add talent contests that could in any way dilute the huge "Idol" franchise, but added, "If it's a hit, it's their loss." Not that he has any dispute with his Fox employers. To the contrary, Mr. Cowell said, "They have been incredibly decent and supportive to me."

It was mainly that relationship with Fox, Mr. Cowell said, that led him to settle the suit over "The X-Factor." Simon Fuller had alleged that Mr. Cowell stole the idea for that show from "Idol," then, because he starred in it, the original could never get back on the air. "It was settled amicably, but I do not like being called publicly somebody who steals," Mr. Cowell said. "You can't say, 'I own talent shows forever.' That's rubbish."

The invention show has also attracted a suit from a television production company in Minnesota, which claims it has produced a similar program for years. Mr. Cowell said he had never seen or heard of such a show.

Even with all these series backing up on the runway, Mr. Cowell said he had real regrets about one that would not be turning up on American television. In his deal with Fox, Mr. Cowell had to agree not to sell "The X-Factor" to an American network. Fox, in essence, paid him to keep that show off the air, fearing it could undermine some of the appeal of "Idol."

"If I say so myself, 'X-Factor' is a great show," Mr. Cowell said. "It's hilarious. I absolutely love it. Would it have been a hit in America? A million percent a hit."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/arts/television/12cart.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-12-06, 10:17 AM

TV Notebook
Networks Seeing Stars

Pilot season a boon for A-list names, and a few fresh faces
By Jim BensonBroadcasting & Cable, 3/13/2006

Networks are increasing their spending and pursuing top talent more aggressively this pilot season than in years past, according to producers, casting executives and agents. The moves come as networks like ABC and NBC have increased their comedy-pilot orders and TBS, branding itself as “Very Funny,” has stepped up its originals slate. Among dramas, the networks are seeking the next ensemble hit like Grey’s Anatomy.

Shooting on the pilots in contention for the 2006-07 development season is winding to a close. Dramas generally wrap by the end of March and comedies by mid April. In the meantime, top network executives continue to look at tape, attend casting sessions and participate in live video conferences to ensure the best talent possible is attached to their series.

Leading actors aren’t the only ones benefiting this development season; salaries for the short list of single-camera comedy-pilot directors have also risen. Already well paid, the directors have seen demand for their services grow as networks scramble to cash in on the success of NBC’s single-camera comedy My Name Is Earl; nearly half of the broadcast comedy pilots, such as CBS’ The Weekend, employ Earl’s single-camera shooting.

The networks’ increased willingness to spend concerns some producers. Gavin Polone, who, with partner Jamie Tarses, has three comedies in development for Fox, CBS and TBS next season through his Sony Pictures Television-based company, Pariah, sees mid-level acting talent (especially men) commanding $75,000-plus pilot episode fees. “The networks are pursuing talent more aggressively and with more money,” Polone says. “They’re so desperate to get a more familiar face, especially people known for movies.”

Among those making the transition from film to drama pilots are James Woods, starring as a lawyer in Shark for CBS; Jeff Goldblum, leading the NBC police series Raines; and Anne Heche, as a shrink who flees to Alaska in ABC’s Men in Trees.

With the networks making pilot pickups contingent on casting, Polone, whose pilots lack A-level talent, says it works against the programs. “Talent has been able to jack up its prices, which comes out of the production budgets,” he says. “It’s frustrating, because it takes away from the production value.”

A veteran studio casting executive, who wished not to be identified, says there is major concern on the part of the networks that a pilot won’t fly without the “perfect person” in the lead. The executive says competition is especially fearsome this year; that includes not only top-tier movie actors but also “fresh faces” with a decent track record to star in ensembles.

But a premier Hollywood attorney, whose firm represents a roster of top- and mid-level talent, thinks networks and studios are doing the right thing by writing the big checks. “We haven’t seen a lot of downward pressure on talent pilot salaries like in past years,” says the attorney, who also asked not to be named. And with “great writing and good acting” serving as the keys to any good TV show, he adds, “talent is not the place to save money.”

Along with more comedy-pilot orders from the broadcast networks, Sony Pictures Television has stepped up its cable sitcom development, with eight lower-cost comedy pilots in the works for TBS.

Original cable dramas also continue to rise, and with so much competition for talent, say casting executives, it’s no time to be timid. “It’s certainly hard to take the position that we’re going to hold onto the money and let the cards fall where they may,” the casting exec says. “Someone is going to step up, so it’s hard to make the argument that the price is too high.”

But agents contend that most of the big money is going to a narrow group of familiar faces, such as Woods. With the big-name talent getting big sums, some “mid-list” clients are lucky to get $20,000 for a pilot. And often, say agents, their midrange clients have to agree to cut their salaries. Some lead actors that fall into the “B” range command $40,000-$60,000.

Agents are also saying that the lack of diversity has further diminished the available talent pool. “It used to be there were younger, middle-aged and CBS comedies,” says one. “Now they all want sole male leads in the 28-35 age range and, outside of ensembles, parents in their late 40s, maybe 50-55, with a daughter to cover the demos. As for ensembles, good-looking guys in their 20s.”

Casting executives say writers have been turning out fewer spec scripts with demanding lead roles, since networks have cut back on pilots featuring sole leads. When networks do seek out stars to lead a show, executives say, they want to know who it is early in the development process.

Perhaps that explains why there are more comedy ensembles now than in years past. “There is a finite number of people to carry a show by itself,” a casting executive says.

The ensemble trend is present in the drama slate, too. The runaway success of Lost and Grey’s Anatomy has spurred more ensembles, which makes it easier to get those pilots cast. “Not everyone is a leading person,” the casting executive says. “That allows for a certain punch in the cast, a romantic lead, someone to provide the humor.”

Development season has lacked one overriding trend among dramas (conspiracy programs and soaps are some minor ones), which TV executives largely attribute to the success this past year of series that fall across multiple genres. Beyond ensembles like Lost and ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Fox’s medical series House, which stars Hugh Laurie, demonstrates that programs with a single main lead are working, too.

After the fall scheduling decisions are made in mid May, network executives hope that their strategy of aggressively courting big-name talent translates into big-name hits.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6315244

fredfa

03-12-06, 01:08 PM

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-13-06, 09:34 AM

TV Review
'Old Christine': Juicily Lucyish, Zanily Elainey

By Tom Shales Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, March 13, 2006; C01

Which compliment would please a comic actress more -- that her contagious and infectious humor seems to come naturally to her, as if part of her DNA, or that it is obviously something she has perfected through long and arduous hours of work? Actually, "contagious and infectious" may be the offensive part, since it sounds like a disease.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not diseased, of course, but she is cheeringly and benignly demented, as she proved in nine joyous seasons of "Seinfeld" on NBC and as she reaffirms tonight (8:30 PM ET/PT and 9:30 PM ET/PT on CBS) with her smart, sassy and delightful sitcom "The New Adventures of Old Christine," a happy blast of fresh, cool air that's just what we need on these warm winter nights.

Merely premiering the series at its regular time slot of 9:30 would be too logical for CBS, however, and might fail to confuse viewers. So -- according to a network press release and the CBS Web site -- the series will get a kind of double premiere that was devised too late for the deadlines of weekly TV magazines: The pilot airs at 8:30 on Channel 9 followed by a half-hour break for "Two and a Half Men" and then a second episode of "Christine" at 9:30.

That perplexing ploy is as daffy as the show. The bright side is, if you like "Christine," you get two fresh episodes, and there's another bright side: Louis-Dreyfus herself. Although a previous attempt at following up her "Seinfeld" success failed, this new vehicle takes better advantage of her rough-and-tumble charm. She's cast as a young single mother, divorced two years and the successful owner of a women's health club -- someone hardly footloose and fancy-free but, despite the responsibilities, still too young for the post-prime-time ennui of middle age.

Louis-Dreyfus looks a bit older, mainly because her makeup has been radically toned down, but she is no less adorable. And though Christine Campbell, the character she plays, is fairly affluent, viewers should have no trouble identifying with her anxieties and insecurities, two closely related states of mind that Louis-Dreyfus has a unique talent for making hilarious.

As the pilot begins, she's phoning her own answering machine to leave self-scolding reminder messages ("Stop eating sugar!") and, more to the point, nervously preparing her 8-year-old son, Richie (Trevor Gagnon), for his first day in third grade, which also marks his transfer from an urban public school to a tony private one. When they walk into the classroom, Richie surveys the situation, looks up at his mom and asks pointedly, "Where are the black kids?" Defensively she tells him she's sure she saw one in the brochure.

A kind of two-woman Greek chorus that also resembles a scaled-down coven of witches from "Macbeth," Tricia O'Kelley and Alex Kapp Horner hover about as a pair of very knowing moms who love to stir up trouble during those brief lapses in life when none manages to present itself. They're the ones who take it upon themselves to tell Christine that her ex-husband is making out with his new girlfriend, right out there in the school parking lot.

In a bit of comic business that does recall Elaine of "Seinfeld," the embittered Christine tells her husband that she, too, has a boyfriend and a rich romantic life. He's -- a lumberjack, yeah, that's it. Joe, the lumberjack. And he's, uh, very rich and virile and so on ("When a lumberjack loves you, he loves you"). Midway through such wishful fantasies, it's obvious that Louis-Dreyfus is making up a lie and wading deeper and deeper into it. Her husband (agreeably played by Clark Gregg) recognizes the telltale signs mere moments into the tale's telling.

Until she meets the new girlfriend -- also, painfully enough, named Christine -- the old Christine had considered hers an ideal divorce, "better than most people's marriages." But then comes the monkey wrench. How much of the series's comedy relies on this situation will depend, obviously, on how adroitly the writers can stretch it out, but there are plenty of other possibilities in Christine's life -- her struggles to raise a child and run a business, her efforts to keep from looking ridiculous, her likably deadbeat live-in brother (Hamish Linklater) and the battle to be waged against the forces of time and gravity ("I have to stand on my head to make my boobs look good").

Louis-Dreyfus has a priceless moment in the second episode, with a mustachioed Andy Richter guest-starring as a (potentially) one-night stand that Christine picks up at the supermarket. Attempting earlier to seduce another shopper, she nervously babbles out her entire autobiography, then stumbles awkwardly into a would-be come-hither wiggle that looks more spasmodic than erotic. It's a combination of physical and verbal humor that evokes memories of -- and one can never say this lightly -- the immortal Lucy herself.

To make things better still, the very tart and very smart Wanda Sykes will guest-star in the third episode, which airs of course in the show's second week. My, but those scamps at CBS like to tempt fate -- rescheduling a new show's air times at the very last minute. But ensconced in the fairly solid CBS Monday night comedy block at whatever hour, "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (executive-produced by Kari Lizer) seems entirely at home and capable of keeping viewers cheerful. And keeping them entirely at home, for that matter.

Louis-Dreyfus deserves her own big hit, and if prime-time television were a true meritocracy, which it isn't, "Christine" would be it. Whatever happens, Louis-Dreyfus is wackily back in the funniest of fettles, the pleasure of her company as deliriously dependable as ever.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/12/AR2006031201304_pf.html

fredfa

03-13-06, 09:37 AM

TV Review
What about that 'Seinfeld' curse? 'Christine' promises to break the spell for Louis-Dreyfus.

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Monday, March 13, 2006

Julia Louis-Dreyfus finally got the material to match her talent, and in the process, CBS took another step closer to hipness.

Miracles, both?

It certainly has seemed that "Seinfeld" cast members were trying to prove the ludicrous notion of a "Seinfeld" curse. (Honestly, getting a hit series on broadcast television is a bit of a miracle. Having a huge hit that both audiences and critics adore is almost unheard of, so anything short of that -- which would be pretty much everything -- isn't a failure or a curse, it's business as usual.) Now, with Louis-Dreyfus in a winning, extremely funny new sitcom, all of that nonsense can end.

"The New Adventures of Old Christine," created by former "Will & Grace" writer Kari Lizer, finally meshes smart writing with Louis-Dreyfus' superb physical comedy. And, unlike Louis-Dreyfus' disastrous first post-"Seinfeld" project, "Watching Ellie," this series makes her likable. And not soft, mealy likable, either, a past CBS trait (particularly with men), but relatable and interesting and funny (even sexy and vulnerable, bitter and adorable). That's not easy to do.

But "The New Adventures of Old Christine" is consistently funny, and cleverly funny -- even that rarest of all, truthfully funny -- in all three episodes CBS sent out for review (two will be shown tonight at 8:30 and 9:30).

When a comedy is able to saunter out and be good immediately, it's almost always a good omen. "The New Adventures of Old Christine" has an assured feel to it, and the premise seems solid enough to allow the writers to hit all the right notes from the start. For her part, Louis-Dreyfus looks comfortable in her own skin, as if she's found the perfect vehicle to share her skills without some pointless comparison to the past.

Just to reiterate, pulling off that feat is terribly difficult. And yet, look at formerly old, formerly stodgy, barely cutting-edge CBS -- there's a deserving wow in there somewhere. First we get "How I Met Your Mother," which was different, and now this. (On the other hand, "Out of Practice" wasn't exactly a bold step forward. "Courting Alex" is patently unfunny and, in contrast to Louis-Dreyfus' new vehicle, a sad waste of talent for Jenna Elfman). So, anyway -- 50 percent! If you throw in "Two and a Half Men," which is much better than most doubters will admit, then you've got the solid beginning of a welcome trend at CBS.

In "The New Adventures of Old Christine," Louis-Dreyfus plays Christine, owner of gym dedicated to 30-minute workouts for women. She is two years divorced from Richard (Clark Gregg) and mother to 8-year-old Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon). Her house is also home to her brother, Matthew (the wonderful Hamish Linklater), which allows him, in his low key, dismissive way, to remind her that hitting the snooze button on all your wants and needs isn't such a great thing.

See, Christine hasn't exactly moved on from Richard. She's not pining for him -- he's a good dad, they remain friendly, and now there's no messy married stuff to clog up the relationship.

Until Richard gets a girlfriend. A young one. Named Christine. So now there's an Old Christine and a Young Christine. And this makes Old Christine a bit batty. She hasn't dated at all in the two years since the divorce. And she hasn't had sex, either. Counting the sad last year of her marriage, that makes three years without sex.

"I haven't even thought of dating," Christine says. "I'm still wearing my maternity underwear."

The best part of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" -- aside from remembering how funny and talented Louis-Dreyfus can be -- is the modern-mom realism at play here. Christine has tamped down her own personal needs and channeled them through her son and her business. But the private school she's just enrolled Ritchie in brings up worries about single-mom finances and fitting in. Not to mention that Ritchie preferred his old school and friends.

"Where are all the black kids?" he says on his first day. "There was one on the brochure," Christine says, equally worried, looking around. At the school, she finds two wealthy, judgmental stay-at-home moms in Marly (Tricia O'Kelley) and Lindsay (Alex Kapp Horner). Cliches? Sure. But they grow on you fast as a kind of snobby Greek chorus, the nastier equivalent of the eccentric neighbor found in so many sitcoms.

Suddenly feeling like a bad mom and an unfulfilled loser compared with her ex-husband, Christine ventures out into the dating world with exceptionally bad results. Matthew, her brother, tries to be reassuring: "We'll scare someone up for you. Hey, how about my friend Ugly Larry?" Christine winces and says, "Is he that weird guy who used to follow me around in high school? Yeah, he can call me."

Louis-Dreyfus hits every joke out of the park -- and there's more of them here than you'd imagine. At a trip to the modern-day Singles Safeway, the Singles Whole Foods, Louis-Dreyfus' physical humor is hilariously top-notch. "I used to be fun," she says later. "Then I became a mom. I used to be turned on by the touch of a man. Now I'm turned on by a sale at Target. If I could just get a guy to touch me at Target, I'd be gold."

Andy Richter guest stars in one episode as Sad Dad, a similarly dateless and sexless parent at Ritchie's school. Wanda Sykes guests as a close friend who tries to get Old Christine to forget about Young Christine and get back in the dating world. They go to a spa, where Christine says she's not getting the Brazilian wax: "I did that once and it was like a hair arrow pointing to my C-section scar."

There's a lot to embrace in this series. "The New Adventures of Old Christine" is likely to be a hit on CBS' powerful Monday lineup, and it's nice to see Louis-Dreyfus find a role that fits her so well. The show is less sanitized and predictable than many others from CBS' recent past.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/13/DDGLFHM8TE1.DTL&type=printable

Marcus Carr

03-13-06, 10:09 AM

Keep It Simple, Suppliers!

By Ken Kerschbaumer -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/13/2006

The HD transition will be top of mind for CNN staffers at NAB, especially with vendors like Sony, Grass Valley and Panasonic all offering viable HD field-acquisition formats. But CNN isn’t just looking at the quality of the picture; it’s sizing up the ease of the transition.

“This show is part of our final phase of research into HD field-acquisition formats,” says Gordon Castle, TBS Inc. senior technology fellow, production. With CNN destined to embrace a file-based format and workflow sooner rather than later, the massive news organization wants equipment that can be dropped into its existing workflow with minimal impact. “Media costs, ergonomics and how efficiently it can be put into our environment are what really matters,” says Castle.

How a format handles metadata and the compression technology it relies on is also important. Not all nonlinear editing systems, servers and editing systems are compatible with all of the cameras, and the Sony, Grass Valley and Panasonic cameras all have different compression schemes.

“As our plans become more concrete,” says Castle, “the reality is that any buying decision isn’t as simple as meeting a set of requirements.”

Right now, CNN is improving the infrastructure of its facilities in Atlanta and Los Angeles, with the latter still possibly requiring a move to a new building.

New terminal gear for the CNN Atlanta facility is on the list; everything that appears on any CNN channel goes through Atlanta’s CNN Center at some point, so it’s vitally important that news data get there effortlessly. “We’re looking for ways to successfully transition those facilities for the future,” says Castle.

Bob Hesskamp, CNN VP of broadcast engineering and systems technology, says digital “glue”—cross- converters, routers, encoders, signal processors and other related gear—is always on the shopping list. New monitoring and next-generation master-control gear is also getting a closer look for the new facility in Los Angeles. “Monitoring and an overarching plan for reliability also top the list of things to see,” says Hesskamp.

Castle believes that the low-cost HDV format and developments in the new MPEG-4 compression format will be hot topics at the show.

Says Castle, “It would be great to see somebody showing MPEG-4 editing.” He would also like to see an MPEG-4–based broadcast or playback video server.

CNN is the largest multi-platform distributor of content in the world, so the network sends an army of technicians and news executives to the show. “As big as NAB is, there is still no single better research point for looking at things and access,” Castle says. “Manufacturers bring their technology experts to the show, and access to them is very doable.”

More important, says Jack Womack, CNN U.S. senior VP, domestic news operations and administration, the show enables CNN non-tech execs to get a handle on where things are headed.

“Our CFO,” he says, “will get a chance to see the various alternatives and options we have technically. And in the past two or three years, we’ve been able to have good cross-network collaboration at NAB.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6315197.html?display=Special+Report

bgooch

03-13-06, 11:20 AM

Those Bell Mergers Are Giving Cable Companies Even More to Worry About
By KEN BELSON and GERALDINE FABRIKANT, The New York Times
March 13, 2006

In the chess game between the cable companies and their nemeses, the Bell phone companies, the Bells may be gaining ground. Phone mergers — including AT&T's recent proposal to take over BellSouth — could give the Bells more power to cut prices, move faster into television and expand their advantage in the wireless market.

Sheer size also helps the Bells throw their weight around in Washington. Last week, lawmakers began drafting a bill to make it easier for the Bell companies to acquire local television franchises, a move that would help speed up their push to sell TV programming over high-speed lines around the country.

"The playing field is being leveled, and it's Comcast's mountain that is getting leveled more than AT&T's," said Leo Hindery Jr., a former cable executive and a partner at the private equity firm InterMedia Partners. "The cable guys are boxed in, and I don't think there's a Hail Mary pass."

The AT&T-BellSouth deal, which is likely to take at least a year to be approved, will significantly alter the competitive landscape for the fragmented cable industry, if not immediately then certainly over the next few years as the Bells offer more — and cheaper — video and Internet services.

For Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, and other cable providers, the longer term presents some difficult business choices for countering the Bells' strategies.

AT&T and Verizon are both spending billions of dollars to build out fiber optic networks to deliver TV programming to rival the cable providers' offerings.

If Congress approves the proposed national franchise legislation, they could offer those services in hundreds of cities years ahead of schedule.

BellSouth, which has not yet announced any plans to offer TV programming, is expected to adopt AT&T's television strategy in the nine Southern states where it operates.

That could force cable providers in those states to drop their prices, which Charter Communications did last year in Texas when Verizon introduced its new television service in some parts of that state.

"The cable companies are now going to face off against a stronger, bigger competitor with a stated strategy of doing television, and I don't see that as a positive," said Richard S. Greenfield, a cable and media analyst at Pali Research.

The Bells may also expand their promotional deals for D.S.L. broadband connections, which are in many cases half the price of cable broadband. That move could force cable companies to drop prices even on higher-speed Internet connections. (Many of the cheaper D.S.L. connections are slower than cable broadband.)

In the past year, AT&T and Verizon have cut their introductory broadband prices to $14.95. The low-cost strategy has worked: in 2005, the Bells added more broadband customers than the cable companies for the first time, according to the Leichtman Research Group.

But at least for now, cable companies are not budging.

"The $14.95 D.S.L. product is so slow that it shouldn't be legal to call it broadband," said Thomas M. Rutledge, Cablevision's chief operating officer. "Cable has already built a network throughout the United States that is vastly superior to what the phone companies can build in a reasonable time."

This heightened competition comes at a bad time for the cable companies. Together, they have spent about $85 billion during the past decade to expand their networks so they can handle more digital and high-definition TV programming, as well as faster broadband connections and Internet phone services.

Under pressure from Wall Street to recoup that investment, the cable industry has tried to avoid price wars with DirecTV and EchoStar, two satellite companies that were dismissed as upstarts 10 years ago. Now they are the second- and third-largest pay-TV providers in the United States, after Comcast.

By 2010, the Bells are expected to add six million video customers for a 5 percent share of the pay-television market, according to Kagan Research. While that is just one-tenth the number of cable subscribers, the Bells' additions will come at cable's expense, Kagan estimates showed.

Cable companies will face different adversaries depending on where they operate. For instance, all of Cablevision's subscribers are in the New York metropolitan area, where Verizon is the primary rival, so the AT&T-BellSouth merger will not affect them. Time Warner Cable, however, has 2.7 million basic cable subscribers on Verizon's turf and 6.7 million in AT&T and BellSouth territory, so it must grapple with two Bell giants, according to Pali Research.

Of course, the cable companies have plenty of firepower to aim at the Bells. In just two years, they and start-ups like Vonage have signed up four million Internet phone customers, and that number should double in 2006, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, a brokerage firm.

Comcast, Cox and others have also been giving consumers hundreds of hours of on-demand movies and TV shows without charge, adding high-definition programming and leasing more advanced digital video recorders, including some that include DVD recorders. They are also starting to sell more telecommunications services to businesses.

The cable providers say these advances will allow them to fend off competition from the Bells, something investors have not fully understood in their rush to sell cable stocks during the past two years.

"When one of your major competitors gets bigger, we have to notice," said Stephen B. Burke, the chief operating officer at Comcast. "But we're so far ahead of them. What is going to be fun is to prove that the market is wrong by putting great numbers on the board."

In addition to the Bell threat, there are other clouds on the horizon. The cable companies are under pressure from consumer advocates to start selling TV channels à la carte.

That would be a setback, particularly for cable companies that also own cable networks, like Time Warner. À la carte sales could make it harder for cable programmers to create new networks, which may not be able to attract big audiences quickly enough to win advertisers.

If channels were sold individually, cable programmers argue that it would be prohibitively expensive for networks to market themselves to every home in America. For cable operators, the possibility that consumers would be allowed to pay for only the channels they want is just one more reason to fret about their future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/13/business/13cable.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

bgooch

03-13-06, 01:04 PM

Phonezilla!
AT&T, BellSouth deal creates a giant, but cable isn’t scared
By John M. Higgins -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/13/2006

In this story:
ATTACK ON CABLE’S SOURCE OF GROWTH
STEELED FOR THE FIGHT
CABLE ADVANTAGE
DAMAGE TO DBS

Just three days after cutting a $67 billion deal to buy BellSouth last week, AT&T Chairman Ed Whitacre got a precious gift from Washington. Key Congressional leaders agreed to allow the giant phone companies a national franchise license, essentially allowing AT&T and other telcos a painless entry into the cable industry’s core business of video services.

Cable operators howled. “This is a huge step backwards,” wailed Kyle McSlarrow, head of the National Cable Telecommunication Association. If the proposed bill passes, he said, the government would be “giving the Bell monopolies a special break and a deregulatory advantage over their competitors.”
Cable vs. Telco: By the Numbers
Cable is stealing phone customers at a faster rate than telcos are stealing video subscribers
2005E 2006E 2007E 2008E
Cable telephone 5,174 8,037 10,997 14,080
Telco video 23 487 1,252 2,600

Internet Data Market
With telcos' deep discounting, DSL data services are growing faster than high-speed cable service
2005E (000) 2006E (000) 2007E (000) 2008E (000)
High-speed cable 22,997 26,326 29,581 32,593
DSL 18,854 22,845 28,108 32,810
Dial-up 35,997 30,597 25,090 21,326
SOURCE: UBS Securities' Aryeh Bourkoff and John Hodulik

The two events helped frame the escalating war between cable and telephone companies. As cable’s largest operators move to lure phone customers away from the likes of AT&T and Verizon, they are doing battle with formidable giants that are only getting larger. And, as their latest gains in Congress indicate, the telcos’ agility in the political arena may be pivotal in the multi-front fight ahead.

Whitacre is creating a Goliath like no other before it. If the BellSouth deal is approved—as even its critics expect—AT&T will become the world’s largest telecom company and the nation’s seventh-largest company of any kind. AT&T’s $120 billion in revenue will not be just six times more than the largest cable operator’s—Comcast—but will exceed the revenue of the entire cable industry.
ATTACK ON CABLE’S SOURCE OF GROWTH

The deal only increases AT&T’s power in telephone companies’ escalating war with cable. AT&T and Verizon are attacking operators’ key source of growth—high-speed and high-priced Internet service—as well as their core video business. After years of being handicapped by an old network anchored by thin, “twisted-pair” wires, the telcos are spending billions of dollars improving their networks to offer high-speed data and the same channels that operators still rely on for the bulk of their revenue.

AT&T is laying high-capacity optical fiber deeper into neighborhoods it serves in 13 states. Verizon is going even further with a vastly more expensive approach, pulling fiber all the way to individual homes. Last week, Verizon lit up its latest FiOS TV market, Hillsborough, Fla. The fiber-optic Internet service is also available in the suburbs of five other markets.

The spending is largely defensive. Technology is breaking telcos’ century-old lock on the phone business and threatening their core phone operations. Cellphone customers with a flood of minutes find they no longer need wired service. For those that do, high-speed data lines let cable operators offer reliable local and long-distance service for $35 a month. That’s far less than the average $55 telco customer bill. Voiceover-IP companies like Vonage and Skype steal even more customers.

AT&T and BellSouth have each lost about 8% of their residential lines over the past two years. Whitacre told analysts the deal is driven by “a realization by both companies that the world is changing and it is changing faster and faster, and the sooner we did this deal, the better off we would be.”

The BellSouth deal is part of a chain of acquisitions that Whitacre has used to nearly re-create the original empire that AT&T held before being broken up to settle a government antitrust suit. As chairman of Southwestern Bell Communications (SBC), over the past eight years, he has bought fellow Baby Bells Ameritech and PacBell, as well as independent Southern New England Telephone. Just three months ago, SBC bought former parent AT&T, then adopted its name.
STEELED FOR THE FIGHT

Buying BellSouth doesn’t give AT&T instant new power against cable, but it does help steel the company for the fight. Lowering the combined companies’ costs will let AT&T push harder in the data business, where telephone companies’ low prices already help them beat cable in adding new customers. Adding BellSouth’s nine states could enable AT&T to spread the cost of centralized video facilities over a greater number of customers.

Still, top cable executives aren’t alarmed by the BellSouth deal. “I don’t see the difference between competing with an $80 billion company and a $120 billion company,” says Comcast President Steve Burke. “Getting bigger isn’t going to help address the fundamental problem of their residential phone business.”

Cox Communications President Pat Esser concurs, yet finds the sheer size of the new company annoying. “If a company covering 70 million homes isn’t too big, who is too big?” he asks. “This should demonstrate that they don’t need any help from Washington.” Like other cable-industry faithful, he bristles at telcos’ demands for regulatory relief—particularly in avoiding local cable franchises.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton disagrees. The Republican from AT&T’s home state, Texas, cut a deal with other Congressional leaders to move a bill that would eliminate telephone companies’ need to secure town-by-town permission to launch video services. Currently, a cable operator or similar provider needs a franchise from each town. Securing them is a cumbersome process, and telephone proponents have been lobbying federal and state politicians for relief, saying it slows their entry into video. Cable lobbyists, in turn, counter that the telcos shouldn’t get special treatment and should face the same restrictions operators do. “Three words: level playing field,” says Esser.

Winning franchise relief is important to telcos because any delays favor cable. Because they have largely finished their $60 billion system upgrades, cable operators can steal millions more telephone customers while the Bells are still trying to get out of the video gate.
CABLE ADVANTAGE

“There’s still a window where cable has the advantage,” says UBS media analyst Aryeh Bourkoff. He and UBS telecom analyst John Houdlik—who have created a Wall Street franchise out of the cable/telco fight—estimate that, in 2008, AT&T and Verizon will each have signed up just 1.2 million-1.3 million video subscribers. Meanwhile, cable operators are expected to add around 3 million phone customers each year, growing from 5.2 million today to 14.1 million.

The threat of telco video has helped crush cable stocks, which have dropped 20%-30% over the past year. Many on Wall Street are skeptical that the telcos’ video plans make financial sense. They’ve seen telcos make bold promises about taking on cable in the 1990s, in part to secure special treatment from legislators and regulators. Once they secured what they wanted from Congress in 1996, they scrapped their video plans and went away.

But the new threat is enough to scare investors away, which in turn makes it harder for cable operators to raise cash and make deals that would bolster their own expansion. That alone could be sufficient reward, says the CEO of one top-10 cable operator: “They’re so big that they can afford to lose hundreds of millions of dollars trying to slow us down.”

Video, however, is not the only driving force in the BellSouth takeover. First, Whitacre wants full control of Cingular Wireless. The cellphone company is a 60-40 partnership between AT&T (majority owner) and BellSouth. That limits AT&T’s ability to tap Cingular’s financial strength and hamstrings both companies in bundling wireless with residential phone services. Such bundles would minimize defections to cable phone offerings.

Another major driver is cost saving. Despite restructurings since the 2000 dotcom/telecom crash, telephone companies remain bloated: fixed costs are high, organizations are bureaucratic, computing costs are gigantic.

Telco operations are far more vast than those of media companies Even before the BellSouth deal, AT&T’s employee counts totaled 189,000; buying BellSouth could initially push AT&T’s headcount to 280,000. By comparison, all the cable operators in the country total just 170,000 employees, according to a 2003 report from consulting firm Bortz & Co.

AT&T’s headcount won’t be so high for long. The company says combining with BellSouth can trim 10,000 positions without affecting revenue. That’s in addition to the 26,000 targeted after earlier acquisitions.

There are more-redundant costs at Cingular. UBS analyst Hodulik estimates that the cellphone company spends $1.5 billion on advertising a year, around 60% of it in “brand-building.” Cingular will be renamed AT&T Wireless, letting the wireless company piggyback on the hundreds of millions of dollars that AT&T already spends promoting wireline services.

Nevertheless, the deal will mark a dramatic change in BellSouth’s hesitation over telco video and turn up the heat on cable operators. BellSouth has been notably quiet as Whitacre and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg have declared video war on cable.

Just a week before cutting the deal, BellSouth Executive VP/CFO Pat Shannon told investors that the telco is actively upgrading its phone network to deliver faster data and voice services. He doesn’t see a way to justify the extra capital investment that video would require. “The reason we are going slow was that we’re still looking for the right business model,” he says. BellSouth’s video strategy is limited to keeping its customers away from cable by reselling DBS service DirecTV and a small wired video trial.

But AT&T officials do see a business model and are expected to push BellSouth ahead once they take over. AT&T Inc. COO Randall Stephenson argues that BellSouth’s fiber upgrade plans are “very complementary” to AT&T’s Lightspeed video venture. “They have been very aggressive in the past at pushing fiber deeper into their network,” Stephenson says, adding that it “gives us a lot of flexibility as we ramp Lightspeed in the legacy [AT&T/SBC] territory if we want to.”

Sanford, Bernstein & Co. cable analyst Craig Moffett takes a different view. He believes that BellSouth executives’ skepticism could persuade AT&T to slow its plans. “Very likely, they will end up with a set of corporate visions that will be a blend of the BellSouth side of the world and the AT&T side.”
DAMAGE TO DBS

DirecTV may actually suffer the most immediate injury. Like all the major telcos, BellSouth has been trying to imitate cable’s bundle of video, voice and data services by reselling DirecTV to its customers. That has been a boon for the DBS company, which has gained 570,000 customers from the arrangement, or about 4% of its 15.2 million-subscriber base.

But AT&T has a more intricate arrangement to resell DBS rival EchoStar. AT&T has secured 420,000 customers for EchoStar’s Dish Network, and analysts believe the company is likely to scrap BellSouth’s DirecTV agreement.

AT&T’s Stevenson acknowledges the obvious conflict. “When we close the transaction,” he says, “we will have to evaluate how we synchronize those and determine which direction to go.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6315285

fredfa

03-13-06, 03:03 PM

Sunday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-13-06, 11:06 PM

Thanks for the posts, bgooch!
I have been a bit preoccupied the past few days.
Good work, and much appreciated.

fredfa

03-14-06, 05:15 PM

Sorry for the delay -- I have been travelling -- but Monday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-14-06, 05:16 PM

(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, March 14, 2006 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
“Sopranos” Ratings down by 23%
Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Desperate Housewives Whacks The Sopranos:
Despite the hype, and the 21-month wait, the sixth-season premiere of HBO’s The Sopranos was no match for the women of Wisteria Lane on ABC. Nationally, The Sopranos on Sunday kicked-off with a disappointing 5.3/ 8 in households, 9.46 million viewers and a 4.5 rating/10 share among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. -- the mob drama’s weakest season-premiere since year two in 2000. ABC’s competing Desperate Housewives, in contrast, stood firm at a 13.6/20 in households, 22.2 million viewers and an 8.8/19 among adults 18-49. While no one expected The Sopranos to beat Desperate Housewives, the gap between the two is, no doubt, much wider than estimated.

Comparatively, The Sopranos was down by 23 percent in households, 2.68 million viewers and 27 percent among adults 18-49 from its fifth-season opener on March 7, 2004. Versus its record rated season-premiere on Sept. 15, 2002, this was a decrease of a more extensive 28 percent in households, 3.96 million viewers and 38 percent among adults 18-49.

Take a look at five year season-opening track for The Sopranos:

Season 1: Jan. 10, 1999
Households: 2.3 rating/ 3 share
Viewers: 3.45 million
A18-49: 1.8/ 4

Season 2: Jan. 16
2000
Households: 5.0/ 7
Viewers: 7.64 million
A18-49: 3.9/ 8

Season 3: March 4
2001
Households: 6.6/10
Viewers: 11.26 million
A18-49: 5.7/12

Season 4: Sept. 15
2002
Households: 7.4/11
Viewers: 13.42 million
A18-49: 7.3/17

Season 5: March 7
2004
Households: 6.9/11
Viewers: 12.14 million
A18-49: 6.2/15

Season 6: March 12
2006
Households: 5.3/ 8
Viewers: 9.46 million
A18-49: 4.5/10

The moral of the story: absence does not always make the ratings’ heart grow fonder!

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

DoubleDAZ

03-14-06, 06:03 PM

I'd be willing to bet a lot of folks DVR'd it like I did. Still, I can see why folks say to heck with it, it's the last season anyway and it's been way too long between episodes to hold it's audience.

AFH

03-14-06, 06:05 PM

AFH

03-14-06, 06:14 PM

Squeezed in the 'Sopranos' Ratings Racket

By Lisa de Moraes

Sunday's battle between ABC's ratings giant "Desperate Housewives" and HBO's cultural phenom "The Sopranos" appears to have left both parties looking a little like that scene from the "Sopranos" season debut -- one cowering in the bedroom closet, the other a bloody mess on the kitchen floor.

Oh, and if you're one of those who go all teenage girl on us when we "reveal" these plot points about an episode of a series that has already aired and "ruin" it for you because you had saved the episode on your (fill in the gadget) to watch later in the week/month/year/quarter/decade, please be advised that The TV Column waits for no man.

On the one side, "Housewives" appears to have pulled in its smallest audience since December '04 -- about 22 million viewers. That's down a little more than 1 million viewers compared with the last time it aired, three weeks ago.

In fairness, "DH" has pulled in numbers nearly that small several times since December '04, like 22.5 million in January, 22.3 million in February '05.

Still, the lower numbers came as a surprise to some. Such as those industry pundits who speculated late last week that the return of "DH," after two weeks off to make room for the "Dancing With the Stars" finale and the Academy Awards, would hold up well against the much ballyhooed return of "Sopranos," if for no other reason than because of the suspiciously timed Vanity Fair cover story in which "Housewives" hottie Teri Hatcher comes clean on how she got guilted into stepping forward -- in 2002 -- about allegedly being abused by her uncle as a child.

On the other side, less is available about the performance of "The Sopranos"; early stats show a huge turnout in New York City, but declines in other markets compared with the HBO show's previous season debut -- way back in March '04. Based on those early metered-market stats, it would appear the mob drama also took a hit on Sunday compared with its previous season debut audience of about 12 million.

The metered markets represent roughly 70 percent of the U.S. television households.

In the season opener of "Sopranos," Uncle Junior, now several sandwiches short of a picnic, gets confused and thinks he's shooting his old enemy Pussy Malanga, only it's his nephew Tony; then he runs and hides in his closet, Junior thespian Dominic Chianese explained to "Sopranos" newcomers in a chat on washingtonpost.com yesterday morning.

"He, Junior, was disco-bobulated," Chianese said during the chat, adding later, "I think he knows he did something wrong, but he's not sure what it is and it's frightened him and so he hides. It's kind of pathetic -- at least that's the way I played it."

Tony thankfully forgot his cell phone, elsewise we wouldn't have got to see that great last scene, in which he crawls for about a week to the kitchen to call 911 on the phone and then passes out, or maybe just passes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/13/AR2006031301842.html

fredfa

03-14-06, 06:16 PM

TV Notebook
Mike Wallace to Leave Regular Duties on CBS's `60 Minutes'

March 14 (Bloomberg) -- Mike Wallace, a correspondent for CBS's ``60 Minutes'' since the news program's 1968 inception, will end regular participation on the show and carry the title correspondent emeritus, CBS said.

``I'll be in a comfortable office on the same floor -- just around the corner from where I've holed up for the past 43 years -- available, when asked, for whatever chore CBS News, `60 Minutes,' the CBS Evening News have in mind for me,'' Wallace, 87, said in a statement.

He said the decision was his own.

Wallace began his career as a radio news writer and broadcaster for the Chicago Sun. After serving as a naval communications officer during the Second World War, Wallace worked as a news reporter for Chicago radio station WMAQ before moving to CBS in 1951.

In addition to reporting from Vietnam, Wallace interviewed former U.S. Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy. He also interviewed Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and the Shah of Iran, according to his CBS biography.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aunNcWjNbtMY&refer=us#

fredfa

03-14-06, 06:19 PM

TV Notebook
Mike Wallace Retiring From '60 Minutes''

By Jacques Steinberg The New York Times March 14, 2006

When asked in an interview last April if he would ever consider retiring from "60 Minutes," Mike Wallace said that he planned to do so only "when my toes turn up."

"Well," Mr. Wallace said, amending that statement in an interview today, "they're just beginning to curl a trifle."

After serving as a correspondent on "60 Minutes" since its inception in September 1968, Mr. Wallace said today that he had decided to retire this spring, at the end of the current television season. He said that the move had come at his initiative, and that "CBS is not pushing me."

"As I approach my 88th birthday, it's become apparent to me that my eyes and ears, among other appurtenances, aren't quite what they used to be," said Mr. Wallace, whose birthday is May 9. "The prospect of long flights to wherever in search of whatever are not quite as appealing."

CBS had announced nearly three years ago that Mr. Wallace was cutting his workload for the program in a half. But he had found it difficult to remain idle, and had nearly 20 segments — a full year's work — on "60 Minutes" last season. In that same interview last spring, he had said, "I wouldn't know what else to do."

Mr. Wallace said today that he would continue to have an office at CBS, "on the same floor, just around the corner from where I've holed up for 43 years." Mr. Wallace first joined the network in 1955, departed four years later, and returned again as a correspondent in 1963, according to his biography on the "60 Minutes" Web site.

Though he said he was not yet sure whether he'd be serving as a consultant who drew a salary, he said: "I'll be available when asked for whatever chores CBS News, '60 Minutes,' 'The Evening News,' etc. have in mind for me."

"Plus," he added, "longer vacations."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/business/media/14cnd-wallace.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-14-06, 07:07 PM

Last week’s top 10 prime-time program ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS -- the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-14-06, 07:07 PM

Last week’s complete network average prime-time results (with demographic averages) are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the first post in this thread.

slocko

03-14-06, 08:34 PM

I expect Sopranos to get back on top quickly. That was a great episode and I'm sure it generated a lot of buzz. A lot of people DVRed it, some will catch it later this week, and some I"m sure will catch it On Demand.

By next week everyone is going to be tuned in to see how the episode turns out. I now I will.

fredfa

03-14-06, 09:31 PM

The Business of TV
Indiana Passes Statewide Video Franchise Law

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com March 14, 2006

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed statewide legislation into law Tuesday, joining Texas as the only states in the U.S. that allow phone companies to offer video services by obtaining a franchise license at the state level.

The new law will mean that telephone companies such as AT&T will no longer have to seek town-by-town approvals to offer video and can instead seek approval from the state. The new law also requires that applicants get an answer within 15 days of applying. The law applies to cable operators as well.

Indiana becomes the second state in the United States to pass the video franchising reform, which was helped along by the telco industry's heavy lobbying to ease the application process involved in offering video.

Virginia last week passed a law that expedites the video franchise application process but still leaves the ultimate decision to local municipalities. To enact a statewide video franchise rule would have required changing the Virginia Constitution-considered a long shot.

Other states are expected to take up the statewide video franchising issue in the coming weeks, with legislatures in New Jersey, Kansas, Missouri, California, Florida and South Carolina all in various stages of debating the topic.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9546

fredfa

03-14-06, 09:33 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Promising premiere for 'Old Christine'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 14, 2006

The “Seinfeld” curse hasn’t been broken yet, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ new CBS comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” is in good shape to do it.

In a double-dip last night, “Old Christine” premiered at 8:30 p.m., pulling a 3.9 overnight rating among viewers 18-49, bettering “How I Met Your Mother’s” season average by 8 percent. Another episode at 9:30 p.m. posted a 4.8 among 18-49s, up 7 percent versus the 4.5 “Courting Alex” had averaged in that slot through six episodes.

The numbers for “Old Christine” are solid, but the next few weeks will be more telling. Several new sitcoms have debuted to good numbers this season, only to dip significantly in their next outing, the most recent Fox’s “Free Ride” on Sunday.

"Christine," Louis-Dreyfus' second attempt at a sitcom since "Seinfeld" went off the air eight years ago, received mixed reviews.

“Christine’s” 4.8 at 9:30 p.m. bettered “Alex’s” average, but it was off 4 percent versus the 5.0 “Alex” earned for its series premiere. The relocated Jenna Elfman comedy has yet to duplicate that rating, its closest being a 4.7. The show now airs on Wednesday.

“Old Christine’s” 3.9 at 8:30 p.m. equaled what “Mother” has averaged in five episodes this calendar year. It’s up 8 percent versus the 3.6 “Mother” earned for its premiere back in September.
Meanwhile, CBS was first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.0 average rating and a 13 share. NBC was second at 4.4/11, Fox third at 4.3/11, ABC fourth at 3.7/9, Univision fifth at 1.9/5, UPN sixth at 1.2/3 and WB seventh at 1.0/3.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 5.2 rating at 8 p.m. for “Deal or No Deal,” a new series high. CBS was second with a 3.8 average for “The King of Queens” (3.7) and “Christine” (3.9), ABC third with a 3.7 for “Wife Swap” and Fox fourth with a 2.9 for a repeat of “Prison Break.” Univision was fifth with a 2.1 for “Contra Viento y Marea,” with UPN and WB tied for sixth at 1.1, UPN for repeats of “One on One” and “All of Us,” and WB for a repeat of “7th Heaven.”

Fox took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.7 for a new episode of “24.” CBS was second with a 5.1 average for “Two and a Half Men” (5.3) and another episode of “Old Christine” (4.8), NBC third with a 4.1 for “The Apprentice” and ABC fourth with a 3.7 for “Supernanny.” Univision was fifth once again, this time with a 2.2 for “Alborada,” with UPN sixth with a 1.2 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “Half and Half” and WB seventh with a 1.0 for “Related.”

At 10 p.m. CBS led with a 6.2 for “CSI: Miami,” the night’s top-rated show among 18-49s. NBC was second that hour with a 3.9 for “Medium,” ABC third with a 3.7 for “Miracle Workers” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Cristina.”

Among households, CBS led the night with a 10.0 average rating and a 16 share. NBC was second at 7.6/12, ABC third at 6.2/10, Fox fourth at 6.2/9, Univision fifth at 2.3/4, and UPN and WB tied for sixth at 1.8/3.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3425.asp

RussTC3

03-15-06, 12:26 AM

HDTVFanAtic

03-15-06, 02:08 AM

(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, March 14, 2006 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
“Sopranos” Ratings down by 23%
Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not
Season 1: Jan. 10, 1999
Households: 2.3 rating/ 3 share
Viewers: 3.45 million
A18-49: 1.8/ 4

Season 2: Jan. 16
2000
Households: 5.0/ 7
Viewers: 7.64 million
A18-49: 3.9/ 8

Season 3: March 4
2001
Households: 6.6/10
Viewers: 11.26 million
A18-49: 5.7/12

Season 4: Sept. 15
2002
Households: 7.4/11
Viewers: 13.42 million
A18-49: 7.3/17

Season 5: March 7
2004
Households: 6.9/11
Viewers: 12.14 million
A18-49: 6.2/15

Season 6: March 12
2006
Households: 5.3/ 8
Viewers: 9.46 million
A18-49: 4.5/10

These numbers had me asking a question - and since you are the master of all numbers - and the number I THOUGHT I had seen you post obviously, cannot be correct, what is the accepted subscription number for HBO (and Showtime too as well) that analysts use?

For some reason I thought you had posted something right over a 2 - which I was recalling a 2 Million subs - but clearly that doesn't jive with those numbers above.

Then I figured maybe it was a 2.2 rating (2 percent of all households) - but then again - the above number blows through this.

Or maybe that is average HBO rating.

Regardless, do you remember what is accepted as the number of HBO subs?

fredfa

03-15-06, 03:10 AM

Ratings Notes
Mob Boss Takes Hit; Housewife Implicated

By Bill Carter The New York Times March 15, 2006

In the last two years, Tony Soprano managed to restore his marriage, his sister Janice had a baby, and his Uncle Junior lost his marbles. As for the HBO drama "The Sopranos," it seems to have lost a bit itself — in terms of viewers who tuned in to Sunday's season premiere, that is.

But as several HBO executives noted both before the premiere and after the official ratings were available yesterday, the television environment has changed even more than Tony's circumstances since March 2004, when the last season of "The Sopranos" began. Now there is increased competition from "Desperate Housewives" on ABC and from the multiplying of outlets where HBO shows can be seen, on cable channels, computers and even hand-held devices.

The official numbers did show a noticeable decline in the viewers who flocked to their sets Sunday night to watch the first telecast of Episode 1 of this "Sopranos" season. This year the show attracted 9.5 million viewers, down from the 12.1 million who watched the opening episode of the previous season two years ago.

The falloff was certainly significant. This was the smallest number of viewers any "Sopranos" premiere has drawn since the show's second season, when it also had about 9.5 million. Only the very first season had fewer: 4.3 million. The 2001 premiere reached 11.3 million, and the 2002 a series high of 13.4 million.

But as David Baldwin, the executive vice president of program planning for HBO, said, "The world has definitely changed this year, mainly because of 'Desperate Housewives' on ABC." Never before has "The Sopranos" had to face anything close to a show as formidable as that ABC entry on Sundays at 9.

And though "Housewives" has lost some of the steam from its phenomenal performance during its first season, it still represents the toughest competition by far that Tony and his friends have ever faced from the broadcast networks.

"Desperate Housewives" obviously had far more viewers Sunday night, with 22.2 million; but that was off from the show's average for this season of about 24 million, probably indicating that "The Sopranos" lured a couple of million fans away from ABC.

Indeed, in homes that subscribe to HBO, "The Sopranos" easily beat "Housewives."

But HBO executives pointed to other changes that they said undercut any notion that "The Sopranos" was losing popularity. "Our viewers know the episode will be on HBO2 on Mondays, and then HBO again the next night," Mr. Baldwin said, adding that this episode would play on two HBO channels a total of six times over the next week.

He said that HBO would not have a complete idea of how many viewers watched the opening episode until early next week, when it will be able to accumulate figures from all the "Sopranos" broadcasts.

And while episodes of "Desperate Housewives" can be seen on video iPods for a fee, few customers are using that option at this point, so the network broadcast is still a must-see for most of its fans. Mr. Baldwin said that many HBO viewers already chose to watch its shows on an HBO on Demand channel.

"Over 10 million homes can watch on demand," Mr. Baldwin said. Those figures are not yet included in the ratings, nor are viewings by those who might have recorded "The Sopranos" while watching "Desperate Housewives" during its broadcast.

Mr. Baldwin cited recent studies showing that more and more younger viewers, especially those from 18 to 34, were turning to those alternatives for watching favorite shows on their own time.

The total audience for any show on HBO will become harder and harder to calculate because of all those options, Mr. Baldwin said, and the total for a show like "The Sopranos," by far the most popular in the channel's history, will be hardest.

What is clear, he said, is that pulling 9.5 million viewers, more than many network shows attract (it was about the same number that "The Simpsons" reached Sunday night on Fox), is still an achievement for a channel with access to less than a third the number of viewers that a broadcast network reaches.

"If you straight-lined the math, and of course you can't do that, we'd have more than 27 million viewers," Mr. Baldwin said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/arts/television/15sopr.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-15-06, 03:15 AM

These numbers had me asking a question - and since you are the master of all numbers - and the number I THOUGHT I had seen you post obviously, cannot be correct, what is the accepted subscription number for HBO (and Showtime too as well) that analysts use?

For some reason I thought you had posted something right over a 2 - which I was recalling a 2 Million subs - but clearly that doesn't jive with those numbers above.

Then I figured maybe it was a 2.2 rating (2 percent of all households) - but then again - the above number blows through this.

Or maybe that is average HBO rating.

Regardless, do you remember what is accepted as the number of HBO subs?

The latest sub numbers I have seen were from November, 2005, when Nielsen estimated that HBO had 31.11 million subscribers.
Other pay movie services included:
Showtime 17.99 million
Starz 17.17 million
The Movie Channel 15.52 million
Cinemax 15.32 million

Xesdeeni

03-15-06, 09:47 AM

fredfa

03-15-06, 10:32 AM

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers

Sorry, 'Sopranos': 'Housewives' Still Rule the Roost
By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, March 15, 2006; C07

What a difference 21 months makes, HBO suits pondered as the desperate housewives of ABC kneecapped their aging mobsters.

Here's a look at the week's bright and drab:

WINNERS

"Desperate Housewives." Dinged but not destroyed in its first face-off with HBO's "The Sopranos," ABC's chick drama clocked 22.2 million viewers -- about 1 million shy of its previous broadcast, three weeks earlier -- and still handily won its time slot.

"The Unit." When 18.5 million caught Tuesday's debut of CBS's military drama, it became the most watched premiere of any scripted show on any network this season.

"Deal or No Deal." Returning to NBC's schedule on Monday, Howie Mandel's briefcase guessing game won its time slot, delivering the network's biggest audience in the 8 p.m. hour in nearly two years. Original plans were to strip "Deal" Monday through Friday last week, then air it only on Mondays, but by week's end, NBC had upped that to twice weekly. Can a third "Deal" be far behind?

"Black. White." About 4 million viewers caught FX's race-change series, making it basic cable's second-most-watched unscripted series premiere ever. Before you start writing your college thesis, "Cable Television: Important Tool for Social Change," bear in mind that the most watched basic-cable unscripted series premiere was when E! foisted "The Anna Nicole Show" on an unsuspecting public, 4.1 million of whom watched before they knew what had hit them, and that "Black. White." shares that No. 2 spot with TBS's "The Real Gilligan's Island."

"Project Runway." Opposite FX's highly hyped unveiling of "Black. White.," the season finale of Bravo's design-a-dress competition drew 3.4 million viewers -- the largest audience in Bravo history.

"America's Next Top Model." No room for three reality series Wednesday at 8, but UPN's returning model competition did just fine against "American Idol," with 5.2 million tuned in (compared with its fall debut of 4.8 million), beating NBC's "Biggest Loser." (See Losers.)

"The Sopranos." No longer the prettiest girl at the dance, the mob drama's season debut nonetheless was the week's top cable program -- pay or basic. Which is still impressive, given that HBO is carried in just under 30 percent of U.S. television homes.

LOSERS

"The Sopranos." In re no longer the prettiest girl at the dance: With an opening audience of 9.5 million, the return of HBO's mob drama was down substantially compared with its fifth-season debut audience of 12.1 million in March '04, its fourth-season debut audience of 13.4 million in September '02 and its third-season debut audience of 11.3 million in March '01.

"Joey." The idiot stepchild of "Friends" returned to NBC's lineup last week, scored a mere 4.1 million viewers -- its worst performance yet -- and got the hook. It's been replaced by "Most Outrageous Moments."

"The Biggest Loser." A special edition of NBC's weight-loss competition, featuring military wives, opened with 4.6 million viewers, the smallest audience ever for a regular telecast of the franchise.

"The OC." Viewers on Thursday officially pronounced "The OC" so last year. One year ago on the same night, the Fox drama aired at 8 p.m. without an "American Idol" lead-in and logged 7.7 million viewers; last Thursday, following an "Idol" audience of nearly 27 million, it logged 7.4 million viewers -- a retention rate of 28 percent. That's spelled m-o-v-i-n-g-o-n.

"Free Ride." Considering it got 13.6 million people to sample it after "American Idol" the previous week, Sunday's time-slot-debut audience of 5.7 million is particularly unspectacular. Maybe Fox shouldn't have given viewers 11 days to forget about it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/14/AR2006031401619_pf.html

fredfa

03-15-06, 10:36 AM

Two questions about the NCAA tournament on CBS:

1. Will the games be in HD?

2. If not, will CBS be providing multiple feeds for the different regions so the local stations can multicast them on the digital side?

Xesdeeni

More than half of the games will be produced ion HD. Whether you see a specific game depends on what games your local station is carrying.

The folks at HDSportsGuide.com do a great job keeping up to date. Check here for the CBS NCAA HD schedule:

http://www.hdsportsguide.com/ncaabb.php

I don't know how CBS is handling the feed to its stations. You might call the chief engineer of your local CBS station and ask him or her.

jim tressler

03-15-06, 10:40 AM

whio in dayton is showing only hd games on their .1 channel - the analog channel will have only the dayton market games.. I say well done WHIO - nice use of the whole digital tv thing :)

http://www.whiotv.com/marchmania/7969432/detail.html

NCAA Games On WHIO-TV: Thursday, March 16, 2006

POSTED: 4:36 pm EST March 13, 2006

DAYTON, Ohio -- The following games will aired on WHIO-TV, Channel 7 and our high definition channel 7.1:

Thursday, Mar. 16, 2006
#
# 12:25 pm-Oklahoma vs. UW-Milwaukee (Channel 7)
# 12:20 pm-Seton Hall vs. Wichita St. (HD Channel 7.1 )
# 2:40 pm-Marquette vs. Alabama (Channel 7 and HD 7.1)
# 7:20 pm-Xavier vs. Gonzaga (Channel 7)
# 7:10 pm-G. Washington vs. UNC-Wilmington (HD Channel 7.1)
# 9:40 pm-Indiana vs. San Diego St. (Channel 7)
9:30 pm-Duke vs. Southern (HD Channel 7.1)

RemyM

03-15-06, 10:40 AM

There is also a NCAA thread here.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=656257

fredfa

03-15-06, 11:06 AM

Ratings Notes
Whither 'LasVegas?' Good question.

NBC glam show is holding up on Friday night
By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 15, 2006

Friday is a tough TV night, and moving a show there is always a risky proposition. For many, it's the last stop before cancellation. But two weeks after NBC moved "Las Vegas," the show is holding its own.

That's a good sign, as in, so far, so good.

"Vegas" has averaged a 3.4 18-49 rating. While that's down 13 percent from the 3.9 it averaged in its previous Monday night timeslot, "Vegas" still won its new Friday 9 p.m. timeslot both weeks, beating out Fox’s "Trading Spouses" and CBS’s "Close to Home." The show’s rating is also up 10 percent over the comparable two-week period last year for that timeslot.

The big question is this: Can "Vegas" hang onto those numbers going forward? NBC would certainly hope so, but one media buyer has his doubts.

"I think it’s doing fairly well but I question the long-term success for it," says John Padgett, media director of the Hauser Group in Atlanta. "I think they’re getting some good short-term sampling. I just don’t think it will stick."

Why was "Vegas" moved to Friday nights in the first place?

NBC is not saying, but it appears it was not purely a programming decision, according to reports from the show's various cast members. Come next fall, the network will begin airing Sunday night football, and it would not be able to promote the following night's airing of "Vegas" during the game because it is a show about gambling. It would be a violation of NFL rules.

It made more sense to NBC to move "Vegas" to Friday and to reserve that Monday slot for a show it could promote during the football telecast.

Yet "Vegas's" ratings were actually declining before it was moved. It was already down 13 percent from last year, to a 3.9 season-to-date average.

Some of the drop-off in the show’s new Friday slot ratings can be easily attributed to the change in schedule--Friday audiences are typically smaller--but there are other more worrisome factors working against it as well.

One is that Friday is a particulary poor night for the younger audience "Vegas" targets. Another is its lead-in, "Deal or No Deal." While popular, it attracts a daytime-like audience that is not the most compatible with that of a highly stylized series like "Vegas." Says Padgett of NBC: "I don’t think they have the correct total night figured out."

In the end, whether "Vegas" returns next season could well depend on whether NBC can afford to dump it. If it has nothing better to replace it, it will return.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3449.asp

fredfa

03-15-06, 11:47 AM

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, March 15, 2006 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
National Ratings in Primetime: Week of March 6, 2006

Fueled by American Idol, House and two episodes of bona fide hit 24, Fox dominated the week of March 6, with a first-place finish in households, total viewers and the three surveyed demos -- adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. CBS inched into the winner’s circle, tying Fox for first in households, with a second-place finish in total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Fox built year-to-year by margins of 11 to 22 percent, while CBS was close to year-ago levels. With American Idol also on Thursday, Fox made the record books by finishing No. 1 among adults 18-49 for the first four nights of week.

ABC remained on the plus side, finishing second among adults 18-34 and third elsewhere, while deteriorating NBC was No. 4 across-the-board with losses of 13 to 21 percent. UPN came in fifth at levels close to the year-ago week, while cellar-dweller the WB was down by as much as 17 percent.

In series-premiere news, CBS military drama The Unit got off to a roaring start, with 18.5 million viewers (#10 overall) and a 5.1/12 among adults 18-49 (#14) in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour. Comparably, that was an increase from underrated lead-in NCIS (Viewers: #11, 17.21 million; A18-49: #27t, 3.8/10 at 8 p.m.) of 1.29 million viewers and 34 percent among adults 18-49.

On the flipside, week two of NBC drama Conviction dipped to a disappointing 7.74 million viewers (#48) and a 2.5/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#56t) in the Friday 10 p.m. hour, while the Sunday 9:30 p.m. time period debut of Fox sitcom Free Ride was stalled at the gate with 5.67 million viewers (#77) and a 2.9/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#51). Free Ride lead-in Family Guy was considerably more potent at 8.06 million viewers (#47) and a 4.1/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#22) at 9 p.m.

In other recently launched series news, although the double dose of NBC’s Deal or No Deal remains one of the network’s few positives (Monday 8 p.m. – Viewers: #17, 14.66 million; A18-49: #15, 4.9/12 / Friday 8 p.m. – Viewers: #33, 10.26 million; A18-49: #40t, 3.4/11), a third upcoming airing on Wednesday for two weeks could lead to premature overkill. Be careful, NBC.

Friday night ABC legal drama In Justice, meanwhile, remains on life support with 5.09 million viewers (#85) and a 1.6/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#86) on Friday at 9 p.m.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

bgooch

03-15-06, 12:49 PM

Debate heats up over Net neutrality

By Marguerite Reardon
http://news.com.com/Debate+heats+up+over+Net+neutrality/2100-1037_3-6049863.html
Story last modified Wed Mar 15 06:36:24 PST 2006

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Speculation that the two biggest phone companies in the country, AT&T and Verizon Communications, are planning to create a tiered Internet system that would require big bandwidth hogs like Google or Yahoo to pay more for their access has become a hot-button issue in the tech industry.

Increasingly, it's also an issue on Capitol Hill, where some lawmakers are developing rules to maintain so-called Net neutrality--also called network neutrality--and prevent the emergence of a tiered system.

At the Voice over the Net (VON) conference at the San Jose Convention Center on Tuesday, companies on both sides of the bandwidth isle debated how much Net regulation is needed. But the broader discussion was what exactly Net neutrality means and whether legislators are discussing a solution to a problem that doesn't yet exist.

"I am hopelessly confused about Net neutrality," said Blair Levin, a managing director and regulatory analyst for Stifel, Nicolaus and Co., a financial research company. "I know what the Bells are saying, but it's unclear what they mean."

CEOs from network owners AT&T and Verizon Communications have made comments suggesting they plan to create a system where some companies would have to pay more for their data-intensive use of the Net, which, they argue, slows access for regular customers. But for the most part, details of those plans are still unclear.

On the other side of the debate are companies such as Google, eBay and Yahoo, which are against any companies taking on the role of "IP traffic gatekeeper." They support the idea of federal rules that would further restrict network owners from blocking or restricting traffic.

That idea doesn't sit well with cable companies and phone companies-—namely AT&T and Verizon Communications—-which argue that new regulations could have unintended consequences that would stifle innovation and hurt consumers in the long run. And while they do not support new legislation that has been introduced to protect Net neutrality, they have filed petitions with the Federal Communications Commission to loosen existing regulations to give them more flexibility in what they do with their own network infrastructure.

Cisco Systems, which supplies the phone companies with networking equipment, has joined its telecommunications customers in cautioning Congress about introducing new laws. Last week, Cisco CEO John Chambers wrote a letter to Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican and the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In short, Cisco's position is that no legislation is needed at this time and that phone companies should be allowed to experiment with different technologies within their networks to form new business models and alleviate network congestion.

Robert Pepper, senior managing director of technology policy for Cisco, attended VON and echoed Chambers' thoughts.

"We don't think that new regulation is needed on (Net) neutrality," Pepper said in an interview. "The FCC needs to use the existing policies to punish bad actors and bad actions. Additional regulation could end up hurting innovation rather than helping it."

Bandwidth hogs
The debate is heating up as new applications such as voice and video make their way onto the Internet. These features require a certain quality of service for them to work properly. Network owners argue that these services, which are often offered by other companies, eat up bandwidth.

Cisco believes the phone companies could use their technology to manage their network resources more efficiently and prioritize services for consumers. Today consumers who want access to high-bandwidth applications like video must subscribe to expensive broadband packages. These consumers may not need all this bandwidth all the time, but today they're forced to pay a flat fee for a set slice of Net access.

If network operators were able to provide priority to this video traffic through their network and charge the content providers for this priority, their customers could access their content over lower-speed broadband connections. In this scenario, a tiered service could actually benefit consumers, they argue.

But Google, PacWest Telecom and others, which have written a letter to Rep. Barton urging him to preserve Net neutrality, fear that network operators will abuse their market power and give their own services priority over their competitors. They also fear that the fees they charge competitors will keep some small companies from being able to deliver new services.

"They shouldn't be able to give preference to their own content over someone else's content," said John Sumpter, vice president of regulatory affairs for PacWest. "The solution is a form of Net neutrality that would not allow them to discriminate against other companies' applications."

Representatives from the phone companies say these fears are unfounded because customers would not allow this to happen.

"We have no intention of blocking or degrading other services on our network," said David Young, vice president of federal regulatory issues for Verizon. "We are giving customers what they want, which is fast pipes at a low cost. Anyone who tries to take that away from consumers will be punished by the market."

How Congress will handle Net neutrality is still up in the air. Barton has introduced a draft bill to the House Commerce Committee that would prohibit network operators from blocking or interfering with access of applications on the Internet. And Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, is working on a measure that will foster "equal treatment" for all Internet content and dispel worries that telecommunications providers will play favorites in the future.

But on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Stevens, the Alaska Republican who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said that a proposal to overhaul U.S. telecommunications laws may not require network providers to follow Net neutrality principles.

http://news.com.com/2102-1037_3-6049863.html?tag=st.util.print

fredfa

03-15-06, 03:15 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
No luv lost: ABC's 'Sons & Daughters'

New sitcom tumbles 40 percent from premiere

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer

ABC has had a lot of success with its new dramas and reality shows over the past year and a half, but it has struggled to introduce a successful comedy. Now it looks like it has another stinker, albeit a well-reviewed one.

The network’s new comedy “Sons & Daughters” averaged a 1.9 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 during the 9 p.m. hour last night, down 41 percent from its 3.2 average in the same hour last week during its premiere.

Of course, some of that has to do with Fox’s “American Idol,” which averaged a 14.7 rating among 18-49s and an astonishing 34.8 million total viewers in the 9 p.m. slot last night. “Idol” aired at 8 p.m. only last week.

But another new show proved it’s not impossible to perform well against “Idol,” indicating that “Sons’” ratings may reflect viewers’ disinterest in the show as well as their interest in “Idol.”

CBS’s new drama “The Unit” averaged a 4.9 rating among 18-49s last night during that same 9 p.m. hour, only a 4 percent dropoff versus the 5.1 its premiere earned last week. “Unit” averaged 17.8 million total viewers last night, just a 2 percent slip from 18.2 million last week.

“Sons & Daughters,” meanwhile, averaged 5.4 million total viewers last night, down 32 percent from 7.9 million last week. ABC finished fifth in the timeslot last night among 18-49s, behind Fox, CBS, NBC and Univision.

So far this season, new ABC sitcoms “Hot Properties” and “Crumbs” have been yanked from the schedule, and buyers consider “Freddie” doubtful to return next season.

On the strength of “Idol,” Fox easily took the night among 18-49s with a 13.5 average rating and a 35 share. CBS was second at 4.4/11, NBC third at 2.8/7, ABC fourth at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.8/4, UPN sixth at 0.9/2 and WB seventh at 0.8/2.

At 8 p.m. Fox led easily with a 12.4 for the first hour of “Idol,” the first night of the finals. CBS was second that hour with a 4.4 for “NCIS,” ABC third with a 2.0 for an hour of “According to Jim” and Univision fourth with a 1.9 for “Contra Viento y Marea.” NBC finished fifth at 8 p.m. with a 1.8 for an “Outrageous TV Moments” repeat, WB sixth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “Gilmore Girls” and UPN seventh with a 0.7 for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”

Fox led again at 9 p.m. as “Idol” increased to a 14.7 among 18-49s. CBS was second with its 4.9 for “Unit,” NBC third with a 2.7 for an hour of “Scrubs” and Univision fourth with a 2.0 for “Alborada.” ABC was fifth with its 1.9 for “Sons & Daughters,” UPN sixth with a 1.1 for another hour of “Top Model” and WB seventh with a 0.6 for a repeat of “Supernatural.”

At 10 p.m., NBC took the lead with a 4.1 for a repeat “Law & Order: SVU.” CBS was second with a 4.0 for “The Amazing Race,” ABC third with a 3.0 for “Boston Legal” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Ver para Creer.”

Among households, Fox led the night with an 18.4 average rating and a 27 share. CBS was second at 9.4/14, NBC third at 5.0/8, ABC fourth at 4.8/7, Univision fifth at 2.1/3, UPN sixth at 1.5/2 and WB seventh at 1.4/2.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3453.asp

dline

03-15-06, 04:21 PM

FCC INDECENCY RULINGS RELEASED:
Episodes of The Surreal Life 2, Without A Trace among shows getting stations fined

(March 15) The FCC released a long list of indecency-related decisions Wednesday, including one which could force CBS affiliates in the nation's midsection to get out their checkbooks.

In a document posted here (in Acrobat) (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-18A1.pdf), commissioners found CBS and more than 100 of its affiliates apparently liable for broadcasting indecent material during a recent episode of Without A Trace.

The episode, titled "Our Sons and Daughters," aired on December 31, 2004. Commissioners allege the episode "graphically" depicted "teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy."

"In sum, because the scene is explicit, dwells upon sexual material, and is shocking and titillating, we conclude that the broadcast of the material at issue here is patently offensive under contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium and thus apparently indecent," the commission wrote.

Although it aired after 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, the show aired at 9 p.m. in much of the rest of the country. Indecent programming is not allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

"The complained-of material was broadcast within the 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. time frame ... Therefore, there is a reasonable risk that children may have been in the viewing audience and the broadcast is legally actionable."

In all, 111 CBS affiliates -- all in areas of the country where prime time runs from 7 to 10 p.m. -- face fines of $32,500 each for broadcasting the episode.

---

In a separate document posted at this address (also in Acrobat) (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-17A1.pdf), the FCC announced forfeiture notices against stations who aired a number of programs, including:

- A Feb. 8, 2004 episode of The Surreal Life 2, which commissioners said contained "approximately 20 pixilated views of various female guests' nude breasts and, in one case, a female guest's entire nude body," as well as "numerous other examples of sexual images and innuendo" and questionable kissing. WBDC, the WB station in Washington, DC, faces a $27,500 forfeiture for airing the show.

- The Blues: Godfathers and Sons, a PBS documentary which "contains numerous 'obscenities,' including the 'F-Word,' the 'S-Word' and various derivatives of those words." Commissioners noted that this language was repeated "numerous times during the broadcast" and that the station cited -- KCSM in San Mateo, CA -- aired the program from 8 to 10 p.m.

"While San Mateo [Community College District, KCSM's licensee] contends that the expletives in question were not removed from the program so that the viewpoints of those being interviewed would be accurately reflected ... we disagree that the use of such language was necessary to express any particular viewpoint in this case." KCSM faces a $15,000 forfeiture.

- The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, a movie which aired on a St. Louis station the afternoon of March 15, 2003. "KTVI acknowledges -- and our review confirms -- that the aired movie ... includes repeated uses of the words 's---', 'bulls---' and 'owl s---.' " (Interestingly, the part of the FCC document just quoted spells out those "S-words" in full.) KTVI faces a $27,500 forfeiture.

Several Spanish-language stations also face fines. NBC Telemundo station KWHY in Los Angeles faces a $32,500 forfeiture for a graphic rape scene in the movie Con El Corazon En La Mano, which aired in October 2004. WJAN-CA, a Miami Class A station, faces a $32,500 hit for a 15-minute segment involving "partial female adult nudity." And WSJU-TV in San Juan, Puerto Rico, could be on the hook for $220,000 for 14 alleged broadcasts of indecent music videos.

---

Janet Jackson revisited

In yet another document (in Acrobat) (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-19A1.pdf) released today, the FCC stood by its decision to fine CBS and its owned-and-operated stations $550,000 for the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show.

Althought best known for Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction," commissioners' concerns went well beyond those few frames of exposed breast. They noted that the music and dancing leading up to that moment contained slang terms for sexual organs, Nelly's "crotch-grabbing gestures," and Justin Timberlake "following her [Jackson] around the stage and, on several occasions, grabbing and rubbing up against her in a manner simulating sexual activity."

Commissioners rejected CBS' arguments against the forfeiture, including the network's argument that it had no advance knowledge that anything indecent would happen. "Rather, the record reveals that CBS was acutely aware of the risk of unscripted indecent material in this production, but failed to take adequate precautions that were available to it to prevent that risk from materializing," the commission wrote.

fredfa

03-15-06, 05:49 PM

The fight over a la carte
NCTA, Disney Fire Back on À La Carte

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 3/15/2006

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Walt Disney CO. unveiled their own independent à la carte studies Wednesday refuting FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's à la carte study released last month.

"We've been to à la carte, we know it doesn't work," said Preston Padden, executive VP, government relations, for Disney.

Martin's study was itself a refutation of an earlier FCC à la carte study concluding that mandating à la carte, or per-channel cable service, would upset cable's economic model without resulting in the purported benefits. The Martin-commissioned study concluded, instead, that the original study was flawed and that à la carte was workable.

Martin has been pushing for family friendly cable tiers and à la carte offerings to allow parents to better control the programming that comes into their home, particularly the "indecent" content activist groups have been complaining loudly about, as well as the price of that programming.

Padden pointed to a banner behind him--at a press conference at the National Press Club releasing the studies--that read: "À La Carte: Consumers Pay More for Less."

He said that Disney had been there, done that, launching Disney Channel essentially as an à la carte service (a premium channel) that cost $12-$14 per month and could not top 30% penetration. As an expanded basic service, he said, the channel now reaches 87 million homes and has been able to boost investment in programming.

The NCTA/Disney reports essentially conclude that the Martin-backed report is not a cost-benefit analysis, or an effective rebuttal of the orignal report's well-substantiated conclusions and, given that, is not a basis for regulatory or statutory action.

The Martin study--or "further report"--got it wrong "time after time after time," said NCTA's Daniel Brenner.

The Disney/NCTA reports were "respectfully" submitted as comments to the FCC.

keenan

03-15-06, 06:44 PM

Well, there you have it, based on their experience with one channel they make the statement that it doesn't work.

What a relief, now that we know, I can get back to work so I can pay for my bundled package cable bill..

dline

03-15-06, 07:30 PM

More from those indecency opinions released today

A few broadcasts facing indecency complaints will escape fines, according to an FCC memorandum (in Acrobat) (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-17A1.pdf) released today, even though the FCC found them "indecent and/or profane":

The 2002 Billboard Music Awards (Fox station WTTG, Washington, DC, Dec. 9, 2002): Cher's allegedly utters the "f-word" during this broadcast. The commission found that "our precedent at the time of the broadcast indicated that the Commission would not take enforcement action against isolated use of expletives." (That view has since changed.)

The 2003 Billboard Music Awards (Fox, Dec. 10, 2003): Nicole Richie allegedly "uttered vulgar expletives in violation of the Commission's rules" during this program. "The record of this broadcast shows that Fox, as the producer of this program and the network that carried it to affiliates thoughout the country, deliberately sought to push the limits of decency," the commission wrote. The commission declined to fine Fox, though, again based on the precedent at the time.

NYPD Blue (KMBC-TV, Kansas City and other ABC affiliates, 2003): Complaints centered around the show's coarse language, and despite not sanctioning stations which aired it, commissioners questioned whether that language was really necessary. "While we recognize that the expletives may have made some contribution to the authentic feel of the program, we believe that purpose could have been fulfilled and all viewpoints expressed without the broadcast of expletives," the commission wrote.

The Early Show (CBS affiliate KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, Dec. 13, 2004): Survivor: Vanuatu cast member Twila Tanner allegedly calls a fellow Survivor contestant a "bulls****er" during a live interview. Again, commissioners cited existing precedent at the time.

The commission also found that select episodes of Alias, Will and Grace, Two and a Half Men, Committed, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Amazing Race 6, Family Guy, 8 Simple Rules, The Today Show, The Simpsons, America's Funniest Home Videos and Medium -- all of which generated complaints from some viewers -- were not indecent or profane. Neither was a simulated "mooning" by a Minnesota Vikings player during an NFL football game against Green Bay in 2005, or disputed portions of the 2005 Academy Awards.

Demodave

03-15-06, 10:37 PM

FCC INDECENCY RULINGS RELEASED:
Episodes of The Surreal Life 2, Without A Trace among shows getting stations fined

In all, 111 CBS affiliates -- all in areas of the country where prime time runs from 7 to 10 p.m. -- face fines of $32,500 each for broadcasting the episode.

Wow! 3.6 million dollars should pay a few salaries at the FCC, huh?

GeorgeLV

03-15-06, 11:27 PM

- The Blues: Godfathers and Sons, a PBS documentary which "contains numerous 'obscenities,' including the 'F-Word,' the 'S-Word' and various derivatives of those words." Commissioners noted that this language was repeated "numerous times during the broadcast" and that the station cited -- KCSM in San Mateo, CA -- aired the program from 8 to 10 p.m.

"While San Mateo [Community College District, KCSM's licensee] contends that the expletives in question were not removed from the program so that the viewpoints of those being interviewed would be accurately reflected ... we disagree that the use of such language was necessary to express any particular viewpoint in this case." KCSM faces a $15,000 forfeiture.

What is wrong with our country? Fining a college station for not censoring a PBS documentary is beyond the pale.

keenan

03-16-06, 02:15 AM

What is wrong with our country? Fining a college station for not censoring a PBS documentary is beyond the pale.
Indeed.

keenan

03-16-06, 02:18 AM

From Broadcasting and Cable,

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6316351.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2228
Broadcasting & Cable: The Business of Television

ABC Plans April Test of Network Streaming

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/15/2006 2:04:00 PM

ABC plans in April to test streaming its network programming over the Internet, with commercials included.

The shows will be available eight hours after their initial airing, according to Preston Padden, EVP, government relations, for Disney, which owns ABC.

Disney last fall began making Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Night Stalker, available for purchase from the Apple iTunes store for $1.99 an episode available on Apple's iPod.

Since then, the floodagates have opened for network content to be repurposed in a variety of forms on the Web and wireless applications, including more ABC and ESPN content.

In this case, though, ABC would cut out the middleperson by streaming the shows itself on abc.com.

dline

03-16-06, 04:00 AM

What is wrong with our country? Fining a college station for not censoring a PBS documentary is beyond the pale.
If you think that's bad, think about that Without A Trace episode for a moment.

EVERY CBS affiliate in the Midwest, the Rockies, Alaska and Hawaii now faces a five-figure fine for a program which could have aired in Charlottesville, VA with absolutely no consequences. We are watching pretty much the same simultaneous feed as the station in Charlottesville -- yet because we set our clocks an hour earlier to accomodate the sun and thus see the show at 9 instead of 10, we're under a different set of rules.

Unfortunately the media have been so fixated on Janet's breast, as if flashing your breast was the only way to get fined in the U.S. broadcasting system, that they fail to grasp the larger issues.

CPanther95

03-16-06, 09:52 AM

What bothers me even more is:
we believe that purpose could have been fulfilled and all viewpoints expressed without the broadcast of expletives

Maybe it just struck me wrong, or I haven't had enough coffee yet, but it seems that banning sh*t and f**k isn't nearly as bad as the FCC sitting around and making judgements as to how necessary the words are. One way just bans the use of the word, the other gives the impression that it's the message, or thought process that is being controlled - or less benign, but just as annoying is the injection of the government into the artistic aspects of entertainment.

Then again, maybe it is just the lack of coffee.

posg

03-16-06, 09:59 AM

fredfa

03-16-06, 10:34 AM

keenan

03-16-06, 10:42 AM

What bothers me even more is:

Maybe it just struck me wrong, or I haven't had enough coffee yet, but it seems that banning sh*t and f**k isn't nearly as bad as the FCC sitting around and making judgements as to how necessary the words are. One way just bans the use of the word, the other gives the impression that it's the message, or thought process that is being controlled - or less benign, but just as annoying is the injection of the government into the artistic aspects of entertainment.

Then again, maybe it is just the lack of coffee.
It does seem as if the FCC is putting it's own locks on the door of the First Amendment.

keenan

03-16-06, 10:45 AM

Certainly a harbinger of things to come, posq.
Streaming (be TV networks) wasn't even a blip on the horizon until enough people got broadband.
And the full possibilities for the content providers will become apparent in the near future when broadband speeds explode from the current cable and DSL levels.
Once that pipeline gets much wider, everything will change.
And cable better learn to change with it, something some of the dinosaurs in the ALC thread can't seem to grasp.

If I'm not mistaken, that puts NBC with MSNBC(Microsoft), CBS with Comcast-VOD and now ABC providing programming direct. Doesn't FOX have something in the works as well?

CPanther95

03-16-06, 10:48 AM

It does seem as if the FCC is putting it's own locks on the door of the First Amendment.

Or just selectively handing out the keys. ;)

Marcus Carr

03-16-06, 12:46 PM

CEA: Digital TV To Surpass Analog In 2006

by John Laposky -- TWICE, 3/15/2006 9:56:00 AM

Washington — The digital television revolution is complete.

For the first time since the arrival of the first DTVs in 1998, the majority of TVs shipped to U.S. retailers this year will be digital, according to a study released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

The report, The Changing TV Market, forecasts that 62 percent of TVs shipped to U.S. dealers in 2006 will be digital, while the number of analog models will plunge during the next couple years, leading up to the Feb. 17, 2009, analog cutoff date included in President Bush’s 2006 budget package.

Cumulative DTV shipments are expected to hit 48.2 million units this year and grow rapidly to 137 million units by 2009.

The report pegs annual DTV revenues at an estimated $23.3 billion this year, rising to $33.2 billion in 2009.

Digital TV household penetration is far surpassing the rate of growth of other ground-breaking technologies. While it took 10 years for 5 percent of U.S. households to own a color TV after they debuted in 1956, 20 percent of households had a digital TV in 2005, a mere eight years after the technology hit the market.

The full report is available to CEA members at www.ce.org.

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6316188.html

dline

03-16-06, 01:12 PM

Certainly a harbinger of things to come, posq.
Streaming (be TV networks) wasn't even a blip on the horizon until enough people got broadband.
And the full possibilities for the content providers will become apparent in the near future when broadband speeds explode from the current cable and DSL levels.
Once that pipeline gets much wider, everything will change.
... But until that happens, most consumers still won't have a connection big enough for HD Lite, let alone a full HD presentation.

HDTVChallenged

03-16-06, 01:18 PM

One way just bans the use of the word, the other gives the impression that it's the message, or thought process that is being controlled .

This is why we have so many different "swear words" to express the same thought. The "f-word" is a big nyet, but frack is A-OK to air ...

Sometimes, I just want to let out a primal scream, "MORONS!!!," to no one in particular ... Thank the gods for Penn & Teller ;)

Or maybe it's just a lack of coffee :D

dline

03-16-06, 01:43 PM

Maybe it just struck me wrong, or I haven't had enough coffee yet, but it seems that banning sh*t and f**k isn't nearly as bad as the FCC sitting around and making judgements as to how necessary the words are. One way just bans the use of the word, the other gives the impression that it's the message, or thought process that is being controlled - or less benign, but just as annoying is the injection of the government into the artistic aspects of entertainment.

Then again, maybe it is just the lack of coffee.
No, you probably would have come to the same conclusion had you started your day with Guinness instead. :)

First they say Bono CAN use a form of "f***" during a Golden Globes telecast because he wasn't referring to the ACT of -- well, you know. Then they turn around and say you can't say "f***" under ANY circumstances. Still later, they decide that it's OK to say "f***" if you're in a war movie -- but they only say it AFTER stations, many of whom were still under the impression that you can't say "f***" AT ALL, decide whether or not to air that movie.

I'm not a proponent of saying "f***" all the time. WAY too many people use "f***" and "s***" as a verbal crutch, and IMO just because you can say these words or use more explicit video on cable does NOT, in itself, make cable better. But I understand why station owners and managers are probably mumbling those words right now in their offices, now that broadcasters are being fined for material which can air on cable with no fear of reprisals, and now that midwest broadcasters are under a different standard than everybody else for that last hour of prime time.

Joe3

03-16-06, 02:24 PM

...If I'm not mistaken, that puts NBC with MSNBC(Microsoft), CBS with Comcast-VOD and now ABC providing programming direct. Doesn't FOX have something in the works as well?

Yup, I hear old Rupert is talking to this Italian guy about a delivery system sure to squeeze a few more bits and put a few more cents in his pocket. The talk is he’s goanna make another bundle without breaking a sweet. They’re calling it the telegraph.

posg

03-16-06, 03:02 PM

Would everyone who has never used the "F" word (or seen a filthy human breast) kindly turn off their TV sets and leave the rest of us alone.

JWhip

03-16-06, 04:05 PM

The best view of the FCC's recent fines is best expressed on pmsimon.com. I agree wholeheartedly.

fredfa

03-16-06, 04:11 PM

Wednesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-16-06, 04:13 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Scoop on 'The Loop:' A hot first night

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 16, 2006

Scathing reviews be damned. Fox’s new comedy “The Loop,” which was almost universally panned by critics, had one of the season’s best premieres among viewers 18-49 last night.

The show posted a 6.5 overnight rating among 18-49s, a slight boost over the 6.3 Fox earned two weeks ago for the premiere of another comedy, “Free Ride,” in the same 9:30 p.m. post-“American Idol” timeslot.

“Loop” also held onto a higher percentage of its massive lead-in’s audience. “Free Ride” retained about 49 percent of the 12.9 rating “Idol” posted as its lead-in, while “Loop’s” 6.5 kept 57 percent of the 11.4 an “Idol” results show posted last night.

But “Loop” did have the advantage of airing against reruns of ABC’s “Lost” and CBS’s “Criminal Minds,” while the “Free Ride” premiere aired against originals of those strong shows.

“Loop” was generally trashed by critics, though Media Life’s Toni Fitzgerald gave the show a strong review, writing, “Now, finally, Fox seems to have come up with a new sitcom that works.”

Of course the big test will come tonight, when “Loop” moves to its regular Thursday 8:30 p.m. timeslot and not after an episode of “Idol.” Instead its lead-in will be the fading “That ‘70s Show,” and it will air against CBS’s March Madness coverage.

A strong post-“Idol” debut certainly doesn’t mean a show will become a hit. “Free Ride” had trouble in its second outing Sunday in its regular 9:30 p.m. timeslot, posting a 2.9 overnight rating among 18-49s, down 54 percent from its premiere.

Meanwhile, Fox finished first among 18-49s last night, averaging a 6.7 rating and a 17 share. CBS was second at 3.9/10, ABC third at 2.6/7, NBC fourth at 2.4/6, UPN fifth at 1.8/5, Univision sixth at 1.7/4 and WB seventh at 0.9/2.

Fox’s “Bones” and CBS’s “Survivor,” relocated because of NCAA basketball tournament coverage tonight, tied for the lead at 8 p.m., each posting a 4.4. It marked “Bones’” first outing in its new timeslot.

ABC was third that hour with a 2.5 average for “George Lopez” (2.5) and “Freddie” (2.5), while NBC’s “Biggest Loser” and UPN’s “America’s Next Top Model” tied for fourth at 2.3. Univision ended sixth that hour with a 1.9 for “Contra Viento y Marea” and WB seventh with a 0.8 for a repeat of “One Tree Hill.”

At 9 p.m. Fox jumped to an 8.9 average for “Idol” (11.4) and “Loop” (6.5), comfortably ahead of the 3.5 CBS earned for its repeat of “Criminal Minds.” ABC was third that hour with a 2.6 for its “Lost” repeat, NBC fourth with a 2.1 for a repeat of “Law & Order,” Univision fifth with a 1.9 for “Alborada,” UPN sixth with a 1.2 for “Veronica Mars” and WB seventh with a 1.0 for a repeat of “Beauty & the Geek.”

CBS took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 3.7 for a repeat of “CSI: NY.” NBC was second with a 3.0 for another “L&O” repeat, ABC third with a 2.6 for “Invasion” and Univision fourth with a 1.2 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”

Fox led the night among households with a 10.0 average rating and a 16 share. CBS was second at 7.7/12, NBC third at 5.6/9, ABC fourth at 4.7/8, UPN fifth at 2.6/4, Univision sixth at 2.2/3 and WB seventh at 1.4/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3481.asp

fredfa

03-16-06, 04:16 PM

TV Notebook
Bob Woodruff Moved to Private Facility in New York

By Michele Greppi TVWeek.com March 16, 2006

ABC News President David Westin in an e-mail informed ABC News staffers that Bob Woodruff has been moved to a private facility in New York to continue his recovery from severe injuries suffered in a roadside blast while on assignment in Iraq in January and that "World New Tonight" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas and the production team will continue to hold down the fort while Bob makes his recovery.

Mr. Westin, who is scheduled to be on vacation next week, said in the e-mail that Mr. Woodruff has checked out of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and is expected to spend "the next few weeks" at the New York facility before heading for home and outpatient rehabilitation. Cameraman Doug Vogt also was injured on the same assignment Jan. 29 and were treated at Bethesda. Mr. Vogt recently returned to his home in France.

"This good news reflects Bob's continued progress in all respects," said Mr. Westin, who added that Mr. Woodruff "is up and about, regularly talking and joking with [wife] Lee, the children, other family members and -- yes, watching the news. He continues to show just how strong and determined he is. That said, we should expect months of further recuperation.

"Throughout these challenging times, the staff of WNT has done a superb job in maintaining a successful program of which we all are proud," Mr. Westin said. "We laid out ambitious plans for the broadcast earlier in the year, and we are working on ways to move that plan forward during this interim period. Having the best team in the business, I'm thankful we can take the time we need to do what's best for 'WNT.'"

Mr. Westin said that what's best for Mr. Woodruff is privacy and the chance to concentrate on himself and his family. "If there are major developments, I know that Bob and Lee will keep us posted. But for the most part, let's leave them alone and give them the chance to be a family again. Let them tell us when they want us to reach out."

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9564

archiguy

03-16-06, 04:20 PM

Would everyone who has never used the "F" word (or seen a filthy human breast) kindly turn off their TV sets and leave the rest of us alone.

B..b..but you don't understand. They're doing it for the children! Those poor little darlings - if not for the evil influence of TV, they'd never have to be "exposed" to curse words (they never hear those horrible words anywhere else, you know) or, horror of horrors, the female breast. The sight of one of those will surely scar a youngster for life, maybe even turn them into a piller of salt. Why, a whole generation of children were terrorized by that nano-second view of JJ's mammary gland. Fine 'em to death, I say, those evildoers!

nikeykid

03-16-06, 04:28 PM

my two cents: i like boobs.

shouldn't we have a separate thread on this? not boobs but FCC decency rulings?

fredfa

03-16-06, 04:45 PM

TV Notebook
NBC Announces Two Early Drama Picks

By A.J. Frutkin MediaWeek.com MARCH 16, 2006 -

Midway through NBC's pre-upfront meeting with advertisers today, entertainment president Kevin Reilly announced the network had given early orders to two new dramas: Kidnapped and The Black Donnellys.

Kidnapped stars Dana Delany and Timothy Hutton as a wealthy New York couple whose son is abducted. Like single-story line series such as 24 and Prison Break, the NBC drama revolves around that abduction for the run of the program, focusing on the family, the FBI agents trailing the abduction, and the kidnappers themselves.

The Black Donnellys is from the creative team behind Oscar-winning film Crash: Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco. The series is about four Irish-American brothers who enter a life of crime on the mean streets of Manhattan.

Both series were given 13 episode orders.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002198294

fredfa

03-16-06, 04:46 PM

my two cents: i like boobs.

shouldn't we have a separate thread on this? not boobs but FCC decency rulings?

Often this site has discussions on news in the world of TV. And it usually is far more civil than those in separate threads.

That being said, I am happy if there would be a new FCC decency thread.

chris_h2

03-16-06, 05:55 PM

It does seem as if the FCC is putting it's own locks on the door of the First Amendment.

(in my best right-stuff astronaut voice)
F*ckin A, brutha!

GeorgeLV

03-16-06, 06:04 PM

I wonder if the syndicated versions of Sex and the City and South Park will survive the year without a FCC fine threat.

fredfa

03-16-06, 06:12 PM

I wonder if the syndicated versions of Sex and the City and South Park will survive the year without a FCC fine threat.

Both of those series seem pretty heavily edited. I know that Sex and the City shot alternate versions of all the steamy and r-rated scenes.

GeorgeLV

03-16-06, 06:18 PM

I haven't noticed any major edits in the syndicated South Park, but I never watched many of the middle season shows first-run. Of course the channel it airs on here does it at midnight and 12:30am when the FCC rules are less stringent.

AFH

03-16-06, 06:29 PM

keenan

03-16-06, 06:35 PM

Kidnnapped sound interesting. I wonder what drama NBC is going to delay or get rid of to make room for this two additions. The article above didn't mention if these two shows would be midseason replacements.
Look at the NBC schedule and pick a time slot, any slot at all...

JWhip

03-16-06, 06:56 PM

Unfortunately, no one in the government has the guts to stand up for indecency. I for one would be happy to.

fredfa

03-16-06, 06:57 PM

AFH: expect those two new NBC series to begin in the fall.

RockyF

03-16-06, 07:28 PM

I thought Black Donnellys had been given a 13 episode order a while back. They probably just wanted to make sure everyone knew about it, after Crash won the Oscar. As weak as NBC's schedule is right now, they look like they have a pretty good lineup of pilots for next season, including Kidnapped and Black Donnellys, as well as Aaron Sorkin's Studio 6 on the Sunset Strip, which has also already got a 13 episode commitment, a tv version of the movie Friday Night Lights and the "Lost"-like superhero drama Heroes.

keenan

03-17-06, 12:27 AM

Another MyNetwork affiliate signed up, it's mostly a local item but of interest is this station sold for around $880 million 3-4 years ago.

Breaking News

Young Broadcasting Signs With My Network TV

By John M. Higgins -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/16/2006 4:17:00 PM

Abandoning its status as an independent station, Young Broadcasting's KRON San Francisco agreed to become an affiliate of Fox's My Network TV.

The station is the biggest My Network TV outlet so far that is not owned by the Fox Television Group. San Francisco is the sixth-largest market.

My Network TV is cleared in 52 markets throughout the U.S, representing 51% of the nation. The network launches Sept. 5.

The deal is a further blow to Gray Television, whose KBWB San Francisco is losing its affiliation with the soon-to-die The WB but who loses out on a deal with either successor, The CW or My Network TV.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6316537.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2228
Broadcasting & Cable: The Business of Television

GeorgeLV

03-17-06, 01:51 AM

keenan, I'm suprised such a high-profile station with no dog in the fight would tie itself to a network whose programming apparantly consists of the entirely untested English-language telenovelas.

keenan

03-17-06, 03:33 AM

keenan, I'm suprised such a high-profile station with no dog in the fight would tie itself to a network whose programming apparantly consists of the entirely untested English-language telenovelas.
Well, KRON used to be the NBC affiliate in the SF market but after a reportedly nasty battle between Young, Granite and NBC, KRON ended up being left out in the cold with no network affiliation as NBC purchased KNTV from Granite. IIRC, NBC wanted to buy KRON, Young didn't want to sell and Granite was used as leverage. KRON, which was purchased by Young for around 880 million only a few years before suddenly had no affiliation. The last time I saw it mentioned, KRON's value is around the 400-500 million range currently, although this was before the MyNetwork hook-up. My memory is a little hazy but if you Google "KRON sale" there's quite a bit of info on it.

Marcus Carr

03-17-06, 10:01 AM

Wurtzel: DVR a “Huge Benefit”

By Rebecca Stropoli -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/16/2006 1:49:00 PM

Speaking Thursday at NBC Universal’s annual development meeting, Alan Wurtzel, president of NBC U Television Research and Media Development, presented evidence that digital video recorders (DVRs) have less of an impact on commercial effectiveness than previously thought.

Citing recent Nielsen Media Research data, Wurtzel said that the impact of commercial skipping in non-DVR households is actually greater than that in homes that have a DVR.

Looking at an average of prime time viewing for the six broadcast networks, Wurtzel said that he found a drop in commercial effectiveness that averages less than 3% in homes with a DVR. On the other hand, Wurtzel said, there was a nearly 7% drop in commercial effectiveness in homes that did not have a DVR. Further, Wurtzel said, for a drop in commercial effectiveness to reach even 10%, DVR penetration in households would have to hit 35%. That is a number that is not expected until around 2009-2010; currently, DVR penetration is 10%.

Wurtzel’s findings are a follow-up to a 2005 study conducted by research execs from the six major networks, which found that DVRs increase television viewing in the home by 12%.

"Television has constantly evolved as new technology appears," Wurtzel said. "The DVR should not be feared by television and advertising executives. By measuring more real, actual viewing, it is frankly a huge benefit to us all."

http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6316702.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

03-17-06, 11:09 AM

The TV Column
The New -- and Old -- Kids on the Block

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Friday, March 17, 2006; C07

Suits from the new CW broadcast network, which will rise from the ashes of the WB and UPN this fall, have unveiled development for their first season.

First, what you want to know: No official pickups of UPN or WB series were announced.

But the "Prime Development '06-'07" packet handed out during the presentation to advertisers in Burbank this week included pages on the WB's "Everwood," "Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill," "Supernatural," "Smallville," "Reba" and "Beauty & the Geek."

It also included pages on UPN's "America's Next Top Model," "Everybody Hates Chris," "All of Us," "Girlfriends," "Veronica Mars" and World Wrestling Entertainment's "Smackdown!"

And, although the WB announced in January it was cutting bait on "7th Heaven" because the long-running drama series will lose about $16 million this season, it might come back after all because, besides being costly, it's still the most watched series on either UPN or the WB, averaging about 5.3 million viewers this season. Which is not a bad thing to have around when you're trying to launch a network.

The second most watched series between the two soon-to-be-has-been nets is "America's Next Top Model," which averaged about 5 million viewers in the fall, followed by "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," with an average audience of 4.8 million.

Some projects in development were officially unveiled during the CW presentation. They include "Aquaman," which was first announced by the WB months ago, based on the DC Comics superhero.

It will have nothing to do with that episode of "Smallville" that featured Aquaman, though the new series is from some of the people behind "Smallville." It also will have nothing to do with the flick called "Aquaman" that was part of the storyline on HBO's "Entourage," though HBO and the WB are both Time Warner properties.

Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek") has in development for the CW a drama called "Palm Springs," about a 15-year-old whose dad committed suicide and who now finds himself living with his mom and her new husband in this town where -- I know you smell this coming -- "secrets . . . lie just beneath the surface."

Then there's "Runaways," from Darren Star ("Sex and the City," "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills, 90210"), about an Iowa family on the lam because Pop has been unjustly convicted of a terrible crime.

And "Split Decision," from Aaron Spelling, about a 15-year-old girl whose life somehow splits in two and she spends half her time as a "sensitive misfit who hangs out with a small group of outsiders" -- aka "brunette" -- and the other half as a "popular cheerleader whose friends rule the school" -- aka "blonde."

Which brings us around nicely to the CW's comedy development. It includes "The Game," which sounds suspiciously like BBC's "Footballers' Wives," only the American show is about wives of football players, while "Footballers' Wives" is about the wives of soccer players. Still with me?

Then there's "She Said/He Said," and because you are clearly a serious student of television or you wouldn't be reading a TV column, we won't insult you by explaining this one to you, because it's sooooo obvious.

Here's some sad news: The suits behind the new network are not reconsidering the name CW because they did a poll and 48 percent of people sampled between the ages of 18 and 34 already were aware of the CW network and the "likability factor of the CW is high, as well," CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said, according to a report in trade paper Variety. CBS owns UPN and will be a partner in the CW with Time Warner's Warner Bros.

They are, however, going to dump the bland, boxy, one-color, conservative, devoid-of-imagination, dashed-off logo that your typical 10-year-old could have done in Adobe Photoshop in under 15 minutes, and that's including mini-breaks while said 10-year-old text-messaged six friends about "Gilmore Girls."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031602125_pf.html

fredfa

03-17-06, 11:13 AM

Ratings Notes
As Fox gains, season win looks likely

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 17, 2006, 01:15

Fox may have been lagging a couple of months ago but it now appears assured to win the season in the 18-49 demographic.

The network eased into a tie with CBS last week for No. 2 in 18-49s with 11 weeks remaining in the broadcast season. And it’s likely Fox will surpass ABC to rank No. 1 for the second year in a row in the demographic favored by many advertisers.

Unlike last year, though, Fox will do it without a big push from the Super Bowl, which aired on ABC this year. Last year, strong Super Bowl ratings gave Fox its deciding margin.

This season, "American Idol" will give it that push.

“I think they’ll be able to do it based on the popularity of ‘American Idol,’” says Susan McClellan, national media manager at Empower MediaMarketing.

“It seems to hold its popularity or grow every week, and people are catching on to some of its other shows. We’re also heading into repeats in the next week or so, which will hurt some of the other guys, where ‘Idol’ will be brand new until May.”

Not all media people are quite as convinced that Fox will rank No. 1 in 18-49s for the full season. But even media researchers who aren’t sure say that at worst Fox will be in a virtual tie with ABC.

“It’s too close to call at this point,” says Steve Sternberg, executive vice president of audience analysis at Magna Global. “We’ll probably wind up with only two-tenths of a rating point separating ABC, CBS, and Fox among adults 18-49.”

Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director at Horizon Media, agrees, saying it’s a bit early to declare Fox a shoo-in. But he also says the worst Fox will do is trail ABC by a razor-thin margin.

“It has two things going for it, though ABC is a formidable competitor,” he says. “One is ‘American Idol.’ They can create a show of any length or add extra nights if they feel it would put them over the top. And ‘24’ is doing okay and ‘House’ is a hit.”

Fox so far this season is still trailing ABC by three-tenths of a rating point, but it has momentum that ABC doesn’t.

ABC has already used up its biggest ratings boosts with the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. And its highest-rated program, “Desperate Housewives,” is now competing head-to-head with HBO’s “Sopranos,” suffering a 10 percent decline from its previous episode this past Sunday.

By contrast, Fox’s momentum is just getting underway with two more months of No. 1-ranked “American Idol” and its increasingly strong schedule, with both “24” and “House” posting double-digit percentage increases this season. “Idol” is up 11 percent.

Moreover, CBS isn’t likely to see any major ratings increases later this season.

CBS is expected to be competitive with season finales for high-rated regular programs like “Survivor” and “CSI,” while it also may get a lift from its successful midseason drama “The Unit.” However, big television events that might jack up its ratings are in short supply.

As of last week, Fox this season has a 3.9 rating among adults 18-49, tied with CBS, and behind ABC, which has a 4.2. NBC is far behind with a 3.4 rating.

Meanwhile, Fox is No. 1 in its core demo, adults 18-34, with a 3.7 rating to ABC’s 3.4. CBS and NBC are tied with a 2.7. Adgate and other researchers say Fox isn’t about to slip behind any other network in that demographic.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3479.asp

Marcus Carr

03-17-06, 12:15 PM

Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek") has in development for the CW a drama called "Palm Springs," about a 15-year-old...

And "Split Decision," from Aaron Spelling, about a 15-year-old girl ...

What a coincidence. I guess we know what this network's target audience is.

fredfa

03-17-06, 12:54 PM

Thursday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-17-06, 12:56 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Novel idea: ABC's 'American Inventor'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 17, 2006

After years and years of struggle on Thursday nights, ABC seems to have found its niche: reality. Following the surprise success of “Dancing With the Stars,” the network’s latest Thursday reality show had a strong debut last night against CBS’s NCAA men’s basketball coverage.

The two-hour premiere of “American Inventor” averaged a 5.4 overnight rating among viewers 18-49, up 15 percent versus a 4.7 for the premiere of the second season of “Stars” back on Jan. 5.

The show grew impressively throughout the night. “Inventor” posted a 4.3 during its first half hour at 8 p.m., jumped 28 percent to a 5.5 for the next 30 minutes, rose to a 5.6 from 9 to 9:30, then jumped another 11 percent to a 6.2 during its final half hour. That’s growth of 44 percent from start to finish.

The show was especially a hit among women who apparently weren’t interested in the NCAA basketball tournament. ABC averaged a 6.0 overnight rating among women 18-49 from 8 to 10 p.m., easily No. 1 among the broadcast networks.

The show, from executive producer Simon Cowell of “American Idol,” looks for the next great invention, and it will certainly be a tough job to find it from the group of bozos who turned out. Among those competing last night was a man who touted a specially made outfit that allowed him to urinate in public without anyone else knowing.

NBC usually wins Thursday when CBS has basketball. But ABC won the night among 18-49s and households last night thanks to “Inventor’s” strong performance, and it came against decent competition.

CBS averaged a 7.3 household rating during primetime last night, a 14 percent boost compared to last year’s first night of the tournament. Among 18-49s the network was also up 14 percent, from a 3.5 to a 4.0.

Elsewhere last night, Fox’s new comedy “The Loop” predictably stumbled in its regular Thursday 8:30 p.m. timeslot. “Loop” posted just a 2.0 among 18-49s last night, down 65 percent from the 6.5 it earned for its Wednesday premiere following “American Idol.”

ABC finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 4.7 average rating and a 13 share. NBC was second at 4.5/12, CBS third at 4.0/11, Fox fourth at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.8/5, WB sixth at 1.1/3 and UPN seventh at 0.9/2.

ABC started the night in the lead with a 4.9 rating among 18-49s at 8 p.m. for the first hour of “Inventor.” CBS was second with a 3.5 for basketball, NBC third with a 3.3 for “Will & Grace” (3.7) and “Four Kings” (2.9) and Fox fourth with a 2.2 for “That ‘70s Show” (2.4) and “The Loop” (2.0). Univision was fifth that hour with a 2.0 for “Contra Viento y Marea,” WB sixth with a 1.1 for a repeat of “Smallville” and UPN seventh with a 1.0 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Love, Inc.”

At 9 p.m. ABC led again with a 5.9 average for its second hour of “Inventor.” CBS and NBC tied for second at 4.4, CBS for basketball and NBC for “My Name is Earl” (4.5) and “The Office” (4.2) with Fox fourth with a 2.4 for “The O.C.” and Univision fifth with a 2.1 for “Alborada.” That left WB sixth with a 1.1 for a “Supernatural” rerun and UPN seventh with a 0.8 for repeats of “Eve” and “Cuts.”

NBC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 5.8 for “ER.” CBS was second with a 4.0 for basketball, ABC third with a 3.3 for “Primetime” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Aqui y Ahora.”

Among households, ABC led the night with a 7.8 average rating and a 13 share. CBS was second at 7.3/12, NBC third at 7.0/11, Fox fourth at 3.5/6, Univision fifth at 2.2/4, WB sixth at 1.8/3 and UPN seventh at 1.6/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3517.asp

bgooch

03-17-06, 03:06 PM

Adelphia, Ownership Await Fifth Commissioner

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/17/2006 1:39:00 AM

It looks like both resolution of the Adelphia (Comcast/Time Warner) merger review and the media ownership rewrite will have to wait for a fifth commissioner.

In his first press conference as FCC chairman (a day short of his first anniversary in the job), Kevin Martin suggested that the pace of the Adelphia merger review, now in its 286th day, was the product of conversation with the parties involved. Martin would not address the merger specifically, but said that in merger review cases, the FCC "in each case works closely with the parties in front of us on the timing on how important it is to get through to the parties themselves. We try to be response to the parties and the time frames they end up having."

That likely means that with a commission split two-two, Republican and Democrat, the parties involved wanted to wait for a fifth commissioner to make sure of approval. "Obviously, right now there are four commissioners and you are going to have to reach a majority among the commissioners are here. And if there is a consensus and a majority on how to end up dealing with any of theses transactions I'll always move them through.

As for a media ownership review, which Martin tried to launch late last summer in what he thought was a "pretty neutral" order, he said that that was one of the "few" issues that the four-person commission could not get a majority on.

There were reported differences over how many local hearings to hold and on the cost of new research to replace that pilloried by a federal appeals court.

Martin said that if he could get consensus on how to start a new notice of proposed rulemaking on revised ownership rules--the originals were thrown out as insufficiently supported by the courts--he would do it now, he said.

Martin said that althhough he is ready to update the newspaper/broadcast ownership rules, i.e. get rid of the outright ban, he doesn't plan to break off that issue into a separate proceeding in advance of the overall media ownership rewright.

Before he was a chairman, and before the FCC rewrote the rules all of a piece, Martin had pushed for dealing with the newspaper/broadcast crossownership separately. But after the court ruled on them together, he said Friday that he thought it was important to "do a neutral notice that opens up all the issues that are in front of us."

That fifth commissioner is Robert McDowell, late of telcom lobby Comptel who was confirmed by the Senate Commerce Committee March 16 and now awaits a full Senate vote. He is expected to be in the saddle by next month.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6316913.html?display=Breaking+News

keenan

03-17-06, 03:24 PM

Interesting that the FCC is split down the middle, imagine the glad-handing going on with McDowell and the telecom and cable industries.

GeorgeLV

03-17-06, 03:34 PM

Hopefully the pressure on the Comcast/Time Warner/Adelphia will force a comprimise that leads to satellite carriage of the missing Comcast Sportsnets and the INHD channels.

keenan

03-17-06, 03:36 PM

I hope so too, especially since my Comcast system doesn't even have our local FSN-HD feed.

fredfa

03-17-06, 04:58 PM

The 2006-2007 Season
NBC Can't Wait to Tell About Debuts

By Maria Elena Fernandez Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 17, 2006

Standing inside the fictional Montecito casino of "Las Vegas" in Culver City, NBC President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly was feeling like a winner Thursday morning, even though he admitted to a group of advertisers that "we haven't exactly had bragging rights lately."

His jackpot, Reilly is betting, will hit in the fall, after the NFL returns to NBC on Sundays and after an unusually busy summer of series launches — including the previously announced "Windfall," a drama about a group of friends who win the lottery, and "Treasure Hunters," an adventure-reality series.

Reilly became the first network president to announce new shows for the fall schedule at a development meeting with advertisers Thursday. If it seems that the notice is premature since most pilots have not yet even been shot, there are reasons for Reilly's confidence in his lineup:

• From Oscar winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco ("Crash"), "The Black Donnellys" is a serialized drama about four young Irish brothers and their involvement in organized crime in New York City's infamous Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

• "Kidnapped" is a drama that follows the kidnapping of the 15-year-old son of a wealthy family over the course of a season. Created by Jason Smilovic, the show stars Dana Delany, Timothy Hutton, Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo and Mykelti Williamson.

• Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme ("The West Wing") have another for NBC with "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," a drama that delves behind the scenes of a fictional late-night comedy sketch show.

The show boasts a high-profile cast, which appeared on stage to greet advertisers: Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Amanda Peet, Timothy Busfield, D.L. Hughley, Sarah Paulson and Steven Weber.

Not even one minute of "Studio 60" has been filmed yet, but NBC gave advertisers rough pilots of "The Black Donnellys" and "Kidnapped" to take home.

Asked on stage by Reilly if he signed up for "Studio 60" because he wanted to return to NBC, Perry responded: "It was more about missing these kinds of [meetings]."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-nbcpilots17mar17,1,4398247,print.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews

humdinger70

03-18-06, 02:25 AM

Well, it's finally happened...

NBC is about to become the "Deal or No Deal" network, and about to repeat the same gaffe that ABC made with "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?".

Beginning next week, DoND will air 3 nights per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) at 8:00 PM. What next? 4 nights per week? 5? 6? 7? 8? (oops, got a little carried away).

DoND is fun to watch...as long as you skip over the sappy parts with the family friends, the audience, etc and get to the point of answering the question "Deal or No Deal"?.

Thank heavens for the DVR!

fredfa

03-18-06, 02:45 AM

fredfa

03-18-06, 02:52 AM

I would suspect the cable folks and the satellite people will be happy with McDowell. Since the telcom people need access to RSNs, I wouldn't be surprise to see the old rules regarding terrestrial lines (which allow cable to keep RSNs from satellite) rewritten to allow equal access to all.
That would be similar to the rules NewsCorp had to agree to when it took control of DirecTV.
Cable, of course, likens its exclusivity with RSNs in several markets to DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package. But cable famously declined to bid on the NFL ST package last time around saying (at least in Comcast's case) that the games were "too rich for our blood".
On the other Dish and DirecTV have never had the chance -- at any price -- to carry the Philadelphia or San Diego RSNs (among others) owned by Comcast and Cox respectively.
Those days are, I would expect, about to change with the approval of the Comcast/Time Warner Adelphia deal.

fredfa

03-18-06, 10:24 AM

The Digital Revolution
High Hurdles in Digital-TV Race

With deadline ahead, television industry assesses nagging issues
By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable 3/20/2006

Consumer-electronics manufacturers, broadcasters and legislators descended on Washington last week for the Consumer Electronics Association's Entertainment Technology Policy Summit. The mood was upbeat, as set-makers spoke of the growing adoption of high-definition TVs and programmers touted their increased HD output.

But the tone at the show (co-sponsored by B&C) was at times sober, as attendees spoke of the obstacles they must overcome before analog TV gets turned off.

CEA chief Gary Shapiro said that, for the first time, set-makers will sell more HDTV sets than analog TVs in 2006. The association predicts 12.2 million sets with integrated digital tuners will ship this year and 27.1 million DTV sets in 2009, when analog signals are scheduled to cease.

Shapiro added that the DTV budget bill signed last month by President Bush, which set the “hard date” of Feb. 17, 2009, for the turnoff of analog signals, was a significant milepost in the industry's long march to HDTV: “We, in essence, set the finish line.”

But reaching that finish line remains an issue, given the potential roadblocks.

In his keynote address, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said most Americans don't realize that analog TV signals will cease in 2009. He called for a national campaign to educate consumers about the turnoff and their options for receiving DTV service, which include purchasing subsidized set-top boxes that will receive digital signals and convert them to analog for viewing on older sets.

“If we don't get this right,” Adelstein warned, “we could face a tsunami of public outrage.”

He added that one of the major problems facing the transition is that “consumers are buying up analog TVs at bargain-basement prices” and creating a bigger universe of potentially obsolete sets, despite set-makers' efforts to gradually integrate DTV tuners into their products per federal mandate. He would like to see the FCC work with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which is overseeing the digital-to-analog converter-box program, to create a “federal DTV task force” to improve consumer awareness. He also called for more help from consumer-electronics companies, the entertainment community and broadcasters.

Even if “late adopters” get the message about the turnoff and apply for their $40 subsidy for a converter box, there are concerns about the boxes themselves. Electronics manufacturers say ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee)-compliant receiver chips are in their fifth generation of development and can reliably receive DTV signals on small indoor antennas, but there is no guarantee that the latest chips will be in low-cost DTV set-tops. That may mean that people who buy the boxes will need to replace their “rabbit-ear” antennas with specialized indoor antennas or even install a rooftop antenna.

“You have no way of knowing what generation of chip you're buying,” notes Ira Goldstone, chief technology officer for Tribune Broadcasting. “If you're buying an HD set today, it doesn't say 'second-generation ATSC tuner' on it.”

CBS VP of Advanced Technology Bob Seidel says his network has seen a broad range of performance in DTV tuners it has tested over the years, and he believes differences in quality will get wider as companies from China and Taiwan enter the digital-to-analog converter-box market. “Some manufacturers will be looking to enter the market with the lowest possible cost,” says Seidel. “So instead of the $5 tuner, they might go with the $1.25 model.”

The suggested $40 rebate and projected $50 total cost of the boxes is unrealistic, he adds, noting that CBS research indicates that the price of the parts and the technology licenses for such set-tops will add up to $40 per box before the retail markup.

Circuit City Chairman Alan McCollough, for one, doesn't like the idea of a converter box in the first place, because DTV set-tops are already a high-return item at the retail chain. Instead, he would like to see broadcasters offer all their programming, both analog and digital, in the widescreen format to spur consumers to upgrade to DTV sets. “I'm suggesting all wide, all the time,” he says.

Several attendees indicated a lack of confidence in policy-makers. Brandon Burgess, CEO of Ion Media Networks (formerly Paxson), says the government is at fault for failing to enact rules on pressing issues like converter-box requirements, digital must-carry and the broadcast flag. “Putting off rules is a way to delay the hard date,” he says. “If it becomes apparent around election time in 2008 that this thing isn't working, you are going to see a delay in the hard date.”

Most agree there's a load of work to do before the hard date arrives. Rick Chessen, former associate chief of the FCC media bureau and now a lawyer with Washington firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton, notes that 200 stations are not yet offering a digital signal, 50% of DTV stations are still operating at low power, and some 500 stations will be moving their DTV channel assignments as part of the transition.

He says, “There is a very complicated dance that needs to happen over the next two years.”

fredfa

03-18-06, 10:30 AM

The Business of TV
Comcast-Disney Fight Simmers

Carriage beyond TV leads long list of issues
By John M. Higgin Broadcasting & Cable 3/20/2006

Comcast's effort to buy Walt Disney Co.'s share of E! Entertainment is generating buzz but is really a sideshow to the broader talks about cable operators' carriage of programming on a variety of new platforms. The outcome could shape the future for all cable operators.

At the center of the long-running negotiations is Comcast's carriage of cable networks, most notably ESPN and Disney Channel. Each is among the most popular—and expensive— basic-cable networks. But the talks extend much further, including video-on-demand (VOD) rights to content from nearly every part of the Disney empire and limitations on how flexibly Disney's networks can funnel their programming through the Internet, cellphones or other distribution schemes.

Resolution of the broader issues is much more financially important to both companies than the disposition of their partnership in E!. Buying the 21% of E! that Comcast doesn't already own would require it to write Disney one check of about $1 billion. But the cable operator pays Disney about that for programming every year.

Additionally, the talks will likely set the pace for other players. Disney collects more license fees from cable and DBS operators than any other programmer, accounting for about a third of distributors' cost for basic-network programming. Comcast is the biggest operator in the U.S., serving 21.5 million subscribers. Disney is engaged in parallel talks with Time Warner Cable, and executives familiar with the discussions say the changing terms of one deal shape the other.

Analysts say they're particularly looking to see how terms are worked out for retransmission consent for Disney's ABC O&Os, as well as for VOD, online and high-definition TV. Disney CEO Robert Iger acknowledges frustration over the slow pace of the talks, which have been dragging on since 2004.

Last month, he told investors, “We're talking about long-term deals with many moving parts in a world that technology is making more and more complex. There are some pretty interesting issues on the table in terms of the role of the distributor versus the role of the programmer.”

Ammunition for broadcasters

Other broadcasters—particularly CBS —will closely examine the deal for clues about how Comcast values those retransmission rights, hoping for ammunition to use in their own negotiations with cable and DBS.

It's safe to say Comcast will continue refusing to pay a straight license fee for the right to retransmit those stations in markets where it has local cable systems. Instead, the company will compensate Disney in some other way, such as better terms for its cable channels.

Disney, Comcast and Time Warner would not discuss the talks on the record last week. All three companies want to avoid the kind of train wreck Disney's 50%-owned Lifetime Television experienced when EchoStar took the women's network dark in January.

The negotiations have been tense. Just two years ago, Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts launched an abortive hostile campaign to take over Disney. Comcast is also increasingly aggressive in TV sports, with its OLN channel challenging ESPN by bidding successfully for hockey rights and unsuccessfully for football.

Billions in ESPN fees

The biggest financial item in the negotiations is ESPN. The $2.90-per- subscriber monthly license fee for ESPN alone should generate $3 billion for Disney this year. Sibling networks including ESPN2 (about 33¢ per subscriber) and ESPNews (4¢) contribute an additional $400 million.

ESPN's days of 20% rate hikes are over, and Comcast and Time Warner are likely to do better than the now standard 7% annual increase. A central question is how much additional distribution the operators might give to ESPN's smaller networks and one it might start up over the next decade.

The second-biggest financial item is Disney Channel. With license fees averaging 80¢ per subscriber monthly, the onetime pay network is among the most expensive basic channels. The channel is distributed on 99% of cable systems and needs to find growth through license fees and future startup networks.

A major goal for Disney is securing more carriage for six-year-old Toon Disney and sibling Soapnet. ABC Family has for years been looking for a substantial rate hike, trying to convince operators that it deserves to be paid to continue substantial improvements in original programming aimed at teens.

The area whose financial impact lies in the future is new media. Comcast is especially hungry to feed VOD and will almost certainly secure rights to offer top ABC series such as Lost and Desperate Housewives for a 99¢ fee. Disney cut a similar deal with Apple's iTunes, and Comcast has its own deal with NBC. The cable giant will also likely secure a better “window” for Disney theatrical releases.

How long will all this take? One senior exec familiar with the talks says they're “essentially done” and could be finalized within 30 days. “But if you had asked a month ago,” he says, “I would have told you the same thing.”

fredfa

03-18-06, 10:33 AM

The TV Column
Everyone's in a Stew Over 'South Park' Chef

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, March 18, 2006; C01

Comedy Central, the allegedly irreverent, testosterone-fueled, take-no-prisoners basic cable network, looks more like a Vertical Integration Sissy Girl after yanking an episode of "South Park" that lampoons Scientology and Tom Cruise.

The cave-in occurred this week, just a couple of days after Isaac Hayes, who has provided the voice of Chef for the edgy animated series since 1997, asked to be let out of his contract because he had just noticed that the cartoon, about four precocious potty-mouthed fourth-graders in South Park, Colo., makes fun of religious groups.

Hayes, who is a Scientologist, said it's part of what he sees as a "growing insensitivity toward personal spiritual beliefs" in the media.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people and at all times should be respected and honored," the R&B musician and actor said Monday, according to news reports.

"As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

Series co-creator Matt Stone understandably wondered why it took Hayes nearly a full decade to figure out that "South Park" pokes fun at, among other things, religions.

"This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology," Stone said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Stone noted in interviews that "in 10 years and over 150 episodes of 'South Park,' Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons or Jews," and added, "He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."

Even more mysterious, Hayes did not quit the show when Comedy Central first ran the episode, called "Trapped in the Closet," last November.

In the episode, fourth-grader Stan scores so high on a Scientology test that followers decide he is the reincarnation of its founder, sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard.

Scientologists show up at Stan's house in droves. Stan finds celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise in his bedroom; Cruise asks Stan what he thinks of Cruise's acting work. Stan pronounces him not as good as Leonardo DiCaprio, Gene Hackman or "that guy who played Napoleon Dynamite." Cruise, crushed, hides in Stan's closet. John Travolta, another celeb Scientologist, and R&B artist R. Kelly each try to get Cruise to come out of the closet. For the rest of the episode, "Tom Cruise" and "come out of the closet" are said in the same sentence. Like 39 times.

(Back in November, a rep for Hayes said her client hadn't heard about the story line and she did not think his character was in it, according to a report on the Web site of Mort Zuckerman's now defunct political, pop culture and style magazine, Radar. The site also has Cruise's rep saying they had "no knowledge of" the episode.)

So Hayes very publicly quits "South Park" on Monday, the media gloms on to this story and hangs on for dear life for a couple of days.

CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" files a report noting that in a recent interview on their very own show, Hayes said he had no beef with the Scientology episode. "I didn't see it but I was told about it. But they lampoon everybody and if you believe them, you got a problem," Hayes says in a clip.

Stone and co-creator Trey Parker go on David Letterman's CBS late-night show and joke that Hayes's character hasn't been a large part of the show for about five years anyway, and when they did the show about Scientology, "we were like, boy, Isaac might quit over this, and sure enough he did."

And by Wednesday, about 100 times as many people know that the "Trapped in the Closet" episode is going to run on Comedy Central that night.

Only when people tune in, the episode isn't there. Instead it's another episode, called "Chef's Salty Chocolate Balls," and an additional episode also prominently featuring Hayes's advice-dispensing school cook character.

Called for comment the next day, Comedy Central, a division of Viacom, issued a statement explaining that the "Trapped in the Closet" episode was yanked because "in light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for."

Really, they did. And not in some neoironic way. They were being serious.

And all this is going on while Tom Cruise is busy promoting his upcoming "Mission: Impossible III," which hits theaters on May 5, for Paramount, another division of Viacom.

I'm just sayin'.

Cruise's publicist yesterday said, "Tom had nothing to do with this matter. He's been promoting 'Mission: Impossible III' for the last six months. We have no clue where this came from."

Stone and Parker obviously have their theory about the abrupt episode switcheroo:

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the two said in a statement sent to trade paper Variety.

"Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"

They signed the statement, "Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu."

In November, when the episode was first scheduled to run on Comedy Central, network spokesman Tony Fox was asked by Radar whether taking swipes at Cruise and Scientology was smart. Fox responded that the network has Stone and Parker's back.

"If you know 'South Park,' they are free, and have been, to satirize anybody and anything they want to. They've made fun of MTV, they've made fun of Viacom, they've made fun of Comedy Central, and we've never interfered with them."

Oh, well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/17/AR2006031702158_pf.html

fredfa

03-18-06, 11:01 AM

TV Review
Worth the wait: 'Prison Break' returns

By Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune TV blog

If you were wondering whether “Prison Break” (8 PM ET/PT Monday, Fox) lost a step during its long break, which began in November, don’t worry. The three episodes that kick off the series’ return are among the best “Prison Break” has done.

They’re more emotionally resonant, more surprising, even more knottily plotted. Plus, in the flashback episode that arrives April 3, viewers will get to see Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) in regular clothes, not a drab prison uniform. And in a bar having drinks, no less!

But in the haunting episode that airs Monday, things get very dark indeed. Though Scofield’s prison-escape plan progresses in fits and starts, things don’t look good for his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who is on Death Row for killing the vice president’s brother. Whatever one’s stance on the death penalty, seeing the last hours of a man headed for the electric chair puts a knot in the stomach.

And the “Prison Break” cast is more than up to the challenge of portraying Burrows’ darkest hours. Given the restrained, tightly wound performance Miller has given to date as Scofield, seeing that character cry is not something to take lightly. And since the series began, Dominic Purcell has given Burrows a weighty sadness mixed with tormented bravery. Miller, Purcell and the rest of the cast make this episode riveting.

As usual, multiple twists await the inmates of Fox River Penitentiary, and, as with “24,” the storytelling is so gripping that one forgives the occasional plot hole. There’s progress on the outside, too, as Burrows’ lawyers fight to keep the prisoner alive (watch for Chicago theater veteran Tracy Letts in the courtroom scenes).

The April 3 episode is a high point: It shows what the “Break” gang was up to before they got to Fox River. Would you believe that earnest Dr. Sara Tancredi has the most surprising past of all? And that hard-guy inmate C-Note has an even more revelatory back story? Plus the episode gives the series the chance to showcase even more cool Chicago locations (check out Scofield’s ultra-hip architect’s office).

It almost seems overkill that the great Michelle Forbes has a supporting role in these episodes, and that one scene is shot in Wrigley Field.

“Prison Break” is back all right, and it’s got plenty of goodies.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

fredfa

03-18-06, 02:15 PM

Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-18-06, 02:26 PM

(Randy Falco is president/COO of NBC Universal Television Group. This is excerpted by Broadcasting & Cable from an address he was slated to deliver March 20 at the annual meeting of the Advertising Research Foundation.)

The Future of TV
The Three C's of the Digital Age

By Randy Falco

We hear a lot of talk about the endless benefits to the consumer of our new digital age. This is the era of the three C's: choice, convenience, and control.

If you ask consumers what is important to them, they'll tell you they want to be freed from the constraints of a TV schedule. They'll say they want flexibility in when, where and how to watch video content. And now, at long last, the technology exists to give consumers what they want.

But there is a difference between what consumers say they want and what their behavior tells us they really do want.

Choice is important. Yet out of more than 100 channels, the average viewer tunes in to 15. And out of an almost infinite number of Internet sites, the average surfer visits 32.

Convenience is important. Yet, as shows like American Idol tell us, millions of people make a point of being home at certain times each week so they can tune in to their favorite programs.

Control is important. Yet often, viewers want someone else to be in control. Whether it's Brian Williams preparing a daily news digest or Kevin Reilly inviting the nation to watch My Name Is Earl every Thursday at 9 p.m., it is nice to leave some decisions up to others.

Yes, consumer behavior is evolving. But it is over a longer time frame than press reports would lead you to believe.

Another point about the three C's: They are meaningless without a fourth: content.

This is why I'm bullish on the future of so-called “old” media. We have years of experience in what matters most: creating high-quality content.

Advertisers, like broadcasters, have tremendous opportunities to connect with their customers in new ways. And we are committed to helping them do that, whether through the 30-second spot (which is still the most powerful marketing tool ever devised), product placement, Webisodes or any of a limitless array of possibilities.

The future we see is one in which the definition of “broadcaster” is redefined to mean “deliverer of high-quality content.” This encompasses broadcast, VOD, Webcasts, iPod downloads, cellcasts and moving images on devices that aren't even invented yet.

Yes, content is king. But in a digital world that—in theory—gives everyone the tools to produce and distribute video content, it is the most creative, best-executed content that will be valued. The way I see it, creative, high-quality advertising is part of the content. Everything else is static.

SnakeEyes

03-18-06, 03:48 PM

Is there a way to find out prime time cable ratings? I'm curious to find out how Doctor Who fares. Only time I have seen overnight prime time ratings is with pro wrestling.

fredfa

03-18-06, 04:30 PM

Cable ratings are available on the Thursday of the next week (with the week ending Sunday.)
I'll try to remember to keep my eyes out for the Doctor Who nukmbers for you, SnakeEyes, or if you could remind me later in the week, that might even be better.
If I see any stories that mention the ratings (sometimes Neilsen will break out a specific program earlier at a client's request) I'll be sure to post them.

SnakeEyes

03-18-06, 10:53 PM

Ahh ok. Clients request must be why the wrestling sites have WWE Raw/TNA Impact numbers next day.

fredfa

03-18-06, 11:06 PM

TV Notebook
Oh, How the Haughty Have Fallen

By Jon Caramanica The New York Times March 19, 2006

In the eight years since he stopped playing Detective Frank Pembleton on the police psychodrama "Homicide: Life on the Street," Andre Braugher has been chipping away at the public memory of the character. The effort has taken myriad forms. There was the consigliere he played in the indie pulp film "Thick as Thieves," the self-doubting doctor in the short-lived television series "Gideon's Crossing" and the early civil-rights agitator A. Philip Randolph in the television movie "10,000 Men Named George," originally shown on Showtime.

"I was very concerned about the Bob Denver effect from playing Pembleton," Mr. Braugher said one recent afternoon while nursing a double espresso at a hotel bar in Midtown Manhattan. "It was a terrific role, but if I'm pegged that way for the rest of my career, it's a problem."

Appropriately, the opening of "Thief," his new series, which makes its debut on FX on March 28, delivers what might be the final blow. Mr. Braugher plays Nick Atwater, leader of a small crew that specializes in flamboyant yet meticulous thievery. In the scene, they're in a subterranean bank vault in San Francisco when, midheist, Nick's cellphone rings. It's his new wife, Wanda, calling from a police station back at home in New Orleans, where his teenage stepdaughter, Tammi — with whom he has, at best, an icy détente — is being detained for her role in a petty larceny. While his partners load up duffel bags with jewels and cash, Atwater smooth-talks the cop on the other end of the line into letting the girl off with a warning, barely concealing his glee at the situation's incongruity.

Mr. Braugher, too, is smiling. "There's no more Romeos in me," he said. "But when these dimensional characters come along, I better play them while I can. They're not streetcars; the next one might be five years down the line."

That Mr. Braugher would be starving for parts would have been unthinkable a decade ago. In "Homicide's" day, Pembleton was one of television's most luminous characters. A zealot for justice bordering on self-righteousness, he was a galvanizing presence in the typically tightly structured world of television cops. Rarely had a police show — or any show, for that matter — been centered on a character so arrogant and so clearly, if not loathed, then at least viewed warily by his peers.

But the bullheaded character seemed to come easily to Mr. Braugher, who first drew attention in a supporting role in the Civil War epic "Glory." In 1998, he won an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series. Later, TV Guide listed Pembleton third in a ranking of great television detectives, behind only Columbo and Jim Rockford.

While Mr. Braugher was using his post-"Homicide" life to distance himself from Pembletonian behavior, the rest of television, it seemed, was taking it on. In recent years, dramas have featured a host of black characters who function as the moral centers of their ensemble casts — Dennis Haysbert's President David Palmer on "24," CCH Pounder's Detective Claudette Wyms on "The Shield," Isaiah Washington's Dr. Preston Burke on "Grey's Anatomy." Even if the gravitational pull they exert isn't quite as strong, they all owe clear debts to Mr. Braugher's Pembleton.

With that in mind, the role of Nick Atwater couldn't have come at a better moment. "I liked the idea of showing the TV audience new colors of Andre Braugher," said Norman Morrill, the show's creator and writer. "It's what attracted him to the role to begin with."

Mr. Braugher said, "When I look at crime bosses, the only drama that makes sense is one where crime has its costs and the so-called straight life is a burden, a ball and chain which might be fatal to you."

Over the course of the show's six-episode mini-season, Atwater moves from compartmentalizing his two worlds to, eventually, being forced to respond wisely, and swiftly, when those walls crumble. "The series," Mr. Morrill said, "is about the moral choices of an immoral man."

The resulting interactions — between Atwater and his team, and between him and his stepdaughter — give Mr. Braugher ample room to maneuver creatively, collapsing in tears one moment, coldly dispatching an associate gone awry the next.

"We all have mixed emotions about men crying," said Mr. Braugher, 43. "That's one of the reasons I'm an actor. I get a chance to explore all of the emotions that are typically forbidden to men. Grief, panic, loneliness, jealousy, need, elation, guilt — they're perfectly acceptable in a TV drama, whereas they're not in real life."

Scott Sanders, who wrote and directed "Thick as Thieves," said: "Not seeking out drama is a hard thing to do in a movie, but Andre, even though he was playing a gangster, was able to pull that off. He's covert, rather than overt."

After the initial success of "The Sopranos," it became fashionable, briefly, to build dramatic series around characters of compromised, and perhaps dubious, moral strength. On broadcast networks, though, shows like "Line of Fire," which starred David Paymer as a nebbishy Irish-Jewish mob boss, and "Kingpin," which starred Yancey Arias as a Stanford-educated Mexican-American drug lord, never caught on.

"Every day on 'Kingpin,' I sat there and understood it was going to be quite impossible for us to get a second season," Mr. Arias said. On "Thief," Mr. Arias plays Gabo, Atwater's right hand. "I saw here another opportunity for that kind of story — where better than on cable?"

Mr. Braugher grew up on the West Side of Chicago, his father a heavy-equipment operator and his mother a postal worker. When he began acting as an undergraduate at Stanford in the early 1980's, he was not, in his words, "emotionally full." Acting, he said, "really opened something inside of me."

"I didn't even realize what was going on," he recalled.

Yet Mr. Braugher's degree of engagement with his craft is in inverse proportion to his output, which has been limited. He plays the ship's captain in "Poseidon," the director Wolfgang Petersen's coming remake of "The Poseidon Adventure," but otherwise there are no major projects on the horizon, apart from his plan to begin work on his first screenplay adaptation. "I'd love to be able to deal with a different style of storytelling," he said. "There's a show called 'The Vice' on BBC America. I like it a lot. I say to myself, I want to get a call about doing this show. I get calls about other shows, but I don't take them because I consider them to be old hat."

The blank calendar would give many actors pause, but "what I've learned is that you can't play every role you're offered," he said. "Some people are uniquely suited for them, and they're going to do them well. But you put me in those roles, it might be a mistake. If it doesn't make sense to me, I'm only going to be fair at it."

Mediocrity is something on which Mr. Braugher frowns, especially where family is concerned. He lives in suburban New Jersey with his wife, Ami Brabson, an actress (she played his wife on "Homicide"), and his three sons, ages 13, 8 and 3. "Hopefully I am giving them something a little bit bigger than I got," he said. "They have a wider emotional life than I had as a kid. My oldest, he knows more at 13 than I did at 23." He and his wife take work sparingly, preferring to stay at home rather than take parts they won't cherish.

"What appealed to me when we did the 'Homicide' pilot was how overtly sinister Pembleton was without being corrupt," Mr. Braugher said. "He was sinister in the service of the right thing." Hold a mirror up to that description and you get Nick Atwater, as torn a character as any Mr. Braugher has played. The territory, though, is not so unfamiliar. "The hero and the monster," he said, "aren't that far apart after all."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/arts/television/19cara.html?pagewanted=print

HDTVFanAtic

03-19-06, 01:28 AM

Considering NBC has so little of merit at the moment, this might give it a chance to regroup a bit.
There is no way the network is counting on Deal or No Deal to carry it as ABC did back in the day with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
And Deal is far cheaper to throw up against American Idol on Wednesdays than any scripted programming.

Considering that wiping out that many hour blocks each week means you don't have the ability to grow any new hits either.

Thus when DOND dies on you, you are in even worse shape than before as you have SO MANY HOURS with no anchors to get you by.

ABC set themselves back 5 years in their recovery with their mistake.

As for NBC, history could very well repeat itself as they go down in desperation.

fredfa

03-19-06, 11:11 AM

We'll have to agree to disagree.
In my mind, ABC was depending on Millionaire, while NBC is just plugging in Deal as a stopgap measure to try to stop some of the bleeding.

fredfa

03-19-06, 12:36 PM

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-19-06, 05:54 PM

TV Notebook
Inside the 'Prison' Walls

On the Set, Even Plot Twists Are Kept Behind Bars
By Amy Amatangelo Special to The Washington Post Sunday, March 19, 2006; Y05

Remain calm.

That's what I told myself as T-Bag gave me my own private tour of the Joliet Correctional Center in Illinois.

After an almost four-month hiatus, Fox's hit series "Prison Break" returns Monday night. And on a recent bright and chilly day, Robert Knepper, who plays Fox River's most menacing inmate, has graciously volunteered to show me around the real-life former prison where the conspiracy drama is filmed.

Sure, Knepper's whole demeanor is different from that of his character. There's no sinister smile. No nefarious tilt of the head. No lackadaisical swagger. No malevolently lilting southern accent. In fact, Knepper is quite a charming man. But still, it's hard to shake the feeling that it's T-Bag I'm spending quality time with.

Here on the set, things are hush-hush with all the actors speaking in vague "if-and-when-we-escape" caveats. A scene in the outdoor yard has C-Note (Rockmond Dunbar) warning Michael (WentworthMiller) -- that he's got "to handle things." What those "things" are and how close the prisoners are to escaping are kept tightly under wraps.

Viewers may have heard that "Prison Break" -- a series about a man who got himself sent to prison so he could help his innocent brother escape from death row -- films at a defunct penitentiary. But it's beyond chilling to actually be on the set. There's barbed wire at every point of exit. The cells, which were shared by two inmates, are smaller than a lot of people's closets. All of the open spaces are tightly enclosed, creating a false sense of being free. This is a place where notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy was confined.

There are "some rooms you walk into where you're just overwhelmingly sad," said Sarah Wayne Callies, who plays Dr. Sara Tancredi. "There's the emotional residue. Then there's just the reality of standing in the middle of a yard and realizing this is where people come to lose hope."

"I really thought it was a beautiful piece of property," said Muse Watson, who plays kindly inmate Westmoreland. "I thought, 'What a wonderful place to raise horses.' But the longer I stayed here and the feeling I got from this place, I thought, 'This is not a place to raise horses.' There's a karma here that's just so bad."

As my tour ends, Knepper points to a serene mural a previous inmate had painted -- a work of art that belies the decrepit surroundings. It's one of the first things he saw when he came to Joliet Correctional Center. "I thought, that's perfect, that's real, that's human," Knepper said. "That's like a T-Bag kind of thing."

It is these small details that bring the series to life. "The prison is the main character on the show," Miller said. "It gives us a certain integrity and authenticity that you can't really put a price on, and it reminds you what the stakes are."

'Finale Is Massive' And More . . .

When "Prison Break" last aired a new episode in November, the imminent escape of Michael (Wentworth Miller) and his brother Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) from Fox River State Penitentiary was stymied by a repaired air duct. Here's what lies ahead for the rest of the season and (perhaps) beyond, according to the cast:

What can viewers expect in the final nine episodes of the season?

"I think what we're going to see is a decided change in Michael," said Miller (top). "He came into this prison environment very cool, calm and collected, with a very poker-faced exterior, keeping all of his cards very close to his chest. As the clock continues to tick and the pressure mounts and the complications arise, the cracks start to show. Initially I went into this thinking Michael was the good brother and Lincoln (Purcell, bottom) was the bad brother, and now it's become clear to me that Michael has just as many issues, if not more, than the brother he's trying to save."

So look for more prisoners to get in on the escape action and for "the body count to rise," Purcell said. "The finale is massive," he said.

What upcoming episode is everyone most excited about?

The April 3 episode will flash back to what all the main characters were doing three years ago, before many of them were in prison. "The episode just cleared a lot of things up -- where all the characters come from and the reasons why we're here," said Amaury Nolasco, who plays Michael's cellmate Sucre.

What about a second season?

While awaiting word on whether the show would be renewed, most of the actors were optimistic the series would win a place on the fall schedule. Would Season 2 have this chain gang on the run from the law like "The Fugitive?"

"The cast is like, 'We can't wait until we get out of prison,'" Rockmond Dunbar said. "That's basically when the show begins. The show will start when we're running."

And Purcell has another thing he's looking forward to. "All I'm thinking about with Season 2 right now is the opportunity to grow my hair."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/15/AR2006031501571_pf.html

fredfa

03-19-06, 05:56 PM

TV Notebook
''Big Love''

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

Two people can watch the same series for different reasons. ''House,'' for example, has the ongoing appeal of the title character, played by Hugh Laurie, and his personal demons. But people can also watch for the complicated medical mysteries, to piece together the information as well as the doctors on the show.

The people who make television know that viewers will bring varying agendas to a show. That's one reason you see such multiple stories in a single episode (a departure from the days when an hour-long drama was built around a single narrative). It also explains the large casts on some series, so that viewers who are not intrigued by one character may stick around to see what happens to a character they like better. (Consider ''Grey's Anatomy,'' which I watch even though I don't like Grey herself, or ''How I Met Your Mother,'' where the least interesting character is the one whose story is being told.)

''Big Love'' has some of that basic thinking, with an array of characters and several different stories being told. But my problem with the show is not that I prefer one story to another; it's that I really like one narrative thread, and actively dislike another. In the five episodes of the show I have watched, more than once I have fought the temptation to fast-forward through some scenes to get back to the characters I like. Unfortunately, the two are so intertwined that I have to keep track of one to understand everything going on with the other.

What I want more of: The polygamy story. The series, which premiered last Sunday on HBO, follows the large family of Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton), who has three wives -- Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) and Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin). This is not a case of a secret life; Bill's three wives live in adjacent houses, with a common back yard, and to varying degrees help to take care of each other and their children. There are, for example, regular meetings to work out which night each wife gets to spend with Bill.

I was enthralled by the scene with one of those meetings. I also like the way the show describes the emotional and physical needs of all the wives. That's not just an issue for Bill; it's one each wife has to address in the context of two other wives. Each wife, for that matter, has issues which might challenge a single man-and-wife marriage. (Nicki in particular is a bundle of insecurities and flaws, including compulsive overspending.) And, when there are three wives, does seniority matter? Bill, meanwhile, has emotional needs of his own, and they are not always met by his having three wives.

The show is very skillful in making viewers think about what works in a marriage, and about the nature of love itself. I'm very curious about where the show will be going in the coming episodes; even at the end of five, the ''big love'' is moving ever closer to some big problems.

That said, I still have times when I am very impatient with the show. Most of those times involve the religious group that Bill has tried to extricate himself from, only to remain connected in by personal ties (Nicki is the daughter of the group's leader) and a financial conflict. In a series that has a lot of texture in the family saga, the other conflict feels piled on. It's too melodramatic for my taste, and a distraction from issues that I want to see more about.

So what do to? Well, I will probably keep watching ''Big Love'' for the parts I want, while hoping that the conflict will be resolved. Unfortunately, it seems to be escalating as the show goes on. I'll have to see if it becomes too dominant; I'm not sure how much I'm willing to sit through the bad parts just to get to the good ones.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

fredfa

03-20-06, 01:40 AM

Of interest to those with New York roots
Obituary
Bill Beutel, 75, Dies; Longtime Anchor of 'Eyewitness News' in New York

By Campbell Robertson The New York Times March 20, 2006

Bill Beutel, who helped bring about a sea change in the nature of local television news as the dapper and unruffled anchor of "Eyewitness News" at WABC-TV in New York for more than 30 years, died Saturday at his home in Pinehurst, N.C. He was 75.

The cause was complications from a progressive neurological disorder, his wife, Adair, said.

Though Mr. Beutel's tenure at "Eyewitness News" stretched from 1970 to 2001, his on-air personality was most strongly defined in the first 16 years, during which he was anchor opposite the wry and sometimes acerbic Roger Grimsby, who died in 1995.

Their innovative style of presenting the news, often called "happy talk" to Mr. Beutel's annoyance, led to imitations in local news broadcasts all over the country.

WABC-TV created the format in 1968 while Mr. Beutel was the London bureau chief for ABC News. Several anchors were tried opposite Mr. Grimsby, but all were consumed by his overpowering personality, said Albert T. Primo, who was then the director of news and public affairs for WABC-TV.

Mr. Beutel, who had been a local anchor before going to London, was brought to New York for a tryout. The two clicked immediately.

"I needed somebody who had confidence in himself and could keep his own style," Mr. Primo said yesterday in an interview. "Sure enough, his experience, his confidence, his presence and his humor came through."

"He was everyman and you could identify with him," Mr. Primo added.

Mr. Beutel's everyman quality was in line with the humanized, man-on-the-street approach of "Eyewitness News." The result was described in February 1972 by John J. O'Connor, the television critic for The New York Times, as "the freshest, brightest and liveliest example of local news coverage on commercial TV."

While Mr. Grimsby's quips occasionally caused controversy, Mr. Beutel remained the steady counterweight, describing himself in a 2003 interview as "kind of the censor" for Mr. Grimsby. Together they dominated local news in the city for more than a decade.

In keeping with the program's focus on covering stories from the perspective of everyday people, Mr. Beutel also traveled to Vietnam, Israel and Uganda, reporting the New York angle on international stories.

On January 6, 1975, Mr. Beutel joined Stephanie Edwards as host of a new morning show, "AM America," which was created by ABC to compete with the successful "Today" show on NBC and "The CBS Morning News."

The show struggled and on Nov. 3 of that year was replaced by "Good Morning America."

But Mr. Beutel never left "Eyewitness," staying on for another 15 years after Mr. Grimsby left in 1986.

William Charles Beutel was born Dec. 12, 1930. The son of a dentist in Cleveland, he said he was inspired to be a reporter while listening to Edward R. Murrow's broadcasts from London during the Battle of Britain.

After graduating from Dartmouth, Mr. Beutel went to the University of Michigan Law School but left after a year to pursue journalism. He got a radio job in Cleveland and then came to CBS radio in New York.

In 1962, he joined ABC as a reporter for the national news broadcast and as an anchor on the local New York news program "The Big News." Up to then his name had been pronounced "BOY-tel," but at the beginning of his first live broadcast on WABC-TV, the narrator pronounced it, "Byoo-TEL." The new pronunciation stuck.

He became the London bureau chief for ABC News in 1968.

Mr. Beutel retired as anchor of "Eyewitness News" in 2001 but continued to work as a correspondent until 2003, including a stint reporting on the civil war in Sierra Leone.His survivors include his wife; a sister, Mary Lou Henley of Iowa City; four children from a previous marriage, Peter Beutel of New Canaan, Conn., Robin Gamble of Madison, Wis., Colby Beutel-Burns of Chicago and Heather Fortinberry of Ojai, Calif.; and eight grandchildren.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/business/media/20beut.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-20-06, 01:44 AM

TV Notebook
TiVo Has Been Cutting Out More Than Just the Commercials Lately

By Eric A. Taub The New York Times March 20, 2006

The first episode in the new season of "The Sopranos" ended in a classic cliffhanger moment, with Tony on the floor after being shot by his uncle Junior. But some viewers who recorded the show on their TiVo digital video recorders to watch later might not know how close Tony came to being whacked.

Because of a software glitch in some machines, TiVo customers have been discovering over the last few months that some of the shows they had set to record were cut off before the programs ended.

"I lost the last 15 minutes of 'Lost,' as well as 'C.S.I.,' " said Monica Sharma, a marketing solutions manager in Piscataway, N.J. "Regrettably, the big things happened at the end."

The first notice of the problem came in November, when a few befuddled TiVo users posted complaints on TiVo's Web site. Customers also wrote about the glitch more recently at tivocommunity.com, an independent site for TiVo aficionados. A TiVo employee who monitors the sites posted a response there saying the company was on the case.

One of the main selling features of digital video recorders is their ability to record programs without the viewer having to enter start and stop times. It was unclear why certain shows were cut short on the malfunctioning TiVo's. The company's engineers isolated the problem to Series 2 machines (TiVo units integrated into DirecTV receivers were not affected).

The engineers first suggested a temporary fix that is the high-tech equivalent of hitting the side of a TV: pull the plug on the machine and then power it back up. It seemed that the abrupt cuts happened only on machines that had been in use for a long time and had never been rebooted.

TiVo says it has since created an upgrade to its operating system — which is being downloaded automatically to all Series 2 TiVo boxes — and that it should solve the problem permanently.

Fortunately for TiVo, even people like Loretta Mears, a Manhattan chiropractor who never got to see the final minutes of recent episodes of "Boston Legal" and "Lost," do not seem to hold it against the machine.

"I absolutely love TiVo," Ms. Mears said. "It's made it possible for me to watch black-and-white movies that are on at 3 a.m." ERIC A. TAUB

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/technology/20tivo.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-20-06, 09:53 AM

TV Notebook
After a long break, 'Prison' returns

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Mon, Mar. 20, 2006

Don’t blame Paul Scheuring for the long break between episodes of "Prison Break," resuming tonight at 8 PM ET/PT on Fox

Or for the lame way Fox promoted the Nov. 28 episode - the last original to air until the series' return tonight - as a "fall season finale."

"It was kind of a false event, as it were," the "Prison Break" creator said last week in a conference call with reporters. What's more, he said, producers only learned of the "finale" designation about a month before it was scheduled to air, after the episode had already been written.

Nevertheless, to have the 13th episode end in a failed escape attempt was part of the plan all along, said Scheuring, who'd plotted out 44 episodes - that would be two seasons - before the show began.

Contrast that, if you will, with those seat-of-their-pants flyboys on "24," who cheerfully admit they don't know what's going on more than an episode or two ahead.

Break or no break, Scheuring's planning deserves to pay off, because tonight's episode, "The Rat," is the kind of taut television from which there just might be no escape.

Personally, I wouldn't have scheduled it for 8 p.m., or in tandem with "24," which, absurd as it's become, still has the power to raise heart rates to anaerobic levels. But if you made it through the two-hour "24" a couple of weeks ago without medical intervention, you can probably handle "Prison Break."

If you missed the first 13, or have filled the "Prison Break" sector of your mental hard drive with "Lost" trivia since "Break" last aired, here's what you need to know to catch up with what's still one of the best new shows of the season:

Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is about to be executed for the murder of the vice president's brother, a crime for which he's been framed by the VP herself. (The veep is played by "thirtysomething's" Patricia Wettig, who may or may not resemble a real-world politician with similar ambitions.)

Lincoln, though, has a brother, too: He's Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), a genius structural engineer who decides to save his brother by breaking him out of a maximum-security prison. He starts by getting himself sent there as a prisoner.

Last fall, we saw him enlist a motley crew of inmates to help him (and acquire an unsavory straggler or two along the way) and develop what seemed like a workable plan, only to have his hopes dashed just as the state is preparing to execute his brother.

Far-fetched? But of course.

Scheuring himself likens "Prison Break" to "a pretty intense graphic novel" and cops to its air of "heightened reality."

That said, "Within that world, we try to play everyone realistically," he added.

Scheuring won't say - nor do I want to know - when Michael's going over the wall, but since he's long envisioned it as a show that evolves into "The Fugitive" (with more fugitives), this long tease can't go on forever.

In the next nine episodes, "there will be exits of certain characters, deaths, and things will not go according to plan, almost ever," Scheuring said.

"I think things will become more complex, in the relationships... And you start to learn a lot more" about the conspiracy, he said.

"There is no light at the end of the tunnel in a lot of ways," he said. "Just getting over that wall is not the end all and be-all."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//14140942.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

03-20-06, 10:05 AM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt
(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com

By Matt Roush TVGuide.com TV Critic

Question: I swear to god, if I hear another person saying something about the Desperate Housewives sophomore slump, I'm really going to lose it! All right, I am obviously a fan of the ladies on Wisteria Lane, and I will defend my favorite show till the very end, but seriously. If it's really lost its path this season, then why are there still around 23 million people tuning in for each new episode, which in my understanding is actually a slightly larger audience than last year? Even the return of The Sopranos has had minimal impact on the ratings. I will tell you why, Matt. Because there are people out there who are not capable of having their own opinions. So if someone starts a rumor during the summer hiatus that "now that the Mary-Alice mystery is resolved, there's bound to be a sophomore slump," then all of these hypocrites simply jump on that bandwagon before the second season even premieres. Suddenly it's cool to watch Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives is so 2004-05. Well, why don't they just change the channel and stop watching? Because there is nothing wrong with the show; they just can't admit they still watch it. Yes, there may have been several odd creative decisions in the beginning, but the show has been thriving in recent months. Unfortunately, someone put the "slump" label all over Desperate Housewives last fall, and now it'll take ages for writers to restore that watercooler status. Well, I can't wait till the same thing happens to Grey's Anatomy. Frankly, I find that show and its characters very, very annoying, and I'm curious as to how long it will take for that novelty to wear off. — Justin

Matt Roush: Way to step up for those Housewives, Justin. I just wish I agreed with you, but I don't. Many of us, maybe the majority of us, are still watching Desperate Housewives out of habit and because we still believe in the promise and premise of the show. We like the characters, the cast, and the look and feel of the show. It's hugely commercial and something to look forward to on Sunday nights (although not as much as before). But I can't count the number of times in the past few months I've had people, without prompting, tell me how disappointed they are in the show these days, what a chore it is to watch, but how they keep watching for Bree (Marcia Cross) and because the Housewives-Grey's Anatomy combo is such a great idea, even if the reality leaves something to be desired. (And by and large, these are people who don't watch a lot of TV but made an exception for Housewives.) Assessing the show lately: The Bree-Andrew conflict? Inspired. But what about the rest? Lynette and Tom are stuck in some bad workplace sitcom (her eating the raw bacon was a series low point). Susan's story line with the drab doctor is pathetic (although I am amused by her rekindled friendship with and secret marriage to her ex). The Alfre Woodard subplot was clearly a disaster in every way. Gabrielle and Carlos have not regained their bearings since his release from prison. The adoption story line... sorry, I drifted off. And the Zack-Mike-Paul triangle is pretty dreary as well. Do not confuse the show's continued popularity with sustained quality. Despite all of my caveats, I still find the show watchable, but it's not firing on all cylinders the way Grey's Anatomy is.

And as for your hope that the Grey's buzz dies down and for a backlash to inevitably ensue: That will probably happen, but I'm hoping not for a long while. Grey's is on such a roll that I can't imagine how they'll sustain it into the next season, though I hope they can. This is not how I watch TV, wishing and waiting for a terrific show to lose its footing. In fact, I keep watching Housewives hoping for it to get back into gear. But to admit the show is in a creative slump is not jumping aboard a bandwagon — it's facing facts.

Finally, this from Ashley: "All of the women of Desperate Housewives have been nominated for numerous awards. What do you think the chances are that the wonderful male actors will ever be noticed?"

Even if I thought the show was working at full capacity these days, my answer to this would be "slim to none." These characters and actors simply haven't broken out the way the actresses have. Despite the overall weakness of the TV-comedy field, I'd be flabbergasted if the male leads get acknowledged anywhere beyond the SAG ensemble-cast nominations.

________________________________________
Question: I can't seem to make up my mind between two "randy" TV gentlemen. Specifically, My Name Is Earl's not-too-bright brother Randy or Captain Stottlemeyer's not-too-bright lieutenant, Randy Disher, on Monk. Ethan Suplee gives Randy a child's innocence and enthusiasm complete with a wonderful twinkle in his eye. Plus the way he carries a not-too-subtle torch for Catalina gives an uncharacteristically warm and gentle subplot in contrast to Joy's white-trash screeching at poor Crab Man. On the other hand, Jason Gray-Stanford's Disher is a top utility character who consistently improves a scene while running the gamut of emotions. He can go from cocky to insecure in a heartbeat and be equally convincing, not to mention his great comic delivery. He's a nerdish underdog and I love his underplayed crushes on Monk's assistants. I'd also love to see both men receive more attention as second bananas, but if you had to choose, which Randy would you single out for a possible Emmy nomination? — Karen

Matt Roush: That's easy. I often cringe at how stupid and bumbling they make Disher on Monk. His behavior is too often too predictable. It's not my favorite part of that show, so he takes a distinct backseat to the brilliant childlike idiocy of that gentle giant Randy on Earl. I'll be shocked if Ethan Suplee (and Jaime Pressly, for that matter) isn't nominated for Earl. As sweet as Earl himself is on his road to redemption, he's often humbled by the utter guilelessness of Randy. It's a hilarious, but more importantly endearing, performance in a role that could so easily have been a caricature of a white-trash dim bulb.

________________________________________

Question: When you write a review for a show that has yet to premiere, how many episodes have you typically seen? I would think it would be difficult to judge a show based just on a pilot. — Lee

Matt Roush: Actually, it's not that difficult to judge a show based on one's first impressions. That's how most viewers do it, after all. The tricky part about reviewing off just a pilot is that when the pilot is all about setting up the premise of a show, you can't always tell from that what a regular episode would feel like. And there are times when so much more money is expended in producing a pilot that subsequent episodes never measure up. Which is why it's so valuable to have a weekly column, and especially these ongoing Web columns (including the periodic Dispatches) — the better to chart a show's ups and downs along the way.

But to answer your specific question: This time of year, with mid-season shows that often have been in production for a while before they launch, I have the luxury of seeing at least two, or often three or more, episodes before weighing in. (With HBO's Big Love, I saw five episodes. With The New Adventures of Old Christine, I saw three. Ditto with FX's Thief, the review of which will be published later this week. I saw two episodes of Conviction before panning it, but I could tell 15 minutes in that it was a dud.) During fall-preview season, most of us are judging a new series based usually on the pilot only (since production typically starts in midsummer), but we also factor in interviews and press conferences during the summer's Television Critics Association presentations, during which we can often get a sense of where the producers say a show is heading. It's an imperfect art, but the real meat of this beat is watching shows develop week by week: some improving, some collapsing and many just simply existing.

________________________________________
Question: Maybe you covered this before, but I missed it. What's the deal with Invasion? Is it going off the air for a while after the March 15 episode? If so, when will it return? And do you know if it's been renewed yet? Thanks! — Rebecca

Matt Roush: You can look for past news and column items about shows like Invasion with TVGuide.com's search function, but a reminder can't hurt where this show is concerned. Starting this week, Invasion is on a four-week hiatus to make room for a tryout of the mundane procedural crime drama The Evidence (which I reviewed having seen only one episode, for the record). Invasion will return April 19, following the two-hour comeback of Alias. As for renewal, I don't want to be a naysayer, but the numbers for Invasion have been going south lately. (You can blame ABC all you want for a variety of reasons, but this was always going to be a tough sell, first because of its deliberately slow pace, and lately because of its dense mythology and multiple story lines taking us perilously far away from the central family unit.)

On another Invasion front, David writes: "I'm confused as to why, with Invasion, ABC didn't follow the same pattern that other successful breakout shows like Lost, Prison Break, etc., did by reairing episodes. I found myself liking the show, but because of the story line, it would have been very helpful to show more reruns or, at the very least, have a minimarathon after a hiatus. It seemed like if you missed a week, you were out of luck in keeping up, which is why I quit watching. Any reason why they didn't do that with Invasion?"

The problem here is that Invasion was never a breakout show. It did OK at first, following Lost, and, if memory serves, ABC did reair some early episodes on Saturday nights along with Lost, but the show's numbers didn't merit filling additional slots on ABC's schedule (this isn't a cable network, after all). And unlike NBC being able to air Surface repeats on its sister channel Sci Fi, or Fox giving Prison Break exposure on FX, ABC lacks a suitable cable partner (ABC Family would be a stretch, I think), so it's hard to know where exactly a minimarathon would run, as helpful as it might be. Invasion has also suffered because of sporadic preemptions (including the current hiatus) and because of the general tendency nowadays not to rebroadcast episodes of serialized series (which often tank in repeats) unless they're monster hits like Lost, Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy.

________________________________________
Question: With the six genre shows that premiered this past season and the tons of genre pilots in production, do you think that sci-fi and fantasy shows will ever become mainstream hits? Everyone counts Lost as a revival in genre, but it's just a [great] character drama with a small tinge of science-fiction elements. Medium is just a crime show in which the lead character has weird dreams, and Ghost Whisperer is light fluff. But it seems that The X-Files has been the only sci-fi show to be truly successful on the Big Four. I know that there are lots of bad genre shows, but there are just as many truly great ones. The networks seem to completely lack faith in promoting these shows and the audiences seem to steer clear from them, for the most part. Why do you think this is? Also, with the recent trends of tons of reality and crime dramas on the air, I was wondering if a day would come when most of the shows were in the sci-fi genre. Critics always seem to pay special notice when more than two genre shows are on the air, as if there's just not enough room — but why? Unlike a crime show, sci-fi/fantasy/horror has much bigger and broader canvases to work with: countless plots and myths and stories, potential twists, and, most importantly, characters. Do you think that I'm wrong in thinking this? Would a large number of sci-fi shows be worse than the large number of crime shows that are on now? — Cory

Matt Roush: It wouldn't be worse, just less likely. Network TV is by and large a mainstream mass medium, and crime dramas have been a staple for decades (though not always as prevalent as they are now). And sci-fi/fantasy/horror, at least on TV, tends to exist outside the mainstream, with obvious exceptions (Twilight Zone back in the day, and X-Files more recently, although it took a long time for that to grow beyond a cult hit). It's true that Lost opened the door for more imaginative high concepts to be developed, but given the lack of success of most of these shows this season (only WB's Supernatural is likely to make it onto the new fringe CW network), I would bet you'll see fewer rather than more on the horizon.

These are very tricky shows to execute well, and even the ones I champion (like Invasion) face significant hurdles in attracting a big enough and loyal enough following for the networks to stick with them. Every network would love to have a show like Lost break through, but that's a rare bird, presenting its more fantastic elements in an earthly (more or less) setting, grounded by strong characters and elaborate backstories. I don't have room here, or time, to delve more deeply into why genre programming rarely crosses over into the mainstream, but it's a fact. And, from the network's point of view, it has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy when they fail to nurture and protect these shows and then give up on them for years on end.

________________________________________
Question: Am I the only one who is actually rooting for Lorelai and Christopher on Gilmore Girls? Their chemistry is undeniable, their witty banter endless, and I think it would be really nice for them to end up together and be a real family. Is there any hope? — Katie

Matt Roush: Check out Michael Ausiello's recent interview with Amy Sherman-Palladino and decide for yourself. I'm sure you're not the only one rooting for these exes to patch it up for good — I like the fact that ex-partners can still be friends (as in The New Adventures of Old Christine and even the Susan-Karl dynamic on Desperate Housewives). But given the ferocity of fans' feelings where Lorelai and Luke are concerned, I imagine you're still on a pretty lonely limb.

________________________________________
Question: Could you clear up some confusion for me? Is Aaron Sorkin returning to write a few episodes for The West Wing? I know Rob Lowe is returning, which should be outstanding, but if Aaron Sorkin returned to write an episode or two, that would just be fantastic. I hope the series ends with Bartlet shutting the door of the Oval Office. That would be a fitting end to the series. I don't want the series to end with Santos or Vinick taking his place in the Oval Office. It just wouldn't end it right. This show has been about Bartlet for the past eight years and I see no reason why it shouldn't end with Bartlet leaving. — Alex

Matt Roush: Aaron Sorkin is currently busy developing a new series for NBC's fall schedule, so it's fair to assume he's put West Wing behind him for good (probably best not to ask him to multitask, anyway). As for the end of the series, you may partially get your wish. The election episodes are scheduled for early April, and whoever wins wouldn't assume office for several months, so I would imagine the final episode would be set in or around the inauguration, with ample reflection on Bartlet's accomplishments in office as he prepares to make way for the new administration. I would be surprised if we see White House life much beyond Bartlet. That's the show I'm glad they pulled the plug on before we had to go there.

________________________________________

Question: So I realize I am about to answer my own question, but your opinion is still greatly valued in my household. Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET there is Scrubs, American Idol, Sons & Daughters and The Unit on TV. First of all, what scheduling genius came up with that? I know there are four geniuses, but I'm going to blame the guys at ABC and CBS because Scrubs and Idol were there first. So herein lies my problem. Between my two TiVos, I have three inputs, not four. Yes, the real answer is to get a second input on that second TiVo, but that model isn't capable of it and I can't afford a new one at the moment. So what do I drop?

Right now, I'm leaning towards The Unit. I love Idol and Scrubs, and since I've already invested so much time in those, they are not leaving my schedule. As for the other two, I already have 24, Prison Break, The Shield, Lost, Invasion and Alias to fill my intense-drama quota each week. But as far as comedies go, I'm lacking. I have Scrubs, Earl and The Office, and that's about it. (Some shows, like Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy, are too in the middle for me to be put in either category). So, it seems that, for me at least, Sons & Daughters should be the winner, but what do you think? Another factor would be if one seems more likely to stick it out than the other. Thanks for your help! — Melissa M.

Matt Roush: Who said watching TV was easy? My advice for now is to watch Sons & Daughters while you can. It got crushed in its second week by the expanded Idol (which won't be two hours long every Tuesday, by the way, but then, House is a must-see as well, so that doesn't ease the logjam dilemma), and by The Unit, which is turning out to be a perfect NCIS companion. Sons & Daughters will be lucky to make it all the way through its scheduled tryout run up to mid-April, and almost certainly won't be repeated the way The Unit will be, now that it's a big hit. So if I had to make the choice, I'd let The Unit slide for now, knowing I could catch up with it later. (It's clearly a keeper for CBS.) But if you want to go with the popular flow, then stay with Fox (Idol or House) and CBS, because they're the dominant networks that night. And I'm with you: I wouldn't give up Scrubs right now for anything.

________________________________________
Question: Am I the only one who found The Unit's "Stepford Wives" unsettling? They were browbeating the newcomer, telling her they had chosen the place for her to live. I forced myself to watch the entire episode to give it a chance, but I won't be giving it a second chance. The newcomer husband didn't even question the on-base housing after returning from his mission, even though he and his wife had agreed upon off-base housing. — Jane

Matt Roush: I think we're meant to be unsettled by the rigid code of conduct among the wives (reflecting the do-or-die discipline their husbands must honor in their secret-ops missions). Joining this unit means giving up one's independence, and part of the drama of the show is watching this outsider adjust. You may have tuned out, but hardly anyone else did. The show's an instant hit.

On another CBS Tuesday-night-scheduling front, Stephen asks: "It seems like CBS is throwing anything it can at Tuesday to see if it will stick, mainly at 10 pm/ET. What gives? First it was Judging Amy, then Close to Home (and Threshold), now it's The Amazing Race. Is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit really that unbeatable? Do you think Amazing Race will be back at 9 pm/ET soon, with The Unit moved to 10? Why move Race to 10 in the first place, as it was doing reasonably well at 9? You'd think that a successful network like CBS could find something that works on Tuesdays."

CBS has found something that works on Tuesdays. NCIS and The Unit are solid hits, mainstream counterprogramming that can even withstand the onslaught of expanded episodes of American Idol. It's true that CBS has struggled in the 10 pm/ET time period this season after dumping Judging Amy probably at least a season too early. (CBS was hoping to find something that skewed younger against Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which truly is apparently unbeatable.) The Amazing Race is clearly airing too late at night, so I'm thinking it's only a matter of time before CBS switches up Race and The Unit to at least see how the military drama fares in the later hour. But since Unit is even gaining on NCIS' ratings, I also understand why CBS would be reluctant to separate them right now. It's a problem for Race but not a dire one just yet.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

fredfa

03-20-06, 12:20 PM

Sunday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-20-06, 12:58 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Pow!!! Tiger pumps CBS's '60 Minutes'

News magazine up 61 percent from interview

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 20, 2006

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament gave CBS the perfect venue to push last night’s “60 Minutes” interview with top golfer Tiger Woods, and push it did, with commercials seemingly airing every other break. The strategy worked out quite nicely.

The aging news show posted a 3.7 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 last night, a 61 percent increase over the 2.3 overnight it had averaged over the last five weeks, excluding Oscar Sunday. Last night’s rating was a 16 percent boost over the 3.2 final 18-49 rating “60 Minutes” has averaged this season.

Ratings may change slightly because overnights measure time period data, and CBS’s basketball coverage ran until about 7:45 p.m. But any changes shouldn’t be too drastic. The show grew 11 percent from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., from a 3.5 to a 3.9. It got a 4.1 lead-in from basketball.

The improved ratings bode well for CBS’s Masters coverage next month. The network also aired heavy promotions for that tournament, where Woods will be favored to defend his title.

The show also finished first in its timeslot among total viewers with 14.5 million.
Meanwhile, ABC finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 6.0 average rating and a 15 share. CBS and Fox tied for second at 3.3/8, with NBC fourth at 2.7/7, Univision fifth at 1.9/5 and the WB sixth at 0.8/2.

CBS led the 7 p.m. hour with a 3.8 average for its last half hour of NCAA basketball coverage (3.8) and the first half hour of “60 Minutes” (3.5). ABC was second with a 3.4 for its first hour of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” while Fox and NBC tied for third at 2.5, Fox for “Malcolm in the Middle” (2.2) and “King of the Hill” (2.8) and NBC for “Dateline.” Univision was fifth that hour with a 1.1 for “La Hora Pico” and WB sixth with a 0.4 for “JammX Dance.”

ABC took the lead at 8 p.m. with a 6.3 for another hour of “Home Edition.” Fox and CBS tied for second at 3.9, Fox for “The Simpsons” (4.4) and “The War at Home” (3.4) and CBS for the last half of “60 Minutes” (3.9) and the first half of “Cold Case” (3.8). NBC was fourth that hour with a 2.2 for “The West Wing,” Univision fifth with a 2.0 for the first of three hours of “Bailando por un Sueño” and WB sixth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “Charmed.”

At 9 p.m. ABC led again with a 5.2 for a repeat of “Desperate Housewives.” Fox was second with a 3.5 for a repeat of “Family Guy” (4.0) and a new “Free Ride” (3.0), CBS third with a 3.4 for the last half of “Cold Case” (3.7) and the first 30 minutes of the movie “Time Bomb” (3.1) and NBC fourth with a 3.3 for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” Univision was fifth that hour with a 2.3 for its second hour of “Bailando” and WB sixth with a 1.0 for another “Charmed” rerun.

ABC finished the night in the lead with a 9.3 at 10 p.m. for “Grey’s Anatomy,” the night’s top-rated show among 18-49s. NBC moved to second that hour with a 2.8 for “Crossing Jordan” with CBS third with a 2.2 for “Time Bomb” and Univision fourth with a 2.1 for its last hour of “Bailando.”

Among households, ABC finished first for the night with a 9.4 average rating and a 15 share. CBS was second at 8.0/13, NBC third at 6.6/10, Fox fourth at 3.8/6, Univision fifth at 2.1/3 and WB sixth at 1.3/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3549.asp

fredfa

03-20-06, 02:05 PM

The Digital Revolution
Verizon to Carry CBS Signal, Programs on FiOS

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com March 20, 2006

CBS Corp. and Verizon Communications said Monday they have reached an agreement under which the telephone giant will carry CBS's broadcast signal and offer CBS shows on-demand to customers of Verizon's new video service, FiOS.

Verizon will have rights to CBS's analog, digital, multicast and high-definition programming seen on CBS owned-and-operated television stations. Also included is video-on-demand content from the O&Os and from the broadcast network.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though CBS CEO Leslie Moonves has repeatedly vowed that CBS will be compensated with cash for its broadcast signal as soon as opportunities to do so arrive.

The agreement does not encompass programming from the soon-to-be-shuttered UPN or from The CW Television Network, which is expected to launch in September.

The deal replaces a special agreement that had been reached between the two companies shortly before Verizon began offering FiOS last fall. FiOS currently is available in dozens of communities across seven states.

Verizon will make the CBS content available at no additional cost to FiOS subscribers who have a set-top box. Also, there will be no charge for VOD services in markets where CBS owns the CBS station. CBS owns TV stations in nearly every market where Verizon does business, with the exception of Washington.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9582

fredfa

03-20-06, 02:37 PM

TV Notebook
Fox Orders More 'Simpsons,' 'King of the Hill'

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com March 20, 2006

Fox has ordered two additional seasons of its half-hour series "The Simpsons," which will take the animated comedy through 2007-08, its 19th season. In addition, Fox has picked up the animated comedy "King of the Hill" for 2006-07, the series' 11th season.

"The Simpsons," which debuted Jan. 14, 1990, is the longest-running animated series in history and the longest-running prime-time series currently on television. The show will hit its 400th episode in May 2007.

After "The Simpsons," "Hill" is the longest-running comedy currently on prime-time television. The 200th episode of "Hill" will appear in May.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9585

fredfa

03-20-06, 03:41 PM

The fight over a la carte
Charter Chief Sees À La Carte Coming

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable3/20/2006

Charter Communications President Neil Smit says he believes some form of à la carte service is coming, so he advises the industry, rather than Washington, to come up with a plan.

"Something will happen," he told an audience of cable marketers at a Cable Television Public Affairs Association convention panel session in Washington Monday. He didn't know whether it would come from Washington or the industry, but said he preferred the latter.

He pointed to the fact that the industry was getting it from the right and left on the issue of unbunding its service and selling individual channels to consumers, with indecency driving calls from conservatives for more content control, and from liberals calling for more value and choice.

David Zaslav, president of NBC Universal Cable, called indecency the "elephant in the room," saying that he was surprised with how agressive Washington was on the issue. He pointed out that pressure had driven the creation of family tiers on cable, but that they had not satisfied the critics. He agreed with Smit that the industry needed to figure out the next course of action themselves.

Time Warner Cable COO Landel Hobbs said that he sure hoped nothing happened on the à la carte front, saying that the result would be less choice and higher prices. Diversity would be driven out he said. He agreed that indecency was behind the push, as did Abbe Raven, President of A&E, who also said that diversity would be "knocked out of the box" in an à la carte world.

zebras23

03-20-06, 04:46 PM

I've enjoyed this series from "Cathy" - but not as much as my wife.

fredfa

03-20-06, 07:50 PM

Good one, zebras23!

steverobertson

03-21-06, 06:37 AM

I've enjoyed this series from "Cathy" - but not as much as my wife.

Boy did that hit home

zebras23

03-21-06, 09:51 AM

See further down - Scott- thanks for the compilling them into one file.

Here is the whole series - almost 2 weeks (and continuing). My guess is the cartoonist actual husband bought a Plasma. So classic wife factor quotes here. FredFa, you should see if Botts et. al. will allow these to be posted in a "better" place (I'm not sure where this fits). I'm sure many men who buy Plasmas but don't read Cathy (which I'm betting is a high percentage) will get a good laugh.

Read starting with lowest last number:

RockyF

03-21-06, 10:05 AM

Man, those Cathy strips are actually somewhat accurate, until you see the aspect ratio on that set! That things got to be 3:1 or wider.

funny stuff though

Marcus Carr

03-21-06, 10:12 AM

Report: Finland first for analogue switchoff
Tuesday, March 21 2006, 01:22 UTC - by Neil Wilkes

A new report has predicted that Finland will become the first country to fully switch off its analogue signals.

The research, published by Informa Telecoms and Media, forecasts that Finland will be in a position to go digital-only next year, one year ahead of Sweden, Italy and Norway.

The US and Denmark are likely to make the switch in 2009, while France, Germany, Belgium and Spain will all follow in 2010.

Japan has set 2011 as the year for analogue shutdown, leaving the UK as one of the final countries - together with Australia and Austria - to complete the process in 2012.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds30699.html

fredfa

03-21-06, 11:04 AM

The TV Column
On 'South Park,' a Chef Who's Not Toast

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 21, 2006; C01

Still basking in the boffo ratings generated by the controversy surrounding the yanked "South Park" episode that skewered Tom Cruise and Scientology, Comedy Central announced yesterday that the show's 10th-season kickoff tomorrow night will be all about Chef.

The character of Jerome "Chef" McElroy was at the eye of the storm last week when Isaac Hayes, who has given voice to the advice-dispensing school cook since the show debuted in 1997, announced last week he wanted out of his contract because he'd just noticed the show mocks religion.

(Apparently he'd forgotten that just last January he'd told the New York Daily News that he loved the "humor" and "audacity" of show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. "Nobody is exempt from their humor," he said. "They're equal-opportunity offenders. Don't be offended by it. If you take it too seriously, you have problems.")

Stone and Parker swiftly retaliated, noting that Hayes had never had any problems in nearly 10 years cashing his "South Park" checks.

They declared in the news media and on late-night television that Hayes being shocked -- shocked -- to discover there was satire going on in "South Park" was really all about the fact that the animated series in November had done an episode savaging the Church of Scientology, of which Hayes is a member.

(So is Tom Cruise, who also was lampooned in the episode and who, as you are reading this, is out promoting "Mission: Impossible III," a flick produced at no small expense by Paramount. A division of Viacom under Chief Executive Tom Freston, by the way. As is Comedy Central. Small world, isn't it?)

Comedy Central was going to rerun that episode last Wednesday night but pulled it without warning. Which must have ticked off the nearly 2 million people who tuned in to see it -- more than double the show's audience the previous two nights.

While other animated shows take months to create, the producers of "South Park" can churn out an episode in days, enabling Parker and Stone to jump on current events. Their "Christmas in Canada" episode, depicting the capture of Saddam Hussein, aired three days after his arrest by U.S. forces, Wikipedia notes.

In tomorrow night's season debut, the little Colorado town is jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears, Comedy Central announced yesterday.

The four potty-mouth half-pints of South Park -- Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman -- are thrilled to have their old friend back but they notice that something about Chef "seems different," the network says, without elaborating. When Chef finds himself in trouble thanks to his new ways, "the boys pull out all the stops to save him," the network said.

Having had our chains yanked last Wednesday by the suits at Comedy Central, do they actually think they can get us to tune in tomorrow night with such an obvious ploy?

Drat!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Washington's most adorable couple, James Carville and Mary Matalin, are taking their nails-on-chalkboard routine to cable's chick network Lifetime, where they will star in a reality series called "Election" -- just like the Reese Witherspoon flick.

Jamary will counsel real candidates running for class president at a high school in the Washington area; their antics will be filmed for the series, Time magazine reports.

Even nonpolitical types may remember Jamary for their tour de force scenery-chewing on "K Street," HBO's short-lived docufiction series. While it generally was regarded as a failure, "K Street" nonetheless generated about 2 million viewers a week on the pay-cable network in 2003, when HBO was in about 30 percent of the country's TV homes.

Lifetime is averaging about 1.5 million viewers in prime time this year, and it's available in a lot more homes.

Carville, who helped orchestrate Bill Clinton's winning 1992 campaign, and Matalin, a longtime adviser to Dick "Deadeye" Cheney, also have hosted shows on CNN and CNBC.

In the Time report, Matalin says cutely that she doesn't think there will be a media campaign for this student election. Carville adds puckishly that the trick for a 61-year-old dealing with 16-year-olds is getting them to listen to a word you say, adding that he is remarkably unsuccessful with his own kids.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001941_pf.html

fredfa

03-21-06, 11:12 AM

Charter Chief Sees À La Carte Coming
The Business of TV
Verizon Files FCC Complaint Against Cablevision

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 3/21/2006

Verizon has filed a program access complaint with the FCC to try and force Cablevision to negotiate a carriage agreement so that Verizon's FiOS TV multichannel video service can carry what it says are various Cablevision-controlled sports channels in New York and New England.

Verizon wants to carry the nets in Massapequa Park, Nyack and South Nyack in New York; and Reading and Woburn in Massachusetts, as well as more than a hundred New York communities where it is seeking franchises.

Verizon points out that Cablevision is both the incumbent cable operator in many of those communities and controls the sports nets as welll, which include Fox Sports Network New York, Fox Sports Network New England and Madison Square Garden Network. Verizon argues that Cablevision has not negotiated as a strategy to avoid competition from its FiOS franchises.

A Cablevision spokeswoman had not returned a call at press time, but in hearings on Capitol Hill last month, Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge disputed Verizon's claims of aggressively seeking franchises, saying: "Verizon has been building these networks and planning them for over three years, and yet didn’t ask for the franchises."

SVonhof

03-21-06, 11:13 AM

zebras23, here is a compilation of the images:
http://www.vonhofs.com/hd/ca2006-03-06-11.gif
http://www.vonhofs.com/hd/ca2006-03-13-18.gif
http://www.vonhofs.com/hd/ca2006-03-20-25.gif

I will update the last image with the new ones this week and add another one if it continues next week (I will not add Friday's or Saturday's until next week, as I will be on vacation)

fredfa

03-21-06, 11:21 AM

The Business of TV
Cable TV Producers and Union Quarrel

By Richard Verrier Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 21, 2006

The chief negotiator for Hollywood studios on Monday blasted a decision by Screen Actors Guild leaders to solicit a strike authorization vote in their contract talks with producers of such basic cable TV programs as "The Closer," "The Shield" and "Nip/Tuck."

Although J. Nicholas Counter to date has not been involved in the bargaining sessions, he is the industry's top labor executive and works on behalf of the big media companies that own or are affiliated with many of the cable producers.

"We're stunned by this," he said.

SAG officials say they aren't looking to strike but want to secure a fair deal.

"The members of the Screen Actors Guild entered these negotiations in good faith and with a sincere desire to reach an equitable agreement with producers," union spokesman Seth Oster said. "That remains both our hope and goal."

Strike authorizations are not unusual and are usually granted to give negotiators more clout at the bargaining table. If endorsed by the members, an actual strike could be called only by a union national executive board or a group it designates.

The dispute comes amid larger tensions between studios and unions representing actors and writers, whose newly elected leaders have vowed to take a tougher line in negotiations.

Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said he was concerned that the cable development boded poorly for Hollywood's labor relations. He accused the guild of mischaracterizing to members the terms of the offer.

Under their current basic cable agreement, actors are paid 12% of the minimum pay for the first rerun, down to 1% for the 13th and later reruns.

Producers have offered to pay 17% for the first rerun down to 1.5%, matching the residual pay formula used by the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America.

SAG, however, contends that the offer falls short, given the dramatic growth in the cable industry.

"Actors have been waiting 16 years for an improvement to the residuals formula in a basic cable business that has seen a 500% growth over the same period," Oster said.

SAG's last strike was in 2000, when the union walked out against advertisers over pay for commercials. Writers last struck studios in 1988.

Studios have been preparing contingency plans for a possible strike. The main contracts with writers and actors expire in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-fi-sag21mar21,0,4491855,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

zebras23

03-21-06, 11:27 AM

zebras23, here is a compilation of the images:

I will update the last image with the new ones this week and add another one if it continues next week (I will not add Friday's or Saturday's until next week, as I will be on vacation)

Thanks - much nicer than my original postings - I still have stuff to learn (wait should a man admit that?). Perhaps someone will put it on the homepage. I would be surprise to learn that "Irvin" (aka Cathy's husband) is a participant in the forum.

fredfa

03-21-06, 11:33 AM

The Business of TV
Upfront Notebook: Fox, NBC Get Good Buzz at Development Meetings

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com

Fox and NBC received the most positive buzz from media buyers who attended the broadcast network development meetings last week. And while ABC and CW drew some nitpicks, all four networks were praised for plans to spare no expense toward producing programming with big-name talent aimed at drawing the largest possible audiences.

Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori had the most “strategic focus” in his presentation, according to buyers, and both NBC and Fox showed clips from some of their pilots, which added context to their plans. Buyers said ABC was less forthcoming about its shows and scheduling strategy, as was Dawn Ostroff, entertainment president for CW.

Contacted by Mediaweek late last week, ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson said he was less detailed when discussing specific shows in development because he did not want to mislead the buyers. “To me, there is an integrity to our relationship,” he said. “March is still very early in the process and we haven’t cast or shot most of our shows. A script can look great, but I have no idea how it is going to turn out. It’s a great thing to have the dialogue, but I want to be as truthful as I can.”

Liguori said Fox’s development is being coordinated with current Fox hits and how well newly developed programming will lead-in or out of those shows. For example, Liguori said, Fox dramas in development like 13 Graves or Drive could work well with current hits 24 or Prison Break, while Southern Comfort or The Wedding Album, with female leads, could mesh well with American Idol. Faceless and Beyond could be good companions to current dramas House and Bones, added Liguori.

Fox’s new sitcom, ’Til Death, starring former Everybody Loves Raymond cast member Brad Garrett, about a newlywed couple that moves next door to a long-married couple and how they interact, was well-received by buyers, even though they did not see pilot footage. Their positive reaction was based on a clip of Garrett talking about the concept of the show.

“Fox said a lot and they showed us a lot,” said Donna Speciale, president of U.S. broadcast and programming for MediaVest. “I walked out of there feeling like Fox has momentum this season and is developing things with a strategy to keep that momentum going next season.”

Speciale said Fox, like NBC, also spoke in detail about the producers of the shows in development, which she said is important because “some producers are more amenable to product integration than others and it helps for us to know this.”

NBC’s presentation took place on the set of its veteran drama Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, entertainment president Kevin Reilly alluded to the tough odds he faces in turning NBC around. The low-key sales pitch seemed to work. “I thought he was confident, but not arrogant,” said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, senior vp/director of Starcom Entertainment.

“You could tell NBC made a concerted effort to show advertisers that they will right the ship.” Reilly screened several minutes of two drama pilots: The Black Donnellys and Kidnapped. Caraccioli was impressed. “It was reminiscent of NBC of the past,” she said. “They seem to have found what their brand is.”

The Black Donnellys, set in New York City, revolves around four Irish-American brothers who enter a life of crime. The series is from Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco—the creative team behind the Oscar-winning film Crash. The two made a brief appearance at the presentation.

Kidnapped also is set in Manhattan, and concerns a wealthy couple whose son is abducted. Reilly announced the network had picked up both dramas, giving each series a 13-episode order. “You could tell NBC did not skimp on its production costs on a lot of its dramas,” Speciale said.

Reilly also trotted out the cast and creative team behind Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes-of-a-TV-show drama Studio 60 on Sunset Strip. Amid the star-studded affair, however, some advertisers reserved judgment. “All this hype is great,” said Lisa Quan, vp/associate director of broadcast research at Magna Global. “But the true test will be whether or not they can sustain interest in these programs over the course of a season.” Buyers also gave NBC a thumbs-up for talking about its cross-platform marketing opportunities. “They did a good job talking about how their digital platforms could tie into what we do in programming,” Speciale said.

ABC also discussed with buyers the criteria it is using to distribute its programming beyond television.

CW, in particular, was taken to task for its lack of discussion about a digital strategy, particularly since its target audience is viewers 18-34, perhaps the most conversant with the new media environment. “You would have expected CW to be the first ones there, not one of the last,” said Fran McCreary, senior vp/ managing partner of KLS Media.
Asked after the presentation about CW’s lack of digital plans, Ostroff said CW’s primary goal right now is finalizing its broadcast strategy, after which it could then turn toward its digital blueprint. “To put the cart before the horse and get a strategy for broadband before we’re on solid footing with the network just doesn’t make sense to me,” she said.

CW’s presentation, held on the Warner Bros. lot, was also criticized for not reflecting in its pilots Ostroff’s emphasized commitment to multi-cultural casting. CW dramas Split Decision, Palm Springs, Runaways and Aquaman all revolve around Caucasian characters. And only one of the two comedy pilots, Girlfriends spinoff The Game, featured an African American cast. “There just seemed to be a white-washing of prime time,” Caraccioli said. “And that was disappointing.”

MediaVest’s Speciale added: “They kept mentioning diversity but except for a few returning UPN shows on their schedule, I’m not sure where” it was.

Ostroff, tried to ease advertisers’ concerns, explaining that supporting casts for most of the network’s pilots will be comprised of ethnic characters. She noted that the next-door neighbors in Palm Springs are African American, for example. “We will always populate our shows with ethnic casts,” she stressed.

Harry Keeshan, executive vp of national broadcast for media agency PHD, said buyers were disappointed that CW execs did not get into more detail about how the returning shows from the WB and UPN would mesh in the schedule. “That’s what everybody was waiting to see and it was not discussed,” he noted.

Keeshan said regardless of how the presentations are rated, “It was worthwhile and beneficial for us and our clients to be there.” He added, though, that “handicapping what the networks are developing now [two months before schedules are finalized at the mid-May upfronts] is like handicapping the baseball post-season. There are just too many variables.”

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/spotlight/article_display_spot2.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002198594

fredfa

03-21-06, 12:12 PM

Monday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-21-06, 04:00 PM

Last week’s complete network average prime-time results (with demographic averages) are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-21-06, 04:54 PM

Last week’s top 10 prime-time program ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS -- the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-21-06, 05:10 PM

Monday Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Sweet bump for CBS's 'Old Christine'

Second outing up 8 percent in 18-49s over debut
By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 21, 2006

Not only has CBS finally found a comedy that can hold “Two and a Half Men’s” audience, it may have broken the “Seinfeld” curse at the same time.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ new comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” posted a 5.2 overnight rating at 9:30 p.m. last night, up 8 percent versus the 4.8 the show earned in the same timeslot last week. It was also up 33 percent over last week’s season premiere, which averaged a 3.9 in a special 8:30 p.m. airing.

“Christine” retained an impressive 95 percent of the 5.5 “Men” earned at 9 p.m., and its 15.3 million total viewers was down just 9 percent from the 16.9 million who tuned in for “Men.”

CBS has already cycled two shows through the 9:30 Monday timeslot with disappointing results. “Out of Practice” and “Courting Alex” will move to Wednesday nights tomorrow after averaging a 4.1 and a 4.2, respectively, during their post-“Men” runs.

Meanwhile, Louis-Dreyfus becomes the first “Seinfeld” alum to land on a show with some promise. She and former co-stars Jason Alexander and Michael Richards already have four failed shows between them.

Elsewhere last night, Fox’s “Prison Break” returned to the schedule with a 4.3 overnight 18-49 rating at 8 p.m., up 7 percent versus what Fox averaged in that slot over the last four weeks.

That number was down 7 percent, however, from the 4.6 the show averaged over its two-hour August premiere and off 22 percent from the 5.5 the show’s last original episode earned in November.

Also at 8 p.m., NBC’s game show “Deal or No Deal” grabbed a 5.5 rating among 18-49s, a series high and good for No. 1 in the timeslot.

CBS edged Fox for first place for the night among 18-49s with a 5.1 average rating and a 12 share. Fox was a close second at 4.9/12, NBC third at 4.1/10, ABC fourth at 3.5/9, UPN fifth at 1.2/3 and the WB sixth at 1.1/3. Last night’s ratings for Univision were unavailable.

NBC started the night in the lead with the 5.5 rating for “Deal” in the 8 p.m. timeslot. Fox followed with its 4.3 for “Prison Break” with ABC and CBS tied for third at 3.4, ABC for a repeat of “Wife Swap” and CBS for “The King of Queens” (3.5) and “How I Met Your Mother” (3.3). UPN was fifth that hour with a 1.1 for repeats of “One on One” and “All of Us,” and WB sixth with a 1.0 for “Related.”

Fox took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.5 for “24,” followed by a 5.3 for CBS for “Men” (5.5) and “Christine” (5.2). ABC was third with a 4.4 for “Supernanny,” NBC fourth with a season-best 4.2 for new dad Donald Trump and “The Apprentice,” UPN fifth with a 1.3 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “Half and Half,” and WB sixth with a 1.2 for the series finale of “Related.”

At 10 p.m. CBS took over with a 6.5 for “CSI: Miami,” the night’s highest-rated show among 18-49s. ABC was second with a 2.8 for “Miracle Workers” and NBC third with a 2.6 for a “Medium” rerun.

Among households, CBS led the night with a 9.9 average rating and a 15 share. Fox was second at 7.3/11, NBC third at 7.2/11, ABC fourth at 5.8/9, UPN fifth at 2.0/3 and WB sixth at 1.7/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3577.asp

fredfa

03-21-06, 09:39 PM

The Digital Revolution
Michigan Broadcasters Back Statewide Franchise

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 3/21/2006

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) has come out in support of bills in the Michigan House and Senate that would create a telco-friendly statewide video franchise.

Verizon, for one, has been actively pushing for statewide franchises to help it bypass time-consuming local franchise negotiations in its roll-out of video service in competition to cable. It has allies in the Bush administration, in Congress, and at the FCC, where speeding the rollout of broadband, as well as price and service competition, have put the issue of franchise reform on the front burner.

At least three states, Texas, Virginia, and Indiana, have passed some kind of state franchise reform, and national franchise reform is percolating on the Hill.

According to a copy of the House bill, Michigan would provide a statewide franchise, with a 30-day shot clock. If the application is complete, the state has 30 days to authorize the service or it will be considered de facto authorized. The bill requires the incumbent cable operators to open up their networks for interconnection with the overbuilder.

New entrants will be subject to a franchise fee where they compete with existing video service providers. It will be 5% of gross revenues, confined to cable and not to include telecommunications or information service revenues. Another 1% goes toward funding public, education and government programming (so-called PEG channels).

Incumbent cable operators will be able to secure a state franchise, too, but not until their current franchise expires, which in some cases could be many years.

A couple of broadcaster-friendly provisions in the bill include a requirement that a statewide franchise holder not "degrade" the broadcast signal it carries and one that says both TV and radio stations can request carriage (must carry), or try to negotiate retransmission-consent agreements that compensate them for carriage.

The bill contains anti red-lining language, saying a video service provider "may not deny access to service to any group of potential residential subscribers because of the income of the residents in the local area in which such group resides." But there is some wiggle room to build out the most lucrative areas first because it also says that the same provider "does not violate this section if it schedules the construction of its network and deployment of its services based on good faith projections of anticipated revenues and rates of subscription."

The bill also says that the government cannot mandate build-out or deployment timetables or requirements, which telcos argue are a barrier to entry and cable argues is insurance against cherry-picking.

Franchise holders cannot be held liable for content on public access channels, though the same does not apply to programming providers. That point was made clear recently by the Michigan courts, which upheld an indecent exposure conviction for the producer of a public access show featuring a talking penis.

The MAB, not to be confused with the NAB, is one of the largest state broadcast associations in the nation representing over 300 TV and radio stations.

"The National Association of Broadcasters supports the concept of the telephone companies getting into video," says NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton.

fredfa

03-22-06, 02:02 AM

TV Notebook
Drama approaches its 100th episode as it struggles for viewers.

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

As a forensics drama made expressly for women, NBC's "Crossing Jordan" is something of a rare duck on broadcast TV. But in May, the show will join a somewhat dubious club — that of non-hit series that somehow limp along to their 100th episodes, the typical benchmark for syndication-worthy hit status and all the riches it brings.

"Jordan's" 100th will be the May 7 season finale, and given the show's recent ratings, we wonder whether it might serve as the series finale as well. On Sunday, "Jordan" ebbed to its lowest-ever numbers, a 2.8 rating/7 share among ages 18 to 49, with 10.1 million total viewers, according to early figures from Nielsen Media Research. Given that NBC is already punting "The West Wing" at the end of the season, it may be time to reconsider "Jordan" as well.

An NBC spokeswoman says there's nothing unusual about the fact that the network hasn't yet ordered any new episodes of the Jill Hennessy drama for the 2006-07 season. On the other hand, network executives like to give early renewals to series that are humming along and building, or at least keeping, an audience. "Jordan" clearly isn't.

The main culprit behind "Jordan's" decline is ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," which did a 9.3 rating/23 share (21.1 million total viewers) on Sunday. "Grey's" numbers have wafted downward a bit since a post-Super Bowl berth last month gave the series a critical boost. But it's still the most-watched show on one of TV's most-important nights. And with "Grey's" strong female appeal, it has tossed about "Jordan" like china against a brick wall.

"Jordan's" main hope would be if ABC moves "Grey's" to another night. Otherwise, the message to NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly is clear: Move it or lose it..

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-channel21mar21,0,662237,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

bgooch

03-22-06, 06:16 AM

AT&T chief, FCC chair clarify on Net neutrality

By Marguerite Reardon
http://news.com.com/AT38T+chief%2C+FCC+chair+clarify+on+Net+neutrality/2100-1034_3-6052239.html

Story last modified Tue Mar 21 16:47:52 PST 2006

LAS VEGAS--AT&T CEO Edward Whitacre, whose comments initially ignited the debate over whether new laws were needed to preserve network neutrality, said here on Tuesday that fears his company and other big network providers would block traffic on their networks are overblown.

"Any provider that blocks access to content is inviting customers to find another provider," he said. "And that's just bad business."

The issue of Net neutrality, which centers on whether carriers should be able to charge different fees to content providers who access their network, bubbled to the surface during Whitacre's opening keynote address at the TelecomNext trade show here on Tuesday. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin also addressed the issue during his portion of the keynote.

Whitacre, who had been quoted in news reports as saying he didn't think companies such as Google should be given a "free ride" on his network, clarified his position on the subject by saying that AT&T had no intention of making any content unavailable to consumers.

"AT&T will not block or degrade traffic, period," he said. "And we won't change (our position) no matter what sky-is-falling rhetoric you hear. Markets work best when consumers have choices."

Speculation that the two biggest phone companies in the country, AT&T and Verizon Communications, are planning to create a tiered Internet system that would require big bandwidth hogs like Google or Yahoo to pay more for their access has become a hot-button issue in the tech industry.

Whitacre said bandwidth-intensive applications have forced his company to continually upgrade its network to accommodate demand. Last year alone, he said, AT&T spent $11.5 billion on capital expenditures for its wireline network, as well as for upgrades to Cingular Wireless, in which AT&T has a 60 percent stake.

Video (available from link): Phone companies gather at TelecomNext, Las Vegas
Telecom bosses say customer is real boss now.

Charging content providers to differentiate their services on the AT&T network would simply help AT&T find a commercial solution to the problem, he said.

But some people fear that AT&T and other network operators, such as Verizon Communications, may abuse their control of the network. While they may not block traffic outright, they could limit the available bandwidth to degrade the service of competitors or companies choosing not to pay extra fees to enhance their service.

These critics support legislation that would make it illegal for phone companies and cable operators to degrade traffic or give priority to traffic at the expense of other Internet content.

Kevin Martin, the FCC chairman, said during his portion of the keynote address that he believes the FCC's existing principles are sufficient to address problems that may arise should network operators block traffic.

"I think the FCC has authority to act," he said. "And it has done so in the past."

Martin also said he supports the right for network operators to differentiate their networks and prioritize traffic on their networks.

"We need to make sure we have a regulatory environment (in which network operators) can invest in the network and can recoup their costs," he said.

http://news.com.com/2102-1034_3-6052239.html?tag=st.util.print

Xesdeeni

03-22-06, 09:56 AM

A while back, I read that this thread is read by a few of reviewers and other potentially influencial types. In the fruitless hope that anything posted here will somehow actually make it to someone who cares, please pardon me while I vent:

I was so happy when they moved My Name Is Earl and The Office from Tuesday to Thursday, even though they will be against CSI. On Tuesday, they were up against House and Supernatural, giving me one more show than I could record and watch in HD.

But then WB goes and moves Supernatural to Thursday, too! So the problem has just shifted to Thursdays. CSI and Supernatural just beg to be seen in HD, and My Name Is Earl has HD easter eggs!

Damnit! All those times when none of the networks have anything on I care to see (hint: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday @ 7:00 CT plus Saturday), and they stack up three shows I really want to watch at the same time!

The least WB could do is repeat Supernatural in their Sunday afternoon repeat block. They did this for a while when things were stacked on Tuesday, but after I e-mailed to thank them for doing this, they promptly dropped Supernatural from the repeat block. So much for positive feedback.

Xesdeeni

Marcus Carr

03-22-06, 10:00 AM

Whitacre: Cable Price Hikes Over

By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld 3/21/2006 6:48:00 PM

Las Vegas -- AT&T Inc. said it expects that cable-television companies “almost certainly” will not be able to raise prices once it enters the market with its infinite-channel television service.

That service -- which relies on Internet communication protocols and is scheduled to reach 18 million households over the next two years -- “will change the game for consumers,” chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre said Tuesday at the TelecomNEXT conference here.

“For one thing, it will offer a better video service than today’s cable -- more features, more functionality, more capability,” Whitacre said. “For another, it will almost certainly result in lower prices by cable television. And that is an experience few people have enjoyed.”

Since 2000, the average price of telephone services in this country has dropped 22%, Whitacre said, adding that by contrast, cable rates increased 32%. “That’s about to change,” he said. And he appeared to have the backing of Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin on the premise.

Martin, speaking on the same stage about one hour later, specifically noted that rates for cable television have gone up since the enactment of the 1996 Telecommunications Act while rates for local, long-distance and wireless phone services have all dropped.

“Rates for cable television have steadily grown higher since the Telecommunications Act has been in place, while the rates in every other area of telecommunications have declined,” he said. As a result, the commission will try to address ways to reduce barriers to entry, with “some reasonable limitations” that could be put around what “local franchising authorities can require as new competitors” try to enter new towns or cities across the country.

Martin said he hopes the FCC will address what those “limitations” might be sometime this year. “Trying to make sure that competitive barriers are lowered and that new service providers can come in and provide a competitive alternative is critical and is one of the most important things that the commission can do,” he added.

He specifically cited telephone companies, which could get into the provision of multichannel-video services “by the advent of new technologies like IPTV,” the Internet-protocol-based type of television services AT&T is implementing nationwide.

Whitacre had already called for franchise reform, calling current regulations a “relic of another era.”

“New entrants into the video market should not have to be burdened by rules for legacy providers, just as new entrants to the telecom market, like cable companies, were not,” he said.

If AT&T proceeded with one new franchise agreement every business day, it would take the company more than six years to provide TV service to all of its customers, he said, adding, “People want more choice and they want it now.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6317613.html?display=Breaking+News

RockyF

03-22-06, 10:24 AM

Quote: "Jordan's" main hope would be if ABC moves "Grey's" to another night. Otherwise, the message to NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly is clear: Move it or lose it..

I'm not a Crossing Jordan watcher, but I had to point out something that Scott Collins missed in his article. If the show is renewed for next year, it will not be up against Grey's Anatomy at 10 pm on Sunday, because NBC will have Sunday Night Football there. Now, I suppose they could hold the show back until January, and put it back in the slot, but I doubt that will be the case.

fredfa

03-22-06, 10:31 AM

The TV Column
Winners and Losers

By Lisa de Moraes Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, March 22, 2006; C07

March Madness host CBS won the week, though hoops play cost it first place on Thursday.

Here's a look at the week's baskets and air balls:

WINNERS

"American Inventor." New poster child for the disconnect between critics and viewers. Virtually every critic panned Simon Cowell's ABC reality series, but it clocked more than 14 million viewers anyway, comparable to the kickoffs of "Survivor" and "American Idol." ABC won the night, and ABC never wins Thursday without sports, unless it's showing Michael Jackson chatting with Martin Bashir about spending the night with little boys in his bed. Bet CBS feels foolish now, dumping Thursday's "Survivor," "CSI" and "Without a Trace" for single-digit March Madness crowds.

"The New Adventures of Old Christine." Julia Louis-Dreyfus's new CBS sitcom bagged more than 15 million viewers -- the best number out of "2.5 Men" this season. "Seinfeld" curse over.

"The Unit." New CBS military drama shows signs of "American Idol"-proof-ness, losing only about half a million viewers from Week 1, even though Fox's "Idol" showed up in its time slot the second week.

"South Park." Internecine kerfuffle between Viacom divisions and Scientology contract laborers brought boffo audience to repeat of Scientology spoof episode Wednesday night. Only Comedy Central didn't run it, disappointing, no doubt, the nearly 2 million who'd showed up.

"Bones." Fox crime drama posted a bigger audience airing right before "American Idol" Wednesday than it had the previous week immediately after "Idol."

"Big Love." HBO's new post-"Sopranos" series climbed from 2.5 million to 3.4 million viewers for its Sunday 10 p.m. telecast, despite the slight week-to-week slide of "Sopranos," from 9.5 million to 9.2 mil.

"John Edward Cross Country." Made-for-TV psychic's road show clocked 466,000 viewers Friday, besting the second-season launch of "Bridezillas" and the "American Princess" premiere to become WE's biggest original series launch ever.

"The Simpsons." Fox has okayed 18th and 19th seasons of the longest-running entertainment series now on the air, meaning we will see a 400th episode in May '07.

"King of the Hill." Fox pulled a "never mind" on shuttering this animated Sunday series, after ratings rebounded, and has ordered an 11th season.

LOSERS

"Survivor: A Closer Look." "Survivor" clip jobs tends to get smaller crowds than competition episodes, and Wednesday's was no exception, scoring just 12.7 million viewers . It was the third smallest audience for the "Survivor" franchise, behind only clip jobs on "Survivor: Thailand" and "Survivor: Marquesas."

"The Loop." For 24 hours, "The Loop" looked hot, unveiling as it did following "American Idol" with a hefty 13.7 million tuned in. The next night, when it settled into its regular Thursday time slot, only 4.8 million came back. That's a 65 percent audience loss, folks.

"The O.C." Last week, the so-over latter-day "90210" delivered its smallest ratings ever for an original episode among younger viewers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101638_pf.html

fredfa

03-22-06, 10:57 AM

Ratings Notes
Week takes inventive turn

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Christine shines. The premiere of CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine averaged 12.4 million viewers in a special preview, climbing to 15.1 million in its regular time slot later Monday. The show won its slot and held more of Two and a Half Men's lead-in audience than Out of Practice or Courting Alex, which return tonight.

•Bright idea. The Idol-style American Inventor, produced by Simon Cowell, opened strongly with 14.1 million viewers, helped by weaker competition from CBS, which pre-empted its top lineup for the NCAA basketball tournament. The two-hour premiere handed ABC its first Thursday win since airing a Michael Jackson documentary in February 2003.

•Good news, bad news. Fox's latest Idol companion, new sitcom The Loop, premiered with 13.7 million viewers Wednesday, the best comedy premiere to follow Idol in three years. But when it settled into its regular slot the next night, behind That '70s Show, The Loop spiraled south by 65%, to a weak 4.8 million.

•Week 2 wobbles. In other sophomore slumps, ABC's improvised comedy Sons & Daughters, facing American Idol for the first time Tuesday, dropped 36% in its second week of twin episodes, from 8 million to 5.1 million viewers. And FX's Black. White., which rode a wave of publicity to a 4-million-viewer premiere, sunk 59% in Week 2, to 1.7 million.

•Grappling woes. NBC's return to wrestling with WWE Saturday Night Main Event ranked fourth with 5.2 million, not far from the audience much-smaller UPN gets for WWE Smackdown. But Friday's Conviction, the latest from Law & Order producer Dick Wolf, was a bright spot. With CBS' Numb3rs out of the equation, the crime series climbed to an OK 9.1 million from the disappointing 7.7-million-viewer premiere.

•Sopranos settles. HBO's The Sopranos held most of its reduced but still potent Sunday audience, dropping from 9.5 million last week to 9.2 million Sunday against a Desperate Housewives repeat. Not so for new drama Big Love, which fell to 3.4 million from 4.6 million.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-21-nielsen-analysis_x.htm

fredfa

03-22-06, 11:42 AM

Ratings Notes
A so-long to 'Invasion,' likely for good

ABC's alien spooker never won over viewers
By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 22, 2006

After the first-year success of “Lost,” the networks scrambled to come up with shows featuring the same supernatural vein, with four rolling out their own version of the hot new genre.

But most of those new shows quickly fizzled out. Now, holdout “Invasion” from ABC is teetering toward the same fate.

Starting this week, “Invasion” will go on a brief hiatus to make room for ABC’s new crime drama “The Evidence.” The network has already said that it will bring the show back in April to finish off the season, but that could change if “Evidence” catches with viewers. And even if "Invasion” returns, it will be brief. Its chances for a second season are slim.

“A few of them have long gone, and I see ‘Invasion’ unfortunately going in that direction,” says MediaCom broadcast research director Jordan Breslow, referring to the flush of "Lost" wannabes. “Based off of strictly ratings performance, it will not be coming back.”

"Invasion" routinely loses a sizable chunk of its lead-in audience. Over the last four weeks, “Invasion” averaged a 3.1 18-49 rating, down 40 percent from “Lost’s” 5.2. And that included two weeks of repeats for “Lost” versus all original episodes of “Invasion.”

The show also routinely lags behind its Wednesday 10 p.m. competition. Last week’s original episode averaged a 2.6 to place third behind CBS’s “CSI: NY” and NBC’s “Law & Order”—both in reruns.

But perhaps more troubling is the fact that the show never really caught on with viewers. In airing “Invasion” after “Lost,” the thinking was that the latter’s audience would be most receptive to the new show. It turns out that it was not so, despite an initial bump.

The reason could simply be the show’s fantastical premise: a hurricane followed by an invasion of aliens. As Media Life critic TV Steven Rosen wrote at the time it debuted, “The fiction of ‘Invasion’ feels so exploitive and phony-baloney that it’s impossible to suspend disbelief and buy into the show.”

But the genre did produce one successful show this season, the younger-skewing “Supernatural” on WB. Unlike “Invasion,” NBC’s “Surface” and CBS’s “Threshold,” “Supernatural” narrowly targets its audience with urban legend-type stories that change weekly. The show will likely make the jump to the emerging CW’s schedule this fall.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3602.asp

fredfa

03-22-06, 12:21 PM

Tuesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-22-06, 12:22 PM

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, March 22, 2006, Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
National Ratings in Primetime: Week of March 13-19, 2006

CBS and Fox remained in the winner’s circle for the week of March 13, with the Eye net No. 1 in households and total viewers and the home of American Idol first demographically. CBS, which featured three nights (Thursday through Saturday) of the consistent NCAA Basketball Tournament, came in close to comparable year-ago levels, while Fox was up by as much as 21 percent. Although ABC did not air original episodes of Desperate Housewives or Lost, the alphabet net still managed to finish the week in the No. 3 spot (tied with NBC in households), while NBC was fourth in total viewers and the three surveyed demo groups despite the ongoing success of twice weekly Deal or No Deal. ABC was up year-to-year by margins of 9 to 29 percent, while NBC suffered minor single-digit losses.

UPN capped off the week in the No. 5 spot, down as much as 15 percent, while last-place the WB experienced erosion of 9 to 14 cent. Will the combination of two negatives equal a positive on The CW next season?

In new series news, the two episode debut of CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine was amply sampled, with the Monday 8:30 p.m. preview at 12.36 million viewers (#19 overall) and a 3.8/10 among adults 18-49 (tied for No. 28), and the regularly scheduled Monday 9:30 p.m. telecast debuting at a hefty 15.09 million viewers (#11) and a 4.8/11 among adults 18-49 (#14). Comparably, retention out of Two and a Half Men at 9 p.m. (see Top 20 Rated Programs of the week below) was a solid 87 percent in total viewers and 91 percent among adults 18-49. That’s a positive start for Old Christine.

Also worth positively noting on CBS was week two of breakout military drama hit The Unit, with a whopping 18.06 million viewers (#5) and a 4.9/11 among adults 18-49 (#13) in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour out of one of the fastest growing shows in primetime, NCIS.

Over at ABC, the two-hour debut of Thursday’s American Inventor (which aired opposite CBS’ ongoing NCAA Basketball Tournament instead of the regularly scheduled Survivor Panama – Exile Island and CSI) kicked off with a solid 14.15 million viewers (#13) and a 5.4/15 among adults 18-49 (#9) from 8-10 p.m. Also at ABC was week one of the non-scripted Miracle Workers, which fit well initially out of Supernanny in the Monday 10 p.m. hour with 9.09 million viewers (#45) and a 3.7/ 9 (#31t) before plummeting this past Monday. Opposite American Idol, recently introduced ABC sitcom Sons & Daughters is already waiting for the axe to swing, with 5.38 million viewers (#82) and a 1.8/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#86t) Tuesday at 9 p.m., and 4.91 million viewers (#88) and a 1.9/ 4 (#83t) in the demo Tuesday at 9:30 p.m.

Although a preview out of American Idol on Wednesday gave Fox’s The Loop plenty of sampling, the sitcom was DOA in its regularly scheduled Thursday 8:30 p.m. time period. Take a look:

The Loop (Fox)
Wednesday 9:30 p.m. (preview)
Viewers: 13.70 million (#16)
A18-49: 6.5/16 (#4)

Thursday 8:30 p.m. (time period premiere)
Viewers: 4.75 million (#91)
A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#79t)

Also disappointing at Fox was week two of Sunday 9:30 p.m. sitcom Free Ride, at a mere 5.29 million viewers (#83) and a 3.0/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#48t).

Over at NBC, week two of Friday 10 p.m. drama Conviction could be better/could be worse at 9.11 million viewers (#44) and a 3.0/ 9 (#48t) among adults 18-49. Retention out of relocated lead-in Las Vegas (Viewers: #35, 10.18 million; A18-49: #43t, 3.3/10) was a compatible 89 percent in total viewers and 91 percent among adults 18-49. WB sitcom Modern Men was left at the Friday starting gate, meanwhile, with a mere 2.62 million viewers (#102) and a1.1/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#100t). Lead-in Reba, which has already been guaranteed a place at upcoming The CW, scored a considerably higher 3.65 million viewers (#94) and a 1.4/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#93).

Here are the final national ratings for the week of March 13, 2006 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses).

Households:
CBS: 7.9/13 (+ 3)
Fox: 7.0/11 (+17)
ABC: 6.0/10 (+ 9)
NBC: 6.0/10 (- 6)
UPN: 2.0/ 3 (- 9)
WB: 1.6/ 2 (-11)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.22 million (+ 2)
Fox: 11.64 (+19)
ABC: 9.35 (+14)
NBC: 9.05 (- 3)
UPN: 2.95 (- 9)
WB: 2.33 (-14)

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 4.9/13 (+20)
CBS: 3.9/11 (- 3)
ABC: 3.4/ 9 (+17)
NBC: 3.1/ 8 (- 3)
UPN: 1.2/ 3 (- 8)
WB: 1.0/ 3 (- 9)

Adults 25-54:
Fox: 5.3/13 (+20)
CBS: 4.8/12 (no change)
ABC: 4.0/10 (+18)
NBC: 3.7/ 9 (- 3)
UPN: 1.1/ 3 (-15)
WB: 1.0/ 2 (- 9)

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 4.6/14 (+21)
CBS: 3.0/ 9 (- 6)
ABC: 2.7/ 8 (+29)
NBC: 2.5/ 8 (- 4)
UPN: 1.4/ 4 (no change)
WB: 1.0/ 3 (- 9)

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

AFH

03-22-06, 02:52 PM

David_Levin

03-22-06, 03:12 PM

Christine & The Loop

Guess I always have to buck the trend. This way, shows that I like are sure to be cancelled.

I only lasted 15 minutes with Christine. I thought the humor seemed like the same stale and overused material we're used to seeing (now the words "Master of Your Domain" still never fail the bring a smile to my face).

On the other hand I rather liked "The Loop". The board presentation for "Jack Air" also still brings a smile to my face.

Hmmm, I guess I just like dirty humor over jokes from some smart-ass kid that really needs a bar of soap in the mouth.

RussTC3

03-22-06, 04:32 PM

Ok, I have to be missing something. Lisa de Moraes' "Winners and Loser" says that "Big Love" HBO's new post-"Sopranos" series climbed from 2.5 million to 3.4 million viewers for its Sunday 10 p.m. telecast.

Gary Levin of USA Today says: Not so for new drama Big Love, which fell to 3.4 million from 4.6 million.

Who is right?
Gary Levin. It did indeed drop from 4.6 to 3.4. Not sure what the heck Lisa was looking at. Maybe the first repeat of "Big Love"? You'd think they would research these things though.

Still though, 3.4M viewers for HBO seems pretty good to me. I mean, it had the second highest coverage rating, by far, behind only The Sopranos.

Is there a way to find out prime time cable ratings? I'm curious to find out how Doctor Who fares. Only time I have seen overnight prime time ratings is with pro wrestling.
Seen this posted on another forum:

1x01 - "Rose" - 1.58 Million
1x02 - "The End of the World" - 1.61 Million

The repeats at 11PM and 12AM each had .78 Million

fredfa

03-22-06, 04:59 PM

Thanks Russ for the clarifications.
It is always possible that any TV writer, even Lisa, misses on occasion.

AFH

03-22-06, 05:49 PM

Thanks Russ for the clarification.

SnakeEyes

03-22-06, 06:04 PM

Seen this posted on another forum:

1x01 - "Rose" - 1.58 Million
1x02 - "The End of the World" - 1.61 Million

The repeats at 11PM and 12AM each had .78 Million

So an increase from episode one to episode two during the first airing. And roughly 50% of the initial airing total on the repeats which held steady from episode one to episode two. Good pattern there. Now the question I have to ask would be is how does 1.58 million compare to other Sci-Fi channel shows.

Thanks for passing these along.

fredfa

03-22-06, 06:24 PM

TV Notebook
ABC's May 'Anatomy': Net boosts sweep sked

”Four Kings” Yanked by NBC
By Josef Adalian Variety.com

"Grey's Anatomy" is moving to Monday nights -- at least for a week.

Separately, NBC seems to have pulled the plug on struggling sitcom "Four Kings," yanking the skein from its sked effective immediately.

As for "Grey's," in a bid to maximize its hottest hit, Alphabet will air "Grey's" second-season finale as a three-hour, two-night event on May 14-15. First hour will air in the skein's regular 10 p.m. Sunday slot, while the final two hours will air Monday, May 15, from 9-11 p.m.

Scheduling is part of a larger effort by ABC to sprint to the end of the season by serving up two-hour finales of its biggest shows, including "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

In the case of "Grey's," scheduling could also be something of an experiment to test how the hit medical drama performs on another night and without a "Housewives" lead-in. Not so coincidentally, ABC will announce its 2006-07 schedule to advertisers the day after "Grey's" season-ender.

Bader wouldn't talk about ABC's fall schedule plans. As for the supersized finales, he said the net is building on a strategy it began last year when it expanded the final segs of "Lost" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

"We wanted to make big events out of our finales," he said, noting that when ABC had a slew of top comedies on the air back in the 1990s, it regularly expanded those finales to an hour.

"We're trying to make a bigger splash," Bader added.

With "Grey's," net had 27 episodes to air this season and needed to squeeze an extra seg into the May sweeps. Bader said airing the finale over two nights effectively turned the final segs into a miniseries of sorts.

Fox uses a similar two-night strategy to launch each new season of "24."

ABC's two-hour finale fest continues May 16 with the wrap-up of "Boston Legal" and May 19 with the season swan song for "America's Funniest Home Videos." Both "Makeover" and "Housewives" will end their seasons on May 21.

Last three days of the season will boast the series sign-off for "Alias" (Monday, May 22) and the sophomore season-ender of "Lost" (Wednesday, May 24).

ABC's other sweeps scheduling includes the Stephen King pic "Desperation" on Thursday, May 18 (8-11 p.m.) and the season finale of "Invasion" on May 17.

To help drum up interest in "Invasion," net will air a 10-hour marathon of the show on sister cabler ABC Family on April 15.

Over at NBC, net has said it was pulling this week's "Four Kings" in favor of a "My Name Is Earl" repeat. "Earl" reruns are expected to stay in the timeslot for the next few weeks.

Peacock sked play is no surprise. "Kings" took a big dip from its "Will & Grace" lead-in last week, helping drive down ratings for an original "Earl" at 9.

While NBC won't officially say that "Kings" has been permanently dethroned, it seems unlikely the show will return before summer, and a second-season pickup seems a long shot.

Elsewhere, Peacock continues adding more hours of hot quizzer "Deal or No Deal." Net will expand the show to two hours on Monday, April 2 -- the same night as the NCAA finals. "The Apprentice" shifts to 10 p.m. that night.

NBC has already added a few Wednesday runs of "Deal" to its sked.

tkmedia2

03-22-06, 06:29 PM

I had a hard time watching Christine as well. Seems very dull. The Loop not a bad show, not a great show either based on 2 episodes I watched. This show can be improved! Now Free Ride what a POS!:D I tried watching the first 2 episodes and the super quick editing drove me bonkers!! I dont care about any of the character at all!

RussTC3

03-22-06, 07:06 PM

So an increase from episode one to episode two during the first airing. And roughly 50% of the initial airing total on the repeats which held steady from episode one to episode two. Good pattern there. Now the question I have to ask would be is how does 1.58 million compare to other Sci-Fi channel shows.

Thanks for passing these along.
A good way to base it's performance would be to look at how well the season finale for Battlestar Galactica did. It had 2.1M. So lower, but acceptable to Sci Fi I would imagine. They're paying a much lower fee to run Who (2005) than they are to carry SG-1, SG-A and BSG.

fredfa

03-23-06, 01:40 AM

The 2006-2007 TV Season
Here's what you could be watching next season

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

It's pilot season in Hollywood, when 100 new projects for next season compete for the affections of network programmers — and a slot on their fall schedules.

Unlike last year, when Lost sparked a wave of sci-fi-tinged mysteries (Threshold, Surface, Invasion), there are fewer obvious inspirations. But Lost and 24 have emboldened networks to take more risks with serialized story lines, flashbacks and high-stakes thrillers.

CBS, already well-stocked with procedural crime shows, has none in development. ABC, with several hit dramas, is most in need of comedies. Fox is targeting development around the American Idol calendar, seeking companions for returning hits such as House, 24 and Prison Break.

And NBC is looking for, well, just about everything: More offbeat comedies in the vein of My Name Is Earl and a few "forward-thinking dramas," says programming chief Kevin Reilly. "We're reaching a little more ambitiously."

Often, the emphasis is on strong characters as opposed to crime-solving plot twists. New CBS projects are "digging deeper into relationships, and exploring and exploiting what connects us to one another," says entertainment chief Nina Tassler. Her ABC counterpart, Steve McPherson, says viewers have "fallen in love with the McDreamys, Matt Foxes, Ty Penningtons" of the network. "That's our core audience driver, in whatever (genre) we're doing."

Perhaps one in every four of the 100 pilots being readied for fall will get the go-ahead come May, when five broadcast networks — including the new CW, which replaces UPN and WB — announce their new schedules to advertisers.

Already picked up is NBC's The Black Donnellys, from the team behind Oscar-winning Crash, about four Irish brothers who turn from boys to mobsters in New York. CBS won a bidding war for The Class, a comedy from Friends co-creator David Crane, so it has a strong shot. With an ensemble class led by Jason Ritter, it's about a third-grade class reunited after 20 years when one member proposes to another, changing the lives of others.

"There seemed to be a lot of focus on government and political themes," says Starcom Media's Tom Weeks. And though it's often the case, he says this year the networks found more "big-name" talent familiar to TV viewers: Matthew Perry, John Lithgow, Dylan McDermott, Calista Flockhart, Angie Harmon, David James Elliott, James Woods, Ted Danson, Blair Underwood and Kim Cattrall, among others, are featured in new pilots.

In scheduling adjustments, NBC airs NFL games on Sundays this fall, knocking out a night of programming, while ABC will get Mondays back, a possible new home for Grey's Anatomy. CBS is likely to drop its Sunday movie.

A look at other trends:

•Superheroes. CW, already inheriting WB's Smallville, has Aquaman, based on the DC Comics series. CBS' Ultra, based on another comic-book character, finds its heroine adapting to her special powers. And NBC has its own Heroes, about regular folks who wake with superpowers and save mankind.

•Conspiracy theories. NBC's Kidnapped —already picked up for next season — is, like 24, a "ticking clock" serial thriller starring Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany as a wealthy Manhattan couple whose teenage son is abducted. In ABC's Twenty Questions, an intelligence analyst is drawn into a conspiracy when he witnesses the death of a Syrian diplomat, while the network's Sixty Minute Man has a suburban dad (JAG's Elliott) who loses his memory in another plot.

•Life after Raymond Ray Romano is still sitting it out, but Everybody Loves Raymond co-star Brad Garrett stars in Fox pilot 'Til Death, as a long-suffering married man who is neighbors with idealistic newlyweds; Patricia Heaton leads an untitled ABC sitcom as a recent widow; and Fred Willard is in Play Nice, a CBS comedy about a family toy business from Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal.

•Ready for prime-time players. NBC has two competing pilots centering on behind-the-scenes doings at a fictionalized version of Saturday Night Live: SNL's Tina Fey is behind one untitled comedy starring Fey, Rachel Dratch, Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin; West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a top fall contender, is a drama about two hotshot producers (Friends' Perry and Wing's Bradley Whitford) battling to save their troubled late-night show against a "headstrong" network chief (Amanda Peet).

•Small-town blues. CBS' apocalyptic drama Jericho (Skeet Ulrich, Gerald McRaney) centers on a Kansas town that weathers a nuclear holocaust. ABC has three series set in rural burgs, including A House Divided, with McDermott, and Secrets of a Small Town, a murder mystery that stars Harmon.

•Wedding crashers. ABC comedy A Day in the Life spends an entire season on a single wedding day, as each episode captures the perspective of a participant. Fox's The Wedding Album is an anthology series about a "serial bachelor" who's an in-demand photographer and the couples he meets, while The Worst Week of My Life homes in on the bumpy road to the altar for a guy and his rich fiancée. And wedding parties bond new friends on NBC's The Singles Table.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-22-tv-pilots-big-stars_x.htm

bgooch

03-23-06, 01:43 AM

Comcast, TW: We Sought No Adelphia Deferral

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/22/2006 3:31:00 PM

Comcast and Time Warner have told the FCC's General Counsel that they have not asked the commission to "defer action" on their planned acquisition of Adelphia or "expressed a preference for a date by which they hope the proceeding will be resolved."

The companies did say they had provided "periodic updates to the Commission on the status of the [Adelphia] bankruptcy process, the conclusion of which is a prerequisite to closing the Adelphia transactions."

The letter was prompted by one to the general counsel by Media Access Project Monday asking GC Robert Feder to look into possible violations of ex parte rules.

That MAP letter, in turn, stemmed from a press conference in which FCC Chairman Kevin Martin talked to reporters about a variety of subjects. MAP cited a number of press accounts, including B&C's (which it quoted), reporting that Martin "implied that he had been asked to defer action on the Adelphia matter at the request of certain parties." If so, said, MAP, that should have been disclosed it as an ex parte communication.

B&C 's characterization that Martin suggested the delay in the merger decision "was the product of conversation with the parties involved" stemmed from the following exchange:

Reporter: "The Adelphia deal with Comcast and Time Warner. I think the clock is up to over 250 in terms of the days of review. What makes this deal harder to work through than, say the bigger mergers, uh, the telecom mergers of last year? Is there just not a consensus among the commissioners to get the order out the door and you need a fifth? What's the hold-up here?"

Martin: "I don't talk about the details or the individual merits of any of the proceedings that are in front of us.

"But the commission has had a variety of transactions that we dealt with last year. And we're going to have additional transactions we're dealing with this year, and some of those that are in front of us. And in each case, we work closely with the parties that are in front of us on the timing of when, you know, of how important it is to try to get it through to the parties themselves and I think that we work very closely with the parties to try to be responsive to their concerns and the time frames they end up having."

Time Warner and Comcast in their letter called MAP's request for an investigation "reckless" and based on "flimsy factual underpinning." They cite B&C's report as the sole basis for the MAP claim, though MAP's Andrew Schwartzman, who wrote the FCC, said it was based on several similar accounts.

The FCC is in day 291 of its review of the merger of Adelphia and currently has a split commission, two Republicans and two Democrats, as it has had for the last year.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6318093.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

03-23-06, 01:50 AM

Based on the USA Today article, next season -- so far at least -- looks pretty grim.

bgooch

03-23-06, 01:50 AM

Installing their battle lines

Telephone, cable firms fought over TV service in Texas - now, the fight's in Washington

09:27 PM CST on Wednesday, March 22, 2006

By SUDEEP REDDY / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – A battle pitting cable providers against phone companies is heating up in Congress, promising a national repeat of the Texas Legislature's fight over video competition.

And the debate in Washington is becoming just as acrimonious as last summer's war in Austin.

Most lawmakers agree on the goal: giving consumers more choice for their pay-television services and spurring the deployment of advanced broadband Internet lines.

But once again, a tussle with billions of dollars at stake has drawn powerful interests, including the two largest phone companies and a cable industry already under attack from satellite TV.

Last August, Texas became the first state to revamp franchising rules, lending support to efforts by AT&T Inc., then called SBC Communications, and Verizon Communications Inc., to invest across the state.

The law lets new providers apply for statewide franchises for video service, bypassing the city-by-city model the cable industry has used for decades. Virginia and Indiana have recently followed suit with their own versions.

"Texas is a great model," said Dorothy Attwood, senior vice president of regulatory planning and policy for San Antonio-based AT&T.

"It's proven to be a bellwether for the kinds of reform that Congress is talking about now."

Texas is also becoming a laboratory for the companies as they compete with the cable industry in offering packaged voice, data and television services.
New services

Verizon's fiber-optic TV offering, FiOS, debuted in Keller last September and has taken 30 percent of the market. AT&T is rolling out its Project Lightspeed TV service in San Antonio this summer.

Cable companies say the phone giants don't need help from lawmakers to get bigger. They're lobbying to derail the process, raising many of the same charges that were fought over in Texas.

"This is clearly a sweetheart deal for an industry that doesn't deserve a special break and a competitive advantage over anybody, let alone the cable industry," said Kyle McSlarrow, president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

Several proposals under consideration in Washington would give cable companies more equal footing and could supersede the Texas legislation that was more favorable to the phone giants.

The phone industry's success in Washington may prove even more difficult in an election year, despite the strong support of Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, who is leading House negotiations.

Mr. Barton told a Consumer Electronics Association conference last week that members are close to a compromise. A draft of legislation is expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Potential delays

Still, election-year politics may get in the way.

Even if the House could quickly pass a bill, leaders in the Senate are likely to try tacking on other controversial issues.

Lawmakers have been weighing several changes to the 1996 telecom act that sought to bring competition to the phone industry. But many want to avoid alienating voters with divisive issues before the fall elections, said Kevin Book, a senior policy analyst at investment bank Friedman Billings Ramsey.

"You might be able to get a franchise bill in an ordinary year, but not in an election year," Mr. Book said. "You're going to be forced in an environment like this one to see something that has perfect consensus."

Some basic details create roadblocks. One proposal would give cable providers the same rights to sweeping franchises – rather than the city-by-city approach – after phone companies have gained a 15 percent market share.

"It is patently unfair and it contradicts letting the free market work," said Todd Baxter, general counsel for the Texas Cable & Telecommunications Association, which has filed federal and state lawsuits over the state franchising law.

Mr. Baxter served in the state Legislature last year before stepping down in the fall to become a cable industry lobbyist. As a House member, he tried unsuccessfully to offer amendments during floor debate – in the Legislature's second special session – that would have given cable companies the same provisions on their franchises that phone companies would receive.

Other competitors

Cable companies say they've already lost a third of their market to satellite TV providers, a sign of strong competition despite gripes about rising cable rates. The industry says it simply wants equal treatment.

"If you trust the market, you let the consumers pick winners and losers rather than the government doing so," Mr. Baxter said.

In Congress, lawmakers such as Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., are pressing for similar provisions for all providers.

Some lawmakers are pushing for build-out provisions that would force the new video providers to serve entire communities. Consumer groups have raised fears that some parts of a service area – those that are less affluent – could be ignored by new entrants in search of the most profitable customers.

For the phone companies, the key element is speed. Verizon says franchise negotiations can take as much as two years, delaying the deployment to new consumers.

"If we're forced to build out 100 percent in every market we go in, that'll just slow us down in terms of getting competition on a national level," said Michael McKeehan, Verizon's director of Internet and technology policy.
FCC hearing

The Federal Communications Commission is evaluating the national franchising concept and held a hearing last month in Keller on video competition.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said he supported requiring municipalities to grant or deny franchises in a specified period. "I do think that there's some reasonable time limit" to impose, Mr. Martin said.

Ms. Attwood of AT&T said the message of new products and lower prices will resonate in Washington just as it did in Austin.

"Consumers understood that argument, and it was a powerful argument," she said. "You're seeing prices drop. You're seeing a tremendous amount of investment, because there's a glide path and a desire to serve customers."

E-mail sreddy@dallasnews.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/032306dnbustelecom.d0b1df6.html

keenan

03-23-06, 03:38 AM

Based on the USA Today article, next season -- so far at least -- looks pretty grim.
You ain't kiddin'.

fredfa

03-23-06, 09:34 AM

TV Notebook
Still no 'Development' in Showtime's future

By Ray Richmond The Hollywood Reporter

A cat has nothing on "Arrested Development," which has to be somewhere in the double digits when it comes to lives amassed. Simply surviving for the better part of three abysmally rated seasons on Fox was worth a good half-dozen life spans alone. And lately, the rumor mill has been working overtime to give the Emmy-winning comedy another handful or so.

The show's traveling to Showtime has been trumpeted in various media as a done deal repeatedly since late last year. And then, somehow, it doesn't get done, giving us all license to write cutesy headlines like "Showtime Can't Get 'Arrested' -- Yet."

So fervent is "Arrested Development's" cult following that the mere possibility of Showtime's picking it up and producing more originals has proven a badge of enormous goodwill for the pay cabler. Arguably, the ongoing scuttlebutt is at least equally beneficial to actually ordering and running the show.

Never before has so much been written about and speculated upon with regard to a program that averaged a 6 share. It's the underachieving stalwart that we won't allow to die, an ongoing symbol of art triumphing over commerce. Yet for the moment, it remains simply another homeless property stuck in neutral.

Be that as it may, let's take a moment to separate "Arrested Development" fiction from "Arrested Development" fact.

• Fiction: The show has already been snapped up by Showtime to the tune of a 26-episode order, which will be announced any day. Fact: Showtime's hands are tied, pending a decision by "Arrested's" creator and executive producer, Mitch Hurwitz, who is said to be physically and mentally drained and undecided whether he wants to come back for more.

• Fiction: FX is also in the bidding for "Arrested Development." Fact: There is no bidding. ABC was once in the mix but is thought to have dropped out, leaving it a Showtime-or-nobody proposition.

• Fiction: Hurwitz can take his time making a decision because the actors and writers love the job so much they'll wait it out. Fact: Contractually, Hurwitz has basically until June to go forward (or not). After that, he loses most of the cast and writing staff.

• Fiction: If Hurwitz wants to keep the show in production, Showtime is on board no matter what. Fact: The word is that Hurwitz would require huge wads of cash to be lured back, and there are surely limits to Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt's largesse (even at the "No Limits" network). But if a deal can be worked out, the cabler is apparently indeed on board to commit to 26 new originals over two seasons.

Hurwitz -- difficult to snare for interviews over the past year and pretty much impossible lately -- couldn't be reached for comment, while Showtime merely confirmed its ongoing interest in the property. But it's as easy to see this thing falling apart as coming together, given the guru's ambivalence and the fact an agreement would require Showtime to lay out upwards of $60 million for a series with iffy mainstream appeal at best.

Showtime would naturally be counting on "Arrested Development" to bring in scads of press and a sizable bump in its subscriber base so as to justify such a pricey proposition. But it has already shown it will put up big money to turn out projects it believes in, such as the drama "Huff" (which launches Season 2 on April 2) and the limited-run series "Sleeper Cell."

As Greenblatt has previously stressed, his network has the luxury of attracting a niche audience to a quirky show like "Arrested" and claiming it a major success. The bigger question in the meantime is whether the man who fathered it will ultimately succumb to the dreaded Bluth Burnout or answer the bell for Round 4. If he knows, he's not telling.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/the_pulse_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002199854

fredfa

03-23-06, 09:46 AM

The TV Column
'South Park' Responds: Chef's Goose Is Cooked

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 23, 2006; C07

"South Park" fans have struck back, threatening to boycott Viacom's upcoming Tom Cruise flick "Mission: Impossible III" until Viacom's Comedy Central puts back on its schedule the show's Scientology spoof episode the network yanked last week.

Meanwhile, Comedy Central and the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, hoped to placate the angry mob (as if) with a hastily thrown together season-opening episode in which Chef is brainwashed by "a fruity little club" whose members travel the globe having sex with children.

Celebrity Scientologist Isaac Hayes, who had provided the voice of Chef, South Park's beloved school cook, since the show started, announced early last week that he wanted out because he had discovered "South Park" pokes fun at "religious communities." Two days later, Comedy Central yanked the scheduled rerun of the "Trapped in the Closet" episode that skewered Scientology and its most famous member, Tom Cruise.

The response to Hayes's exit was last night's slapped-together 10th-season opener, "The Return of Chef!" The producers sliced and diced lines Hayes had recorded in previous seasons to produce Chef's new lines for the episode, a Comedy Central rep told The Post's John Maynard.

In the episode, pals Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are thrilled when Chef, who'd left South Park to join the Super Adventure Club, returns. But in school the next day, he says to them, "How about I meet you guys after work and we make love . . . come on children, you're my sexual fantasy, let's all make sweet love." Those are the printable things, anyway.

The guys take Chef to a shrink, who pronounces him the worst case of brainwashing he's ever seen.

They take him to a strip club to try to deprogram him. Chef is cured, but then is shot with darts by members of the Super Adventure Club -- "South Park's" new, thinly veiled metaphor, in case you haven't figured it out yet, for Scientology.

Chef is taken back to HQ, where the Super Adventure Club continues the brainwashing.

The boys follow and learn the secret of the Super Adventure Club, founded by a guy who was an explorer, only every time he got someplace he discovered someone had beat him there. So he decided to become the first explorer to have sex with the native children in the various remote locations, which he felt would make him immortal.

Long story short: The boys rescue Chef and they run across the rope bridge over the deep ravine that takes them to safety. But once they're on the other side, the Super Adventure Club's big chief shouts to Chef, "Don't you remember why you left South Park in the first place? You sought adventure . . . because your life had become dull and empty."

The boys plead with Chef:

"Chef -- we love you!"

But Chef heads back over the bridge, only it's struck by lightning and falls apart. Chef plunges down the ravine and is impaled on a large stick and attacked by a mountain lion, then a grizzly bear.

Back in South Park, the townsfolk hold a memorial service for Chef. Kyle tells the residents that although a lot of them don't agree with the choices Chef made in the last few days, they should focus on how much he made them smile and -- here's the money quote -- they should not be mad at Chef but instead at "the fruity little club for scrambling his brain."

We're guessing the episode may still not be enough raw meat for the piranha-esque "South Park" fans, who took to the Internet yesterday urging people to write, phone or e-mail Viacom, or sign their Chef Gate petition, letting the corporation know they and their loved ones will not see "Mission: Impossible III" (due in theaters on May 5) until Comedy Central runs the more direct Scientology-skewering episode "Trapped in the Closet."

(Normally these kinds of petitions are quixotic and kinda sweet, but there's no denying that "South Park's" core demographic -- 70 percent male, 20 percent male teens, 30 percent men age 18-34 -- is a bull's-eye for action flicks such as "Mission: Impossible.")

In the episode, Scientologists become convinced that Stan is the reincarnation of founder L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise shows up at Stan's house seeking praise for his acting work, but Stan pronounces it inferior to "that guy who played Napoleon Dynamite." Cruise, crushed, locks himself in Stan's closet. For the rest of the episode, Stan, his family, celeb Scientologist John Travolta and R&B artist R. Kelly try to get Cruise to "come out of the closet."

Immediately after Hayes made his announcement last week, Stone and Parker claimed in interviews that his exit from the show was entirely about his being a Scientologist. The publicity ginned up by the kerfuffle drove viewers to the show, only to be disappointed when the "Trapped" episode did not run last Wednesday night. That set off speculation it had been yanked because Cruise, or someone acting on his behalf, had said he would stop promoting "M:I3" if it aired.

"We, the loyal viewers of television's 'South Park' do hereby protest against the removal of the episode 'Trapped in the Closet,' " the fans' petition reads.

"We demand that Comedy Central put this episode back on the air and show it as soon as possible; we want everyone, including Tom Cruise, to know that censorship is wrong."

Far more fun are the comments attached to some of the more than 2,000 signatures that had been collected by the time the petition's Web server apparently crashed around 7 p.m. yesterday:

• Stop being girly-men.

• I would expect more moxie from Comedy Central.

• Bad Tommy! No biscuit!

• Get a sense of humor Tom, you couch jumping freak.

And, our personal fave:

• Free Katie!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032202256_pf.html

Marcus Carr

03-23-06, 10:07 AM

Strategy Analytics Views DTV Transition as Pay TV Windfall

Boston-based research firm Strategy Analytics recently released a report, Digital TV in the US: 2009 Deadline Creates Windfall For Cable, Satellite and Telco Providers, in which it concludes it does not see the millions of households served only by free analog television as purchasing converter boxes (subsidized or not) or digital TV sets for reception of free digital TV service.

The firm said its report suggests the cessation of analog off-air television broadcasting will spur millions of households to sign up for multichannel service from cable, satellite and telcom service providers.

Between now and the end of 2008, Strategy Analytics forecasts the number of households using some form of digital TV will grow from 57 million to 77 million.

James Penhune, author of the report, expects cable operators to benefit from the transition.

"Having a firm DTV deadline in place will sharply accelerate the industry's migration to an all-digital platform. Penetration of digital service will grow from less than half of all cable customers today to nearly three-quarters by 2010." Satellite and telco TV providers are expected to benefit from the deadline as well, but not on the same scale as cable, which can draw on its huge base of analog customers.

The research firm's report suggested that in order for cable operators to maximize this opportunity to add customers, the strategy and pricing structure for digital cable should target customers who had not previously been pay TV subscribers.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/dlrf/one.php?id=1213

fredfa

03-23-06, 10:19 AM

Marcus there is interesting information in the TV Technology story, to be sure. But you have to work very hard to find it.

That might the most poorly-written story (about anything) I have ever read.

fredfa

03-23-06, 10:22 AM

The Digital Revolution
Cuban Predicts High-Def Net 'Survivor'

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 3/23/2006

HDnet founder and Internet billionaire Mark Cuban predicts that within five years every household will have a high-definition set, but that not every network will be able to make the switch.

In an interview with Brian Lamb for an episode of C-Span's Q&A series, which airs March 26, Cuban cites technical constraints for his prediction. "There's just not enough bandwidth to go around...There are little tweaks you can do that are coming down the pike that will make thinkgs better. There's compression, but it's going to be a game of survivor and so, not all cable networks will be there."

Cuban, who sold his Internet streaming company, broadcast.com, for $5.7 billion to Yahoo in 2000, says that his company was on its way to being ahead of the curve, but that after the Internet market tanked, Yahoo "cut it way, way back."

Cuban points out that "everything that they're talking about [today], streaming media, video on the net, user-created content, broadband TV, IPTV, people watching television over the Internet instead of TV, that's exactly what we were doing six years ago."

He says he has no intention of selling his HDNet or HDNet Movies TV networks as he did with Broadcast.com, which he calls the "home run" he wasn't going to turn down. "I want to own a TV network. I want to have that platform. "

For one thing, like his movie house chain--Landmark Theaters (267 screens)--the TV net gives him a pipeline for the films he is now producing, like the acclaimed Good Night, and Good Luck, or Enron, or one he is working on about the Jack Abramoff scandal. "I know that they'll be seen," he says.

"The whole concept of [film production company] 2929 and our associated companies is to be able to make content and then control the whole vertical distribution chain," he told Lamb. "So, we can make it though 2929 or HDNet Films, we can show it on television through HDNet and HDNet Movies."

Cuban says his HD network is "in front of 55 million homes (2.6 million subs),including DirecTV, DISH, Charter, Time Warner and others.

HDTV-NUT

03-23-06, 12:10 PM

bgooch

03-23-06, 01:08 PM

MARCH 23, 2006

News Analysis, By Spencer Ante

In the latest battle between telecom and cable, the outfit is complaining to the FCC about Cablevision's negotiating tactics

Alexis Johnson is a frustrated foot soldier in an escalating broadband war. Johnson is a director of TV programming at Verizon Communications (VZ ), and it's his job to line up content for the network his company is building to bring TV programming to phone customers across the country. Just over a year ago, Johnson began negotiating with Rainbow Media Holdings to get access to Rainbow's three regional sports networks, including Fox Sports New York.

It was a critical deal. Rainbow is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems (CVC), which owns and operates the Fox Sports New York and MSG Network and maintains a 50% stake of Fox Sports New England. These networks own the rights to produce and broadcast many of the New York region's top sports teams, including the New York Rangers, the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Devils, and MetroStars, among other teams. Verizon is spending billions of dollars on a fiber-optic network that covers most of the northeastern U.S. seaboard and wants to make sure its customers can choose from a full array of channels.

Johnson strove to clinch an agreement, exchanging calls with Julian Tompkins, a director at Rainbow, over a several-month period starting in February, 2005, according to a Verizon filing with the Federal Communications Commission. But Tompkins never offered Verizon a specific deal, Verizon says.

WASHINGTON SHOWDOWN? After being told abruptly that Tompkins "was no longer empowered to continue conversations," Johnson began negotiations with Bob Broussard, a senior Rainbow executive, the filing says. Again, despite nine months of haggling, an offer was not forthcoming. Meantime, Verizon launched its new TV service in several towns in New York and Massachusetts -- without being able to offer Fox Sports or MSG.

So Verizon brought in bigger guns. On Mar. 20, the telecom carrier filed a complaint with the FCC, asking the government to force Cablevision's hand. Verizon wants Cablevision to license the sports programming under reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms. "This is a refusal to deal with us at all," says Verizon associate general counsel Edward Shakin. "It harms our ability to compete and it harms the viewers' ability to get the benefits of that competition."

The skirmish indicates how the battle between phone companies and cable-TV operators -- already contentious -- is getting nastier still. The two companies have been duking it out in local communities, where Verizon says Cablevision is trying to thwart its efforts to enter the TV market (see BW Online, 11/23/05, "A Digital Dodge City"). Now the clash is increasingly extending to Washington policymakers. The battle reflects a sea change in the communications landscape, with cable companies trying to grab phone customers and phone companies jumping into the cable-TV business.

LOADS OF CONTENT. Cablevision has not filed a response to Verizon's complaint, but claims in a statement that it has, in fact, been negotiating. "It would be more productive for Verizon to negotiate with us than file complaints and issue press releases," says Whit Clay, a Rainbow Media spokesman. Verizon maintains that Cablevision has never entered into substantive talks. "That's something that time doesn't cure," says Shakin. "If you haven't started, you can't finish."

Verizon isn't wasting any time lining up other content. So far, it has reached agreements with hundreds of providers, including ESPN, MTV, and CNN. On Mar. 21, Verizon said it signed a deal with CBS (CBS ) for the right to carry its TV stations.

But regional sports programming is an area where it has faced challenges. Verizon is in negotiations with the YES Network, which broadcasts the New York Yankees, and Comcast SportsNet, which broadcasts the Philadelphia Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey markets. It has yet to reach a deal with either for those markets.

NOTHING MORE VALUABLE. Verizon hit paydirt, though, on Mar. 22, saying it signed its first deal in the New York region for sports programming with the newly formed SportsNet New York (SNY) network. SNY -- a joint venture between Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, a media company formed by the owners of the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable (TWX ), and Comcast (CCZ ) -- owns the rights to broadcast the New York Mets.

The lack of sports programming in a sports-crazed region, analysts say, will hurt Verizon's chances of winning new TV subscribers. "The most valuable regional programming is sports programming," says Blair Levin, a managing director with Stifel Nicolaus.

Some scholars and analysts say Verizon may get satisfaction from the FCC. The reason? The 1992 Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act includes "program access rules" requiring cable operators to make their programming available to all takers at comparable prices. Congress wrote the law amid concern that cable operators would try to stifle competition by denying access to new rivals such as satellite operators.

BOOST FOR BELLS? "Within six months or sooner, Cablevision will be playing ball with Verizon," predicts Paul Levinson, chairman of the communications and media studies department at Fordham University. Verizon attorney Shakin says the law "was designed for just this type of situation."

Moreover, political winds seem to be blowing in Verizon's direction. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has said that he wants to speed competition in the cable market. "The FCC on pretty much every issue looks to help the Bells to enter the market against cable," says Levin, who was chief of staff to the FCC chairman from 1993 through 1997. "There's no question they have to offer the programming."

Not so fast, says another former FCC official. Kevin Werbach, former counsel for new technology policy at the FCC, says the commission has largely let satellite operators have exclusive content relationships in hopes the arrangements will help satellite players enter the cable market. DirecTV, for instance, has an exclusive deal with the National Football League to broadcast all NFL games on Sunday. And, says Werbach, the FCC has allowed cable operators to strike exclusive content deals because it provides them with an incentive to invest in their networks. Comcast SportsNet is not available to subscribers of DirecTV or DISH Network.

BIG GAME. "It's hard for me to see how Cablevision's actions would be prohibited," says Werbach, an assistant professor of legal studies at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "Everyone wants to see a battle royale in which everyone competes in every market. The question, though, is how to accomplish that."

That question will take a few months to answer. And FCC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher say Cablevision will have 15 to 30 days to file its response. Verizon then will be offered a chance to respond. After that, the FCC will review the filings and make a ruling. Meanwhile, Verizon's Johnson continues to wait.

The telecom giant is hoping the issue will be resolved within five months or less. "The law allows us to seek damages but we are not seeking damages," says attorney Shakin. "We could have done that. It really is about trying to bring them to the table." With the New York Yankees' season just around the corner, bringing Cablevision to the table couldn't happen too soon.

Ante is Computer Editor for BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/print/technology/content/mar2006/tc20060323_818464.htm

fredfa

03-23-06, 01:50 PM

Wednesday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-23-06, 01:54 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Debut sinks for stick-up drama 'Heist'

NBC show pulls a 3.0 in 18-49s, finishing third
By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 23, 2006

NBC put a lot of muscle behind last night’s 10 p.m. launch of its new drama “Heist.” It threw “Law & Order” to the wolves, airing it an hour earlier against “American Idol” and “Lost,” and it paid for big-name talent like director Doug Liman to produce the pilot. Now it’s likely questioning those moves, because the slick show’s debut was a bust.

The show’s premiere posted a 3.0 overnight rating among viewers 18-49, down 21 percent from the 3.8 “Law & Order” had averaged in the same 10 p.m. timeslot over the last four non-Olympic Wednesdays.

Worse, the show finished last in its timeslot, falling behind CBS’s “CSI: NY” and the premiere of ABC’s “The Evidence.”

And perhaps worst of all, “Heist” lost viewers over the course of the hour, making it unlikely that the show will grow in the coming weeks. During its first half hour the glitzy, well-reviewed drama posted a 3.1 rating among 18-49s and averaged 9.2 million total viewers, but that dipped to a 2.9 among 18-49s and 8.3 million viewers during its last 30 minutes.

NBC executives must be scratching their heads, because there isn’t much more they could have done to nurture the show’s premiere. It received plenty of promotion.
And moving “L&O” to 9 p.m. was an immediate flop. It delivered a disappointing 2.6 among 18-49s, placing fourth in the timeslot behind “Idol,” “Lost” and even CBS’s “Criminal Minds.” If “Heist” does not improve next week, it seems likely “L&O” will take back the 10 p.m. slot.

Fox ended up first for the night among 18-49s with a 6.6 average rating and a 16 share. ABC was second at 4.4/11, NBC third at 3.6/9, CBS fourth at 3.2/8, UPN fifth at 1.8/4 and WB sixth at 0.9/2.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 5.1 rating among 18-49s at 8 p.m. for a special edition of the hot game show “Deal or No Deal.” Fox was second that hour with a 4.0 for “Bones,” ABC third with a 3.1 for a crossover between “George Lopez” (2.8) and “Freddie” (3.3), and UPN fourth with a 2.4 for “America’s Next Top Model.” CBS was fifth during the hour with a very unpromising 1.9 for the timeslot debuts of “Out of Practice” (2.0) and “Courting Alex” (1.8) and WB sixth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “One Tree Hill.”

Fox took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 9.1 average for an “Idol” results show (11.3) and the premiere of its reality show “Unan1mous” (7.0). ABC moved into second with a 6.6 for “Lost,” with CBS third with a 3.4 for “Criminal Minds,” NBC fourth with its 2.6 for “L&O,” UPN fifth with a 1.2 for “Veronica Mars” and WB sixth with a 0.8 for a repeat of “Gilmore Girls.”

At 10 p.m. CBS led with a 4.4 for “CSI: NY,” followed by a 3.4 for ABC’s premiere of “The Evidence” and NBC’s 3.0 for “Heist.”

Among households, Fox led the night with a 9.8 average rating and a 15 share. CBS was second at 7.2/11, ABC and NBC tied for third at 7.0/11, UPN fifth at 2.7/4 and WB sixth at 1.5/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3634.asp

fredfa

03-23-06, 01:56 PM

TV Research
Upfront debate: Rethinking TV ratings

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 23, 2006
Each year going into the upfront TV ad selling season, buyers and sellers jockey for dominance in negotiations by arguing for whatever market condition or new wrinkle in ratings or audience measurement will give them an upper hand.

This year it's all about redefining rating points, and the argument is over time-shifted versus minute-by-minute ratings.

The networks led by embracing Nielsen Media Research’s new time-shifted ratings for digital video recorders, advancing the argument that advertisers should be paying an additional cost for audiences that record a show but watch it at a later time. Nielsen now provides data on programs recorded on DVRs and viewed up to seven days later, and this new data is raising network ratings.

Media buyers have responded with a big no, as in no way. They say they'll refuse to pay additionally for DVR audiences during upfront negotiations for next year's primetime shows.

For their part, buyers are favoring an entirely different notion, one that's a radical departure: paying only for the audience that actually watches commercials, based on new minute-by-minute ratings, not for those watching the programming airing between.

Nielsen began issuing minute-by-minute ratings in October, and the sense among buyers is that their eventual use will be raised during this upfront's negotiations but won't become a full-scale point of contention until next year.

That's in part because it will take some time to analyze all the new data and to reprogram agencies' computer systems. Too, there are as yet only relatively few subscribers.

When minute-by-minute ratings do become an issue, they stand to cost the networks plenty. Based on agencies’ initial analyses, these ratings are expected to result in commercial audiences that on average are 2 percent to 10 percent lower than program audiences and in some cases perhaps more than 25 percent lower.

Bruce Goerlich, executive vice president and director of strategic resources at ZenithOptimedia, explains succintly the two sides of the debate, time-shifted versus minute-by-minute.

"What the networks are saying is that television is changing and they should be credited for different venues and different times," says Goerlich.

"We want a scaleable metric that matches these changes in television. Minute-by-minute does that because what we’re looking at is people being exposed to our commercials wherever they are."

Tellingly, none of the broadcast networks have yet subscribed to minute-by-minute ratings. The only cable network to subscribe is the Weather Channel.

But several media buying agencies have signed on, and others are lining up to do so.

Starcom MediaVest Group began receiving minute-by-minute data in December for all its agencies, including Starcom, MediaVest, GM Planworks and Tapestry. And ZenithOptimedia and Saatchi signed on two weeks ago, according to Nielsen.

Lower ratings aren’t likely to be the networks’ only headache with minute-by-minute ratings.

Some agencies are expected to also negotiate prices based on where a commercial falls within a program, or within a commercial break. This is already done, but with the new data it will become dramatically fine-tuned.

John Spiropoulos, vice president and group research director at MediaVest, found in an initial analysis that viewers watch some commercial breaks far more than others.

"What we have learned, taking the Opening Ceremonies in the Olympics as an example, is that we can see where viewers are interested in the content of the program," he says. "What we saw is that people wanted to see the U.S. team enter the stadium. [For] the commercial that preceded that, there was limited tune out. After the U.S. team entered, [NBC] went back to commercials and viewing dropped off."

This type of finding will certainly be raised during upfront negotiations.

And they will take place, says Liz Janneman, senior vice president of cable advertising sales at the Weather Channel.

"At the end of the day an advertiser wants to make sure their commercials are being seen and then remembered," she says. "This data is now holding the community to a higher level of accountability. I think it’s the currency of the future."

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3633.asp

AFH

03-23-06, 02:58 PM

The 2006-2007 TV Season
Here's what you could be watching next season

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

It's pilot season in Hollywood, when 100 new projects for next season compete for the affections of network programmers — and a slot on their fall schedules.

Snip

"There seemed to be a lot of focus on government and political themes," says Starcom Media's Tom Weeks. And though it's often the case, he says this year the networks found more "big-name" talent familiar to TV viewers: Matthew Perry, John Lithgow, Dylan McDermott, Calista Flockhart, Angie Harmon, David James Elliott, James Woods, Ted Danson, Blair Underwood and Kim Cattrall, among others, are featured in new pilots.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-22-tv-pilots-big-stars_x.htm

Hey, where is Kristen Davis? I would rather see her in a new pilot as opposed to some of the people listed above. She is a beautiful woman to be sure. Hey, I'll admit it, that's my only reasoning for wanting to see her back on television. :)

fredfa

03-23-06, 04:11 PM

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that programmers seem far more interested in ramping up cell phone viewers than those of us interested in HD?
TV Technology
Report: Mobile Video to Reach 36 Mil. Users

By Mike Shields MediaWeek.com MARCH 23, 2006 -

The number of mobile phone owners who watch video on their phones --currently a small group of early adopters-- promises to ramp up quickly over the next several years, says a new report from Web researcher eMarketer. Still, premium mobile video services will remain a niche market.

While video on mobile phones is enjoying healthy usage worldwide, only three million U.S. users will watch any sort of video on their phones in 2006, says the report. Paid services that deliver premium video clips or live TV have only been adopted by between 300,000 and 400,000 users.

But by 2009, 36 million users will be watching video on their phones, according to eMarketer. Yet while video gains in popularity, the number of users willing to subscribe to paid premiums services will remain less than 10 million.

Those uncertain growth projections present a challenge to marketers, who are trying to figure out just how big of a deal mobile video will be. "What will be crucial to marketers is trying to determine whether mobile TV represents a sub-market or the next huge mass market for mobile services," said John du Pre Guantt, eMarketer senior analyst who authored the report. "Right now, they're poring over demographics, income and spending patterns of early and near-term adopters."

In addition, both mobile video vendors and the mobile carriers themselves are struggling to gauge what sort of market will develop for mobile video, adding to marketers' challenges.

"Marketers shouldn't believe for a minute that either the mobile carriers or the content providers have cracked the business model, let alone the digital rights issues that will be crucial to migrate mobile TV from one market stage to the next," added du Pre Guantt.

To date, mobile video has emerged rather slowly, despite the hype of products such as Verizon's VCast. According to a report issued last fall by mobile content researcher M:Metrics, just only 1 percent of mobile subscribers viewed video on their phones during the month of September.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002235334

fredfa

03-23-06, 04:15 PM

TV Research
Report: TV ads are fast losing their zip

By Heidi Dawley MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 23, 2006

After a flat broadcast upfront last year, the feeling has been that things would perk up this spring, with some media analysts forecasting a 3 percent bump in network ad spending.

But a new report, released just as the upfront season begins, suggests the broadcast networks could face a far tougher sell to the nation's advertisers, for this upfront and the next and the next.

Advertisers, it seems, are fast losing confidence in TV advertising. And the 30-second spot, long endangered, is suddenly looking even more endangered. That's according to a report from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Forrester Research that was presented yesterday before the Association of National Advertisers TV Ad Forum.

A chief finding: Some 78 percent of advertisers feel that traditional TV advertising has become less effective over the last two years.

“Television networks continue to publish research that traditional TV advertising is potent as ever," writes Josh Bernoff, vice president of Forrester Research, in a release of the study's findings. "But national advertisers aren’t buying it and are seeking alternatives to enhance their budgets and move them beyond the customary 30-second spot.”

Less clear from the study is just how soon this dissatisfaction will express itself in upfront ad sales. Will it be this year, or next, or the year after? But the sense is sooner rather than later, certainly by 2007.

The report, which will be issued in full by Forrester in a few weeks, was based on a survey of 133 national advertisers representing some $20 billion worth of advertising. Charles Schwab, Johnson & Johnson, Mattel, Pfizer and Verizon, among others, were questioned about their attitudes toward TV advertising.

Key to the survey were questions about what impact new technologies like digital video recorders and video-on-demand will have on their TV ad budgets.

A big impact, came back the reply. Some 70 percent of advertisers reported that DVRs and VOD will ultimately reduce or destroy the effectiveness of traditional 30-second TV commercials.

In fact, when DVRs have spread to 30 million homes, nearly 60 percent of advertisers say that they will spend less on conventional TV advertising. Of those, 24 percent will chop TV budgets by at least a quarter.

With DVRs currently in 10 million households in the U.S., that day is not yet here. However, Forrester predicts that in three years the number of households with this technology will hit the 30 million figure.

The survey also found that, while 55 percent of companies report that top executives are watching the changes in TV advertising, most advertisers have yet to jump in and experiment with advertising possibilities on DVRs (49 percent) or VOD (44 percent).

Not surprisingly, the internet looks set to benefit from the shifting of ad dollars. Some 80 percent of advertisers say they will spend more of their advertising budget on web advertising, and 68 percent of advertisers will look to search engine marketing.

But if the lure of the 30-second spot is diminishing, television is likely to remain an attractive advertising vehicle, with advertisers looking to find other ways to get their message across.

For instance advertisers said they intended to spend more of their advertising budgets on branded entertainment within TV programs (61 percent), TV program sponsorship (55 percent), interactive advertisements during TV programs (48 percent) and product placement (44 percent).

Some 45 percent also said they were looking at online video ads.

As the industry changes, advertisers believe the way TV is measured will also need to change. Some 97 percent of advertisers believe that reach and frequency will not be enough. Effective measurement of TV advertising will require new audience metrics to report commercial ratings, not just program ratings.

However while this survey may not paint a rosy picture for the TV industry, many expect the TV industry to be pushing to innovate in such a way that TV remains a large part of the marketing mix.

“As new and traditional media alternatives compete more aggressively for a share of the media pie, and marketers look to improve consumer targeting, reduce costs and enhance accountability, television is aggressively responding," writes Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA, in a release.

“With technology-based advances in addressability, enhanced television options, internet convergence (IPTV), and branded entertainment opportunities, television is likely to continue as the dominant part of the marketing mix."

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3632.asp

fredfa

03-23-06, 05:15 PM

The 2006-2007 Season
CBS Unveils New Programming Slate

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable 3/23/2006

CBS unveiled its development slate to ad buyers at a presentation in New York Thursday, saying the strength of its current schedule will afford it the opportunity to take some risks in development.

The network outlined a slate that includes 11 dramas, 12 comedies and five reality projects for the 2006-07 season.

Among the reality projects is Joke’s on You, a half-hour hidden-camera show starring Wayne Brady. Also on the slate is Patrick Duffy-hosted A Hero’s Welcome, in which people who were saved from dangerous situations get to thank their heros.

CBS also has The Dave Ramsey Project, in which the personal-finance guru will help families get out of debt. CBS describes Tuesday Night Book Club as a "docu-soap" in which a group of upper-middle-class women meet once a week to talk about day-to-day life. Guess Who’s Coming Over puts a houseguest together with a family from a completely different background.

While the CBS slate is notably without a single crime drama, they do have projects from big-name creators such as Smith from John Wells (E.R., West Wing), Jericho from John Turteltaub (National Treasure) and Shark from Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.

The comedy slate includes Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal’s return to television with Play Nice and David Crane’s The Class and The Paul Reiser Project, created by the former Mad About You star and starring Bobby Cannavale from Will & Grace.

vfxproducer

03-23-06, 05:27 PM

The network has already said that it will bring the show back in April to finish off the season, but that could change if “Evidence” catches with viewers.

The author of this piece is apparently unaware that ABC stopped production on "The Evidence" before they were even half way through their initial order.

keenan

03-23-06, 06:53 PM

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that programmers seem far more interested in ramping up cell phone viewers than those of us interested in HD?

It's not just you, the sad fact is that there are many, many, more people with cell phones than HDTVs, and "mobile" is a big buzzword nowadays. I still think the day will come where we will be paying for HD quality programming from all the big nets.

keenan

03-23-06, 06:55 PM

The author of this piece is apparently unaware that ABC stopped production on "The Evidence" before they were even half way through their initial order.
Interesting, so the show was cancelled before the first one even aired..? I liked the first one, especially the SF location shooting.

Doesn't say much for Invasion's future does it.

slocko

03-23-06, 09:30 PM

sad really about mobile cells gathering more buzz than HD.

the other night I actually paid for a pay per view movie because it was HD.

i felt that the high quality was worth with the 4.99 price since that is what i would pay at blockbuster.

i plan to start watching more pay-per-view movies. too bad there is only one pay perview channel on Directv.

BobColby

03-24-06, 12:46 AM

Is it just me, or does it seem to others that programmers seem far more interested in ramping up cell phone viewers than those of us interested in HD?

It's not just you. It's painfully obvious from reading the industry publications that HD is no longer the "buzz" product it was back in '03. I get the feeling that industry people are content to let it just grow slowly (along with its audience) in the background, at least until we get closer to the analog shutoff.

kb7oeb

03-24-06, 02:12 AM

Its not really new anymore, almost everything I watch is in HD now so how much buzz can they keep up? Cell phones are probably a big deal to them because they saw how much money people will waste on a midi ring tone or an mp3 clip of a song.

fredfa

03-24-06, 08:40 AM

Sports Media and Business
Waiting on Deck in Rights Lineup

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times March 24, 2006

With the final season of its six-year, $2.5 billion Major League Baseball deal looming, Fox still has not enlisted for a new contract.

That is not much of a surprise. Fox didn't expect to conclude a contract during its exclusive negotiating period, which ended last Dec. 31, and M.L.B. wanted to gauge its value on the open market. So baseball recently asked executives at ESPN to come in and talk about a package for ABC Sports, which last carried the sport in 1995 on The Baseball Network.

Even though Tim Brosnan, M.L.B.'s executive vice president for business, said yesterday, "We have a very compelling product and we feel that at the end of the day, the marketplace will bear that out," baseball may discover less than booming interest in its rights.

Fox wants to keep much of what it has — except for its package of seven league division series games — but does not want to pay much of an increase. It wants to continue with its Saturday game of the week, a nearly archaic package in a world of ubiquitous baseball on local and national TV and on mlb.com

Fox has a different prime-time strategy than CBS, NBC or ABC. It has jump-started the premieres of some of its series in late August, has interrupted much of its schedule for the October postseason, and has started its two most popular series, "American Idol" and "24," in January.

Baseball is a prime-time play because what interests suitors is the highly rated playoffs and even higher-rated World Series, which are shown mostly at night. With some key games scheduled on Sundays, it would be risky for ABC to shelve its "Desperate Housewives"/"Grey's Anatomy" juggernaut, which toyed with NBC's Winter Olympics last month.

NBC, which is in deep prime-time trouble, might need the ratings uptick that would come from a successful World Series. But it has a Sunday night conflict: this September, it will start its six-year, $3.6 billion deal to carry Sunday night National Football League games.

With so much work to do to revive its last-place prime-time schedule, NBC is not likely to interrupt its season for three weeks of baseball and pay hundreds of millions of dollars for the privilege. NBC might have nostalgia for the decades it carried baseball, but the price and risk might be too steep.

CBS would seem to be the longest shot. With so much prime-time strength, why let baseball intrude?

Neal Pilson, a sports industry consultant and former president of CBS Sports, said he sees Fox eventually taking the broadcast package, partly because it wants more of the package than its rivals.

"They're generally happy with the 'Game of the Week,' and it gives them continuity," he said. "It's difficult to start your season with the World Series. But what's most attractive to any other network is the World Series."

What is likely is that M.L.B. will sell a broadcast package without the maximum seven league division series games that Fox has carried, and possibly, without two or three afternoon league championship series games.

Fox would like to save money by not paying for the L.D.S. games. And it is wary of paying too much for baseball despite the nostalgia of carrying the scintillating 2003 Yankees-Red Sox league championship series and the 2004 Red Sox World Series victory. But in 2002, it foresaw big losses on its six-year contract and wrote down its value by $295 million.

Baseball would ideally like to get the kind of whopping increase it got when ESPN renewed its cable contract for $2.4 billion over eight years — the $296 million average annual rights fee starting this season is 117 percent higher than in the past deal, even before radio and digital highlights deals are factored in. But that stupendous a leap would be absurd; unlike Fox, ESPN has a dual stream of revenues flowing from subscribers and advertisers.

Which brings us to the second cable package being dangled before ESPN, Comcast and Turner Sports for at least $150 million annually. It contains regular-season rights to the "Game of the Week," plus those two or three L.C.S. games and maybe all 20 division games.

Whether baseball is pricing itself too high is a big concern. Many of the measures of its business are growing, but it is seeking its television bounty after the networks have spent heavily on N.F.L. rights. ESPN, which seems to print money in Bristol, Conn., nearly doubled its fees to $1.1 billion a year so it could step up to "Monday Night Football" rights, and it paid another $270 million a year for Nascar rights.

Also, is Comcast's appetite for big-ticket sports still as voracious as it was before it lost out on the Thursday-Saturday slate of games that will be carried on the NFL Network? And how much does Turner, with more than 70 Braves games on TBS and a successful franchise of drama series on TNT, really covet more baseball without a World Series payoff?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/24/sports/baseball/24sandomir.html?pagewanted=print

CPanther95

03-24-06, 09:56 AM

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times March 24, 2006

ESPN, which seems to print money in Bristol, Conn., nearly doubled its fees to $1.1 billion a year so it could step up to "Monday Night Football" rights, and it paid another $270 million a year for Nascar rights.

They aren't printing money - just invoices. :rolleyes:

jim tressler

03-24-06, 10:01 AM

at 2.60 a sub or somthing like that.. thats nuts.. but I guess we are all part of the problem, we let them do it!

CPanther95

03-24-06, 10:02 AM

Unfortunately we'd have to cancel Boomerang, The History Channel and Food Network (and all the others) to send ESPN a message.

Marcus Carr

03-24-06, 10:05 AM

DirecTV Sues Lifetime

By Linda Moss 3/24/2006 3:05:00 AM

DirecTV Inc. is suing Lifetime Television, charging that the programmer violated their carriage deal and reneged on its offer to pay Dish Network customers $200 to switch to DirecTV during the period when EchoStar Communications Corp. dropped the women’s network in a much-publicized dispute.

DirecTV, the largest satellite provider, filed suit late Wednesday charging Lifetime Entertainment Services with breach of contract, asking for the right to terminate its carriage deal with the programmer. The action, which also seeks compensatory damages, was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

“They used us when it was it was beneficial to them, and they screwed us when they no longer needed us,” said Dan Fawcett, DirecTV’s executive vice president of programming acquisition. “We’re sort of disappointed at Lifetime’s failure to live up to commitments under two contracts with us.”

Lifetime declined to comment Thursday.

In its papers, DirecTV alleged that Lifetime violated a so-called most-favored-nation clause in their affiliation agreement, dated Jan. 8, 2005, when it settled its dispute with Dish earlier this year. DirecTV claimed that Dish is paying a lower “net effective rate,” or price, to carry Lifetime than it is under the new pact Dish and the programmer forged earlier this year.

The lawsuit also charged that Lifetime pulled back and rescinded an offer it had e-mailed to 30,000 Dish subscribers, offering to send them $200 checks if they switched from Dish to DirecTV’s service. To receive the offer, according to the suit, Dish customers would have to order and activate their DirecTV service by March 31.

Dish dropped Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network Jan. 1 when both sides couldn’t come to terms on a contract renewal. Both networks were off Dish for about one month before reaching a new deal Jan. 31 and getting put back on.

When Lifetime and Dish reached their new agreement, Lifetime assured DirecTV that it would still honor its $200 offer to Dish subscribers who switched, according to the suit. Instead, on Feb. 3, Lifetime sent a retraction e-mail to each person who had received the offer, the suit said, saying that they would have had to switch by Feb. 3, not March 31.

As for the most-favored-nation clause, Lifetime and its corporate cousin, Hearst-Argyle Television, usually negotiate with distributors together by doing deals that include carriage of the cable network and retransmission consent for the broadcaster’s TV stations.

But in the Dish-Lifetime battle, Hearst-Argyle initially cut its own separate deal with the satellite provider, which would have paid $11 million for retransmission consent for the stations alone.

As part of Lifetime’s ultimate contract renewal with Dish, Dish is to pay Lifetime for its cable networks and for carriage of the Hearst-Argyle stations. Then Lifetime, in turn, is to reimburse Hearst-Argyle the $11 million.

According to the suit, Lifetime’s reimbursement to Hearst-Argyle on Dish’s behalf “results in a lower ‘net effective rate’” than DirecTV is paying under its contract.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6318659.html?display=Breaking+News

RemyM

03-24-06, 10:07 AM

I think ESPN is about $3.65 a sub.

Marcus Carr

03-24-06, 10:09 AM

Barton: Bill Minus Cable Provisions

By Ted Hearn 3/24/2006 3:00:00 AM

House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) is ready to advance a telecommunications bill stripped of provisions that have raised strong objections from the cable industry, industry and House sources said Thursday

The bill -- which would feature national video franchises for phone companies -- might be released in draft form Friday, followed by a hearing next week in the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Barton’s new schedule would call for a subcommittee vote in two weeks.

“It’s going to be a very narrow approach,” a House GOP aide said Thursday.

Cable still has hard lobbying work ahead. Barton’s bill is not expected to include buildout requirements -- an omission that would allow phone companies to target affluent cable communities. The bill is also expected to allow the Federal Communications Commission to enforce network-neutrality principles it adopted last August.

Barton -- feeling press pressure from cable and conservative think tanks -- dropped two provisions he had accepted in principle two weeks ago in negotiations with the committee’s top Democrats, Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.).

One provision would deny a national franchise for a cable incumbent until a phone provider had 15% of the local market, and another would bar cable operators from slashing rates only in those sections of a community where the phone company had initiated service.

Industry and House aides said Barton’s decision to drop those two provisions while refusing to include buildout requirements has cost him the support of Dingell and Markey, setting up a partisan contest when the committee meets to vote.

A House GOP aide was optimistic that House Democrats would feel enough political pressure to cause them to support the Barton bill on the House floor, if not in committee.

“We’ll have some Democrats vote against it in committee, but I don’t know how they’re going to vote against it on the floor. How are you going to vote against bringing your consumers lower prices?” the House GOP aide said.

Local officials are upset that the Barton bill would eliminate local cable franchising, a policy Congress established in 1984.

“Certainly, for local government, the bill is a disaster,” Jeff Arnold, a lobbyist for the National Association of Counties, said Thursday.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6318652.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

03-24-06, 12:27 PM

Thursday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

golfnz34me

03-24-06, 12:58 PM

DirecTV Sues Lifetime

By Linda Moss 3/24/2006 3:05:00 AM

DirecTV Inc. is suing Lifetime Television, ...

“They used us when it was it was beneficial to them, and they screwed us when they no longer needed us,” said Dan Fawcett, DirecTV’s executive vice president of programming acquisition.

Well, what else would you expect from the network for women?

:D

Mike

fredfa

03-24-06, 01:32 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
A strong return for 'American Inventor'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 24, 2006

Much of the country was watching LSU upset Duke last night on CBS at 9 p.m. But when that was over at 9:30, they immediately flipped to ABC to catch the end of what’s shaping up to be a strong show, “American Inventor.”

The second episode of ABC’s “American Inventor” posted a 5.1 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 at 9 p.m. last night, edging CBS and NBC’s comedy lineup of “My Name is Earl” and “The Office” to finish first in the timeslot.

From 9 to 9:30 p.m., ABC posted a 4.4 among 18-49s to CBS’s 5.8, as the LSU-Duke game wound down. From 9:30 to 10 p.m., with Duke off the air, ABC rose 30 percent to an impressive 5.7 rating, while CBS slipped 26 percent to a 4.3 as the night’s second round of games tipped off.

It was a solid second outing for “Inventor,” which was down 6 percent from last week’s 5.4 rating for the two-hour premiere. It was also down almost 14 percent from the 5.9 the premiere earned in the 9 p.m. slot last week, but it came against tougher competition from CBS.

Next week will be more telling for “Inventor,” when CBS returns to its regular schedule and airs a new episode of “CSI” at 9 p.m.

While ABC and CBS battled it out at 9 p.m., it was actually NBC that led among 18-49s for the night, with a 4.7 average rating and a 12 share. ABC was second at 4.4/12, CBS third at 4.3/11, Fox fourth at 2.4/6, Univision fourth at 1.6/4 and WB and UPN tied for sixth at 1.2/3.

CBS started the night in the lead with a 4.4 rating during the 8 p.m. hour for its coverage of NCAA basketball. ABC and NBC tied for second at 3.6, ABC for the debut of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-After the Storm” and NBC for “Will & Grace” (3.4) and a repeat of “My Name is Earl” (3.8). Fox was fourth that hour with a 2.4 for “That ‘70s Show” (2.6) and “The Loop” (2.1), Univision fifth with a 1.4 for “Barrera de Amor,” and UPN and WB tied for sixth at 1.3, UPN for “Everybody Hates Chris” (1.6) and “Love, Inc.” (1.0) and WB for a repeat of “Smallville.”

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with its 5.1 for “Inventor,” followed closely by a 5.0 for CBS for its coverage of college basketball. NBC was third that hour with a 4.7 average for a new episode of “Earl” (5.2) and a repeat of “The Office” (4.1), Fox fourth with a 2.5 for “The O.C.,” Univision fifth with a 1.9 for “Alborada,” and UPN and WB tied for sixth at 1.0, UPN for “Eve” (1.0) and “Cuts” (1.0) and WB for a repeat of “Supernatural.”

At 10 p.m. NBC took over with a 5.7 rating for “ER.” ABC was second with a 4.5 for “Primetime,” CBS third with a 3.4 for basketball and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Aqui y Ahora.”

CBS finished first for the night among households with an 8.2 average rating and a 13 share. ABC was second at 7.3/12, NBC third at 7.0/11, Fox fourth at 3.4/5, WB and Univision tied for fifth at 2.0/3, and UPN seventh at 1.8/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3662.asp

AAF

03-24-06, 01:32 PM

Well, what else would you expect from the network for women?

:D

Mike

HEH!

AFH

03-24-06, 02:51 PM

The author of this piece is apparently unaware that ABC stopped production on "The Evidence" before they were even half way through their initial order.

Good thing I didn't setup a 'Season Pass' for this show.

AFH

03-24-06, 02:56 PM

sad really about mobile cells gathering more buzz than HD.

Hd aside, isn't it sad that anyone would try to watch tv on a cell phone? I understand having multiple distribution streams, but thinking about trying to watch tv on you celly. Doesn't really do it for me.

David_Levin

03-24-06, 03:39 PM

DirecTV Sues Lifetime

This is hilarious. Personally, I hope they lose.

DirecTV should have stayed neutral in this situation. They tried to take advantage of a situation which they will likely find themselves in as well.

Now they are whining because Dish Network (who had the guts to fight), got a better deal?

fredfa

03-24-06, 08:59 PM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt

(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush TVGuide.com TV Critic

Question: Am I the only one who can no longer "root" for the Strike Team on The Shield because Shane killed Curtis Lemansky? I mean, I realize logically the Strike Team is a bunch of dirty cops, but I could still be on their side since some criminals, such as Antwon Mitchell (played perfectly by Anthony Anderson), are even worse. However, now that Shane got rid of Lem, I am concerned that the show has turned a very sad corner. I kind of want them all to go down in flames for everything they ever did that was remotely dirty. Yet, how do I support the hunt for them when I believe Aceveda and Internal Affairs freak Kavanaugh are also responsible for the death of Lem? I am concerned that with no heroes anywhere to be found on The Shield, it may not be worth watching. Are you still watching? What do you think? — Pamela

Matt Roush: Not worth watching? Who are you kidding? Your dilemma about who or what to root for is exactly the reaction this show should be stimulating, never more intensely than in this week's March 21 cliff-hanger episode. (Read my Dispatch for a lengthier analysis.) The Shield is not a show about heroes (well, maybe Claudette, whose promotion was such a terrific twist). From the very first episode, when Vic killed a fellow cop (for crying out loud), we have watched this show in a suspended state of moral ambiguity. Vic is in many ways such an exemplary cop, with his own kind of moral code when it comes to saving helpless victims, that you respect him even as you revile him.

Same goes for the rest of the Strike Team, and Lem was the conscience of that group, so having him die at the hands of one of his buds was especially wrenching. The scene in which it became clear that Shane was going to have to execute Lem was shattering in its tragedy and in its inevitability. I prescreened that episode a week ago and I still can't shake it.

Much as I've been defending 24 in the wake of all the killings in recent weeks (which I still think are essential for that show to keep us engaged and in suspense), The Shield wiped the floor with it in the impact of Lem's death by grenade. That he didn't instantly die made it even more awful, and the fact that viewers like Pamela feel bad about it means The Shield did its job. The show is a dark tragedy as much as it is a crime drama. It doesn't get much better than this.

________________________________________

Question: I've been thinking about this since everyone began waiting breathlessly for 24 and The Sopranos to begin again. And after reading your recent discussion on 24 and after the death of Tony, I just had to vent. Yes, these shows are very well written, but they rely so heavily on violence — graphic violence — that I cannot watch them. I feel like it's used as a crutch to create "edgy" television. I loved 24 when it first began, but as the death toll rose, I found myself turning away. Same with The Sopranos. Any thoughts, or am I just a wimp? — TaMara

Matt Roush: It's not for me to characterize your squeamishness, but as I've said before (primarily when it comes to FX shows), much of the best adult TV is not for sissies. I strongly refute the notion that the killings on these shows are stunts or done for mere shock value or, as you've called them, a crutch. Entering the world of these shows means leaving behind the comfort zone you typically feel in more formulaic TV, like the police procedurals where the regulars are rarely in any state of peril.

If there weren't heightened stakes or dire consequences to the actions on shows like The Sopranos, 24, The Shield, and Deadwood (to name a few of the more extreme series), I'd be fielding endless gripes about how boring and stale the shows had become. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't already a bit of a Sopranos backlash because of the intricate psychological dream scenario David Chase has concocted for Tony while he's in his coma. If there is, I couldn't be less interested. Part of the brilliance of The Sopranos is its mix of realism (getting shot is serious business) and symbolic surrealism. Still, I would agree with you, TaMara, that these shows aren't for everybody. But that's why they're so amazing for those with the steel and the stomach to come along for the ride.

Allen wrote in to similarly wonder: "What's with all the carnage lately? I know Lost pulled it off to blistering ratings success last year, but nowadays everyone seems to be killing off major characters. From 24 to Smallville, One Tree Hill and even Las Vegas, it just seems like it's become trendy. What's next? Are they going to have Turk fall off the building on Scrubs? I'm kidding about that last part. I would lose all faith in television if they did that. For me, seeing the death of a major character over and over again (albeit on different shows) is starting to lose its effect. Then again, I am still watching, which I guess is what they want."

Yep, that's the point. Even if in the larger picture it looks like everyone's on a death bandwagon, for each specific show there's often a good reason for characters to face their own mortality. Without the possibility of pivotal (which often means tragic) events in the life of a show, why even bother watching?

________________________________________

Question: Why don't more networks take an approach to their shows like FX does? They show the majority of their dramas in the same time slot (Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET) but rotate them throughout the year. This seems to work for their hit shows like The Shield, Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me, so why don't networks like ABC try it for their shows? ABC could alternate 10- to 12-episode half-seasons of shows like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy between a given time slot. One could start in late August, run for 11 weeks straight, let the next one take over until the end of December, switch again for the second half in January, and then trade places one more time in March for the other half of the other show. It's a little confusing, but I think it could work in the long run, especially for those who don't like constant repeats throughout a regular season. — Devin

Matt Roush: Shared time slots work on cable and even (to a lesser degree) on mininetworks like WB. But as frustrating as repeats are, they're part of the reality of network TV, at least for the moment, especially where megahits like Housewives, Anatomy and Lost are concerned. ABC can't afford to air originals year-round, but it also can't afford to have the shows just disappear, either. But here's some good news: Since last we brought up this nagging subject of repeats, an ABC spokesman weighed in with the following clarifications. There will be no more Lost repeats for the rest of the season. (Lost will be preempted April 19 for the two-hour return of Alias.) Likewise, Desperate Housewives will be in originals (save for an April 9 preemption) for the rest of the season through its May 21 finale. And despite my scoffing that Invasion would air a marathon on, of all places, ABC Family, that's exactly what's going to happen. On April 15, the Saturday before it returns with original episodes (in its Wednesday time slot as of April 19), ABC Family will air a 10-hour Invasion marathon starting at noon ET.

________________________________________

Question: It seems I've read numerous times this year that Smallville has had a big resurgence, and the numbers for the show have been great in a really tough time slot. So why is there still uncertainty over the show being brought over to the new CW network? And why doesn't this show get more publicity and attention? Why didn't we see more promotion for the 100th episode, e.g., Tom Welling on talk shows? Do you think the show will be back for a sixth season, and if not, why not? — Valerie

Matt Roush: Where did you get the sense that there's any uncertainty about Smallville's future? The only reason there would be any question at all is that we've never seen a situation like this, where two networks' lineups are being collapsed into one (with the possibility that a handful of new series will also be part of the CW lineup, along with previously existing WB and UPN shows). And what makes you think Smallville is hurting in the publicity/attention department? Maybe you don't read TV Guide magazine (in which case: for shame). We do plenty on the show and covered the 100th episode milestone thoroughly. If talk shows are slow to the party, and magazines don't clamor to put it on their covers much anymore, it's probably because Smallville, despite its durability and its photogenic leads, is still a genre show on a niche network on (as you noted) one of the busiest nights of the TV schedule. Smallville gets plenty of respect, but you've got to put it in perspective.

________________________________________

Question: Am I the only one who smells dream sequence for the last 20 minutes or so of Battlestar Galactica's finale? The "One year later" verbiage appeared right after Baltar's head hit the desk. While I think the things shown in the next few minutes would be interesting paths, I think Baltar is envisioning the future in his dreams and may be in for a rude awakening when he wakes up. — Sam D.

Matt Roush: If so, I smell a future jeer. You're the only one who's brought up this possibility to me, and I would hate for it to be so. (So I'll just say it isn't and be done with it.) The final scenes of the season, which forcefully set up next year, weren't a dream, they were a living nightmare. I can't imagine what Baltar would wake up to that would be worse than what the writers have already imagined here.

________________________________________

Question: Has In Justice been canceled? I just read on the entertainment news page that Jason O'Mara has been cast in a new show. I quite like In Justice. It's perfect for Friday night, and it would be a shame if ABC didn't give it more of a chance. — Claire

Matt Roush: When stars of "on the bubble" shows like In Justice take roles in pilots for the following season, these new roles are in what's called "second position." In other words, if In Justice gets renewed (which seems unlikely, though it's not dead quite yet), he'd have to stay with his previous show and they'd have to recast his new role or otherwise rework that pilot. Kind of like what happened to John Stamos when Jake in Progress got a pickup (what a mistake) and ER's producers had to rethink the cast-regular role they had planned for him.

________________________________________

Question: I saw in the Biz column that NBC has not yet decided if they will renew Scrubs. So this leads to a series of questions: Why would a network that has a limited number of quality shows even think about letting one of them go off the air? If the show is struggling, why does NBC refuse to put it on Thursday, where it could become part of a great comedy lineup? Finally, if it isn't renewed by NBC, could it be picked up by ABC? I think I read that someone at ABC was part of the team that developed it for NBC. I really do hope it survives, because it is a shame to see shows go off the air that have some sense of originality and can actually make you laugh. Thanks for the time. — James

Matt Roush: All are legitimate questions, and most have been asked repeatedly during a season when NBC often treated Scrubs, despite its Emmy nominations and general acclaim, as if it were toxic and contagious. We've speculated before that if NBC dropped Scrubs at this point, ABC might jump at it, given that the show is produced by Touchstone (also part of ABC's parent company, Disney) and that ABC's entertainment president ran Touchstone when Scrubs was developed. That's still a guess, and for all I know the show may be getting prohibitively expensive to produce as it gets older. We may have to wait until May to see what NBC does, and then to see if ABC will counter with a pickup. But should NBC drop Scrubs, let's just say it won't be the first jaw-droppingly clueless move the network has made in recent times.

On another Scrubs front, this from Jim: "I think it's time for some overdue praise for Donald Faison and the amazing work he's doing this season on Scrubs. The "Poison" performance alone is Emmy-worthy and is one of the main reasons the show is having one of its best seasons ever. Can you think of some other veteran shows that have been recharged by supporting cast members, such as Matt LeBlanc in the last seasons of Friends?"

Quite a few shout-outs to Donald Faison lately, so happy to pass it on. But I'm not sure Scrubs needed "recharging." The ensemble cast has always been a scream, up and down the line. To answer your final question (though I usually duck ones that are this broad), one show came to mind: Everybody Loves Raymond, which found new avenues of comedy in later seasons when Amy's family was introduced, including Chris Elliot, Fred Willard and especially the uproarious Georgia Engel.

________________________________________

Question: I read with interest the comments on the way the wives in The Unit are considered Stepford Wives, because I have been a military spouse now for 21 years and I have to say The Unit pretty much hits the mark as far as being true to life. I am just speaking as a general military spouse and not one assigned to a special unit, so just from what I have experienced, I can totally imagine how much more intense it is for the wife of someone in that situation. I think the main problem is that the general public has no idea what it is like to live the military life. It certainly isn't for everyone. I applaud The Unit for showing both sides of the story, because for many years the family side was not shown, and while it isn't as dangerous as the members' side, it is just as stressful to have to live. — Peggy

Matt Roush: Thanks for sharing. The more I watch The Unit, the more I think "Stepford Wives" isn't quite fair to the characterization of these women (especially the Regina Taylor character, but also Audrey Marie Anderson as the new wife on the block). The show is more interesting because of its split focus between the men on their missions and their wives living by their own code of behavior back at home.

________________________________________

Question: I read your review of The Unit, in which you stated it was "lacking the messy, gritty ambiguities that doomed FX's Over There...." This is not the first time I have seen that phrase used about the best show on television in a long time. Exactly what ambiguities were you talking about? I thought perhaps it was that none of the characters called Dubya an idiot or Rumsfeld a rear end. While I'm on the subject of Over There, did you know it has attracted an almost cult following? Fox still has the message board up and running more than four months after cancellation! Most of us who visit have signed petitions, and we have mailed and e-mailed FX and its president. What else can we do to, at a minimum, get a "closer movie"? My husband was a soldier for almost 30 years and I know we had these young soldiers in our home several times throughout the years. General Hal Moore of my generation said it best: Hate war, love the American warrior. I think FX didn't realize just how much some of us would love the troops on Over There. — P.J.

Matt Roush: Problem was, there just weren't enough people loving these fictional troops for FX to carry on with the show. The fact that there is a cult and critical following for Over There may account for the entire series being released this month on DVD. But there won't be more episodes, or a TV-movie sequel, at least not that I've heard. And you got it partially right in interpreting my phrase about Over There's "messy, gritty ambiguities."

What made the show so interesting, though also probably doomed it, was that it didn't make war look easy (the way the self-contained missions on The Unit kind of do). It didn't try to prettify or soften the harsh realities of the soldier's life in the Iraq War, which (in my experience) tended to infuriate those who still would like to portray it all as a "mission accomplished," while at the same time the show didn't overly politicize the situation by taking cheap shots at the military/executive-branch power structure. So it was never going to please extremists on either side of the issue, and those in the middle just chose not to watch (as they've been choosing not to do for years now).

________________________________________

Question: Arrgh! Why must the producers of American Inventor take such a great concept for a show and so totally bungle it? Why must we sit through endless "next on American Inventor," "welcome back to American Inventor" and recaps of what happened five minutes ago, only to have to view the worst ideas that the judges see? Are television producers afraid of letting us see more than mediocrity? I tuned in expecting to see the best in American innovation and was disappointed to have to sit through so many supposedly "entertaining" failures. Thank god the host is not yet as annoying as he was in his previous job on America's Funniest Animals. — Rebecca S.

Matt Roush: Couldn't agree more. Blame for this can be traced to the high ratings reaped by those odious American Idol audition episodes, because the same producers are behind this show and they clearly feel that nothing makes better TV than humiliating deluded schnooks who think they've got a talent (or discovery) worth sharing on camera, only to be shot down by the judges. I just saw an ABC release for the April 6 episode, which will still be in audition phase.

Like you, I kind of like the idea of American Inventor being a showcase for innovation and the American dream, but by the time they get to the meat of the show and past this initial foolishness, I'll probably have long since moved on (especially once everything on Thursday is back in place).

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

SnakeEyes

03-24-06, 11:28 PM

This is hilarious. Personally, I hope they lose.

DirecTV should have stayed neutral in this situation. They tried to take advantage of a situation which they will likely find themselves in as well.

Now they are whining because Dish Network (who had the guts to fight), got a better deal?

Agreements between the two is alleged to have been broken. If so they should win their suit.

fredfa

03-25-06, 10:21 AM

TV Notebook
The Appeal Of 'Deal'

By Kathy Blumenstock Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, March 26, 2006; Y05

Howie Mandel sees "Deal or No Deal" as much more than a simple game show with a potential $1 million prize.

"It's what America is all about," said Mandel, who hosts the NBC show that first aired for a week in December and was such a hit that it's now a twice-weekly staple.

"It's about a dream and how, with no skill, maybe a little luck and very little risk, you can change your life. Nobody should walk out of there without a lot of money."

But before walking out with a cache of cash, contestants must make smart money moves in a Vegas-like atmosphere, with a frenzied studio audience, a glowing stage set and Mandel as the maestro with a microphone.

Players pick one of 26 closed briefcases containing money -- from $1 million to one cent. They then make choices to keep or "sell" their case, depending on the amounts of money revealed as the other cases are opened.

"It's easy to be at home screaming at the TV but, in person, the tension, the excitement, the pressure to do the right thing is part of it," said Mandel, who initially had no interest in doing the show.

"My image of a game show host was someone reading trivia questions, and I have the attention span of a gnat," he said. "But this is a multitasking kind of position. It lets me ad-lib and uses everything from my stand-up comedy to dramatic work. In any one game we can go from laughing hysterically to breaking down and crying. You can feel the emotion in the room."

The unscripted show, taped in Los Angeles, features one contestant at a time. That player's back story, revealed in an introductory chat with Mandel, should touch viewers, according to David Goldberg of Endemol USA, which produces the program.

"We tried to steal a page out of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.' We're trying to cast people who are likable and in need," Goldberg said. "If we don't think America is going to root for them, then they're not going to work. We really try to program that element, with the husband calling in from Iraq, the family and friends in the studio."

The contestants' choices are not always clear-cut. Sometimes husbands and wives disagree, or friends encourage competitors to go against their instincts.

"Sometimes the decisions are not for the best, and I can't encourage or push anyone," Mandel said. "They realize in a minute: Do you want the $100,000, or do you say, 'No deal'? They see a chance for a million. They see that number, and they want to keep playing."

Mandel said most contestants get emotionally caught up in the excitement. "Every man who has been on the show has cried," he said. "We have to stop taping sometimes when people get so emotional."

The original show, created in the Netherlands in 2002, has spawned versions around the world, each with individual tweaks. "My youngest daughter can enjoy it because you only need second-grade math to understand it," Mandel said.

Goldberg said Mandel's skills play perfectly to the U.S. version. "Howie is like the benevolent character advising and rooting for the contestants," he said.

Mandel, Goldberg said, genuinely cares about the show's success and willingly juggles his other appearances to accomodate the gig. During a taping that reached a dramatic point, Mandel was scheduled to leave for Las Vegas.

"Howie said, 'If you can get a helicopter, that would save me a ride to the airport and we can finish taping,'" Goldberg said. "We have access to the 'Fear Factor' helicopters, so we had one land on the roof of the studio."

For Mandel, the hardest part of the show is watching players make bad choices. "I want the contestants to do the right thing," he said. "I would love every show if everyone would walk away a millionaire."

Let's Make a Deal (or Not): How the Game Is Played

1) A player chooses one of 26 silver briefcases , carried onstage by identically clad models in colorful dresses. The cases hold varying cash amounts from a penny to $1 million.

2) After picking a case to keep, the player must open a preset number of the remaining cases . Each open case holding less than $1 million increases the odds that the contestant has the case with the jackpot.

3) After each round of opened cases, a mysterious "banker" perched in a shadowy booth above the stage phones Mandel with offers to buy the player's closed case. The offers, which vary based on the amount of cash remaining in the unopened cases , give the contestant the chance to take some money and run, or gamble on a bigger win by continuing to play.

4) The game ends when the player takes the banker's deal, or the last remaining unopened briefcase is his own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032201776_pf.html

fredfa

03-25-06, 10:46 AM

TV Notebook
USA is king of cable nets in Q1

By Andrew Wallenstein The Hollywood Reporter March 25, 2006

USA Network has captured the crown in all key demographics in primetime among basic cable channels for the first quarter, which ends Sunday.

The NBC Universal-owned network swept total viewers, 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, according to a Turner Broadcasting analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.

USA drew an average of 2.6 million total viewers for the quarter, ahead of TNT, with 2.3 million. In 25-54, the target network of both demographics, USA outscored TNT 1.2 to 1.1 million.

Also competitive in each demographic was TNT sister network TBS, which ran third in all key categories except 18-34, where the average of 503,000 was enough to beat TNT, MTV and ESPN.

Rounding out the total-viewer category was TBS (1.7 million), ESPN (1.7 million), Nick at Nite (1.6 million), Lifetime (1.5 million) and Cartoon Network (1.5 million).

Among fully distributed networks, BET and FX had the strongest quarters in 18-49, jumping 31% and 28%, respectively, compared with the same period a year ago. Both networks recently saw a boost from strong starts to unscripted series, including BET's "Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown," and FX's "Black. White."

FX managed to finish fourth in 18-49, with 742,000, followed by ESPN (739,000), Spike TV (670,000) and Lifetime (585,000).

On the struggling side, Lifetime suffered a 20% drop among 18-49 viewers, in part because of a protracted battle with EchoStar Communications that left the network off the air for months on Dish Network. Also hit hard in the first quarter were Sci Fi Channel, down 19%, SoapNet (-17%) and Spike TV (-17%).

Other strong series runs for the quarter were registered for VH1's "Flavor of Love," which averaged 1.6 million over 10 first-run episodes in the 18-49 demographic. Its March 12 episode was the highest-rated nonsports program of the quarter in the demo, locking 3.9 million.

USA was powered in part by "WWE Raw," which scored three of the top 10 rated telecasts in 18-49 for the quarter.

In total-day ratings, Nickelodeon scored highest among total viewers, with 2.2 million.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002236447

fredfa

03-25-06, 10:49 AM

TV Notebook
Fox lines up 'Bones' for Season 2

By Kimberly Nordyke The Hollywood Reporter

Fox Broadcasting Co. has given an early sophomore-season nod to the drama series "Bones" from 20th Century Fox TV, the network confirmed Thursday.

The series stars Emily Deschanel as a forensic anthropologist and part-time novelist whose specialty is identifying bodies and solving crimes based on clues left behind in victims' bones. David Boreanaz plays an FBI homicide investigative agent who often works with her on investigations.

"Bones" has bounced around Fox's schedule this season but primarily aired in the Tuesday 8 p.m. slot until "American Idol" returned in January. The series has averaged 8.4 million viewers and a 3.6 rating/9 share in the adults 18-49 demographic so far this season, according to Nielsen Media Research.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002235665

fredfa

03-25-06, 11:04 AM

TV Notebook
Inside Move: Tome nettles TV biz

By Josef Adalian Variety.com

A new book about the TV biz doesn't hit shelves for another month, but advance copies are already raising eyebrows.

"Desperate Networks," by New York Times TV reporter Bill Carter, is ostensibly a year-in-the-life tome focused on the backstories surrounding the hits and failures of the 2004-05 season. But as he did with "The Late Shift," Carter fills many pages with highly detailed anecdotes and accounts of conversations certain to raise the ire of many of the parties involved.

Among the tidbits:

• Warner Bros. TV was on track to land the rights to Marc Cherry's spec script for "Desperate Housewives" via Tony Krantz, who had an overall deal at the studio. Unfortunately, WBTV execs refused to give Cherry's reps at Paradigm a packaging fee -- so Paradigm set up the project at Touchstone.

• Carter shows NBC U topper Bob Wright launching a fervent investigation to find out why NBC didn't land "Housewives." At one point, Wright even calls Cherry to ask if NBC had ever had a shot at the script. (It did. The network passed.)

• Leslie Moonves was "absolutely livid" when it seemed Sumner Redstone was going to make Tom Freston sole head of Viacom. According to Carter, Freston suggested a co-presidency to keep Moonves from bolting.

• In a subtle dig at Bob Iger, the producers of "Lost" recruited ousted ABC boss Lloyd Braun to supply the voiceover at the start of each episode that says "previously on 'Lost.'"

• Carter spends plenty of time talking about Hollywood's animus toward NBC chief Jeff Zucker, including a slam from former Fox chief Gail Berman. "You gotta be able to say something about your tenure before you sit in front of people and say I'm the man, I'm the man," Berman says, clearly referring to Zucker.

The book also captures Zucker's frustration at the Peacock's primetime performance and how it might impact his plan to eventually replace Wright. "They'll never give it to me with primetime in this shape," Zucker is quoted as musing.

• During Berman's run at Fox, Carter recounts a near-disastrous taping of the reality skein "The Chamber." When a contestant is trapped in a superheated torture chamber, the Fox prexy begins to rock back and forth in her chair. "Please don't die, please don't die," she says, according to the book.

One clear insight about the TV biz that emerges, according to not-yet-final galley proofs of the book: Small screen execs are fond of a certain four-letter word.

Detailing a much-documented 2001 Cuba trip by Moonves, Brad Grey, Brian Grazer and some other moguls, Carter recounts how Grazer hesitated when Cuban military officer insisted the group have lunch the next day with Fidel Castro.

"You know, I really have things I've got to do...," Carter quotes Grazer as saying.

Replied Moonves: "Brian, shut the **** up!"

There are plenty more.

Because "Desperate Networks" is being aimed at a wide audience, book also contains plenty of Us magazine-friendly dish about celebs, including a section on the casting of "Housewives." Carter claims Dana Delany passed on the chance to play Bree, while Mary-Louise Parker said no to the role of Susan.

Carter also recounts Nicollette Sheridan's "legendarily bad" audition for the part of Bree.

Turns out McDougall thought Sheridan was perfect for the part of Edie Britt.

"Oh, you want me to read the slut?" Sheridan replied. "No problem."

"Desperate Networks," from Doubleday, is set to hit stores May 2 -- just two weeks before the networks announce their 2006-07 schedules.

fredfa

03-25-06, 12:34 PM

Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-26-06, 01:45 PM

The Digital Revolution
BSkyB, BBC to kick off high-def service in May

Subscribers will be charged an extra $17 a month
By Steve Clarke Variety.com

Rupert Murdoch's satcaster BSkyB will launch its high-definition service in May, the first widely available in the U.K.

It will charge subscribers an extra £10 ($17) a month following an initial outlay of $500 for the set-top box.
There had been speculation that Sky HD might be delayed because of technical problems, but Brian Sullivan, Sky's director of product strategy and management, said: "Sky is just weeks away from an exciting new era that will transform the television viewing experience."

The BBC announced Thursday that it would screen this summer's World Cup soccer and Wimbledon tennis championship in high definition as part of a trial that bows in May.

The BBC's HD coverage of the World Cup will be available to all customers with a Sky HD box as a non-subscription channel, according to Sullivan.

Entertainment web Sky One HD, Artsworld HD, National Geographic HD, Discovery HD, Sky Box Office HD and Sky Sports HD are among the channels the satcaster will offer in the new standard.

Blighty has lagged behind the U.S. in rolling out HD: A limited cable-delivered HD bowed this month on Telewest's cable system.

fredfa

03-26-06, 01:55 PM

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-26-06, 11:00 PM

The 2006-2007 TV Season
Great expectations

After a season rife with aliens and oddities, bankable faces from TV and the big screen have dramatic plans for the fall
By Maria Elena Fernandez Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 27, 2006

In Los Angeles and beyond, big, inexplicable things are happening. Nine people are being held hostage in a downtown L.A. bank. Scientists in Pasadena are responding to a massive meteor crash. On the Sunset Strip, a late-night sketch comedy series is unraveling. And in Florida, a young man is discovering he can swim underwater at 100 mph and communicate with sea life.

It's pilot season, the time of year when next fall's television lineup takes shape as potential new shows vie for precious prime-time network slots.

No matter which shows wind up on the schedule, though, one thing is certain: Last season's fascination with the supernatural and extraterrestrial has waned. Next fall, things will not come out of the water or out of the sky, or from farther beyond, to attack us. (Except, of course, for Fox's "Beyond," which is more about the scientists and the aftermath of an Alaskan meteor impact than any cosmic threat.) The harm this season will come from flawed humans — humans mired in deep, serialized conspiracies and multifarious relationships designed to keep viewers hooked for years.

Spurred by current serialized story lines on such shows as "Lost," "24," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Grey's Anatomy," this new drama and comedy slate is not for the commitment-phobic. Forget close-ended procedurals so popular on CBS and NBC; even shows with crime as a theme will focus on character and point of view.

"Everything we bought this year started with characters," said Francie Calfo, executive vice president of development and current programs at ABC. "The more character-driven and the stronger the point of view, whether we were looking at dramas and comedies, that's what we looked for."

As it turns out, so was everyone else. Across the networks you will be asked to invest time, spirit and emotion as you wade through complex tales designed to keep you guessing. And if you want to keep track of what's happening with your favorite characters, you will have to tune in again and again and again.

"As long as there is a way to keep the audience current or refreshed in terms of the events in a character's life, they'll stay connected," said Nina Tassler, CBS president of entertainment.

In exchange for such viewer devotion, the networks are bringing out the big guns. In caliber of actors; pedigree of writers, directors and producers; the style of the shows and the ideas behind them, the buzzword for this year's crop of pilots is "big."

"There's no question that there's a desire for size and scope this year," said David Nevins, president of Imagine Television, which is producing three pilots this year: "Shark" for CBS; "Beyond" for Fox; and a contemporary remake of "Friday Night Lights" for NBC. "People are thinking bigger for television."

That includes actors known primarily from the big screen, such as James Woods ("Shark"), Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen ("Smith" for CBS), and Jeff Goldblum as the title character on NBC's "Raines."

The roster of familiar TV faces returning in pilots includes: Matthew Perry (NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), Calista Flockhart (ABC's "Brothers & Sisters"), Heather Locklear (ABC's "Women of a Certain Age"), Brad Garrett (Fox's " 'Til Death"), John Lithgow (NBC's "20 Good Years") and Patricia Heaton on ABC in an untitled sitcom she created.

"I've been so lamenting the horrible state of the movie industry the past few years," said Woods, who plays a high-profile celebrity defense attorney who, after a crisis of conscience, becomes a prosecutor. "When I was young, everyone pooh-poohed television, and now every time I turn on the television, I see some extraordinarily interesting series."

What isn't big for fall is the available real estate on prime time. In an industry that is unforgiving (of the 120 pilots produced last spring, 48 were picked up for the fall, 15 of those have already been canceled, and two may never air), this season will prove just as ruthless. There are 100 dramas and comedies in various stages of production across five broadcast networks, all striving to land one of the fewer than 40 available spots on the lineups, which the networks will announce to advertisers in Manhattan in May.

With UPN and the WB going out of business, the new CW will have at its disposal both of those networks' lineups as well as at least six pilots it is producing to fill just 13 hours of programming. "We have very few holes, so we're focused on quality versus quantity," CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff said.

NBC has jumped ahead of the pack by committing three pilots to its fall schedule, with 12 other shows hoping to find a home there. "We're developing 365 days a year now," said NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. "So we're picking up fewer pilots than expected because we will keep developing for spring and summer 2007 throughout the year."

By contrast, ABC and Fox have had more typical development cycles and will pick up more shows than any of the competition. CBS, currently enjoying a phenomenal season, has already renewed 14 series for next year, leaving it with fewer places to launch new shows.

"The bar is very high," said CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves. "You're going to have to be very good to get on our network."

Woods thinks his new show, which was created by Ian Biderman ("Cold Case"), is co-produced by Brian Grazer and Nevins ("24) and is directed by filmmaker Spike Lee, rises to that challenge. "I've never wanted to do a series, ever. But when I read this script, I saw that there's actually some great writing left and good stories about people who have done things they're not amped about, but they learned from their mistakes, and they go on to become heroic people."

"Shark" is not alone in the ocean of early hype. Part of Reilly's motivation in announcing three new NBC series so early is the "noise" factor he hopes to generate for the shows. TV veterans Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme ("The West Wing") have again teamed up for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," a drama starring Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, about the people who produce a late-night sketch show. "Kidnapped," a thriller about a wealthy family whose teenage son is nabbed, features a formidable cast: Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Hutton, Dana Delaney and Mykelti Williamson. Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, who just won an Academy Award for "Crash," co-created "The Black Donnellys," a story about four Irish brothers who grow up to become mobsters in New York.

"We wrote it originally in 1996-1997 and then we stuck it in a drawer," Haggis said of the script. "I trotted it out every few years to get it made and people would say, 'Don't be ridiculous.' I always thought it was a unique story. I love that you get to twist these characters around for 22 or 24 hours on television. So I was very glad that somebody at NBC remembered it."

Another industry long-timer, John Wells ("ER"), has created "Smith" for CBS, starring Liotta as the leader of a crew of criminals who desperately wants out of the life, and Madsen as his wife. The creators of "Smallville" — Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Greg Beeman — are producing a spinoff for the CW, "Aquaman," starring Justin Hartley of "Passions." Fox has "13 Graves," by Joel Wyman ("The Mexican" and "Keen Eddie"), about an ex-treasure hunter who travels the country in search of his brother, and "The Wedding Album" by Andy Tennant ("Sweet Home Alabama") starring Bruno Campos, "Nip/Tuck's" diabolical "Carver."

"I was hoping to ... go to something very opposite of that," Campos said. From playing a "knife-wielding drug addict to ... a jaded yet romantic and sentimental wedding photographer who is also very lost."

Hank Steinberg ("Without a Trace") and his sister, K.J. Steinberg, sold one of the most sought-after shows of the development season to ABC. The still-untitled drama follows the lives of nine people (including Chi McBride, Scott Wolf, Kim Raver and Tim Daly) who are held hostage in a bank robbery for 52 hours as they struggle with the trauma and reevaluate their lives. The mystery of the events that unfolds in the bank is revealed slowly throughout the season, a technique that has proven popular on "Lost."

Meanwhile, family situation comedies seem to have vanished along with the aliens, as relationships, love and friendship emerge as themes. The pilots will run the gamut in format: traditional multi-camera, single camera and hybrids of both.

"People are going in a lot of different directions comedy-wise because nobody has the confidence that they know the formula," Nevins said.

Among those attracting early attention are Fox's "More, Patience," CBS' "The Class" and "The Angriest Man in Suburbia," and ABC's "Him and Us," produced by Elton John and starring Kim Cattrall. Also generating buzz are "Everybody Loves Raymond" alums Garrett and Heaton. Garrett leads Fox's " 'Til Death" about two couples in different stages of marriage, and Heaton stars in a sitcom she penned for ABC about a recent widow who finds comfort in joining the PTA.

"More, Patience," is a half-hour comedy in the style of "Ally McBeal," centered around a thirtysomething New York therapist who is in the middle of a divorce and has a vivid internal fantasy life. Written four years ago by Jed Seidel, a "Veronica Mars" writer, Fox decided to update it this year and produce it.

David Crane, one of the creators of "Friends," is returning to the small screen with "The Class," a multi-camera comedy about a group of people who met in the third grade and are reunited when one of them (Jason Ritter) throws a party. Although the show will be shot traditionally in front of a studio audience, its large ensemble cast allows for complex, serialized storytelling not used typically in sitcoms.

So who will land a time slot? The whirlwind of pilot production will not be completed until early May, giving network executives about two weeks to decide which shows will get a shot in fall.

"Everything is down to the wire," said Craig Erwich, Fox's executive vice president of programming. "Compare it to making a movie. You're in casting, pre-production, production and post-production in a matter of two months. People make a lot of noise about what their strategy is, but at the end of the day, we're just looking for hits like everyone else. And we'll take them where we can get them."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-pilots27mar27,0,6858257,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

03-27-06, 10:04 AM

TV Notebook
HBO Is Searching for a New Way to Combine 'Sex' and 'City'

By Bill Carter The New York Times March 27, 2006

Is "Sex and the City" coming back as a reality show on HBO?

The most that HBO executives will say at this point is a qualified maybe, and they would rather not go even that far.

But it is true, as the show business daily The Hollywood Reporter first reported last week, that HBO is in the process of commissioning a reality pilot that could tackle many of the themes of "Sex and the City," the most popular comedy in the history of that pay cable channel. The show is billed as a look at young urban women and their relationships with men and each other.

HBO has for some time kicked around the idea of finding a way to recapture the appeal of "Sex and the City," at one point even contemplating resurrecting the show with four different actresses having new sexual adventures in New York.

Last Friday, HBO executives cautioned that the reality show idea had been approved only for the pilot stage, and even though it might have some connection to that much-loved comedy hit, whether it actually became a series depended entirely on how well the pilot turned out.

HBO has been conspicuous in its reluctance to commit heavily to the reality genre. HBO did show "Project Greenlight," a series about the movie-making process, for two cycles, but then let it go to the Bravo channel. The network also had high hopes for a documentary-style family drama about bail bondsmen called "Family Bonds," but it did not make it past its first season.

All that is known so far about the reality version of "Sex and the City" is that one of the former writers and producers of that series, Amy B. Harris, is expected to be an executive producer for the pilot, along with Simon Andreae, a British reality show producer, although Mr. Andreae had not signed a contract for the show as of last week.

His potential participation has furthered speculation that the show may delve into some daring areas of sexuality.

Besides his television experience (most recently he joined the staff of a reality series planned for the USA Network, "eBaum's World," based on the Web site of the same name), Mr. Andreae has written about sexual topics for Esquire and other publications and is the author of a book called "Anatomy of Desire."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/business/media/27hbo.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1143471709-qsyCoNF5HLPtVVkSKot0YQ&pagewanted=print

bgooch

03-27-06, 10:17 AM

March 27, 2006

By RICHARD SIKLOS, The New York Times

For anyone who has ever missed a top-rated television program and wondered what all the fuss was about, Time Warner Cable may one day have an answer.

The nation's second-largest cable operator has initiated talks with the four biggest broadcast networks — CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC — about testing a service that would give viewers access to top programs, as rated by Nielsen Media Research, soon after their broadcast.

A video-on-demand service based on the shifting whims of TV viewers would represent the first effort to package and sell television programs in a way that mimics the "wisdom of crowds" approach, which has become common on the Internet and underpins the way search engines like Google rank results.

Since their establishment a half-century ago, Nielsen ratings have mainly been used as a measure of the popularity of a program, and therefore its attractiveness to advertisers. The concept under discussion is aimed at making what was on TV last night as compelling to viewers as what is on tonight.

A Time Warner Cable spokesman, Mark Harrad, confirmed that talks about the service were in progress but declined to give details. He and two people in network television who had been briefed on the talks described them as embryonic.

One approach being contemplated, one participant said, would offer viewers on-demand access to programs ranked in the top 20 (over a period of time to be determined) for a fee of $10 a month, on top of the regular bill. A price for an individual program may also be contemplated, another person close to the talks said. "There have been high-level discussions, but no definitive decisions or deals," Mr. Harrad said.

Such a service would be the latest in a string of new video-on-demand services for consumers who do not use the increasingly popular digital video recorders or who did not record a particular program and became interested in watching it as a result of its ratings success.

New on-demand services — which include arrangements between CBS and Comcast and between NBC and DirecTV — are pitched as TV-based alternatives to the growing availability of TV programs that can be bought individually on the Internet or as downloads for iPods.

The new service would provide a way to replay live events, like the Academy Awards or shows like "American Idol," that figure prominently in Nielsen ratings. Such programs, though heavily promoted, have a short shelf life compared to feature films, which are also well promoted but have a series of distribution outlets (including, down the road, television).

For popular network programs like "Grey's Anatomy," "C.S.I.: Miami" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the service would provide a new window to attract viewers and revenue.

If Time Warner's recent activities are a guide, the cable operator would probably try to run programs with the advertising as seen on the original broadcast and not allow viewers to fast-forward through them. The cable operator is testing a service in South Carolina, called Start Over, that allows viewers who join a program in progress to watch it from the beginning — but they cannot fast-forward.

Before any version of a ratings-based service could become a reality, television executives cautioned, several big hurdles that have held back the widespread availability of video-on-demand would have to be overcome.

Primarily, the networks and cable operator would have to decide how the subscription fees would be split between the distributor and networks — and also how the network pot would be divided among the ever-changing lineup of top programs.

For example, would the fee be split according to which network had the most slots on the top 20 at a given time, or would it be split according to which programs were selected for on-demand viewing? And even if those questions were ironed out, the networks would need agreements with creators, producers and writers, as well as local affiliate station owners, to give them a piece of the new revenue stream.

This last issue has been the main reason the inventory of programs now available through video-on-demand and download services on cable, satellite and the Internet represents only a fraction of a given week's top 20.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/business/media/27warner.html?_r=5&oref=login&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-27-06, 01:22 PM

Sunday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-27-06, 01:27 PM

TV Notebook
CBS Braces for Cable Showdown

Moonves wants retrans fees for his stations, but can he deliver?
By John M. Higgins Broadcasting & Cable 3/27/2006

CBS chief Leslie Moonves is giving station owners something to cheer about in the war between cable operators and broadcasters over carriage of local-TV signals. But a new Wall Street report on retransmission consent says that it may still be years before CBS or other broadcasters see a meaningful amount of money from the fight.

Last week, CBS made a deal to provide its programming from Verizon's startup video system. The telco secured the right to retransmit CBS' O&O stations on its new FiOS video system, which is directly challenging cable operators by delivering both high-speed data and video services. The deal also gives Verizon certain video-on-demand rights to sell CBS' best prime time shows shortly after they air.

The big news is the price. CBS and Verizon refused to detail the deal, but industry executives familiar with it say that CBS secured terms similar to Hearst-Argyle's recent breakthrough agreement with DBS service EchoStar. That deal gives Hearst-Argyle 50¢ monthly for each EchoStar subscriber in the station group's markets, or around $11 million a year. The payments are funneled through cable network Lifetime Television, which is 50%-owned by Hearst-Argyle controlling shareholder Hearst Corp.

Skeptical of nexstar claims

Because Verizon's nascent video operation has few subscribers, the deal won't cost the telco or pay CBS much money anytime soon. The immediate revenue is far less even than the $12 million or so a year Nexstar says it will collect following recent, tough negotiations with cable and DBS operators. Many broadcasting and cable executives, meanwhile, are skeptical of Nexstar's claims.

The recent deals could mark shifts in the balance of power over retransmission consent, one of the most divisive issues in the TV industry. With ad sales sluggish, broadcasters believe their best path to growth is persuading cable operators to start writing big checks for the right to retransmit local TV stations.

Moonves is eager for a rallying point because Wall Street hasn't found much reason to get excited about CBS' stock. When Viacom split in two, CBS Corp. was designed to be the slow-growth half but would pay a bigger dividend.

Sanford, Bernstein & Co. media analyst Michael Nathanson expects CBS' companywide revenues and operating income to grow an average of just 3% each over the next four years. The company's billboard unit may be fairly strong, but Nathanson sees CBS' TV-network, station and radio units as lethargic. “When you're dealt the hand that he's dealt,” he says, “retransmission consent is the only bright spot.”

Stations argue that cable customers spend dramatically more time watching broadcast programming like CSI than what's on cable. Since operators readily pay many cable channels 25¢-50¢ per subscriber monthly, broadcast stations should be paid as much or more.

After more than a decade of fighting, major cable operators continue to reject stations' demands. They argue, in part, that their customers shouldn't pay for broadcast programming that's available free to anyone with a cheap antenna (or, increasingly, on the Internet).

Systems might commit to buying advertising on a station or carry a new cable network owned by the broadcaster's parent company. However, all but the smallest operators say they have not paid straight license fees.

CBS Executive VP Martin Franks scoffs at cable's stance. “If one of our viewers wants to put up rabbit ears, we're happy to give them our very best programming,” he says. “If a multichannel provider is going to get between us and our viewer and charge them to watch that same programming, we expect to be compensated.”

Moonves has set CBS' retransmission-consent bar high. Earlier this year, he teased Wall Street with the prospect that CBS will secure “hundreds of millions of dollars” in revenue by breaking cable executives' will.

“We're going to get paid for our content by cable operators,” he said at a recent investor meeting. “Try running a cable operation without the Super Bowl, the Grammys, CSI, The Final Four, Survivor, David Letterman. Why should an [operator] pay a cable network for reruns when they're not paying us for the top shows on television?”

Nathanson estimates that, if Moonves delivers, retransmission-consent payments alone could lift CBS' earnings by 8%. For a company expecting 3% growth, that would be a big lift.

Who has more clout

There's a catch: CBS won't see any material kick for years. In a pair of new retransmission-consent reports by Nathanson and Bernstein's cable analyst Craig Moffett, the analysts note that Viacom had given CBS stations retransmission rights to bolster MTV's negotiations with major cable operators for better terms and carriage of new networks. MTV compensates CBS with payments of just $25 million, or about 5.2¢, for every cable and DBS subscriber in CBS' markets.

And cable operators have more clout than telcos and even DBS. Cable operators are big enough in major markets to take a broadcaster dark in 60%-80% of local homes overnight. That would guarantee immediate pain as major advertisers cancel. But a DBS operator might serve just 10%-20% of local homes, so it can inflict far less pain. Telcos are in the weakest position.

I wonder whether Moonves has promised too much. Perhaps in three years, CBS will have some other good news to tempt Wall Street with. But if he comes up short, expect investors' disappointment to be clearly reflected in CBS' stock price.