Critic’s Notebook
It's ugly, but Frankie Faison enjoys life on 'The Wire'
By Jim Beckerman The Record (Hackensack, NJ) Sunday, January 28, 2007

It's been four years since Frankie Faison became a cop.

And yes, it's true – people treat you differently.

"There's hardly a day goes by when somebody doesn't come up to me in the street," Faison says.

Which is funny, because Faison isn't a particularly good cop.

He did his best to stall a major drug investigation. He was the pawn of a thuggish district commander in his personal vendetta against a union leader over who was going to provide a stained-glass window for St. Casimir's Catholic Church.

But the cool thing about being in a long-form TV series like HBO's acclaimed "The Wire," Faison says, is that his character is always evolving.

"Things change from season to season," says the Montclair actor, who plays Police Commissioner Ervin H. Burrell in this series about wiretapping cops, drug dealers, gang-bangers, crooked union leaders and sleazy politicians who all too often have their hands in one another's pockets.

After four seasons on HBO, where it racked up ecstatic reviews but only so-so ratings, "The Wire" is trying its fortunes on basic cable. The show can be seen Thursday nights at 9 on BET, with an encore Saturdays at 9 p.m.

"I'm curious to see how it does," Faison says. "I'm not that familiar with what BET's audience is, how big or extensive. I think it's a good thing. Because it's such a great show, you want everybody to see it who can, so hopefully it will bring in another whole new market for the series."

Keeping the fans guessing

What sets "The Wire" apart from many other TV shows about cops and perps is that it tends to devote a whole season to a single case -- a single set of good and bad guys we get to know so thoroughly that they almost cease being good guys and bad guys. The show, created by former Baltimore Sun crime reporter David Simon in 2002 as a successor to his "Homicide: Life on the Street," is entering its fifth and final season on HBO this year.

There are few stereotyped characters, few routine plot twists, in "The Wire." We find out that the baddest gangsta in the projects, Omar (Michael K. Williams), is gay – and so is the most warm and decent of the cops, Shakima "Kima" Greggs (Sonja Sohn). We see that even the good-guy cops like McNulty (Dominic West) and Lt. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick) have feet of clay, while the bad guys, like Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), are unexpectedly engaging.

But only, says Faison, to a point.

"If you were dealing with them in everyday life, I don't think you'd be cheering for them," Faison says. "That's what I try to tell people. They say, 'We love Omar; we love Stringer Bell.' I say, 'Would you like to have them over for dinner? Would you like to spend an afternoon or evening with them? I don't think so.' "

His own character? Paint Commissioner Burrell in shades of gray, Faison says.

"By the end of the first season, people seem to lean more towards him being not such a nice guy, but not the worst of the worst, either," Faison says. "He's being squeezed by the people at the top, and it cycles down. He's caught between a rock and a hard place, and the only person who covers his butt is himself. You see him getting lashed at, and you see him lashing out. But I always thought of him as pretty much a good company man."

No big secret about how Faison landed a role in such a high-profile show.

The veteran actor, who's in his 50s and has been a Montclair resident for 19 years, was already a familiar face in movies ("The Silence of the Lambs," "Mississippi Burning," "Do the Right Thing"), TV ("Law and Order," "Oz," "The Cosby Show") and especially theater (he earned Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his performance opposite James Earl Jones in the original 1987 Broadway production of August Wilson's "Fences"; today he wraps up a two-month run in the off-Broadway revival of Wilson's "Two Trains Running").

Typical application process

"The Wire" happened the way everything else does – a phone call, a resume, an audition.

"Of course, I was excited because it was HBO, and HBO is such an exciting network," he says. "But it was the normal process. I go, audition, meet people and get the job."

The usual process, perhaps, but not the usual commitment. Six months out of Faison's year belong to HBO: The actor has to be on tap to go to Baltimore (where the series is shot and set).

But it's been worth it for the dividends in enhanced fame and enhanced revenue.

"It's actually paid for me to go out and do what I really love to do, which is theater," says Faison, who hails from Newport News, Va.

Wife's multicultural theater

This is Faison's third year as president of the board of Luna Stage, the theater company his wife, Jane Mandel (they have three grown children), founded in 1993. The Montclair theater, with its emphasis on multicultural issues, is near and dear to him; he has appeared on its stage more than once, and his high profile has become indelibly associated with it.

Perhaps a little too much, he says.

"That's her theater, not mine," Faison says. "I want people to understand that she's the one who started that theater, and she's the one who runs that theater. I'm in there as a support group for her. But that's a problem in this household, because I have so much recognition, and a lot of people say, 'Hey, Frankie, your theater in Montclair is great.' And I have to correct them and say, 'It's not my theater; it's my wife's theater.' That's her legacy. Mine would have to fall someplace else."

No question who gets the credit for Commissioner Burrell, his "Wire" character. All kudos to Simon and the other writers, he says.

"They're the ones who created this thing, and they're always right-on with it," Faison says. "They know the character better than I do."

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cW VlRUV5eTcwNjUyMjAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3

Screen Actors Guild TV Award Winners

Female Actor in a Drama Series

WINNER:

Chandra Wilson / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Miranda Bailey - ABC

Nominees:
Patricia Arquette / MEDIUM – Allison Dubois - NBC
Edie Falco / THE SOPRANOS – Carmela Soprano - HBO
Mariska Hargitay / LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT – Det. Olivia Benson - NBC
Kyra Sedgwick / THE CLOSER – Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson - TNT

Screen Actors Guild TV Award Winners

Male Actor in a Drama Series

WINNER:

Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House - FOX

Nominees:
James Gandolfini / THE SOPRANOS – Tony Soprano - HBO
Michael C. Hall / DEXTER – Dexter Morgan - Showtime
James Spader / BOSTON LEGAL – Alan Shore - ABC
Kiefer Sutherland / 24 – Jack Bauer - FOX

Since there has been not a single request for spoiler tags tonight on the Screen Actors Guild Awards, I won't be adding them.But many of us thank you for asking!

Screen Actors Guild TV Award Winners

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

WINNER:

GREY’S ANATOMY - ABC
Justin Chambers - Alex Karev
Eric Dane - Mark Sloan
Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd
Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens
T.R. Knight - George O’Malley
Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang
James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber
Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey
Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres
Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery Shepherd
Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke
Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey

Nominees:

24 - FOX
Jayne Atkinson - Karen Hayes
Jude Ciccolella - Mike Novic
Roger Cross - Curtis Manning
Gregory Itzin - Charles Logan
Louis Lombardi - Edgar Stiles
James Morrison - Bill Buchanan
Glenn Morshower - Aaron Pierce
Mary Lynn Rajskub - Chloe O’Brian
Kim Raver - Audrey Raines
Jean Smart - Martha Logan
Kiefer Sutherland - Jack Bauer

BOSTON LEGAL - ABC
Rene Auberjonois - Paul Lewiston
Candice Bergen - Shirley Schmidt
Craig Bierko - Jeffrey Coho
Julie Bowen - Denise Bauer
William Shatner - Denny Crane
James Spader - Alan Shore
Mark Valley - Brad Chase

DEADWOOD - HBO
Jim Beaver - Ellsworth
Powers Boothe - Cy Tolliver
Sean Bridgers - Johnny Burns
W. Earl Brown - Dan Dority
Dayton Callie - Charlie Utter
Brian Cox - Jack Langrishe
Kim Dickens - Joanie Stubbs
Brad Dourif - Doc Cochran
Anna Gunn - Martha Bullock
John Hawkes - Sol Starr
Jeffrey Jones - A.W. Merrick
Paula Malcomson - Trixie
Gerald McRaney - George Hearst
Ian McShane - Al Swearengen
Timothy Olyphant - Seth Bullock
Molly Parker - Alma Garret
Leon Rippy - Tom Nuttall
William Sanderson - E.B. Farnum
Brent Sexton - Harry Young
Bree Seanna - WallSofia Metz
Robin Weigert - Calamity Jane
Titus Welliver - Silas Adam

THE SOPRANOS - HBO
Sharon Angela - Rosalie Aprile
Lorraine Bracco - Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Max Casella - Benny Fazio
Dominic Chianese - Corrado “Junior” Soprano
Edie Falco Carmela - Soprano
James Gandolfini - Tony Soprano
Joseph R. Gannascoli - Vito Spatafore
Dan Grimaldi - Patsy Parisi
Robert Iler - Anthony Soprano, Jr.
Michael Imperioli - Christopher Moltisanti
Steven R. Schirripa - Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri
Jamie Lynn Sigler - Meadow Soprano
Tony Sirico - Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri
Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano-Baccalieri
Steven Van Zandt - Silvio Dante
Frank Vincent - Phil Leotardo

Here, in one place, is the complete list:
Screen Actors Guild TV Award Winners

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries

Helen Mirren / ELIZABETH I – Elizabeth I - HBO

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries

Jeremy Irons / ELIZABETH I – Earl of Leicester - HBO

Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin / 30 ROCK – Jack Donaghy - NBC

Female Actor in a Comedy Series

America Ferrera / UGLY BETTY – Betty Suarez – ABC

Female Actor in a Drama Series

Chandra Wilson / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Miranda Bailey – ABC

Male Actor in a Drama Series

Hugh Laurie / HOUSE – Dr. Gregory House – FOX

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

GREY’S ANATOMY ABC
Justin Chambers - Alex Karev
Eric Dane - Mark Sloan
Patrick Dempsey - Derek Shepherd
Katherine Heigl - Isobel “Izzie” Stevens
T.R. Knight - George O’Malley
Sandra Oh - Cristina Yang
James Pickens, Jr. - Richard Webber
Ellen Pompeo - Meredith Grey
Sara Ramirez - Callie Torres
Kate Walsh - Addison Montgomery Shepherd
Isaiah Washington - Preston Burke
Chandra Wilson - Miranda Bailey

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

THE OFFICE – NBC

Leslie David Baker - Stanley Hudson
Brian Baumgartner - Kevin Malone
Steve Carell - Michael Scott
David Denman - Roy Anderson
Jenna Fischer - Pam Beesly
Kate Flannery - Meredith Palmer
Melora Hardin - Jan Levinson
Mindy Kaling - Kelly Kapoor
Angela Kinsey - Angela Martin
John Krasinski - Jim Malpert
Paul Lieberstein - Toby Flenderson
B.J. Novak - Ryan Howard
Oscar Nunez - Oscar Martinez
Phyllis Smith - Phyllis Lapin
Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute

What do you know, the SAG Awards make last year's Emmy Award nominating process look like the sad, pathetic circus it is. Speaking of 30 Rock (which earned alec Baldwin yet another recognition), here's an article profiling her co-star and show runner Tina Fey: http://www.slate.com/id/2158312/fr/flyout.

Certainly you could differ with some of the TV winners, but it is hard to argue that any of them was undeserving.

TV Notebook
Smithsonian Network announces lineup
Service plans to launch in spring
By Michael Schneider Variety January 28, 2007

Smithsonian Networks has announced its first batch of programming, including a co-production with the BBC on the Beeb's long-running history skein "Timewatch."

A joint venture between the Smithsonian Institute and Showtime Networks (announced last year), the Smithsonian Networks service plans to launch in spring with a video on-demand service. A linear cable channel is also in the works.

"The chance to take Smithsonian's collections and interests beyond the confines of Washington to a wider American public is a wonderful challenge," said David Royle, exec VP for programming and production.

Programming will be run in high-definition, and include original and acquired fare such as documentaries and short-subject looks at scientific, cultural and historical events.

Projects include "Stories From the Vaults," which looks at the Smithsonian's rarely seen exhibits. Tom Cavanaugh ("Ed") narrates the program, from Caragol Wells Prods.

Also, "The Hunt for the Double Eagle," from Fulcrum TV, looks at the Secret Service's efforts to track down copies of the extremely rare 1933 Double Eagle coin. And "American Treasures," from Big Fish Entertainment, looks at some of the Natural Museum of American History's most unique objects.

Then there's "Cutting Loose," the 1996 winner of the filmakers trophy for best doc at the Sundance Fest.

Never before seen on U.S. TV, the film -- from Dune Prods. and Andrew Young and Susan Todd, takes place at Mardi Gras.

The BBC skein "Timewatch" focuses on world events.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958242&categoryid=14

Two shows I watched tonight, 60 min and BSG are opting out for next Sunday-who else?

TV Sports
Life in the HotPass Lane
By David Goetzl Broadcasting & Cable 1/29/2007

When the flag drops on the NASCAR season next month, race watchers can do the equivalent of viewing the Super Bowl from inside Peyton Manning's helmet and listen in on chats with coaches during timeouts.

With the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, DirecTV is introducing HotPass, where a single channel is dedicated to an individual driver, offering camera angles from inside the car and a live audio feed of communications with the crew.

Last year, David Hill, president of DirecTV Entertainment and chairman of Fox Sports, spent an afternoon watching a race by focusing solely on the fortunes of driver Kevin Harvick. He followed Harvick's decisions to pass on the inside, fall behind to conserve gas and hit the pits, all while listening to driver-crew communications.

After years of watching races from the overhead perspective, Hill felt the "race within the race" was riveting enough for exclusive coverage. HotPass will offer five channels, each with a flag-to-flag focus on a single driver throughout the NASCAR season.

"You're sitting in the passenger seat, riding shotgun, feeling the same emotions as the driver," Hill says. The subscription service—which won't be in HD until 2008—is no small undertaking, with 25 cameras and a 70-member production staff, plus two announcers per channel. And producers will have to manage a constantly changing split screen, switching between various camera angles and weaving in the two-way audio feed and graphic elements.

Hill's development of HotPass isn't entirely novel. Until this year, NASCAR had offered NASCAR In Car, a subscription package on digital cable providing seven channels devoted to individual drivers but with limited camera angles and no analysis. HotPass could be the most significant breakthrough for NASCAR telecasts since 2001. That year, Sportvision (which brought the yellow first-down line to televised football) allowed networks to offer real-time data for individual cars—attached to identification "pointers"—such as speed and time to the leader.

DirecTV is one of several NASCAR broadcasters offering technological innovations this season. Not to be outdone, ESPN said its upcoming NASCAR races will be "the most technologically advanced programming in the history of televised motorsports." Indeed, the network will be the first to offer high-definition feeds from in-car cameras, meaning all broadcasts will be entirely in HD this season, using as many as 75 high-definition cameras. TNT plans to offer a July race commercial-free. And Fox, along with the other networks, will be able to transform replays, using animation to re-create on-track events.

Networks hope the production upgrades will help reverse 2006's ratings decline, which followed a period of impressive growth. A huge financial investment is riding on it as Fox (and partner Speed network), TNT and ABC/ESPN (which replaces NBC) ponied up a combined $4.5 billion in a new eight-year contract.

"All the partners are fully vested in growing the property through enhancing the viewing experience for the fan," says Sam Sussman, senior VP/director of sports activation at Starcom.

NASCAR officials and advertisers remain bullish, attributing ratings drops to essentially a market correction. "You have to look at it as a whole. It's still the No. 2-rated sport, second only to the NFL. We're not too concerned about it," says Dean Kessel, who oversees Sprint Nextel's NASCAR sponsorship.

"The goal is to bring new fans to the sport and, hopefully, get them to stick around," says Ed Erhardt, president of sales at ESPN/ABC. But ESPN and other broadcasters need to broaden the audience without alienating the hard-core fans who have fueled NASCAR's growth.

ESPN is counting on HD to lure viewers, partly by breaking ground as the first broadcaster to offer in-car camera feeds in the HD format, an innovation developed with Broadcast Sports Inc. "I'm excited to see what camera shots from inside a car going 200 miles per hour look like in high-definition," says Rich Feinberg, an ESPN senior coordinating producer.

TNT plans to offer the July 7 Pepsi 400 essentially commercial-free. While Turner won't confirm the details, a media buying exec said network plans call for 12 marketers to sponsor the bottom third of the screen, where their branded content would run as the action continues.

Fox, ABC/ESPN and Turner are also looking to a new application from Sportvision that allows a 3D animated look similar to a videogame. For Fox and others, it allows for a virtually infinite amount of replays.

Turner is also using the animation for its subscription TrackPass RaceView at NASCAR.com. Meant to complement TV, it enables fans to obtain additional information and in-car audio feeds while watching. As with HotPass, they can follow a favorite driver.

No matter what outlet, NASCAR allows unprecedented access to the participants during the action. In ESPN's case, the network makes agreements to speak with certain drivers as they circle the track. Says Feinberg, "Can you imagine, in a football or basketball game, the guys in the booth talking to players in between plays?"

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6410624

Two shows I watched tonight, 60 min and BSG are opting out for next Sunday-who else?


Just about everything is opting out. The Super Bowl is too much competition.

the first to offer high-definition feeds from in-car cameras, meaning all broadcasts will be entirely in HD this season, using as many as 75 high-definition cameras.Wow! This is a testament to how popular NASCAR is (for those casual viewers, like me) and will definitely be a mega booster shot in the arm, improving the health of the HD population growth.

The Business of Television
The End of the Upfront -- At Least As We Know It
Talks Explore End of Glitzy Entertainment Extravaganzas
By Claire Atkinson Advertising Age January 29, 2007

NEW YORK -- This could be the year the upfront presentations get a full-scale makeover.

None of the key players are looking to ax the upfront completely -- too much forward-planning depends

The upfront presentations of recent years have become entertainment extravaganzas that cost as much as $1 million each to produce. Many key industry players now see them as a waste of both media buyers' time and TV networks' resources.

on this booking period. But major media agencies and many marketers are tired of an upfront that plays more to analysts, TV critics and affiliate executives than it does to them, the people who commit $9 billion of their ad budgets during the process.

Ad business needs

That's why the American Association of Advertising Agencies' TV committee and the networks have opened talks about changing the upfront presentations fit the needs of the modern-day ad business rather than the marketing needs of the networks.

"The upfronts have morphed into something that benefits the press and Wall Street, and we have gotten lost in the shuffle," said Andy Donchin, who is spearheading the talks as committee chairman and is also Carat's national broadcast director. "We're looking at how we can somehow ... do them all on one day. We think [the networks] would be somewhat open to doing something more along the lines of NATPE that would concentrate more on prime time."

Glitzy presentations

As it stands right now, the networks' upfront presentations are all-day affairs that involve fighting for tickets and seats, watching parades of famous and not-so-famous actors, and then some singing and dancing, often by network executives. That's all before the after-party.

"It's very difficult to take that time off," said Kaki Hinton, VP-ad services, Pfizer's Consumer Healthcare Group (which was just acquired by Johnson & Johnson). "I haven't been for three years. I used to go, and it was fun to see Jay Leno, but then it got tiresome. What's been more productive is meeting one on one. That's given us an opportunity to have a constructive dialogue."

Media agencies want to see something that allows them to get a handle on prime-time programming strategy and are suggesting they'd like an alternative to the crowded schlep around New York theater venues.

A week of time

"We don't need another shrimp cocktail," said Charlie Rutman, CEO of MPG North America, who also wants to see a retooled upfront. Mr. Rutman added that each upfront event can take five hours, meaning buyers have to turn over an entire week to nothing but presentations.

Mr. Donchin has had preliminary talks with network sales executives about how the upfront can get back to its original raison d'etre but wants to ensure that agencies and their clients are speaking with one voice before pushing the case further with the networks -- and the cable entities and Hispanic networks that now host glitzy, celeb-studded presentations followed by boozy parties. This year newcomers including News Corp.'s My Network TV and Hispanic networks Univision and Telemundo edge into the upfront week, which kicks off May 14.

Mr. Donchin has the blessing of the 4A's TV and policy committees, though the Association of National Advertisers has not given its opinion.

'Less costly and time-consuming'

Mr. Rutman and Mr. Donchin argue that scaling back the upfront presentations could be in the interests of broadcast networks, too. "They are very expensive for the salespeople and take a lot of time to produce," Mr. Rutman said. "There is certain information that we want; let's see if we can get this in a way that's more productive and less costly and time-consuming."

The upfront presentations are run by the networks' entertainment presidents with input from the sales and marketing divisions. With the CBS network now at the heart of the publicly traded CBS Corp. and NBC Universal looking for $700 million in cost savings, a change might be music to the networks' ears. The upfront, attended by more than 1,000 people, can have production costs of up to $1 million, not including the after-parties. Then there's the issue of long-term contracts the networks sign to reserve locations and strict theater-union rules that govern filming of the events.

An NBC spokesman said it solicited feedback after last year's upfront and found comments valuable. An ABC spokeswoman said it had its first upfront-planning session last week and was always willing to hear from its advertisers. CBS had no comment.

Fox could be open to change too. The network switched its venue from the New York City Center to the Armory to accommodate the growing number of attendees. That decision proved disastrous, with the humidity, security arrangements and long lines infuriating participants. Fox did not return calls for comment.

http://adage.com/print?article_id=114567

Two shows I watched tonight, 60 min and BSG are opting out for next Sunday-who else?

Well, its not like 60 Minutes had a choice in the matter: CBS is televising the Super Bowl and taking over the evening (and all afternoon). As for BSG it's obvious Sci-Fi executives don't want a repeat of two Sundays ago when the AFC Championship game stole all the thunder (and ratings mojo) from the show's Sunday premiere.

Wow! This is a testament to how popular NASCAR is (for those casual viewers, like me) and will definitely be a mega booster shot in the arm, improving the health of the HD population growth.

I wonder how many trashed HD Cameras due to huge wrecks it will take before they go back to SD in car cameras?

Two shows I watched tonight, 60 min and BSG are opting out for next Sunday-who else?

NBC is repeating four hours of "Grease: You’re The One That I Want”.

Fox has the X-Men 2 movie.

ABC is repeating "Extreme Makover: Home Edition", "America's Funniest Home Videos" and the movie "Old School".

No sense wasting original material.

Two shows I watched tonight, 60 min and BSG are opting out for next Sunday-who else?

Ya know ... after "tonight's" Battlestar Galactica, all I can say is WOW! If you aren't watching this show ... you ain't happenin' that's all. :)

The Business of Television
At Last, Television Ratings Go to College
By Louise Story The New York Times January 29, 2007

For decades, Nielsen Media Research has affixed the same value to every college student watching television while away at school: zero. As a result, industry executives have complained for years that shows appealing to a younger audience have been underrated.

But, starting today, college students count.

Shows like “America’s Next Top Model” and “Family Guy” are expected to see their ratings surge this week as Nielsen Media Research, a unit of the Nielsen Company, includes the viewing of students living away from home in its count for the first time.

In the TV world, a boost in Nielsen ratings often means a boost in advertiser dollars, so the adjusted ratings are good news for networks with high college viewership, like ESPN, Fox and CW.

Adult Swim, a block of adult programming on the Cartoon Network that expects its 18- to 24-year-old audience to jump by 35 percent with the new ratings, is so excited about the change that it ran an ad telling viewers about it in mid-October.

“It’s going to validate what advertisers have always assumed, which is that college students are watching our programming,” said Jeff Lucas, a senior vice president at Comedy Central. Mr. Lucas said that the network’s own research shows that “South Park,” “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” and “The Colbert Report” have a large college audience.

It’s too early to know how much more advertisers will pay for shows with larger audiences because of the college ratings. Network executives, of course, said they expect to be paid for the higher ratings. If advertisers decide to spend more on shows that demonstrate high college viewership, TV networks may decide to dedicate more of their schedule programming to college tastes.

The college ratings are the first of two major changes in the way viewing habits are rated. In May, Nielsen will start releasing figures on the number of people who actually watch commercials, separating them from viewers who walk away or switch channels when the ads come on. The potential impact of ad ratings on network revenue has not been calculated.

Nielsen’s move into colleges is its first step in an ambitious plan to track TV viewing wherever and whenever it takes place. Long focused only on viewing of home television sets, Nielsen is building portable meters to track when people see TV in bars, restaurants, gyms, stores and other places outside the home. And, within two to three years, Nielsen plans to merge data from its online unit with its TV unit to calculate total viewing on all media.

“The holy grail here is how to measure consumers as they go from TV to iPod to cellphone and back,” said Alan Wurtzel, president of research for NBC Universal.

But the first step — measuring students’ viewing of television — comes with its own pitfalls. College students still watch a significant amount of television, spending three and a half hours a day tuned in on average, about an hour less than all people on average, according to Nielsen.

But college students are not watching only TV. They are also among the most likely consumers to be browsing the Internet, watching streaming video, text messaging on their cellphones and playing video games — sometimes all at once.

“College students have the television on in the background at the same time they undoubtedly have their computers on,” said Matt Britton, chief of brand development for Mr. Youth, a marketing firm based in New York. “They’re online — searching Facebook, doing research, shopping.”

Their media habits make them targets of marketers, but just how attentive college students are while they are watching TV may give advertisers pause about how much they can trust their viewing.

“The people meter just measures if the set is on and what they’re watching. But are they doing their homework, are they talking to friends; what else are they doing while the ad is showing?” said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media, an ad-buying agency.

Still, Mr. Adgate said, advertisers may increase their payments to networks with large college audiences because of the perceived lifetime value of the college market. “If you can get them using your product at age 20, they could be using it for the next 60 years,” he said.

Until now, the 18- to 24-year-olds counted by Nielsen were mainly those who did not attend college, attended part-time or still lived at home. During holiday and summer breaks, of course, many college students are home and were counted by Nielsen at those times on their parents’ set-top boxes. (There are 10,000 households with Nielsen boxes tracking their viewing, and from those households, Nielsen extrapolates national viewing estimates.)

Over the last decade, several TV networks with shows aimed at young people grew increasingly frustrated that college students were not counted. About five years ago, Turner Broadcasting, which owns Cartoon Network and TBS, approached Nielsen about the issue.

Over the next year, Nielsen held discussions with its clients who pay for the ratings — the networks and the advertising agencies. As with most tests of new offerings, Nielsen wanted a group of clients to pay the costs of evaluating the college market. By 2003, Turner, WB, CBS, MTV Networks, Fox and ESPN agreed to pay, and Nielsen started pilot tests.

To add college students to the ratings, Nielsen contacted the roughly 450 families in its sample who had children in college. About 30 percent of those families agreed to let Nielsen put a meter in the college student’s dorm room or off-campus apartment. Some families did not agree simply because their child did not have a TV set at school.

The change will affect the perception of viewing behavior, particularly for viewers 18 to 24. College students, for example, watch more television during the day, when young people not in college are more likely to be at work.

The prime-time shows the college and noncollege population picks to watch are also not always the same. While “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Simpsons” were popular in November on and off campus among 18- to 24-year-olds, shows like “Ugly Betty” and “America’s Next Top Model” were far more popular among college students than among other people that age.

In fact, the No. 1 one show for college males in November was Comedy Central’s cartoon show, “Drawn Together.” According to a Nielsen analysis, “Drawn Together” would have had an average audience of about 435,000 18-to 24-year-olds in November. But, since college students were not counted, the Nielsen rating in that age group totaled only 272,000 people that month.

Some TV networks are planning to spend more money marketing their shows on college campuses this spring since they will now see results in the ratings. Mr. Britton of Mr. Youth said two broadcast networks had contacted his firm about increased marketing on college campuses.

MTV already operates a network, called mtvU, that is seen exclusively on college campuses. MTV has found advertisers like Ford interested in specifically focusing on college students on the 750 campuses where mtvU is seen in places like dormitories, fitness centers and dining halls. Now that Nielsen is tracking college viewing, more college-focused networks or programming could be developed and sold to advertisers.Amy Adams, a freshman at Muskingum College in Ohio, said she and her roommate watch movies together on ABC Family and TNT on weekends. Other people in her dorm watch far more TV than she does, Ms. Adams said.

“As I walk down the halls, I always hear the TV on in someone’s bedroom,” she said. “Even in the mornings, too.”

Aviva Halperin, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said watching TV is a social event for her and her housemates. They watch “24” every week, and they like to watch it when broadcast, using commercial breaks as a time to chat.

“I know this sound really silly, but ‘24’ feels real because it’s close to our own fears, and it feels more real when I watch it in real time,” Ms. Halperin said. “When I watch it on TiVo, it’s not as gripping.”

The lack of TiVo and other digital video recorders is another advantage of student viewers. Young people are more likely to channel surf and fast-forward to skip commercials, Nielsen’s research shows. But perhaps because of their cost, DVRs are owned by only about 3 to 4 percent of college students, according to Student Monitor, a college student research firm based in Ridgewood, N.J. (About 13 percent of American households have DVRs.)

On the downside for broadcasters, college students, like many people their age, also spend a fair share of their day playing video games — nearly two hours a day, not including online games, according to Nielsen.

Still, college students last week said they thought it was about time they were counted by Nielsen.

“It’s kind of silly that we weren’t,” said Beth Lovisa, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s so not true that we don’t watch any.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/business/media/29nielsen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=media&pagewanted=print

I wonder how many trashed HD Cameras due to huge wrecks it will take before they go back to SD in car cameras?

As I understand it, the HD in-car cameras won't be used until 2008.

Fox has the X-Files 2 movie.That's X-Men 2.

I am still hoping for a second X-files movie, but that's still only in the planning stages.

Scott

Thanks Scott

TV Notebook
SAG Awards: Behind the scenes
Backstage Notes
By David S. Cohen Variety January 29, 2007

Helen Mirren, honored yet again for her portrayal of Elizabeth I in HBO's miniseries, said she was enjoying "my best professional year," but was coy when she was asked if she'd now like to win an Oscar. "I would never answer that question. If you'd asked me that question 10 years ago, I'd have said it was my dream to win an Oscar - it's the mother of all awards."

She was more direct about the telepic being passed over by the BAFTAs, calling it "a disgrace. Not speaking personally, but for the whole piece of 'Elizabeth,'" she said. "It was a superb piece of work."

• • • • • • • • • • •

Asked how he could be a supporting actor at the Golden Globes and a lead actor at the SAG Awards in the same part, Jeremy Irons said flatly that his role in HBO's "Elizabeth," which won both, "was a supporting role."

"The leading performance was Helen (Mirren's) - no doubt about that. The character supported the queen and I supported Helen."

He expanded on his acceptance speech, saying American and British actors have much to learn from each other. "American actors are wonderful at film work and we have a wonderful theatrical tradition at home. I try to find a sort of mid-Atlantic position."

• • • • • • • • • • •

The SAG Award-winning ensemble of "The Office" insisted they really, truly, do get along as well offstage as on. "We're literally locked in a office for 60 hours a week," said Brian Baumgartner. "We have to get along."

Rainn Wilson said they don't spend all their time on the set just talking to each other. "We surf the Web, and oftentimes you'll find us in John Krasinksi's trailer playing Madden 07 on Xbox."

• • • • • • • • • • •

America Ferrera, reprising her Globes win as lead actress for "Ugly Betty," said she hasn't been flooded with scripts since winning that prize. "I think the common misperception is that this job gets easy, and it doesn't. ... You get in more doors. It's nice that I have more options than before the Golden Globes."

She has become an example of a different kind of beauty, but she admits that, after work, "I definitely take more joy in getting pretty. I enjoy getting out of the Betty-wear and dressing up."

Her friends don't ask her for beauty tips, however: "I'm not the one to call," she says.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958237&categoryid=1985

Ya know ... after "tonight's" Battlestar Galactica, all I can say is WOW! If you aren't watching this show ... you ain't happenin' that's all. :)
It was pretty spectacular, one of the best episodes of the whole series.

TV Sports
Super Bowl will be bigger, you can bet
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 29, 2007

Conventional media wisdom tells us that Super Bowl viewership depends on how competitive the game is entering the second half, with close games generally drawing bigger audiences. Where it's a blowout, people drift away in the second half.

This year’s game is expected to be close, with football fans intrigued by how the Indianapolis Colts’ impressive offense will fare facing Chicago Bears’ stifling defense.

But there are a host of other reasons that this year’s game may be one of the most-watched in the past decade, and here are seven why Sunday’s game on CBS will outdraw last year’s, which averaged an impressive 90.7 million on ABC:

1. The black coach factor. The game is going to make history with Colts coach Tony Dungy and Bears coach Lovie Smith, both African Americans, squaring off. They’re the first black coaches to lead teams in a Super Bowl, and the winner will become the first black coach ever to win a Super Bowl.

That should result in higher-than-average viewership among African Americans, 9.5 million of whom tuned in last year.

2. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is the biggest star to play in the Super Bowl since Brett Favre in 1998. This year Manning led the league in quarterback rating, had one of the top-selling jerseys, and was the most-referenced player on football blogs, according to Faircatch.net. He made $11.5 million from endorsements last year as the league’s top pitchman.

When stars play in the big game, they deliver viewers. Favre’s last appearance was the second-most-watched in a decade, while Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith’s final Super Bowl in ’96 was the most-watched ever.

3. Both teams have strong followings. The Colts were the NFL’s third-most-popular team at the start of the season, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, according to a Harris Poll.

Chicago, though not in the top five in popularity, plays in the country’s third-largest TV market and has a rabid fan base, even though the team has struggled in more recent years. The Bears’ most recent Super Bowl appearance, in 1986, drew 92.6 million viewers, the second-most ever.

4. It’s been a very strong ratings year already for the NFL, with ratings rising for every NFL carrier rising over the previous year. The AFC and NFC Championships were the most-watched in a decade. There’s no reason to believe that won’t carry over to the season finale.

5. More people are planning to watch the game. A Retail Advertising and Marketing Association study released last week found that 70 percent of respondents said they would celebrate the game, up 4 percentage points from last year.

6. The commercials have better buzz this year. Though people do tune in primarily to see the game, good ads keep them watching a dull contest. A spoof spot with Britney Spears' ex, Kevin Federline, has received huge pregame buzz online, according to Nielsen BuzzMetrics, and there’s been a lot of talk over Coca-Cola returning to the game after nearly a decade.

And the RAMA poll found that a higher percentage of respondents said they were looking forward to the commercials this year compared with 2006.

7. High-definition TV will draw more viewers in. HD TVs sold in record numbers this holiday season, partly due to price cuts making them more affordable. And many of those were bought specifically to watch the big game: the Consumer Electronics Association says 13 percent of all HDTV sales are spurred by the Super Bowl.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_9795.asp

Washington Notebook
FCC's Martin Backs Broadcasters
by John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/29/2007

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had some encouraging words for broadcasters last week, saying cable and satellite should not be able to downgrade broadcaster’s digital signals, and putting in a plug for multicasting and mobile broadcasting applications.

That came in a thumbnail view of the "state of the media" for B&C, in which he concentrated on the state of the over-the-air media and the importance of the digital transition.

Saying that the Feb. 17, 2009 DTV transition date "probably isn’t circled on most people’s calendars, but should be," he said that policymakers should make sure that the transition meets the law’s [The Communications Act’s] "basic requirements that the digital signal be viewable by all TV watchers, and that it not be materially degraded by a cable or satellite provider."

Martin, who tried last summer to require cable operators to carry all of a broadcasters’ free digital programming streams, put in a good word for those multicast channels, stressing their importance to broadcasters’ continued viability.

"Broadcasters also have the opportunity to use digital technology to offer consumers new services, including providing several free programming streams at once and data services," he said, adding that "[f]ully utilizing their digital spectrum opens new revenue streams to broadcasters, enabling them to better compete in the dynamic media environment in which local programming faces stiff competition from cable, satellite and internet offerings."

Martin was high on the prospect of mobile broadcast applications, which Samsung was showing off at the Consumer Electronics show earlier this month.

"One of the most exciting opportunities afforded by the transition could be the realization of mobile video," said Martin, who suggested the combination of localism and mobility could be a winning one.

"Broadcasters may choose to use part of their spectrum to transmit their unique local service to cell phones for instance. Local weather, traffic, and sports, or perhaps school closings during winter snow storms," he said, "is exactly the type of content viewers will want to watch on their handheld devices."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6410746

The Business of Television
Networks Demand DVR Viewing Credit
By John Consoli MediaWeek JANUARY 29, 2007 -

In what is rapidly developing into a carbon copy of last year’s pre-upfront posturing, the media agencies again say they will not budge from using live-only program ratings as the basis for negotiating ad prices in the May upfront, while the broadcast networks say they will not do business unless DVR viewing is factored in by using live-plus-same-day or live-plus-two-day ratings.

“I think we’re exactly back to where we were at this time last year,” said Donna Speciale, president of investment and activation at MediaVest. “I’m upset with Nielsen [Media Research] because I thought we would have more commercial-ratings data released by now. And unless commercial ratings are part of the negotiations, we cannot agree on our clients behalf to do business using anything but live ratings,” she said, echoing the opinion of most media agency executives contacted for this story last week.

“We need to negotiate using commercial ratings,” said another media agency executive, who did not want to speak for attribution. “But unfortunately they will not be available, so, since circumstances have not changed from last year’s upfront, we should use the same negotiating currency—live ratings.”

But at least one media agency executive was sympathetic to Nielsen. “It made a decision to try to appease its cable and syndication clients by delaying the release of their commercial-ratings data until the best methodology can be worked out, and then decided to hold the broadcast data and release it all together in May.” Nielsen Media Research is owned by Mediaweek parent The Nielsen Co.

What is compounding the problem is that agency and network executives, who now know that commercial-ratings data cannot be the universal negotiating currency in the May upfront, have yet to have any serious conversations about resolving the negotiating currency issues.

“I’m expecting this throbbing pain in my head to get worse,” Steve Sternberg, executive vp of audience analysis for media agency Magna Global USA, when asked about the situation. Another media agency executive, who did not want to speak for attribution, conceded, “It’s a mess again.”

As as upfront negotiations began last year, the broadcast networks broke ranks almost immediately and left ABC hanging out to dry, disagreeing with its position to do business using only live-plus-seven-day program ratings. The nets are now saying, almost uniformly, that they will no longer do business based on live-only ratings.

While ABC sales president Mike Shaw was vacationing and unavailable for comment last week, CBS representative Dana McClintock said: “CBS intends to get paid for DVR viewing in this year’s upfront negotiations.” And Alan Wurtzel, president of NBC Universal research, said, “We have got to get some credit [for viewers] beyond live. The live-only data stream is a distortion of how people watch television today. The media agencies know people are watching TV shows time-shifted on DVRs. Live-plus-same-day is a good compromise and live-plus-same-day is what we are going to use for this upfront.”

Said another broadcast network sales executive, who requested anonymity: “Last year going into the upfront, we just didn’t know enough about the DVR impact on viewing. This year we have data that shows it has a real valuable impact for us. It is a credit we should be getting. Last year we sort of tabled the conversation and gave in to the agencies, but we are not going to do that this year.”

But determining the amount of DVR viewership is not the real sticking point. There are reams of data that can document just how many viewers use DVRs, how much viewing they do and what shows they watch. The real debate comes down to the questions of who is fast forwarding through commercials in DVR viewership and who is not, and what the value is to an advertiser if a commercial is fast forwarded through.

“We could compromise,” conceded one media buyer, “but there needs to be reliable research to show who is watching the commercials and how attentively. No agency will accept anything but live ratings as negotiating currency unless we have solid proof. Plus, we also need to factor in commercial ratings.”

That is not going to happen on a broad basis in this upfront, because Nielsen will not have all of its commercial ratings data available to be rolled out on tapes until May 31, about two weeks after the upfront presentations. That data will only date back to May 1 and will be labeled “for evaluation purposes.”

Most media agencies subscribe separately to Nielsen’s NPower system and can do their own commercial ratings now. However, the process requires weeks to input, analyze and package data that is acceptable for use in sales negotiations.

“Even if we use NPower to get commercial ratings for some clients and use that as a negotiating tool, we can’t do it for all of them,” said one media agency executive. “The process is too tedious, and there is too much lag time.”

All of this means the upfront is going to be even more protracted and complicated than it was last year.

“This upfront is going to be one in which each media agency is able to distinguish itself more than ever, because buying will be less homogenized,” said one agency executive. “Each agency is going to create more than ever before it’s own unique terms of negotiating. They are really going to earn their money from their clients this year.”

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003538391

The Business of TV
FiOS TV Subscribers Top 207K
(The Morning Bridge) January 29, 2007

Verizon's FiOS TV service ended 2006 with 207,000 customers, thanks to net additions of 89,000 in the fourth quarter, the company reported in its earnings announcement for the three-month period this morning.

FiOS TV was available for sale to 2.4 million premises at the end of last year, nearly double the number of premises targeted for sale of the video product at the end of third quarter 2006, the company said.

As for the broadband portion of the service, FiOS Internet accounted for 165,000 of Verizon's broadband connection additions in the fourth quarter. FiOS broadband connections totaled 687,000 at year-end 2006.

The company said its entire fiber-to-the-premises network passed more than 6 million premises by the end of 2006. That exceeded the company's year-end target and more than doubled the number of premises passed by year-end 2005.

As for overall broadband numbers, which in addition to fiber includes DSL, Verizon reported 7 million total broadband connections at the end of 2006, an increase of 35.7 percent when compared with year-end 2005.

Fred:

Do you have any idea what qualifies as "Live" ratings for DVR users? Does a 15 to 20 minute delay in watching a program still fall under Live. etc. or must it be watched with absolutely no timeshifting?

(From Marc Berman’s Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, Programming Insider blog at Mediaweek.com )
Nielsen Notebook
Season to-date Ratings Scorecard:

Midway through the 2006-07 season (and one week into the return of Fox’s American Idol), what follows are the season- to-date standings for the five networks. With American Idol at the forefront, it won’t be long before Fox moves from fourth to potentially first among key adults 18-49.

Year-to-year percent comparisons for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox appear in parentheses.

Households:
CBS: 8.0 rating/13 share (- 5)
ABC: 6.6/11 (- 7)
NBC: 6.4/10 (+ 5)
Fox: 5.6/ 9 (+ 4)
CW: 2.1/ 3

Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.55 million (- 3)
ABC: 10.20 (- 7)
NBC: 9.92 (+ 9)
Fox: 8.85 (+ 4)
CW: 3.25

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 3.8 rating/10 share (- 3)
NBC: 3.6/10 (+16)
ABC: 3.6/10 (-10)
Fox: 3.3/ 9 (- 3)
CW: 1.3/ 4

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 4.8/12 (- 4)
NBC: 4.1/10 (+ 8)
ABC: 4.1/10 (-13)
Fox: 3.6/ 9 (no change)
CW: 1.3/ 3

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 3.1/ 9 (- 3)
NBC: 2.9/ 9 (+16)
ABC: 2.9/ 9 (- 9)
CBS: 2.6/ 8 (- 7)
CW: 1.5/ 4

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Fred:

Do you have any idea what qualifies as "Live" ratings for DVR users? Does a 15 to 20 minute delay in watching a program still fall under Live. etc. or must it be watched with absolutely no timeshifting?

If a program is viewed on a DVR by 3 a.m. of the following morning it is considered in the "Live plus same day" viewing category which is reflected in the overnights -- and the weekly ratings which are released Tuesday following each Monday-Sunday week.

The Business of Television
Fox, CBS, ABC to Do Ratings Battle in Feb.
By A.J. Frutkin MediaWeek JANUARY 29, 2007 -

February’s sweeps are likely to pack a ratings wallop, with the onslaught of Fox’s American Idol, CBS’ telecast of the Super Bowl (Feb. 4) and ABC’s airing of the Oscars (Feb. 25). The only remaining question is which of the two frontrunners wins the adult 18-49 race—CBS, which also broadcasts the Grammy Awards (Feb. 11), or Idol-fueled Fox.

Compared to November’s lackluster sweeps, February is chockfull of events, even if most are camouflaged as series returns, like ABC’s Lost (Feb. 7) and CBS’ Jericho (Feb. 21), series premieres like CBS’ Rules of Engagement (Feb. 5), or series finales like Fox’s The O.C. (Feb. 22). Clearly, the networks are cutting back on one-off specials during sweeps. But with the majority of stations still lacking local people meters, most broadcasters see some need to eventize series in order to help those affiliates boost ratings.

Among next month’s other notable telecasts are the premieres of CBS’ Survivor: Fiji (Feb. 8) and The Amazing Race: All Stars (Feb. 18). Fox airs another two-hour 24 (Feb. 12). Other than that, it’s all Idol all the time. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 6 and 7, the show remains in the audition phase, with one-hour programs on each night. Same goes for Feb. 13 and 14. On Feb. 20 and 21, Fox will run two-hour broadcasts—whittling down boys one night, girls the other—with a one-hour results show following on Feb. 22. On Feb. 27 and 28, the boy-girl shows are each 90 minutes long with a one-hour results show falling outside sweeps, on March 1. Meanwhile, NBC introduces Star Trek’s George Takei as the father of Heroes’ breakout character Hiro (Feb. 5).

With its Super Bowl and Grammys broadcasts, CBS may seem to have a lock on winning the 18-49 race this ratings period. But network execs there are reluctant to make such predictions given the wild card that is Idol. Perhaps more important for CBS is the boost it intends to give Criminal Minds in the post-Super Bowl slot. Having premiered the sophomore series to surprisingly strong numbers this fall, CBS believes it can broaden the show’s audience even more. “We’re hoping to kick it up to the CSI range,” said Kelly Kahl, executive vp of program planning and scheduling at CBS.

Idol’s continued status as a phenomenon should give Fox a big advantage in sweeps. But nothing tops the Super Bowl. And Fox is well aware of that fact. “We should come in a competitive second,” said Preston Beckman, executive vp of strategic program planning for Fox. Further complicating a win for Fox is the fact that the sweeps’ three largest events all fall on Sundays, traditionally one of the network’s strongest nights. “It’s a tough night for us,” Beckman acknowledged. “But we’ll run a repeat movie against the Super Bowl and run comedies the other Sundays. They seem to hold up pretty well against anything.”

Anticipating a solid showing in third place among adults 18-49, ABC’s sweeps strength will be powered largely by its Academy Awards broadcast, not to mention original episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Lost. But senior vp at ABC Entertainment Jeff Bader said the network has tweaked its 10 p.m. scheduling where possible to benefit its stations.

On Monday, Feb. 5, an In Style wedding special airs at 10 p.m. Oprah Winfrey’s Academy Awards special airs Thursday, Feb. 22, at 10 p.m., another Winfrey special may air Monday, Feb. 26, at 10 p.m., and the network’s Bob Woodruff news special airs Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. “The stations’ bread and butter is their local news,” Bader noted. “So we’ve tried to enhance their lead-ins where we could.”

NBC, for its part, will rely mostly on original episodes of its regular programming. Out-dueled by the Super Bowl, the Oscars and, of course, Idol, execs there remain more focused on the “longer, more strategic rebuild of the network,” said Mitch Metcalf, executive vp of programming, planning and scheduling for NBC Entertainment. “We still take sweeps seriously,” Metcalf added. “But we’re just not going as crazy tactically as we used to.”

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003538392

HDTV Notebook
Hi-Def Cameras to Get All the Angles
Consumer Awareness Still Lags as Super Bowl Nears
By Daisy Whitney Television Week January 29, 2007

By the end of this year more than 47 million households in the United States will have high-definition TV sets, up from 35 million at the end of last year. And many of those set owners will buy their new TVs in the next week in order to catch the biggest television event of the year-the Super Bowl-in hi-def.

"If you're a retailer in Illinois or Indiana you better stock up on HDTV sets," said Ken Kerschbaumer, editorial director for Sports Video Group, an industry association formed to help those in the sports business understand how to use technology to grow the business.

The catch is that many of the new sets being sold this year-and existing ones-still don't funnel hi-def programming into the home. By year end, only 16 million of those 47 million homes will have hooked up their hi-def sets to hi-def programming, according to Jupiter Research.

Many consumers don't realize they must sign up for HD programming from their cable or satellite operator. They often assume once they have the set, programming automatically comes in HD. Retailers, programmers and service providers are working to improve consumer education on this topic.

But consumers who do have both a hi-def set and hi-def programming will be able to see virtually every angle, frame and shot in hi-def when the Indianapolis Colts play the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl in Miami this Sunday.

The Super Bowl is no longer a testing ground for extending hi-def production techniques into new nooks and crannies of the game. "It still drives the sales, it's still the top event by a long shot, but from a production side, they are sort of there. There's not much more they can do," Mr. Kerschbaumer said.

However, when CBS carries the big game for the first time since the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" in 2004, this year's bout will have its own unique set of challenges for the camera crews. That's because the Colts frequently do not use a huddle and the action can be faster as a result, explained Ken Aagaard, senior VP of operations, engineering and production services at CBS Sports. "You're just trying to cover the action," he said. "You have to stay on the field. You can't do as many replays."

CBS will devote more than four times its usual resources. That includes 48 hi-def cameras, up from about 12 during a regular-season game; six Super SloMo cameras, up from one or two; and a crew of about 400, an increase from the regular 75.

That additional cameras will allow CBS to capture more angles-from the goals and sidelines, for instance. "In the Super Bowl there's no excuse to miss anything, especially as it relates to a play that could change the course of the game," Mr. Aagaard said. "There should be no play we don't have covered from every angle. Shame on us if we don't have every play covered."

CBS can handle that big bump in equipment because the network won't be unveiling any new tricks or gee-whiz gadgetry for the game, he said. Rather, CBS will use the same production techniques for the Super Bowl as it did with games in the fall.

"Anything we are going to bring to the Super Bowl we want production people to have been introduced to along the way," he said.

One difference, though, is that CBS has banished the EyeVision system it used for games in 2000 and 2004. The network relied on a 30-camera system mounted around the upper deck of the stadium. Those cameras revolved around a play from various angles, but the system was expensive and based on standard-definition technology.

In its place, CBS will turn to six Super SloMo cameras from Sony and a trio of high-speed hi-def cameras that can shoot from 300 to 1,000 frames per second to get finer detail. "We can get down on the line of scrimmage and see if the ball was fumbled or if it fell out of the quarterback's hand," Mr. Aagaard said.

Those cameras were critical in a number of playoff games. "Anything that goes on our air is used by officials in the replay decision," he said.

ABC broke in the Super SloMo cameras last year when it carried the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Prior to the availability of the hi-def Super SloMo cameras, broadcasters upconverted slow-motion footage into hi-def. Upconverting is useful because it allows a broadcaster to include a production element it wouldn't otherwise have, but shooting in hi-def is preferable for better clarity and quality.

As has been the case with all Super Bowl broadcasters since 9/11, CBS won't be permitted to fly over the stadium after 4:30 p.m. ET. Instead, the network will rely on aerial shots from a nearby TV tower operated by CBS-owned WFOR-TV. Also, last week Mr. Aagard said the network was negotiating with the local police department about putting a hi-def camera system on a police helicopter. "We are trying to get some sort of aerial views of the stadium," he said.

NFL Network is also going all out this year. The football-centric network plans to carry 63 hours of total programming in hi-def before the game, including 55 hours of live programming. That's up from about five total hours last year, when the network didn't carry any live pre-Super Bowl programming in hi-def.

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31439

Sunday’s metered market over-night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted just under the HD Football listings near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

If a program is viewed on a DVR by 3 a.m. of the following morning it is considered in the "Live plus same day" viewing category which is reflected in the overnights -- and the weekly ratings which are released Tuesday following each Monday-Sunday week.

Then the nets better be careful what they wish for. Pressing Nielsen for more and more info is likely to end up yielding actual commercial viewing within each show. Even adding in the +7 numbers won't come close to offsetting the viewers lost to commercial skipping (or flipping).

Very true.

That is why Nielsen is beginning to offer ratings for the commercials themselves (which is, after all, what the "regular" ratings were originally designed to measure).

TV Notebook
There she is, Miss America
This is the pageant's second year on CMT
By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 29, 2007

“Miss America” ain’t the gal she used to be.

Once the epitome of poise and wholesomeness, the pageant has seemed quite the opposite the past few years, bordering on tattered and at the risk of being left homeless. Tonight the 2007 pageant airs on CMT at 8 p.m., its second year on cable.

Ratings for "Miss America" have been sinking for years, and it only landed on cable after the broadcast networks all passed on airing it in 2005. And this year, in an attempt to build anticipation for the pageant, CMT even aired a low-brow reality show chronicling the contestants' road to the event.

"Miss America" is emblematic of the greater decline of the beauty pageant on television, and as likely in American life, a reflection of the women's movement as much as anything else, with its disdain for idealizing the female form in a bathing suit. The pageant's viewership fell by more than half from 1995 to 2004, the last year the pageant aired on ABC, down to 9.8 million.

“Miss Teen USA,” “Miss Universe” and “Miss USA” have all posted similar lows or near-lows over the past year, none drawing more than 9.6 million total viewers. In the early 1990s, all drew at least 19 million.

Last year, “Miss America” drew 3.1 million viewers on CMT, which is available in 83 million homes, compared to ABC's 111 million, and this year it will be lucky to draw that number.

Last year’s pageant aired on Saturday, where there’s much less competition. This year’s pageant faces much tougher competition on broadcast, including NBC’s “Heroes,” Fox’s “24” and CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” as well as the highly publicized Nora Roberts movie “Angels Fall” on Lifetime.

The pageant's recent history has taken a somewhat ironic twist.

When the pageant was initially created, almost a century ago in Atlantic City, it was as a tawdry spectacle put on by hotel owners to keep tourists in town over the long Labor Day weekend. It was just one of the amusements created for the piers leading out from the beach into the Atlantic Ocean.

In later years, as it got more national coverage, the pageant was cleaned up and the contestants cast as idealized girl-next-door sweethearts. Much of the pageant's later success was owed directly to that careful image-building.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9793.asp

TV Sports
It's all Super Bowl all week long on sports networks
By Michael Hiestand USA Today

If you wonder how long Super Bowl pregame shows can get, think weeks, not hours: They've begun.

The league's NFL Network, in what's billed as a "65-hour pregame show" that started Sunday, will cover events such as Thursday's halftime show news conference. Halftime singer Prince, NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger says, "is going to perform because his people say his music does his talking."

Sunday the network says it will have a Super Bowl TV first: An NFL coach — the Kansas City Chiefs' Herm Edwards — jointly interviewing the coaches as he sits down with the Chicago Bears' Lovie Smith and the Indianapolis Colts' Tony Dungy. Says Weinberger, "Anything that moves, we'll cover."

If so, they'll end up covering lots of other networks on hand. ESPN outlets will have 90 hours of pregame coverage, and Fox Sports Net's on-site Best Damn Sports Show Period will counter such quantity with, well, stuff like this: It hypes it will show "Florida's hottest models jumping into vats of goop."

Eventually, CBS has the game. But not before guests on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday include Dan Marino, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, who might talk football after saying whether they will form presidential exploratory committees.

Debut: Talkative Nick Faldo made his debut as CBS' lead golf analyst on this weekend's Buick Invitational and seemed loose. Noting he'd drink piña coladas at The Masters now that he's in TV, CBS' Nantz quickly suggested he wouldn't do that before going on-air. Faldo, in turn, seemed interested: "Is that allowed?"

Replacing Lanny Wadkins with Faldo makes CBS saucier.

Running numbers: The NHL's All-Star Game on Versus on Wednesday attracted 474,000 households. That's down 76% from ABC's rating in 2004, the last time the game was played, and down an amazing 82% from ABC's coverage in 2000. The game was canceled last year for the Winter Olympics and by the lockout before that.

But the NHL faced tough counterprogramming. And not just from Fox's American Idol. Other Wednesday prime-time shows outdrawing the NHL stars included HGTV's Design on a Dime, Discovery's Myth Busters, Bravo's Top Chef, the Food Network's Ace of Cakes and — attracting 85% more households than hockey's stars — TV Land's Andy Griffith Show. But then, Barney Fife still has it goin' on.

Spice rack: ABC's Mike Tirico, on NBA action Sunday, said it's hard to pick reserves for the Eastern Conference team for the NBA All-Star Game given "it's hard to find seven guys you'd want as All-Stars." … ESPN's Joe Theismann, on Fox Sports Net, said he really got along with Monday Night Football's Tony Kornheiser: "Everybody thinks I wanted to kill Tony. I didn't want to kill Tony. After Week 8, I was fine."

Say what?: CBS' Nantz, on Sunday's golf, read a promo boorish even by the genre's standards. Said Nantz, hyping CBS' CSI: "You'll never believe what they find inside a dead body!" Maybe CBS' missing sense of decorum? … TNT's Charles Barkley said coaches "get too much blame for these nitwit players" who are arrested on drug charges. In suggesting players take responsibility for themselves, he offered practical advice: "If I get in trouble, I'm just going to say I'm gay and I'm going to rehab!" And to think Barkley was once famous for saying he wasn't "a role model." … Cris Collinsworth, talking about playing in the 1982 Super Bowl on HBO's Inside the NFL, offered a bizarre anecdote: "That week before the Super Bowl, I was good looking. I'm not kidding you."

Inspirational: Mark Cuban's HDNet, the high-definition TV programmer whose on-air staff includes Dan Rather, will premiere Geek to Freak with Dennis Rodman on Feb. 16. We're not making this up: HDNet officially describes this show, where the ex-NBA star "takes ordinary people" and "pushes them to take on experiences," as Rodman taking "his devilish turn at outing a secretary as a stripper, a construction worker as a cross-dresser — taking his volunteers into bondage, oil wrestling, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll — even pimping!" Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner, promises the show takes Rodman's "freakiness to new levels." And it's about time.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2007-01-28-hiestand-weekend_x.htm

TV Notebook
The Death Of TV Will Not Be Televised
By Amy Auerbach (VP , Group Account Director at Media Contacts) in an “Online Spin” column at MediaPost Monday, January 29, 2007

Except for the broken hearts of a few million teenagers, the cancellation of "The O.C." elicited little surprise or anger from most folks. The Fox series, which began airing in 2003, was a huge success and cultural phenomenon. Industry pundits are speculating on reasons for the show's demise: its wide popularity burned itself out as it was no longer hip and cool, writing intended to spur ratings actually did the opposite, etc. etc. But, whatever the true reason is for the show's audience to leave and the axe to fall, the end of "The O.C." is a media omen we shouldn't ignore. The show was a new version of an old format, the trials and tribulations of teens -- teens who are very good-looking and well-dressed. with raging hormones.

Its predecessors include the likes of "Beverly Hills 90210," "Dawson's Creek," and even "Saved by the Bell." These series, however, lasted more than just four seasons. First aired in 1990, "90210" lasted 10 years, following the lives of the characters through puberty and into almost adulthood. Dawson muddled by his creek for six years, from 1997-2003, and now the alma mater of his crowd are marrying movie stars and showing up on the cover of the Enquirer. What does it mean that a show that should appeal to teenagers and folks who are nostalgic about their teen years can't stay on the air?

Could this be the beginning of a crack in the façade of the TV and its accompanying upfronts? How will buyers have any faith whatsoever that shows that they think they will be buying will be around? Some shows get cancelled every year by natural selection, but if shows start having shorter and shorter life spans, what will be the point? The networks will have to use the money for the upfront parties on actually hiring writers and actors again and maybe creating series that are worth watching over the longer term. But if not, what does this mean for online?

Live action and/or motion picture content, video content or whatever we want to call it, will always find a place online. Some series have already moved to online-only distribution. Major networks are releasing shows for online viewing as the credits roll on TV. Some producers and directors are going straight to online to expose their talents. Check out my favorite, "FlushTV," about a family of Detroit plumbers, at www.flushtv.com. The iTunes store has hundreds of shows, ready to watch. Slingbox makes your PC a TV anywhere in the world. Are the TV guys paying attention?

TV is dying a long, slow painful death. Forget about the :30 spot being dead, I'm talking content here. And when the next generation of viewers is fickle enough to leave something like "The O.C." behind, future shows are going to have a much harder time garnering any of these folks to comprise a worthwhile mass audience that a buyer will want to buy. When it finally happens, I'll be here at my PC, watching YouTube and texting "I told you so" to whomever will read it.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=54595

More news on DirecTV’s HD offerings coming soon?
The Business of TV
DirecTV Conference Call

DirecTV will host an Internet webcast for its 2006 fourth quarter financial results, outlook and other forward looking information on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. ET, 8:00 a.m. PT.

Date: Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Time: 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT

Webcast: www.directv.com/investor

TV Notebook
OJ and Me
Judith Regan Now

A fascinating (Iand long) look at the Judith Regan-OJ--NewsCorp saga (titled "Even Bithces Have Feelings") is in this week’s New York Magazine.

You can find it here:

http://nymag.com/news/profiles/26988/index.html

It was pretty spectacular, one of the best episodes of the whole series.

Of course the idea might owe some dues to a particular episode of Babylon5 ... which is all I can say about it without spoilering. ;)

Washington Notebook
FCC's Martin Backs Broadcasters
by John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/29/2007

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had some encouraging words for broadcasters last week, saying cable and satellite should not be able to downgrade broadcaster’s digital signals, and putting in a plug for multicasting and mobile broadcasting applications."Broadcasters may choose to use part of their spectrum to transmit their unique local service to cell phones for instance. Local weather, traffic, and sports, or perhaps school closings during winter snow storms," he said, "is exactly the type of content viewers will want to watch on their handheld devices."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6410746

More evidence that broadcast HDTV is doomed ... bring on the 'premium tier' national network feeds and be done with it already.

Dear BigGiantMediaCorp(s),
Please just fold your "precious content" into your Showtime, ESPN, UniHD (etc) packages already ... eliminate the frustrations, appease the starving, angry mob ... Bread and Circuses for all!!!!.

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

As I understand it, the HD in-car cameras won't be used until 2008.

From ESPN:

"ESPN, a pioneer in the development of in-car cameras during its 20 seasons of NASCAR coverage from 1981-2000, has been preparing for use of HD in-car cameras in advance of the NASCAR Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 from Daytona on ESPN2 February 17.

“In-car cameras are probably the most dynamic facet of motorsports coverage and taking that into the high-def world is huge,” said Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer for NASCAR on ESPN. The camera systems had to be re-engineered for HD, as did the camera power and transmission systems within the race cars, all while maintaining a delicate balance to not add weight to the cars and possibly affect their performance. "

http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2007_01_Jan/ESPNNASCARCoverageMostTechnologicallyAdvanced.htm

Nielsen Notebook
Nielsen Enrolls in College
By Linda Moss MultiChannel News 1/29/2007

Nielsen Media Research Monday began including the viewing of college students living away from home in its National People Meter ratings.

The introduction of this Extended Home viewing marks the first time Nielsen is including viewing by members of sample households living outside of the home in its ratings. Previously, television viewing by students in Nielsen families was only included when they were watching in their parents’ homes during school vacations or visits home, according to Nielsen.

Under the new system, viewing by sample students in their dorm rooms or off-campus apartments will be treated as if it were coming from an additional set within their families' homes.

Their viewing while away at school will contribute to the ratings and viewing levels in the same way that it does when they are in the living rooms and bedrooms of their families' homes. Viewing will be included for students attending traditional colleges and universities, as well as trade schools, culinary institutes and other higher-education facilities.

“Nielsen is committed to continuously improving the scope of its television ratings, and adding college viewing to our ratings estimate provides a more complete picture of the overall television audience,” Sara Erichson, general manager of Nielsen National Services, said in a prepared statement.

The addition of college viewing comes after the successful completion of a three-year pilot program sponsored by several Nielsen clients, including Turner Broadcasting System, The WB (now The CW), CBS, MTV Networks, Fox and ESPN.

The first year of the pilot program demonstrated Nielsen’s ability to successfully recruit and install People Meters in college locations, including dormitories, sorority and fraternity houses and off-campus apartments. The second and third years focused on understanding the ratings impact of including college-location viewing.

The addition of college viewing to the Nielsen ratings could have a significant impact on the performance of some television programs.

For example, in November, the most recent period for which pilot data is available, among men 18-24, the program with the largest rating increase when college viewing was added was Comedy Central’s Drawn Together, which increased by 1.2 rating points, or 63% of its total viewing.

The impact of adding college viewing among women was greatest on primetime dramas with strong female characters, and the impact of adding college viewing among men was greatest on football and animation programming.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6410926.html?display=Breaking+News

From ESPN:

"ESPN, a pioneer in the development of in-car cameras during its 20 seasons of NASCAR coverage from 1981-2000, has been preparing for use of HD in-car cameras in advance of the NASCAR Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 from Daytona on ESPN2 February 17.

“In-car cameras are probably the most dynamic facet of motorsports coverage and taking that into the high-def world is huge,” said Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer for NASCAR on ESPN. The camera systems had to be re-engineered for HD, as did the camera power and transmission systems within the race cars, all while maintaining a delicate balance to not add weight to the cars and possibly affect their performance. "

http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_releases/2007_01_Jan/ESPNNASCARCoverageMostTechnologicallyAdvanced.htm


Sorry I was not clear (or maybe I confused topics -- something I have been known to do with more regularity as I approach senility).

I was referring to the DirecTV in-car camera deal starting this year.

Sorry for any confusion.

TV Notebook
Smithsonian Networks Lists Its Starting Six TV Programs
By Jacqueline Trescott Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, January 29, 2007

Smithsonian Networks, a controversial joint enterprise of the Smithsonian Institution and Showtime Networks, has "Ed" on its side. Tom Cavanagh, known for his starring role on the old NBC series, will be featured in one of a preliminary slate of television programs that will be announced today.

The lineup offers just a taste of what is expected to be more than 40 programs in all. The network will debut this spring.

A signature series will be "Stories From the Vault," a 30-minute program hosted by Cavanagh. It will explore the artifacts and people that have made the Smithsonian one of the most recognized museums in the world; on one episode, a curator will examine a Stradivarius using a CT scan.

Another of the new shows is "The Hunt for the Double Eagle," about the extremely rare 1933 solid gold coin, of which only a handful are in existence.

Some of the Smithsonian shows will come from sources outside Showtime, including an exclusive co-production deal involving the Smithsonian and the British Broadcasting Co.

David Royle, executive vice president for programming and production of Smithsonian Networks, said the partnership with the BBC's "Timewatch," an award-winning history series, was "a real vote of confidence" for the fledgling network.

The programs will be shown on an entity called Smithsonian on Demand. Officials are still negotiating with cable carriers and satellite TV providers to make the programming available, but Royle said Showtime and Smithsonian officials are also considering a regular, 24-hour channel. "We have been encouraged to move to a linear channel, like Discovery and National Geographic," he said, and that might happen in the fall.

The partial lineup is the first glimpse into the programming direction of the Showtime deal, which was announced last March and greeted with sharp criticism from historians, researchers and politicians angered by the semi-exclusive agreement with a commercial network. Historians and filmmakers, in particular, were concerned that their access to Smithsonian experts and materials would be limited as a result of the contract. The Smithsonian released the 30-year contract to a congressional panel and a report from the Government Accountability Office last month concluded it had been executed in a competitive manner.

Showtime and the Smithsonian will create 130 hours of programming each year with a budget of at least $10 million. The Smithsonian has said that it reserves the right of approval on subject matter and style, and entered into the agreement to expose its holdings to the audiences that can't make it to Washington.

Other programs in the preliminary lineup include:

• "American Treasures," an examination of the treasures from the National Museum of American History.

• "Nature Tech," a three-part series on the way nature inspires scientists' inventions.

• "Critter Quest," a nature program aimed at children 5 to 12 years old.

• And "Cutting Loose," a film on Mardi Gras that won the best documentary category at the Sundance festival in 1996 but has never been seen on American television, according to the Smithsonian.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/28/AR2007012801407_pf.html

TV Notebook
Trek's' Takei takes on 'Heroes' role
By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News January 29, 2007

NBC'S "Heroes" (9 PM ET/PT, Monday NBC) is about to send "Star Trek's" George Takei where he, at least, has never gone before.

When the deep-voiced actor known to millions as "Mr. Sulu" turns up tonight as the father of Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), he'll be speaking Japanese, and only Japanese.

"You know, I've made speeches in Japan, I've received a decoration from the emperor of Japan - the Order of the Rising Sun, with gold rays and rosettes - which I accepted in Japanese, but I have never worked in Japanese," said Takei, 69, earlier this month during an NBC party in Pasadena, Calif.

"And here I am, doing prime-time television, popular television, in Japanese. I haven't, you know, worked in Japan in Japanese. And here I am in the United States, working in Japanese with English subtitles. So that's a delight. But it's also a challenge, because it is not my first language," said Takei, who was born in Los Angeles but spent much of World War II confined with his family in internment camps for Japanese-Americans.

Language wasn't the only challenge.

"Heroes" creator Tim Kring appears to operate on a need-to-know basis with his actors, and Takei, who had filmed three episodes by mid-January and described his commitment to the show as "open-ended," said he's learning about his character a little bit at a time.

"I go from script to script," he said.

What he knows:

"I'm a powerful industrialist. We come from a very distinguished family, an old-line family. I was brought up that way, and I thought I would bring up my son that way, but I'm discovering that there are strange things happening."

Beyond that, "I really don't know who my character is, and why my character does what he does, and what his motivations are and where he's going, because with each new script, I make new discoveries. And is he good, or is he bad, is he domineering or is he being told to behave that way? I mean, there's so many ambiguous things about it," Takei said.

Oka, whose character grew up watching "Star Trek," has said he'd like to see some acknowledgment of the Sulu connection on "Heroes," and Takei agrees.

"He should at least [say] 'Papa, you look like Sulu,' " he said.

Oka, who earlier this month had so far worked only a day or two with Takei, nevertheless does a dead-on impression of the actor, whom he described as "an iconic figure."

"Offscreen, he would tell the old stories," Oka said, lowering his voice to mimic Takei's sonorous tones: " 'Back in my day, we used to use camels for transportation.' "

Oka's Hiro won't be the only character we'll see Takei with in the coming weeks.

"My last scene was with Horned Rimmed Glasses. Yesterday, as a matter of fact," said Takei, alluding to the nickname of the mysterious character played by Jack Coleman, whose own role in the series so far has been the very definition of ambiguous.

"As I said, all my scenes are in Japanese... That poor guy. He said, 'I'm the deer. There's the headlights,' " Takei said, laughing. "But he did a great job. It was very accented," but understandable.

"He's speaking in Japanese. He memorized it all phonetically," he said.

So Horned Rimmed Glasses speaks Japanese? Hmm...

Other than that he wouldn't mind having a role, Takei only knows what he's heard about "Star Trek XI," a project from "Lost" co-creator J.J. Abrams. (Some reports suggest the new film could be a prequel to the original series.)

"What would Capt. Sulu be doing a few years after... 'Star Trek VI'?... Fans would like to know," he said, laughing.

These days, Takei probably spends as much time talking about gay rights as he does about "Star Trek," after deciding to open up about his personal life for the first time in 2005.

"You know, I've been out, with, certainly family and friends, and my 'Star Trek' colleagues, for many, many years," he said. "The only thing I had not done is talk to the press" about it, something that changed when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a same-sex marriage bill.

Until the veto, "I thought surely... my partner [of nearly 20 years, Brad Altman] and I were going to be able to get married," he said. "When he [Schwarzenegger] played to the narrowest, most reactionary segment of his conservative base and vetoed [the bill], I felt I needed to speak out. And for me to do that, my voice needed to be authentic. And so I spoke to you guys for the first time."

And, no, it doesn't appear to have hurt his career, which now includes recurring appearances on "The Howard Stern Show."

"I do think there's more interest in me" since his public coming-out, Takei said. "When you get a lot of press, the industry gets more interested."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//16570165.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Critic’s Notebook
Nuclear mushroom clouds --
that's entertainment?
From Maureen Ryan’s Chicago Tribune blog “The Watcher” January 29, 2007

Why are there so many nuclear mushroom clouds on the horizon? On television, anyway (and let’s hope it stays that way).

“24” kicked off its most recent season with Jack Bauer not saving the day. At the end of the fourth hour, the terrorist villains managed to set off one of the five “suitcase nukes” they possess, destroying an entire suburb of Los Angeles, if not more.

Meanwhile NBC’s popular “Heroes,” “24’s” time-slot competitor, has got a nuke -- or possible nuke -- of its own: The superhero drama is unfurling a story line in which Peter Petrelli sees a vision of New York City going up in a nuclear blast. In the Jan. 22 episode, “Godsend,” the bedridden Peter dreamed of not only the mushroom cloud but of himself and his fellow heroes being vaporized in the explosion.

As if that’s not enough, CBS’ “Jericho,” which returns Feb. 21, started off the fall season with a nuclear bang. Residents of the small Kansas town in the title have spent the last few months trying to figure out why the bomb they saw on the horizon was set off and how widespread the damage across America is.

Last summer, who would have thought that a show with that kind of grim premise -- as opposed to the flashier “Smith” or “Kidnapped” or “The Nine” -- would be one of the few serialized dramas to find a regular audience?

Back in 1983, the post-nuclear miniseries “The Day After” was considered so controversial and terrifying that ABC set up phone banks with counselors on duty and hosted a live panel discussion with Reagan administration officials after the show. Who would have thought that decades later we’d see multiple mushroom clouds on our TVs -- and that those nuclear blasts would barely register in the media?
During the 1964 presidential campaign, the “daisy girl” ad, which pictured a small girl counting down before a nuclear blast, created a firestorm of controversy even though it aired only once. “Jericho,” on the other hand, directly echoed that ad in its series premiere, with a young girl counting down during a game of hide-and-seek just before a mushroom cloud appeared on the Kansas horizon.

Did many people notice or make a big deal about the parallel? Not really.

Perhaps the most pertinent question is, why is today’s escapist entertainment being invaded by such terrifying imagery? Maybe because television is able, in the case of these particular shows, to take the unthinkable and make it look less threatening. A little.

In “24,” it was “only” a suitcase nuke that went off, and the damage appears to be contained in one part of Los Angeles. Executive producer Howard Gordon told reporters the day after the Season 6 premiere that the show wouldn’t spend much time in or near the center of the blast or the fallout zone.

“We sort of are at the edges of [the zone], but it does create a kind of baseline anxiety,” Gordon said.

No kidding.

Perhaps these blasts are a sign that it’s ever more difficult for “24” to raise the stakes yet again and create an even bigger crisis for Jack Bauer to deal with. It’s hard to see how the Fox drama will top itself this time, but we’ve said that before.

“Heroes” has a more comic-book approach, so Peter’s visions don’t seem quite as threatening as the events on “24.” which can seem far-fetched at times but are rooted in a recognizable, nitty-gritty reality. But the “Godsend” episode of “Heroes” also featured a comical interlude in which Hiro stole what he thought was a mythical sword from a museum -- only to find that it was a fake.

Though often plodding and woodenly acted, “Heroes” does have an uplifting theme. It holds out the hope that humanity will evolve -- in some cases -- into something better, and that powerful people will emerge to (possibly) save us from ourselves. Given our troubled times, perhaps viewers feel that nuclear fear is one danger that our heroes can (and should) save us from.

Still, those mushroom clouds are pretty dark stuff, and they have to be an obvious sign of our national unease. Since Sept. 11, some part of our collective unconscious has been waiting for more death and destruction to arrive. And it has, at least on these fictional dramas -- which, perhaps not surprisingly, give us hope that we can endure or prevent such nightmarish scenarios.

All three shows hold out the hope that these kinds of terrifying crises would provide a chance for well-intentioned people to find a solution together -- and that there is a solution. “24” lets us believe that, whatever the crisis, efficient government operatives in a shiny, high-tech facility will figure it all out on our behalf. It’ll all be solved by tomorrow -- that’s the show’s reassuring fantasy.

“Jericho,” the show that deals most heavily with the post-nuclear scenario, is, strangely enough, often the most optimistic of the three shows. At one point last fall, the residents of Jericho set up an impromptu post-blast barbecue in the town square (the local grocery store’s supplies would have otherwise rotted).

Would we all act so normally and eat pork chops and burgers with our neighbors if we’d just seen a nuclear blast over our homes? I hardly think so -- I tend to think it would be more “Lord of the Flies” than “Our Town.”

But then, we want our TV characters to be, for the most part, a little more noble than we are. Having seen endless seasons of “Survivor,” we know that real people marooned on islands get nasty once the food runs out. Tell that to the inhabitants of “Lost,” who’ve rarely fought over so much as a stale cracker.

Truth is, there’s a lot of wishful thinking amid all the television darkness, but then, maybe we’re a nation in need of that.

We want to believe we could survive the unthinkable, deal with a nuclear crisis and remain united. Whether we actually could or not -- well, maybe that’s a topic for an HBO show.

What do you think, readers? Why are we watching shows that involve nuclear bombs going off? Is that kind of thing too dark for you? Or is it cathartic to see TV characters address and deal with these scary scenarios? Share your thoughts below.

(Note: If you go to Maureen’s website to comment, please tell her you read her here at Hot Off The Press”!)

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

Critic’s Notebook
The SAG Awards only match the Oscars in pretentiousness
By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star in his blog “TV Barn” January 29, 2007

The kindest things that can be said about the 13th SAG Awards, as a program by and for television, are that it was only two hours long and it helped ensure that NBC's low-rated comedy “30 Rock” earns a well-deserved renewal.

Several Golden Globes winners repeated Sunday nights as Actor winners, including America Ferrera (ABC's “Ugly Betty”), Hugh Laurie (Fox's “House”), Helen Mirren (“Elizabeth I” on HBO) and Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock.” The top comedy award went to the cast of “The Office,” while “Grey's Anatomy” won for drama.

In a telecast filled with gracious, funny and brief acceptance speeches, Baldwin's stood out because he thanked his mother. He even paused as he said, “I love you, Mom.”

But the prize went to Chandra Wilson, who walked away with the female actor award for her role as a loud, domineering resident on “Grey's Anatomy.” She replicated the part on stage, with a little girlishness injected.

“First of all, it's about those 10 cast members sitting over there and the other one in rehab,” Wilson said. Her reference to Isiaih Washington drew knowing howls of laughter and applause from the audience, who were well aware of Washington's homophobic slur uttered after the Golden Globes. It touched off a furor that, judging by his absence, has still not died down. (He really is in "rehab," though judging from the descriptions I've read, it's a facility where the primary goal is to keep Washington from further indulging his appetite for shoe leather.)

Wilson also thanked the SAG “for taking me as I am,” pulling back a sleeve to reveal her not-skinny arm.

The SAG telecast was bedeviled by prompter glitches and some questionable production choices. One was the program's opening, which aped the red-carpet opening of the Oscars. It seemed audacious for a telecast that drew less than six million viewers last year to compare itself to the Academy Awards, which pulls in seven times the audience.

That was followed by several notable figures inside the ballroom giving little speeches about how truly fulfilling it was to be an actor. William Shatner, a popular though not exactly distinguished actor, led off, recalling a part he played at the age of six and then gravely telling the camera, “I'm William Shatner and I'm an actor.” At that, only a person with a heart of stone could not help but burst into laughter.

The awards were simulcast, in standard definition on TBS and in high definition on TNT, where you could get a sharper view of various actors' sweaty foreheads and various actresses' amply exposed cleavage.

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2007/01/the_sag_awards_.html#more

Critic’s Notebook
'Dirt' digs deeper…
…and finds 3 reasons to keep watching
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Television Critic Monday, January 29, 2007

Certain networks and cable channels earn second chances. Wait -- that's not exactly true. No broadcast network earns a second chance and, come to think of it, only three cable channels have earned this privilege: HBO, FX and BBC America.

Those three channels have churned out enough quality fare that, if they stumble and proffer up a loser, it's a critic's duty to go back and re-examine the mistake. Was the series really that bad? Did the famed quality control (or pure good luck) at these respective channels suffer a glitch, letting in the kind of abysmally bad offerings usually found at your favorite secondhand store, also known as the broadcast networks?

It can happen. HBO, which has an impressive roster filled with many of television's finest series, actually put "Lucky Louie" on the air. BBC America -- with the distinct advantage of being able to filter out the best and the brightest in England first -- has nevertheless imported a few flops and head-scratchers.

And FX, which went on an incredible streak of can't-miss quality -- a run that made HBO look like it might be struggling in comparison -- occasionally clanks one off the front rim. In fact, its latest, most high-profile offering, "Dirt," received less-than-stellar reviews. Courteney Cox makes her first post-"Friends" TV appearance as the series' star and executive producer, so perhaps the examination lamp was burning a little brighter than normal on this one. In any case, the first three episodes showed a series that tried too hard, a star that might be miscast (Cox) or, at the very least, playing against her most appealing characteristics, and a milieu (celebrity-obsessed tabloids) that had no clear heroes, giving viewers no real reason to care.

All of those are legitimate complaints about the series. But there were three factors that played into giving "Dirt" another look.

First, it's FX. It's one of the Big Three in terms of high-quality track records. You could make the argument that Showtime is deserving of inclusion based on the recent uptick in the channel's content, but it needs to show a more consistent streak if skepticism is to be directed at its failures, not its hits. No broadcast network could earn this honor because, in the hunt for mass appeal and subsequent high ratings, each of the nation's five networks crank out an exorbitant amount of crassness and low art.

But FX? Come on. This is a home run-hitting channel, so yeah, "Dirt" gets another look.

Secondly, John Landgraf, the well-respected head of FX, had the audacity (or rare honesty) to tell television critics recently that the fifth episode of "Dirt" is when the series takes off. The fifth episode airs Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Never mind that a whole lot of network series get canceled before their fifth episode, or that network presidents often know within the first 15 minutes of the first episode how it's all going to play out. For Landgraf to say the fifth episode is where it all starts almost backhandedly validates what critics have said about the show to this point.

And the third element to consider when re-evaluating whether "Dirt" is worth the hassle is the juicy little cameo nugget that Cox recently revealed: Jennifer Aniston -- one of Cox's best friends, former "Friends" co-star and, oh by the way, a favorite subject of the tabloids that are at the core of "Dirt" -- will appear in the season finale as a rival tabloid editor to Cox. Now, dismiss petty celebrity smoke bombs like this if you may, and you certainly have a right to, but Aniston's participation certainly makes for a good season finale and surely makes for a mini TV event, just like killing off a major character does. Having Aniston, who has virtually lived on the covers of tabloids the past few years, get in this wink-wink game is a clever little move. It implies that she could pop up in future episodes, adding more value to "Dirt." And a rumor has already started that not only will Aniston be Cox's rival on "Dirt," she'll play a lesbian who ends up kissing Cox.

All you can say to that bald-faced manipulation is this: well played. It is so blatantly exploitative that it deserves our utmost respect.

Smirk all you want about cameos in general or Aniston in particular, but signing her up for this deal was a savvy move that will not only get people's attention (done), but get burgeoning fans of the series to stay dedicated and interested.

The best question in all of this is a simple one: Was Landgraf right? Does "Dirt" get better on Tuesday?

That's a complicated question. But, yes, it does. After playing an all-too-obvious puppet master -- lots of straight sex, gay sex, lesbian sex, "shocking" sex, drugs, mental illness, chopped-off heads, dead women giving birth to kittens, suspect journalism and egregious use of vibrators -- "Dirt" finally gets focused in its fifth episode. And becomes more interesting.

But is it too late? If you wait five episodes for it to get good, will anyone be there to see it? And, truth be told, "Dirt" doesn't just wake up in Tuesday's fifth episode to find its stride. You really need to have endured -- yes, that's kind of what it was like -- the first four episodes and the concomitant growth of the story line and characters to truly appreciate the feeling you get in Episode 5. This is where, perhaps for the first time, a viewer could truly imagine being dedicated to the series for the full season run (you know, right up until Aniston appears to get even more headlines in the tabloids and the acceptable press, lesbian kiss or no).

Some channels earn the right to present series that are difficult or take time -- three or four episodes -- to get really good. FX is one of them. It took HBO about four episodes to make the initial run of "Rome" seem truly intriguing and five episodes before "Big Love" became appointment television.

But "Dirt" is nowhere in that realm. It has improved itself or, more accurately, joined familiarity with potential to become quite watchable, but it has yet to earn any kind of distinction as one of television's better shows.

What it has done -- and this is a credit to casting, endurance and a certain willingness to want "Dirt" to be better than it really had been so far -- is raise the level of curiosity, maybe even earn the benefit of the doubt it will get.

"Dirt" may, in the remaining episodes, rise up to be all that FX wanted it to be. Or it may settle for being an eyebrow-raising stunt show, a la FX's "Nip/Tuck," which is a hit despite the fact that it's not very good.

"Dirt" still seems like it's trying too hard, that it's relying on titillation rather than storytelling, and Cox as the steely head of a celebrity scandal rag may never be the best character fit imagined.

But the series begins clicking in its fifth episode. It has more going for it now -- and a lot more going for it later. And that may be just enough to recommend a second look.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/29/DDGDKNPFOD1.DTL&type=printable

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Steep fall for CBS Sunday night movie
Drops 31 percent in 18-49s, to a 2.9 rating
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 29, 2007

CBS replaced its Sunday night movie with the duo of “Without a Trace” and “Cold Case” last fall to increase its adults 18-49 average. The plan has worked quite well, and that was affirmed last night when the network aired a special Sunday movie in place of repeats.

“Valley of Light” averaged a 2.9 in adults 18-49 last night, according to Nielsen overnights, 31 percent below the usual two-hour average for “Case” and “Trace” on the night.

Those two have combined for a 4.2 average in the hour. What’s more, the low rating came against repeats of ABC’s usually potent lineup.

CBS said when it removed the Sunday movie last May that it would continue to air it as a special, likely to avoid low-rated repeats. Indeed, the movie still does fairly well among total viewers, with more than 14.6 million watching last night.

But with CBS having taken over the season lead among 18-49s, and likely to stay in that spot for at least a few more weeks with Sunday’s Super Bowl, the network looks smarter for the risky move of “Trace” at the start of the season. Though the show is down from what it averaged last year, it’s still CBS’s strongest show in 18-49s in the 10 p.m. slot in years.

ABC finished first among 18-49s on a very slow Sunday night, averaging a 3.3 rating and an 8 share. Fox was second at 3.0/8, CBS third at 3.0/7, NBC fourth at 2.8/7, and Univision and CW tied for fifth at 1.1/3.

ABC finished first during two of the four primetime hours on Sunday, including a 3.2 at 7 p.m. for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” CBS was second with a 2.6 for “60 Minutes,” NBC third with a 2.0 for “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” and Fox fourth with a 1.4 for repeats of “Til Death” and “The War at Home.” CW was fifth that hour with a 1.2 for an hour of “Reba” and Univision sixth with a 0.7 for “Llega la Fiebre de ‘Objetivo Fama.’”

ABC led again at 9 p.m., this time with a 4.3 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Fox was second with a 3.7 for “The Simpsons” (3.9) and the season premiere of “King of the Hill” (3.5), CBS third with a 3.5 for “Cold Case” and NBC fourth with a 2.8 for another hour of “Grease.” "King" had its best season debut since 2003.

The CW was fifth with a 1.2 for “7th Heaven” and Univision sixth with a 1.1 for the first of three hours of “Bailando por la Boda de Mis Suenos.”

Fox took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.9 average for “Family Guy” (4.3) and “American Dad” (3.5). NBC moved to second with a 3.5 for “The Apprentice,” up 25 percent from the previous week, with ABC third with a 3.4 for a repeat of “Desperate Housewives,” CBS fourth with a 2.9 for the first hour of the movie “Valley of Light,” Univision fifth with a 1.4 for the second hour of “Bailando” and CW sixth with a 0.9 for a repeat of “Beauty and the Geek.”

It was CBS’s turn on top at 10 p.m. as the network posted a 2.9 rating for the second half of its movie. NBC was second with a 2.7 for “Crossing Jordan,” ABC third with a 2.3 for a repeat of “Brothers & Sisters” and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for the final hour of “Bailando.”

Among households, CBS led the night with a 9.3 average rating and a 14 share. ABC was second at 5.8/9, NBC third at 4.9/8, Fox fourth at 3.9/6, CW fifth at 1.7/3 and Univision sixth at 1.5/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9823.asp

TV Notebook
Backstage at the SAG Awards:
the Winners and the No-shows
by Michael Maloney TV Guide

Who was conspicuously MIA from the Screen Actors Guild Awards press room? Who was afraid he would bore the reporters to tears? And which star of The Office claims to have been the model for the Actor statue's backside? TVGuide.com was backstage at Sunday night's 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, and here's a timeline of the highs and lows from the press room.

8:00 pm/ET: The show's broadcast begins, but there's no audio coming from the room's monitor. Michael, the friendly press-room moderator, assures us the problem is going to be fixed momentarily. (No word on if the sound will be intentionally cut if Grey's Anatomy nominee Isaiah Washington shows up and tries to grab the microphone.)

8:02: The sound snafu is resolved just in time to hear most of Helen Mirren (Elizabeth I) give her acceptance speech for best actress in a TV-movie/miniseries. We're then told Mirren is making her way backstage to speak with the press.

8:08: On TV, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) calls fellow presenter America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), "America the Beautiful," prompting a collective "Aw... " from the press corps.

8:09: In his acceptance speech, Jeremy Irons (Elizabeth I) says actors make him feel like a plumber — ironic, since most plumbers in Los Angeles are also actors.

8:12: Reporters speculate whether the Grey's Anatomy cast will come backstage if it wins for drama-series ensemble. No one, though, is putting money on this, given what occurred in the Golden Globes press room. "It'll never happen... never happen," jokes one reporter.

8:16: Alec Baldwin wins for actor in a comedy series, for his performance in 30 Rock. Mirren hasn't shown up yet. Hmm. She must still be getting her picture taken.

8:19: As clips for female actor in a comedy series are shown, I wonder why Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) is in with lead actresses, when she was always in the supporting category at the Emmys?

8:29: Still waiting for Mirren. Who does this lady think she is, the Queen of England? Oh, wait....

8:30: The cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (which ended in 1977) reunites on stage, having just flown in from Tipperary. Everyone looks amazing. Not even the Saved by the Bell gang will look this good 30 years later.

8:32: The British invasion at last — Mirren enters the press room! And she's brought Jeremy Irons with her!

8:33: Mirren tells a reporter she will never answer his question about whether or not she wants to win the Oscar come Feb. 24. "If you'd asked me 10 years ago, I would have said yes," the actress says. Poor journo missed his deadline by a decade. Yikes.

8:38: Irons is asked how he can win the Golden Globe for supporting actor in a TV-movie and then the SAG lead award for the same role. (I perk up, as this is essentially the same question I would have posed to Megan Mullally had she won.) "Every performance is a supporting performance," theorizes Irons.

8:43: As Dreamgirls' Eddie Murphy, who won for supporting actor in a film, finishes his acceptance speech on stage, the camera cuts to his ex-Saturday Night Live costars/marrieds Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall. Nice touch. Give that director a DGA award!

9:00: Male cast members of The Office (sans Steve Carell, who was getting ready to present) enter the press room after the show wins for best-comedy-series ensemble. "We're the men of Ugly Betty," quips Rainn Wilson, who reveals that his likeness was used in conceiving SAG's Actor statue: "I actually posed for this several years ago. I was the model for the buttocks."

9:01: Paul Lieberstein (Toby), who's also one of the Office scribes, was asked to offer up a juicy February-sweeps preview. "Someone will get married," he shares, "[and] someone will die." Really?! "I'm kidding about someone dying," he adds, "but an animal will attack. Nobody is safe."

9:03: Did actors from The Office get to talk to the Mary Tyler Moore cast? "I told [Mary] that I sold her some flatware at Bloomingdale's 15 years ago in New York City," says Oscar Nunez (Oscar). "And now here I am. That's pretty cool."

9:07: A reporter asks America Ferrera, winner for female actor in a comedy series, if she's getting ready to do another project during her sitcom hiatus. "The offers don't come pouring in," says the Ugly Betty star. "[But] you do get in more doors. That's a mark of success."

9:14: A collective gasp erupts from reporters as Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson beats out heavy competition — including The Sopranos' Edie Falco and The Closer's Kyra Sedgwick — for female actor in a drama series.

9:18: In her acceptance speech, Wilson thanks her fellow cast members who were present for the awards show — and "the other one in rehab," referring to absentee Isaiah Washington.

9:32: Grey's Anatomy wins for outstanding-drama-series ensemble. I must come up with a provocative question to ask the cast when they get back here, in order to generate a "hot topic" on The View.

9:44:10: I hear buzz that the Grey's cast is coming to the press room. Cancel restroom break.

10:03: The press-room liaison says Chandra Wilson is coming to talk to us, as soon she finishes some one-on-one (translation: TV) interviews.

10:19: Helen Mirren's publicist enters, carrying both of her SAG Awards, and then rests them on a stand near the microphone. "Make sure she takes these with her," he tells us.

10:20: Mirren enters, having this time been named best film actress for her work in The Queen. TVGuide.com asks her if she has ever heard from the real Queen Elizabeth II about her film interpretation. "No, I never have, and I never will," muses Mirren, adding, "and if I do, I'll never tell anyone about it, anyway."

10:24: We're told that neither Wilson nor the cast of Grey's Anatomy is coming to the press room to answer questions about Wilson's win, their work together as an ensemble, or Isaiah's "rehabilitation." What's more, best drama-series actor Hugh Laurie is no longer in the House and, apparently, the press is "living without" talking to Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson, the winner for supporting film actress.

http://tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting={89C7214B-7F68-413D-9331-831CE4FAA7B8}

Critic’s Notebook
Props to SAGs
By Roger Catlin Hartford Courant TV Critic in his “TV Eye” blog

For all the fuss over the Oscars and, increasingly, the Golden Globes, you have to wonder why the Screen Actors Guild gets so little attention.

Like the Globes, it’s a fast moving, awards-only show that salutes work in both TV and the movies. Other than an exceptionally wooden opening in which actors at their square plates on the rectangular tables looked up to tell why whey were actors, one by one, William Shatner to Marg Helgenberger (whose hubby happens to run the operation), it was all presenters and envelope ripping. It even had the familiar announcer in Les Marsak

And like the Globes, a lot of the winners were the same: Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, America Ferrera, Hugh Laurie, Alec Baldwin, Jeremy Irons and Helen Mirren twice once more for her two different queens Elizabeth.

But there were some variations, as well, in an event that awards ensembles of TV shows rather than the show itself (it’s an actors’ show, where the awards are called “actors” as well, as in “the actor goes to..”).

Perhaps proving that awards for TV shows are tied to prevailing popularity, “Grey’s Anatomy” won for ensemble cast over the more deserving “Sopranos” “Deadwood” and “24” (also in the category: “Boston Legal”).

“We love this category more than you know,” said Ellen Pompeo in accepting. Determined to name all those in the cast who couldn’t be with them, she flubbed the one name she could remember and then drew a blank. “Help me out here,” she asked of her ensemble. Oh yeah: Isaiah Washington, apparently still in homophobe rehab.

Chandra Wilson of “Grey’s” was also named best actress in a TV drama, over Edie Falco and a bunch of cops or psychics. Pointing out her own sag, she said, “thank you, Screen Actors Guild, for taking me as I am.”

And in TV comedy ensemble, where “Ugly Betty” would be the bet (since it won at the Globes and is prevailing favorite), it was, instead, “The Office” that won.

That meant Steve Carell was like Dame Helen Mirren – up for two different awards, when his ensemble for “Little Miss Sunshine” also won their equivalent for best picture.

http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/

TV Notebook
Pals say Washington has equal-opportunity anger
From the Rush and Molloy column in the New York Daily News

Friends of Isaiah Washington are saying he's not anti-gay because for years, he got angry at everybody.

The "Grey's Anatomy" star entered a 30-day anger management program after ABC execs met with him for calling fellow cast member T.R. Knight a "f****t."

Veteran stage actress Madeline McCray was there when, a source says, Washington punched out a fellow actor who was - like Washington - straight and African-American. At the time, McCray and Washington were starring in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences."

"Isaiah's not anti-gay; he's a hothead," McCray told us. "It's that his anger leads him to say and do things he wishes he hadn't - to everybody. He's always had a lack of control over his temper.

"I worked with Isaiah, and there were some difficulties. He lost his temper and had a physical altercation with one of the other male actors backstage. The actor missed his cue a couple of times, and Isaiah couldn't control himself.

"Isaiah wants it to be perfect. He is a professional, and he expects everybody else to be on their mark, too. But when we're adults, we can't just allow our anger to get the best of us. He's got to get a handle on it. He's jeopardizing the incredible opportunity he's been given - a distinguished role in a hit show created by an African-American woman."

Washington also pitched a hissy in 2000 against his co-star, director and producer Tracey Edmonds on the set of "Soul Food." In addition, he lost a job on "High Incident" in 1997 after a dustup with a crew member that resulted in the police being called, according to TMZ.com.

McCray, who stars next month in Ntozake Shange's "Riding the Moon in Texas" at the Abrons Art Center, thinks entering anger management is the best thing that ever happened to Washington.

Said McCray: "I'm just really happy that he's going to stand up and take responsibility and fix this."

http://www.nydailynews.com/01-29-2007/news/gossip/story/492754p-415048c.html

TV Q&A
Ask Matt
(from the Ask Matt column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush: TVGuide.com TV Critic Monday, January 29, 2007

Question: It seems that there are a lot of homophobic comments all over the Internet concerning the Kevin character (played by Matthew Rhys) on Brothers & Sisters. People seem to think that his love life should not be depicted the way it is. They're also saying they will not watch the show anymore. Do you think it will hurt Brothers & Sisters?— Brian C.

Matt Roush: Funny, I was just thinking as I watched the most recent new episode (Jan. 21) how refreshing it was to see a gay character on TV who was successful, well-adjusted (within reason) and not forced by TV's arbitrary and behind-the-times standards to be either celibate or laughable sitcom bait. That Kevin is actually able to kiss a romantic partner without it becoming headline news is incredibly heartening. The fact that David Marshall Grant cowrote that episode (the one with Nora's 60th birthday) also has a delicious irony: He was one of the actors in the famous thirtysomething episode that showed two gay men in bed, merely talking, which created such an uproar that the network lost millions in advertising and never replayed it. How far TV has come. All of this is a way of saying that while I'm sure there's a furor in certain Internet corners (when isn't there?), you'd never know it unless you went looking for it. This character and his frank, and frankly entertaining, story lines have created no fuss that I've seen in the mainstream press, which is far more obsessed with tracking the saga of Isaiah Washington and the fallout over his universally condemned homophobic comments. Anyone who would use this as an excuse not to watch a show as enjoyable as Brothers & Sisters (which just keeps getting better) is welcome to sit it out. The show, and society, can survive without them. I'm curious if these same people have as big a problem with Desperate Housewives, which may not have as much overtly gay content, but whose campy sensibility could hardly be gayer. The hypocrisy is galling.

Question: I love your column, but I get the distinct impression that you don't like my favorite show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, because you very seldom write about it. Now I am perplexed. Where is Gary Dourdan? It seems to me that every episode that airs, he is on less and less. Why bring the new guy in to replace Grissom? Why not give more airtime to the regulars? Who can I ask this of, if not you?— Joanne L.

Matt Roush: If I don't write much about CSI, it's a result of the fact that even the most popular of procedurals don't generate as much mail as more serialized dramas, cult shows, etc. I have always been a fan of the original CSI, and still am. As for Warrick: He's not going anywhere, but the reality is that he's part of an ensemble, and his fans are never going to be satisfied with his supporting status in many episodes. That said, I'm a bit puzzled as well, because when Grissom left, didn't he tell Warrick that he was the unsung hero of the CSI team or some such thing? You'd think that would earn him a little more face time. But I can't disagree with the producers' decision to bring in a major star like Liev Schreiber to fill in for William Petersen during his temporary sabbatical. This is how a top-rated show keeps its juices flowing. I wish I had a more illuminating answer, but at least the complaint has been aired. Go, Warrick!

Question: I wanted to get your opinion on the trend of making programming even more seamless than ever. It used to be that a show would end, go to commercial, come back with scenes from the next episode, and the next show would begin. Now they skip that last commercial and go straight from the last act of the show into the next show. I think this makes it hard to digest any developments that happen at the end of shows. For example, a week ago Thursday, I barely had time to figure out what had happened with the gender-bending twist on Ugly Betty before Grey's Anatomy started. Then, while I was still reeling from the death of George's dad, the frothy Men in Trees was on, with no time in between to shift gears as a viewer. I understand the need to keep the audience from going elsewhere at the end of a show, but should it be to the detriment of the viewing experience in general?— Michael A.

Matt Roush: I had the very same experience that night, especially in the shift from Betty to Grey's. I juggle so much TV on Thursdays that I have to watch some things live and not on my overburdened DVRs, so I felt exactly how Michael did, wishing for at least a minute between shows to catch my breath, especially to savor something as delicious as the revelation of "Alexis" Meade. Again, there's no real answer to this dilemma, because Michael has already explained why the networks do this to us. On the positive side, at least these shows are so good we feel the roller-coaster effect. Even if we'd like to take a breather between rides.

Question: I get a little tired of people whining about shows and characters getting killed off, particularly on 24. Don't you? First of all, don't these folks realize it's television, not reality? It's almost like that Friends episode when Brooke Shields thought Joey actually was Dr. Ramoray. Curtis is dead. Edgar is dead. David Palmer is dead. Tony is dead. Each of these deaths moved the story line and made for great drama and great acting. Jack's sadness over losing his buddy, Tony. Jack's near-meltdown after gunning down his buddy, Curtis. Chloe mourning Edgar. This show has demonstrated that no character is safe. Accept it for what it is, and hope that other great characters emerge. I like Bill Buchanan. I like Peter MacNicol's character. It all helps the drama and the story. Sheesh, people!— John D.

Matt Roush: The only thing more inevitable than a high body count on 24 is the griping that ensues when an established character bites the dust. Some people feel it has weakened the show to rob us of so many popular characters. From the death of Teri Bauer onward, I have disagreed with this view. And yet, if people write in with the occasional howl of despair, I feel compelled to share. It does reflect the watercooler vibe, after all. And while I am at peace with 24's level of mayhem, I do find myself thinking that Edgar's death last season may have been a mistake, given the lack of vibrant personalities inside CTU this season so far.

Question: This may be a weird question, but have you ever seen a worse show better promoted than Dirt? I was totally drawn in by its advertising campaign. The song FX chose was so haunting and sexy, with the picture of Courteney Cox in that red dress and showing her deep, blue eyes. It was a very noticeable ad. You couldn't help but watch. So of course, I tuned in to the show, and it was absolute garbage. It was poorly written, poorly acted and shocking only for the sake of being shocking. So were the commercials done by the staff of the TV show or a separate director? And I almost wonder if it was a conscious choice not to use any clips of the show in its advertising. By the way, when does the media start harping on the Friends curse? Matt LeBlanc (Joey) and Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback) have already bitten the dust. And Courteney Cox (Dirt) and Matthew Perry (Studio 60) may not be far behind.— Mark

Matt Roush: Oh, let's not go into "curse" mode just yet. It's inevitable that after hitting such a once-in-a-career high that the actors would have trouble hitting immediate pay dirt again, unless they're exceptionally lucky. (And of these ventures, only Joey and Dirt deserve to be called embarrassments.) To answer your Dirt question: FX produces amazing promos. Their marketing is among the best in TV. I would guess the logo of Courteney Cox in her flowing dress was created by someone outside of the actual TV show, though of course approved by all involved. And the smartest thing they could ever have done in marketing it was to show as little of the actual content as possible. Really, have you ever seen such a tragically joyless, disgusting piece of uninteresting filth?

Question: I don't know if you read all your e-mails, but I wanted to say that I enjoy the column. It's great to have it twice a week. Do you know when Emily VanCamp's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit appearance will be? I know you're a fellow Everwood fan, so I thought you might know when a former Everwood-ian would be appearing on my TV screen again. I heard it was some time during sweeps, but I was hoping for a specific date. I still miss Everwood dearly. I have found some solace in Friday Night Lights, a sports show of all things! Yes, I should refrain from calling FNL that. It's so much more. Everwood fans would probably call this blasphemy, but FNL reminds me of Everwood in many ways. There's a tragic injury, a troubled girlfriend, families in various states of unrest and a great small-town backdrop. However, I don't think that these direct parallels are what truly reminds me of Everwood. It's the emotions that the show evokes and the way the characters are drawn so vividly. What's also similar is the fact that both shows struggle or struggled for viewers. Sometimes I wish a family drama could explode out of the gate, ratings-wise, like 24 or American Idol. I wonder if it is possible in this day and age. Also, I don't mind the 8 pm time slot, but would NBC ever consider putting FNL on at 9? As a family drama, Everwood held that spot, though granted it wasn't on a top-four network. Does a show have to be a bona fide hit to occupy that time slot? I know it's prime real estate on the TV schedule, but it would be a great place for FNL.— Stacey

Matt Roush: Stacey, I do read all my e-mails. Which is why I called NBC to find out that Emily VanCamp's episode of SVU is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13, in which she plays the troubled daughter of a mob lawyer (Cary Elwes). I assume by now you're already aware, thanks to Michael Ausiello's scoop, that she has been cast as Holly's daughter on Brothers & Sisters. Woo-hoo! And thanks for the Everwood-Friday Night Lights comparison. You make some good points, but I never really connected the two series, because while I did get emotionally involved in Everwood, I always looked at that show as escapism. Friday Night Lights is so much more realistic and gritty that it rarely feels like a soap opera, even when the plot takes the occasional conventional turn. About the time slot: It would be a great help to a show like Friday Night Lights if it could get a strong lead-in and (in the 9 pm scenario) be hammocked between stronger shows. The problem is that NBC doesn't have a lot of hits on its schedule to be able to nurture something this special. Before NBC set its January schedule, many of us were wondering if the network would move Friday Night Lights to Mondays at 10 pm/ET, behind Heroes. Instead, the network kept Studio 60 there, which I think is a wasted opportunity. I'm not sure Friday Night Lights could ever be a commercial hit, but at least it deserves the shot. For me, Studio 60 is much more clearly a creative failure, and is even less likely to take advantage of its hit lead-in. (I was not impressed with Studio 60's first episode back from hiatus. Danny's stalking of Jordan is as annoying as it is improbable. If this is what Aaron Sorkin considers romantic comedy, I think he needs to go back and rewatch The American President.)

Question: Why is it that when people create a successful show, they quickly get involved in other projects — other shows, movies and so on — and let the original project slump as a result? Why aren't the creators penalized for allowing a drop in the quality due to their neglect?— Valkyrie R.

Matt Roush: That's where we come in, to shame them for their skewed priorities. Why does this happen? The same reason anything happens in Hollywood: $$$$$. The minute something becomes a hit, those responsible (and even sometimes those who aren't) suddenly become hot properties and sign lucrative development deals that often take them away from the project that put them on the map. (Kudos, then, to someone like Phil Rosenthal of Everybody Loves Raymond, who scored just such a deal after Raymond exploded, but chose to stay with the show through its nine-year run.) Looking at it from a different perspective, when someone finally tastes success in Hollywood, it often opens doors for him/her to pursue dream projects that otherwise never would have received a green light. In rare cases, these creative types are able to juggle multiple projects and the original product doesn't suffer. But usually it does, and we once again lose our faith in the system.

Question: I realize that soap operas are not your regular beat, so I understand if you don't respond to my question. I'm curious, though: Do you have any thoughts on NBC's cancellation of Passions to add another hour of Today, and on the talk that its other soap, Days of our Lives, will be canceled once the network's contract with the show expires in 2009? I figure the motives for these moves are similar to NBC's earlier announcement that they were giving up the 8 pm prime-time slot to inexpensive shows. I read how you feel about the prime-time decision. Do you feel similarly about the daytime decision? I know that soaps have had a rough time of it in the last decade or so, and it's my understanding that NBC has historically been less patient and more aggressive with their daytime lineup. Is the situation with soap operas that bad? Do you think NBC is setting a precedent that the others will follow?— Kelly

Matt Roush: Kelly, you're right that daytime soaps are absolutely not my beat, but this does appear to be a watershed moment for the genre, especially where NBC is concerned. I think you are also right that NBC has historically been the most brutal in canceling its soap franchises (Another World, most notably), and it's hard for a TV brat like me to imagine the hourglass of Days of our Lives being retired for good. But there are many economic sea changes occurring in the network broadcast business, and if NBC thinks it can make more money for itself and its affiliates by dumping soaps altogether and adding more hours for news and syndicated programming during the day, then I suppose that could happen. Kevin Reilly made it pretty clear to reporters at the recent TCA gathering that the network wasn't going to accept a situation where it lost money in this daypart. But will the other networks follow suit? I haven't a clue. I certainly haven't picked up any hints that shows as iconic as The Young & the Restless and All My Children are headed for the waste bin anytime soon.

Question: HBO recently picked up the half-hour drama In Treatment for 45 episodes. What's the deal with such a large order? Are they actually planning on having 45 episodes constitute a single season? Are they going to air it five days a week, like a soap opera? I'm confused as hell, since I can't ever remember a show getting such a large order in the initial stages.— Andrew

Matt Roush: You write about this as if it might be a bad thing instead of a fascinating experiment, which I hope it to be. From what I understand in reading the trade reports on this deal, this half-hour drama series is based on a popular Israeli series that aired five nights a week over nine weeks. (HBO's pilot order was for five episodes, presumably to see how it played in five-episode increments.) It's not certain, according to The Hollywood Reporter, whether HBO will duplicate this schedule in its version, starring Gabriel Byrne as a therapist who shows a different side of himself during his sessions with his own shrink. Without a doubt, it's an unusually large order, but it sounds like a highly unusual show. Aren't we supposed to be applauding networks like HBO for breaking the rules?

Question: I'd like to thank you for your support of Bones. While I know it's doing OK ratings-wise, at least for Fox, I can't help but notice that Fox doesn't seem to promote it very much. I'd hardly argue that Bones is the best show on TV, but for me it is easily the most enjoyable. It seems like many people who watch NCIS on CBS might also like Bones — both are somewhat light-hearted, character-driven procedurals — if they only knew it existed! Sometimes I wish Bones would stop pushing the chemistry between the two leads so hard and make it more of an ensemble affair. The supporting cast members are my favorites! Other than that, this is the show I look forward to the most each week. I hope to see it get a third season!— Kate S.

Matt Roush: Ah, the power of the Web. I recently wrote something in support of Bones, and suddenly my mailbox is full of kudos from fans who've been directed from a fan site to thank me. I chose to print Kate's letter because her comparison to NCIS is on the mark. It is very frustrating to see the enormous numbers that a show like NCIS can wrack up on CBS, while Bones — by all measures a superior show but one with many of the same attributes (grisly crimes, attractive and amusing lead players, an undercurrent of romantic and sexual tension) — goes begging. It makes absolutely no sense to me. Not that I have anything against NCIS. To the contrary. But you'd think that its audience might, at least for an hour, flip away from CBS on Wednesdays to sample Bones on Fox, especially while the former network continues to torture us with that insipid celebreality time-waster Armed & Famous.

C'mon, NCIS fans. Whaddaya say?

http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Columnists/Ask-Matt/Default.aspx#01brothersisters

The Business of Television
News Corp. and Liberty Ask FCC To OK DirecTV Deal
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/29/2007

News Corp. Monday filed a petition with the FCC for permission to transfer its interest in DirecTV to Liberty Media.

Liberty will also get three regional sports networks serving Denver, Pittsburgh and Seattle and $550 million in cash in the deal.

Liberty will also give up its stake in News Corp.

Add that Liberty owns 16.3% of News Corp., which it is trading for News Corp.'s 38.4% stake in DirecTV, plus the three sports nets and the cash.

Liberty has agreed to abide by the conditions--including program access and carriage conditions for the regional sports networks-- that were imposed on News Corp. by the FCC when it approved the company's purchase of over a third of the satellite broadcaster from Hughes Corp. in January 2004.

In asking for FCC approval, the parties point out that the move reduced vertical concentration by moving DirecTV from an owner with "must have" broadcast programming and regional sports networks (15 beforehand, 12 after), to one with far fewer networks and no attributable interest in TV stations.

News Corp. has tried for years to get Liberty out of the company because of concerns that Liberty chief John Malone was eyeing the company. In 2005, Liberty upped its voting stake in News Corp. from 9% to 17%, startling company Chairman Rupert Murdoch and prompting him to take defensive action.

In the past, News Corp. offered Liberty several local TV stations for its stake, but the company apparently likes its broadcasting from space.

DirecTV's limited growth has frustrated News Corp., which could explain its willingness to part with it.

Murdoch aggressively went after DirecTV for years, but has been so disappointed with it lately, he has reportedly referred to it as a "turd bird."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411134.html?display=Breaking+News

The Business of Television
Verizon Tops 200K TV Subs

By Todd Spangler MultiChannel News 1/29/2007

Verizon Communications Monday reported 207,000 FiOS TV customers at the end of 2006, up 75% from the end of the prior quarter.

As of Dec. 31, FiOS TV was available to 2.4 million homes, and Verizon said almost one-half of the availability in the fourth quarter occurred in the last two weeks of the year. The 207,000 subscribers represent a 9% penetration rate.

By year-end 2006, Verizon had secured about 600 cable-TV franchises covering more than 7 million households. FiOS TV is offered in more than 200 cities in parts of 10 states.

Verizon's FiOS fiber-to-the-home network passed more than 6 million premises by the end of the year. The company expects to pass 18 million homes by the end of 2010.

FiOS Internet service was available to 4.8 million homes as of the end of the year. The broadband service had a penetration rate of more than 14% for the year, meaning Verizon had at least 670,000 FiOS Internet customers. By contrast, FiOS Internet had a 7% penetration at year-end 2005.

Verizon said earnings dilution from the FiOS deployment was 10 cents per share in the fourth quarter and 32 cents per share for the year. The company expects dilution from FiOS to be about 11 cents per share in the first quarter of 2007, declining in each successive quarter in 2007.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6410924.html?display=Breaking+News

Obituary
Bob Carroll Jr., 87
'I Love Lucy' Co-Creator Dies
By Tom Gilbert Television Week January 29, 2007

"I Love Lucy" co-creator and writer Bob Carroll Jr. passed away Saturday in Los Angeles following a brief illness. He was 87.

Mr. Carroll created the pioneering, long-running CBS sitcom starring Lucille Ball and her then-husband Desi Arnaz with his longtime writing partner Madelyn Pugh Davis and the show's producer and head writer, Jess Oppenheimer, in 1951.

Mr. Carroll and Ms. Davis co-wrote every one of the half-hour series' 180 episodes from 1951-57, either with Mr. Oppenheimer or with Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf, who joined the writing staff in the show's fourth season to help with the work load.

Mr. Carroll and Ms. Davis first worked with Mr. Oppenheimer and Ms. Ball on the CBS radio show "My Favorite Husband" beginning in 1948. It was that show that CBS originally intended to transfer to TV, but "I Love Lucy" was instead developed after Ms. Ball expressed her desire to star opposite her real-life husband Mr. Arnaz, a Cuban-born bandleader.

Mr. Carroll and Ms. Davis continued their association with Ms. Ball on her subsequent series "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" (1957-60) "The Lucy Show" (1962-68) "Here's Lucy" (1968-74) and "Life With Lucy." (1986)

Mr. Carroll joined the writing staff of CBS Radio in 1943. His radio credits include "The People Next Door," "Meet the Missus," "Hollywood Showcase With Hedda Hopper," "The Bill Thompson Show," "Montey Wolley" and "The Steve Allen Show." He partnered with Ms. Davis in 1946.

About her writing partner of 60 years, Ms. Davis told TelevisionWeek Monday, "We had the same sense of humor. We really never argued about anything. People always ask where we got our ideas because we turned out so many scripts. We never liked to do off-color stuff. And we never used topical humor-thank God for that; we had no way of knowing we were going to last for 50 years."

She added about the partnership, "I think Bob was funnier than I am. I was the more of the driver-and I did the typing."

Mr. Carroll and Ms. Davis also created CBS half-hour "The Tom Ewell Show" (1960), created and co-wrote the Desi Arnaz-produced "The Mothers-in-Law" for NBC (1967-69), produced and co-wrote ABC's "Mr. T and Tina" (1976), and executive produced CBS's "Alice" (1977-85), "Private Benjamin" (1981-83) and "Dorothy" (1979).

He is survived by a daughter, Christina. Services are pending.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11461

TV Notebook
Kimberly Dozier returns
CBS Newsroom Welcomes Injured Reporter
CBS.com

Eight months after nearly dying from a car bomb that killed four people in Iraq, CBS News Correspondent Kimberly Dozier returned to the network's newsroom in New York, where she was greeted with cheers and hugs by coworkers.

"You've been in the thoughts and prayers of everyone in this room and throughout the world," said Rome Hartman, executive producer for the CBS Evening News. "We can't wait to get you back on TV."

Dozier was critically wounded on May 29, 2006, while reporting a story in Iraq. The blast killed her camera crew — Britons Paul Douglas and James Brolan — as well as a U.S. soldier and an Iraqi translator.

"It's overwhelming," said Dozier, as some 100 colleagues gathered around. "Last May we had Hell open on us. That's when I found out what this place was really like. People I didn't know reached out to me, to my family, and also reached out to the families of Paul and James.

"Paul and James will always be in my memories … a final salute to them."

Dozier told her colleagues she is preparing for what she hopes is a "final round" of surgery next week to repair a destroyed right ear drum and a correction in her legs.

"I hate hospitals,'' she said. "I hated them before and now I really hate them."

In a piece she wrote last month for CBSNews.com, Dozier described the arduous road back – both spiritual and physical – from injuries to her head and legs.

"These months later, I know the pain must be as sharp and devastating as it was that day for the families of cameraman Paul Douglas, soundman James Brolan, 4th Infantry Division Capt. James Funkhouser and his Iraqi translator — all lost in an instant, killed by an act of evil,'' she wrote.

"In the mornings when I wake and fight to work off the stiffness in my legs to stand, I remember it all too clearly. And then, thank God that I am here to remember it, and wish again my friends were here too."

Dozier has not set a firm timetable to return to the network. She said she has been doing "therapeutic writing" about the events before and after the car bomb blast.

"We've all waited for this moment for a long time," said CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus. "So Kimberly, welcome back to your home."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/29/eveningnews/printable2409402.shtml

The Business of TV
The Super Bowl HDTV Rush
Installers scramble to meet viewer demand
By Clint Swett Sacramento Bee Staff Writer January 29, 2007

Like more than 1 million Americans, Brion Maciel bought a new high-definition television during the holiday season.

But so far, the Sacramento computer engineer hasn't been able to enjoy the razor-sharp picture that his plasma high-def unit promises.

Though he called satellite provider DirecTV just a few days after Christmas to order a combo HD receiver and digital video recorder, he won't get it installed until Feb. 8 -- four days after the Super Bowl.

"I wish I could watch (high-definition) right out of the box," said the passionate pro football fan who financed his TV purchase with fantasy football winnings. "The wait is really frustrating."

While Maciel's experience may be extreme, it's a sign that satellite and cable companies are seeing a big jump in demand for their HD services in the wake of strong holiday sales for high-def TVs.

Americans scooped up about 1.6 million plasma and LCD TVs during the holiday season, more than twice as many as a year ago, according to the NPD Group, which tracks retail sales of electronics.

And with the Super Bowl broadcast on Sunday, demand for high-def TVs and service could grow even further.

Owners of high-definition TVs generally must rely on cable or satellite companies for high-def programming unless they install a special outside antenna to pick up HD signals from local broadcasters such as KXTV Channel 10 or KCRA Channel 3.

DirecTV is now forecasting a March installation for Sacramento-area customers who want the combination high-definition receiver and digital video recorder. The delay is due to several factors, said company spokesman Robert Mercer, who declined to reveal how many new HD customers DirecTV has.

He said, however, the company tripled the number of new high-definition subscribers in the fourth quarter from a year earlier and doubled the number of HD customers among existing subscribers.

"The installation of a high-definition satellite dish is slightly more complicated," Mercer said. "Couple that with higher demand, and that's why we have waiting periods."

He said new customers generally see faster installation, often in four days. "Existing customers who already have DirecTV are usually more patient in waiting for upgrades, and that allows us to respond faster to new customer installs and service issues," he wrote in an e-mail.

"It would have been nice to know that," responded Maciel when told of Mercer's comment. "Being a paying customer, I would expect better service."

SureWest Broadband said its base of HD subscribers in the Sacramento region grew 24 percent over the holiday period. But it has had no problem getting HD receivers to its customers, said Haavard Sterri, the Roseville-based company's director of marketing.

"We have the set-top boxes and the field techs ready," Sterri said. "For a new customer, installation will take about seven days. For an existing customer, we can do it sooner."

Dish Network said it's seeing more interest in its HD offerings, though company spokeswoman Cory Vasquez declined to say how many new HD subscribers the Denver-area satellite company has. She also wouldn't say if there is an installation backlog, but said the company had plenty of HD receivers to handle demand.

Comcast spokeswoman Erica Smith said her company has plenty of HD set-top boxes available. She said installation usually can be done within two to three days of placing an order.

The cable and satellite companies have good reason to rush to sate the hunger for HD, experts say.

In a fiercely competitive market for subscribers, the ability to offer glitzy new services helps companies retain existing customers and snare new ones.

In addition, HD is a significant revenue generator and makes it more likely that the subscriber might add other services, said Jimmy Schaeffler, an analyst with the Carmel Group in Carmel-By-The-Sea.

"You can charge extras for the boxes, and then if you charge an extra $8 or $12 or $15 a month for programming, that get's pretty lucrative," he said.

"It's an absolute boon for cable and satellite providers," added P.J. Bednarski, editor of the trade publication Multichannel News. "They will be able to get people into video-on-demand more easily and to sign them up for other premium services. Those are all new revenue streams."

High-definition revenue alone is substantial. SureWest, for instance, charges $11 a month for its HD service, which includes 12 HD channels, not counting premium channels such as HBO and Showtime.

Dish Network charges $20 a month for 26 high-def channels; DirecTV gets $10 a month for 12 channels.

Comcast customers pay $5 a month for an HD receiver, but to receive all the major HD channels they need to subscribe to a digital service, which is an additional $10 a month. Those with a regular analog subscription can receive the five local channels that broadcast in HD.

Those holding off on their HD television purchase until closer to the Super Bowl are advised to act sooner, rather than later, if they want to watch the game in high-def.

Smith of Comcast said there traditionally is a rush of orders in the days leading up to the game, making quick installations problematic.

"We suggest people get their orders in as soon as possible," she said. "We invariably get calls the day before the game from people who want HD service. We try to accommodate everyone, but it's not always possible."

http://www.sacbee.com/127/v-print/story/114970.html

The Business of TV
The Super Bowl HDTV Rush
Installers scramble to meet viewer demand
By Clint Swett Sacramento Bee Staff Writer January 29, 2007

Owners of high-definition TVs generally must rely on cable or satellite companies for high-def programming unless they install a special outside antenna to pick up HD signals from local broadcasters such as KXTV Channel 10 or KCRA Channel 3.

How idiotic - how "special" is this outside antenna for HDTV? Maybe he could inform his readers that there's a chance you may be able to enjoy the SB in HD with a $15 indoor antenna on top of your $2000 HDTV.

How idiotic - how "special" is this outside antenna for HDTV? Maybe he could inform his readers that there's a chance you may be able to enjoy the SB in HD with a $15 indoor antenna on top of your $2000 HDTV.

Yeah, it sounds like it was written by a non-tech writer who was repeating things so called 'experts' told him.

My old $30 Silver Sensor used to pull in all the HD UHF signals available to North Dallas with no issues.

I do empathize with the Superbowl rush for HD content...that was me in January of 2004, trying desperately to purchase my HD set and get Comcast out there with an HD box prior to the Pats/Panthers SB (sorry cpanther, don't mean to pour salt in old wounds :-) I got it just in time (I added the antenna later, along with an ebayed samsung HD receiver so I could get UPN, WB, PBS which weren't on comcast at the time).

It is amazing how much bad information is out there.

On the other hand, I am even more amazed that the manufacturers of HD sets have allowed this to continue for so long. The directions included with my plasma are almost indecipherable to all but the geekiest amongst us.

I am fairly tech savvy (well maybe not by AVS Forum standards!), and I had to call in experts to hook up my gear (satellite, antenna, receiver, DVD recorder, etc.) when I got an HDMI-capable plasma a few months ago.

We all do -- but we shouldn't -- expect a general information reporter to spend months just to learn the HD basics. I am convinced that the incredible difficulty (for the average person) of hooking up an HDTV has set the HD transition back at least a few years.

How idiotic - how "special" is this outside antenna for HDTV? Maybe he could inform his readers that there's a chance you may be able to enjoy the SB in HD with a $15 indoor antenna on top of your $2000 HDTV.

He also left out that he needs to connect the "special antenna" with a Monster cable. I assume the BB guy told him that too.

Critic’s Notebook
The Real Scandal of Moneyhoneygate
By James Poniewozik Time Magazine television critic in Time’s “Tuned In” blog January 29, 2007

Excellent column by David Carr in today's New York Times on the Maria Bartiromo / Citigroup brouhaha, a subject that, I'll admit, I've had a hard time mustering indignation over. (Short version: the CNBC anchor, a.k.a., "The Money Honey," was found to have accepted numerous speaking and travel requests from companies she covers, including many for Citigroup, one of whose execs was canned for liberally booking a corporate jet for her.)

My cardinal rule of media criticism has always been that if you find a lot of journalists wringing their hands over the high-profile scandal of one of their peers, they're probably shifting attention away from a more disturbing, business-as-usual practice endemic to the profession. Carr agrees, at least here, saying that CNBC, which has defended Bartiromo's conduct, has been a booster of the business it covers, jets or no jets: "CNBC has roughly the same relationship to Wall Street that 'Entertainment Tonight' has to Hollywood: boosterish, gossipy and more than a little starry-eyed."

(OK, there is one curious segue I have to point out in Carr's story. "[O]ther Citigroup executives were bumped from a plane bound home from the Far East while Mr. Thomson and Ms. Bartiromo flew back together," Carr writes, adding, "This should not be about gender or sex." Thereby, of course, making the story about gender and sex. Nicely played!)

The elements of Moneyhoneygate that make people's eyebrows stand up--the corporate jetting, the fancy getaways, etc.--are the least worrisome practically. Even if CNBC hadn't reimbursed Citigroup for the flights, I don't believe that, in themselves, the airtime and star treatment would have affected Bartiromo's coverage of Citigroup. If there's one thing you can count on, it's the ingratitude of journalists: feed us all the free dinners you want, we'll still gladly turn around and bite you in the tuchas when we're feeling peckish.

The real problems creep in when reporters, editors and whole news organizations get overly close and chummy with the people they cover, which doesn't take questionable jet trips to accomplish. And not only do news organizations not forbid this, they actively encourage it, in the name of "source development" and "access." This is a problem in any news field--being pals with sources can defang political coverage, for instance, and yet if Washington reporters stand aloof from the people they cover, they risk getting scooped by their friendlier rivals. It's a special problem in business news, where there's particular pressure to show the audience that you're on their side, which is to say, pro-business, pro-market-gains, pro-everyone-making-a-buck. (A better analogy than Entertainment Tonight is ESPN, whose successful, rowdy bonhomie CNBC has long imitated: in business news as in sports, there's audience pressure to prove you're a true fan of the game.)

All of which is why it is admirable, or, at least, fitting, that CNBC has defended Bartiromo for doing what, after all, is essential to its success and brand identity. Scandals blow over eventually, but by taking its stand, CNBC is asserting its position as the official insider network of American business. And however much media critics may whine, that's how you make money, honey.

http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/

Here is the NT Times column mentioned in the above James Poniewozik post …
Critic’s Notebook
Citigroup and CNBC Cozy Up
By David Carr The New York Times January 29, 2007

Commerce runs on the favor bank. That is simply how things work when the body shop owner notices that your car is running a little loud and sends you to his pal Ricky the muffler guy, or when big drug companies play nice with friendly doctors. When it comes to business, it’s a natural reflex to favor those who favor us.

It happens in journalism, too, no matter what anyone tells you. From the first school board meeting a young reporter covers, she learns to ally herself with the faction that has the interests of the citizenry at heart (in her estimation) and tilt that way for articles and sources. Valuable tips soon follow, along with friendly articles, and if one of her sources steps in it, well, we’re a little short on space today anyway.

Buy, sell, trade — journalism is one more form of commerce. And when the favor bank goes airborne, it captures the imagination in a new way. Like $6,000 shower curtains and the nickname Kenny Boy, the corporate jet lives large in the public imagination.

Which brings us to the question: why was Maria Bartiromo, the popular anchor on the business news channel CNBC, making command appearances at the request of Citigroup — and many other companies — that sit dead center in Ms. Bartiromo’s beat as the daily host of “Closing Bell With Maria Bartiromo” and the host of “The Wall Street Journal Report With Maria Bartiromo,” a nationally syndicated television show?

On the surface, these kinds of appearances at corporate events — sponsored by the companies she covers — would be considered unsightly, if not unethical, by many in her chosen field. But perhaps nobody would have noticed if a corporate jet wasn’t involved.

The question arose last week when Todd S. Thomson, chief of Citigroup’s wealth management unit, lost his job after it was revealed that in addition to the usual profligate expenses, he spent way too much time and money scrambling the jets for Ms. Bartiromo.

She had attended a number of client functions at Mr. Thomson’s request — she was trotted out like Bill Murray at a celebrity golf tournament — most notably during a trip last year in which other Citigroup executives were bumped from a plane bound home from the Far East while Mr. Thomson and Ms. Bartiromo flew back together.

This should not be about gender or sex. Many successful journalists who happen to be women are subject to scrutiny in a way that their male counterparts never are. The real issue is professional conduct — on all sides.

Although they would say nothing beyond a corporate statement, CNBC officials insisted that each trip had been vetted for legal and ethics implications, and that CNBC paid for Ms. Bartiromo’s flight, depending on how you view a payment in the thousands — the going commercial fare — for a seat on a corporate jet that is worth tens of thousands. Just file the Asia trip under “source development,” flip them a couple thousand to cover a token commercial fare, and kick back with the big boys.

CNBC is probably standing by its reporter because there is nothing factual to indicate that she did anything the company did not endorse. Quite the contrary. CNBC told The New York Times that Ms. Bartiromo had made 46 promotional appearances on behalf of the cable news channel, three of those for Citigroup.

While she wasn’t paid for any of these appearances, it is clear from those numbers that apart from her duties as host, Ms. Bartiromo is a fundamental part of the marketing strategy of the cable news channel.

No wonder. When it comes to the favor bank, Ms. Bartiromo possesses a rarefied commodity, the kind of celebrity that even the most wizened, moneyed investor can’t resist. Everyone wants to tell the boys back home that he had dinner with “the Money Honey,” as she has come to be known (and a phrase that, according to the blog TV Newser, she trademarked on Jan. 16).

Besides, like Lou Dobbs at CNN, a newsman who uses much of his airtime to be one of the nation’s chief advocates for immigration reform, Ms. Bartiromo is Too Big to Fail. CNBC is riding a comeback, and Ms. Bartiromo is the unchallenged public face of the cable news channel. Ask the average Joe Daytrader about CNBC, a cable channel with its share of obscure personalities and low-rated programs, and he will quickly invoke Ms. Bartiromo.

And in case CNBC forgets her value, the News Corporation, owner of Fox News, continues to quietly develop its own financial news channel. A splashy acquisition like Ms. Bartiromo might be just the thing a Fox business news channel needs to jump in the game, and odds are Fox executives would not spend a lot of time worrying about whose jet she was on last year — or in the years to come.

When the Thomson-Bartiromo story broke, officials at CNBC issued a reflexive defense of its biggest star, saying, “Maria Bartiromo is one of the most prolific and well-respected financial journalists in the industry, who works tirelessly around the world in the service of business journalism.”

Yesterday the company added a further statement: “Maria Bartiromo’s journalistic integrity was never compromised nor would she or CNBC allow it to be. Any implication to the contrary is inaccurate.”

Hyperbole aside, the statement is true as far as it goes. But it ignores the reality that there is an implicit contract at play here. By making huge advertising buys on CNBC, Citigroup obtained access to its biggest star. Clearly, an exchange of brands was under way.

CNBC has positioned itself as an adjunct to business, the glowing friend in the corner with the sound off and a ticker at the bottom. In that respect, CNBC has roughly the same relationship to Wall Street that “Entertainment Tonight” has to Hollywood: boosterish, gossipy and more than a little starry-eyed.

It is companion media rather than the source of oversight or rigorous coverage that you might expect from, say, The Wall Street Journal. By demonstrating that it was able to deliver Ms. Bartiromo for important functions, Citigroup was able to use her fame as an adjunct to its marketing. It didn’t own her so much as rent her through its ongoing advertising on CNBC.

If there’s a price to be paid, the bill will be sent to Ms. Bartiromo’s reputation. After all, what are all those day traders going to think the next time she opens her show with a look at Citigroup? It may be hard to keep their minds on their “trade” buttons.

All that said, it’s hard to blame Ms. Bartiromo for going native and taking a seat on the corporate jet. After all, the two corporate entities that traded her like a Joe DiMaggio rookie card both make millions. Why should she have to fly coach? Isn’t that how the favor bank is supposed to work in the first place?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/business/media/29carr.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=business&adxnnlx=1170116958-8JEzm1XRSLtB/WXbfyTi7A&pagewanted=print

Critic’s Notebook
The SAGs, and the “Grey’s” furor

Kansas City Star TV Critic Aaron Barnhart (and “Hot Off The Press” favorite) discusses the SAG Awards and the “Grey’s Anatomy” mess with KMOX radio host Paul Harris. It is a fun listen and you can get it on Aaron’s TVBarn.com site…or here:

http://podcast.kmox.com/kmox/101327.mp3

Not being a BSG junkie, I watched the SAG awards. I got a kick out of Chandra Wilson's comments. It sounds as if Isaiah is in one heck of a doghouse.

Agreed, shuttermaker.

It was great, after all the hype for so many of the other actors on "Grey's", to see Chandra get recognized.

It seems to me she is the glue which holds the show together.

Critic’s Notebook
The Year of Fear
By Adam Buckman The New York Post January 29, 2007

What’s that on the horizon? It's a mushroom cloud -something we haven't seen this often on TV since the Cold War.

But this season, mushroom clouds are back as TV taps into our worst fears - namely, terrorist attacks with nuclear weapons - and makes them real.

"I think that's what we're all afraid of," says Carol Barbee, executive producer of "Jericho" on CBS. "We're all afraid that some crazy person will get hold of a bomb and will blow up the United States."

On her show, that's exactly what happened, though the details of the conspiracy have yet to be revealed. "Jericho," starring Skeet Ulrich and Gerald McRaney, is the series about a town in Kansas whose approximately 5,000 residents have survived a nuclear attack that wiped out at least eight major cities and probably more. (New York is not one of them, Barbee assured me on the phone from L.A. last week.)

"Jericho" is the nuclear-destruction champ so far this season, but catastrophic explosions have also been glimpsed on "24" and "Heroes." One nuke has gone off (so far) on "24"and the blast seen on "Heroes" is positioned as an event prophesied for the very near future. Whether or not it actually takes place depends on whether the heroes of "Heroes"can prevent it.

The season's first mushroom cloud was seen last fall in the premiere episode of "Jericho"as the citizens of Jericho witnessed the apparent destruction of Denver on the far western horizon.

This explosion will be seen again when "Jericho" resumes its season next month after a 10-week hiatus. The episode - titled "The Day Before" - explains what some of the show's characters were up to in the 36 hours leading up to the bombings.

The Denver tragedy is seen from a distance, a perspective Barbee feels is necessary for telling such a terrible story.

"There was a lot of concern when we started out that the show would be too dark or that people wouldn't want to watch it because it would be too frightening or this is not something people want to think about,"she said.

"Our story is not told in the middle of Denver, ground zero," she says. "It's told in a town that was safe from the blasts and they watched it from a distance. And yet they see from a distance something that is obviously going to affect their lives."

In "24," however, the dirty nuke that detonated in the southern California community of Valencia was viewed from up closer - just a couple of miles - by the show's anti-terror superman Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and, by extension, us.

The yet-to-happen blast seen on "Heroes" is even closer - in the middle of a large city (possibly New York) just blocks away.

So, why nukes and mushroom clouds?

To put it bluntly: Because people are afraid of them. And TV people are not shy about admitting they're trying to scare people.

"Certainly we're trafficking in fear - that's the point," said Joel Surnow, executive producer and co-creator of "24," in an interview last week in the London newspaper, The Guardian. "If the show's not scary, we haven't succeeded."

And why now?

Barbee feels it's not just the rise of terrorism.

Part of it is that the sight of nuclear holocaust is not really all that unfamiliar anymore.

"The two events that we look to when we're writing the show are 9/11 and Katrina,"she said. "Both of those events showed us that we could watch what looked like the end of the world on television."

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/01292007/tv/the_year_of_fear_tv_adam_buckman.htm

Agreed, shuttermaker.

It was great, after all the hype for so many of the other actors on "Grey's", to see Chandra get recognized.

It seems to me she is the glue which holds the show together.

The only sane character on the show.

Critic’s Notebook
The Year of Fear
By Adam Buckman The New York Post January 29, 2007



So, why nukes and mushroom clouds?

To put it bluntly: Because people are afraid of them. And TV people are not shy about admitting they're trying to scare people.
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/01292007/tv/the_year_of_fear_tv_adam_buckman.htm


Because its one of the last few things that you cant just login to the internet and see everyday. You can see a dictator being hung. You can see captives decapitated. You can see up a celebrities skirt or just about anything imaginable if you know where to look but, nuclear blasts and mushroom clouds in todays world is still "kinda" taboo.

The only sane character on the show.

lol "....the Nazi is back"

Its a really good character.

So, tonight im without a DVR for the first time in long long time. Everything i usually watch tonight is a repeat except "Heroes" and wouldnt ya know it...the wife wants to watch some Nora Roberts movie on the Lifetime channel. Of course, it comes on opposite "Heroes". She doesnt want me to watch "Heroes" on the other tube because its one of the shows we watch together.

So shes gonna watch her chick flick and im gonna download and burn to disc Heroes.

Fred, my wife would like to know how this first of 4 Nora Roberts chick flicks does in the ratings. She says there are 3 other Nora Roberts movies in the next 3 to 4 weeks. :eek:

Sorry if this is out of line for the thread, but I thought it was interesting...

Pilots: CBS Sinks Teeth Into Vampire Drama
FOX grabs two single-camera comedies
January 29, 2007
Zap2It


Joel SilverStill rushing to fill out their development slates, CBS has ordered two drama pilots, while FOX has gone with a pair of single-camera comedies.

According to the industry trade papers, CBS has its eye on "Twilight" from Trevor Munson, Ron Koslow ("Beauty and the Beast") and Joel Silver ("Veronica Mars"). The pilot, set up at Warner Bros. TV, focuses on a vampire who works as a private eye and has a love jones for a mortal woman.

Yes, we liked the show quite a bit when it was called "Angel."

CBS also has "Babylon Fields" on tap from 20th Century Fox. Written by Gerald Cuesta and Michael Atkinson, it looks at what happens when the dead are resurrected and try to resume their former lives. Michael Cuesta ("Dexter") will direct the pilot and executive produce.

Over at FOX, the network has asked for a pilot for "Hackett," from Sony Pictures TV. Denise Moss ("Frasier") wrote the pilot about a former literary whiz-kid who leaves Yale in scandal and goes to teach at a public high school in Ohio.

Also set up at FOX is "Two Families," about two people who discover they share the same bigamist father. Barbara Wallace and Thomas R. Wolfe wrote and will executive produce.

...
Fred, my wife would like to know how this first of 4 Nora Roberts chick flicks does in the ratings. She says there are 3 other Nora Roberts movies in the next 3 to 4 weeks. :eek:


"Angels Fall" replays on Lifetime Saturday at 7 PM ET/PT.

Why don't you make a deal with her.....

(I'll get the ratings for her -- it usually takes a couple of days for a cable rating, though.)

Sorry if this is out of line for the thread, but I thought it was interesting...

Pilots: CBS Sinks Teeth Into Vampire Drama
FOX grabs two single-camera comedies...

No problem, SKurtzke.

As I mention on occasion, I rarely post development news since so many of the deals never make it to our screens.

But if you find a story about one (or several!) that interest you, feel free.

"Angels Fall" replays on Lifetime Saturday at 7 PM ET/PT.

Why don't you make a deal with her.....

(I'll get the ratings for her -- it usually takes a couple of days for a cable rating, though.)


$#&@...DOH! I wish I had known that 15 minutes ago. Oh well. Thanks for the tip. Ill look for those ratings later in the week. Thanks.

And now for a different point of view about that Chandra Wilson SAG Award:
Critic’s Notebook
The Silly Season in Full Tilt
By Matthew Gilbert The Boston Globe in the Globe’s TV blog January 29, 2007

The SAG awards were more or less a replay of the Golden Globes. Although I gotta say, Chandra Wilson? It's just not possible that she is the best dramatic actress on TV right now. Yeah, she's all right on "Grey's Anatomy," although some of her less humorous moments (outside the door of the guy with "the plague" at the beginning of the season) are really overbaked. But I think it's kind of silly and trendy to choose her over Edie Falco and Kyra Sedgwick.

Also, while I can't quibble with giving Hugh Laurie the best dramatic actor prize, I gotta say: the nominee pool was pretty lacking. No Denis Leary? No Kyle Chandler of "Friday Night Lights"? No one from "The Wire"? If anyone should be recognizing the power of these performances, it should be screen actors.

OK, I"ll shut up now and save the rest of my fabulously self-righteous awards ire for the Grammys and the Oscars, both due next month. I once interviewed rock journalist Dave Marsh for a story about the proliferation of awards shows, and he called this time of year "The Silly Season." Yes, it's truly silly indeed, but not without its venting pleasures!

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/

$#&@...DOH! I wish I had known that 15 minutes ago. Oh well. Thanks for the tip. Ill look for those ratings later in the week. Thanks.

Well, at least you know the rest of them will repeat, too! :)

Well, at least you know the rest of them will repeat, too! :)


True, and ill have another DVR in place before this gets out of hand...lol

TV Notebook
RIP: “Armed and Famous”

As noted here a couple of days ago, CBS has axed “Armed and Famous” immediately.

It will, however, rerun the four broadcasts already seen, along with one new one on VH1 Saturday at 5 PM ET. It says if the producers finish the other two scheduled episodes, it will air them on VH1, too.

Obituary
Bob Carroll Jr., 87
'I Love Lucy' Co-Creator Dies

Television Week” has a series of Bob Carroll Jr and “I Love Lucy” stories, including one written by Mr. Carroll, here:

http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=552

TV Notebook
The Death Of TV Will Not Be Televised
By Amy Auerbach (VP , Group Account Director at Media Contacts) in an “Online Spin” column at MediaPost Monday, January 29, 2007

Except for the broken hearts of a few million teenagers, the cancellation of "The O.C." elicited little surprise or anger from most folks. The Fox series, which began airing in 2003, was a huge success and cultural phenomenon. Industry pundits are speculating on reasons for the show's demise: its wide popularity burned itself out as it was no longer hip and cool, writing intended to spur ratings actually did the opposite, etc. etc. But, whatever the true reason is for the show's audience to leave and the axe to fall, the end of "The O.C." is a media omen we shouldn't ignore. The show was a new version of an old format, the trials and tribulations of teens -- teens who are very good-looking and well-dressed. with raging hormones.

Its predecessors include the likes of "Beverly Hills 90210," "Dawson's Creek," and even "Saved by the Bell." These series, however, lasted more than just four seasons. First aired in 1990, "90210" lasted 10 years, following the lives of the characters through puberty and into almost adulthood. Dawson muddled by his creek for six years, from 1997-2003, and now the alma mater of his crowd are marrying movie stars and showing up on the cover of the Enquirer. What does it mean that a show that should appeal to teenagers and folks who are nostalgic about their teen years can't stay on the air?

Could this be the beginning of a crack in the façade of the TV and its accompanying upfronts? How will buyers have any faith whatsoever that shows that they think they will be buying will be around? Some shows get cancelled every year by natural selection, but if shows start having shorter and shorter life spans, what will be the point? The networks will have to use the money for the upfront parties on actually hiring writers and actors again and maybe creating series that are worth watching over the longer term. But if not, what does this mean for online?

Live action and/or motion picture content, video content or whatever we want to call it, will always find a place online. Some series have already moved to online-only distribution. Major networks are releasing shows for online viewing as the credits roll on TV. Some producers and directors are going straight to online to expose their talents. Check out my favorite, "FlushTV," about a family of Detroit plumbers, at www.flushtv.com. The iTunes store has hundreds of shows, ready to watch. Slingbox makes your PC a TV anywhere in the world. Are the TV guys paying attention?

TV is dying a long, slow painful death. Forget about the :30 spot being dead, I'm talking content here. And when the next generation of viewers is fickle enough to leave something like "The O.C." behind, future shows are going to have a much harder time garnering any of these folks to comprise a worthwhile mass audience that a buyer will want to buy. When it finally happens, I'll be here at my PC, watching YouTube and texting "I told you so" to whomever will read it.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=54595

Ms. Auerbach presents a very flimsily supported argument here. Indeed broadcast television is facing all manner of new challenges for sure. But delivering good content will always have a chance to attract viewers. To base her whole proof that the cancellation of The OC is a sign that broadcast television is dying seems ridiculous to me.

"...the next generation of viewers... fickle enough to leave something like "The O.C. behind..." ??

The OC had a strong first season creatively. Since then, it has been mediocre to poor. Fickle viewers or not, The OC has been cancelled for one reason. It simply isn't very good.

I can't disagree with you, TommyK.

But I trust you realize I try to post a range of opinion here -- not just those I (are anyone interested in TV) will necessarily agree with.

Personally, I believe the fact that network prime-time ratings ahve now dipped to well under 50 per cent of the available viewers (and slippng more every year) is a far bigger clue that broadcast TV is in desperate trouble.

Guys I need your help but I don't want to post this on the Lost thread for fear that I will be (rightfully) given the noob treatment. :rolleyes:

Short version of a long story: my sister and I reconnected over the weekend after a two-year rift (family stuff) and she told me (among many, many stuff we talked about) that she's a fan of 'Lost' via the DVD Box Sets because her work (maternity ward nurse) and lack of knowledge about VCR/Tivo programming prevents her and boyfriend (going to medicine school) from keeping up with the show on regular TV. Since we're only six episodes into the new 'Lost' season I volunteered to tape the rest of the Season 3 so she and boyfriend can watch it as soon as the season ends in May. But I need the first six episodes of S3 of 'Lost' on VHS/DVD for me to get started (preferably the latter) on assembling the season chronologically. Could anyone point me in the right direction (a 'Lost' marathon on another station for me to tape, a trader, etc.) so I could start saving all of S3 of 'Lost' for my sister? They don't have to be in HD but my sis and I share a gene for computer illiteracy, so anything involving bit torrent or broadband viewing (she's still doing dial-up) is out for her. Thanks again in advance! :)

I think ABC is planning an hour-long Season Three catchup episode before Lost starts up again next week. In a pinch that might just do -- to get her into the rest of Season Three, at any rate.

If anyone has any tips for dad, please PM him directly! :)

Guys I need your help but I don't want to post this on the Lost thread for fear that I will be (rightfully) given the noob treatment. :rolleyes:

Short version of a long story: my sister and I reconnected over the weekend after a two-year rift (family stuff) and she told me (among many, many stuff we talked about) that she's a fan of 'Lost' via the DVD Box Sets because her work (maternity ward nurse) and lack of knowledge about VCR/Tivo programming prevents her and boyfriend (going to medicine school) from keeping up with the show on regular TV. Since we're only six episodes into the new 'Lost' season I volunteered to tape the rest of the Season 3 so she and boyfriend can watch it as soon as the season ends in May. But I need the first six episodes of S3 of 'Lost' on VHS/DVD for me to get started (preferably the latter) on assembling the season chronologically. Could anyone point me in the right direction (a 'Lost' marathon on another station for me to tape, a trader, etc.) so I could start saving all of S3 of 'Lost' for my sister? They don't have to be in HD but my sis and I share a gene for computer illiteracy, so anything involving bit torrent or broadband viewing (she's still doing dial-up) is out for her. Thanks again in advance! :)

Damn...torrents are the way to go. Easy as downloading a file attachment from an email. If you get the first 6 eps on DVD its probably going to be from a torrent anyway.

ABC NEWS RELEASE

A NEW LOOK AT THE LIVES OF SOME OF THE SURVIVORS OF OCEANIC FLIGHT 815
-- AND A CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE ISLAND THEY ARE STRANDED ON --
WILL BE REVEALED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE RETURN OF THE SECOND ACT OF
"LOST'S" THIRD SEASON, ON "LOST SURVIVOR GUIDE," FEBRUARY 7 ON ABC

The Special is Hosted by "Lost" Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse

ABC once again invites new and avid "Lost" viewers to take another look at one of the most talked about and critically acclaimed shows. "Lost Survivor Guide" will explore the series in a way that will bring new viewers up to date -- but which current viewers will also find illuminating - in anticipation of the return of the second act of the series' third season. From the back stories of some of the most interesting characters on television to the mysteries of the island, "Lost Survivor Guide" will provide an insightful glimpse into the lives of some of the survivors of the doomed Oceanic Airlines flight 815, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Hosted by "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof (also a co-creator of the show) and Carlton Cuse, the special will be told in a linear fashion, culminating from pieces of the back stories revealed over multiple episodes in the series, "Lost Survivor Guide" focuses on the flashbacks of a core of characters -- illustrating who they were and what they were doing before the crash, and how the island has changed their lives, for better or worse. In addition, the island itself will be explored - culled from events that have taken place - which may reveal some of its secrets that might have been missed upon first viewing.

TV Notebook
‘House,’ Already Strong, Gets a Boost
By Bill Carter The New York Times January 30, 2007

LOS ANGELES — Even after a couple of weeks of giddy two-hour ratings for “American Idol” on Tuesday nights, the Fox network has no trepidation in turning to a drama to follow “Idol” at 9 this Tuesday, because the drama in question, “House,” is already the strongest scripted hour that Fox has to offer.

This season “House” has reached as many as 17.5 million viewers a week. And those numbers were scored before the show enjoyed what it will enjoy again, starting this Tuesday — the adjacency to “Idol.”

Along with those stellar ratings, “House” is bucking the current trend in serialized dramas. It tells a complete story every week, which means that its repeats are far more valuable. All this success comes from a series that at first seemed to belong on a different network, that struggled so much in its early weeks that Fox cut back its order of episodes, and that at one point defied what sounded like a fix-or-be-canceled order from executives.

That it all worked out so well is a testament mainly to the show’s consistently high quality. But as its top producers, David Shore and Katie Jacobs, noted in an interview in their offices here on the Fox Studio lot, it also took some preposterous luck in casting and some exquisite timing in scheduling.

Things might never have worked out had a largely unknown British actor named Hugh Laurie not sent in an audition tape at just the right time. Or had all of Fox’s other new series in the fall of 2004 not failed so quickly that by the time “American Idol” came the next January, “House” was the show selected to be placed immediately behind it.

“Probably the only reason we’re still around,” Mr. Shore said, “is because they had nothing else.” What “House” really had was a creative team committed to its vision of a singular lead character. “What they pitched was a doctor who hates people but solves insoluble medical mysteries,” said Craig Erwich, executive vice president of programming at Fox.

That was how Mr. Shore and Ms. Jacobs, along with her husband and producing partner, Paul Attanasio, conceived their show in the summer of 2003 — although there was one critical difference in the character. At first, Dr. House was in a wheelchair.

“The idea was that this was not only a doctor who didn’t want to see patients, he didn’t want to be seen by patients,” Ms. Jacobs said.

Gail Berman, who headed Fox Entertainment, loved the idea, but she had one caveat. “Gail decreed that he not be in a wheelchair,” Mr. Shore said. “That’s when the cane came in.” But Fox did not object to House’s other quirks, like calling patients idiots and popping Vicodin like M&M’s to stave off pain in a damaged leg.

Everyone at Fox also got the unmistakable allusions that Mr. Shore was making to a classic character: the brilliant mind for connecting obscure scientific clues, the drug habit, the antisocial behavior and, of course, the best friend who was his outlet to the real world. It was all easy to spot — especially when the friend’s name was Dr. James Wilson instead of Dr. John Watson.

“The Sherlock Holmes thing was part of it from the beginning,” Mr. Shore said. It is also the reason the character is called House. “That was our little joke,” Mr. Shore said. “Holmes, as in ‘home,’ becomes House.”

It became the title of the show, though that initiated another issue because “House” sounded like a family show, not a medical show. (Mr. Erwich said one title considered was “Jagged Little Pill.”)

The title problem was addressed in two ways: first, adding “m. d.” in tiny letters after the title, and then, in what Ms. Jacobs called a clever touch by the Fox graphics department, putting a square around the first letter in “House” to signal the setting of the hospital.

Mr. Laurie, who was in Namibia shooting a film when he made the initial audition tape, had received only a few pages of the script and thought that House, as nasty as he was, must surely be a supporting character. Mr. Shore knew Mr. Laurie from his comic work in England in shows like “Black Adder.” “I knew him as a British twit,” he said.

After an appearance that Mr. Erwich called “one of the great auditions of all time” no one else needed to apply.

Before “House” had its premiere, in November 2004, the producers had heard great things about the quality of their pilot, and endless questions about why this show was on Fox. “This is such an NBC show, everyone was telling us,” Ms. Jacobs said.

One reason everyone thought of NBC may have been that by that time NBC owned the show because it had acquired Universal, the show’s original studio. But Fox had already secured the rights to the series, not that it seemed a coup at first. Its ratings in the fall, before “Idol” started, were puny. The producer began to worry when they finished up shooting their first 13 shows and no order came for more.

Just before breaking for the Christmas holidays, Fox called the producers in for a meeting. “They were demanding changes,” Mr. Shore said. “They wanted a bad guy.” The character was meant to be in constant conflict with House.

“There was the clear implication that your show is gone if you don’t accede to these demands,” Mr. Shore said. Nevertheless, he was opposed. “I said no,” he recalled. “I said it was a bad idea. They sat there and nodded and agreed.”

Mr. Shore left for Israel on vacation. He had barely landed when he got what he called a “panicked phone call” from Ms. Jacobs saying Fox had asked when the outline for the new character would arrive. “I realized things aren’t going so well,” Ms. Jacobs said. “It was very stressful.”

What neither producer knew was that Ms. Berman had called Jeff Zucker, who as head of NBC television was in charge of the Universal studio, and asked that the show’s original order for a full 22-episode season be cut back to just 16.

Eventually, Mr. Shore relented just enough to create a character, a hospital administrator, who would clash with House in a story arc. Chi McBride signed to do the part. Five episodes with Mr. McBride were shot. But even before they got on the air, the episodes the series had completed before vacation made it onto the air — behind “American Idol.”

The ratings soared. Mr. Shore ended the McBride character after just those five episodes. “House” was on its way.

Mr. Laurie has since won two Golden Globe awards as best actor. Mr. Shore gave Fox credit for appreciating down deep what the show was all about.

“There was a reason a network should have been scared” of this character, he said, adding, “Fox was never scared. The phone call I expected to get from Day 1 I never got: ‘Everything is great, great; but you’ve got to make the character more likeable.’ You always get that call, and we never got that call.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/arts/television/30hous.html?ref=television&pagewanted=print

Guys I need your help but I don't want to post this on the Lost thread for fear that I will be (rightfully) given the noob treatment. :rolleyes:

Short version of a long story: my sister and I reconnected over the weekend after a two-year rift (family stuff) and she told me (among many, many stuff we talked about) that she's a fan of 'Lost' via the DVD Box Sets because her work (maternity ward nurse) and lack of knowledge about VCR/Tivo programming prevents her and boyfriend (going to medicine school) from keeping up with the show on regular TV. Since we're only six episodes into the new 'Lost' season I volunteered to tape the rest of the Season 3 so she and boyfriend can watch it as soon as the season ends in May. But I need the first six episodes of S3 of 'Lost' on VHS/DVD for me to get started (preferably the latter) on assembling the season chronologically. Could anyone point me in the right direction (a 'Lost' marathon on another station for me to tape, a trader, etc.) so I could start saving all of S3 of 'Lost' for my sister? They don't have to be in HD but my sis and I share a gene for computer illiteracy, so anything involving bit torrent or broadband viewing (she's still doing dial-up) is out for her. Thanks again in advance! :)

I belive the first 6 episodes can be had for free (and legal) at http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing.

Thanks for the tip, gary...and welcome to the thread.

$#&@...DOH! I wish I had known that 15 minutes ago. Oh well. Thanks for the tip. Ill look for those ratings later in the week. Thanks.

and Heroes repeats every Friday on Sci-Fi as well, so that should save you some effort on the computer.

Agreed, shuttermaker.

It was great, after all the hype for so many of the other actors on "Grey's", to see Chandra get recognized.

It seems to me she is the glue which holds the show together.

I'm glad someone else shares my opinion. I never understand why she doesn't get more attention, because IMO she is truly the star of this show.

Her character is simply awesome...

I belive the first 6 episodes can be had for free (and legal) at http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing.

Thanks Gary. I see if I can stream that small PC screen into a full-screen video so I can tape it. As I said though, my sister is still on dial-up and we're both computer illiterate despite being in professions (TV production for me and medicine for her) where we use them a lot.

How idiotic - how "special" is this outside antenna for HDTV? Maybe he could inform his readers that there's a chance you may be able to enjoy the SB in HD with a $15 indoor antenna on top of your $2000 HDTV.

LOL ... this only demonstrates what I was saying a few a few pages back. QED.

I don't know way she doesn't get more attention, either, kizzo.

Although I have seen her on a few interviews, and she is as good and open an interview as she is an actress on the show.

(And welcome back -- we haven't heard from you in a while!)

TV Notebook
Nielsen adds college crowd
Campuses added to research numbers
By Michael Learmonth Variety

Nielsen Media Research added college campus viewing to its national sample on Monday in a move that will boost ratings among younger demographics for "Grey's Anatomy" and the NFL.

The introduction of campus viewing reps Nielsen's first attempt to collect ratings outside the home. Until Monday, the viewing of college students was counted only when they were home during vacations.

College students account for an estimated 50% of all viewing not measured by Nielsen, with smaller portions ascribed to bars, businesses, hotels and gyms.

Under the new system, Nielsen will follow college students within Nielsen families to campus, install meters on televisions in dorm rooms and include the data in the national sample.

The college crowd is expected to have a significant impact on ratings of TV programs with youth appeal.

During Nielsen's pilot program, conducted in November, "Grey's Anatomy" gained the most audience among young women, adding 53% more femmes 18-24; Comedy Central's "Drawn Together" added 63% in the men 18-24 demo.

Overall, college women are heavily drawn to primetime dramas with strong female leads like "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and syndicated episodes of "Friends."

Men added most to ratings for animated series such as "Drawn Together," Fox's "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons," as well as CBS' and NBC's NFL coverage

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958271.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Thanks Gary. I see if I can stream that small PC screen into a full-screen video so I can tape it. As I said though, my sister is still on dial-up and we're both computer illiterate despite being in professions (TV production for me and medicine for her) where we use them a lot.

you'll probably have to get creative to show full screen at ABC.com, the largest mode isn't that much bigger than the regular tiny size. Nvidia drivers have a zoom feature in the NView settings which will blow up the monitor image, but you'll have to play around with it.

The easiest way is to download them from the iTunes store for $2. You won't get ads, you can play it full screen and if you have a video ipod, jack it straight into a RCA video input. You can also "gift" individual episodes of a show to someone, but that probably won't help if she only has dial-up.

You'd think Disney would repeat this season's six episodes of Lost on one of its cable channels (like ABC Family) on a weekend afternoon for people that have missed the previous shows to catch-up. An hour-long recap show is OK for people that have seen the show and forgotten about it, but for people that haven't seen the six episodes watching this hour-long recap is toxic. Isn't half the fun of watching 'Lost' experiencing a new episode for the first time? Who would want to give up six episodes for an hour-long recap?

Damn, I sound like a fan and I haven't even seen an episode yet! :rolleyes:

TV Notebook
‘House,’ Already Strong, Gets a Boost
By Bill Carter The New York Times January 30, 2007

.........

Before “House” had its premiere, in November 2004, the producers had heard great things about the quality of their pilot, and endless questions about why this show was on Fox. “This is such an NBC show, everyone was telling us,” Ms. Jacobs said.

Interesting. I watched the first episode and turned to the wife and said two things after it went off. One, why is this show on FOX and not NBC (I guess I know my network too well, but they do do things that are not the norm, good and bad) and two because it is so good, it will never last, don't get too involved in it. I am glad to see I wasn't far off on the first account and VERY glad I was wrong on the second count!! I never knew others in the higher ups thought the same thing. Thanks for the post fredfa.

TV Notebook
Inside Move: Ex-boss zaps Zucker
Welch delivers public slap
By Michael Learmonth, Jill Goldsmith Variety January 30, 2007

Jeff Zucker has taken a public slap from an unexpected source: his old boss, Jack Welch.

Asked by New York Magazine why the heir-apparent to NBC Universal still has a job, the legendary former GE chairman answered: " 'Cause I'm retired."

He left GE in 2001 after 20 years at the helm, replaced by Jeff Immelt. Many industryites were puzzled when Zucker kept racking up promotions even as the once-mighty Peacock's primetime lineup plunged off a cliff in 2004. It's been clawing its way back ever since, with Zucker's hand-picked successor as NBC Entertainment prexy -- Kevin Reilly -- methodically developing a new generation of hits.

Zucker is CEO of the NBC U Television Group and has been all but anointed successor to NBC U chairman-CEO Bob Wright in an announcement many expect sooner rather than later. That's in no small part due to his support from Immelt.

The GE chief has started touting the NBC U "turnaround." Just two weeks ago Immelt singled out NBC Universal -- in effect, Zucker -- for a public vote of confidence during GE's fourth-quarter earnings report. "NBC Universal's turnaround is advancing," he said.

Even Welch acknowledged, "I think they've got a little turnaround going on now. 'Heroes.' And 'Sunday Night Football' helps a lot." He might have also added success stories such as "My Name Is Earl," "The Office" and "Deal or No Deal."

Anyway, Welch was handing out slaps liberally. Asked about his splashy $100 million divorce to marry Suzy Wetlaufer, he asked the interviewer:

"Do you know why divorce is expensive?"

"Why?"

" 'Cause it's worth it."

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958280&categoryid=14

Critic’s Notebook
Proposals:
“Friday Night Lights,” “Grey’s Anatomy”
By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal blog January 29th, 2007

Caught up with a couple of things, and wedding bells were ringing in both of them. “Grey’s Anatomy” even offered two proposals (neither answered yet) as part of an episode that seemed at least partly designed to tidy up some storylines. Not did it stabilize the McDreamy-Meredith relationship (and with some nice talk about what a relationship is), the clinic seemed a way to settle what Izzie does with her money and — although it hasn’t been explicit — what the Chief will do after he retires. Sure, the failure of his marriage suggests that he may un-retire. But the Chief can remain part of the cast if he’s running the clinic, too, and that leaves open the battle to succeed him.

And what of those two proposals? Beats me. And it may beat the writers, too, if the rumors about T.R. Knight wanting out of the show are true.

As for “Friday Night Lights,” it continues to make the argument that it’s one of the best dramas on TV right now. Not best new. Best, period. In last week’s episode, I liked the way we were reminded — more than once– that the coach both carries his share of insecurities and is a hard-head. I also liked the way the show didn’t feel the need to have the coach offer his QB an explanation of game strategy. (Something like, “The play was a good idea, but it was probably going to work only once, so we had to save it as a surprise when we needed it most. …”) Of course, this show doesn’t feel the need to have any explain motivations or ideas; we’ll figure it out as we see what they do, pretty much the way we have to do with people in everyday life. At the same time, though, when words matter to them, they have pretty great words — look at Smash and his family, or the coach and Smash in the diner.

I have no idea where that show’s marriage proposal will lead, except that it could be wrapped in trouble. But so could the ones on “Grey’s” — or on any show that begins making wedding plans as the turmoil of ratings sweeps looms.

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/heldenfiles/

TV Notebook
Inside Move: Ex-boss zaps Zucker
Welch delivers public slap
By Michael Learmonth, Jill Goldsmith Variety January 30, 2007

Asked about his splashy $100 million divorce to marry Suzy Wetlaufer, he asked the interviewer:

"Do you know why divorce is expensive?"

"Why?"

" 'Cause it's worth it."

Spoken like a wealthy guy that doesn't have to worry about little kids suffering trauma or depression about the need to choose which of two loving parents to blame for the desintegration of a once-cozy home (can you tell I've been there?). Anyway, I smell some entreprenuer TV producer coming up with a pitch for a TV series about divorce lawyers after reading this article. Imagine the potential pairing of guest stars they could have each week as a once-loving couple bicker over their kids, pets, homes and whatever? It would be like The Love Boat but set in courtrooms and lawyer offices. Or a multi-camera sitcom if the scripts fall flat as drama. :rolleyes: If Hugh Laurie weren't attached to House I could totally see him as the cynical owner of the law firm that loves his clients' money while hating them for being such human scum to one another.

Super Bowl XLI
This Super Bowl, CBS has a clear field
Expect little to no counterprogramming on Sunday
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 30, 2007

A few years ago, there seemed to be a glut of Super Bowl counterprogramming. Several networks ran live comedy specials opposite the game’s halftime show, and others offered new episodes of trendy shows like poker or wrestling.

But this Sunday when the game airs on CBS, there will be very little in the way of Super Bowl counterprogramming.

The other broadcast networks are airing either movies or repeats. Most cable networks have their usual lineups or rerun marathons on tap, with almost no original programming in primetime.

It’s as though the other networks have given up any hope of wooing the 37 million or so households that don’t watch the Super Bowl.

“As consistent as the Super Bowl is, the ratings against it are consistently low too,” says Susan Hajny, broadcast research manager at Austin's GSD&M. “It’s probably not worth the time and money to do anything special. Everyone’s bottom-line conscious these days.”

One reason for the lack of stunts is fewer viewers are tuning into Super Bowl counterprogramming. Last year the other English-language broadcast networks totaled 17.1 million viewers opposite ABC’s Super Bowl, down 19 percent from the previous year. Few cable shows on Super Bowl day drew more than 2.5 million viewers.

Thus this year ABC and Fox plan to run the movies “Old School” and “X-Men 2” opposite the game. The CW and NBC are airing reality show marathons, repeats of “Beauty and the Geek” and “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” respectively.

Hajny says that repeats airing opposite the Super Bowl usually fall to about half the level for a regularly scheduled repeat.

Meanwhile, top 25 cable networks like ESPN, USA Network, FX, TNT and TBS have either movies or repeat marathons scheduled. Pay cable networks HBO and Showtime, which have small subscription bases to begin with, do have originals scheduled but they air at least two and a half hours after Super Bowl XLI’s 6:25 p.m. kickoff.

Even Lifetime, which traditionally promotes the heck out of its Super Bowl counterprogramming, has been relatively quiet about this year’s movie marathon of films from the 1990s, Hajny notes.

“There have been occasional attempts to go for the female uninterested NFL fan in the past, but I don’t think they’ve been any more successful than the regular repeat programming,” Hajny says.

Another reason for the decrease in counterprogramming may be that, unlike in past years, the Super Bowl halftime shows are now nearly as entertaining as the games themselves.

Recently legendary performers like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and, this year, Prince have lent legitimacy to the show and pulled in viewers, as has the fear of missing a moment like Janet Jackson’s 2004 breast baring.

It would thus be silly for other networks to pour money into producing and promoting a halftime show when viewers won’t be channel surfing. A 2004 NPower study found that while Super Bowl halftime viewership levels do decline, a large majority of viewers do not change the channel.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9824.asp

Monday’s metered market over-night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted just near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

A Reminder

Page views continue to increase dramatically in this thread. If you are new here, welcome. If you are a veteran, consider this a reminder of some of the resources available to you.

So, if you are of of the tens of thousands who are new to AVS (or more specifically to the Hot Off The Press thread), you should be aware that there are a lot of valuable information which is constantly updated for you near the top of the thread.

The daily and weekly Nielsen ratings are always available in the first post. They are updated by mid-late afternoon ET on Tuesdays (unless Monday is a holiday and they are delayed a day).

The list of cancelled and renewed shows, along with those who have received full-season pickups for this year are in post #2. Also in post #2 is an up-to-date prime-time network schedule, complete with HD listings

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=4265637&&#post4265637

The shows which have yet to premiere this year are in post #3.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=4278280&&#post4278280

A number of additional resources can be found in post #4. Here are just some of the items you’ll find there:

Sports HD Schedules
Where to find the HD schedule for your favorite team -- in any sport

AC Nielsen 210 Market DMA Rankings for the 2006-2007 TV Season
Find out where your (and every U.S. TV market) ranks

Digital TV Info for all 210 Nielsen DMAs
The people at HDTV Magazine have supplied a link which tells who in each market is broadcasting digitally, from where and with how much power

Cable/Satellite Penetration By Nielsen DMA Market as of November, 2006
How many people have cable or satellite in each market?

FCC's Digital TV Info Resources

FCC SHVERA Fact Sheet
Are you eligible for HD Distant Network Station reception? Here is the FCC fact sheet which may answer some of your questions about SHVERA and how it effects what we are -- or are not -- allowed to purchase.

All of this and much more is available in post #4 of this thread. You can go there directly by clicking here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=4278412&&#post4278412

A Note
The only Censorship Worth Defending: Self Censorship

Sarah Silverman has a TV show coming up on The Comedy Channel soon. I often find her very funny.

Nonetheless, you won’t find posts about it here. I made a decision some time ago that I wouldn't be posting stuff on this particular show.

First, it is not HD, (although obviously that is a rule of this forum which I break all the time).

Second, although it may well be funny, its jokes seem to be centered to a great extent around bodily functions. So, it will get publicity, just not from me here.

My rule of thumb: I'd like to have a young teenager read the thread comfortably. (That's why so few stories about HD porn, or TV babes doing nude layouts, etc.) And in this case, a TV show which finds its core in poop jokes, leave me not at all comfortable. If I must err, I will try to err on the side of caution.

I realize some of you will find this caution silly and will disagree with it. So be it.

By the way, if you would like to read a glowing review of the program, Tad Friend’s is available in The New Yorker. It is here:

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/television/articles/070205crte_television_friend

And as a favor to me and my sensibilities, let’s let the subject drop.

Thanks.

Critic’s Notebook
What took them so long?
By David Kronke Los Angeles Daily News Television Critic in his “The Mayor Of Television” blog

Herewith, a cursory round-up of items, all of which can be responded to with a simple, “What took them so long?”

And what took me so long to compile this? The blog’s server has been down or near meltdown all day.

The Nielsens will finally include measuring the viewing habits of college students in their ratings, which will give a good number of shows – think “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” – tremendous ratings bumps.

Hard to wonder why this didn’t happen a decade or more ago, given how valuable the 18-49 demographic is to advertisers, and the low end of that demo has perennially been almost impossible to lure – or, at least, measure, since so many of them are, in fact, in college.

Former GE uberlord Jack Welch (sort of) explains NBC’s Jeff Zucker’s failing upwards:

Key exchange:

Q: If NBC isn’t doing so well, why is Jeff Zucker still in his job?

JACK: ’Cause I’m retired.

ABC is mixing up its Wednesday comedy schedule, with “Knights of Prosperity” and “According to Jim” flipping timeslots.

That’s a no-brainer: Anyone with just a little TV programming experience will tell you that you never, unless you have absolutely no choice, lead off an hour with a brand-new sitcom. (That probably helped prod “Big Day’s” premature exit, and accounts for why Fox’s “’Til Death” has underperformed all season.)

But the main reason for the switch is to protect “Knights” from the “American Idol” juggernaut. “According to Jim,” having run longer than anyone expected, is more deserving cannon fodder.

Hence, ABC’s new Wednesday lineup: 8 p.m., “George Lopez;” 8:30 p.m., “Knights of Prosperity;” 9 p.m., “According to Jim;” 9:30 p.m., “In Case of Emergency;” 10 p.m. (returning Feb. 7), “Lost.”

CBS has gunned down its D-List cop reality series “Armed and Famous.”

What is it about that 8 p.m. Wednesday timeslot? Nothing seems to be working there, except “Jericho,” which returns Feb. 14, and it’s not like “Jericho” is huge. But every show in the timeslot only manages between five and eight million viewers, pretty pathetic numbers.

Until “America’s Next Top Model” returns, and, bolstered by the new ratings reports from colleges, goes through the roof.

http://www.insidesocal.com/tv/

Critic’s Notebook
Not-So-Super Bowl for Ads?
By James Poniewozik Time Magazine television critic in Time’s “Tuned In” blog January 30, 2007

The Super Bowl is to the the media-fragmentation era what the remaining polar ice is to the global-warming era: the last holdout against seemingly unstoppable climatic change. Though the big game still draws the biggest TV audience--and the biggest advertising payouts--of the year, glacial-sized chunks of it are falling into the sea. This year, reports Advertising Age, big advertisers including Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and Microsoft are sitting the game out.

There will still be plenty of those big production-number ads in the game--especially for beverages, snacks, cars and movies--but there have been murmurs for a while that the game is not worth it for many advertisers. The big-ticket ads, which have been a cultural force since Ridley Scott's "1984" for Apple, get a lot of temporary buzz and press coverage, but some advertisers believe that the spots are better at entertaining people than, well, selling stuff. A Super Bowl ad, goes this line of reasoning, is like a new corporate skyscraper: a monument to the company's pride and importance but not necessarily money well spent. "The field of potential marketers willing to throw millions at the game seems to have narrowed in recent years," says Ad Age.

If the move is sensible, it's also a little sad. TV advertising, for all its embarrassments and excesses, is one of the American industries that is still about pride and showoffery, even sometimes at the expense of efficiency. Like the three-martini lunch, it would be sad to see the wasteful production-number ad go, even if it's the best dollars-and-sense thing to do.

Then again, how often have you really been entertained by a Super Bowl ad in the past few years? And more important, how often have you been moved to buy something because of one?

http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/

The Business of TV
Joining the party:
Dish Targets Mediacom Subs
By Linda Moss MultiChannel News 1/30/2007

Dish Network, like DirecTV, is now targeting Mediacom Communications customers who lost Sinclair Broadcast Group TV stations as the result of an ongoing retransmission-consent dispute.

Richard Greenfield, a media analyst at Pali Research, noted the new EchoStar Communications’ Dish marketing effort in a missive Tuesday.

On the Web site for KDSM in Des Moines, a Sinclair-owned Fox affiliate Mediacom had to drop, an ad says, “Switch to Dish and reclaim your favorite shows.”

One of the online ads offers Mediacom subscribers 80-plus channels for $24.99 per month for 10 months after a mail-in redemption. The ad says, “Did Mediacom leave Fox 24? That’s 24 reasons to leave Mediacom.”

Dish is also touting its DishDVR Advantage package for $39.99 per month for 10 months after a mail-in redemption.

Mediacom lost carriage of 22 Sinclair TV stations Jan. 6 when the two parties couldn’t close a new retransmission-consent pact.

DirecTV has been offering Mediacom subscribers in Sinclair markets rebates to switch to its direct-broadcast satellite service.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6411424.html?display=Breaking+News

Cleaning Up on Closing DVD Window

(Multichannel News) _ Pay-per-view movies sold on demand, now a middling source of revenue for cable operators, could become a much bigger deal as providers and movie studios increasingly implement debut dates that coincide with the release of DVDs.

Sanford Bernstein cable and satellite analyst Craig Moffett's view, in a widely quoted report last week, is that as on-demand release dates for movies move closer to the dates when movies are distributed for sale and home rental, sales
and profits for pay movies on cable could increase significantly.

Moffett estimates on-demand movie revenue now stands at about $1 billion annually for all cable operators. That could swell to $4.1 billion per year if the current gap between home-rental and on-demand release dates shrinks, Moffett calculates or about half the size of the current retail market for home movie rentals.

Profit On Demand Incremental revenue and profit to cable operators (in millions of dollars) from movies on demand: (see table on website via link bottom of page)

TESTS BY BIG TWO
Already, the two largest cable operators Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been testing so-called day-and-date releases of on-demand movies. Comcast began its trial in Pittsburgh and Denver on Nov. 28 with selected titles from Warner Bros., Paramount, Lions Gate, NBC Universal and 20th Century Fox.

Time Warner Cable is also testing day-and-date releases in Greensboro, N.C., while also testing a "virtual video store" emphasizing a large library of more than 2,000 titles about the same number of titles available at a typical Blockbuster retail store and 10 times larger than a typical on-demand movie menu, Moffett said.

The rise in digital-cable penetration over the past few years and the subsequent increase in on-demand service availability also play a role.

Digital boxes were in about half of all cable homes at the end of 2006, according to Moffett. On-demand availability to those digital customers has risen to about 84.1% from a mere 19.4% in 2001.

More customers are using on-demand capabilities as they become more familiar with the technology. Moffett points to big VOD promoter Comcast, which delivered 180 million on-demand video streams in December alone. For the full year, Comcast delivered 1.9 billion VOD streams, up 70% over 2005.

Moffett estimates Comcast had about $480 million in on-demand movie revenue in 2005, which could nearly double to $800 million in 2007 as the release "windows" shrink.

NON-ADULT REVENUE
Most on-demand movie revenue and profit by cable operators comes from sales of adult titles, which wouldn't be affected by a move to day-and-date releases. Still, the impact on overall VOD movie buys is significant.

Comcast's non-adult VOD movie revenue is estimated at about $295 million last year, up from about $226 million in 2005. Moffett thinks that non-adult revenue could nearly double, to $434 million this year.

Comcast and Time Warner Cable, with 24.1 million and 13.5 million subscribers, respectively, would obviously derive the biggest benefit from earlier movie releases. Moffett estimates that within Comcast territory, about $3.2 billion of annual DVD rental revenue is generated with more than half of those rental payments made by existing Comcast customers.

Studios have resisted day-and-date releases via on-demand because of fears of cutting into lucrative retail DVD sales. But Moffett thinks that's less of a concern now. It's unlikely that day-and-date VOD releases would totally wipe out DVD sales.

And if cable's VOD-movie business carved out half of the $8.2 billion (annual revenue) retail home-video rental business, that would add incremental profits to the studios, as well as to cable.

Cable VOD movie revenue would quadruple, to $4.1 billion, and cash flow would rise to $1.64 billion, an incremental gain of $1.24 billion.

MORE STUDIO PROFIT
The studios get a bigger percentage of VOD movie sales than they do of home-video rentals from retail stores. Studios take 66 cents of every dollar of on-demand movie sales from cable, versus 33 cents for each retail rental dollar. So the studios would enjoy $2.2 billion in incremental profit from a big swing to VOD, according to Moffett.

Earlier release dates for movies on demand also would aid cable's competitive position against direct-broadcast satellite services. While DirecTV and EchoStar Communications have announced plans to emulate VOD via a combination of digital video recorder downloads and digital subscriber line broadband links, the DBS version of VOD still falls short of what cable can provide, Moffett said.

"A movie can take hours to download over [satellite] VOD, and [a high-definition movie] could take more than a day for many DSL subscribers," Moffett wrote. "That's a far cry from the instant gratification of cable VOD."

BIG EDGE WITH HD
Cable's biggest advantage could be in selling high-definition movies on demand.

While the studios' struggling over which format to adopt Blu-Ray or HD-DVD for home videos could stifle purchase of high-definition home-video players, that dispute is irrelevant to cable's selling HD movies on demand.

HD movies on demand also could benefit cable in that retailers such as Wal-Mart and Circuit City don't expect to see big sales of HD DVD discs because of the high costs of players and the competing formats.

"Retailers, including Wal-Mart, are a key impediment to getting better [earlier[ windows for movies," Moffett wrote. "Their opposition to earlier HD windows may be less vehement, however, if there are few retail sales at stake."

http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=100517

TV Sports
AL Champ Tigers to be on TV 161 times
“At least” 55 games will be in HD
By Lynn Henning The Detroit News January 30, 2007

A year after the Tigers caught flak for a light television schedule, they unveiled Monday their most ambitious package of televised games in team history.

All except one of the 162 regular-season games will be televised. Heading the list is FSN Detroit, which will televise 134 games, including a handful on its new FSN PLUS outlet when there are Pistons and Red Wings schedule conflicts. FOX 2 (WKBD) will become the over-the-air partner with an additional 17 telecasts.

Eight more Saturday games will be available on FOX 2 as part of the network's national game-of-the-week telecasts. The Tigers also will appear twice on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball."

FSN PLUS will be a separate cable outlet provided by most of the cable systems that currently offer FSN Detroit. Two games in April already are scheduled for FSN PLUS, although more could be shifted in May because of Red Wings or Pistons playoff overlaps.

The only regular-season game not to be televised will be April 7 at Kansas City, a date that bumps against a Red Wings game and FOX 2's national schedule.

"It's always been our goal to bring as many games to our fans as possible," said Duane McLean, senior vice president of business operations for the Tigers, when asked what the Tigers found most appealing about their broader TV schedule.

"These deals are very complicated. They're not easy to put together, but we started discussions early, and we were excited that FSN Detroit, FOX 2 and ourselves could work out a very good package for our fans."

A year ago, the Tigers were looking at a 110-game telecast schedule available only on FSN Detroit. Fan ire was intense, and just before Opening Day, an additional 18 games were added on TV20.

Late negotiations and high rights-fees requested by the Tigers were blamed for the schedule that did not measure up with larger TV packages offered by most big-league teams.

A new business terrain emerged in 2006 as the Tigers stormed to contention and to an eventual spot in the World Series. Ratings on FSN Detroit and TV20 rose 93 percent compared to telecasts in 2005, from 3.7 to 7.1. The boost translated into better business for the stations and advertising sales, and, in turn, for the Tigers, who found willing partners in 2007.

Nothing embodies the change in local TV attitudes toward the Tigers as much as FOX 2's foray into telecasts. Major stations in Detroit (Channel 4, 7, 2, 62, etc.) had shied away from telecasts since two decades ago, when Channel 4 (WDIV) had a ratings bonanza with the Tigers.

"It's a huge win for our television station, and for the market," said Jeff Murri, vice president and general manager at FOX 2. "And the fans come out on top."

Murri is enthused because of the one-stop channel location fans will confront on weekends when FOX 2 carries Saturday and Sunday games. Because each station is part of the overall FOX galaxy, the networks will cross-market and cross-promote schedules.

FSN Detroit's team of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen will continue as the broadcast pair for all telecasts. FSN Detroit also will offer a minimum of 55 high-definition telecasts.

Greg Hammeran, vice president and general manager at FSN Detroit, said a better team last season was key to expanding the broadcast schedule.

"Winning solves a lot of problems," Hammeran said. "The Tigers have always wanted to televise more games, and we've been consistent in saying we'd like to televise more games. But our contractual obligations with the Red Wings and Pistons have something to do with that.

"We've all worked hard since the last out of the World Series to make a better schedule possible."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/SPORTS0104/701300336/1004/SPORTS&template=printart

Monday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

A Note
The only Censorship Worth Defending: Self Censorship

Sarah Silverman has a TV show coming up on The Comedy Channel soon. I often find her very funny.

Nonetheless, you won’t find posts about it here. I made a decision some time ago that I wouldn't be posting stuff on this particular show.

And as a favor to me and my sensibilities, let’s let the subject drop.

Who brought the subject up? ;)

Who else, dad?

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

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

Some of you have indicated to me you would like some basic information about shows the networks are looking at for the 2007-2008 season.

So I will post, network by network, the programs which have at least gotten a pilot pickup from each network. You can find out more about each show by googling its title.

(I still will resist, in most case, posting individual articles about shows at this level of preparation, unless there seems to be some item of overriding intrerest attached.)

ABC pickups
(Variety.com)

Cashmere Mafia (Sony Pictures TV/Darren Star Prods.)
Exec producers: Darren Star, Gail Katz, Kevin Wade, Susie Fitzgerald
Logline: Four successful female executives, friends since college, rely on each other as they juggle the demands of career, family and high ambitions in New York City.

Eli Stone (Touchstone TV)
Exec producers: Greg Berlanti, Marc Gugenheim
Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Gerber
Logline: Thirtysomething attorney begins to have larger-than-life visions that compel him to do out-of-the-ordinary things.

Untitled Jon Feldman (Warner Bros TV)
Exec producer: Jon Feldman (writer)
Logline: CEOs gone wild

Football Wives [/FONT][/COLOR] (Touchstone TV)
Exec producers: Chris Brancato, Bert Salke, Bryan Singer, Marco Pennette (writer)
Logline: U.S. version of the popular British series that will focus on wives of professional football players.

Judy's Got a Gun (Touchstone TV)
Exec producers: Michelle King, Robert King, Stu Bloomberg
Logline: Suburban woman balances being a single mother with being a detective investigating bizarre suburban crimes

Life on Mars (20th Century Fox TV)
Exec producers: David E. Kelley, Stephen Garrett, Jane Featherstone
Logline: Detective whose girlfriend has just been kidnapped finds himself transported back to the 1970s. Based on the BBC series.

Marlowe (Touchstone)
Exec producers: Sean Bailey, Greg Pruss (writer), Carol Wolper (writer), Daniel Pipski and Dan Blatt
Logline: Based on the film and literary character "Philip Marlowe"

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Regency TV/Dutch Oven)
Exec producers: Simon Kinberg, Doug Liman, Dave Bartis
Logline: Based on the hit feature about a married couple who are both spies.

Pushing Daisies (Warner Bros. TV)
Exec producers: Bryan Fuller, Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
Logline: Quirky, high concept romantic drama with procedural elements

Untitled Rina Mimoun (Warner Bros. TV)
Exec producers: Rina Mimoun
Logline: Revolves around a family of seven lawyers

Suspect (Sony Pictures TV/25C)
Exec producers: Ed Zuckerman, Guy Ritchie, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly
Logline: Stylish, fast-paced procedural drama uncovering the perpetrator by tracing the suspects.

Women's Murder Club (20th Century Fox TV)
Exec producers: Liz Craft, Sarah Fain, Brett Ratner, James Patterson, Joe Simpson
Logline: Four girlfriends solve tough murder cases. Based on James Patterson's series of mystery books

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958304.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

January Cable Nielsen Notebook
Wrestling a Winner in January
By Anne Becker Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

Wrestling and jump rope helped USA Network and Disney Channel to a near tie win in cable's January ratings. USA eked out a win with 2.74 million total viewers in prime, its WWE wrestling accounting for nearly ten of the month's 20 most viewed shows, according to Nielsen Media Research. Non-ad-supported Disney came in with 2.72 million viewers, on the strength of Jump In, its original movie about jump roping that premiered Jan. 12.

With 8.46 million viewers, Jump In became Disney's most-watched original movie premiere ever - besting the now cultural phenomenon High School Musical - and ranked as January's top cable program. It was followed by the premiere of Disney's new live-action series Cory in the House, which averaged 7.7 million viewers.

Top finishers after USA and Disney for the month were TNT with 2.03 million viewers in prime, TBS with 1.76 million and A&E with 1.68 million.

For the week ending Jan. 28, NBC Universal's USA and Sci Fi both had reason to celebrate. Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica and The Dresden Files saw ratings bumps in their second weeks on Sunday night (Jan. 28). Dresden averaged 1.89 million viewers (up from 1.73 million for its series premiere) and Battlestar averaged 2.05 million (up from 1.8 million last week). The shows' Jan. 21 premiere numbers may have been diluted by competition from the AFC Championship game on CBS, which drew nearly 50 million that night.

At USA, both Monk and Psych posted solid numbers for their second week of episodes on Friday (Jan. 26). With 5 million and 3.71 million viewers respectively, each drew an audience just smaller than their season premieres.

In other cable news, VH1 will run a marathon and an unaired episode of Armed & Famous, the reality show cast off by its corporate sibling CBS, this Saturday (Feb. 3). Armed, which follows C-list celebs as they train to be police officers, was slated for seven episodes, but only five have been made and four aired by CBS. VH1 will run the last two episodes if producers get the greenlight on making them.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411697.html?display=Breaking+News

The Business of Television
Independent Cable Operators Urged:
Deluge Senators on Retrans
By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld MultiChannel News 1/30/2007

Henderson, Nev. -- Independent cable-system operators are being urged to shower U.S. senators over the next two days with phone calls from key executives, employees and customers urging action to reshape rules governing the retransmission of broadcasters’ TV signals in their markets.

American Cable Association CEO Matthew M. Polka Tuesday morning called for independent operators to call members of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee between now and Thursday to heighten awareness that widespread outages of local TV programming could be at hand and that cable rates could rise dramatically as broadcasters and operators dispute what to pay for the carriage of local TV signals.

The committee, now led by Democrats, is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on the policies and practices of the Federal Communications Commission. Its chairman, Kevin Martin, is Republican, and he has declined to force the commission to intervene in retransmission disputes. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is the newly installed ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee.

“This is not something we can win on the academic merit and substance of our arguments,” Polka said. “We win on the strength of our political message and the recognition on the part of Congress that there is a consumer need to be addressed.”

He added in an interview with Multichannel News that he will urge the 1,100 members of his association -- which represent more than 10 million cable-TV subscribers nationwide -- to tell senators that the FCC has avoided taking any action to solve retransmission disputes, such as that currently underway between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Mediacom Communications. Right now, about 700,000 Mediacom subscribers are unable to receive CBS, Fox, NBC, or ABC signals from local affiliates of those networks from Sinclair.

Polka took to the stage at an educational workshop here presented by the National Cable Television Cooperative to make his pitch for fast grassroots lobbying of senators by independent cable operators. The NCTC is a hardware- and programming-purchasing organization that serves independent operators.

Large MSOs -- such as Time Warner Cable, which serves 13.5 million subscribers -- have shown greater ability to come to terms with broadcasters. Time Warner earlier this month came to a new retransmission pact with Sinclair that included agreement to carry new digital channels Sinclair would broadcast.

But more than one-half of the ACA’s membership serves fewer than 5,000 subscribers each. Operators of those sizes have little power, Polka said, and they are likely to have to take whatever deal is presented them by local broadcasters.

If they are charged $1 per month, per subscriber by five different local broadcast affiliates, that’s $5 per month that would have to be passed on to all subscribers.

If broadcasters get to charge monthly fees, operators should be allowed to determine whether to keep those channels in their basic-programming lineups or not, Polka added.

By law, cable operators currently must carry local broadcasters’ signals on their basic tiers of programming, regardless of the costs that must be passed on. Polka argued that operators should have the right to bundle broadcast signals and the fees for them into a broadcast tier of programming, if they choose, so that only those subscribers who want those signals and are willing to pay for them do.

The same principle, he said, should apply to sports programming, such as ESPN and regional sports networks, the costs of which should be borne by those subscribers who actually want sports programming, and not necessarily by all subscribers.

Polka said he would urge members to organize grassroots lobbying efforts overnight that would tell senators that they “would be held responsible” for any losses of service and spikes in cable rates if retransmission disputes become widespread.

Operators should ask themselves, “What do we need to win?” and get all constituencies they can appeal to, to in turn appeal to the senators, he added. These include not just their own management teams, but employees -- whose jobs may depend on the outcome -- and customers, who would have to pay higher rates, as well.

“Let me give you a secret here,” Polka said in addressing the audience at the workshop. “Congress is not going to act and fix these things because of us. They’re going to do so because of your customers.”

Since the practice of compensating broadcasters for the right to retransmit local signals emerged as part of the 1992 Cable Act, cable operators have typically avoided making any cash payments to broadcasters for those rights. Instead, they have agreed to carry new programming channels they have launched and offered marketing programs and other compensation, instead.

But broadcasters -- most notably Les Moonves of CBS -- have become strident in the past year about now demanding cash. They equate the value of what they produce locally to that of ESPN, Fox News Channel or any other network for which operators already pay monthly per-subscriber fees.

Polka, on stage, called for the grassroots lobbying to continue beyond Thursday’s oversight hearing.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6411511.html?display=Breaking+News

TV Sports
AL Champ Tigers to be on TV 161 times
“At least” 55 games will be in HD
By Lynn Henning The Detroit News January 30, 2007

The only regular-season game not to be televised will be April 7 at Kansas City, a date that bumps against a Red Wings game and FOX 2's national schedule.

This game was also scheduled in the FOX national timeslot so it can only be on FOX. Thus without a time change this game could not be televised except by FOX.

I don't think Fox normally televises games this early in the season, homcom.

Last year it did broadcast one or two early Red Sox-Yankees games, but it would seem a Tigers-Royals early-season contest might not carry the same cachet (and I don't mean to be demeaning to fans of the AL champs -- or the Royals, for that matter).

I suspect it is a day game simply because of weather factors in KC that early in April. (The other KC Saturday home game in April is also a day game. Saturday night games don't begin in KC until May.)

CBS pickups
(Variety.com)

Babylon Fields (20th Century Fox TV)
Exec producer: Michael Cuesta (director)
Supervising producers/writers: Gerald Cuesta and Michael Atkinson
Executive producer: Michael Cuesta (director)
Logline: Zombie dramedy

Demons (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Barbara Hall (writer), Joe Roth, Nina Lederman
Logline: Ex-Jesuit priest/psychologist fights the demons in his life others' lives.

Los Duques (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Cynthia Cidre (writer), Jonathan Prince, Polly Anthony, Jimmy Iovine
Logline: A drama about a multi-generational Latin American family in the rum business.

Protect and Serve (NBC Universal)
Exec producer: Gary Scott Thompson
Writers: Mark Gibson and Phillip Halprin
Logline: Cops living in the Los Angeles suburbs deal with the stresses of police life on and off the job.

Skip Tracer (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (writers), Stephen Dorff, Tucker Tooley
Cast: Stephen Dorff
Logline: A charming rogue works as a skip tracer among the colorful characters in L.A.

Swingtown (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Mike Kelley (writer), Alan Poul (director)
Logline: Married couples in 1970s suburbia explore couple-swapping and open marriages.

Twilight (Warner Bros. TV)*
Exec producers: Trevor Munson and Ron Koslow (writers), Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio
Logline: A private investigator/vampire struggles with the repercussions of immortality, his adversaries in the vampire world, and the love he feels for a mortal.
*presentation

Untitled Barry Schindel project (CBS Paramount)*
Exec producers: Barry Schindel (writer), Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, David Zucker
Cast: Janeane Garofolo
Logline: Ensemble drama about a team of public defenders.
* presentation

Viva Laughlin (Sony/CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Bob Lowry (writer), Hugh Jackman, Paul Talegdy
Logline: Musical drama following Ripley Holden and his family as they attempt to run a casino in Laughlin, Nev.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958337.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Fox first: Monday squeaker over NBC
Wins the night with a 4.8 rating in adults 18-49
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 30, 2007

NBC found itself in an unfamiliar spot last night – second.

The network, which has won nearly every non-sports Monday night of the season, was displaced yesterday by Fox’s steady lineup of “Prison Break” and “24,” which held their previous week’s audience while NBC stalwarts “Deal or No Deal” and “Heroes” both declined slightly.

Fox averaged a 4.8 adults 18-49 rating and 12 share on the night, according to Nielsen overnights, just edging second-place NBC’s 4.6/11.

It was Fox’s first non-sports victory with regularly scheduled programming on the night this year. The network did finish No. 1 with the Bowl Championship Series finale three weeks ago.

The key for Fox was stability. “Prison Break” at 8 p.m. (4.1 18-49 rating) and “24” at 9 p.m. (5.4) were nearly identical to last week, with “Break” slipping a mere 0.1.

But “Deal” and “Heroes” fell 0.4 week to week, still winning their timeslots but dropping enough to let Fox creep in for the victory. “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” at 10 p.m. also finished 0.2 behind last week while taking second in the timeslot.

Fox’s average for the night was even to last week while NBC slipped 8 percent from a 5.0 to the 4.6.

The two networks will likely trade first place on the night going forward, with the smallest shift up or down in viewership determining which network stays ahead.

Meanwhile, CBS was third last night at 3.2/8, ABC fourth at 3.1/8, Univision fifth at 1.8/4 and CW sixth at 1.1/3.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 4.8 rating at 8 p.m. for “Deal or No Deal.” Fox was second with a 4.1 for “Break,” ABC third with a 3.2 for a repeat of “Wife Swap” and Univision fourth with a 2.6 for “La Fea Mas Bella.” CBS came in fifth with a 2.4 average for repeats of “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Class” and CW sixth with a 1.1 average for “Everybody Hates Chris” (1.1) and “All of Us” (1.0).

At 9 p.m. NBC led again, this time with a 6.1 for a new “Heroes.” Fox was second with a 5.4 for “24” but did finish slightly ahead in total viewers with 14.1 million to “Heroes’” 13.6 million.

ABC was third with a 3.5 in 18-49s for “Supernanny” and CBS fourth with a 3.2 for repeats of “Two and a Half Men” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Univision dropped to fifth that hour with a 1.5 for “Mundo Fieras,” and CW was sixth with a 1.1 average for “Girlfriends” (1.0) and “The Game” (1.1).

CBS led the 10 p.m. hour, posting a 3.9 rating for a repeat of “CSI: Miami.” NBC was second with a 3.0 for “Studio 60,” ABC third with a 2.7 for “What About Brian” and Univision fourth with a 1.1 for “Cristina.”

NBC finished first on a competitive night among households with a 7.8 average rating and a 12 share. Fox was second at 7.3/11, CBS third at 7.1/11, ABC fourth at 5.1/8, Univision fifth at 2.3/3 and CW sixth at 1.8/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9855.asp

Syndicated Nielsen Ratings Notebook
Magazines and Talk Shows Have A Good Week
Among the strong performers for the week ending Jan. 21 were Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Ellen, Regis and Ray.
By Mark K. Miller TV Newsday January 30, 2007

Magazine shows continued to rally in the week ending Jan. 21 as five of the six matched or exceeded their season’s high, driven by coverage of the Golden Globe Awards.

CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight was up third week in a row, hitting a 5.9, its best rating in two years. ET’s Jan. 16 Globe coverage averaged a 6.3, its highest daily rating of the season. Over the past three weeks, ET has risen 26%. For the week, ET gained 4% to a second straight new season high and grew 7% over last year at this time.

CBS Television Distribution’s Inside Edition also hit a new season high, gaining 6% to a 3.7.

NBCU’s Access Hollywood earned a new season high 3.2, up 10% for the week and up 19% over last year. Access Hollywood averaged nearly 4.3 million viewers, a 3.2 HH rating and its best key demographic figures since 2004.

CBS Television Distribution’s The Insider remained at its previous season high 2.8 for a second week and Warner Bros.’ Extra! held steady at a 2.3.

Also of note was the performance of Twentieth’s Geraldo at Large in its next to the last week on the air. It jumped 13% to a 1.7, matching its highest-ever rating. In the past two weeks, Geraldo has risen 21%.

Talk Shows

Talkers were hot for a second week in a row, especially Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres and Buena Vista’s Live with Regis and Kelly which both hit new season highs. Many shows saw a ratings spike on the Martin Luther King birthday holiday, Monday, Jan. 15. Ellen jumped 13% to a new season mark of 2.6 and came within a tenth of its all time weekly high. On MLK Day it surged 32% Monday to Monday, to a 2.9. Live with Regis and Kelly hit a season’s best 3.8, up 6%. On Monday, with Paula Abdul as a guest, Live ballooned to a 4.0.

Compared to last year, Ellen and Live were the only two veteran talk shows with improved ratings, gaining 4% and 6%, respectively.

Other gabbers posting ratings growth were CBS Television Distribution’s Oprah, up 14% to a 7.2; CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil, which rose for a third week in a row during which time it has added 23%, up 8% to a 5.4; NBCU’s Maury, up 9% to a 2.5; CBS Television Distribution’s Montel Williams up 12% to a 1.9; NBCU’s Jerry Springer up 6% to a 1.8; and NBCU’s Martha, up 7% to a 1.5.

In rookie news, Rachael Ray had her best day ever on Jan 15, cooking up a 2.7 with Dream Girls' Jennifer Hudson. For the week, Ray held firm at its season high 2.3 which was more than double the rating of her only nationally-rated rival, Dr. Keith Ablow at a 1.1, up 10%.

Yesterday, CBS Television Distribution’s Rachael Ray was upgraded in Minneapolis (DMA 15) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., replacing NBCU’s Megan Mullally which is now off the air. Ray took its new time period up 69% over its year-ago average with a 2.2 rating/8 share on Monday.

The newest syndicated entry, Fox’s The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, averaged a 1.3/5 in 25 metered markets for the week ending Jan. 21, its first week on the air. That was 44% higher than Ablow’s 0.9/3 metered market average and 160% higher than NBCU’s iVillage Live’s 0.5/2. iVillage, which was launched last month, airs on 10 NBC O&Os in midday slots. Although the opening week of The Morning Show was down from its lead-in and year-ago time period averages by double digits, it averaged a 2.4 or better on 50% of its stations outside the top 10 markets despite airing mostly in early morning slots.

Game Shows

Buena Vista’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire was the only game show up over last year, scoring a new season high 3.7, up 3% both week to week and year to year. Other games were also up for the week, with leader CBS Television Distribution’s Wheel of Fortune up 2% to a 9.0; CBS Television Distribution’s Jeopardy!was up 4% to new season high 7.3; and Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud was up 11% to a new season high 2.1.

Court Shows

The top court shows were little changed with the exception of CBS Television Distribution’s Judge Joe Brown which hit a new season high of 3.2, up 7%. Leader CBS Television Distribution’s Judge Judy was unchanged for week and the year at a 5.0. In third place, Warner Bros.’ People’s Court had a 2.9, up 4%, while Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis was unchanged at a 2.6. Compared to last year, none of the judges were up.

Off-Net Sitcoms

Off-net sitcoms were mostly higher with CBS Television Distribution’s Everybody Loves Raymond up 6% to 5.6; Sony’s Seinfeld up 16% to a 5.0; and Warner Bros.’ Friends up 3% to a 3.9. Year to year, however, the top three all were down by double digits.

Weekend

CBS Television Distribution’s CSI: Miami led the off-net weekly hours with a 4.9, down 6%. Tribune’s American Idol: Rewind, up 8% to a 2.7, moved into second place from third as the network Idol began its sixth season and Warner Bros.’ Without a Trace was right behind at a 2.6, down 10%.

CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight Weekend hit a new season high for the second week in a row, topping the first-run weekly hours with a 3% gain to a 3.3. Warner Bros.’ Extra! Weekend and NBCU’s Access Hollywood Weekend remained tied for second with both shows unchanged at a 1.5.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/01/30/daily.8/

Critic’s Notebook
Celebrity Waiter?
By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal blog January 30th, 2007

I managed to sit through last night’s “Studio 60″ (as well as the last 15 minutes or so of “24″ which is NBA-like in holding the real drama until the clock is ticking down). Mostly a snooze, once again no point to a two-parter. But I did perk up at the reference to the TCA being in town.

TCA is the Television Critics Association. I’m a member, and you have read about some of its gatherings in this blog.

On “Studio 60,” Tom, in a bad lie, claimed that he had to be a celebrity waiter at a TCA event. The lie was bad because there was no point to it, and because his getting caught seemed inevitable — pretty much the way you knew that Danny and Jordan were going to get locked on the roof before the door even snapped shut. (And how many cell phones would be unable — oh, never mind, it’s not worth it.)

Now, I have been to many TCA events over the last 22 years and I don’t remember one with celebrity waiters. That said, I do remember:

• Craig Kilborn having Jell-O shots delivered to everyone present at a TCA awards.

• Jimmy Kimmel working the grill one lunchtime.

• Richard Simmons carrying a tray of fruit to reporters.

• A Fran Drescher press conference accompanied by bags of her croutons.

So maybe Aaron Sorkin was a waiter one time, and I just didn’t notice.

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/heldenfiles/

Ok, I have a problem with the study discussed in this article. What part of America are they polling? As a hispanic (latino, Mexican-American, pick your PC label) I can't see where they are getting their results regarding Hispanics. EVERY hispanic male I know is a football fanatic. Perhaps it's due to my being in Texas, where football is huge? They came up with a figure of 6.4%...which is ridiculous... only 6 out of 100? What is their definition of 'fan'?

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9826.asp

Just who will be
watching Super Bowl

Chances are they're Republican, male and like Big Macs. They're likely not Hispanic. Talking with Experian Simmons' Max Kilger.



New media

By Diego Vasquez
Jan 30, 2007

The common perception is that everyone watches the Super Bowl. The reality is that it’s a somewhat more exclusive group, and no wonder advertisers pay big bucks to reach those people. NFL fans are more likely to have high incomes, have more education, and be more receptive to advertising than the general population. That’s according to a new study by Florida-based market research Experian Simmons, which sketches a portrait of the typical NFL fan watching the Super Bowl. In addition to those other characteristics, the typical fan is usually white, male and Republican, which are perhaps not big surprises. What perhaps is: The fan is less likely than ever to be Hispanic, with the number of Hispanics identifying themselves as NFL fans falling over the past few years. NFL fans are also more likely to visit McDonald’s or Burger King than the average respondent, and they’re less likely to be African-American than NBA fans. Max Kilger, chief behavioral scientist at Experian Simmons, talks to Media Life about why NFL fans need money, why they are more likely to be Republicans, and how they compare to other sports fans.


You found that people with very high incomes were more likely to be NFL fans than the average respondent. Why is that, and what does it mean for NFL marketing?

Actually, that’s a good question. As income goes up, the probability that someone is an NFL fan also goes up. It has to do with being a complete fan.

We looked at people with higher incomes, and they are more likely to physically attend NFL games, and that could be one reason--it’s pretty expensive. There’s NFL tickets, if you go to away games you have to pay to fly, etc. And, obviously, they’re more likely to watch the NFL on TV too.


By contrast, you found that those with household incomes less than $25,000 were 44 percent less likely to be NFL fans. How do you interpret that?

It’s basically the same explanation. Income is on a scale from high to low, high-income households have more resources to be a complete fan and buy tickets, merchandise, etc.


Are there any demographic characteristics that NFL fans share that you don't see as widely among the general population?

They’re probably going to be more educated, because they have more money. They’re more likely to be male. Hispanics also don’t seem to identify as much as NFL fans.


As you just mentioned, there don't seem to be many Hispanics who identify themselves as NFL fans. Has that changed over recent years, and why is that?

Part of it is that football in the Latin community means soccer, so that’s going to be a big difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic. Also, there aren’t really any Hispanic stars in the NFL, much like Yao Ming has been a hit with Chinese fans in the NBA.

It looks like Hispanic has actually gone down a little--9 percent of Hispanics in Spring ‘03 identified themselves as NFL fans compared to 6.4 percent this year. That could be because cable is starting to show more soccer games.


Registered Republicans are 21 percent more likely to be NFL fans than registered Democrats. What, if anything, can we read into that?

It’s probably a correlation issue between household income and party affiliation--it’s hard to pick apart household income from party affiliation. If I had to guess it’s probably due to a household income issue. Indeed, 27 percent of Republican households have an income of $100,000-plus, and for Democrats that number is at 20.3 percent.


You found that NFL fans tend to prefer McDonald's over Burger King, Coke over Pepsi, and light beer over regular. Is that any different from the general population?

Those tend to be mirrors of the general population. The figures for McDonald’s for the general population, it also tends to be higher. The ratios are about the same. These sort of common commercial products tend to mirror the general population. But one interesting thing, looking at McDonald’s and Burger King, both brands index higher than the total population.

There does seem to be some effect, they do somewhat over-index, meaning NFL fans are maybe 10 percent more likely to visit McDonald’s or Burger King than the general population, but the preference of McDonald’s over Burger King is about the same. So you do see some lift. Whether it’s due to in-game advertising or not, it’s difficult to say.


Do NFL fan demographics differ greatly from, say, NBA fans? Fans of other sports?

One example where NFL and NBA differ is in terms of African-Americans. It turns out that African-Americans are about 70 percent more likely than whites to be NBA fans. If you look at the ratio between the NFL and NBA, they’re more likely to be NBA fans than NFL fans. That is, NBA fans are more likely to be African-American than NFL fans.


When looking at the data, did anything jump out as particularly surprising or interesting to you?

It all seemed kind of intuitive. Like TV ownership, NFL fans index high for having a giant screen TV, and you can totally picture that.

NFL fans are 58 percent more likely to play football recreationally than the general population. They’re also slightly more ad receptive than the general population. Some are very receptive, some aren’t—overall they’re 7 percent more likely to be receptive to ads.

They’re also 13 percent more likely to be inclined to buy from a sponsor. And 46 percent more likely to buy sports-licensed clothing than the general population, including twice as more likely to buy NFL clothing.

TV Notebook
“The Police” To Reunite On GRAMMYs
(The Recording Academy News Release) January 30, 2007

In an historic GRAMMY moment, the Police (Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers) will reunite and perform together for the first time on the GRAMMYs when they open the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast on Feb. 11 (8 PM ET/PT, CBS), it was announced today by The Recording Academy. The winners of five GRAMMY Awards, the Police create a purely original sound by infusing reggae with pop and rock, growing into one of the most popular and innovative acts of the '80s.

Also, new presenters added to the all-star lineup include current Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Joan Baez, two-time GRAMMY winner Melissa Etheridge, Golden Globe winner Jennifer Hudson, GRAMMY winner Queen Latifah, three-time GRAMMY winner Chris Rock, and 24-time GRAMMY winner Stevie Wonder.

The Police join a stellar list of past GRAMMY Awards opening acts, which includes reunions and once-in-a-lifetime performances: the ever-animated Madonna sharing the stage with the Gorillaz (2006); an all-star, stage-filling spectacle that featured the Black Eyed Peas, Maroon5, Gwen Stefani, Los Lonely Boys and Franz Ferdinand (2005); Prince and Beyoncé in an electrifying duet (2004); and the reunion of legends Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (2003).

Previously announced performers include Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley, John Legend, Ludacris, John Mayer, Corinne Bailey Rae, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake (solo performance and with the winner of the "My GRAMMY Moment" competition) and Carrie Underwood. Previously announced presenters include the Black Eyed Peas, Ciara, Nelly Furtado, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Pink and Rihanna.

http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/News/Default.aspx?newsID=2352&newsCategoryID=1

...Ok, I have a problem with the study discussed in this article. What part of America are they polling? As a hispanic (latino, Mexican-American, pick your PC label) I can't see where they are getting their results regarding Hispanics. EVERY hispanic male I know is a football fanatic. Perhaps it's due to my being in Texas, where football is huge? They came up with a figure of 6.4%...which is ridiculous... only 6 out of 100? What is their definition of 'fan'?...

That is the reason I didn't post the article, Iteki. I found the stats and conclusions to be almost ludicrous.

That is the reason I didn't post the article, Iteki. I found the stats and conclusions to be almost ludicrous.

Sorry fredfa, on some random impulse I followed one of the links you posted and that title jumped out at me.

The CW pickups
(Variety.com)

Gossip Girl (Warner Bros. TV)
Creators/Exec producers: Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (writers), Bob Levy
Logline: The world of rich NY teens and parents told through the eyes of a mysterious blogger

Gravity (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Caleb Kane (writer), Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey
Logline: Young rookie cops in L.A.

Reaper (Touchstone TV)
Exec producers: Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (writers), Mark Gordon, Deb Spera
Logline: Comedic drama about the devil's bounty hunter, who reclaims souls that have escaped from hell

Wild at Heart (CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Michael Rauch (writer), Charlie Pattinson, George Faber
Logline:American family moves to South Africa to open a wild game preserve

The World According to Barnes (Warner Bros. TV)
Exec producers: Tom Wheeler (writer), Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin
Logline: "Animal House"-like comedic drama about a pair of crime-solving Princeton students

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958335.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Sorry fredfa, on some random impulse I followed one of the links you posted and that title jumped out at me.


No problem.

MediaLife does a lot of good work and I am happy to post much of it here, and delighted you visited its site on your own.

But as in all polls, one has to check the source of the funding, and have a good idea about the methodology. I just wasn't comfortable with what I read about it.

(I totally agree with your assessment, by the way.)

Washington Notebook
Comcast Wants Full Review of Set-Top Waiver Request
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

Cable operator Comcast has asked for full commission review of the Media Bureau's denial of its set-top waiver request.

Not mincing any words, Comcast argues that the waiver denial was "fatally flawed," and is "egregious in its factual and legal distortions and bias."

Comcast said it was "inexplicable" that the FCC took 266 days to act on the waiver when the Communications Act directs it to do so within 90 days.

Comcast argues that the bureau had no authority to tell Comcast that it could resubmit its waiver request if it limited it only to family or ethnic tiers. "The bureau's plan raises serious First Amendment concerns," Comcast argues, because, "The bureau would require that Comcast offer specific types of programming content if it wants to receive a waiver."

The bureau, said Comcast, "fabricated out of whole cloth" that and other "irrational" waiver standards. "In decades of experience with the commission, Comcast has never found itself placed in such a difficult position," said the company.

Comcast and other cable operators had asked the FCC to waive the July 1, 2007 deadline for the ban on digital set-tops that integrate the security and surfing functions so that the industry could have more time to develop and implement a downloadable security system that would be cheaper and easier than the current hardware solution.

The Media Bureau had denied the waiver, saying it was time to implement the twice-delayed deadline.

If the chairman is any indication, prospects for the appeal to the full commission would not appear to be good.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, commenting on the Media Bureau decision earlier this month, said that the industry had seven years--plus two extensions-- to separate out the security and channel surfing functions of cable set-tops. The FCC mandated that in order to create a retail market for the boxes in competition to cable.

Martin, who revealed Comcast's waiver denial at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas a few hours before the FCC released it, told the CES crowd that cable's "inaction" had "hindered innovation, deterred competition and harmed consumers." He gave a shout-out to tech companies, saying that "electronics manufacturers are beginning to seize the opportunity to roll out new products" related to the set-top separation and driven by the deadline.

Martin said that a downloadable system would meet the FCC's requirements for separation,
and that he would have preferred to "establish a time frame for cable operators to develop
and deploy" the technology with adequate assurance that time frame would adequately be met.
Absent that, he said, "I think the commission needs to move forward with its current
rules."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411688.html?display=Breaking+News

TV Notebook
'24' Showrunner Explains White House Friction
By Alex Romanelli Television Week January 30, 2007

The sixth hour of Fox's "24" saw increased friction at the White House as aide Thomas Lennox made his move against rival Karen Hayes. Showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon defends the choices made in the storytelling, saying it strengthened the scene and left the door open for more drama.

"It just felt inevitable, and it felt necessary and a way to sort of heat things up at the White House," Mr. Gordon said in an interview with TelevisionWeek Publisher Chuck Ross.

For the full interview, including the scoop from the writer's room on why season five's Graem was selected to return as Jack Bauers's brother, go to TVWeek.com's Backlot Talk for a podcast and a full transcript here:

http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=407

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11468

Ok, I have a problem with the study discussed in this article. What part of America are they polling? As a hispanic (latino, Mexican-American, pick your PC label) I can't see where they are getting their results regarding Hispanics. EVERY hispanic male I know is a football fanatic. Perhaps it's due to my being in Texas, where football is huge? They came up with a figure of 6.4%...which is ridiculous... only 6 out of 100? What is their definition of 'fan'?

The latest Harris poll shows the following responses for the question, "Do you follow professional football?":

White: 49%
Black: 48%
Hispanic: 42%

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=700

Even the Harris poll dealing with "favorite" sport (much more restrictive than "fan") shows the NFL at 29% total which seems far too high for 6.4% among Hispanics to make sense.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=719

The latest Harris poll shows the following responses for the question, "Do you follow professional football?":

White: 49%
Black: 48%
Hispanic: 42%

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=700

Even the Harris poll dealing with "favorite" sport (much more restrictive than "fan") shows the NFL at 29% total which seems far too high for 6.4% among Hispanics to make sense.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=719

Thanks cpanther...

Those numbers certainly make more sense to me than 6.4%...although 29% still seems low in my experience.

Maybe the difference can be explained fairly easily:

1. The Harris Interactive Poll

2. Florida-based market research firm Experian Simmons.

Two questions:

Which have you heard of?

Which would you hire to do a survey?

I would:

Buy the first two seasons (rent them if you will) on DVD (I base this on your sentence saying "Damn, I sound like a fan and I haven't even seen an episode yet!". By the time you are done, and believe me it won't be long, the third season will be over. you can watch that in summer. So there you go!

If you have watched the first two seasons, I have nothing to add to the crowd. Sorry :(

You'd think Disney would repeat this season's six episodes of Lost on one of its cable channels (like ABC Family) on a weekend afternoon for people that have missed the previous shows to catch-up. An hour-long recap show is OK for people that have seen the show and forgotten about it, but for people that haven't seen the six episodes watching this hour-long recap is toxic. Isn't half the fun of watching 'Lost' experiencing a new episode for the first time? Who would want to give up six episodes for an hour-long recap?

Damn, I sound like a fan and I haven't even seen an episode yet! :rolleyes:

Continuing the list of shows being looked at by networks for the 2007-2008 season:

NBC pickups
(Variety.com)

The Bionic Woman (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Executive Producers: David Eick and Laeta Kalogridis (writers), Bruno Heller
Logline: Modern version of classic series

Chuck (Warner Bros. TV)
Executive Producers: Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak (writers), McG, Peter Johnson
Logline: Computer geek by day, unlikely hero by night

Ft. Pit (Sony Pictures TV/Apostle)
Peter Tolan and Michael Chernuchin (writers), Denis Leary, Jim Serpico
Director: Peter Tolan
Logline: Cops in the NYPD's toughest precinct

Journeyman (20th Century Fox TV)
Executive Producers: Kevin Falls (writer), Alex Graves (director)
Logline: Man goes back in time to fix events - including his own life

Life (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Executive Producers: Rand Ravich (writer), Farr Shariat, Dave Semel (director)
Cast: Damien Lewis
Logline: Wrongly imprisoned ex-cop rejoins the force

Lipstick Jungle (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Executive Producers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler and Candace Bushnell (writers)
Logline: Based on Bushnell's novel about rich, power-hungry women in New York

Untitled Tom Fontana Project (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Executive Producers: Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson (writers), Spike Lee (director)
Logline: Unlikely candidate wins New York's mayorship

Untitled Shore/Blake Project (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Executive Producers: David Shore and Peter Blake (writers)
Logline: Female cop

The Watch (Sony Pictures TV/Pariah)
Executive Producers: Ed Decter and John J. Strauss (writers), Gavin Polone, Jamie Tarses
Logline: Suburban neighborhood watch group goes haywire

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958301.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Cable Nielsen Ratings Notebook
Miss America Takes a Dip
By Anne Becker Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

There she was. And there viewers weren't.

Miss America's TV audience took a nosedive this year averaging just 2.39 million total viewers Monday night (Jan. 29) between 8 and 10 p.m. on cable's CMT. That was down from the 3.07 million it drew for its first showing on the country music channel last year and a far cry from the nearly 10 million it drew in its last broadcast on ABC, according to Nielsen Media Research

The pageant far surpassed CMT's average primetime audience - 424,000 viewers in prime during January - but paled in comparison to last year's record-high numbers for the cable network. This year's show--which crowned Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson-- was more stable in key demos, averaging 996,000 viewers 18-49 (down just slightly from last year's 1.05 million in the demo) and 735,000 women 18-49 (on par with last year's 780,000).

That total audience dip came despite a marketing campaign that CMT valued at multiple millions of dollars, a move from Atlantic City to Las Vegas and a reality series that followed the contestants in pre-pageant competitions.

ABC, which had broadcast the pageant before CMT, decided not to renew its contract with Miss America after the 2004 show pulled in just 9.8 million viewers, then a record low. Viacom-owned CMT picked up the rights to run the pageant in 2006 and 2007, with the option to renew through 2011. The network has not yet decided whether it will exercise that option, according to a spokesperson.

As a cable network, CMT is not available in all TV households as is ABC, the broadcast network which last ran Miss America. Also, CMT last year ran the pageant on a Saturday night, when more viewers might have been looking for event programming to watch.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411754.html

I would:

Buy the first two seasons (rent them if you will) on DVD (I base this on your sentence saying "Damn, I sound like a fan and I haven't even seen an episode yet!". By the time you are done, and believe me it won't be long, the third season will be over. you can watch that in summer. So there you go!

Thanks barcod. As I said before though, I'm doing this for my sister and not for my personal enjoyment. Lost is a show that is fun to follow on the internet and to read other people's reaction to it, but I would have gone bananas by now if I were a fan. From the moment it was announced I knew that in order to sustain interest in castaways trapped on an island the show would have to stretch credibility beyond any rational boundary to keep the countdown to 100 episodes moving. On serials like Battlestar Galactica and Prison Break, which also stretch their premises to accomodate action, at least there's a large-enough world for the TV fantasy to unfold. 'Lost' is one freaking island (with small one's nearby), so of course the outside world has to interfere in order for something interesting to keep the characters trapped there moving (and the audience tuned in). It was as predictable as The X-Files going off the rails when it went on past year seven.

And for the record, I'm also Hispanic and can't get enough NFL. I'm not a fan of any particular team (the Giants and Jets either suck, blow or both blow and suck on any given Sunday) so when I sit to watch a game I'm not rooting for anybody. Hard as it may seem, I actually cheer for both teams when they do good and mock them when they screw-up. Same when I watch soccer matches. :)

Just a friendly reminder that tonight at 8PM ET/PT Dateline NBC: To Catch A Predator is back in action after a three-month absence. Chris Hansen's mug, actors portraying underage minors waving sexual predators into hidden camera-packed rented homes and perverts hanging themselves by showing up where they don't belong. Can life get any sweeter or better for TV fans? Seriously, can it? :D :D :D

And it is a production of NBC News.

Why deal with serious issues when you can scare kids and parent alike with this stuff?

Tim Russert must be SO proud.

Tim is glad his bloated paycheck clears every week. Tim gets the network and news division prestige (the debates between senatorial candidates he had on Meet the Press throughout the '06 election campaign were some of the best political television I've seen in ages) but Chris gets NBC News a ton of eyeballs and very replayable MSNBC hour-long filler shows that that people actually want to watch. That pays a few more bills than what Russert earns for the bosses. The eyeballs have it! :p

The Business of TV
Mediacom Announces March Price Hike
By P.J. Bednarski Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

Mediacom, in the midst of a retransmission battle with Sinclair Broadcasting Group in 12 small to middle-sized markets, is telling customers that starting in March, they'll be paying more for some services.

But Tom Larsen, Mediacom's vice president for legal affairs, says the rate increases have nothing to do with the cable company's lingering battle with Sinclair, which on Jan. 6 yanked 23 of its stations off Mediacom systems in a dispute over retransmission.

Larsen says the rate increases largely pertain to charges for Internet service, installation charges and increases for customers getting digital service.

"The rate hikes are limited in scope," Larsen says. "But if we lose this fight with Sinclair, that could have a dramatic effect on rates."

Sinclair has been demanding cash payments for carriage of its channels in Mediacom markets in communities including including Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Altogether the dispute is keeping Sinclair stations out of 700,000 homes in several states. That's about half the homes Mediacom serves.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6411767

Critic’s Notebook
Ye Olde Itemme Round-Uppe
By David Kronke Los Angeles Daily News Television Critic in his “The Mayor Of Television” blog January 30, 2007

Amazing how it only takes a quarter of a century for the cutting-edge to become the venerated mainstream. On Thursday, David Letterman will celebrate 25 years of late-night antics on his “Late Show” (CBS Channel 2, 11:35 p.m.)

And though Letterman may always be more fondly remembered for his truly anarchic “Late Night” show on NBC, he’s actually been on CBS for longer – 14 years.

Bill Murray, the inaugural guest on both Letterman’s NBC and CBS shows, will again serve as guest on the silver anniversary broadcast. Also appearing will be the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James – who wasn’t yet born when Letterman first took to the late-night airwaves (incredibly enough, he also had a short-lived morning show on NBC).

Letterman’s closing in on Johnny Carson, who spent 30 years tucking Americans into bed.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Apparently, “Heroes” and “24” can co-exist peaceably in the 9 p.m. Monday timeslot without resorting to the nuclear option. “Heroes” won the hour in the 18-49 demographic, while “24” – which last night proved that, in one way or another, the apple certainly does roll far from the tree – placed first in viewers, 14.05 million to 13.57 million.

Of course, the ongoing success of “Heroes” only underscores the underperformance of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which follows it, and last night managed fewer than 7 million viewers, a new low for an original episode of the series. Apparently Aaron Sorkin has more to worry about than some ill-defined Schadenfreude campaign brewing over at the L.A. Times.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Just a little over a week ago, Fox Entertainment president Peter Liguori insisted to TV critics that Paula Abdul has “been doing this for 20 years really successfully. With our show, she gives 100 percent. America loves her. She’s successful on the show. We’re pleased with what Paula does for ‘American Idol.’”

Now, Us Weekly reports that Courtney Love has been approached with the possibility of appearing as a judge on the show, perhaps as Abdul’s replacement. So Fox, pestered by allegations that Abdul is too erratic for the show, has thrown down the gauntlet: “You want weird? We’ll give you weird!”

• • • • • • • • • • •

Since the Grammys always adhere to their mission to honor and celebrate the finest in cutting-edge contemporary music (I know: It queased me out just typing it), it makes perfect sense that The Police will open its 49th annual ceremony next month at Staples Center.

CBS’s press release calls the group “legendary” (apparently, in this case, “legendary” means “having made five pretty decent albums in the late-’70s/early-’80s that nonetheless haven’t really aged all that well, and then managed to milk and reconfigure that relatively meager output into yet another five compilation releases”), yet notes this will be the first time Sting et al will have performed at the Grammys. Well, of course: Since they’re no longer anywhere in the neighborhood of cool, they’ll be right at home with the Grammy folks.

Anyway, here’s hoping Sting leaves the lute at home.

http://www.insidesocal.com/tv/

The Business of TV
Mediacom Announces March Price Hike
By P.J. Bednarski Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

.....

"But if we lose this fight with Sinclair, that could have a dramatic effect on rates."

Too bad he can't see they have already lost. :confused:

If he could see that, he wouldn't be in this mess.

One more minute until the sexual predators take over NBC... ohhhh, the thrill! :p

JCan life get any sweeter or better for TV fans? Seriously, can it? :D :D :D

Thankfully, yes.

:p

I don't think Fox normally televises games this early in the season, homcom.

Last year it did broadcast one or two early Red Sox-Yankees games, but it would seem a Tigers-Royals early-season contest might not carry the same cachet (and I don't mean to be demeaning to fans of the AL champs -- or the Royals, for that matter).

I suspect it is a day game simply because of weather factors in KC that early in April. (The other KC Saturday home game in April is also a day game. Saturday night games don't begin in KC until May.)
There will be a FOX game every Saturday during the season this year. This is the first year of their new contact.

TBS's weekly Sunday afternoon game will start next year.

CBS pickups
(Variety.com)

Viva Laughlin (Sony/CBS Paramount)
Exec producers: Bob Lowry (writer), Hugh Jackman, Paul Talegdy
Logline: Musical drama following Ripley Holden and his family as they attempt to run a casino in Laughlin, Nev.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958337.html?categoryid=14&cs=1


Good God, no. Didn't these people learn anything from Cop Rock? Musical drama does not work on episodic TV. Actually, reading through these pickups, there isn't a lot I would be interested in watching.

I stand corrected.

Yet does a 1:10 PM CT game fall in the Fox time frame? I thought nthe games (almost) always started at 12:10 (or 3:20) CT.

Fox pickups
(Variety.com)

The Apostles (20th Century Fox TV)
Exec Producer: Chuck Pratt (writer)
Logline: Cops whose intense job pressure spills over to their personal lives

Canterbury's Law (Sony TV/Apostle)
Exec Producers: Denis Leary, Jim Serpico Writer: Dave Erickson
Logline: Female attorney makes waves while defending her innocent clients

The Cure (Warner Bros. TV/Weed Road Prods.)
Exec Producers: Patrick Massett and John Zinman (writers), Akiva Goldsman
Logline: A group of doctors that cuts red tape to treat patients

K-Ville (20th Century Fox TV)
Exec Producers: Jonathan Lisco (writer)
Logline: The few cops who stayed in New Orleans following Katrina

New Amsterdam (Regency TV/Scarlet Fire Films)
Exec Producers: Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor (writers), Lasse Hallstrom (directing), David Manson, Leslie Holleran, Steven Pearl Stars: Nikolaj Coster Waldau
Logline: Police detective who is secretly centuries old

NSA Innocent (20th Century Fox TV/Realtime Prods.)
Exec Producers: Bob Cochran and David Ehrman (writers), Jon Cassar (directing), Joel Surnow, Howard Gordon
Logline: Everyman is recruited by the NSA and forced to spy on his boss

Nurses (20th Century Fox TV/Shed Prods./Josephson Ent.)
Exec Producers: Barry Josephson, Eileen Gallagher, Ann McManus, PJ Hogan (director)
Writers: Samantha Goodman and Andrew Stern
Logline: Nurses in a big-city hospital

Sarah Connor Chronicles (Warner Bros. TV/C-2 Pictures)
Exec Producers: Josh Friedman, David Nutter, James Middleton, Mario Kassar, Andrew Vajna, Joel Michaels
Stars: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Richard T. Jones
Logline: "Terminator" character in L.A. fights attackers from the future.

Supreme Courtships (20th Century Fox TV/Adelstein Prods.)
Exec Producers: Gary Tieche (writer), Marty Adelstein, Michael Thorn Director: Ian Toynton
Logline: Six Supreme Court clerks' personal and professional lives

Them (CBS Paramount Network TV/Circle of Confusion)
Exec Producers: David Eick and John McNamara (writers), Jonathan Mostow (director)
Logline: Based on graphic novel "Six" about alien spies on Earth

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958299.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

January Cable Nielsen Notebook
Wrestling a Winner in January
By Anne Becker Broadcasting & Cable 1/30/2007

Wrestling and jump rope helped USA Network and Disney Channel to a near tie win in cable's January ratings. USA eked out a win with 2.74 million total viewers in prime, its WWE wrestling accounting for nearly ten of the month's 20 most viewed shows, according to Nielsen Media Research. Non-ad-supported Disney came in with 2.72 million viewers, on the strength of Jump In, its original movie about jump roping that premiered Jan. 12.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411697.html?display=Breaking+News


Oh god this will definitely feed McMahon's ego.... Maybe he will try to launch a new sports league again :D

Thanks for the article fredfa...

Does his ego need feeding? :)

Those FOX pickups look interesting for SciFi fans - although they're likely to get the quick axe once I start getting into them. I apologize in advance.

Does his ego [McMahon's] need feeding? :)

No, but it might give him some inflated ideas come renewal time with NBC-Universal for the USA Network contract.

And it is a production of NBC News.

Why deal with serious issues when you can scare kids and parent alike with this stuff?

Tim Russert must be SO proud.

Well, it is Dateline. I've never seen an episode of Dateline that could qualify as news, and certainly not news with any ounce of journalistic integrity.

Dateline is really just Access Hollywood minus the wrenching setups and intros. ESPN puts together better long-form news pieces most of the time. And when you think about it, Stone Phillips is really more a parody news anchor than an actual one.

Dateline is really just Access Hollywood minus the wrenching setups and intros.....

.............plus special effects and some pyrotechnics. ;)

Dateline is really just Access Hollywood minus the wrenching setups and intros.

They must also work for Hollywood action movies because they sure know how to make a truck blow up real good on-camera. :D

Those FOX pickups look interesting for SciFi fans - although they're likely to get the quick axe once I start getting into them. I apologize in advance.

As long as Fox has AI, I don't think it matters much what else they throw on the screen in the fall.

Those FOX pickups look interesting for SciFi fans - although they're likely to get the quick axe once I start getting into them. I apologize in advance.

Medical, Law and Order, Supernatural/Sci-Fi and one Supernatural Law Man :)

Cable Nielsen Ratings Notebook
Cable news auds up in January
Personalities pump nets
By Michael Learmonth Variety January 30, 2007

Cable news audiences grew broadly in January, driven by ratings gains for opinionated hosts helped by the Democratic takeover of Congress and a presidential field stocked with celebrities.

The highest-rated hour in cable news was the president's State of the Union address, which drew 4.6 million total viewers to cable; 45 million watched one of the broadcast nets.

MSNBC had the biggest growth among cable news nets in January, up 75% in primetime and justification for its new tagline "the fastest-growing news channel."

CNN also saw gains, but it's increasingly a two-horse race for second to Fox News Channel as MSNBC posted its smallest gap with CNN in total viewers .

FNC marked its fifth year in first place in January, with total-viewer numbers essentially flat from the previous year. The network's primetime lineup is up 9% over last year, averaging more than 1.9 million total viewers vs. 920,000 for CNN and 618,000 for MSNBC.

FNC was sixth in all of basic cable behind USA, TNT, TBS, A&E and Lifetime, while CNN and MSNBC were 25th and 31st, respectively.

Seeing the biggest growth were partisan, personality-driven shows, a model invented by FNC with hosts Bill O'Reilly and "Hannity & Colmes." "The O'Reilly Factor" continued its run as the highest-rated cable news show with an average of 2.5 million viewers a night, up 5%, padded thanks to a highly rated appearance by Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert.

CNN's biggest growth came in the 6 p.m. hour, with Lou Dobbs' opinionated newscast "Lou Dobbs Tonight," which gained 51% in total viewers and 98% in the 25-54 demo over last year.

MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," as close to a liberal firebrand as exists in cable news, also was up sharply, by 83% in total viewers and 83% in the 25-54 demo. Headline News' Glenn Beck, a conservative talkradio host, saw gains of 63% in total viewers and 70% in the 25-54 demo.

MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews" was up 50% in total viewers, 47% in the 25-54 demo.

MSNBC's little-noticed morning host Don Imus grew 47% in total viewers, edging CNN's "American Morning" 356,000 to 355,000.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958357.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Obituary
Sidney Sheldon, 89
Author, also wrote and produced several TV series

Author Sidney Sheldon died Tuesday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage CA. The Associated Press says the cause of death was complications from pneumonia.

(Wikipedia.com)— Sheldon was born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago, Illinois to a German Jewish father and a Russian Jewish mother. His career began in 1937 in Hollywood, California, where he reviewed scripts and collaborated on a number of B-movies. After a stint in the military as a pilot in the War Training Service, a branch of the Army Air Corps, during World War II, Sheldon returned to civilian life and began writing musicals for the Broadway stage while continuing to write screenplays for both MGM Studios and Paramount Pictures.

Over the years, Sheldon wrote for television, film, and stage, winning an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay (1947) for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, a Tony Award (1959) for his musical Redhead, and earned Emmy nominations for his work on I Dream of Jeannie, an NBC sitcom. Additionally, he created The Patty Duke Show and the ABC mystery series Hart to Hart.

In 1969, Sheldon wrote his first novel, The Naked Face which earned him the Best First Novel Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His next novel, The Other Side of Midnight, went to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list as did several ensuing novels, a number of which were also made into motion pictures or TV miniseries. He struggled with bipolar disorder for years; he nearly committed suicide at 17.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Sheldon

Cable Nielsen Ratings Notebook
Cable news auds up in January
Personalities pump nets
By Michael Learmonth Variety January 30, 2007

FNC marked its fifth year in first place in January, with total-viewer numbers essentially flat from the previous year. The network's primetime lineup is up 9% over last year, averaging more than 1.9 million total viewers vs. 920,000 for CNN and 618,000 for MSNBC.

FNC was sixth in all of basic cable behind USA, TNT, TBS, A&E and Lifetime, while CNN and MSNBC were 25th and 31st, respectively.

That... is... mighty impressive from just a business/TV/ratings standpoint. Roger Ailes said once his ultimate goal was for Fox News to be the #1 cable station (not just among news channels) and this is as close to reality as his vision has come.

Technology Notebook
Will Apple Change Our TV Experience?
Apple TV debate won't wait on product
By Paul Bond The Hollywood Reporter Jan 30, 2007

Like the iPod, Apple TV could be a phenomenon. A disrupter of lesser technology. A product that finally converges the computer with the TV set.

Or not.

Apple Inc. executives, including CEO Steve Jobs, have been calling Apple TV a DVD player for the 21st century. They are aiming for mainstream adoption, not just the niche inhabited by technology geeks or lovers of all things Apple.

Apple TV, due next month, basically is a set-top device that lets media residing in one's iTunes library, including music, TV shows, feature films and podcasts, to be enjoyed on TV screens. Wirelessly.

It will come equipped with a hard drive with enough capacity for 50 hours of movies and TV shows or about 9,000 songs.

Apple TV also lets users store and display on TV screens their own photos and home movies and will show movie trailers via Apple.com.

Analysts and Internet bloggers have been busy trying to figure out whether Apple TV will be a hit or miss -- or something in between -- since Jobs first spoke of an iTV gadget last year. A few weeks ago, he revealed the box and its exact functionality, as well as its change of name, only further fueling the debate.

"Wouldn't it be nice to just scroll through a list of your movies and TV shows and just pick the one you want?" one blogger asks.

"Apple TV is a solution in search of a problem," counters another. "Everything this $300 thing can do for me I can do with a $20 cable and my iPod."

Plus, iTunes movies and TV shows are available for purchase on DVD or could easily have been recorded by a TiVo or other DVR. The true point of iTunes video is to make portable the stuff that you once needed a TV set for, Jupiter Research analyst Todd Chanko said.

"Is there really going to be a market for exporting that content back to the TV?" Chanko asks.

Absolutely, counters Tobin Smith of ChangeWave Research, pointing to polling data to support his assertion.

In December, Smith asked 228 members of his ChangeWave Alliance who are electronics industry professionals to name the company they thought was most likely to see success with "media centers," defined as high-power devices capable of managing digital content around the home.

Apple, at 43%, was tops, followed by Sony (14%), Microsoft (11%), TiVo (8%), Hewlett-Packard (7%), Samsung (4%), Cisco Systems (4%) and Dell (4%).

He also asked the panel about Apple TV specifically, and 65% predicted it is "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to be a huge success in the first year. Only 30% predicted it was somewhat or very unlikely to succeed.

"It's simple," Smith said. "Apple will soon deliver the 100% turnkey home computing, viewing, listening system."

Look for Apple to next start selling LCD monitors up to 65 inches with Apple TV and wireless broadband connectivity built into them, Smith said.

"One wireless touch-screen remote running on WiFi, one portable keyboard for e-mails and text messaging and one box to run it all wirelessly to any monitor or PC in your house," he said.

Not so fast, other analysts cautioned.

Citigroup's Tony Wible doesn't see Apple TV "gaining widespread adoption in the near term" because of its $299 price tag and limited storage. He also calls it a "more complicated solution" than offered by others.

TiVo, and other DVRs, have similar capabilities and DVRs will "represent a viable download platform in the future" for movies, he said.

Either way, Apple TV further increases the company's focus on consumer electronics and entertainment products. Its iPod business already brought in the majority of overall company revenue for its latest fiscal year.

Sean Badding, a senior analyst with the Carmel Group, said that if Apple can sell 500,000 Apple TV units in the first year then he will consider it a success.

"It's not a breakthrough product," he said. "Networking a computer to TV wirelessly has been done before. The question is, can Apple do it better? They weren't first to market with a digital music player either, but they blew the doors off the competition with their iPod."

A couple of years from now, Apple TV, in addition to what it will be when it launches next month, also might have morphed into a DVR and even a video game platform, Badding said. "Hey, it has got the Apple name and Steve Jobs at the helm, and that's what will be on people's minds when they go out there kicking the tires on Apple TV," he said.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/business/news/e3i7075a3b0dbd2f10609f2d0132b458770

Obituary
Sidney Sheldon, 89
Author, also wrote and produced several TV series
By Bettijane Levine and Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers January 30, 2007

'In a book, your imagination has no limits. There is no budget to worry about, you can have as many characters as you want, you can give them all yachts.... It's remarkable to write a novel, because the author is the star..
— Sidney Sheldon, on being a novelist after a successful career in movies, Broadway and TV

Sidney Sheldon, a writer whose keen grasp of popular tastes fueled a string of feverishly romantic and suspenseful books that made him a perennial bestseller with millions of copies in print around the world, died Tuesday. He was 89. Sheldon died of pneumonia at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, according to his friend and publicist Warren Cowan.

A multifaceted writer, Sheldon won a screenwriting Oscar, a Tony award and had created popular television sitcoms before starting his first novel at the age of 52. But it was through the novels that he gained his overriding fame.

His books usually revolved around characters of great wealth, beauty, brilliance and bedroom prowess — none of which protected them from infidelity, betrayal and indiscretion. Sheldon's protagonists were usually women and his plots were so artfully constructed that his books are the very definition of a page-turner.

He was one of the world's most translated authors, selling more than 300 million books in 180 countries. They were printed in 51 languages, including Urdu, which is spoken in Pakistan and India, and Swahili.

With his second novel, "The Other Side of Midnight" (1974), Sheldon broke into the blockbuster ranks; the book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 53 weeks — a record at the time.

About half of his 18 novels — with such titles as "Rage of Angels" (1980) and "Memories of Midnight" (1990) — were turned into television movies or miniseries. Demand for his stories was so great that CBS executives reportedly paid Sheldon $1 million for the rights to make a miniseries of 1985's "If Tomorrow Comes" before they had even read it.

Some critics said his dialogue was banal and his plots were unbelievable, but many grudgingly acknowledged the author's unusual talent at producing what the Washington Post once called "good junk reading time after time."

After Sheldon's 1987 novel "Windmills of the Gods" debuted at No. 1 on bestseller lists, Charles Champlin, then The Times' arts editor, wrote that Sheldon had found "a statistically wider audience each time, evidently satisfying everyone except most literary critics, who regard popularity and quality as incompatible."

Fans admired plotlines that were amazingly complex yet easy to follow — and the colorful characters who could never be counted on to do the expected.

"Sydney's longevity secret is that he is a great storyteller, a master of the narrative tale," his literary agent, Mort Janklow, told The Times in 2004. "Readers care about his characters, many of whom are women under threat. He has an instinctive ability to read women's emotions."

For his part, Sheldon said: "I don't write for critics. I write for readers."

From the early 1940s until almost 1970, he had written mainly for viewers.

Wins Oscar in 1948

His wry and witty script for "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (1947) won him an Academy Award for original screenplay. The farce, which starred Cary Grant and Shirley Temple, was "uncloyed with cuteness," the New York Times review said at the time.

Sheldon was also a screenwriter for the Judy Garland-Fred Astaire musical "Easter Parade" (1948) and the Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949). After he helped adapt the Irving Berlin hit "Annie Get Your Gun" to the big screen, the 1950 Betty Hutton-Howard Keel vehicle received generally favorable reviews.

He wrote half a dozen plays for Broadway. His biggest hit was the musical "Redhead," starring Gwen Verdon, ran for a little more than a year from 1959 to 1960 and brought him a Tony for co-writing the book.

After working on about two-dozen films, he turned toward television, writing scores of episodes for two hit sitcoms he created — "The Patty Duke Show" (ABC, 1963-66) and "I Dream of Jeannie" (NBC, 1965-70), according to Sheldon's memoir "The Other Side of Me" (2005).

Creating a show for Duke was a challenge because "she was so extraordinarily talented I did not want to waste her abilities," Sheldon wrote. He decided she should play twin sisters but changed it to look-alike cousins to explain why the characters had grown up without knowing each other.

"Jeannie," which starred Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, opened to mixed reviews but had a loyal fan base, Sheldon wrote. One episode, "Bigger Than a Bread Box and Better Than a Genie," featured Sheldon's wife, Jorja, as a fortuneteller and his mother as a character in a seance scene.

He also created the glamorous "Hart to Hart" series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers, that aired on ABC from 1979-84.

He was born Sidney Schechtel on Feb. 11, 1917, in Chicago, the son of Otto, a salesman, and Natalie, a homemaker. Unable to pay the rent, the family kept moving and Sheldon attended about a dozen schools.

Sheldon later remarked that his career as a writer was rather improbable considering his background.

Becoming a writer

"Both my parents were third-grade dropouts," he said. "My father never read a book in his life and I was the only one in my family to complete high school."

Sheldon won a scholarship to Northwestern University. Although he was forced to drop out halfway through his freshman year because of the financial pressures of the Depression, he recalled having an epiphany of sorts as he walked on campus one day.

"I saw all these well-dressed students, and I thought that years from now, no one will ever know they existed," he wrote years later. "I wanted to leave a mark, I wanted people to know I was here."

He made up the last name of Sheldon in the mid-1930s when he entered an amateur radio contest as an announcer.

At first, he worked in Chicago as a theater usher, shoe salesman and attendant in a nightclub checkroom. After the club's bandleader, Phil Levant, played a song Sheldon wrote, Sheldon left for New York City to try to make it as a songwriter. While there, he saw a lot of movies and turned his thoughts toward Hollywood.

Soon, he was in Los Angeles — he wanted to be a screenwriter but had promised his parents he would return to Chicago if he didn't have a job within three weeks.

Repeatedly, he was turned away from movie studio gates. As time was running out, he learned that producers hired readers to help analyze scripts. Since he had just read John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," Sheldon sent synopses of the classic to every studio and was soon working at Universal for $17 a week, he told The Times in 1992.

At his boarding house, Sheldon met a young writer named Ben Roberts and they began collaborating on "B" movies like "South of Panama," "Gambling Daughters" and "Borrowed Hero," all released in 1941.

"I can't even call them 'B' pictures," Sheldon once said. "They were 'Z' pictures. But we got paid and we got screen credits. We were professionals."

At the start of World War II, Sheldon enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces but within months he was discharged for medical reasons. He began collaborating with Roberts on a revival of the musical "The Merry Widow," which ran for nine months beginning in 1943.

Two other musicals they wrote, the comedy "Jackpot" and the fantasy "Dream With Music," had brief Broadway runs about the same time.

Back in Hollywood, Sheldon won an Oscar for "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" but couldn't wait to leave Shrine Auditorium.

"On what should have been the happiest night of my life, I was suicidal," Sheldon wrote in his autobiography of the paralyzing mood swings. A psychiatrist soon diagnosed him as manic-depressive, Sheldon wrote in his memoir.

In midlife, he turned to writing novels, a career change that came about almost accidentally, he often told interviewers:

"I had an idea for something complicated, that delved into people's minds and motives to a greater extent than I could put in any film or TV script. Trying to put it into novel form was the only answer."

"The Naked Face," published in 1970, did not sell well, but readers loved his second novel, "The Other Side of Midnight," the so-bad-it's-good guilty pleasure set in World War II. It centers on a beautiful French woman named Noelle Page who is spurned by a dashing American pilot and spends the rest of her life obsessed with him.

Almost all of Sheldon's books hit the bestseller lists after that.

In his fourth novel, "Bloodline," a beautiful heiress becomes the target of the man who murdered her father. In his sixth, "Master of the Game," the Blackwell family rises to riches in the diamond mines of South Africa. In 1991's "The Doomsday Conspiracy," a naval intelligence officer must find witnesses to the crash of a weather balloon that could actually be a UFO.

His 18th novel, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?," which was published when he was 87, was a New York Times bestseller shortly after its release in 2004.

In his personal life, Sheldon was the opposite of the love 'em and leave 'em cads who populate so many of his works.

Married for 33 years

After a brief first marriage, he was married to his second wife, Jorja Curtright, for 33 years; she died in 1985 of a heart attack. In 1989, he married Alexandra Kostoff. Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter from his first marriage, Mary, who is a novelist; two grandchildren; and his brother Richard.

During most of his writing years, Sheldon and his family traveled the world together, researching and taking photos of the locations where he planned to set his next novel.

"If you read the description of a hotel, or of a restaurant meal, you can bet we actually stayed at that hotel or ate that exact meal.... That's what makes my books so realistic," he told an interviewer.

He wrote every day, first "ad-libbing" an initial and very long draft, which was transcribed by a secretary, and then rewriting and editing what he had written.

Over the years, he also wrote popular children's books. He owned a string of luxurious homes, finally settling in Beverly Hills and in a five-house compound in Palm Springs.

He told the Times in 2000 that he thought the profession of author suited him best.

"In a book, your imagination has no limits," Sheldon said. "There is no budget to worry about, you can have as many characters as you want, you can give them all yachts.... It's remarkable to write a novel, because the author is the star."

Services will be private.

The family suggests that memorial donations be made to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90027. A celebration of Sheldon's life will be held later.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-sheldon31jan31,0,6905769,full.story?coll=la-home-obituaries

TV Notebook
The February Sweep
Mark your calendar as networks put forth their best

The Super Bowl, the Oscars and the Grammys, all in one month?

Say hello to TV's February sweeps; USA TODAY's Robert Bianco leads you through the high points (times are p.m. ET/PT except as noted).

Feb. 1
30 Rock (NBC, 9:30)
Only one woman ever rocked Jack's world: Isabella Rossellini. And she was smart enough to dump him.

Feb. 4
Super Bowl Sunday (CBS, all day)
The day starts with an afternoon-long warm-up show and ends with a special (ugh) Criminal Minds. In between, there's a football game.

Feb. 5
Rules of Engagement (CBS, 9:30)
Two couples, one engaged, one long married, interact. If you're going to steal, steal from a better show than Til Death.

Feb. 7
Lost (ABC, 10)
One of television's best shows returns for an uninterrupted run with a new time slot and, if we're lucky, an old Other-free focus. Back to the beach, please.

Feb. 8
Survivor (CBS, 8)
New castaways make camp as one of TV's more popular games starts a new season — this time without a tasteless, racially divisive stunt.

Feb. 11
The Grammys (CBS, 8)
The music industry hands out its biggest awards on a broadcast that could host one of the year's biggest reunions: The Police. (Or not; it's a live show.)

Feb. 12
24 (Fox, 8)

Jack's day gets even busier as it expands for a two-hour special. And to make matters worse, the vice president (Powers Boothe) is involved.

Feb. 12
Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 9)
Grey's concludes a two-part episode that may serve to switch the focus from backstage to onscreen. At least we can hope.

Feb. 18
Amazing Race All-Stars (CBS, 8)
Why, yes, if by "stars" you mean people we've seen before and vaguely remember.

Feb. 20
American Idol (Fox, 8)
America's favorite show starts its semifinals with a three-night special: Men sing, women sing, live results. Other networks tremble.

Feb. 21
Jericho (CBS, 8)
The drama returns from its winter hiatus to face Idol. And those folks thought a nuclear bomb was bad.

Feb. 22
The OC (Fox, 9)
Goodbye to a once-hot show making an early, cold-weather exit — a fairly good comment on the vagaries of TV fortunes.

Feb. 25
The Oscars (ABC, 8 ET/5 PT)
What's the only TV special that can compete in ratings (and in some hearts and minds) with the Super Bowl? The Oscars, hosted this year by Ellen DeGeneres.

Feb. 26
Heroes (NBC, 9)
Does someone die tonight? Probably. Will it be someone you'd miss? Probably not.

Feb. 28
Next Top Model (CW, 8)
End the sweeps with the return of one of reality's more entertaining shows — and the only one, outside of nature shows, that regularly uses the word "fierce."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-01-30-feb-sweeps_x.htm

TV Notebook
A Little Bit of a Bad Thing Can Be Good
By Neil Genzlinger The New York Times January 31, 2007

Forgive that older gentleman in Malibu, Calif., if he was not among the millions mesmerized by “American Idol” last night. For one thing, it was his 85th birthday, and he might have had better things to do. For another, this notion of singers so wincingly bad that you can’t turn away? Been there. Done that. About 40 years ago.

The gentleman is Dick Martin, and once upon a time he; his comic partner, Dan Rowan; and his executive producer, George Schlatter, stared dumbfounded as a guy with stringy hair, a ukulele and a ridiculous falsetto voice auditioned for their new show, “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.”

“Someone brought him in, and we thought George was putting us on, and he thought we were putting him on,” Mr. Martin recalled. “I stared at him and thought, ‘God, that was funny, but it worked.’ ”

The ukulele-strummer was Herbert Khaury, better known as Tiny Tim, and how brutally Simon Cowell and the other “Idol” judges would have dismissed him is frightening to contemplate. Mr. Martin and company, though, made him a “Laugh-In” regular — but in small doses. Brevity, Mr. Martin said, is the key to keeping a spectacle like Tiny Tim funny, and it’s why he has not been a regular watcher of “Idol” or similar reality shows: too much of a bad thing.

“Good God, they’re terrible,” he said. “We did that on purpose. But you can’t do it too long, or too often.”

Mr. Martin spoke in a telephone interview coinciding with a couple of milestones: not only his birthday, but also the 40th anniversary of the creation of “Laugh-In.” Oh, the real 40th-anniversary hoopla will be about a year from now — the show had its debut as a series in January 1968 — but before that there was a test run, a pilot broadcast on NBC in 1967.

“It didn’t do much in the ratings,” Mr. Martin recalled, “but it got a significant amount of mail.” That led to the series, tossed into NBC’s schedule as a midseason replacement for “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”

“By the eighth show we were the No. 1 show in the country,” Mr. Martin said. “No one was more surprised than NBC.”

Mr. Martin and Mr. Rowan, who died in 1987, had until “Laugh-In” been a fairly conventional nightclub act. The comic Tommy Noonan had introduced the two in 1952, taking Mr. Rowan, who was selling cars for a living, into the establishment in Los Angeles where Mr. Martin was tending bar. They hit it off, and hit the road.

“We were a very inexpensive act for the club owner to buy,” Mr. Martin recalled. “We didn’t have music. We didn’t have props or anything. We had a rented tuxedo.”

Their gimmick was simple and timeless: a smart guy and (this would be Mr. Martin) a not-so-smart guy.

“What our act basically was over the years is, he would tell me about things, and I would find everything incredulous,” Mr. Martin said. “And sexy.”

It worked nicely on conventional television — the two made frequent appearances on Ed Sullivan’s show and were guest hosts of Dean Martin’s show for the summer of 1966. But there was nothing conventional about “Laugh-In,” which shattered the variety-show mold with an avalanche of gags strung together with quick cuts and catchphrases like “Sock it to me” that were soon on everyone’s lips.

“Our whole premise when we started it was, we had a shoebox full of cartoons from The Saturday Evening Post, Playboy, The New Yorker, and 90 percent of them were one frame,” Mr. Martin said. “You could tell a joke in that length of time.”

Mr. Rowan and Mr. Martin delivered some of the material, often with a ribald undercurrent. (Mr. Rowan, fretting about Mr. Martin’s gaunt appearance: “For your own good, you should pick up some weight.” Mr. Martin: “Shoulda been with me last night. I picked up 118 pounds.”) An assortment of no-name young troupe members (Judy Carne, Arte Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, Flip Wilson) and big-name guests (Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Richard M. Nixon) delivered the rest.

It all zipped by at a pace that made other shows seem as if they were shot in slow motion. And though “Laugh-In” may share the national-phenomenon credentials of “American Idol,” Mr. Martin said he saw evidence of the show’s pacing and film techniques in a different Fox show, one that he does watch regularly: “24,” the counterterrorism drama.

It’s not just the short segments and the urgency; it’s the challenge to the viewers to keep up. The running gags and incongruous juxtapositions of “Laugh-In” aren’t so dissimilar from the running story lines and unnerving twists of “24,” and though “Laugh-In” is often credited with expanding what could be done on television, Mr. Martin suggested that it also expanded the definition of the audience.

“They got it quickly,” he said of those viewers back in the 1960s.

After “Laugh-In” went off the air in 1973, Mr. Martin had some success as a director, including on the sitcoms of his friend Bob Newhart. What among television’s offerings makes him laugh today?

Not much.

“I liked ‘Frasier,’ ” he said. But, he added a bit glumly, “I can’t find anything funny today.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/arts/television/31mart.html?ref=television&pagewanted=print

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers
42 Million: A Nice Figure for Speech
By Lisa de Moraes Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Fox's so-called "Death Star" series "American Idol" continued its scorched-earth sweep across the prime-time landscape for a second week. Happily, President Bush survived unscathed.

Here's a look at the week's asbestos and cinders:

WINNERS

George W. Bush. The annual State of the Union address to Congress clocked nearly 46 million viewers when you cume the crowd from the various networks that carried the speech. That's Bush's third-largest SOTU number, well above last year's 42 million, and behind only the two he delivered soon after 9/11 and shortly before launching the Iraq war.

"Heroes." NBC's freshman drama, off the lineup since Dec. 4, returned in triumph with a small but symbolic time slot win -- 15 million viewers to 14.5 million -- over Fox's newly returned "24." Maybe more important to the serialized drama, despite stiff "24" competition, "Heroes" returned with virtually the same audience it had left hanging in December.

Screen Actors Guild Awards. It's no Golden Globes, but the simulcast of this trophy show on TBS and TNT logged nearly 6 million viewers, up from 5.4 million in 2006.

"Prison Break." Fox's sophomore drama may be down but it's not out, returning from hiatus with a season-high 10 million viewers.

Monday "Deal or No Deal." So, before you start writing your TV 101 term paper about the transcendent entity that is "Prison Break," be aware that NBC's screaming-at-briefcases series logged about 8 million more viewers in that time slot last week, also trouncing "Prison Break" among younger viewers.

"American Idol." Hampered with a downer SOTU lead-out on Tuesday, bad-auditions "Idol" nonetheless snagged about 2.4 million more viewers than last year's pre-SOTU bad-auditions "Idol." And Wednesday's more-bad-auditions "Idol" was up compared with the same Wednesday last season.

"CSI: Miami" snagged its biggest audience this season by just dusting off that old "Det. [fill-in-the-blank]'s life hangs in the balance when he steps on a land mine while investigating a crime scene and [the show's star] and the bomb squad must work to defuse it before it detonates" story line.

LOSERS

"Armed & Famous." CBS shot down the gang of C-listers it had armed with guns and sent out with Muncie, Ind., cops for the amusement of the TV-viewing population when the audience shrank from a debut 8 million to last Wednesday's 4 million-and-change opposite "American Idol." VH1 said it will run the next episode, and the four that CBS broadcast, on Saturday.

"Knights of Prosperity." When a series comes up against "American Idol," a network does not expect much but does hope the show can avoid having "Idol" amass 10 times the audience. Both ABC's "Knights" and "In Case of Emergency" failed to meet that threshold on Wednesday. ABC has flip-flopped "Knights" and "According to Jim" so "Jim" now airs at 9 p.m. and "Knights" at 8:30 -- out of "Idol's" path. "Emergency" wasn't so lucky. Nothing's been announced.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001776_pf.html

TV Notebook
A Little Bit of a Bad Thing Can Be Good
By Neil Genzlinger The New York Times January 31, 2007

It's funny. I watch Match Game every day and Dick Martin was a frequent panelist back in the day. To me Dick, like Richard Dawson/Charles Nelson Reilly/Brett Sommers/etc., remains frozen in time as one of the better 'MG' stars. Good to know Dick is alive and well. :)

P.S.: I watched repeats of Laugh-In when Trio ran it weekday mornings last year. Try as I might I just couldn't get into it or find humor in all the dated references. Truly a one-of-a-kind show that worked well for its time and era but hasn't stood the test of time.

TV Notebook
Viewers are kind to 'Idol'
By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Idol torrid. The second week of American Idol auditions averaged 32.6 million viewers Tuesday and 33.9 million Wednesday. While down from the record 37.4 million season opener, through two weeks the show is tracking 4% above last year with its best start yet.

•Dueling heroes. The return of NBC's Heroes (14.9 million viewers) Monday vanquished Fox's 24 (14.5 million), but not by much, and both were unhurt: Heroes matched its previous (though below-average) telecast Dec. 4; 24, down from its week-ago time-slot premiere, was up slightly from the comparable week last season.

•Jailbirds. The return of Fox's Prison Break after an eight-week break earned a season-high 9.9 million viewers Monday.

•State of the Union. President Bush's address to Congress averaged 45.5 million viewers across eight broadcast, cable news and Spanish-language networks, up from 41.7 million for the address (on seven networks) in 2006. (The ad-free broadcasts are not included in Nielsen's network chart.)

•Delayed openers. The 11th-season premiere of Fox's King of the Hill Sunday averaged 7.3 million viewers, up slightly from last season's start in an earlier Sunday time slot. And the sixth-season launch of ABC's George Lopez Wednesday averaged 6.1 million viewers, its weakest start yet and down from 9.1 million in fall 2005.

•Grease not growing. NBC's Grease: You're the One That I Want dipped again Sunday to a series-low 7.3 million viewers for a two-hour live episode.

•SAG not sagging. Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards averaged a combined 5.9 million viewers on TNT and TBS, up from 5.4 million last year, to its biggest audience since NBC last aired the awards in 1997.

•Cable corner. Nickelodeon's Naked Brothers Band Movie, a precursor to the series about pint-sized musicians, averaged a modest 2.7 million viewers Saturday. MTV's Engaged and Underage opened with 1.7 million Monday. And FX's Dirt dipped to a low 1.9 million Tuesday, half the audience of its Jan. 2 premiere.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-01-30-nielsens-analysis_x.htm

As long as Fox has AI, I don't think it matters much what else they throw on the screen in the fall.

Thats true, but they still worry about the fall though. That is why the post season Baseball is being divided up with other networks. It sucks too much out of the fall schedule and they have to do what amounts to two launches a season, pre Baseball and post Baseball and the second is always harder because the shows on hiatus have to reestablish against shows that now have a viewing pattern and you see all of the dead shows start falling shortly after until AI and 24. IMHO, not a way to do things.

Just ask ABC about putting all of you eggs in one "Millionaire" basket.

or all of their eggs in 5 "Millionaire" baskets :)

FONT=ARIAL BLACK] Nielsen Ratings Notebook[/FONT]
The one show 'Idol' can't stop: 'Bella'
Univision’s Mexican 'Ugly Betty' is actually up
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 31, 2007

“American Idol” has whacked nearly every show in its path this season. Viewership has plummeted for competing programs such as CBS’s “Armed & Famous,” NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” and ABC’s “The Knights of Prosperity.”

There's but one exception: Univision’s “La Fea Mas Bella.” Though the Mexican telenovela appeals to the same young adults 18-34 audience as “Idol,” its viewership has actually been growing in recent weeks against the Fox behemoth.

“Bella’s” two highest-rated episodes last week, the week ended Jan. 28, aired opposite “Idol” on Tuesday and Wednesday, when it averaged a 2.8 rating in adults 18-49. In terms of total viewers, it was the show's second-most-watched week ever in that demo, averaging 3.5 million 18-49s.

And in adults 18-34, it ranked second behind “Idol” on both nights, averaging a 3.1, a full 0.8 points ahead of anything else airing against "Idol" on either night.

Further, against the season premiere of the Fox show two weeks ago, “Bella” had its most-watched week ever, averaging 6.2 million total viewers in the 8 p.m. weeknight timeslot.

Why is “Bella” thriving while “Idol” bludgeons most of the competition?

One reason is its romantic plotline, which has been building for weeks, and at such a pace that even “Idol” can't draw fans away. As with the American series on ABC, both of them remakes of the original Colombian telenovela, the show follows the romantic adventures of a woman of considerable smarts but not the greatest looks who works for a gorgeous male boss.

Another is that “Idol” simply isn’t as popular in Hispanic households, making it less of a threat to “Bella.” The four-hour “Idol” season premiere averaged a 16 household share among Hispanics, barely half the 30 share it averaged in English-speaking households.

Finally, as a melodramatic romance, “Bella” appeals to a very different audience than “Idol," especially in these early episodes, when the reality show is more comedy than anything, as contestants make fools of themselves in what are often wacky auditions.

Meanwhile, in broadcast ratings for the week ended Jan. 28:

Among adults 18-49, Fox finished first rather comfortably with a 5.2 average rating and a 14 share. Fox was followed by CBS at 3.0/8, ABC at 2.9/8, NBC at 2.6/7, Univision at 1.7/4, CW at 1.3/3, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Among adults 18-34, Fox was first at 4.9/15, followed by ABC at 2.3/7, NBC at 2.1/6, CBS at 1.9/6, Univision at 1.8/5, CW at 1.5/4, Telemundo at 0.5/1, Telefutura at 0.4/1, and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Among adults 25-54, Fox was first at 5.5/15, followed by CBS at 4.0/10, ABC at 3.3/8, NBC at 3.1/8, Univision at 1.6/4, CW at 1.3/3, Telemundo and Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca at 0.1/0.

Top five (18-49s): 1. Fox’s “American Idol - Wednesday” 14.1; 2. Fox’s “American Idol - Tuesday” 13.3; 3. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 8.9; 4. CBS’s “CSI” 6.7; 5. NBC’s “Heroes” 6.6.

Top five (total viewers): 1. Fox’s “American Idol - Wednesday” 33.87 million; 2. Fox’s “American Idol - Tuesday” 32.60 million; 3. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 21.50 million; 4. CBS’s “CSI” 21.17 million; 5. CBS’s “CSI: Miami” 18.85 million.

Bottom five (18-49s): Tie-94. NBC’s “Dateline - Saturday,” CW’s “Girlfriends,” “All of Us,” and “The Game” 1.1; Tie-100. CW’s “Reba,” “Beauty and the Geek Encore” and “Reba” 1.0; 103. NBC’s “Crossing Jordan” 0.8.

Bottom five (total viewers): 99. CW’s “All of Us” 2.46 million; Tie-100. CW’s “The Game” and “Girlfriends” 2.25 million; 102. CW’s “One Tree Hill” 2.23 million; 103. CW’s “Beauty and the Geek Encore” 1.88 million.

Show on the rise: “What About Brian” ABC, Monday 10 p.m. “Brian” saw week-to-week increases despite airing against originals of CBS’s “CSI: Miami” and NBC’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” The show jumped 14 percent among 18-49s to a 2.5 rating, a week after posting a 2.2 while airing against the Golden Globes.

Show on the decline: “Armed & Famous,” CBS, Wednesday 8 p.m. After four low-rated outings, the show has been canned.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9856.asp

Lowest Rated Shows By Network
Week of January 22-28

These are the lowest-rated original run programs by network for last week.

Shows are listed by overall rank and viewers in millions.

70 Brothers & Sisters (Sun.) ABC 5.75
74 What About Brian ABC 5.33
75 “State of the Union Analysis 2” ABC 5.31
95t Knights of Prosperity ABC 3.57
110 In Case of Emergency ABC 2.98
35 Close to Home CBS 8.42
39 48 Hours Mystery CBS 7.97
45 Ghost Whisperer CBS 7.47
49 Crimetime Saturday (9 p.m.) CBS 7.05
51 Crimetime Saturday (8 p.m.) CBS 6.82
115 Everybody Hates Chris CW 2.83
119 All of Us CW 2.46
120t The Game CW 2.25
120t Girlfriends CW 2.25
122 One Tree Hill CW 2.23
54 Cops (8:30 p.m.) FOX 6.53
57 America’s Most Wanted FOX 6.37
82 Nanny 911 FOX 4.58
95t The O.C. FOX 3.57
102 War at Home (Sun.) FOX 3.31
78 Scrubs NBC 4.98
79 Dateline: NBC (Sat.) NBC 4.96
81 The Office (Thu.,10 p.m.) NBC 4.69
88 The Office (Thu., 10:30 p.m.) NBC 4.11
90 30 Rock NBC 3.86

Highest Rated Shows By Network
Week of January 22-28
These are the lowest-rated original run programs by network for last week.

Shows are listed by overall rank and viewers in millions.

3 Grey's Anatomy (Thu.) ABC 21.50
18 Extreme Makeover: Home Ed ABC 12.08
19 Men in Trees ABC 10.66
20 Funniest Home Videos (Sun.) ABC 10.43
23 Ugly Betty ABC 9.84
4 CSI CBS 21.17
5 CSI: Miami (Mon.) CBS 18.85
7 Two and a Half Men (Mon.) CBS 15.85
8 Cold Case CBS 15.13
10 NCIS CBS 14.83
77 Smallville CW 5.00
83 Friday Night Smackdown CW 4.50
91 Gilmore Girls CW 3.72
98 Reba (7:30 p.m.) CW 3.56
100 Supernatural CW 3.42
1 American Idol (Wed.) FOX 33.87
2 American Idol (Tue.) FOX 32.60
12 24 FOX 14.47
22 Prison Break FOX 9.86
31 Family Guy FOX 8.80
6 Deal or No Deal (Mon.) NBC 17.61
9 Heroes NBC 14.90
21 Deal or No Deal (Wed.) NBC 9.88
26 1 vs. 100 NBC 9.36
32 Medium NBC 8.72

Tuesday’s metered market over-night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted just near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
National Ratings in Prime Time:
Week of January 22-28, 2007

Led by American Idol and 24, and season-high performances for Prison Break and Trading Spouses, Fox was the most-watched network for the week of Jan. 22, 2007, with a rock-solid first-place finish among adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. Comparably, Fox outdelivered second-place CBS by a significant 73 percent in adults 18-49, while beating the No. 2 and 3 networks among adults 18-34 -- ABC and NBC -- combined. Year-to-year, however, Fox was down by margins of 3 to 9 percent. As long as there is American Idol, Fox will reign supreme.

Elsewhere, CBS still managed to score a victory in households, while finishing second in total viewers, adults 25-54 and the aforementioned adults 18-49. Yearly losses for the Eye net were as much as 24 percent among adults 18-34 (which the network ranked No. 4 in). Excluding a distant second-place finish among adults 18-34, ABC ranked No. 3 for the week, with losses ranging from a hefty 21 to 27 percent. Fourth-place NBC was also down year-to-year, while cellar-dweller the CW managed to build from the now defunct UPN.

In the battle of NBC’s Heroes (which returned with an original episode for the first time in seven weeks) versus Fox’s 24, NBC’s Heroes had the advantage. But neither rock-solid drama could top CBS’ competing Two and a Half Men in total viewers. Take a look at CBS, NBC and Fox in the Monday 9-10 p.m. hour (and note how successfully shows on three networks can co-exist in a time period):

Two and a Half Men (CBS) – 9 p.m.
Viewers: 15.85 million (#7)
A18-49: 4.8/11 (#9)

The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) – 9:30 p.m.
Viewers: 12.81 million (#16)
A18-49: 4.1/ 9 (#13)

Heroes (NBC)
Viewers: 14.90 million (#9)
A18-49: 6.6/15 (#5)

24 (Fox)
Viewers: 14.47 million (#12)
A18-49: 5.4/12 (#7)
.
Here are the final national ratings for the week of January 22-38, 2007 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses for the Big 4 -- the CW is not included), followed by the top 30 ranked programs for the week in total viewers and adults 18-49.

Households:
CBS: 7.5 rating/12 share (-14)
Fox: 7.4/11 (- 3)
ABC: 5.2/ 8 (-26)
NBC: 5.0/ 8 (- 7)
CW: 2.1/ 3

Total Viewers:
Fox: 12.56 million (- 4)
CBS: 11.64 (-13)
ABC: 7.99 (-27)
NBC: 7.74 (- 5)
CW: 3.29

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 5.2 rating/14 share (- 7)
CBS: 3.0/ 8 (-23)
ABC: 2.9/ 8 (-22)
NBC: 2.6/ 7 (-10)
CW: 1.3/ 3

Adults 25-54:
Fox: 5.5/13 (- 7)
CBS: 4.0/10 (-20)
ABC: 3.3/ 8 (-27)
NBC: 3.1/ 8 (- 9)
CW: 1.3/ 3

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 4.9/15 (- 9)
ABC: 2.3/ 7 (-21)
NBC: 2.1/ 6 (- 9)
CBS: 1.9/ 6 (-24)
CW: 1.5/ 4

TOP 30 RATED PROGRAMS OF THE WEEK
R = repeat

Total Viewers:
American Idol – Wednesday (Fox: 33.87 million)
American Idol – Tuesday (Fox: 32.60)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC: 21.50)
CSI (CBS: 21.17)
CSI: Miami (CBS: 18.85)
Deal or No Deal – Monday (NBC: 17.61)
Two and a Half Men (CBS: 15.85)
Cold Case (CBS: 15.13)
Heroes (NBC: 14.90)
NCIS (CBS: 14.83)
Movie: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Valley of Light (CBS: 14.77)
24 (Fox: 14.47)
60 Minutes (CBS: 14.27)
Shark (CBS: 14.11)
CSI: NY (CBS: 13.35)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS: 12.81)
CSI: Miami R (CBS
Thurs. 8 p.m.: 12.23)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition R (ABC: 12.09)
Men in Trees (ABC: 10.66)
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC: 10.43)
Deal or No Deal – Wednesday (NBC: 9.88)
Ugly Betty R (ABC: 9.84)
Desperate Housewives R (ABC: 9.70)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS: 9.42)
1 vs. 100 (NBC: 9.36)
Supernanny (ABC: 9.17)
Criminal Minds R (CBS: 9.03)
The Class (CBS: 8.89)
State of the Union Analysis (NBC: 8.89)

Adults 18-49:
American Idol – Wednesday (Fox: 14.1 rating/35 share)
American Idol – Tuesday (Fox: 13.3/33)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC: 8.9/21)
CSI (CBS: 6.7/16)
Heroes (NBC: 6.6/15)
CSI: Miami (CBS: 6.1/15)
24 (Fox: 5.4/12)
Deal or No Deal – Monday (NBC: 5.2/13)
Two and a Half Men (CBS: 4.8/11)
Family Guy (Fox: 4.4/10)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition R (ABC: 4.3/11)
Prison Break (Fox: 4.2/10)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS: 4.1/ 9)
The Simpsons (Fox: 3.9/10)
CSI: NY (CBS) and Shark (CBS 3.8/10 each)
Men in Trees (ABC) and The Office R (NBC: 3.7/10 each)
Supernanny (ABC: 3.7/ 8)
American Dad (Fox) and King of the Hill (Fox: 3.6/ 8 each)
Wife Swap (ABC) w I Met Your Mother (CBS: 3.5/ 9 each)
Cold Case (CBS: 3.5/ 8)
My Name is Earl R (NBC: 3.4/ 10)
NCIS (CBS: 3.4/ 9)
The Apprentice (NBC) and Desperate Housewives R (ABC: 3.4/ 8 each)
Ugly Betty R (ABC: 3.3/ 9)
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC) and CSI: Miami R (CBS Thurs. 8 p.m.: 3.2/ 9 each)

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

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

Well first they lose the French open and then they get it back, sort of.


ESPN2 to broadcast 55 hours of French Open
ESPN.com news services

ESPN and The Tennis Channel have entered into a multi-year arrangement to share rights to the Australian Open and French Open through 2011.

The networks announced they will share coverage of the Australian Open beginning in 2008, with The Tennis Channel adding 100 hours of live and prerecorded programming to ESPN's coverage. The Australian Open has been televised exclusively on ESPN and ESPN2 since 1984.

The Tennis Channel acquired U.S. broadcast and new media rights to the French Open last August from the French Tennis Federation. ESPN and ESPN2 had televised the French Open exclusively from 1986-1993 and from 2002-06.

"This landmark deal is a win-win-win for fans, the sport and the networks, expanding the coverage of these two premiere events and keeping ESPN the Grand Slam Network," said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. "ESPN, the leading sports brand, will team with The Tennis Channel, dedicated 24/7 to the sport, to build both the French Open and Australian Open brands and increase exposure on television, online and via broadband in a manner that hasn't been seen before."

ESPN2 will present 55 hours of action from Paris starting this year, beginning on Sunday, May 27. The network's schedule will resume Tuesday through Friday of the first week and Monday through Thursday the second week with noon-6:30 p.m. ET time slots. ESPN2 will televise both women's semifinals live and The Tennis Channel the men's semifinals.

Both The Tennis Channel and ESPN will be employing advanced new media applications for the French Open, including highlights and live streaming for broadband ESPN360, ESPN.com and TheTennisChannel.com.

"When you match the country's biggest, most-important, sports media brand with tennis' only fully dedicated, 24-hour multimedia platform, you're able to cross-promote and cross-platform with one another in a precise, integrated approach that will truly move the game forward," said Ken Solomon, chairman and CEO, The Tennis Channel. "Specifically, this will expand viewership and provide U.S. fans with a round-the-clock, world-class media experience. This partnership is the embodiment of the integrated network distribution model we first visualized with the acquisition of Roland Garros rights."

ESPN2 will maintain its Australian Open schedule -- more than 120 hours in recent years. Its extensive daily coverage includes live programming in primetime and at 3:30 a.m. ESPN2 will continue to televise the men's and women's semifinals and championships.

The Tennis Channel will televise up to 100 hours from Melbourne when ESPN2 is not on the air, during both mornings and afternoons in addition to key prime-time windows. ESPN will produce all Australian Open coverage and, as at the French Open, each network will provide its own commentators. As with the French Open, The Tennis Channel will create original Australian Open programming that supports its match coverage.

ESPN2's telecast of the Australian Open women's final last Friday night earned the network's highest tennis rating in history. Serena Williams' eighth Grand Slam victory drew a 1.9 rating, representing 1,715,000 homes. The previous best was the 2005 Australian Open women's final when Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport. That broadcast received a 1.5 rating (1,350,000 homes).

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=2747908

Thanks homcom -- good news for tennis fans.

And speaking of tennis....
(Note to shuttermaker: see the Nora Roberts ratings)
Cable Nielsen Notebook
Williams powers ESPN2 to record
MediaLifeMagazine.com Jan 31, 2007

If Serena Williams remains on top of her game, ratings for women’s tennis will rise right along with her ranking. That was certainly in evidence over the weekend, as the Australian Open women’s final between Williams and Maria Sharapova Friday night posted a 1.9 household rating and drew 1.72 million households, making it the highest-rated and most-watched tennis telecast ever on ESPN2.

The numbers more than doubled those earned by last year’s final, a 0.8 rating and 839,000 households for a match between Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne. And if Serena, whose ranking had plummeted to 81st, decides to keep playing, ESPN and Tennis Channel will benefit. Those networks said yesterday that they’ve secured rights to air the French Open and Australian Open through 2011.

In other ratings news, the movie “Nora Roberts’ Angels Falls” posted a 4.1 household rating for Lifetime Monday night and was the top-rated program among women 18-49 in the 9-11 p.m. timeslot. The movie was the first of four of Roberts’ novels that Lifetime will adapt.

Also on Monday night, Court TV’s 10 p.m. premiere of “Suburban Secrets” drew 582,000 viewers 18-49 and 616,000 viewers 25-54.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/cat_index_31.asp

Tuesday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted near the top of Ratings News the first post in this thread.

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Full “House”: Pulls 11.2 in adults 18-49
Fox drama in series high in first post-'Idol' airing
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 31, 2007

The past two weeks, it’s been Fox’s “American Idol” setting records. Last night the network’s “House” did it instead.

“House” set season and series bests last night, averaging an impressive 11.2 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights.

That marked a series best, bettering last May’s then-record season finale rating of 10.3 by 9 percent. It was also the best rating for a scripted series this season, just barely outpacing an 11.0 for “Grey’s Anatomy’s” season premiere in September.

It marked “House’s” first post-“Idol” appearance this season. It’s the third straight year “House” has followed “Idol” Tuesdays at 9 p.m., and the series has grown in each season.

But the medical drama was growing even before “Idol” returned to give it a boost. Last fall it was one of the fastest-rising programs on broadcast, up double-digit percentages over the previous year in 18-49s, 18-34s and total viewers.

Most impressive, however, was “House’s” retention last night, both out of “Idol” and in its second half hour. “House” lost just 16 percent of “Idol’s” 13.3 lead-in, which is very high for the lead-out to a hit show. By contrast, lead-outs for top shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Heroes” and “CSI” on the other Big Three networks this year have been lucky to retain 60 percent of their audience.

“House” also maintained its rating from its first half hour to its second, losing just 2 percent from 9 to 9:30 p.m. That shows that “House’s” ratings are not just being inflated by “Idol” watchers who forget to change the channel – nearly everyone watching is committed to the full hour.

“Idol” averaged 33.3 million total viewers last night and “House” pulled 27.8 million as the two shows demolished the competition for the evening.

As will likely be the case for each night “Idol” airs this season, Fox finished first last night among 18-49s with a 12.3 average rating and a 30 share. In fact, the other five networks combined didn’t even equal Fox’s rating. CBS was second at 2.4/6, NBC third at 2.3/6, ABC fourth at 1.9/5 and Univision and CW tied for fifth at 1.7/4.

Fox led both its two hours last night, starting with a 13.3 rating at 8 p.m. for “Idol.” Univision was second that hour with a 2.4 for “La Fea Mas Bella,” with CBS third with a 2.3 for a rerun of “NCIS.” NBC and CW tied for fourth that hour at 2.1, NBC for “Dateline” and CW for “Gilmore Girls,” with ABC sixth with a 1.7 for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

At 9 p.m. Fox led again, this time with an 11.2 for “House.” CBS was a distant second with a 2.3 for a rerun of “The Unit,” NBC third with a 2.0 for a “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” repeat and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for “Mundo de Fieras.” ABC was fifth with a 1.4 average for the likely series finale of “Big Day” (1.4) and a repeat of “Knights of Prosperity,” while the CW slipped to sixth with a 1.2 for “Veronica Mars.”

NBC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 2.9 for a rerun of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” CBS and ABC tied for second that hour at 2.7, CBS for “48 Hours Mystery” and ABC for “Boston Legal,” with Univision fourth with a 1.2 for “Ver para Creer.”

Fox also finished first for the night among households, dominating the competition with a 17.2 average rating and a 26 share. CBS was second at 6.6/10, NBC third at 4.8/7, ABC fourth at 4.2/7, CW fifth at 2.3/3 and Univision sixth at 2.2/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9884.asp

TV Notebook
Fox's "Smarter" to Premiere After American Idol
By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable 1/31/2007

Fox will give the first four episodes of its Mark Burnett-produced quiz show, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, a plush post-American Idol launching pad.

The show will premiere with a 30-minute episode Tuesday, February 27 at 9:30 after Idol, and also run directly after the ratings behemoth the following two nights.

The fourth episode (out of six) airs Thursday, March 8 at 9 p.m. after Idol, while the final two episodes are scheduled to air sans Idol lead-in on Thursday, March 15 and 22 at 8 p.m.

While the post-Idol scheduling will give the show a chance to generate sampling, it also raises the bar it needs to stay on the air. A failure to hold a large enough portion of the massive Idol audience in the valuable lead-out timeslot could mean a quicker hook for the rookie show than in a lower-profile timeslot.

The new series puts adults in a classroom setting and forces them to answer questions from 1st grade through 5th grade textbooks.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6411985

Note: there are some minor “Bones” spoilers in this piece….
Critic’s Notebook
David Boreanaz: 'Bones' is not procedural
By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Wed, Jan. 31, 2007

Try to avoid using the p-word around David Boreanaz.

That would be p, as in "procedural."

Sure, from a distance, what's going on in Fox's "Bones" - the unearthing of bodies, many of them in ghastly condition, and the subsequent solving of the crimes that put them in such sad shape - might look not unlike what's going on any of CBS' "CSIs."

But for Boreanaz and co-star Emily Deschanel, the model for "Bones" should be "Moonlighting," the '80s romp in which crime-solving mostly took a back seat to the sexually charged cross-talk between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd.

"For us... it was never about a procedural show," Boreanaz said earlier this month during a Fox party in Pasadena, Calif.

"I think it's cute, it's fun and you just don't see that on television in procedurals, in hour dramas. It's great to be part of that," said the Malvern Prep grad, who made his own acting bones playing a vampire with a soul - and occasionally a sardonic wit - first in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and later as the star of the spinoff "Angel."

Now, as FBI agent Seeley Booth in "Bones," he's discovered that romantic comedy's more than a Monday-through-Friday job.

Weekends find Boreanaz and Deschanel putting in two to four more hours of work together with acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, said the actor, the son of WPVI (Channel 6) weatherguy Dave Roberts and his wife, Patti.

Chubbuck, he said, "allows us to take these ideas into scenes and find those improvisational moments and find what drives each other crazy, whether it's a song or a gesture or a movement - it's just while we're somehow dealing with the case. Because it's not about the case for me."

Working together, said Deschanel, "we've become... so attuned to working with each other and kind of honed that. I hate to say that - that sounds silly - but it's become more fluid or something."

Their interactions "become like a shorthand, in a way, and the characters become stronger and stronger. The characters get closer together. David and I are more and more used to working with each other, and the rest of the cast members," Deschanel said.

While Boreanaz's character, a hard-charging agent with intimacy issues, doesn't exactly break new ground in television, Deschanel's Dr. Temperance Brennan, a brilliant scientist with extremely limited social skills, probably does. At least for women.

So clueless is Brennan when it comes to the way most humans interact that Boreanaz's Booth has been forced to become a sort of guide to the world outside Brennan's laboratory.

When asked if Brennan might not actually have Asperger syndrome - a condition many doctors consider a form of high-functioning autism - Deschanel nodded.

"Hart Hanson, the creator of the show, and I discuss, you know, that my character almost has Asperger syndrome, and, you know, if maybe if it was a film, that I maybe specifically would have Asperger's," she said.

"If you look at the character of Zack, [a Brennan subordinate who's] played by Eric Millegan, he almost definitely has Asperger syndrome," she added.

"I think it's fascinating to have a character who's brilliant in one area and clueless" in others, Deschanel said.

"And it's so sweet that she's trying to learn about things. You know, I talked to a psychologist who specializes in people with Asperger's and she said she's worked with kids who start at 12 years old not being able to understand, you know, a social interaction almost at all and then are now in college and can have relationships that are almost more in touch than a lot of kids their age, because they work so much in therapy and work so hard," she said.

When they're not digging up the dead bodies, look for Booth and Brennan to be digging a little deeper into their own psyches this season.

"Booth goes into therapy," Deschanel said, adding that British actor Stephen Fry - the former comedy partner of "House's" Hugh Laurie - is playing the therapist.

"We end up in therapy together. My character's always said she hates psychology, but you'll see - she finds a way to understand it," she said.

Fry, said Boreanaz happily, is "crazy."

"I didn't know exactly who Stephen Fry was when I started and everybody was a bit like, 'Wow, you don't know who Stephen Fry is,' [but]... he's going to bring something really unique and credible to the show, and we're very excited to have him."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//16585487.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Critic’s Notebook
Pee-wee, Isabella Rossellini and Pete's temptation:
This week's '30 Rock'
From Maureen Ryan’s Chicago Tribune blog “The Watcher” Jan. 31, 2007

If there’s one thing I always say, it’s this: The only thing better than a good guest role for Isabella Rossellini is a catfight involving Isabella Rossellini.

And what show features Isabella Rossellini in a hair-pulling catfight? Thursday’s “30 Rock,” of course, which is continuing its streak of terrific episodes. I love this show.

Rossellini plays Jack Donaghy’s ex-wife, Bianca, whom Jack and Liz Lemon run into at a swanky socialite affair. It’s the birthday party for the hilariously decrepit Gerhard Hapsburg, the last of the Hapsburg line.

The Prince’s full name: Prince Gerhard Messerschmidt Rammstein von Haupt. That’s according to his manservant, who’s played by none other than “Saturday Night Live’s” Will Forte.

The Prince, a product of royal inbreeding if there ever was one, is played with great glee by Paul Reubens. And despite Prince Gerhard's, well, hideous looks and overall ill-health, Jenna, Jane Krakowski’s character, tries to make nice with him. It’s not quite a fairy tale, but hey, at her age, she figures any prince will do.

This episode not only has some good scenes with Jenna, but there’s also an enjoyable story line involving Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit), one of the producers of the show within the show. Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) decides that family man Pete should get down with some strippers in order to let off a little steam. Of course the innocent page Kenneth is horrified by this idea.

As Pete gazes longingly at one of Tracy’s curvaceous friends, Tracy shouts, “Lick her face!” and Kenneth yelps, “Think of God!”

So, too review: Paul Reubens. Isabella Rossellini. A mention of (though, sadly, no appearance by) Dr. Spaceman. A catfight. Liz Lemon looking hot in a red dress. Jack Donaghy talking about his love life. Liz and Jack speaking German to each other (no, really). Fun with Pete and Jenna. Lots of very quotable lines (especially from the “Yo momma” snap session at the start of the episode).

Yes sirree, it’s a good one.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

Critic’s Notebook
Lostwatch: You'll Have to Wait Another Week Edition
By James Poniewozik Time Magazine television critic in Time’s “Tuned In” blog Jan. 31, 2007

Have I mentioned that I already have the new Lost? Why, yes. Yes, I have. But it bears repeating. I already have the new Lost. Ha ha, etc.

Have I mentioned that I have already watched the new Lost? Why, no. No, I haven't. And I won't spoil anything for you now--unless you beg, beg like a trained puppy--but suffice it to say: certain things happen. Certain things happen that you spent last fall waiting to happen. I don't want to oversell this (I know Lost fans, and you will find reasons to be disappointed), but if last fall's mini-run had been seven episodes and not six (ending with that ridiculous non-cliffhanger cliffhanger), people may not have been quite so pissed off. For once this season, even the flashback has new information, because it's about Juliet, the who's-side-is-she-on Other.

Have I mentioned that I am holding the new Lost DVD in my hand and am caressing it oh so tenderly? It's so, so pretty.

http://time-blog.com/tuned_in/

Technology Notebook
FTC: Consumers Must Be Able To Uninstall Copy Protection
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/31/2007

In a decision that sets some limits on its copy-protection of content, Sony has settled with the Federal Trade Commission over security it imbedded in its CDs. The FTC said Sony may not hide the security system from consumers and, beyond that, must "provide a reasonable and effective way to uninstall any content protection software."

The company came under heavy fire for not disclosing that the digital rights management security imbedded in its disks not only restricted the number of copies that could be made but included spy software that monitredd listening habits for marketing purposes, actually exposed users computers to security risks, and was tough to uninstall.

Under the proposed settlement, the company is required to disclose copy limitations of its CDs, prevents it from collecting marketing information via the copy-protection scheme. It also requires the company to exchange the CD's for new ones through June of this year, and to reimburse up to $150 for repair to any computers that might have been damaged in trying to remove the software.

“Installations of secret software that create security risks are intrusive and unlawful,” said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras in announcing the settlement.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6411977.html?display=Breaking+News

The Business of TV
Current, EchoStar Strike Pact
Up Distribution to 38 Million
By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek Jan. 31, 2007

Current TV on Wednesday announced it has hammered out a carriage deal with EchoStar’s DISH Network, upping its overall distribution to 38 million U.S. households and effectively doubling the network’s reach.

The service is now available to subscribers to DISH’s “America’s Top 200 with DishHD” service tier, and may also be seen in DirecTV homes. The network has cable distribution deals in place with select Comcast and Time Warner Cable systems.

The first user-generated cable network, Current was launched in Aug. 2005 by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003539824

Fred,
Thanks for the ratings info on Lifetime. Ill pass it along to the wife

TV Q&A
'House' is not home
By Matt Zoller Seitz Newark Star-Ledger in his “All TV” column

LETTERS, ALL TV gets letters, and this week's mailbag includes complaints about Fox's scheduling of "House," misleading in-house promos on NBC, the future of "The Closer," and more.

Call for more 'House'

Dear Alan: What the (bleep) is Fox doing with their recent non-airings of "House"? First they make us wait four weeks for the payoff to the Tritter storyline and now we have to wait another three weeks for the next new episode.

We understand (but don't like) that everything is put on hold for the baseball playoffs in October. But to show only one new episode between Dec. 12 and Jan. 30 is flat out ridiculous. Nothing can be done about the State of the Union Address, but why does "American Idol" need a two-hour premiere?

It looks to us like Fox is taking their "House" viewership for granted. -- Michael & Marisa Procopio, Allenhurst

Alan says: Without "Idol," there wouldn't be a "House" viewership, or a "House," period. The show was pulling cancellation-level ratings at the start of its first season. Then "Idol" came on that January, and the "House" numbers soared. Thanks to the "Idol" exposure, "House" is now a big enough hit that it does very well for itself even in the fall, but so long as it's going to have "Idol" as a lead-in for half the season, the audience won't be going anywhere for a while.

I do agree the scheduling of the Tritter finale was lousy -- but then, I was just eager to have Tritter gone. I love David Morse as an actor and applaud any attempt to give House a rival who's as smart (or, in this case, street-smart) as he, but Tritter was so humorless that it never felt like a fair, or interesting, fight. Now, if they'd crafted a six-episode arc where House went up against John Larroquette as Coma Guy, that would have been compelling TV.

Speaking of bleeping...

Dear Alan: After my best friend gave me a tape of the first season of "The Sopranos," my husband gave me HBO for my birthday, a gift which since then has been giving. Having just watched the first season again on DVD, I cringe at the thought of cleaning it up. "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" are our favorite programs on HBO and I wish they could be left alone. Enjoyed the amusing column though and your recent column on "The Wire." -- Rudy Hurley, Woodbridge

Alan says: Where A&E has been awkwardly dubbing over the worst profanities with its "Sopranos" repeats, BET has gone a different route with "The Wire," wiping out the sound whenever someone uses the F-word. This turns the classic scene from season one where McNulty and Bunk go through a crime scene saying nothing but variants on that word into virtual silence. I'm not a fan

False advertising?

Dear Mr. Sepinwall: Did you find it odd at the end of (the) musical episode of "Scrubs" it said "stay tuned for more 'Scrubs,'" but after the commercial it's "30 Rock"? Don't get me wrong, both shows were funny (that kid yelling about Alec Baldwin's mother). But should NBC be able to tell its little white lie? Or do all the other networks pull that subliminal stay-tuned scam? -- Mike Karsnak (via e-mail)

Alan says: That's an old, old practice. I remember as a kid being suckered in all the time by promises that my favorite Saturday morning cartoons would have "more to come," only to discover nothing but the closing credits. Technically, that's another part of the show, but come on.

That said, few networks bother with that bait-and-switch anymore, and NBC's comedies in particular have of late included "buttons" -- short scenes after the final commercial break that often play over the end credits -- to keep people from changing the channel before the start of the next show. My guess is the "stay tuned for more" promo goes in automatically, and nobody noticed it was a button-less episode.

'Closer' to summer

Dear All TV: I was wondering when the second season of "The Closer" will be starting. Also, will the USA series "The 4400" ever come back for a third season? -- Deb Giambalvo, Middlesex Borough

Alan says: Either you've just arrived in a time machine or you've lost track of the seasons of some of your favorite shows. The second season of "The Closer" premiered last June, and is currently being rerun Tuesday nights at 10. The third season is scheduled to begin sometime this summer (most likely in June again), and with Kyra Sedgwick's recent Golden Globe win, I'd say the show will be around for a while.

The third season of "The 4400" also premiered last June, and the fourth season will begin airing this summer.

Wha' happen?

Dear All TV: My friends and I were delighted to learn from your column that we could watch the remaining episodes of "Vanished" in the computer to find out the finale, even though we were very disappointed that it was canceled. We have not been able to get beyond episode 13, which did not conclude the show. Can you please find out, as we have been unable to get any information from Fox. -- Madelyn Okun, Somerset

Alan says: Only 13 episodes were ever produced. Last summer, I attended a press conference where "Vanished" creator Josh Berman, looking like he was being interrogated by Jack Bauer, wrapped himself up in knots trying to explain how there would be some kind of resolution to the kidnapping case at the end of those 13, and yet there wouldn't, and by the time he was done talking, everyone in the room was convinced Berman had no idea where the show was going. I'm sorry you suffered through those 13 hours with no payoffs, but between this show and "Reunion" (where the, um, daughter did it), Fox is probably better off getting out of the serialized mystery format for a good long while.

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/alltv/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/117004900352840.xml&coll=1

The wife really liked the movie however, she says she has never been a fan of Heather Locklear. (i remained quiet). It will be interesting to see if Lifetime can improve or at least maintain those numbers in the next 3 movies.

The Business of Television
NCTC to Seek Arbitration on FSN
By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld MultiChannel News 1/31/2007

Henderson, Nev. -- The National Cable Television Cooperative filed a notice of intent to seek mandatory arbitration on how much independent cable operators will have to pay to carry the signals of seven FSN networks, president Jeffrey L. Abbas said Wednesday morning.

The NCTC filed the notice Tuesday on behalf of 30 of its members, which Abbas declined to identify. The NCTC is authorized to act as bargaining agent for those operators under conditions placed on the sale of satellite service DirecTV to FSN parent News Corp. in 2004, Abbas said.

“While we had hoped to get the value [of the networks] determined through negotiation, we weren’t able to do so,” he added.

An FSN spokesman said he was unaware of the action and, therefore, could not comment.

The notice of intent to have terms of carriage determined by the American Arbitration Association covers seven regional sports networks: FSN Florida, FSN North, FSN Northwest, FSN Ohio, SportsSouth (a.k.a. FSN South) and FSN Southwest.

For arbitration, the NCTC produced a proposed agreement of terms for a pact with FSN that would invoke most-favored-nation status for its members. In effect, the NCTC is trying to get the lowest price FSN has agreed to for its channels as the market value that is stipulated in a final agreement.

FSN has two days to respond with its own proposed set of terms for carrying the networks, Abbas said.

He added that he could not establish what the value of each channel is in the proposed agreement because FSN included confidentiality clauses in each agreement it signed with the NCTC’s members. In effect, the NCTC members are prohibited from telling the NCTC -- even acting as their bargaining agent -- what the current terms of their agreements are.

By seeking arbitration, Abbas actually hopes to achieve a negotiated settlement.

Putting the two sides’ positions in writing for an arbitrator to review and seek details on market prices establishes a “bid” and an “ask” price. An arbitrator picks one or the other -- nothing in between.

“One’s going to win and one’s going to lose,” Abbas said. “Now, you want to talk about it?”

The notice of intent to arbitrate the value comes after close to two years of trying to negotiate agreements with the networks, Abbas said. More critically, he added, “we had to do it now” because there are only three years left on a six-year window where the NCTC could seek mandatory, binding arbitration under terms stipulated by regulators on News Corp.’s acquisition of DirecTV from Hughes Electronics in 2004.

Also, News Corp. signed a deal with John Malone’s Liberty Media to sell DirecTV. That deal is expected to be completed this year.

News Corp. became a nationwide distributor of TV programming at that point, and it is a producer of programming, as well. As part of the deal, News Corp. is required to bargain in good faith on carriage of its channels with other distributors, such as cable operators.

The 30 members’ deals with the FSN services expired Dec. 31, Abbas said. They were operating under the prior terms and now, with the notice, FSN can’t kick off the distributors, he added.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6412015.html?display=Breaking+News

The wife really liked the movie however, she says she has never been a fan of Heather Locklear. (i remained quiet). It will be interesting to see if Lifetime can improve or at least maintain those numbers in the next 3 movies.


A 4.1 in the female demo is very, very good for Lifetime.

Critic’s Notebook
Odds and Ends
PBS presents Supreme Court TV
By Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger Wednesday, January 31, 2007
(All times ET/PT)

"It would be an incredibly weird country if everybody agreed on everything," a law professor suggests early in the new PBS documentary "The Supreme Court" (9 p.m., PBS, but check local listings).

Because we rarely can find national consensus on anything -- today more than ever -- we have the Supreme Court, which is one of our government's most important institutions and maybe its most secretive. Books, movies and TV shows make heroes of fictional presidents and senators, but justices rarely get the same treatment. In the spring of 2002, two different network shows, CBS' "First Monday" and ABC's "The Court," tried to find drama in the justices' chambers, but no one watched either one.

The justices have so thoroughly minded their privacy over the years that it's considered quite the coup for "The Supreme Court" that John Roberts sat down for an interview, even though he appears sparingly and only to discuss the Court's history.

The filmmakers try to cut through the shroud of secrecy -- not to mention lots of legalese -- by turning each of their four hours into a character study of an important justice. In the first, it's John Marshall, whose feud with Thomas Jefferson gave the Court the power of judicial review, without which it would have remained a toothless, minor body. The star of the second is legendary legal mind Oliver Wendell Holmes, author of the famous axiom about shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

The third focuses on Hugo Black, a former Ku Klux Klansman who voted with the majority on the landmark school desegregation case Brown vs. Board of Education and received death threats for his trouble. (For years afterward, he couldn't return to his native Alabama without wearing a bulletproof vest, and the state passed a resolution declaring that his remains couldn't be buried within its borders.) The concluding chapter argues for Roberts' predecessor, the late William Rehnquist, as one of the Court's most influential, if underrated, chief justices.

The breadth of the narrative is impressive, but four hours isn't enough time for real depth. Though the program connects the dots between old court decisions and modern problems -- say, how the 14th Amendment, which was designed to protect the rights of free slaves, instead became the best friend of mega-corporations everywhere -- there's a musty, academic feel to the whole thing.

But it's still better than "First Monday."

Fancy dress

Tina Fey cleans up nicely in tomorrow night's episode of the increasingly confident "30 Rock" (9:30 p.m., NBC), as her Liz Lemon dons a slinky red gown to attend a birthday party with boss Jack Donaghy (recent Golden Globe and SAG winner Alec Baldwin, as insulting as you want him to be).

Jack greets Liz with a fancy pearl necklace, and as she reaches in to touch it, he snaps it closed in an attempt to ape Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman" -- only Liz gets her fingers pinched and screams, "Who does that?"

It's a notable gag for a few reasons. First, it's funny. Second, it's the sort of smart throwaway "30 Rock" does all the time, achieving TV's highest joke-per-episode quotient since "Arrested Development." Third, it's probably not something a man would write.

Fey has shown on "SNL" and here that she has no problem writing like a guy when the need arises. (Liz has a tendency to complain about her "junk" a lot.) But she also looks at the world differently from your average white male sitcom producer, and even when the situations on "30 Rock" feel familiar -- midway through the episode, Liz pretends to be Jack's girlfriend to make his ex-wife (guest star Isabella Rosselini) jealous -- the humor doesn't.

There's a subplot about Liz's friend Jenna (Jane Krakowski) waging an inner battle between her vanity and her greed when she's given a chance to date a wealthy but repulsive prince (Paul Reubens), and she explains to Liz that she deserves to be with royalty because "You know I've always reminded myself of Grace Kelly."

"30 Rock" isn't perfect yet -- the Tracy Morgan stories are batting .500, if that -- but it's more than just the best freshman show set backstage at a fake version of "SNL." It's already one of the best comedies on television.

Schedule shuffle

Hurricane "Idol" has already started reshaping the primetime landscape. With "American Idol" defying conventional wisdom again by going up in the ratings in its sixth season, the other networks are scrambling to get as far out of the way as possible.

CBS' "Armed & Famous" was doing passably before "Idol" came back, but the public's appetite for seeing Erik Estrada back in uniform couldn't remotely match their desire, no matter how many times Rosie O'Donnell tries to convince them otherwise, to see more insulting of the deluded, the tone deaf and occasionally, the mentally challenged. Ratings nose-dived, so "Armed" has been pulled, effective immediately, in favor of repeats of CBS' crime shows until "Jericho" comes back on Feb. 7. At least one of the remaining unaired episodes will pop up on VH1 this Saturday.

ABC, meanwhile, has struggled to bring an audience to "Knights of Prosperity" (a k a "Let's Rob Mick Jagger, Only Mick's Not on the Show Anymore"), so beginning tonight they're moving it from 9 p.m. to 8:30 and turning "According to Jim" into their sacrificial lamb against "Idol."

Nothing else has been able to kill "Jim" to date -- including common decency -- so this may be the ultimate test of "Idol" to date. If Simon, Randy and Paula can't put "Jim" out of our misery, it may be time for a William Hung cameo.

TV bits

"Reba" is coming to an end. Of all the WB and UPN shows to survive to the new CW, it was the only one that didn't make it by choice. Before the WB ceased to exist, executives there signed Reba McEntire's sitcom to an extension that would have made it prohibitively expensive to cancel. So 13 episodes were reluctantly dumped onto the CW schedule, the last of which will air back-to-back on Sunday, Feb. 18.

"Everwood" alum Emily VanCamp will join the cast of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" as the illegitimate daughter of the Tom Skeritt and Patricia Wettig characters. First Treat Williams in a multi-episode guest stint, now VanCamp as a regular; how long before "Brothers" producer and "Everwood" creator Greg Berlanti brings in John Beasley to narrate and Tom Amandes as the family doctor?

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/sepinwall/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1170221703213820.xml&coll=1

TV Notebook
Inside Move: Fox focuses on diversity
Liguori issues warning to pilot creators
By Michael Schneider Variety Jan. 31, 2007

Fox Entertainment prexy Peter Liguori has a warning for the net's showrunners, producers and creators: Pay attention to diversity, or risk losing out on a series pickup.

Liguori laid down that ultimatum to more than 40 producers behind both current series and pilots during a town meeting Tuesday. Speaking at a theater on the Fox lot, Liguori told the producers that they needed to step up efforts to hire diverse casts, writing staffs and crew.

"We think as a network, it's the right moral thing to do," Liguori said. "And it's the right business thing to do. When you look at the top 10, top 20 shows out there, they're diverse. For TV and certainly for Fox to be vibrant, relevant and authentic, we need to be reflective of the general population."

Liguori backed up his comments with a presentation from Fox diversity topper Mitzi Wilson, who pointed out that non-white auds count for several ratings points in most of the net's primetime fare.

Liguori said it wasn't easy to corral so many producers in the same room at the same time, but that he wanted to get the message out to pilot creators early, as they cast their projects and before they hire writers and crew.

"We felt it was important that we get out way ahead of it," he said.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958391.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

The Business of Television
Senators Demand FCC Action on Sinclair-Mediacom Fight
By Ira Teinowitz Television Week Jan. 31, 2007

Leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee are demanding that the Federal Communications Commission act to resolve a dispute between cable operator Mediacom and Sinclair Broadcast Group that threatens to leave some subscribers to the cable system without access to Sunday's Super Bowl.

Committee Chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and ranking member Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said the FCC has authority to order binding arbitration in the fight over how much Mediacom should pay Sinclair to retransmit signals from the station group's local outlets. Some Mediacom subscribers currently aren't receiving Mediacom signals.

"If this situation is not resolved promptly, rural Americans in some 12 states will continue to be deprived of valuable local broadcast programming, including in some cases the upcoming Super Bowl," the Senators said in a letter sent Tuesday to FCC chairman Kevin J. Martin. "Last year, some Alaskans were denied access to the Super Bowl and we do not want to see a similar situation happen in other states."

The Mediacom-Sinclair dispute may signal how cable operators and station groups across the country come to terms over the issue of retransmission consent. Industry heavyweights are lining up on each side of the fight, and CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves has been among the loudest voices demanding cash compensation for retransmission consent, saying such fees could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.

On the eve of Mr. Martin's first appearance before the Commerce Committee since the election that put Democrats in control, senators rebuted the FCC's claim that it lacks authority to order binding arbitration and urged the agency to at least make sure no one is shut off from programming while the two sides negotiate. Mr. Martin is a Republican appointed by President George W. Bush and a majority of FCC commissioners are Republican.

The senators said they plan to question FCC commissioners about the issue during Thursday's hearing.

Mediacom dropped 22 Sinclair stations from its systems in 12 states on Jan. 5 after being unable to reach an agreement over how much it should pay to retransmit Sinclair signals.

Sinclair wants Mediacom to pay for station signals it had been retransmitting for free, arguing that station groups should get fees like other cable content providers.

Mediacom argues that Sinclair has been unreasonable in negotiating the issue, demanding high fees for local channels and payments to carry both network and non-network affiliates.

The FCC's Media Bureau on Jan. 4 rejected Mediacom's complaint that the Sinclair unfairly refused to negotiate in "good faith" and while advising binding arbitration, said it doesn't have the authority to require the parties to submit to binding arbitration.

Mediacom has appealed the decision to the whole FCC.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11474

TV Notebook
Inside Move: Fox focuses on diversity
Liguori issues warning to pilot creators
By Michael Schneider Variety Jan. 31, 2007

Fox Entertainment prexy Peter Liguori has a warning for the net's showrunners, producers and creators: Pay attention to diversity, or risk losing out on a series pickup.

Liguori laid down that ultimatum to more than 40 producers behind both current series and pilots during a town meeting Tuesday. Speaking at a theater on the Fox lot, Liguori told the producers that they needed to step up efforts to hire diverse casts, writing staffs and crew.

"We think as a network, it's the right moral thing to do," Liguori said. "And it's the right business thing to do. When you look at the top 10, top 20 shows out there, they're diverse. For TV and certainly for Fox to be vibrant, relevant and authentic, we need to be reflective of the general population."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117958391.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

Well this is definitely good news. As part of the minority group, it will be good to see some diversity on these shows. Only a few shows on network tv have a diverse cast(Heroes, Greys and etc). Also its good that they will hire more diverse people behind the scenes.

Hopefully this works out....

Washington Notebook
FCC Oversight Meetings Scheduled for February 15
Questions for the FCC Commissioners
(Not ONE specifically involves HD)
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 1/31/2007

FCC commissioners can now mark February 15 on their calendars. That's when the House Telecommunications and Internet subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on the FCC.

The commissioners are already scheduled to go before the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday February 1 for a grilling on various subjects.

As expected, the committee Democrats have some questions for the commissioners on media ownership, the AT&T/Bell South merger, spectrum policy, and how studies are commissioned.

In a letter to the commissioners Wednesday, Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) sent a list of questions they would like to have the answers to, including the following

Questions for Chairman Martin and Commissioner Tate

1. In your Joint Statement accompanying the Commission's News Release announcing approval of the AT&T-BellSouth merger, you stated as follows: "[t]here are certain conditions, however, that are not self-effectuating or cannot be accomplished by AT&T alone. To the extent Commission action is required to effectuate these conditions as a policy going forward, we specifically do not support those aspects of the conditions and will oppose such policies going forward."

A. When you stated that you "do not support" some of the merger conditions, did you mean that you voted against those conditions? If so, which condition or conditions did you not support or vote against?

B. If both of you did not support the same subset of merger conditions as implied in your Joint Statement, how is it that the AT&T-BellSouth merger is legally deemed approved?

C. What is your authority to vote to approve an order and then refuse to implement it? Please identify and describe the provisions of the Communications Act, sections of the FCC's rules and other legal authority, if any, supporting your answer.

D. You further stipulate in your Joint Statement that "a minority of Commissioners cannot alter Commission precedent or bind future Commission decisions, policies, actions, or rules." What is the "minority of Commissioners" to which you referred? On what basis did you determine that a "minority" existed for purposes of interpreting precedent or any future agency action?

Questions for All Federal Communications Commission Members

1. Broadband Policy

A. What is your assessment of broadband deployment, access, and affordability in the United States? What steps would you support the Commission taking to make broadband services (a) more accessible; (b) more affordable and (c) more robust? Are there other actions you would recommend be taken to promote further broadband deployment?

B. What is your assessment of the definitions and methodology the Commission uses to gauge broadband deployment, access, and affordability in the United States? Are there other actions you would recommend be taken to improve such definitions or methodologies?

2. Wireless and Spectrum Policy

A. Do you believe the commercial mobile service market is more or less competitive than it was five years ago? Do you believe that consumers in the commercial mobile service market would benefit from additional competitors?

B. What actions, if any, do you believe the Commission should take, consistent with the Communications Act, to avoid "excessive concentration of licenses" and to disseminate licenses "among a wide variety of applicants, including small businesses, rural telephone companies, and businesses owned by members of minority groups and women"?

C. What actions, if any, do you believe the Commission should take with regard to spectrum management?

3. Digital Television Transition

A. What general steps can the Commission take to enhance the level of preparedness of our nation for the upcoming digital television transition (DTV) in February of 2009?

B. What specific actions do you support the Commission taking with respect to the broadcasting, cable, programming content, manufacturing, or retail sector to enhance consumer education about the DTV transition?

4. Overall Commission Policies

A. In each of the major areas of the Commission's authority (e.g., wireline, wireless, universal service, broadcast radio and television, cable services, satellite, public safety, international), what actions, if any, do you believe the Commission should take?

5. Commission Process and Functioning

A. What steps, if any, can the Commission take to enhance the depth and accuracy of its collection of data and analysis of affected industries?

B. What steps, if any, can the Commission take to better prevent waste, fraud, or abuse in programs it administers?

C. What steps, if any, can the Commission take to enhance communications with the public in rulemakings and adjudication proceedings before the Commission?

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6412039.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa would it be possible to find out the ratings for the PBA tour on ESPN on sunday mornings. I am curious about its ratings, since it is probably my favorite sports programming on tv. I watched the PBA over the NFL every sunday. But that comes with being a bowler since I was but a wee lad. Thanks in advance.

fredfa would it be possible to find out the ratings for the PBA tour on ESPN on sunday mornings. I am curious about its ratings, since it is probably my favorite sports programming on tv. I watched the PBA over the NFL every sunday. But that comes with being a bowler since I was but a wee lad. Thanks in advance.

Being a former, and perhaps future, league bowler, I'd like to know that as well. Since ESPN revived the TV bowling events, they've done a terrific job. The announcing team is first-rate and they've completely revamped the format to make it more engaging and exciting to the viewer and to try to bring out more of the personalities of the competitors. I hope it's doing well enough to continue to find a spot on the Sunday afternoon TV dial.

I'll make a few calls a bit later in the day. Can't promise anything, though.

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Full “House”: Pulls 11.2 in adults 18-49
Fox drama in series high in first post-'Idol' airing
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Jan 31, 2007

Fox led both its two hours last night, starting with a 13.3 rating at 8 p.m. for “Idol.” Univision was second that hour with a 2.4 for “La Fea Mas Bella,” with CBS third with a 2.3 for a rerun of “NCIS.” NBC and CW tied for fourth that hour at 2.1, NBC for “Dateline” and CW for “Gilmore Girls,” with ABC sixth with a 1.7 for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

Yikes, is the magic touch of the sexual predators going soft (pun intended! :p ) on NBC? The previous 'Predator' specials were ratings hits even in the demo but last night's brand-new sting barely moved the Nielsens. Guess 'AI' is to blame for sucking the oxygen out of the time slot but I sincerely hope this is an abherration and ratings for future 'Predator' specials go back to their previously healthy levels. This show is just too much fun for me to look forward to a future without it! :(

Critics Notebook
Will NBC leave the 'Lights' on?
Football show could use new timeslot.
By Jon Weisman Variety.com January 21, 2007

If ratings woes compel NBC to cancel "Friday Night Lights" before its sophomore season, it could become the most critically beloved freshman series punted by the Peacock -- or any broadcast network -- since "Freaks and Geeks" in 2000 and "Boomtown" a few years later.

Though ongoing positive reviews for the show dovetail with NBC's new marketing campaign emphasizing the sudden development of quality programs in its stable, the Peacock has not found a way to convince any kind of meaningful audience to give "Friday" a shot.

One suggestion has been for NBC to try moving the 8 p.m. show to a 10 p.m. slot. (The show might make a better lead-out from "Heroes" than "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," for example -- perhaps a trade is in order.) "Friday" has some storylines that are PG-13 in subject matter, and while the notion of 8 p.m. as a sex-free zone has long since been blown out of the water, viewers might be more in the mood for some of the "Friday" subject matter after they've had a chance to settle in for the evening.

But also at the heart of the "Friday" ratings dilemma is the apparent low sampling of the program. Auds haven't been inclined to give the show a chance, because they perceive it as a football show they won't be interested in, or they feel that the book or movie that it descended from was enough for one lifetime. Concern that a viewer will stick with the show after tuning in is relatively low.

NBC could consider a bold stab at marketing the show directly to women -- through the "Today" show, life and style magazines, what have you. "Friday" offers many strong female characters and stories; if NBC can get the women of the show front and center, breaking through viewer resistance, the "Friday" audience could double.

NBC has a noteworthy history with struggling but critically worthy shows. Most notably, the network stayed with "Hill Street Blues" during a first season in which it would regularly check in at the bottom of the ratings, and was handsomely rewarded with a Hall of Fame drama. "Cheers" and "Seinfeld" are other examples of patience validated.

But the rough ride of "Freaks and Geeks," however ratings-challenged, testifies all too well to the times the network has shown a quick hook. Despite constant shuffling in, our and around the sked, "Freaks" had a core following, along with critical acclaim and breakout performers in James Franco ("Spider-Man"), Seth Rogen ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), Jason Segel ("How I Met Your Mother") and Linda Cardellini ("ER").

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958411&categoryid=14

Critics Notebook
Will NBC leave the 'Lights' on?
Football show could use new timeslot.
By Jon Weisman Variety.com January 21, 2007

If ratings woes compel NBC to cancel "Friday Night Lights" before its sophomore season, it could become the most critically beloved freshman series punted by the Peacock -- or any broadcast network -- since "Freaks and Geeks" in 2000 and "Boomtown" a few years later.


I'm looking forward to seeing tonight's ratings. If it doesn't beat tonight's reshuffled ABC lineup then I don't hold much hope for it even getting the chance at a serious drama timeslot.

Unlike Boomtown however at least it's been kept in a relatively stable timeslot and the formula hasn't changed. As I recall Boomtown was bounced all over the place and had lots of network hands messing around with the concept in the middle of the run.

The Business of Television
NBC Extends Online Viewing of Shows
78% of Rewind viewers watch episodes they missed on NBC TV
Data Also Shows NBC Rewind Audience Builds On NBC Primetime's Upscale Audience By Skewing Younger, More Male and Higher Educated Than General Internet Users
(NBC News Release)

BURBANK, Calif. - January 31, 2007 - NBC.com today announced new research findings for users of its NBC Rewind full-length episode video player. A full 78 percent of its online users have watched an episode they had missed on broadcast television, expanding the reach of NBC Entertainment programming on the Net. Further, 26 percent have re-watched an episode after watching the broadcast and 34 percent used the online player to watch a show they had never seen before. In addition, Rewind users built upon NBC Primetime's already upscale audience by skewing younger, more male and higher educated than average television and internet audiences.

The announcements were made by Jeff Gaspin, President NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross Network Strategy.

"Our viewers responded strongly to the streaming video on our site," said Gaspin. "Contrary to conventional wisdom, consumers are ready to watch long-form entertainment on the web and we plan on making more available. We're especially encouraged by this research and believe that we've only seen the tip of the iceberg on this new platform."

Since NBC Rewind's debut on October 1, 2006, 6.9 million unique users have streamed nearly 42 million full-episode videos. The average time spent per visit in December 2006 averaged 35 minutes for NBC Rewind -- the third straight month the figure had increased. Usage of NBC Rewind helped make NBC.com the number one broadcast network website in December 2006 and the third ranking television site overall, behind AOL TV and MSN TV and ahead of Yahoo!TV and ABC.com, according to comScore Media Metrix.

From an advertising perspective, 81 percent recall the pre-roll ads after two or more exposures. And 72 percent agree that Rewind ads are less disruptive than traditional advertising while over 40 percent agree that ads are easy to remember, seamlessly integrated and caught their attention. More than 60 percent of users always watch the full episode when viewing in on Rewind.

In addition to full episodes of "Heroes," "30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights," "Las Vegas," "Studio 60" and "My Name Is Earl," NBC.com will be making more episodes of its programming available for streaming in 2007, including selected episodes of "Grease: You're The One That I Want" and "The Apprentice."

Sinclair Responds to Congressional Letter

In a press release (http://www.sbgi.net/press/release_2007131_205.shtml), Sinclair Broadcast Group executives responded to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee who demanded that the FCC intervene in the company's retransmission dispute with Mediacom.

Sinclair argues that the FCC does not have the authority to force the two sides to binding arbitration, as Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) had proposed in their letter to the FCC.

"[Federal law] on this subject provides that '[n]o cable system or other multichannel programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of a broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except with the express authority of the originating station," wrote Sinclair Vice President and General Counsel Barry Faber. "Allowing Mediacom the right to retransmit the signals of Sinclair's stations without Sinclair's consent, whether through binding arbitration or otherwise, would be tantamount to removing the need for Mediacom to obtain Sinclair's consent, in direct contravention of the statute cited above governing retransmission consent."

Faber also restated Sinclair's position that government interference is unwarranted and that the two companies should be left to settle the matter themselves.

"Unfortunately it appears that Mediacom's interest in reaching agreement has been tempered by a belief that it need not complete a deal because the government will step in to remedy such a failure," he wrote.

Click here (http://www.sbgi.net/press/release_2007131_205.shtml) to link to the full Sinclair press release.

Washington Notebook
Kerry to Question Proposed DirecTV-MLB Deal
By R. Thomas Umstead MultiChannel News 1/31/2007

A former presidential candidate plans to take his swings against the proposed DirecTV-Major League Baseball out-of-market package agreement.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) intends to question Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin about the pending $700 million deal between the direct-broadcast satellite provider and the league that would provide DirecTV with exclusive rights to baseball’s Extra Innings live-game package. The deal would shut out cable subscribers from purchasing the $179 package, which provides hundreds of live out-of-market baseball games.

Martin will appear Thursday in front of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, of which Kerry is a member.

“I am opposed to anything that deprives people of reasonable choices. In this day and age, consumers should have more choices, not fewer,” Kerry said in a prepared statement. “I’d like to know how this serves the public -- a deal that will force fans to subscribe to DirecTV in order to tune in to their favorite players. A Red Sox fan ought to be able to watch their team without having to switch to DirecTV.”

Representatives from DirecTV and MLB could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, cable executives close to the negotiations said the industry has not been notified by baseball that it’s out of the running to secure rights to the package.

The industry, through In Demand, offered to carry the package for $70 million per year on a nonexclusive basis, according to executives close to In Demand. The sticking point has been cable’s unwillingness to provide mass distribution for baseball’s 24-hour linear channel, expected to launch in 2009, according to Sports Business Journal.

The proposed deal has been slammed by several sports-media writers and bloggers, who claimed that MLB is hurting fans by stealing the package from cable.

http://www.multichannel.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleid=CA6412251

Critic’s Notebook
Is 'Gilmore' going?
By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

PASADENA, Calif. — The CW would like to bring "Gilmore Girls" back next season, but whether that's going to happen is somewhat out of the network's hands.

The question is whether you could possibly do "Gilmore Girls" without the girls. Neither Lauren Graham (who plays Lorelai) nor Alexis Bledel (Rory) is under contract past the end of the current season.

"Obviously, 'Gilmore Girls' is a show that we're very proud of," said CW Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. "It still is the second-highest rated show for The CW in women 18-34. And it consistently comes in second in the (Tuesday-at-7 p.m.) time period in women 18-34.

"So it's an important show for us, and we are talking to them."

Beyond that, there's nothing she was willing to say about the negotiations. Which might be bad news. Or not. It's not like Graham or Bledel has said anything categorical about their plans.

But it's getting really late in the season to work out some sort of wrap-up, series-finale episode. And Ostroff said the network wants to do that "when the time comes."

AT THE SAME TIME that Ostroff was telling critics how important "Gilmore Girls" is to The CW, she didn't exactly give the show's show-running executive producer a big vote of confidence.

Responding to complaints from some of the show's fans — many of whom attacked new executive producer David Rosenthal before the season even began — Ostroff began by saying it's "a given" that any show that's been on the air for seven seasons "has its ups and its downs."

"Clearly, with the loss of (series creator) Amy (Sherman-Palladino), we wanted to be able to maintain the quality of the show," Ostroff said. "David Rosenthal was one of her top lieutenants and actually hand-picked by Amy.

"And I think that the first half of the season was a little rocky. He was sort of painted into a story line by the end of last year that he kind of got out of. And I think the second half of the season is much stronger, and I think that the viewers will be pleasantly surprised."

That sounds like a, well, not-so-ringing endorsement.

YOU CAN COUNT on wrestling being a part of The CW lineup for the foreseeable future. Weirdly, Ostroff was more effusive in her praise of "Smackdown!" than she was in her praise of "Gilmore Girls."

"I have to say the WWE, Vince and Linda (McMahon), have been incredible partners. They really have been," she said. "I have to say they are excellent show producers. ... They know their characters better than anybody. They understand what their audience is looking for, and who their audience is, better than anything. They have been doing this for a long time, and their business is more than just this show. It is truly a whole culture, a phenomenon."

And The CW's contract with WWE still has "a few years" left to run.

THE CW DID CONSIDER picking up "The O.C." after Fox canceled it, but not for long.

"It came up, but we didn't really think it made sense for us for several reasons," Ostroff said. "And we're very excited about ("O.C." creator/executive producer) Josh (Schwartz)'s new show."

The CW is developing a new show called "Gossip Girl," which Schwartz is producing. (A pilot has been ordered; it may or may not make the schedule.)

IT JUST WOULDN'T BE a TV critics press tour if Ostroff wasn't being asked about the future of "Veronica Mars."

"I feel like I've answered that question every year. And it's still on the air, and I'm still here," said Ostroff, who quickly moved on to talk about how "proud" she is of the show and thank critics "for all your support." (That's never a good sign.)

"Hopefully we'll have good things to talk about," she said.

"Veronica Mars" will, however, go off the air for eight weeks to make room for "The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll" — a midseason reality show — and when it returns, it won't be quite the same show.

The five remaining episodes this season will each be stand-alone — they'll have a beginning, middle and end in a single hour instead of stretching a mystery out over a number of episodes or an entire season.

"I think it's really just a way to experiment and see if we can make the show closed-ended so that people aren't intimidated to come in," Ostroff said.

IS THIS THE FINAL SEASON for "7th Heaven"? Again?

"The one thing I have learned is never say never," Ostroff said, adding that she "would be surprised" if it returns in the fall.

You may recall that The WB hyped the "7th Heaven" series finale in May 2006, only to have The CW rather unexpectedly bring the show back this season.

"We've already seen the series finale of the show. ... And if we know in advance that it's the end of the series, then we will call it the series finale again," Ostroff said.

THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE that "One Tree Hill" will return to The CW next season (sigh), but there are also rumors that it will no longer be a teen drama. Unconfirmed reports have the producers thinking about jumping the show ahead four years in time.

"I have not heard that yet from the producers, although somebody else asked me a question about that. ... But I've heard that from somebody, but the producers have not come in and talked to me about that yet," Ostroff said.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,655192267,00.html

TV Notebook
Manslaughter, DUI Charges Sought For Lane Garrison

(KCBS-TV)---BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Beverly Hills police say "Prison Break" actor Lane Garrison should be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for a solo car crash that killed a 17-year-old passenger.

Two others were injured in the Dec. 2 crash. Vahagn Setian, 17, died after being taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Police Chief David Snowden says investigators have also asked county prosecutors to charge Garrison with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Investigators recommended that the DUI allegation carry the enhancement of having a blood-alcohol level of .15 percent or more. An adult driver in California is legally at the point of intoxication at .08 percent.

Garrison, a Dallas native, plays "Tweener" on the Fox drama series "Prison Break."

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_031191937.html

KCAL To Offer Lakers in HD
By Michael Malone Broadcasting & Cable 1/31/2007 4:07:00 PM

Time Warner Cable and CBS Corp. station KCAL are launching a high-definition channel for viewers in Southern California. KCAL 9 HD debuts Feb. 2, showing the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Indiana Pacers.

All of 18 KCAL’s remaining Lakers games will be produced in HD, as will all of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball games in 2007, beginning March 30.

KCAL 9 HD will be located on Channel 409 as part of Time Warner Cable’s basic hi-def service and also available to Over The Air users.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with Time Warner Cable to deliver pristine, high-definition broadcasts that will significantly add to the fans’ viewing experience,” says KCAL 9 President and General Manager Don Corsini.

In addition to the ballgames, KCAL 9 HD and sister station CBS 2 HD will begin producing high-definition news this spring, when the stations move into a new facility.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6412284.html?display=Breaking+News

Well first they lose the French open and then they get it back, sort of.


ESPN2 to broadcast 55 hours of French Open
ESPN.com news services

ESPN and The Tennis Channel have entered into a multi-year arrangement to share rights to the Australian Open and French Open through 2011.




I take it, that it won't be broadcast in HD, I'm sure they would have mentioned it if they planned on it. That was the only bad part about the Australian Open this year, no HD, it was discussed in another thread, they could have shown it in 16:9, even if it wasn't HD. I hope they opt to show the French in 16:9, if at all possible.

Critic’s Notebook
Is 'Gilmore' going?
By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

"And I think that the first half of the season was a little rocky. He was sort of painted into a story line by the end of last year that he kind of got out of. And I think the second half of the season is much stronger, and I think that the viewers will be pleasantly surprised."


As I said in the GG thread, there are no signs of that improvement. In fact it seems to be getting worse and add to that next week appears to be a remake of a season one episode, and I'm largely hoping it does get canceled. The longer it continues the way it is, the more damage it's going to do. The actors already seem to be sleepwalking through a large part of the continuously depressing material. Rosenthal seems to have forgotten this was a light-hearted comedy drama.

Yet it got its highest numbers of the season in women 18-34 last night. And was the highest rated scripted show (if Smackdown doesn't counted scripted!) on the CW last week.

I agree about the quality diminishing. If the CW had any decent shows (ratings-wise) it would be a definite goner. But given the total lack of anything on the network, it could well come back.

Yet it got its highest numbers of the season in women 18-34 last night. And was the highest rated scripted show (if Smackdown doesn't counted scripted!) on the CW last week.

I agree about the quality diminishing. If the CW had any decent shows (ratings-wise) it would be a definite goner. But given the total lack of anything on the network, it could well come back.

I can see the ratings staying relatively the same all the way through even if it gets worse. I'm not a GG fanatic (and they are definitely out there), but I'll still tune in every week until season end, hoping it can salvage something of what the show and characters used to be.

As I said in the GG thread, there are no signs of that improvement. In fact it seems to be getting worse and add to that next week appears to be a remake of a season one episode, and I'm largely hoping it does get canceled. The longer it continues the way it is, the more damage it's going to do. The actors already seem to be sleepwalking through a large part of the continuously depressing material. Rosenthal seems to have forgotten this was a light-hearted comedy drama.

I thought last night's episode was better, maybe it had to do with the surrounding cast, we had Luke, Suki(sp?), Paris ... I thought it was one of the better shows this season.

I thought last night's episode was better, maybe it had to do with the surrounding cast, we had Luke, Suki(sp?), Paris ... I thought it was one of the better shows this season.

It was marginally improved in that it brought back characters that have been underused all season. However in previous years all those characters would have been involved in each other's storylines constantly and have now been resigned to occasional guest appearances. And possibly just so they can kill one of them off! I see this as more evidence of the lack of writing ability. They just don't know how to handle the large cast now, so they don't.

But I don't want to hijack this thread with Gilmore talk so I'll stop now.

VisionOn: Have you checked Marc Berman Programming Insider blog? There is lots of CW comments on a daily basis as the ratings come in.

http://pifeedback.com/eve/?cdra=Y&s=32410241

I was at PC Richard & Son (a Tri-State area electronics chain) store during my lunch break and a camera crew from Inside Edition was there to tape B-roll footage of HDTV's for a story about how TV sales spike up during the Super Bowl. The camera crew asked me if they could videotape me while I browsed. There were two kiosks: a Sony Blu-ray player hooked-up to a Sony XBR2 with a BD demo disk and a Toshiba HD-A1 hooked-up to a Sharp LCD playing Chronicles of Riddick.

I chose to play around with the HD-DVD set-up, so if you see a chubby Hispanic guy with a black jacket/pants/shoes/HBO hat playing around with an HDTV showing 'Riddick' then that's my sorry ass doing the 'Inside Edition' crew a favor. 'IE' airs in syndication so check your local listings for time and station and yes, I had no idea the show was still on the air! :)

Cable Nielsen Ratings Notebook
Tuesday’s Cable News Numbers…
(From InsideCable)

Cable News Daily Ratings for January 30, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 918,000 viewers
CNN – 484,000 viewers
MSNBC – 323,000 viewers
CNBC – 257,000 viewers
HLN – 196,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,812,000 viewers
CNN – 730,000 viewers
MSNBC – 516,000 viewers
CNBC – 474,000 viewers
HLN – 272,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 280,000 viewers
CNN –164,000 viewers
MSNBC – 132,000 viewers
CNBC – 106,000 viewers
HLN – 98,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 462,000 viewers
CNN – 212,000 viewers
MSNBC – 193,000 viewers
CNBC – 223,000 viewers
HLN – 85,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 697,000 viewers (305,000)
American Morning – 378,000 viewers (181,000)
Imus in the Morning– 368,000 viewers (130,000)
Robin & Co. – 211,000 viewers (130,000)

6PM - P2+ (25-54)
Special Report with Brit Hume – 1,412,000 viewers (424,000)
Lou Dobbs Tonight – 873,000 viewers (272,000)
Tucker– 226,000 viewers (73,000)
Mad Money – 247,000 viewers (83,000)
Prime News- 140,000 viewers (89,000)

7PM - P2+ (25-54)
FOX Report with Shepard Smith – 1,395,000 viewers (383,000)
Situation Room – 732,000 viewers (211,000)
Hardball – 483,000 viewers (157,000)
On the Money – 161,000 viewers (52,000)
Glenn Beck – 275,000 viewers (146,000)

8PM - P2+ (25-54)
O’Reilly Factor – 2,296,000 viewers (548,000)
Paula Zahn– 552,000 viewers (152,000)
Countdown w/ Olbermann – 684,000 viewers (231,000)
Fast Money – 180,000 viewers (79,000)
Nancy Grace – 306,000 viewers (91,000)

9 PM - P2+ (25-54)
Hannity & Colmes– 1,775,000 viewers (496,000)
Larry King Live – 797,000 viewers (210,000)
Scarborough Country- 448,000 viewers (134,000)
Deal or No Deal – 993,000 viewers (450,000)
Glenn Beck – 247,000 viewers (71,000)

10 PM P2+ (25-54)
On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren- 1,366,000 viewers (343,000)
Anderson Cooper- 841,000 viewers (274,000)
MSNBC Investigates- 297,000 viewers (126,000)
Donny Deutsch – 249,000 viewers (139,000)
Nancy Grace – 263,000 viewers (93,000)

11 PM P2+ (25-54)
The O’Reilly Factor– 1,150,000 viewers (291,000)
Anderson Cooper – 455,000 viewers (181,000)
MSNBC Investigates – 197,000 viewers (138,000)
Mad Money– a scratch with 110,000 viewers (a scratch with 48,000)
Showbiz Tonight – 283,000 viewers (152,000)

http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/01/31/tuesdays-numbers-26/#more-4728

VisionOn: Have you checked Marc Berman Programming Insider blog? There is lots of CW comments on a daily basis as the ratings come in.

http://pifeedback.com/eve/?cdra=Y&s=32410241

thanks for that. I'll try and remember it for next time. I forget there are discussions about TV shows there.

TV Notebook
EchoStar's Ergen Mulls Yanking Court TV off DISH for Good
By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek Jan. 31, 2007

Time may be running out for Court TV, as the programmer is closing in on a deadline that could find it permanently shut out of EchoStar’s DISH Network lineup.

In a series of off-the-cuff comments at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen suggested that he may pull Court TV off the DISH Net menu for good if a new carriage deal is not hammered out by Feb. 1.

Reps from both sides today said that there has been no change in the status of Court TV’s carriage status, and as of this afternoon, neither company would confirm if negotiations were actually going on.

Historically, Ergen doesn’t exactly tarry once he actually decides to pull a network. When the original Court TV contract expired on Jan. 1, the network went black in DISH households just minutes after the stroke of midnight.

Since going black on New Year’s Day, Court TV has lost nearly 13 percent of its sub base, dropping from around 87.7 million subscribers to an estimated 76 million. Despite the kink in its distribution, Court TV hasn’t suffered a ratings slide this month. In fact, the network notched its most-watched month in its 15-year history, delivering 1.16 million total viewers in prime time, an increase of 21 percent versus January 2006. The net also averaged 523,000 adult 18-49 viewers in prime, an increase of 26 percent over a year ago.

At issue is EchoStar’s desire to shift Court TV from its most highly penetrated tier, “America’s Top 60,” to the “Top 120” level, a move that would cost the net some 3 million subs. Under the terms of Court TV’s current rate card, the net would have to raise its license fee by up to 70 percent in order to adjust for the loss of those subs.

Meanwhile, Court TV continues to try to communicate with its lost subs, running a 30-second spot in DISH Net markets that exhorts consumers to “stand up and object” to the current state of affairs. Viewers are directed to call a special 1-800 action line that informs them of their carrier options, offering information about DirecTV and their local cable operators.

(Unfortunately, the information database doesn’t appear to be entirely accurate. A prompt leading to information about local cable service in Manhattan informs callers that Court TV is “only available on DirecTV in your area.” That’s especially ironic, given that Manhattan is served by Time Warner Cable, a sibling company of the Turner-owned Court TV.)

While Court TV’s standing with EchoStar remains up in the air, the dispute carries with it an undeniable whiff of déjà vu. On Feb. 1, 2006, EchoStar and Lifetime ended their own contentious carriage dispute, agreeing to a multi-year deal after DISH had blacked out the network for a month.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003540347

Court TV vs Dish. Sinclair vs MCCC. Is this what the future of DTV holds?

I think it does for the near future, Dave.

Mad Money– a scratch with 110,000 viewers (a scratch with 48,000)


What does "scratch" mean, Fred?

I think it does for the near future, Dave.I was afraid you'd say that. :)

Washington Notebook
Martin: Competitors Need Must-Have Cable Nets

By Ted Hearn [b]MultiChannel News 1/31/2007

In Senate testimony for delivery Thursday morning, Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin indicated that he supports the extension of rules that force cable companies to sell programming to competing pay TV distributors.

Facing his first major oversight hearing since becoming chairman in March 2005, Martin voiced support for cable program-access rules as part of the agency’s ongoing effort “to create a regulatory environment that encourages entry into this [pay TV] market and more choice for consumers.”

Martin added, “This includes making sure that competitive providers have access to ‘must-have’ programming that is vertically integrated with a cable operator.”

A transcript of Martin's prepared testimony was obtained by Multichannel News Wednesday afternoon. FCC spokeswoman Tamara Lipper, e-mailed a copy of the testimony, declined to confirm its authenticity.

Martin, along with the other four FCC members, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee at 10 a.m. (EST) in room 253 of the Russell Senate office building. A Republican appointed by President Bush, Martin is to appear before his first congressional panel controlled by Democrats.

Cable operators are required to sell satellite-delivered networks in which they hold at least a 5% ownership stake. Such networks include Time Warner’s CNN and Comcast’s Golf Channel. The FCC’s rule mandating cable-programming sales will sunset in October without formal FCC extension.

Martin’s comments suggesting support for extension came before the agency had sought public comment on whether, as the law states, the rules continue “to be necessary to preserve and protect competition and diversity in the distribution of video programming.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6412300.html?display=Breaking+News

TV Notebook
Odds are on Super Bowl, but 'Idol' is game
By Gary Levin USA TODAY February 1, 2007

TV's February "sweeps" ratings period starts tonight, and this weekend's Super Bowl — the top-rated program of the year — would seem to tilt the odds in favor of CBS.

But American Idol might just mess up the ordained outcome, at least among the young-adult viewers networks value most. The big game's nearly 90 million viewers — and CBS' sturdy prime-time lineup — should be enough to guarantee the network an overall win this month, when local stations set ad rates.

But competitors and analysts see Fox as a real threat to win among ages 18 to 49. "CBS does have the Super Bowl, but that won't be enough," predicts analyst Shari Anne Brill at media buyer Carat USA. "Fox could have a very strong shot because of Idol."

Fox plans 12 hours of Idol — 20% of its total lineup — over the four weeks, including the first of three Thursday results shows as semifinalists are winnowed. (Fox programs only 15 hours a week, compared with 22 for its rivals, further magnifying Idol's ratings effect.) And 24 and House —which hit a series-high 27.3 million viewers behind Idol Tuesday — are formidable competitors.

Naturally, CBS and Fox are trying to manage expectations, preferring to eke out "surprise" wins than be considered prematurely boastful. "We think we're in a very good position in terms of total viewership," CBS research chief David Poltrack says. "But in 18 to 49, it's going to go down to the wire. Fox will be very competitive."

Says Fox programming planner Preston Beckman: "We think CBS is going to win in 18 to 49, but it's going to be close. " Beckman says Fox's February Idol schedule is the same as in recent years, and in total, the show will air 46 hours this season, one more than last year.

Last February offered the same crowded mix of the Oscars, Grammys and Super Bowl, further muddled by NBC's Winter Olympics. That network won sweeps overall but ranked third among younger viewers behind ABC and Fox.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-01-31-sweeps-cover_x.htm

TV Notebook
MNTV Switches Tactics
Cutting Back on Telenovas?
By Harry A. Jessell TV Newsday Jan. 231, 2007

Fox’s My Network Television will air movies rather than its regular telenovela recaps for the next two Saturday nights, a MNT affiliate told TVNEWSDAY Wednesday.

An MNT spokesperson confirmed the schedule switch, but cautioned that a movie-of-the-week would not necessarily be a part of the new, revamped MNT lineup.

Consider the movies—Something Wild and Deceiver—a “special event,” she said, adding that MNT would soon release more details on its programming plans.

MNT debuted last September offering two, one-hour telenovelas back-to-back each weeknight with recaps on Saturdays. The telenovelas run 13 weeks.

But viewers never bought in. At NATPE earlier this month, Fox named longtime programmer Greg Meidel president of the network and charged him with assembling a new schedule that could win over a significant number of viewers.

The second round of telenovelas—Wicked, Wicked Games and Watch Over Me—end on March 9, suggesting that Meidel will be ready with his new lineup on the following Monday, March 12.

So far, all that is known about the revised MNT lineup is that it will include a weekly, two-hour program based on the International Fight League—a team approach to martial arts with behind-the-scene elements. MNT expects the show to debut in “mid-2007.”

The MNT affiliate says that the telenovelas will be back, but in a reduced role, possibly two nights a week. Back-to-back episodes of one telenovela would appear one night; back-to-back episodes of another, on another night.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/01/31/daily.14/

TV Notebook
It's up from the deep for CBS's “Shark”
Dismissed early on, it may be the season's sleeper
By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Feb 1, 2007

CBS’s “Shark” debuted with high expectations and a fair bit of star power. James Woods plays a defense attorney-turned-prosecutor in a show that received the network’s most cushy timeslot, airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. behind “CSI.”

Yet “Shark” hasn’t come close to equaling the ratings for the previous timeslot occupant, “Without a Trace.” In adults 18-49, “Shark” trails “Trace’s” average last season by 2.2 points, or 37 percent, leading to whispers that the show was underperforming.

It’s too early to label it such. “Shark” has been building in recent weeks, and it’s doing so with a “CSI” lead-in that’s significantly weaker than the one “Trace” enjoyed last year. In fact, if you look at the numbers from “Trace’s” first season in 2002-’03, “Shark” compares surprisingly favorably.

That suggests that “Shark” could mushroom into a hit after a somewhat slow start, much as “Trace” did. In “Trace’s” first season, it averaged a 4.7 rating, retaining 58 percent of “CSI’s” lead-in. This year “Shark” is averaging a 3.7 rating, retaining 55 percent of “CSI’s” lead-in.

If “CSI,” whose rating has declined 24 percent compared with its first year as a lead-in for “Trace,” was delivering better numbers, “Shark’s” rating could be right around where “Trace” was four years ago.

And “Shark” has been rising over recent weeks. Last week a repeat episode ranked first in its timeslot, bettering its season average by 0.1 and topping ABC’s original “Men in Trees.” The previous week, a new episode averaged a 4.4, 19 percent above its season average.

Tonight’s original episode focuses on a real estate developer who’s murdered, and there are plenty of people vying for top suspect in the case.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_9885.asp

TV Notebook
CBS still says yes to 'Big Brother'
Net approves eighth season of reality show

By Josef Adalian Variety Feb. 1, 2007

"Big Brother" will be back for another round of real-people melodrama.

CBS has greenlit production on an eighth season of the hit summer sudser, which has become a fixture on the net's warm-weather sked. After pausing last year for an "all-star" edition featuring past contestants, skein will return to its normal "real" people format this year.

Julie Chen is on board to once again host "Big Brother," which first debuted in 2000, weeks after "Survivor" launched. Allison Grodner Prods. will produce, in association with Endemol USA.

There's one behind-the-scenes twist on "Big Brother" this summer: After seven seasons, exec producer Arnold Shapiro has decided to step down from that role and will instead serve as an exec consultant.

Grodner, who's been exec producer alongside Shapiro since both joined the skein in 2001, will now produce the skein via her self-titled banner. Also returning as exec producer: Rich Meehan.

Shapiro said he was "gratified that Allison and I were able to successfully 're-invent' BB2 and turn the series into an annual summer hit."

Grodner indicated that last year's "all-star" edition has prompted producers to think of the upcoming season of the skein as a new starting point. "We consider 'All-Stars' sort of the end of an era, and now we're getting a chance to start once again with a fresh cast and new twists," she told Daily Variety.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958462&categoryid=14

The 2007-08 TV Season
Network pilot orders shun serial dramas
2007-08 dramas lure more feature pros
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

Heavily serialized dramas are out, soaps and high-concept procedurals are in, "The Bionic Woman" and Philip Marlowe are back, and one-hour British imports are hotter than ever.

Overall, the five networks have ordered 45 drama pilots, on par with the 47 greenlighted last year.

Dubbed as "the season of serialized dramas," 2006-07 yielded only one big hit in the genre, NBC's "Heroes," and one modest success, CBS' "Jericho." With a number of high-profile, heavily serialized new shows such as ABC's "The Nine" and "Six Degrees," NBC's "Kidnapped" and Fox's "Vanished" long gone, the networks opted for more close-ended dramas for next fall.

A record four British drama concepts have landed pilot orders: "Life on Mars" and "Football Wives" (the latter based on "Footballers' Wives") at ABC, "Viva Laughlin!" (based on "Viva Blackpool!") at CBS and a project based on "Wild at Heart" at the CW. They have attracted impressive auspices, with David E. Kelley writing and executive producing "Mars," Bryan Singer directing and executive producing "Wives" and Hugh Jackman executive producing and guest starring in and Gabriele Muccino directing and executive producing "Laughlin!"

Street cops are back in favor after disappearing from primetime following the end of ABC's "NYPD Blue." CBS ("Protect and Serve"), NBC ("Ft. Pit"), Fox ("K-Ville") and CW ("Gravity") are all on the beat with police dramas.

And then there is the high-concept element that adds a twist to many of this year's crop of drama pilots. For instance, "Mars" is about a detective who goes back in time to the 1970s; the detective at the center of Fox's "New Amsterdam" is hundreds of years old, and the private eye in CBS' "Twilight" is a vampire.

But if there is one element that dominates the drama field this development season, it's the invasion of big-name feature directors -- a trend that exploded this year.

"We hear over and over that television is the new features," says Christina Davis, vp drama development at CBS.

Added Ted Gold, Fox's senior vp drama development, "It has to do with everybody's efforts to stand out."

Feature helmers tapped for pilots include Lasse Hallstrom, Spike Lee, Brett Ratner, Guy Ritchie, Doug Liman and Barry Sonnenfeld.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3ifa3342614f951b4f5dde03bda9b25741

Upcoming Premieres
(Updated February 1st, 2007)

Rules of Engagement Monday, February 5, 9:30 PM, ET/PT, CBS
Lost Wednesday, February 7, 10 PM ET/PT, ABC
Survivor: Fiji Thursday, February 8, 8 PM ET/PT, CBS
Real Time Friday, February 16, 10 PM ET/PT, HBO
Amazing Race All Stars Sunday, February 18, 8 pm/ET/PT, CBS
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Tuesday, February 27, 9:30 PM ET/PT, Fox
America's Next Top Model Wednesday, February 28, 8 PM ET/PT, The CW
The Winner Sunday, March 4, 8:30 PM ET/PT (and 9:30 PM ET/PT) FOX (regular time slot: 9:30 starting March 11)
The Black Donnellys Monday, March 5, 10 PM ET/PT, NBC
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll Tuesday, March 6, 9 PM ET/PT, The CW
The Wedding Bells Wednesday, March 7, FOX (regular night: Fridays starting March 9)
The Riches Monday, March 12, 10 PM, ET/PT, FX
Raines Thursday, March 15 & 22 10 PM, ET/PT(Regular time slot Fridays at 9 beginning March 30) NBC
Dancing With The Stars Monday, March 19, 8 PM, ET/PT, ABC
Identity March, TBA, NBC
The Tudors April 1, SHO
The Sopranos Sunday, April 8, 9 PM ET/PT, HBO
Entourage Sunday, April 8, 10 PM ET/PT, HBO
Drive Sunday, April 15, 8 PM ET/PT, Fox (Regular time-slot: Mondays 8 PM ET/PT)
John From Cincinnati Summer, HBO
The Closer Summer, FX
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Summer, FX
Dexter Summer, SHO
The Traveler To be announced, ABC
On the Lot To be announced, FOX
Crowned To be announced, The CW
Hidden Palms To be announced, CW
October Road To be announced, ABC
Curb Your Enthusiasm To be announced (2008), HBO

This chart, (continually updated) can always be found in page three of this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=440744&p=4278280

Upcoming Premieres
(Updated January 31st, 2007)

Curb Your Enthusiasm To be announced (2008), HBO

2008? Wow that is some break between seasons. Hopefully after such a long break they will do the show in HD.

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

i'm looking forward to Drive (will be canceled for sure -- tim minear and nathan fillion) and Traveler (if ABC ever schedules it).

The Business of Television
Before Malone Takes Over --
Echostar To Push for Baseball-Style Arbitration for Fox Retrans Deals
By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 2/1/2007

Look for Echostar, joined by consumer groups, to push the FCC to retain baseball-style arbitration for Fox broadcasting retransmission-consent deals.

When News Corp. bought DirecTV in 2004, one of the conditions on the deal was that negotiations for broadcast carriage between Fox Broadcasting stations and satellite competitor EchoStar be subject to baseball-style arbitration if an impasse occurred, during which stations could not go dark on the satellite service.

Baseball-style arbitration is when both sides make their best offer and the arbitrator has to pick one or the other.

The condition was in place so that Fox couldn't advantage co-owned DirecTV by refusing to deal with its satellite competitor. Arbitration was invoked only once, according to a source, with the parties accepting the deal without appealing to the FCC, which was an option.

Now that News Corp. is trading its stake in DirecTV to Liberty Media for Liberty's stake in News Corp., the latter is, understandably, asking to drop the arbitration requirement.

Getting the FCC to preserve the condition would be a long-shot at best since, but with the transfer of Liberty's stake in News Corp's broadcast stations before the commission as part of the switch, the FCC could conceivably consider it.

The issue of viewers' access to TV stations over multichannel video providers is a hot topic before the commission at the moment given the Mediacom/Sinclair retrans battle. The FCC's Media Bureau, in denying a Mediacom complaint against Sinclair alleging bad faith bargaining, has said it would prefer the parties submit to Media Bureau arbitration and put Sinclair stations back on the cable systems. Sinclair pulled its stations from Mediacom systems serving 700 Jan. 6.

The issue could heat up even further as broadcasters flex their programming muscles and ask for more money for their channels. CBS, for one, has pledged to get more in return for its TV station signals, which are marquee programming for cable and satellite but have historically not fetched the same price as similarly-rated cable nets, a point Sinclair has made in its ongoing retrans fight.

According to a source, Echostar will also point to program-access issues raised by the ties of DirecTV to cable programming via Liberty Chairman John Malone, who personally owns half of Discovery. Look for it to encourage senior Democratic staffers to make sure the issue is raised at an FCC oversight hearing Feb. 15 in the House energy & Commerce Committee.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6412421

i'm looking forward to Drive (will be canceled for sure -- tim minear and nathan fillion) and Traveler (if ABC ever schedules it).

I doubt it stands a chance in Hades...but I will be watching Drive and giving it a chance.

Upcoming Premieres
(Updated January 31st, 2007)


What about Big Love?

TV Notebook
CBS still says yes to 'Big Brother'
Net approves eighth season of reality show

By Josef Adalian Variety Feb. 1, 2007

"Big Brother" will be back for another round of real-people melodrama.

CBS has greenlit production on an eighth season of the hit summer sudser, which has become a fixture on the net's warm-weather sked. After pausing last year for an "all-star" edition featuring past contestants, skein will return to its normal "real" people format this year.

Julie Chen is on board to once again host "Big Brother," which first debuted in 2000, weeks after "Survivor" launched. Allison Grodner Prods. will produce, in association with Endemol USA.

There's one behind-the-scenes twist on "Big Brother" this summer: After seven seasons, exec producer Arnold Shapiro has decided to step down from that role and will instead serve as an exec consultant.

Grodner, who's been exec producer alongside Shapiro since both joined the skein in 2001, will now produce the skein via her self-titled banner. Also returning as exec producer: Rich Meehan.

Shapiro said he was "gratified that Allison and I were able to successfully 're-invent' BB2 and turn the series into an annual summer hit."

Grodner indicated that last year's "all-star" edition has prompted producers to think of the upcoming season of the skein as a new starting point. "We consider 'All-Stars' sort of the end of an era, and now we're getting a chance to start once again with a fresh cast and new twists," she told Daily Variety.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117958462&categoryid=14

This is good to hear. Big Brother and Rock Star are the only two reality based shows i watch. Well, i also try to watch the AI auditions. Once the contestants get to Hollywood, I lose all interest.

What about Big Love?

I omitted BL...do you know when it returns?

The TV Column
Don't Hit the Panic Button On Your Remote
By Lisa de Moraes Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, February 1, 2007; C01

Boston got a taste of what it's like to be one of The Reporters Who Cover Television yesterday when Cartoon Network's guerrilla marketing campaign sent the city into high pants-wetting mode. Blinking electronic devices that caused authorities to shut down parts of the city were just part of Turner Broadcasting's campaign for its animated series "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." Not coincidentally, an "ATHF" movie opens next month.

Spooky guerrilla marketing campaigns for TV series are old hat for TRWCT. Why just the other day, they all got packages from ABC Family network containing vials of white powder. The mind reels, thinking how the mayor of Boston would have reacted to one of those. (ABC Family explained that the white powder was instant faux snow and that the reporters were supposed to add water and enjoy the winter wonderland that would erupt.)

And TRWCT are still chuckling about the night during the TV Press Tour when they all returned to their hotel rooms, turned on the lights and simultaneously broke the standing high-jump record upon discovering someone had broken into their rooms and scrawled the word "Redrum" in lipstick across their bathroom mirrors -- just like Jack Nicholson did in the movie set in that Estes Park, Colo., hotel not long before he tried to separate his wife's head from her shoulders with an ax.

It was just those pranksters at ABC marketing reminding them to be sure and review the upcoming remake of "The Shining."

And who can forget the time -- another press tour -- when TRWCT returned to their hotel rooms -- again, late at night -- to discover their bathrooms were cordoned off with police crime-scene tape. That one went over particularly well with The Women Who Cover Television.

More recently, in March '05, the merry marketing pranksters at NBC were sent out to write "Omnium finis imminet" -- loosely, "The end is near" -- on trash cans, buildings and sidewalks in cities nationwide. They took snaps of their work and posted those images on the Internet. Interestingly, that campaign did not cause the kind of panic we saw in Boston yesterday because, of course, no one in this country knows Latin.

That was a guerrilla campaign for the NBC series "Revelations," which debuted in April 2005 and was canceled that May. Which is kind of the point.

For TV guerrilla marketers, the Holy Grail remains Paramount's spring 2006 campaign for the movie "Mission: Impossible III" in which scary little plastic rectangular thingummies with wires springing from them were planted in 4,500 Los Angeles Times newspaper boxes. The thingummies played the theme to the flick when customers bought a paper, as well as scaring the stuffing out of them.

That one brought out the Los Angeles County sheriff's arson squad, which blew up a newspaper box in an upscale suburb, and more than 50 patients and dozens of staff at the Veterans Affairs hospital in West L.A. were evacuated for two hours after a clerk bought a newspaper inside the hospital. Eventually they learned from the newspaper and Paramount that it was marketing -- not terrorism.

Boston's troubles started yesterday when a bus passenger saw one of the devices attached to a highway ramp support beam. Soon, other devices were spotted. Because officials of the city of Boston did not contact one of TRWCT, they did not realize until much later that at least one of the scary gadgets depicted a character from "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" -- which is about an order of french fries named Frylock, his milkshake pal Master Shake and a meatball named Meatwad, who used to safeguard the world when the program debuted in 2000 but these days, not so much -- giving them the middle finger.

Instead, traffic was halted, buildings evacuated. The Department of Homeland Security sprang into action, assuring Americans yesterday afternoon that, as the Associated Press reported, it had found "no credible reports of other devices being found elsewhere in the country."

Which is ironic because Turner Broadcasting said in a statement that it had planted loads of these devices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, San Francisco and Philly. Department of Homeland Security doing its usual great work.

Late yesterday, Turner Broadcasting Chairman and CEO Phil Kent issued an apology to the citizens of Boston in which he said his company had directed the third-party marketing firm that posted the advertisements to take them down immediately in all 10 cities. Kent added: "We appreciate the gravity of this situation and, like any responsible company would, are putting all necessary resources toward understanding the facts surrounding it as quickly as possible."

ABC's Charlie Gibson led his evening newscast with a report on Cartoon Network's clever campaign:

Good evening. It is a measure of just how jittery, how on-edge this country still is. In Boston today, a number of suspicious packages were found near bridges, underneath an interstate, and near a medical center. Parts of Boston were shut down for a time. Even a section of the Charles River was closed.

It turned out to be a stupid stunt. But a good object lesson that when suspicious packages are found, people do react.

Still, some of The Reporters Who Cover Television said yesterday they were surprised to hear about the Cartoon Network stunt.

They think guerrilla TV marketing is sort of over because it's not cost-effective and while it grabs headlines, that doesn't necessarily translate into viewers for a show. Yes, the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" scare led the evening news, but no one who watches "World News Tonight" is going to watch Cartoon Network; or this particular show, part of the network's late-night Adult Swim programming, which targets teenage guys; or go to the movie. It was just some old guy saying, Those damned kids.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013102434_pf.html

The 2007-08 TV Season
Network pilot orders shun serial dramas
2007-08 dramas lure more feature pros
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

But if there is one element that dominates the drama field this development season, it's the invasion of big-name feature directors -- a trend that exploded this year.

Feature helmers tapped for pilots include Lasse Hallstrom, Spike Lee, Brett Ratner, Guy Ritchie, Doug Liman and Barry Sonnenfeld.

Isn't this what hurt serial dramas so much this season: a polished-to-near-perfection pilot (like The Nine's and Smith's) that couldn't be matched or sustained on regular episodes when the journeymen directors/crews took over? A famous/talented director's hand might help sell the pilot but that only puts more strain on the producers to hire competent TV directors to spread the bulk of directing done over 20+ episodes throughout the year.

Maybe this is why Friday Night Lights has remained so liked and consistently good (based on the universal positive feedback from critics and the few loyal viewers) beyond just the pilot. The director of the feature-length 'FNL' movie (Berg?) also directed the pilot, has stayed on as show producer/director and pretty much lives/breaths the show on a daily basis. Other directors on 'FNL' include the likes of freelancer Alison Liddy (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0509183/), who cut her teeth directing some of the better episodes of The Secret World of Alex Mack (my favorite show and an above-average Nickelodeon children's show that emphasized small character moments over fancy slapstick) so there seems to be talented people lined-up to keep 'FNL' going from where it fell off (whether viewers like it or not).

Also, didn't Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) direct last year's mid-season megabomb Heist? Oh well, he's also directed The O.C. episodes and, like Berg with 'FNL,' will direct the TV pilot version of his own Hollywood movie with Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Rules of Engagement Monday, March 12, 9:30 PM, ET/PT, CBS
According to CBS (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/rules_of_engagement/) (and my TiVo), Rules premieres February 5.

I have high hopes for Drive, but like others, fear it'll be canceled quickly.