Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information

[fredfa]

Technology Notes
Comcast Preps TiVo Marketing Launch
MSO Expands Availability of DVR Service to Connecticut; Expects to Fund Tru2way Development
By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News, 8/27/2008

Comcast, after expanding the availability of its TiVo service in its New England market to customers in Connecticut, plans to “light up” a full marketing campaign around TiVo in September and is preparing rollouts in additional markets before the end of the year.

The cable company also continues to fund development work for the TiVo product, which will include expanding the feature set and adding support for Tru2way infrastructure, according to an announcement TiVo issued Wednesday.

In addition, TiVo service on Cox Communications, which is currently in trials, is on track for a launch in Cox’s New England market later this year, the DVR company said.

TiVo provided updates on the rollouts with the two MSOs as part of reporting results for its second fiscal quarter, which ended July 31. Revenues were $65.2 million for the period, up 4% from a year ago, and TiVo posted a net profit of $2.9 million for the three-month period compared with a $17.7 million loss a year prior.

For its fiscal third quarter 2009, TiVo anticipates service and technology revenues in the range of $49 million to $51 million and a net loss in the range of $7 million to $9 million.

TiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers cited the company’s “continued efforts to focus on efficient marketing spend” and its work with third parties “who make their own marketing expenditures on behalf of TiVo” as contributing to the decline in its quarterly subscription acquisition costs. For the quarter ended July 31, subscription acquisition costs were $135, compared with $758 during the same period last year.

TiVo-owned subscription gross additions were approximately 36,000, compared to 41,000 gross additions for the year-ago period, to stand at approximately 1.7 million as of July 31.

TiVo reported a net decline in MSOs/broadcaster subscriptions during the period, dropping to 1.9 million from 2.5 million a year ago, as DirecTV no longer deploys new TiVo boxes.

TiVo also noted that a contempt hearing in its patent-infringement litigation against EchoStar is scheduled Sept. 4 to determine whether EchoStar is in contempt of the injunction that has already been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That injunction enjoins EchoStar from selling and operating infringing DVR units.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...?desc=topstory

[fredfa]

Nielsen Notes
Democratic convention viewership up for Hillary
By James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, in the THR LiveFeed blog, August 27, 2008

Hillary Clinton's speech during the second night of the Democratic National Convention received an enormous audience compared to (the DNC’s second night) four years ago.

Combining broadcast and cable tallies, about 26 million viewers tuned in to watch Clinton, exceeding Michelle Obama's Monday night viewership by 17%.

As a measure of media interest in the event, Day Two of the convention four years ago wasn't even carried live by the broadcast networks. Whereas this time, all the major broadcasters and cable news nets offered live coverage, resulting in 341% more viewers than Day Two in 2004.

As a result of the increased competition, two of the cable news networks actually had lower audiences than in 2004. Fox News' coverage was seen by 3.5 million. CNN had 4.8 million. MSNBC had 2.6 million. NBC had 6 million, ABC 4.8 million and CBS 3.8 million.

Reactions to the speech: "Adequate but not exactly inspiring" says Chicago Tribune columnist... "Good but not quite very good," says U.S. News & World Report. "Hillary gets thumbs up -- mostly," says the Wall Street Journal.

http://www.thrfeed.com/

[fredfa]

TV Notes
Olympic Hero Michael Phelps to Host Season Premiere of “Saturday Night Live”
Musical Guest: Lil Wayne
(NBC News Release)

NEW YORK – August 27, 2008 – "Saturday Night Live" makes its 34th season premiere on Saturday, September 13 featuring two of the biggest names of the summer – Michael Phelps and hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne.

US Olympic swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps will make his acting debut hosting the season premiere hot off his record-shattering performance in Beijing.

The SNL season premiere kicks off four live shows in a row, a rare practice that generated momentum for the show this past spring when the show returned after the WGA Strike-imposed hiatus. All told, seven all-new SNL’s will air on Saturdays prior to the election.

Phelps went a perfect 8-for-8 in Beijing, breaking Mark Spitz's single-Games record for most gold medals won. In addition, Phelps broke another Olympics record, becoming the most decorated Olympian in history, winning a stunning 14 career gold medals. Phelps currently holds seven world records in swimming.

Unprecedented millions tuned in to watch Phelps in action, from the US Swim Team’s explosive victory over the French in the 4x100m freestyle relay, by just .08 of a second; to Phelps’ record-demolishing performance in the 4x200m freestyle relay breaking the record by more than four seconds and his seventh gold medal win, beating Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by the slimmest and most dramatic margin imaginable – one-one-hundredth of a second.

Joining Phelps and also making his SNL debut is hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne.

Not only one of the best rappers of his generation, Lil Wayne is arguably the biggest story in music for 2008. His sixth album “Tha Carter III” sold over 1 million copies in its first week of release, a feat not achieved since 2005’s “The Massacre” by 50 Cent. “Tha Carter III” has blazed up the singles charts as well with three top-five singles in “Lollipop,” “A Milli” and “Got Money.” In addition to the platinum debut numbers for the CD, Wayne is a tireless performer so prolific that in 2007, Vibe magazine ranked and graded songs to which Wayne contributed and the list was 77 songs long. Wayne is a constant presence on the internet, releasing his own mixtapes for free on a regular basis. He has been one of GQ’s “Men of the Year” for 2007 and was named the “Best Rock Star Alive” by Blender magazine (2008). Rolling Stone may have said it best: “The self-proclaimed greatest rapper proves he wasn’t kidding.”

In addition to the revved-up Saturday schedule, “SNL” is ready for primetime with "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday." Three LIVE primetime half-hours beginning October 9 at 9:30pm ET. These primetime special editions will be anchored by the show's signature “Weekend Update.” This marks a return to the NBC Thursday night lineup for “SNL,” which produced similar live "Update"-centered broadcasts in 2001.

[Amnesia]

Originally Posted by fredfa

Olympic Hero Michael Phelps to Hose Season Premiere of “Saturday Night Live”

"Hose"? Perhaps you meant "host"...

[fredfa]

Thanks, Amnesia.

Those Freudian slips will getcha every time.

[fredfa]

The 2008-2009 Season
Upcoming Start Dates and Times

Real Time With Bill Maher, Friday, Aug. 29, 10 ET/PT HBO
Prison Break: Monday, Sept. 1, 8 ET/PT (2-Hours) Fox
Gossip Girl: Monday, Sept. 1, 8 ET/PT CW
One Tree Hill: Monday, Sept. 1, 9 ET/PT CW
Raising The Bar, Monday, Sept. 1, 10 ET/PT TNT
90210: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 8 ET/PT ( 2-Hour Series Premiere) CW
The Shield, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 10 PM ET/PT FX
America’s Next Top Model: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 8 ET/PT (2-Hours)
Bones: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 8 ET/PT (2-Hours) Fox
Top Design, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 10 ET/PT Bravo
Sons Of Anarchy, Wednesday, Sept. 3 FX, 10 PM ET/PT FX
Kitchen Nightmares: Thursday, Sept. 4, 8 ET/PT (2-Hours) Fox
NFL Football: (Redskins at Giants), Thursday, Sept. 4, 7 ET NBC
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?: Friday, Sept. 5, 8 ET/PT (2-Hours) Fox
Dog Town: Friday, Sept. 5, 9 ET/PT National Geographic
Cops: Saturday, Sept. 6, 8 ET/PT Fox
America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back: Saturday, Sept. 6, 9 ET/PT Fox
The Locator: Saturday, Sept. 6, 9 ET/PT (Series Premiere) WEtv
Football Night In America, Sunday, Sept. 7, 7 ET NBC
Hole In The Wall: Sunday, Sept. 7, 8 ET/PT (Series Premiere) Fox
Sunday Night Football, (Chicago at Indianapolis) Sunday, Sept. 7, 8 ET NBC
True Blood, Sunday, Sept. 7, 9 ET/PT HBO
Entourage, Sunday, Sept. 7, 10 ET/PT HBO

(New shows are in red)

[Bradduh]

[quote=fredfa;14537476] The 2008-2009 Season
Upcoming Start Dates and Times

Prison Break has a 2 hour premier on 9/1/2008 too.

http://www.fox.com/prisonbreak/

Also Raising the Bar is new

Thanks

Brad

[fredfa]

Thanks, Brad

[DoubleDAZ]

Also, Starter Wife on USA starts Friday, Oct 10, 9ET/PT.

I think I mentioned this before and it was lost with the reboot.

[fredfa]

Then I shall make the correction again, Dave. Thanks.

Originally Posted by DoubleDAZ

Also, Starter Wife on USA starts Friday, Oct 10, 9ET/PT.

I think I mentioned this before and it was lost with the reboot.

[BIGA$$TV]

The new TV season is arriving just in time for me. Amazingly I am now watching my last program on the DVR. I've been relegated to watching a zillion episodes of "How it's Made" the last couple of weeks in addition to the Olympics and a few other summer programs such as Generation Kill, Closer, Mad Men.

Now the task will be to pick what programs to record and watch. I watch a ton of TV, but even I won't be able to watch everything that I usually do plus a few new shows. And, the DVR only holds so much.

[fredfa]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Personally, I am less excited about this upcoming TV season than at any time I can remember.

[fredfa]

Washington Notes
Most Stations Say They Will Be Ready For DTV Switch
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Washington Bureau Chief, 8/27/2008

According to a new FCC report, 97% of broadcasters are either on the air with their digital signal at full power or will be by Feb. 17, 2009, the congressinally-mandated date for the cut-off of full-power analog.

Of those, according to the status report, 1,002 stations, or 56%, have fully constructed facilities ready for the transition, with the only remaining step to pull the plug on analog. In fact, eight of those have asked to pull the plug on analog early, a request the FCC said it is currently considering.

That still leaves 41% of the stations (716) who said they are not done with construction, though all those said they expected to be ready at full power on Feb. 17.

The report was dated Aug. 18, exactly six months before the transition date, and was based on information reported by stations to the FCC..

Of those 716 stations not yet broadcasting DTV in full power to their full coverage area, 502 stations said they had no special circumstances impeding that full build-out, but were making "appropriate" progress. The other 234 cited special circumstances, including 10 that had to coordinate with Mexico, five that had Fish and Wildlife clearance issues. The largest category was 92 stations needing to coordinate with other stations, and 60 stations that were seeking a different post-transition digital channel. Thirty Five channels claimed financial hardship.

Fifty-six stations are taking advantage of the FCC's grace period for stations with "unique technical challenges." Those include ones that have weather issues, ones with side-mounted antennas that need to me moved to the top, or stations that have been hit by unforeseen problems, like those in New York whose towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attacks.

But even those said they would be on with a digital signal and viewable in at least 85% of their coverage area by Feb. 17.

One station said it did not think it would make the construction deadline until a few days after Feb. 17, and added that it would have to go dark for "a brief time." That is because the FCC currently has no authority to extend the analog deadline.

That station is Fox affilate KBRR Thief River Falls, Minn., a satellite of KVRR Fargo, ND. That station is having to move from its pre-transition digital channel (57) to its post-transition digital channel (10), and says it will take it until Feb. 21 to do it. The FCC says its staffers have been assured the dark period will only be those three or four days.

The FCC said three stations have not returned the FCC form on their DTV-readiness, but have said informally that they intend to be ready.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6590966.html

[fredfa]

The Business of Television
Dish: TV Stations Seeking 200% Fee Hike
DBS Says Potential Carriage Disputes Would Coincide with DTV Transition
By Ted Hearn, Multichannel News, 8/27/2008

Washington—Dish Network, the satellite TV provider, is telling the Federal Communications Commission that large cash demands by TV stations could lead to carriage disputes early next year on the eve of the transition to all-digital broadcasting.

“Broadcasters are seeking exponentially large increases in per-subscriber costs: demands are often for increases of over 200 percent of current rates," Dish Network said in an Aug. 27 filing at the FCC.

Dish Network officials met with aides to FCC chairman Kevin Martin on Aug. 26 and Aug. 27 to urge the agency’s adoption of a so-called quiet period in which TV stations would remain on cable systems and satellite TV platforms around the time of the Feb. 17, 2009 digital TV transition.

Key members of the National Association of Broadcasters have proposed a one-month quiet period, from Feb. 4, 2009 to March 4, 2009. Dish Network, agreeing with the cable industry, said the quiet period should begin before thousands of TV station carriage agreements expire on Dec. 31, 2008.

“Starting a quiet period later than December would be pointless because programming would already be dropped and the harm done. Programming cannot be added back in February absent a new carriage deal,” Dish Network said.

Dish Network, with 13.8 million subscribers nationally, provides local TV signals in about 175 markets.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6590967.html

[Maestro J]

Originally Posted by fredfa

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Personally, I am less excited about this upcoming TV season than at any time I can remember.

I agree with you Fred. The only new show that I am even remotely interested in is "Fringe".
I'm not including "Dollhouse" since it will be a mid-seasoner.

[BIGA$$TV]

Originally Posted by fredfa

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Personally, I am less excited about this upcoming TV season than at any time I can remember.

Didn't mean to imply that I was "excited". Just that there will be some new-new and new-old programs to watch. Frankly, I haven't really paid much attention to what new shows are premiering or at least none have caught my attention.

I am looking forward to the last season of "The Shield" which starts next week.

[fredfa]

The 2008-2009 Season
NBC Goes All the Way With 'Chuck'
By Josef Adalian, Variety, August 27,

NBC is giving a big thumbs-up to “Chuck.”

The network said it has ordered the back nine episodes of Josh Schwartz’s Warner Bros. TV-produced spy comedy, ensuring a full second season of at least 22 episodes of the show.

NBC made the order after viewing the first six episodes of “Chuck’s” second season.

"We couldn't be more excited with the creative direction Josh (Schwartz) and his team are executing on 'Chuck,'" said Teri Weinberg, NBC's head of development and current programs. "This show has really hit its stride and deserves a full-season commitment to carry out the producers' vision for this unique series."

It’s highly unusual for a network to stick out its neck so early on such a young show, especially one from a studio it doesn’t own. Networks generally order 13 episodes of sophomore shows; it’s not until a show’s third season that full 22-episode orders become the norm.

Making the “Chuck” greenlight even more impressive is the fact that the show hasn’t aired since January. That means NBC hasn’t seen any recent ratings data for “Chuck.”

“Chuck” will return to its 8 p.m. Monday time slot next month, facing off against several big shows—including Mr. Schwartz’s own “Gossip Girl.”

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/08/n..._with_chuc.php

[DoubleDAZ]

Originally Posted by fredfa

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Personally, I am less excited about this upcoming TV season than at any time I can remember.

I think a lot of that might be because of the strike-shortened season last year and the fact that fewer shows are actually being replaced. Might also be because there are a lot of reality shows these days too. I still look forward to my old faves, but there definitely seems to be less buzz this year. Maybe the Olympics and the election have over-shadowed things for a bit.

[DoubleDAZ]

Originally Posted by fredfa

that large cash demands by TV stations could lead to carriage disputes early next year on the eve of the transition to all-digital broadcasting.

“Broadcasters are seeking exponentially large increases in per-subscriber costs: demands are often for increases of over 200 percent of current rates," Dish Network said in an Aug. 27 filing at the FCC.

I know I'll get slammed, so bring it on! I've said, "give them an inch, they'll want a mile", and this is just the beginning. It's going to be Sinclair and MediaCom all over again. It's a good thing I'm retiring, I will find something else to do if this "extorsion" continues. I may just switch to Dish if they offer HD-only without locals. That way I can pay for the cablenets and get locals OTA. Then the locals can see just how much money they make off me.

[Baldmaga]

Originally Posted by fredfa

The 2008-2009 Season
NBC Goes All the Way With 'Chuck'
By Josef Adalian, Variety, August 27,

Couldn't be happier over this news!!

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by fredfa

Most Stations Say They Will Be Ready For DTV Switch

Of those, according to the status report, 1,002 stations, or 56%, have fully constructed facilities ready for the transition, with the only remaining step to pull the plug on analog. In fact, eight of those have asked to pull the plug on analog early, a request the FCC said it is currently considering.

That number is either wrong or somehow is very narrowly focused on requests pending before FCC. The current count is 65 stations have already shut down their analog signal & are all digital and 106 other stations have stated they will shut down their analog early. Not sure where they get 8 stations from.

[cocoon]

Originally Posted by fredfa

The 2008-2009 Season
Upcoming Start Dates and Times

Testees, Wednesday, Sept. 3 FX, 10 PM ET/PT FX

Umm... the Directv guide and the FX networks web site shows "Sons of Anarchy" starting on that day and time.

[fredfa]

I forgot the change the name, cocoon. Thanks for pointing that out.

[fredfa]

TV Notes
NBC renews 'America's Got Talent'
Most-watched show of the summer gets fourth season
By James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, Aug 27, 2008

NBC has renewed "America's Got Talent" for a fourth season.

"The production team has stepped up their game creatively as proven by the strong ratings," said NBC's president of alternative programming Craig Plestis. "This is the only show where truly unique and talented performers can achieve their ultimate dream."

"Got Talent" is the most-watched show of the summer and ranked third among programs in the adults 18 to 49 demographic. The series took a break during NBC's presentation of the Olympics, then resumed Tuesday at 8 p.m. and easily led the night.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...43f3363b7d6473

[cocoon]

Originally Posted by fredfa

I forgot the change the name, cocoon. Thanks for pointing that out.

I wouldn't of caught the error unless I hadn't stumbled upon the directv channel that was doing nothing but running a promo for Sons of Anarchy.

[fredfa]

Whatever, cocoon.

You are one of the dozens of folks here who keep the information I sometimes clumsily provide as accurate as possible.

And I am grateful to all of you.

[fredfa]

There is news tonight that DirecTV has added theMtn to its schedule -- it will carry some 30 football games of the Mountain West Conference.

I can find no word about whether any of those games will be carried in HD.

[kb7oeb]

Originally Posted by foxeng

Technically........ isn't that one letter AND one word?

Its five : Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network

Originally Posted by DoubleDAZ

I may just switch to Dish if they offer HD-only without locals. That way I can pay for the cablenets and get locals OTA. Then the locals can see just how much money they make off me.

You can do this now, you save $5 by not subscribing to locals but you lose guide data for the OTA channels.

[fredfa]

TV Notes
'Raising the Bar' is what Steven Bochco does
By Gary Strauss, USA TODAY

If so many of us hate lawyers, why do they keep showing up at the center of TV dramas?

To Steven Bochco, creator of legal dramas L.A. Law, Murder One, Philly and Civil Wars, plus several cop dramas with legal ties, the answer's simple: Lawyers make compelling TV.

The 10-time Emmy winner's latest, TNT's ambitious Raising the Bar (Monday, 10 ET/PT), explores the flaws and conundrums of the criminal justice system, mostly through earnest, moralistic public defender Jerry Kellerman (NYPD Blue's Mark-Paul Gosselaar). In the premiere, he fights so hard to get his client cleared of rape charges he's jailed for contempt of court.

Gloria Reuben(ER) stars as Kellerman's boss, Roz Whitman, and Jane Kaczmarek stars as tough-as-nails Judge Trudy Kessler, a role that may have viewers wondering if she's the same actress who starred in Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. "Viewers who plug into the characters are going to really be rewarded. They're good characters with compelling lives," Bochco says.

Raising the Bar is based on co-creator and script writer David Feige's 2006 dark, comedic book Indefensible, about the complicated life of a South Bronx public defender. It's a subject Feige knows intimately; he spent 15 years as a New York public defender.

"I thought it was terrific, but I didn't want to develop a show about a public defender," Bochco says. "I wasn't sure an audience would identify with someone who represents the accused. We've done a show with a more wide-angle point of view of the entire criminal justice system."

Gosselaar says that as Kellerman, he's essentially channeling Feige. "Every script, we'd ask if these were real stories; David would say yes," Gosselaar says. "The cases become more and more absurd. How the court system treats (many of the wrongly accused) is unbelievable."

Bochco, however, wasn't pleased with Bar's pilot, so sets, lighting and cast were tweaked for subsequent episodes in the 10-show series (down from a planned 13 due to the strike). "The scripts were sensational, but we really wanted to make the show pop more," Bochco says. "We looked at everything from wardrobe to lighting to hair."

Michael Wright, who oversees original programming for TNT, says Bochco is "a perfectionist. You're watching a guy so good that he's forgotten more about making television than most of us are going to learn."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...chco-bar_N.htm

[foxeng]

Originally Posted by DoubleDAZ

I may just switch to Dish if they offer HD-only without locals. That way I can pay for the cablenets and get locals OTA. Then the locals can see just how much money they make off me.

You won't be hurting the local stations because you will STILL be watching them and their advertising OTA. It will be Dish you will be hurting because you won't be subscribing to the locals via Dish taking money out of Charlie's pocket. As the Sinclair/MediaCom debacle showed, it isn't the local station that is hurt in these squabbles, it is the MSO, something that cable has had to begrudgingly admit to recently. But in cable's case, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Content is king. You aren't going to pay good money to a MSO to watch a bunch of blank or crappy channels, as was shown with Sincalir/Mediacom and Mediacom GIVING away antennas as fast as they could just to KEEP subs. But you will spend a few bucks for an antenna to watch the local stations, even if the signal isn't prestine. You admitted it in your post. Cable doesn't make the content, they buy the content. They should buy the local content as well as the national content. It is the fair thing to do. And with ESPN getting several dollars a sub for a channel that boasts just several million viewers nationwide, MSO's can pony up .$75 to $1.25 a sub for the majority of viewers in their area. It isn't unreasonable. $3 a sub for ESPN, is extortion; but you will HAPPILY pay for that. You can argue the point all you want, but that is the truth, and we all know it. Even you when you admitted that you might get slammed.

And I hope you don't feel "slammed." That was not the intent. It was to show you that in your attempt to "punish" the local station, in reality, you are punishing Dish by still watching the locals advertising (which is all the local station wants) via OTA.