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post #541 of 87879
5/1/07 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
The Business of Television
News Corp. makes $5 bil offer for Dow Jones
By Paul J. Gough and Georg Szalai The Hollywood Reporter

NEW YORK -- News Corp. has made a $5 billion cash offer for Dow Jones & Co. that would give the company control over the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones' financial news service that would make the upcoming Fox Business Channel an even more formidable competitor.

Shortly after 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, News Corp. confirmed the offer and emphasized that it was a friendly takeover bid.

Dow Jones confirmed the $60 a share offer Tuesday and said that the Bancroft family, which holds 62% of the company's shares, was evaluating the offer along with the company's board of directors. It said it had received "an unsolicited proposal from News Corporation to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Dow Jones common stock and Class B common stock for $60 per share in cash, or in a combination of cash and News Corporation securities."

Dow Jones shares were up 57.7% at $57.28 before trading was temporarily halted. The stock's previous 52-week high was $40.08.

News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch has long coveted the Wall Street Journal and its editorial page, which is one of the most influential in the country. Murdoch already owns a stable of newspapers in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. But it isn't only the Journal that would make an incredible fit for News Corp.

Acquisition of Dow Jones -- and its deep financial news service -- would be a boon for the upcoming Fox Business Channel that will launch this year in about 30 million homes and could give it instant leverage against arch rival CNBC.

CNBC, which first reported the tender offer late Tuesday morning, said that Dow Jones and CNBC's parent company General Electric have a deal that runs through 2012. But it's also true that Dow Jones and CNBC have in recent years done less and less business, on the Web and on the business channel they jointly started, than when CNBC started.

News Corp. wasn't available for comment Tuesday.

At an investor conference this year, Murdoch was asked about his interest in Dow Jones, and he said he didn't expect that the company would be put up for sale any time soon. He also suggested that a takeover may be a hard sell to shareholders given the sluggish newspaper business.

However, he lauded the strong brand of the Wall Street Journal and said it has the potential to rival the New York Times as a national daily.

He criticized though the Journal's recent focus on putting most breaking news on the Internet and running more analytical pieces in print, arguing this could cost the paper some of its urgency.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...a9645c973379bf
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post #542 of 87879
5/1/07 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

No, "Ugly Betty" hasn't had a long layoff, and its numbers continue to slide slowly downwards.

My point, probably not well made, is that (generally) the younger the viewer, the shorter the attention span. And shows built on gimmicks tend to burn out far faster than programs centering on relationships or more tadeitional stories.

In addition, it is far easier to come up with an idea for an exciting new show than it is to continually produce interesting episodes of that show.

fredfa, I'm one of those young ones with the short attention span To be honest most of my friends thought Heroes was off the air when it was on hiatus. Some didn't bother trying to find it or anything when it came back last week. When I mention that the show was back on air.. they were kinda thrilled, but most of them looked like they totally lost interest in the show.

Most of the audience will lose interest fast and will find something else to enjoy when you take a long hiatus. Since last week I haven't been to thrilled with either of the Heroes episodes, I guess I just lost interest in the storylines.

It's strange because this was one of my favorite series last fall.
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post #543 of 87879
5/1/07 at 12:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

Highest Rated Prime-time Shows By Network
Week of April 23-29, 2007
These are the nighest-rated programs, for viewers 2+, by network for last week.
(Shows are listed by overall rank and viewers in millions.)

N B C
17 HEROES 11.96
22 DEAL OR NO DEAL-MON 10.98
31 E.R. 9.52
41 DATELINE SUN-7PM 7.74
43 LAW AND ORDER:SVU 7.64

CW
92 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN 4.22
95 SMALLVILLE 3.88
96 AMERICA'S TOP MODEL-2 3.87
99 GILMORE GIRLS 3.75
103 PUSSYCAT DOLLS PRESENT 3.43

Seriously, which of these "best of" lists is more pitiful and appaling? The one from the less-than-a-year-old network that cobbled together the best shows from two failed, low-rated decade-old TV networks? Or the one from the longest-running network (starting when it was radio) in American broadcast history? Seriously, look at NBC's Top 5 shows. I've been following the Nielsen ratings since I came to this country in November 1989 (back when USA Today would print the entire primetime schedule's Nielsen numbers/rankings on Wednesdays) and I have never, ever been as dumbfounded by weekly/daily Nielsen ratings as the one's NBC has been getting since Sunday Night Football went off the air. All the gains NBC made in the Fall and early Winter have been wiped out, and now the network's in worse than where it was before this season started (which was pretty abysmal if memory serves me). How in the world can Zucker be promoted to run GE after doing this to NBC?
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post #544 of 87879
5/1/07 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AFH View Post

Do they show hd movies on a regular basis or is it a combo of hd and ed?


it's still a combo but the ratio of HD to non is shrinking pretty fast.
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post #545 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

The Business of Television
News Corp. makes $5 bil offer for Dow Jones
By Paul J. Gough and Georg Szalai The Hollywood Reporter

NEW YORK -- News Corp. has made a $5 billion cash offer for Dow Jones & Co. that would give the company control over the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones' financial news service that would make the upcoming Fox Business Channel an even more formidable competitor. ...
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...a9645c973379bf

Which reminds me ...

The FCC just held another field hearing on media ownership, this time in Tampa, FL -- the nation's 12th largest media market.

On its website, www.fcc.gov, the commission released statements from all five commissioners. Among the comments, there were at least two different characterizations of the market.

From Chairman Kevin Martin:

"Tampa is the 12th largest media market in the United States with 14 television stations, 5 Class A television stations, 2 television translator stations, a 24 hour news station, over 60 FM and AM radio stations. Tampa also has five daily newspapers and over ten weekly newspapers, one of which, 'La Gaceta,' is the nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish and Italian."

Contrast that with Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein's statement:

"Like other media markets, a handful of companies dominate Tampa Bay television and radio. In television, two media companies control half of total revenue. In radio, three companies own almost half of all commercial radio stations in the Tampa market and control nearly 90 percent of the market's radio revenue. In addition, only four companies control 73 percent of Tampa's local news market, and one of those companies alone controls one third of the market. As alarming as these numbers are, Tampa is better positioned than many of the major markets in the country based on today's very concentrated standards. You are one of the few markets with two viable major daily, local newspapers."

Inadvertently, the commission may have proven the point that having more voices with more angles is a very important thing.
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post #546 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:05pm
Thread Starter 
Don't get me wrong, kizzo...I wasn't denigrating younger viewers. And my comments are more generalizations than specific remarks aimed at any one member of the 18-34 generation.

They just have so many more options -- be it iPods or computer video or whatever -- and they often will try something new at least once.

On the flip side, ratings analysis will bear out that the minute something "new" starts to be a bit predictable, they will check out their options.

I think it has been a combination of things with "Heroes": a long hiatus, a less-than-compelling story arc since its return, and a sense of been-there-done-that with some of the audience.

And it is hardly exclusive to "Heroes". Look at "Lost", "24" and "Jericho".

Quote:
Originally Posted by kizzo View Post

fredfa, I'm one of those young ones with the short attention span To be honest most of my friends thought Heroes was off the air when it was on hiatus. Some didn't bother trying to find it or anything when it came back last week. When I mention that the show was back on air.. they were kinda thrilled, but most of them looked like they totally lost interest in the show.

Most of the audience will lose interest fast and will find something else to enjoy when you take a long hiatus. Since last week I haven't been to thrilled with either of the Heroes episodes, I guess I just lost interest in the storylines.

It's strange because this was one of my favorite series last fall.
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post #547 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
The Business of Television
News Corp. makes $5 bil offer for Dow Jones

Rupert Murdoch appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto this afternoon on Fox News Channel.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=533_1178052055
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post #548 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:21pm
Thread Starter 
Nielsen Notebook
18-49 Demo ratings week of April 23-29
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/t...983/m/99110984
(Provided by TV-aholic) at Marc Berman's Programming Insider blog:

Code:
1       American Idol: Idol Gives Back       10.0       FOX     Wed     8 pm
2       American Idol                         9.6       FOX     Tue     8 pm
3       House                                 8.5       FOX     Tue     9 pm
4       Grey's Anatomy                        8.2       ABC     Thu     9 pm
5       Desperate Housewives                  6.6       ABC     Sun     9 pm
6       CSI                                   5.8       CBS     Thu     9 pm
7       Heroes                                5.3       NBC     Mon     9 pm
8       CSI: Miami                            5.1       CBS     Mon    10 pm
9       Dancing With the Stars                4.9       ABC     Mon     8 pm
10   Lost                                  4.9       ABC     Wed    10 pm
11      Survivor: Fiji                        4.5       CBS     Thu     8 pm
12      Brothers & Sisters                    4.4   ABC     Sun    10 pm
13      Dancing With the Stars Results Show   4.2       ABC     Tue     9 pm
14      October Road                          4.2       ABC     Thu    10 pm
15      The King of Queens                    4.1       CBS     Mon     9:30 pm
16      Family Guy                            4.1       FOX     Sun     9 pm
17      Two and a Half Men                    3.9       CBS     Mon     9 pm
18      24                                    3.9       FOX     Mon     9 pm
19      The Office                            3.9       NBC     Thu     8:30 pm
20   Shark                                 3.9       CBS     Thu     10 pm
21      Extreme Makeover                      3.8       ABC     Sun     8 pm
22      ER                                    3.7       NBC     Thu    10 pm
23      The Simpsons (1 hour)                 3.7       FOX     Sun     8 pm
24      The Bachelor: Officer & Gentleman     3.4   ABC     Mon     9 pm
25      Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader     3.4       FOX     Thu     8 pm
26      American Dad [R]                      3.4       FOX     Sun     9:30 pm
27      Deal or No Deal                       3.3       NBC     Mon     8 pm
28      CSI: NY                               3.2       CBS     Wed    10 pm
29      My Name Is Earl                       3.2       NBC     Thu     8 pm
30   Without a Trace                       3.2       CBS     Sun    10 pm
31      The Real Wedding Crashers             3.1       NBC     Mon    10 pm
32      NCIS                                  3.1       CBS     Tue     8 pm
33      Ugly Betty                            3.1       ABC     Thu     8 pm
34      The Amazing Race: All-Stars           3.0       CBS     Sun     8 pm
35      The Unit                              2.9       CBS     Tue     9 pm
36      20/20                                 2.7       ABC     Fri     10 pm
37      America's Funniest Home Videos        2.7       ABC     Sun     7 pm
38      Cold Case                             2.7       CBS     Sun     9 pm
39      Criminal Minds [R]                    2.6       CBS     Wed     9 pm
40   Ghost Whisperer                       2.6       CBS     Fri     8 pm
41      Boston Legal                          2.5       ABC     Tue    10 pm
42      Numb3rs                               2.5       CBS     Fri    10 pm
43      The New Adventures of Old Christine   2.4       CBS     Mon     8:30 pm
44      Cold Case [R]                         2.4       CBS     Tue    10 pm
45      Medium                                2.4       NBC     Wed    10 pm
46      30 Rock                               2.4       NBC     Thu     9 pm
47      How I Met Your Mother [R]             2.3       CBS     Mon     8 pm
48      Law & Order: SVU [R]                  2.3   NBC     Tue    10 pm
49      Scrubs                                2.3       NBC     Thu     9:30 pm
50   Close to Home                         2.2       CBS     Fri     9 pm
51      Wife Swap                             2.2       ABC     Fri     9 pm
52      America's Most Wanted                 2.2       FOX     Sat     9 pm
53      Jericho                               2.1       CBS     Wed     8 pm
54      Trading Spouses                       2.1       FOX     Thu     9 pm
55      Notes From the Underbelly             1.9       ABC     Wed     8:30 pm
56      Cops                                  1.9       FOX     Sat     8 pm
57      60 Minutes                            1.9       CBS     Sun     7 pm
58      America's Next Top Model              1.8       CW      Sun     9 pm
59      Drive                                 1.8       FOX     Mon     8 pm
60   According to Jim                      1.8       ABC     Wed     8 pm
61      America's Next Top Model              1.8       CW      Wed     8 pm
62      Crossing Jordan                       1.8       NBC     Wed     9 pm
63      Law & Order                           1.8   NBC     Fri    10 pm
64      Law & Order [R]                       1.8   NBC     Sat    10 pm
65      King of the Hill (1 hour)             1.8       FOX     Sun     7 pm
66      Gilmore Girls                         1.7       CW      Tue     8 pm
67      Grey's Anatomy [R]                    1.7       ABC     Fri     8 pm
68      George Lopez (1 hour)                 1.6       ABC     Tue     8 pm
69      Pussycat Dolls Present                1.6       CW      Tue     9 pm
70   House [R]                             1.6       FOX     Fri     8 pm
71      Dateline                              1.6       NBC     Sun     7 pm
72      Along Came Polly                      1.6       NBC     Sun     9 pm
73      Thank God You're Here [R]             1.5       NBC     Wed     8 pm
74      Smallville                            1.5       CW      Thu     8 pm
75      Identity                              1.5       NBC     Fri     8 pm
76      Bones [R]                             1.5       FOX     Fri     9 pm
77      Lost [R]                              1.4       ABC     Wed     9 pm
78      Supernatural                          1.4       CW      Thu     9 pm
79      Fri Night Smackdown                   1.4       CW      Fri     8 pm
80   Raines                                1.4       NBC     Fri     9 pm
81      Without a Trace [R]                   1.4       CBS     Sat     9 pm
82      48 Hours Mystery                      1.4       CBS     Sat    10 pm
83      Pearl Harbor [R]                      1.4       ABC     Sat     7 pm
84      Everybody Hates Chris                 1.3       CW       Mon    8 pm
85      Dateline                              1.3       NBC     Tue     8 pm
86      Law & Order: Criminal Intent [R]      1.3   NBC     Tue     9 pm
87      Pussycat Dolls [R]                    1.3       CW      Wed     9 pm
88      CSI [R]                               1.3       CBS     Sat     8 pm
89      Girlfriends                           1.2       CW      Mon     9 pm
90   Law & Order: SVU [R]                  1.2   NBC     Sat     9 pm
91      All of Us                             1.1       CW      Mon     8:30 pm
92      The Game                              1.1       CW       Mon    9 pm
93      7th Heaven                            1.1       CW       Sun    8 pm
94      Dateline                              0.9       NBC      Sat    8 pm
95      7th Heaven [R]                        0.4       CW       Sun    7 pm
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
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post #549 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dad1153 View Post

Seriously, which of these "best of" lists is more pitiful and appaling? The one from the less-than-a-year-old network that cobbled together the best shows from two failed, low-rated decade-old TV networks? Or the one from the longest-running network (starting when it was radio) in American broadcast history? Seriously, look at NBC's Top 5 shows. I've been following the Nielsen ratings since I came to this country in November 1989 (back when USA Today would print the entire primetime schedule's Nielsen numbers/rankings on Wednesdays) and I have never, ever been as dumbfounded by weekly/daily Nielsen ratings as the one's NBC has been getting since Sunday Night Football went off the air. All the gains NBC made in the Fall and early Winter have been wiped out, and now the network's in worse than where it was before this season started (which was pretty abysmal if memory serves me). How in the world can Zucker be promoted to run GE after doing this to NBC?

Let's face it, given the fickle nature of TV and its audience these days I'd have to think that running GE would be a piece of cake compared to NBC.

After all, Law & Order may eventually get old, but you're always going to need light bulbs.
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post #550 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

Don't get me wrong, kizzo...I wasn't denigrating younger viewers. And my comments are more generalizations than specific remarks aimed at any one member of the 18-34 generation.

I'm on my last year as member of the coveted 18-34 demo. Starting next year I'll be officially too old to be the most desirable demographic, dropping to second-most desirable demo (18-49). I feel so old and useless!
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post #551 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
dad -- and starting next year, GSN will lose half of its 18-34 core viewers!
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post #552 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:42pm
Does anyone know how the tv insiders/ executives feel about the ratings system?

Do they think it is an fair / accurate account of who is watching their programming nationwide ?
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post #553 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
The Business of Television
Comcast Predicts Sustained Double-Digit Growth
Triple-Play Offering Continues to Drive Cable Operator's Financial Results
By Mike Farrell Multichannel News 5/1/2007

Comcast provided aggressive growth guidance at its biennial Investor Day Tuesday, telling an audience of investors and analysts it expects double-digit revenue and cash-flow growth for at least the next three years.

The MSO's optimism was fueled by strong growth in its triple-play offering of voice, video and high-speed data, as well as expected gains in online advertising through its Comcast.net Internet portal.

In the first quarter, Comcast reported record growth in digital-cable, high-speed-Internet and voice subscriber additions. On the financial-performance front, the company reported 14% operating-cash-flow growth in the quarter (its 27th consecutive quarter of double-digit cash-flow growth) and 12% revenue growth.

We're in an exciting new stage of growth which began 15 months ago when we made the decision to launch triple play, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at the meeting. We aren't resting. We are aggressively moving on all fronts -- product development, marketing, customer service and technology.

Leading the charge will be the operator's digital-voice product. Comcast added about 571,000 voice customers during the first quarter, increasing overall penetration to about 7% of homes passed. That penetration is expected to rise to 20%-25% by the end of 2009.

The phone product has driven growth in other products, chief operating officer Steve Burke said, adding that Comcast regularly reported revenue-generating-unit growth of about 2.6 million per year until it began to roll out the phone product in 2006.

Burke said RGU additions doubled in 2006 to 5 million and they are expected to rise another 30% to 6.5 million in 2007. That growth has also had a big impact on the revenue and cash-flow line.

Burke said that for five quarters prior to the phone launch, average revenue growth was about 10%. After the phone launch, revenue grew 12%, or about $600 million. Operating-cash-flow growth was about 12% for the five quarters prior to the phone launch, rising to 15% after the launch of voice.

The movement in this business is unlike anything we've ever seen, he added.

Roberts was equally high on the potential of online advertising, pointing to the company's recent deal with Yahoo for display advertising. He added that the MSO is working on a deal for search advertising.

Roberts called the Yahoo deal the first step on the path to build a major new revenue stream for Comcast, adding that he expects online advertising to be a $1 billion annual business in the next five to six years.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6438392.html
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post #554 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
Most have some reservations. And they use other measurements when they can (such as TiVo and various DVR ratings).

But it is the best way to measure TV ciewing available, and everyone is measured with the same yardtsick, so I think most agree it is more or less fair.

But all this will change later this year when Nielsen unveils its commercial ratings report.

And that is what advertisers really care about.

They have some interest in how many people watch shows. But they REALLY care about how many viewers are seeing their commercials.


Quote:
Originally Posted by harley1 View Post

Does anyone know how the tv insiders/ executives fell about the ratings system?

Do they think it is an fair / accurate account of who is watching their programming nationwide ?
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post #555 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 
Passings
Tom Poston, 85
Emmy winner best known for 'Newhart' role
By VARIETY staff

Comic actor Tom Poston, who won an Emmy on "The Steve Allen Show" and was Emmy nommed for "Newhart," "Mork and Mindy" and "Coach," died April 30 in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 85.

Poston was best known for playing George Utley on "Newhart" and his guest appearances on "The Bob Newhart Show." His Emmy win came in 1959 for his role playing the befuddled Everyman as part of the Allen's stock company along with Don Knotts and Louie Nye.

He began his acting career in 1947 in Jose Ferrer's Broadway production of "Cyrano de Bergerac." Early in his career he was best known as a dramatic actor, appearing in productions such as the "Barretts of Wimpole Street" and "King Lear," but soon became made the move to the golden age of television, hosting a live show called "Entertainment." His work on that show led to joining the cast of "The Steve Allen Show."

He had a recurring role in the series "Grace Under Fire" and appeared on TV shows including "Murphy Brown," "That 70's Show," "Will & Grace," "Becker" and "Good Morning Miami." He was a longstanding panelist on "To Tell the Truth."

Poston had roles in a number of Broadway productions and touring companies, appearing in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Come Blow Your Horn," "Bye, Bye Birdie," "Drink To Me Only," "Mary, Mary," and "Fiddler on the Roof."

His movie credits included "Princess Diaries II," "Cold Turkey" and "Soldier in the Rain."

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Poston attended Bethany College in West Virginia. He served as as a pilot in the Air Force during WWII. After the war, he enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Art followed by professional classes with the acting teacher Sanford Meisner.

Poston is survived by his wife actress Suzanne Pleshette; and two children, Francesca Hudson, an actress; and Jason Poston.

Donations may be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?lay...&categoryid=14
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post #556 of 87879
5/1/07 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
Passings
Tom Poston, 85
Master of sidekicks
By Duane Byrge The Hollywood Reporter (The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Tom Poston, who was nationally recognized for his long run on "To Tell the Truth" and his comic turns on "The Bob Newhart Show," died Monday at his home in Los Angeles following a brief illness. He was 85.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Poston was ubiquitous on quiz and panel shows. Beginning with guest appearances on "The Tonight Show" when Steve Allen hosted it, he was a popular talk-show guest. He won an Emmy for performing on "The Steve Allen Show," a stint he continued for four years.

Poston was also a recognizable comic actor. He played the grouchy neighbor on "Mork & Mindy" but he particularly jelled with Newhart. His guest spots on "The Bob Newhart Show," when he played Bob's low-brow college chum, Peeper Murdock, who inspired the normally straight-laced Bob to "Animal House" antics, were popular episodes. When Newhart launched a new comedy series in 1982, Poston was cast as George Utley, his dull-witted sidekick whose loony observations packed wisdom. His slack-eyed look and slow-talking style were a hilarious combination, particularly when he punctuated them with inspired observations.

Poston was reportedly originally offered the role of Maxwell Smart in "Get Smart," but turned it down.

Similarly, Poston also shined as a comic sidekick for Tim Conway's Derk Dorf character, and made memorable appearances as Mr. Looney, the school custodian, on "Family Matters." In 1995, he joined "Grace Under Fire" as Floyd, Russell's (Dave Thomas) odd father. He teamed up with Howie Mandel in the short-lived 1990 Fox series "Good Grief" a comedy set behind the scenes at a mortuary. Poston also occasionally appeared in TV longforms, such as the daffy 1986 CBS miniseries "Fresno."

While best known for his comedic TV appearances, he also did dramatic turns in such shows as "The Defenders," which starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as a father/son lawyer team.

Poston was active in theater throughout his career, highlighted by his Broadway turn in the advertising satire "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" He also played Trinculo in the 1960 "Hallmark Hall of Fame" rendition of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

Poston's feature film appearances were sporadic. He began on film as a detective in 1953's "The City That Never Sleeps" and played the town two-timer in the Norman Lear comedy, "Cold Turkey" (1971). He also performed in "Soldier in the Rain," which starred Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason, and "Rabbit Test," with Billy Crystal. More recently he appared in "Krippendorf's Tribe" with Richard Dreyfuss, and "The Story of Us," which starred Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Poston was born on Oct. 17, 1921 in Columbus, Ohio. He was a student at Bethany College, but entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and served in England from 1941-45. Poston was accorded an Air Medal for his efforts on D-Day, and won two other Oak leaf Medals, gaining an Oak Leaf Cluster in military terms.

After his discharge, he moved to New York and began to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. He studied under such teachers as Sanford Meisner and Charles Jehlinger. He soon won a part in the Broadway production of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which starred Jose Ferrer.

Poston varied his performances between Broadway and live TV. He soon won a gig as the host of a live daily TV show, "Entertainment." His early TV performances were on a wide array of shows, including "Lights Out," "Studio One," "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Robert Montgomery Presents" and "The Phil Silvers Show." During this time, he made periodic forays onto the game shows, frequently appearing as a celebrity or mystery guest on such programs as ""What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret."

However, it was his turns on "The Steve Allen Show" which won him nationwide recognition and led to more starring roles on Broadway. His stage appearances became increasingly frequent, starring and touring in such productions as "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Come Blow Your Horn," "Bye, Bye Birdie" and "Fiddler on the Roof," among others.

Poston and his first wife, Jean Sullivan, had a daughter, Francesca, before their marriage ended in divorce. He married his second wife, Kay Hudson, after they met while appearing in the St. Louis Light Opera, and they had two sons, Jason and Hudson.

Poston and Suzanne Pleshette, who had appeared together in the 1959 Broadway play "The Golden Fleecing," had had a brief fling before marrying other people. Both now widowed, they reunited in 2000 and married the following year.

Their paths had crossed on "The Bob Newhart Show" in the 1970s. Poston made several guest appearances on the sitcom in which Pleshette played Newhart's wife.

He is survived by Pleshette and his three children.

There will be a private service for immediate family. Details of a public memorial service will be announced in the next few days.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...220b22bc67c9de
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post #557 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

Passings
Tom Poston, 85
Master of sidekicks
By Duane Byrge The Hollywood Reporter (The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Damn! First Kitty Carlisle two weeks ago, and now Poston! Orson Beam better watch out, the To Tell The Truth streak of evil is strong!
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post #558 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
To me it is even more appalling that NBC's sixth best show in the 18-49 demo (and 31st overall) is "The Wedding Crashers".

Yikes.



Quote:
Originally Posted by dad1153 View Post

Seriously, which of these "best of" lists is more pitiful and appaling? The one from the less-than-a-year-old network that cobbled together the best shows from two failed, low-rated decade-old TV networks? Or the one from the longest-running network (starting when it was radio) in American broadcast history? Seriously, look at NBC's Top 5 shows. I've been following the Nielsen ratings since I came to this country in November 1989 (back when USA Today would print the entire primetime schedule's Nielsen numbers/rankings on Wednesdays) and I have never, ever been as dumbfounded by weekly/daily Nielsen ratings as the one's NBC has been getting since Sunday Night Football went off the air. All the gains NBC made in the Fall and early Winter have been wiped out, and now the network's in worse than where it was before this season started (which was pretty abysmal if memory serves me). How in the world can Zucker be promoted to run GE after doing this to NBC?
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post #559 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredfa View Post

Most have some reservations. And they use other measurements when they can (such as TiVo and various DVR ratings).

But it is the best way to measure TV ciewing available, and everyone is measured with the same yardtsick, so I think most agree it is more or less fair.

But all this will change later this year when Nielsen unveils its commercial ratings report.

And that is what advertisers really care about.

They have some interest in how many people watch shows. But they REALLY care about how many viewers are seeing their commercials.



Thanks Fred, I thought they might be blaming the ratings system for the poor numbers.
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post #560 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
harley1 -- it is human nature to blame the messenger. (Just look at all the posts in the various show threads blaming Nielsen when ratings go south!)

But the ratings effect shows kind of like the weather when baseball teams play in the cold or a football game is played in the snow: everyone faces the same conditions.

And this year Nielsen has added some out of home late teens (mostly college students) who have actually helped some programs.

The main problem is the networks are steadily losing audience. A lot of it is their own fault: they sell the programs they own to cable networks, and now, for example, you can watch various "Law & Orders" endlessly. Is it any surprise the NBC L&O numbers are down?

And the same can be said for numerous other shows.

And DVRs, while still apparently still only in about a fifth of the nation's homes, are -- I would guess -- in the homes of a far higher percentage of heavy TV viewers.

Now the networks basically don't program anything new on Saturdays -- allowing viewers to sample cable or other options, and each routinely schedules repeats on other nights.

The desperately need to come up with a new paradigm whereby they can afford to present a full slate of original programming seven nights a week. But I see no hope that they are moving in that direction.
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post #561 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Daily Nielsen Notebook
Monday's final Nielsen national ratings
(From Travis Yanan) at Marc Berman's Programming Insider blog:
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/t...10984#40910984

Dancing with the Stars (8pm, 105 minutes)
- 18.967 million viewers
- 12.6/20 HH
- 4.9/13 A18-49

CSI: Miami
- 17.238 million viewers
- 11.4/19 HH
- 5.1/14 A18-49

Two and a Half Men
- 13.712 million viewers
- 8.7/13 HH
- 4.7/12 A18-49

King of Queens
- 13.032 million viewers
- 8.4/13 HH
- 4.7/11 A18-49

Deal or No Deal
- 12.089 million viewers
- 7.7/12 HH
- 3.6/11 A18-49

Heroes
- 11.921 million viewers
- 7.0/10 HH
- 5.4/13 A18-49

24
- 10.933 million viewers
- 6.5/10 HH
- 4.1/10 A18-49

The Bachelor (9:45pm, 75 minutes)
- 9.803 million viewers
- 6.8/11 HH
- 3.7/10 A18-49

House (R)
- 7.336 million viewers
- 4.6/7 HH
- 2.9/9 A18-49

Old Christine
- 7.317 million viewers
- 4.7/7 HH
- 2.7/8 A18-49

How I Met Your Mother
- 7.242 million viewers
- 4.7/8 HH
- 2.8/9 A18-49

Real Wedding Crashers (10:03pm)
- 5.608 million viewers
- 3.5/6 HH
- 2.6/7 A18-49

Girlfriends
- 2.478 million viewers
- 1.6/2 HH
- 1.1/3 A18-49
- 1.3/4 A18-34

Everybody Hates Chris
- 2.423 million viewers
- 1.6/3 HH
- 1.0/3 A18-49
- 1.0/3 A18-34

The Game
- 2.407 million viewers
- 1.6/2 HH
- 1.1/3 A18-49
- 1.3/3 A18-34

All of Us
- 2.180 million viewers
- 1.5/2 HH
- 0.9/3 A18-49
- 1.0/3 A18-34

Source: Nielsen Media Research data
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post #562 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
The 2007-2008 Season
ABC Reupping Saturday Prime College Football
By John Consoli MediaWeek May 1, 2007

College football on Saturday nights in prime time will return on ABC this fall, beginning Sept. 1 and continuing through Dec. 1, following a successful first-year run last season. ABC will also air two Nascar Nextel Cup races in prime time on Sept. 8 and Oct. 13.

The network, in an agreement with sister cable network ESPN, which has the rights to the college games, moved them into broadcast prime time on Saturdays, replacing scripted programming, and the result was a household ratings boost of 24 percent over the previous year.

The telecasts last season started out strong, and some weeks, depending on the matchups were softer then others, but overall the telecasts won the night on six Saturdays in households and demos. College football on Saturdays averaged a 5.0 household rating and 7.8 million total viewers per telecast, up from a 4.1 rating and 6.2 million viewers the previous year.

In demos, Saturday Night Football drew a 2.7 rating among adults 18-49, 29 percent higher than the 2.1 in 2005 for scripted programming. Among men 18-34, it drew a 3.2 rating, up 68 percent from a 1.9.

The addition of Saturday Night Football to our lineup gave sports fans access to great college football coverage, said Steve McPherson, ABC entertainment president. It also delivered a new audience for ABC, strengthening our schedule for Saturday and overall. We're glad to have this successful franchise back for the coming season, and hope to continue the partnership for a long time to come.

The 12-week telecast season will open on Sept. 1 with the University of Tennessee vs. University of California, followed by USC vs. Nebraska on Sept. 15; and a split telecast of Washington State vs. USS and Iowa vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 22. On Oct. 6, Notre Dame will meet UCLA. Games on the other nights are still in a state of flux. But the network plans to show the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 1.

Southwest Airlines will be the Saturday Night Football telecasts' presenting sponsor.

ABC, which will also begin televising Nascar Nextel Cup races in July, will televise races from Richmond on Sept. 8 and from Charlotte on Oct. 13, in prime time.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/net..._id=1003578961
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post #563 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 
The 2007-2008 Season
Saturday Night Football Will Return on ABC
12-week Primetime College Football Series Will Include More Six- and 12-Day Picks
(ABC Sports News Release)

After a successful inaugural season, ESPN on ABC's Saturday Night Football Presented by Southwest Airlines, broadcast television's first-ever weekly college football primetime series, will return beginning September 1. The debut season of Saturday Night Football outdelivered the previous year's programming in the same time slot by 24%, performed strongly in key demographic categories and won the night for all of television on six occasions (additional audience information below).

The response to this unprecedented college football showcase was overwhelming, said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. The success of this series further demonstrates our leadership position with college sports fans, and we applaud the conferences for working with us to maximize this opportunity.

Steve McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, added: The addition of Saturday Night Football to our lineup gave sports fans access to great college football coverage. It also delivered a new audience for ABC, strengthening our schedule for Saturday and overall. We're glad to have this successful franchise back for the coming season and hope to continue the partnership for a long time to come.

The 12-week Saturday Night Football series, highlighting ABC's 42nd season of extensive college football action, will feature high profile inter-conference match-ups and top conference showdowns involving teams from the Pac-10, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and BIG EAST, as well as Notre Dame.

Every telecast, beginning September 1 and concluding December 1 with the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship, will kick off at 8:00 p.m., ET and be offered in high definition on ABC HD.

Confirmed Saturday Night Football broadcasts include Tennessee at California (September 1), USC at Nebraska (September 15), Washington State at USC & Iowa at Wisconsin (September 22), and Notre Dame at UCLA (October 6). The schedule does not include games on September 8 and October 13, when ESPN on ABC will televise NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races from Richmond and Charlotte, respectively.

Every Saturday Night Football window from September 29 to November 24 will feature game selections on a six- or 12-day basis (except Notre Dame at UCLA on October 6), ensuring Saturday Night Football will televise the best match-ups available throughout the season.

In addition to the confirmed games on the schedule, four Big Ten and three Pac-10 match-ups have been designated for a primetime telecast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 (specific games in the schedule below). Network assignments for those contests will be determined six or 12 days before the date of the game. The Saturday Night Football schedule also provides the flexibility to select the best available games from the Big 12, ACC and BIG EAST on a six- or 12-day basis as the season progresses.

Schedule highlights of announced primetime games (for ABC, ESPN or ESPN2) and available for a Saturday Night Football telecast include:

USC, last year's Rose Bowl winner and a consensus pre-season National Championship contender, will be televised five times -- at Nebraska (Sept. 15 on Saturday Night Football), Washington State (Sept. 22 on Saturday Night Football), at Washington (Sept. 29), Oregon State (Nov. 3) and at California (Nov. 10).
Last year's National Championship game participant and defending Big Ten conference champion Ohio State will appear three times -- at Minnesota (Sept. 29), at Purdue (Oct. 6) and at Penn State (Oct. 27).
Michigan, led by potential Heisman Trophy candidates Mike Hart and Chad Henne, at Big Ten rival Illinois October 20.
UCLA, which upset USC in last year's final regular-season game, will host Notre Dame October 6 on Saturday Night Football.

Saturday Night Football Scores Large Audiences

The debut season of Saturday Night Football was successful in overall viewership and across key demographics, winning the night on numerous occasions.

Saturday Night Football averaged 5,567,000 Households, a 5.0 rating and 7,886,000 Total Viewers, outdelivering the programming in the same window the previous year by 24% (vs. 4,490,000), 22% (vs. 4.1) and 27% (vs. 6,212,000), respectively.
The series posted significant growth in key demographics, including:
Adults 18-49: a 2.7 rating, Men 25-54: a 4.1 rating, Men 18-49: a 3.7 rating, Men 18-34: a 3.2 rating for increases of 29% (vs. 2.1), 52% (vs. 2.7), 61% (vs. 2.3) and 68% (vs. 1.9), respectively, over the previous year in the same time frame.
On six occasions, Saturday Night Football was the highest-rated and most-viewed program on television that evening, including in Total Viewers and the key Adult 18-49 demographic.
The Notre Dame at USC telecast (November 25) averaged 10,048,000 Households, a 9.0 rating and 14,647,000 Total Viewers, making it the second-most-viewed regular season college football game on any network since November 30, 1996 (Florida at Florida State on ABC averaged 10,593,000 Households), behind Michigan at Ohio State on ABC November 18, 2006 (14,479,000 Households, a 13.0 rating and 21,037,000 Total Viewers).

2007 SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ON ABC:

Game selections on September 1, 15 and 22 and October 6 have been determined.
Selected Big Ten and Pac-10 games from September 29 through November 24 are designated for primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 with network assignments to be determined on a six- or 12-day basis (except Notre Dame at UCLA on October 6).
ACC, Big 12 and BIG EAST Saturday Night Football game selections will be determined on a six- or 12-day basis.

DATE TIME (ET) GAME

Sept. 1 8:00 p.m. Tennessee at California
Sept. 15 8:00 p.m. USC at Nebraska
Sept. 22 8:00 p.m. Washington State at USC and Iowa at Wisconsin ^
Sept. 29 8:00 p.m. TBD: Ohio State at Minnesota* and/or USC at Washington*
Oct. 6 8:00 p.m. Notre Dame at UCLA (confirmed); potential additional games:
Ohio State at Purdue** and/or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST
Oct. 20 8:00 p.m. TBD: Michigan at Illinois*** or ACC or Big 12
Oct. 27 8:00 p.m. TBD: Ohio State at Penn State*** or Big 12 or BIG EAST
Nov. 3 8:00 p.m. TBD: Oregon State at USC*** or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST
Nov. 10 8:00 p.m. TBD: USC at California*** or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST
Nov. 17 8:00 p.m. TBD: ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST
Nov. 24 8:00 p.m. TBD: ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST
Dec. 1 8:00 p.m. Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game

^ Split national telecast
*One or both games will be on ABC; if one game on ABC, the other will be televised in primetime on ESPN or ESPN2
** Notre Dame at UCLA is confirmed for Saturday Night Football; Ohio State at Purdue will be televised in primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
*** Selected game will be in primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
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post #564 of 87879
5/1/07 at 3:59pm
Thread Starter 
The Business of Television
Dolans Near Deal for Cablevision
By Andrew Ross Sorkin The New York Times May 1, 2007

Cablevision Systems Corporation is near a deal to sell the company to its founding family, the Dolans, for about $10.5 billion in cash, according to people involved in the discussions.

The board of Cablevision is currently meeting to finalize the deal, these people said. They warned, however, that it remained possible the deal could collapse or be postponed. If a deal is struck, an announcement could come within the next several hours, these people said.

The deal, worth about $36 a share, would come after three earlier failed efforts by the Dolan family to buy out the public shareholders of Cablevision, which includes Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.

The Dolans, a colorful dynasty based in Bethpage, N.Y., had made an offer to break the company in two and buy Cablevision's cable television assets in 2005. But they were forced to withdraw the offer before the board formally rejected it. The family, led by the founder, Charles F. Dolan, and his son James, then offered to buy the company for $27 a share last year and later sweetened the offer to $30 a share. That bid was formally rejected by the board after a bitter public battle.

The latest buyout, if it goes through, will be an agreed deal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/bu...gewanted=print
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post #565 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
(Note: I just forgot to post this earlier. Brain cramp. Sorry.)
Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Stars takes another Monday for ABC
Network averages 4.4 in 18-49s, topping CBS
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer May 1, 2007

For the first half of the year, ABC was an also-ran on competitive Monday night. Now the network, boosted by Dancing with the Stars and its sapping effect on the competition, has won the night four straight weeks, including ties.

With Stars running an hour and 45 minutes last night, ABC averaged a solid 4.4 adults 18-49 rating and 12 share, according to Nielsen overnights, just ahead of CBS's 4.1/11 and last fall's usual leader, NBC, at 3.9/11.

Stars won its 8 p.m. timeslot with a 4.3 rating, 0.7 ahead of NBC's second-place Deal or No Deal, which had its best outing in more than a month.

At 9 p.m., Stars and the first 15 minutes of The Bachelor trailed the NBC hit Heroes by just 0.3, averaging a 5.4. Meanwhile, Fox's 24 averaged a 4.0, hovering near a season low.

CBS, Fox and NBC have all traded leadership on Monday nights, with all winning at least a few this season.

ABC has now won six Mondays since Stars returned from a winter hiatus in mid-March. Last fall the show ran on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the network generally finished fourth on Monday with a female-skewing lineup of Wife Swap, Supernanny and What About Brian.

Last night, Fox finished fourth at 3.4/9, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 1.0/3.

At 8 p.m. ABC led with a 4.3 for its first hour of Stars, with NBC second with a 3.6 for Deal. Fox was third that hour with a 2.8 for a repeat of House, a vast improvement over the quickly canceled Drive. CBS took fourth with a 2.7 average for How I Met Your Mother (2.8) and The New Adventures of Old Christine (2.7), Univision fifth with a 1.9 for La Fea Mas Bella and CW sixth with a 1.0 average for Everybody Hates Chris (1.0) and All of Us (1.0).

NBC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.4 for Heroes, while ABC fell to second with a 5.1 average for the final 45 minutes of Stars and the first 15 minutes of The Bachelor. CBS moved to third with a 4.6 average for Two and a Half Men (4.6) and The King of Queens (4.6), with Fox fourth with a 4.0 for 24, Univision fifth with a 1.9 for Destilando Amor and CW sixth with a 1.1 average for Girlfriends (1.1) and The Game (1.1).

It was CBS's turn on top at 10 p.m. with a 5.1 rating for CSI: Miami. ABC was second again that hour with a 3.6 for The Bachelor, NBC third with a 2.8 for The Real Wedding Crashers and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for Cristina.

ABC also led the night among households, finishing with a 10.2 average rating and a 16 share. CBS was second at 8.2/16, NBC third at 6.1/10, Fox fourth at 5.5/9, Univision fifth at 2.3/4 and CW sixth at 1.6/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...icle_11802.asp
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post #566 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:18pm
Thread Starter 
The Business of Television
Murdoch's News Corp. Bid for Dow Jones Rejected
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Made Unsolicited Bid for Dow Jones
By Scott Mayerowitz ABC NEWS Business Unit May 1, 2007

Just hours after Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. made an unsolicited offer Tuesday to buy Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal, the family that controls Dow Jones announced that it had rejected the bid.

The Bancroft family controls a little more than 50 percent of the votes at Dow Jones and announced after the stock market closed that it would reject the proposed bid.

The family did not comment on whether or not it would accept any other offer -- from Murdoch or somebody else. The family said only that it was rejecting the current bid.

Throughout the day, the possible sale of the nation's second-largest newspaper worried some.

News Corp. owns Fox News, the New York Post, TV Guide, MySpace and numerous other media outlets along with movie company 20th Century Fox.

The company offered to buy all outstanding Dow Jones stock for $60 a share -- or about $5 billion.

The proposed sale price is significantly higher than the market value of Dow Jones before the offer was made public.

Shares of the media company opened Tuesday morning at $37.12 and jumped to just above $57.28 before trading was temporarily halted. It closed at $56.20. The company had traded between $32 and $40 a share over the last year.

The move comes just as News Corp. is gearing up to launch its own cable business channel this fall, which is expected to compete head-to-head with CNBC.

"This is the greatest newspaper in America," Murdoch said Tuesday afternoon on his Fox News Channel. "It needs to be part of a bigger organization to be taken further."

Murdoch has long eyed Dow Jones and said he hopes to find millions of new readers around the world online. He said financial news is one of the few news items that companies can charge for.

Plan for Fox Business Channel

Talking about his cable business network in February, Murdoch said he "long considered the business television market to be underserved."

Fox Business Channel will start with at least 30 million subscribers after getting distribution deals with Time Warner, Comcast, Charter and DirecTV.

One major stumbling block might be the contract CNBC has until 2012 with The Wall Street Journal to have its reporters appear on the competing cable business network.

"There are a lot of other things in The Journal, and their editors appear on Fox every Sunday," Murdoch said Tuesday when asked about that deal.

The Wall Street Journal's influence goes well beyond its readers.

The news on the front page of the nation's major newspapers often drives coverage at other papers and TV stations across the country.

When asked if another company might try a higher bid, such as Bloomberg, Murdoch said, "We're paying a very, very high premium that I don't think they could reach."

USA Today sold 2.28 million newspapers a day as of March 31, according to preliminary figures filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Wall Street Journal followed, with 2.06 million readers and The New York Times had 1.22 million. No other paper in the country tops 1 million readers a day.

Union Opposition

Steve Yount, president of the union and representing 2,000 reporters and other employees at Dow Jones, called ownership by Murdoch "a disaster," particularly for The Wall Street Journal.

"This is a premier publication, and everything that News Corp. brings to the table runs the risk of tarnishing that reputation," said Yount.

News Corp. has "not been labor friendly," Yount said, but "honest to God, that is a secondary concern for me."

In The Wall Street Journal newsroom there was a lot of surprise and uncertainty, with the staff learning about the bid through various media reports, sources told ABC News.

The news comes just days after Marcus Brauchli was named managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, replacing Paul Steiger, who has held the top job in the newsroom since 1991.

Neil Henry, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley's graduate school of journalism, said that Murdoch in the past has interfered in the news-gathering role of his media outlets.

"The Wall Street Journal is just a truly wonderful, independent newspaper, and for it to be in the hands of a media titan like Rupert Murdoch does not excite me," Henry said. "I don't believe that media consolidation is good for democracy. You are essentially limiting the number of people and powers that control the news in society. And News Corp. in particular is just a huge, giant of a corporation."

Family Ownership

The Bancroft family has a special class of shares that prevents the company from being taken over without its consent. The New York Times, the nation's third-largest newspaper behind The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, has a similar ownership structure.

Shareholders of The New York Times Co. have recently rallied to try to dilute the Sulzberger family's control over the company.

"The Bancroft family & has made it very clear over the years that they treasure the institution that the family has built: the independence, the integrity, the unquestioned quality and commitment to fair and unbiased reporting," Yount said.

Shares of News Corp. fell more than 4 percent Tuesday, closing at $23.10.

Spencer Wang, a research analyst at Bear Stearns, issued a note saying the acquisition is bad for News Corp. because it would increase the company's "exposure to slower growth print assets."

Would Murdoch Change the The Journal?

Jennifer Saba, associate editor of Editor & Publisher, said Murdoch "clearly has been wanting this paper for a long time and the question is if the Bancrofts will allow him to have it."

Saba said new owners typically like to make changes, but it is too early to say what, if anything, Murdoch would do.

"If he were smart, he would probably just let it run the way it is running at the moment," she said. "They made a lot of changes, doing deeper analysis with their print edition and breaking a lot of stuff online. They're really on the forefront of online journalism and advertising."

Since 1947, The Wall Street Journal has earned 33 Pulitzer Prizes, journalism's top award. It just won two this year, one for last year's series exposing stock option backdating, and the other for its reporting on China's growing economy.

Besides The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones owns Barron's, MarketWatch, Factiva, Dow Jones Newswires and local newspapers in Cape Cod, Nantucket, Oregon and elsewhere.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3105688
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post #567 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
Last week's complete network average prime-time results (with demographic and season-to-date averages) are now (belatedly) at the bottom of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.
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post #568 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chitchatjf View Post

All up against Bill OReilly!

I forsee a time when King's show goes up against Bill on a regular basis.

In Houston, these shows start at the regular time (8:00 PM CT) for Larry King, while Bill O'Reilly is shown an hour earlier (7:00 PM CT). There is a Note that all times are Central.
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post #569 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:51pm
Thread Starter 
You are right, RussB.

Larry is on at his normal time (against Hannity & Colmes on FNC) except for the two nights he runs for two hours -- until 11 PM Eastern.
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post #570 of 87879
5/1/07 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 
jandron:

Are you still with us?

What was your reaction to your son's "Raines" episode?
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