Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2333

July 6, 2011

by Rocco Pendola

Ever since Time Warner Cable's (TWC) Melinda Witmer uttered the quote of the year, I've been interested in how content deliverers, particularly cable companies, are dealing with the new media reality.

I don't know what a TV is anymore. It's kind of an anachronistic term.
- Melinda Witmer, Wall Street Journal, 3/25/2011

Nielsen (NSLN) released a study last month that shows the very real (and exciting) transitional period content deliverers and creators find themselves in. The following takeaways should not come as much of a surprise:

Cable is not dead, but it's not growing.
"Traditional" television viewing skews older (50-64 years of age).
Internet video viewing skews middle age (35-49 years of age).
Mobile video viewing skews younger (25-34 years of age).
18- to 34-year olds who are "heavy-streamers" of online content tend to "under-index" on traditional TV viewership.
12- to 17-year olds spend one-third of their time online watching video; presumably they'll become heavier mobile users as they prepare to exit their teens.

As somewhat of an aside, I found it startling that Nielsen reported the following:

Overall TV viewership increased 22 minutes per month per person over last year, demonstrating moderate growth and remaining the dominant source of video content for all demographics. Even the lowest fifth quintile of TV viewers still averages an hour of TV consumption per day, with the highest quintile tuning in for nearly ten hours per day.

I guess the obesity researchers will not rejoice at this breaking development. As the various content deliverers and creators jockey for position, however, they undoubtedly will. And, make no mistake, they're jockeying. Cable and satellite companies certainly do not want to go the way of AM radio, left with a dying audience as the young folks shift tastes to today's equivalent of FM Radio - online and mobile viewership.

As an investor, I like to consider how companies anticipate trends as they prepare themselves to remain relevant one, five and 10 years from now. Led by people like Witmer, the cable companies have at least started to take the initiative. While they'll likely go in and out of court, content deliverers and creators will soon realize that their best interest lays in ensuring one another's survival (for the cable company) and success (for all).

However it shakes out legally and contractually, cable companies are poised to relegate the physical television to nothing more than just one of many ways to view content. Time Warner Cable has an Internet/mobile application, as noted in the above-referenced article about its negotiations with Viacom (VIA). Cablevision (CVC), Comcast (CMCSA) and a zillion other TV Everywhere purveyors provide the same. The programmers are in on the action as well with Time Warner's (TWX; the programmer, not the cable company) HBO GO and Disney's (DIS) ESPN app drawing the most attention.

Bottom line - the chips are still falling. First, it's impossible to keep track of (a) how many TV Everywhere initiatives exist and (b) who drives them - content deliverer or provider (or a true partnership between the two). Soon, I think you'll see clearer collaboration. it only makes sense to set up a model in which the programmers continue to create the content and the establishment delivers it via any device a consumer wishes to view it on. The possibility for dynamic social interactivity and creative, revenue-generating advertising platforms abound.

As Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings said himself recently, TV Everywhere poses the biggest threat to his company. Cable companies exist as location-specific entities. Cablevision means little to me in Santa Monica, California, while everybody on Long Island knows its name. It only makes sense for the cable companies to cut deals with the programmers to have complete access to content across devices. Stop licensing content and start sharing the massive subscriptions and advertising revenue that becomes possible under a well-defined and standardized partnership between cable company and content provider.

Why pay $8 a month for reruns on Netflix when you can get them on-demand and/or live TV through a cable company app that comes free with your cable TV subscription or for a monthly charge without one? And there's no reason why the programmers cannot sign separate deals with satellite providers, DirecTV (DTV) and DISH Network (DISH). Ongoing competition between cable and satellite will prevent both establishments from resting on their laurels.

Of course, Netflix will cry collusion, but they'll get over it. In fact, the programmers will likely be happy to continue accepting a check from Netflix for stale programming that, on its own (as in, not part of a package that includes fresh content), carries little, if any, value. In other words, Netflix better hope that House of Cards works.

There's always got to be a next step, however, particularly if you want to survive in a world where companies no longer become blue chips. I often chide Netflix for owning nothing, other than its merchandising and recommendation engine. It farms out everything from storage to infrastructure to other companies. It even notes that it relies on an online streaming competitor, Amazon.com (AMZN), to run its business.

If I am in the boardroom of a major cable company, I am talking about doing something Netflix could not possibly afford to do - buy companies that make online and mobile streaming and advertising possible. If you're serious about owning content delivery and creating a truly innovative, interactive and lucrative viewing and advertising platform, why not buy Akamai (AKAM), Limelight Networks (LLNW) and/or the many progressive mobile advertising companies that Google (GOOG) and Facebook seem to gobble up every other week?

Instead of relying on the likes of Amazon, Akamai, Limelight, Google and Facebook, cable companies should take the initiative, hire instead of eschew young tech hot shots and build a business that relies on more than desperately seeking (and paying way too much money for) other people's hard work. Netflix cannot compete with this type of fire-powered approach. And the cable companies, unless they open their pocketbooks and unleash their aggression - now - probably cannot compete with a Hulu-fied Google or Microsoft (MSFT).

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2782...r-netflix-moot

Critic's Notes
'Big Brother' Returns, Javier on 'Tonight'
By Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant's 'TV Eye' Blog - July 7th, 2011

One of summer's most reliable timewasters, "Big Brother" (CBS, 8 p.m.), returns today to the studio made up to look like a house, where they will have no contact with the rest of the world.

In addition to eight announced houseguests, there will be a number of familiar couples from past seasons to round things off.

Those won't be announced until the premiere. The individual houseguests are: Kalia Booker, 30, a writer from Philadelphia; Porsche Briggs, 23, a VIP cocktail waitress from Fort Lauderdale; Dominic Briones, 25, a college student from San Mateo, Calif.; Cassi Colvin, 26, a model from Allen, Texas; Lawon Exum, 39, a legal file clerk from Urbana, Ill.; Keith Henderson, 32, a human resources manager from Bolingbrook, Ill.; Shelly Moore, 41, an "outdoors industry exec" from Centerville, Ohio; and Adam Poch, 39, a music inventory manager from East Brunswick, N.J.

The house will be decorated to look like a Venice Beach loft, with surfboards, graffiti, a popsicle room and a tarot card motif as well as a "Frank Gehry inspired" bedroom. Julie Chen will return to host the show, which will subsequently run Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

And those seeking more can watch the nightly three-fhour feed, "Big Brother After Dark" (Showtime2, midnight), which also starts tonight.

Elsewhere, West Hartford's Javier Colon returns to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC, 11:35 p.m.) as the winner of "The Voice." Another Connecticut man honored for winning, the June 20 appearance by Kemba Walker on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC, 12:37 a.m.) is rerun.

Camel racing is part of "Expedition Impossible" (ABC, 9 p.m.).

Louie wants a nice home on a new episode of "Louie" (FX, 10:30 p.m.). Can he afford it?

Two more go on "So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox, 8 p.m.), leaving an even dozen.

Procor & Gamble is examined on a new "CNBC Titans" (CNBC, 8 .m.).

Nate returns to help his bother Michael with a loan shark on "Burn Notice" (USA, 9 p.m.).

Swimming, hiking and cooking with a Swiss Army knife are part of the challege on a new "Extreme Chef" (Food, 10 p.m.).

Arabs have often been depicted as villains in Hollywood. Here are some examples from the 40s to mid 60s: "Adventure in Iraq" (TCM, 8 p.m.), "Action in Arabia" (TCM, 9:30 p.m.), "Sirocco" (TCM, 11 p.m.), "Trunk to Cairo" (TCM, 1 a.m.).

Baseball today includes Rays at Yankees (YES, 7 p.m.), Orioles at Red Sox (NESN, 7 p.m.) and [b]Mets at Dodgers (SNY, 10 p.m.)/b][.

* * * *

DAYTIME TALK

Regis and Kelly: Jennifer Aniston, Rick Springfield
Gayle King: Kathy Bates, Dan Abrams, "Prom Mom" Betsy Crapps (rerun)
The View: Bristol Palin, Fresh Beat Band
The Talk: Nygel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, David Cook, Jenna Elfman
Ellen DeGeneres: Patrick Dempsey, Tom Andrews (rerun).
Wendy Williams: Cheryl Burke, Dr. Travis Stork (rerun).

http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catli...r-returns.html

..and those 12-17 year olds are going to find themselves smacked down when their parents get the overage bills for it. Even Verizon just announced unlimited data plans for new subscribers are going away to be replaced by a 2GB limit - at the same price point.

They claim most customers don't use that much. Of course, if that's the case, why have the cap? Or, why not have a reasonable limit at $30/month (the old unlimited price) and raise the unlimited package to, say, $50, then offer a bargain basement plan at around $18 that has a sub-5GB limit?

Ah, sorry, they don't do that because they want to save customers money. Right.

The bubble on mobile media is about to burst, and the customer is going to take a bath.


No, it's really more like:

AM Radio = traditional TV
FM Radio = disc delivery (movies, TV box sets)
MP3 Players = Streaming media
Satellite radio = overpriced VOD direct from the studios


Wrong, Mr. Hastings. Wrong.

Bandwidth caps, overpriced media rights and greater delays in obtaining the media that are sure to take place are the biggest threats. If Netflix can't get it at all, can't afford the price to get it when offered or people can't stream it when they have it, Netflix is done.


Simple: one stop shopping.

Studios can sign one big giant deal with Netflix that allows them to reach anyone with a broadband connection rather than sign a bunch of little deals with providers all over the country.

It's one common interface people can count on wherever they go.

The problem is, the studios own so much down the line with no investment in Netflix. Signing all those little deals with the old network is more profitable in the long run. Since they know Netflix still wants the stuff, they know they can still overcharge them in the meantime.

Eventually, though, customers won't have the choice of paying $8 to get Netflix streaming. It will be $10, then $12....and it soon won't look so bad to just keep cable, reduce the broadband plan to the lowest tier and dump Netflix.


Of course, if Netflix actually cared about that "stale" programming, they wouldn't be laying out for new and original programming. The don't want catalog titles other than to have something familiar to draw people in to check out the new stuff.


You mean other companies that own nothing and piggyback on what is already there?

Netflix doesn't buy companies like that because it makes little sense to do so. They repackage content and use infrastructure that is already there. Why re-invent the wheel? The movies and TV shows are already being made, the internet is out there. The only concern is how much the delivery charge will be to make a profit on it.


So, should they buy them or not? You can't chide Netflix for not buying them, only to say other companies shouldn't rely on them.

Honestly, wouldn't it make sense to simply hire the talent away than buy the company? Lack of talent at these outfits will most certainly help to eliminate that competition.

Further, compete with Google and Microsoft? You mean two companies that have completely failed at online TV distribution? Or do you mean a Hulu/Google that will likely lose all the contracts to show content that it already has? Seriously - the studios had no desire to support Google TV. Are they going to renew their contracts with Hulu if the very same company they snubbed buys it up?

I'm sure Comcast/Universal/NBC will get right on that deal.

TV Notes
For CBS, a trusty standby to give it a lift
Reality series 'Big Brother' returns for its thirteenth season
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - July 7th, 2011

It's been a quiet summer thus far for CBS. With very little original content, only the Friday night drama "Flashpoint" and the already-canceled Saturday cop series "CHAOS," the usual No. 2 network has fallen to No. 5, behind even Univision this summer.

But starting tonight at 9 p.m., CBS will revive with the return of "Big Brother," the longest-running summer series on television as it enters season 13.

Thirteen seasons is a long time, particularly for a reality series, and a number of media buyers and planners think it's too long; in a recent Media Life poll, media people voted it the show they'd most like to see disappear.

Yet viewers have yet to tire of the show.

Last summer's premiere averaged a solid 2.4 adults 18-49 rating, up 4 percent over the previous year, and "Brother" consistently won its timeslots, airing three times a week.

This year the show, which chronicles a group of disparate people forced to stay in the same house for weeks while 52 cameras record their every move, will air on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Every year there's a new twist to the show, and this year eight new contestants will be sharing the house with several pairs of the most notorious, and presumably hated, "Big Brother" duos of past years.

Those duos won't be revealed until tonight, though CBS is offering an extended teaser this afternoon, when the women of "The Talk" invade the "Brother" set to tape their show. "Talk" co-host Julie Chen is also the host of "Brother."

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...-it-a-lift.asp

TV Review
'Torchwood: Miracle Day' (Starz): 'Doctor Who' spinoff makes viewers ponder existential issues
By David Hinckley, New York Daily News - July 7th, 2011

The ongoing "Torchwood" spinoff of the Brit classic "Doctor Who," retooled in midstream for Americans, spins some serious sci-fi for fans of that genre.

It may ask casual viewers to think a little more deeply than they prefer on Friday nights.

The key for anyone who doesn't know "Doctor Who," and who hasn't followed the first three Brit seasons of "Torchwood," is to focus on the "Miracle Day" part, not on "Torchwood."

Miracle Day turns out to be one of those "be careful what you wish for" deals.



"Miracle Day" does not accentuate the positive.

Moreover, , which brings us to the strongest element of "Torchwood": the gang of five who are involved with that investigation.

This includes the two central figures in the Brit "Torchwood," Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Gwen Cooper. Eve Myles, who plays Cooper, could be arrested for the number of scenes she steals, and no viewer will ever again hear the phrase "I'm Welsh!" in the same way.

Despite some mutual reluctance, they are joined by Americans Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer), Esther Drummond (Alexa Havins) and Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman).

Harkness and Cooper both hail from Torchwood, a mysterious British organization that seems to be involved with the whole "Miracle Day" business. Matheson and Drummond work for the CIA and they're trying to get answers that Harkness and Cooper don't seem to have.

Danes is the odd duck here,

A specious technicality has now set him free, providing one more downside to this

The four good guys work together wonderfully. Harkness is a bit James Bond-ian. Cooper is exasperated and tough. Matheson is an ambitious career guy and Drummond is a young sponge soaking it all up as she gets drawn further in.

The "Miracle Day" mystery itself feels, at least at first, hopelessly tangled. Viewers may be willing to give it some time, though, because the action provides an entertaining ride.

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY
Friday at 10PM on Starz
Rating: ★★★ (out of five)

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...istential.html

Casey Anthony found not guilty, fueling TV news frenzy
By Lisa de Moraes

“Caylee’s death has gone un-avenged!” HLN star Nancy Grace shrieked in disbelief, as the verdict was read in the Casey Anthony murder trial.

“Tot Mom will be walking free!” Grace grieved Tuesday afternoon as the Florida jury acquitted Anthony of murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter in the suspicious death of her little 2-year-old daughter -- though they did draw the line at Casey having provided false info to the cops.

Five million people watched Grace as the verdict was read around 2:15 p.m. that day -- HLN’s best ratings performance in any hour in its history, according to Nielsen numbers issued Wednesday afternoon. “The Devil is dancing tonight,” Grace continued, hours after the verdict, on her primetime show. About 3 million people caught that performance — “Nancy Grace” show’s biggest audience ever.
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Other news outlets may have been equally stunned by the verdict – ABC News on Wednesday called it a “jaw dropping not guilty verdict” as it plugged its upcoming interview with one of the jurors, Jennifer Ford, who said she and the other jurors cried and were "sick to our stomachs" after voting to acquit Casey Anthony of charges she killed Caylee, but could not convict because “there was not enough evidence.”

But, this grisly murder trial has been the making of Grace -- June had been her highest rated month ever, with her primetime show averaging 1.5 million viewers. And, on Tuesday, she emerged from the rubble having been crowned, by Web site Gawker and others, The New Queen of Grief Porn.

In the end, Grace was best at serving up to viewers what they wanted to hear. According to NM Incite—a Nielsen/McKinsey joint venture that provides social media intelligence—64 percent of people on Twitter disagree with the verdict, but only 1 percent agreed. The other 35 percent are “neutral”.

“In the end, Tot Mom’s lies seemed to have work,” a bereaved Grace lashed out Tuesday after the verdict was revealed.

“Caylee, her 2-year-old little girl, found just 15 houses from where Tot Mom puts her head on the pillow every night; her body decomposed -- nothing but a skeleton gnawed on by animals, disarranged there in a trash dump that used to serve as a pet cemetery. Little Caylee -- thrown away like she was trash.

“And now, for the rest of our coverage, Caylee will be in our hearts, regardless of what this jury or anyone else does or says.”

Tonight is the Curb Your Enthusiasm edition of the Rich Eisen Podcast Show on NFL Network @ 10:00pm.

Larry David, Jeff Garlin, JB Smoove & Bob Einstein are all on the show.

Curb starts season 8 sunday night.

WEDNESDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings - along with AdWeek Analyst Marc Berman's view of what they mean -- have been posted on his blog: http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/t...51/m/722106183.

Advertising Notes
'Zookeeper' Ad Inserted Into 2007 'How I Met Your Mother' Episode
By The Hollywood Reporter Team - July 6th, 2011

Zookeeper, starring Kevin James, isn't officially in theaters until this Friday, so how exactly did it get integrated into an old episode of How I Met Your Mother?

A simple answer: The magazine with the Zookeeper ad behind Robin (Cobie Smulders) was most likely digitally inserted prior to the recent repeat airing. A better answer: Someone foresaw four years ago that Zookeeper would surface at some point in the future.

The original airing of the specific HIMYM episode in question was March 19, 2007 in "Moving Day," which aired during the CBS comedy's sophomore season.

Here's what the scene looked like without the Zookeeper addition. And this is what it looked like with it.

Even so, inserting ads into old episodes that weren't there before isn't a new practice as "virtual advertising" is "branching out into virtual advertising, such as insertion of virtual signs, banners, logos and the placement of virtual products into TV shows."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ris...007-how-208466

Tech/Business Notes
Entertainment giants and broadband providers team up on piracy effort
By Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times' 'Company Town' Blog - July 7th, 2011

A coalition comprised of movie and television studios, cable and phone companies and record labels are launching a wide-ranging initiative aimed at cracking down on Internet piracy.

The effort will brings together Internet Service Providers -- the companies that are the gatekeepers to to the worldwide web -- and content creators in the fight against the theft of intellectual property. It will be overseen by the newly created Center for Copyright Information whose backers include the Motion Picture Association of America, whose members include all the major Hollywood movie and televison producers, the Recording Industry Association of America and Internet Service Providers Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, Verizon and AT&T.

Specifically, the initiative will target households whose Internet usage indicates that pirated content is either being uploaded or downloaded. As many as six "copyright alerts" will be sent to those homes in an effort to let subscribers know that their Internet accounts have been used in an illegal fashion. Subscribers will get a series of warnings in the form of emails or pop-up messages.

While the ISPs will not shut down a subscriber's broadband service as punishment for piracy-related activity, there will be repercussions to users including the potential for having the speed in which they access the Internet reduced, which would hinder piracy. Repeat offenders may also be required to contact their ISP provider to discuss the matter.

In the past, there has been tension between Hollywood and broadband providers on the issue content theft. The former has wanted ISPs to be more aggressive in fighting piracy and the latter has been reluctant to go after its customers for uploading or downloading stolen content.

Content providers would prefer for ISPs to adopt the model in France which has a three strikes approach that terminates Internet access for people who refuse to heed warnings to stop engaging in illegal activity online.

Still, both the content companies and ISP providers praised this push as an important step in eliminating piracy.

"We hope that it signals a new era in which all of us in the technology and entertainment value chain work collaboratively to make the Internet a more safe and legal experience for users," said Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America.

"This is a sensible approach to the problem of online content theft and, importantly, one that respects the privacy and rights of our subscribers," added Verizon General Counsel Randal S. Milch.

Part of the goal of the coalition is to get parents to pay more attention to what their their kids are doing on the Internet and to start to monitor how their accounts are being used and abused.

"We are confident that, once informed that content theft is taking place on their accounts, the great majority of broadband subscribers will take steps to stop," said James Assey, executive vice president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ente...cy-effort.html

Nielsen Overnights (18-49)
NBC's 'Love in the Wild' dips in week two
Averages a 1.9 in 18-49s, off 14 percent from last week
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - July 7th, 2011

In its second week, NBC's new dating show "Love in the Wild" saw ratings decline versus its debut, but it still easily won its timeslot.

"Love" averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, down 14 percent from last week, when it premiered to a 2.2.

That premiere came on a stronger night generally for NBC, which aired the season finale of "The Voice" at 8 p.m. last Wednesday. Last night it aired "Minute to Win It" in that hour, which averaged less than half the rating as "Voice."

But overall it was still a good outing for "Love." Viewership is generally lower in the hour, and a 1.9 is a solid number for 10 p.m. in the summer.

"Love" finished No. 3 for the night overall, behind NBC's "America's Got Talent" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."

Fox was first for the night among 18-49s with a 2.4 average overnight rating and a 7 share, with NBC a close second at 2.3/7. CBS and Univision tied for third at 1.2/4, ABC was fifth at 1.1/3, and Telemundo and CW tied for sixth at 0.4/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won't be available for several weeks. Forty-one percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. Fox led with a 2.4 for "Dance," followed by NBC with a 1.4 for "Minute." Univision was third with a 1.2 for "Teresa," ABC fourth with a 1.1 for repeats of "The Middle" and CBS fifth with a 1.0 for an "Undercover Boss" rerun. Telemundo and CW tied for sixth at 0.4, Telemundo for "Mi Corazon Insiste" and CW for a repeat of "America's Next Top Model."

NBC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.5 for "Talent," while Fox slipped to second with a 2.4 for more "Dance." CBS and Univision tied for third at 1.3, CBS for a repeat of "Criminal Minds" and Univision for "Triunfo del Amor," with ABC fifth with a 1.1 for repeats of "Modern Family" and "Happy Endings." Telemundo and CW tied for sixth at 0.4, Telemundo for "Los Herederos del Monte" and CW for more "Top Model."

At 10 p.m. NBC was first again with a 1.9 for "Love," with CBS second with a 1.4 for a "CSI" rerun. ABC was third with a 1.3 for "Primetime Nightline" focused on Casey Anthony, Univision fourth with a 1.1 for "Rosa de Guadalupe" and Telemundo fifth with a 0.5 for "La Casa de al Lado."

Among households, NBC finished first for the night with a 4.6 average overnight rating and an 8 share. CBS was second at 3.8/7, Fox third at 3.7/6, ABC fourth at 2.8/5, Univision fifth at 1.6/3, Telemundo sixth at 0.7/1 and CW seventh at 0.6/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...n-week-two.asp

TV Notes
Canceled ABC soaps to go online
By Lynette Rice, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - July 7th, 2011

All My Children and One Life to Live will have another life online, ABC announced today. The network has licensed the canceled sudsers to Prospect Park, a media and production company founded in 2009 by Jeffrey Kwatinetz and former Disney Studios head Rich Frank. (The company's best known for producing Royal Pains for USA and Wilfred for FX.) The exclusive, multi-year deal will allow the soaps to continue beyond their finale dates. All My Children ends it run on ABC on Sept. 23 while One Life to Live is set to sunset in January.
Prospect Park will produce and deliver the soaps via online formats and additional emerging platforms that include internet enabled television sets. Under the terms of the arrangement, ABC promies that the programs will continue to be delivered with the same quality and in the same format and length.

Frank and Kwatinetz released this statement: We are privileged to continue the legacy of two of the greatest programs to air on daytime television, and are committed to delivering the storylines, characters and quality that audiences have come to love for over 40 years. All My Children and One Life to Live are television icons, and we are looking forward to providing anytime, anywhere viewing to their loyal community of millions. Technology changes the way the public can and will view television shows. Now that there are so many devices available in addition to television sets, viewers are taking advantage of watching shows where ever they are and on any number of devices.

The driving force in making the switch and attracting new audiences is to have outstanding programs that people want to watch, the statement continued. We believe that by continuing to produce the shows in their current hour format and with the same quality, viewers will follow the show to our new, online network.

ABC's head of daytime Brian Frons had this to say: All My Children and One Life to Live are iconic pieces of television history that captivated millions of fans since their beginning over 40 years ago. Each of the shows have made an indelible mark on our culture's history and informed our consciousness in their own way. We are so glad Prospect Park has assumed the mantel for these shows and that they will continue for the fans.

Even Agnes Nixon, who created both soaps, weighed in with a statement: I'm just so happy that ABC found a home where the legacies of All My Children and One Life To Live can continue. I'm excited for their future with Prospect Park. It takes a lot of living to make a soap opera a serial, and the wonderful teams on both shows have done just that. Together, we are a big family that keeps going, and I'm looking forward to working alongside these wonderful people as we ensure that the shows will continue with all the love and excitement we've always had. I also am so happy for our loyal fans, whom we love so much, and who have been so supportive over the last 40 plus years.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/07/canceled-abc-soaps/

TV Notes
Hallmark Hall of Fame is Back...on ABC
By TVbytheNumbers.com Staff - July 7th, 2011

Hallmark announced today a multi-year deal, beginning with the 2011-2012 TV season, to premiere Hallmark Hall of Fame movies exclusively on the ABC Television Network with encore broadcasts a week later on Hallmark Channel.

“We’re delighted our movies will premiere exclusively on ABC starting with our 61st television season,” said Brad Moore, president – Hallmark Hall of Fame. “Since our very first talks with ABC last year we’ve looked forward to this announcement. Our agreement to follow ABC premieres with encores on Hallmark Channel is an exciting, unprecedented use of broadcast and cable.”

“A week after the Hallmark Hall of Fame network premiere on ABC, Hallmark Channel will air four encore broadcasts over a week-long period,” said Bill Abbott, president, Crown Media Networks. “This will bring even more exceptional, high-profile programming to our audience, and increase the viewership and impact of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series. We’re delighted to be a partner.”

The first movie to premiere on ABC will be Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith, based on Albom’s best-selling book. Albom also wrote the screenplay. The movie, now being filmed in Michigan by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, is executive produced by Brent Shields and directed by Jon Avnet. Laurence Fishburne, Bradley Whitford, and Martin Landau star. The movie will air before Christmas. ABC and Hallmark Channel will cross-promote this and subsequent telecasts.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...channel/97417/

Restaurant that was the big "prize" on NBC's "America's Great Next Restaurant" reality show closes after eight weeks: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle...124736829.html.

Isn't this the very thing that was meant for a company like Netflix? Imagine how many Roku boxes or other Netflix devices would appear in people's homes because of this.

The soap audiences may be smaller than in years past, but it's darned loyal.

The bolded part makes me hope see an encore of "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler" and "A Dog Named Christmas" somewhere in there.

Wow. No idea what the contract said, but I hope that guy talks to a lawyer because on its face it seems possible the production company was engaged in some kind of fraud.

Washington Notes
Court: FCC Mishandled Newspaper-Broadcast Ownership Rule Revision
By David Lieberman, Deadline.com Team - July 7th, 2011

FCC has to go back to the drawing board if it wants to ease the way for a company to own a newspaper and TV station in the same community. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit shot down rules that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin pushed through in 2008 to relax the cross ownership restrictions. The court said that Martin didn't give the public enough time to respond to his proposals. That means the FCC probably will revisit the cross ownership rules beginning late this summer when it begins the Congressionally mandated quadrennial review of media regulations that was supposed to have been done last year. The court decision doesn't require any company to divest properties. But if the FCC doesn't adopt the same rules that Martin favored, it could affect Tribune: It used the 2008 standards to justify newspaper-TV cross-ownership arrangements in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

"This decision is a vindication of the public's right to have a diverse media environment," says Media Access Project's Andrew Jay Schwartzman. "The FCC majority knew that its effort to allow more media concentration was politically and legally unworkable, so it tried to end-run the procedural protections that are designed to give the public the right to participate in agency proceedings." NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton says "There have been sweeping changes in the media landscape since most of the broadcast ownership rules were adopted decades ago. NAB believes that modest reform of rules to allow free and local broadcasters to compete successfully in a universe of national pay TV and radio platforms is warranted."

http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/cour...nership-rules/

I'm sure the contract is rock solid. The winning prize was to have investors back a contestant opening up the restaurants. They can't guarantee that people will embrace it and they certainly aren't going to throw good money after bad.

If it had been successful, there would be no reason to close it.

This will likely affect Gannett, too.

Being at Mall Of America on Black Friday is a total trip.

I'll say. This just reminded me that I've been watching Y&R for 18 years now and I swore I'd never watch a stupid soap. I liked Eric Braeden in Colossus: The Forbin Project and got sucked in by a trial. The rest is history.

Nielsen Notes (Cable)
'White Collar,' 'Covert Affairs' Hit Season Highs; 'Royal Pains' Rises in Ratings
By Philiana Ng, The Hollywood Reporter 'Live Feed' Blog - July 7th, 2011

Fresh off picking up Common Law to series earlier this week, USA Network continued on its ratings roll with its current summer slate.

Viewers didn't seem to be stuck in a post-4th of July lull on Tuesday, with new episodes of White Collar (4.2 million total viewers) and Covert Affairs (4.8 million) hitting season highs in total tune-in. In the 18-49 and 25-54 adult demographics, Collar and Affairs improved as well.

The network announced on Thursday that Collar fans would be able to vote to either revert back to the opening title sequence or keep the new one in a contest ending Wednesday, July 13.

On Wednesday, Royal Pains also rose in viewership (up 0.3 percent; 5 million), though just slightly in the latter category. The telecast was cable's No. 1 program in 18-49 (up 11 percent, 2 million), 25-54 (up 7 percent, 2.2 million) and viewers for the night.

USA attributed the ratings improvement to a multitude of things, including lessened competition on the broadcast side with The Voice ending last week, a 4th of July Pains marathon and viewers adjusting to the medical drama's new date and time.

Following Pains at 10 p.m. rookie therapy drama Necessary Roughness (4.4 million) retained nearly all of its audience from the series launch a week earlier. In the 18-49 (1.7 million) and 25-54 (1.9 million) demos, the hourlong continued to have at least a 91-percent hold versus the premiere.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...irs-hit-208879

* * * *

TV Notes
'Falling Skies' Renewed for Season 2

TNT has renewed Falling Skies for a second season.

The Noah Wyle-starring sci-fi drama debuted to 5.9 million total viewers, cable's top series launch this year. The 10-episode second season is slated to air summer 2012.

“Falling Skies is a true standout series, from its ambitious storytelling, high-profile cast and production team to its phenomenal success when it comes to international and time-shifted viewing,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. “We’re reaching new audiences with Falling Skies and look forward to seeing where this fascinating and exciting series takes us next.”

Falling Skies follows the aftermath of an invasion of an alien military force on Earth and is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television.

With Live + 7, Falling Skies drew 8 million to its premiere on Sunday, June 19 and averaged 3.8 million in the ad-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 4.5 million in 25-54.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...eason-2-208866

Tech/Business Notes
Why Verizon Should Buy Hulu
By Ryan Lawler, The New York Times/GiGaOM.com Team - July 7th, 2011

The search for a Hulu buyer continues, with reports emerging that the company is making pitches to a wide range of media and technology companies. While much of the press so far has focused on the big technology companies — Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and the like — little attention has been paid to the other potential buyers. Verizon, in particular, seems like a good match for the company, as it has shown a willingness to invest in online video, but not at the expense of its traditional FiOS TV business.

Business interests are aligned

Google and others in the tech world are all about innovation and disruption, but that’s not necessarily what ABC, NBC and Fox want from a buyer. With Verizon, they’d be getting a partner they’re already doing business with. More importantly, both Verizon and the broadcasters have the same interests, and neither will blindly support growth at Hulu at the expense of live TV viewing or fewer people paying for FiOS.

Verizon, therefore, is less likely to balk at crippling terms in Hulu’s recently renegotiated rights deals. Some reports suggest those deals could extend the time between shows being broadcast and becoming available online by up to a week, rather than being up on Hulu the day after they air.

There’s also the belief that broadcasters could start tying next-day access to Hulu shows to their cable subscriptions. Many cable networks already use pay TV subscriber logins to authenticate users, in a scheme referred to as TV Everywhere. But the latest talks suggest this TV Everywhere plan could be extended to broadcast TV.

While HD over-the-air signals for broadcast TV are free, many broadcasters have begun demanding pay TV operators pay retransmission fees for access to their shows, in the same way they pay per-subscriber fees for cable networks. As a result, those operators might demand Hulu begin authenticating its users in the same way cable networks do.

Google, Amazon, Yahoo and other tech companies might be opposed to such a requirement, as it could affect viewership on the newly acquired site, but it’s actually in Verizon’s best interests to support such a plan. After all, Verizon wants to sign up as many TV Everywhere users as possible, who could then view content from Epix, HBO, Showtime and other networks that have made their content available through the service.

Verizon is betting big on online video

One might ask what Verizon actually gets from Hulu. After all, if the telco is fine with certain rights requirements — like longer windows and authentication — that might limit growth and consumer adoption, and one could argue it’s not fully committed to growing the online video company as an independent business. If that’s the case, then why buy it at all?

For one thing, this type of move isn’t entirely unprecedented. Comcast purchased Fandango back in 2007 and used it for the basis of its Fancast online video portal, which later became Xfinity TV Online. And let’s not forget: Verizon is essentially an IPTV play, and has been supporting IP video for years. It has also recently made a number of moves that suggest it could begin getting a lot more aggressive in the online video space in particular. An acquisition of Hulu would merely supplement those already existing initiatives.

Take, for instance, its plan to allow subscribers to purchase video-on-demand titles through the program guide and watch them online or across a number of mobile or connected devices. Or its yet-to-be-released live streaming iPad app. Or its plan to make its streaming VOD service available to users that aren’t even FiOS subscribers, potentially pitting it against iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand and Walmart’s Vudu. These efforts show a willingness to jump into the online video market, and Hulu would be complementary to those services.

Then there’s Verizon’s Digital Media Services initiative. At NAB this year, it was being pitched as a way to simplify the delivery of broadcast video online, while also lowering the cost of distributing to as many devices and platforms as possible. It’s clear Verizon isn’t just thinking about online video to grow its revenues from the traditional TV or VOD perspective, but it’s also looking at its role as part of the broader ecosystem.

No one else is a good fit

Now that we’ve discussed Verizon’s pros, let’s look at some of the other potential buyers — and why they wouldn’t make such a good fit. Of the aforementioned suitors, there are serious issues with each one:

Google is already knee-deep in its own work to transform YouTube into a destination for long-form professional and semi-professional content, and any combination of YouTube and Hulu is likely to face serious regulatory scrutiny.
Amazon is Hulu CEO Jason Kilar’s former employer, and has invested in an online VOD and subscription video service. But it has shown no interest in ad-supported video, which is Hulu’s bread and butter.
Microsoft has never invested heavily in digital media properties and seems unlikely to start now.
Given Yahoo‘s recent history of acquisitions, it seems clear to most people that a purchase of Hulu could have disastrous results for the site.

In other words, there are plenty of reasons why Hulu might not work with some of the larger tech firms. But there are some very good reasons why a distributor like Verizon would want to buy into a startup like Hulu, even if it is potentially disruptive to the traditional TV business. That’s not to say a Verizon-Hulu mashup would be a slam dunk, but if Verizon were really committed to investing in Hulu’s business as a potential new growth engine, it could be an easy lay-up.

http://www.nytimes.com/external/giga...ref=technology

Business Notes
Suzanne Kolb tapped as president of E! channel
By Meg James, Los Angeles Times' 'Company Town' Blog - July 7th, 2011

Marketing stylista Suzanne Kolb was named president of E! Entertainment, the Comcast Corp. cable channel that earlier this year joined the NBCUniversal constellation.

Kolb, a six-year veteran of the channel, previously served as head of marketing, news and digital entertainment for E! and the Style Network. The promotion was announced Thursday. Kolb now reports to Bonnie Hammer, chairwoman of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.

"As a member of E!'s leadership team, Suzanne has played a pivotal role in getting the network to the great place it is today," Hammer said in a statement. "Her strong oversight of three areas key to E!'s success -- news, online and marketing -- makes her the perfect person to lead the brand through the important next phase of its evolution."

The company credits Kolb with helping shape E! into, in its words, a "top global entertainment news brand." She also was responsible for marketing and creative direction for some of the network's biggest hits, including the "Kardashians" franchise, "Chelsea Lately," "The Soup" and "Fashion Police."

"E! has enjoyed great success in the past but we're just getting started," Kolb said in a statement. Prior to joining E! in 2005, she was an executive vice president of marketing for the now defunct WB television network.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ente...-channel-.html

Critic's Notes
Another Dose of Neurosis
By Alessandra Stanley, The New York Times - July 7th, 2011

Most comedies are about losers.

“Louie,” on FX, is so bleak that one of its tag lines is “Misery loves comedy.” The exception of course is “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a series about a successful, wealthy and relatively contented Hollywood writer. Larry David plays himself as a bald, bespectacled neurotic who has no trouble getting great women. And yet the show is funny.

And that’s just one more reason that “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which returns to HBO on Sunday for an improbable eighth season, stands out. It’s a series centered on the petty irritations that blister an idle, privileged life. And they keep getting pettier. In Season 4 Larry went to New York to play Max Bialystock in “The Producers.” This season he goes back to New York, but only to escape an acquaintance who pesters Larry to attend a charitable event for children with special needs. “You look at these kids, and you feel so complete,” the man tells Larry. “If only by comparison.”

Last season seemed like it could be the final one. It was hard to see how Mr. David could top a story arc that brought about a mock “Seinfeld” reunion and pushed Larry’s estranged wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), back into his arms (briefly). On the other hand, it was also hard to see how the show could outdo Season 6, which introduced the Blacks, a family of displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors who move in with Larry and take over his life.

Season 8 succeeds by not seeking a complex overarching theme. Like a single-cell organism that reproduces itself, Larry’s life self-complicates.

He blunders most often because he is hypersensitive to slights but is utterly blind to his own insensitivity. His inability to read social cues is at times so pronounced he seems to show symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome — not a full-blown case, of course, but a dash of it, a more common condition one friend describes as Splashperger’s.

In earlier seasons much of the humor was laced with shock value, a spirited assault on political correctness that had Larry saying shockingly offensive things to women, gay people, members of minorities, the handicapped, the fat and even small children. He once enraged a lesbian receptionist when he suggested that she and her partner name their adopted Chinese baby Tang. (“It’s a juice,” Larry explains. “But it has Chinese overtones.”)

This time around, Mr. David pokes fun at political incorrectness as well. In one episode Larry and his manager, Jeff (Jeff Garlin), sneak off to sample the fabled chicken at a Palestinian diner. The chicken is so popular that the owners decide to open a second location, next to Goldblatt’s deli. And that outrages Larry’s circle of friends, who discuss the issue in the kind of language cable news pundits use to debate plans to erect an Islamic center and mosque near ground zero.

“How in the world can they dare put up a Palestinian chicken restaurant next to the sacred land of that deli?” one dinner guest says. Another guest asks ponderously, “Legally they can do it, true, but should they?” A third adds: “It’s insensitive! Why can’t they move it a few blocks uptown?”

Mr. David has always lured high-wattage stars for guest shots, including Martin Scorsese and Mel Brooks and his wife, Anne Bancroft (who died in 2005). This season’s roster includes Ricky Gervais, Rosie O’Donnell and Michael J. Fox. J. B. Smoove returns as Leon Black; Bill Buckner, the infamous Red Sox first baseman, plays himself. Maggie Wheeler, who is best known for her role as Janice, Chandler’s girlfriend with the annoying laugh on “Friends,” also takes a star turn, and there is an inside joke even to that: Ms. Wheeler plays a woman who is annoying because she doesn’t laugh.

There are so many good comedies right now — from “Modern Family” to “Parks and Recreation” — that it’s hard to remember that when “Curb Your Enthusiasm” was first shown in 2000, there was nothing like it on network television, and even premium cable hadn’t offered anything quite like it since Garry Shandling’s series on HBO, “The Larry Sanders Show,” which ran from 1992 to 1998.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” may not seem as daring as it once did, but there still isn’t anything else quite like it. The degree of difficulty in sustaining that mock cinéma vérité layered over the bones of a classic sitcom was proven once again this year. Paul Reiser (“Mad About You”) tried to do his own semi-autobiographical sitcom that was canceled by NBC after just two episodes.

The big joke at the end of Season 4 turns out to be that Mr. Brooks cast Larry in “The Producers” because he secretly hoped it would turn his Broadway musical into a flop, a twisted echo of Max Bialystock’s scam in the actual movie and play. Mr. Brooks and Ms. Bancroft sit at a bar on opening night, gleefully anticipating a box office disaster. “He’s got this gift,” Mr. Brooks chortles about Larry. “Everything he touches, he dooms.”

But he dooms with a golden touch.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Sunday at 10PM ET/PT on HBO.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/ar...ref=television

TV Notes
Atlantis: Scott Pelley, Shepard Smith, Anderson Cooper to anchor from Kennedy Space Center
By Hal Boedeker, Orlando Sentinel's 'TV Guy' Blog - July 7th, 2011

The weather may keep Atlantis, the final shuttle to go into space, from launching Friday.

The shuttle is scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. Bad weather could push the launch to 11:02 a.m. Saturday or 10:38 a.m. Sunday.

But local stations, the broadcast networks and cable news channels have big plans for Friday. They will carry the launch live as well as salute the milestone in space history:

CBS is sending Scott Pelley to anchor the CBS Evening News from Kennedy Space Center. The broadcast airs at 6:30. During the broadcast, CBS look back at its coverage of NASA - you can expect classic clips of Walter Cronkite. Pelley also will be interviewed on the noon news of CBS affiliate WKMG-Channel 6.

Shepard Smith, an alum of the Orlando TV market, will anchor Fox News Channel's coverage from 11 a.m. to noon. He will be at Kennedy Space Center and go behind the scenes to explain launch preparations. Former astronauts Gene Cernan and Tom Jones will discuss the launch, and correspondent Steve Harrigan will provide live reports.

Anderson Cooper will lead CNN's coverage from Cape Canaveral from 10 a.m. to noon. Sharing their insights will be former astronauts Cady Coleman and Sen. Bill Nelson, and historian Douglas Brinkley.

NBC will offer a special report on the network. Brian Williams will anchor from New York and Jay Barbree will report the launch from Cape Canaveral.

ABC's Matt Gutman will report live from Cape Canaveral.

Tamron Hall and Tom Costello will lead MSNBC's coverage from Cape Canaveral.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/ent...ce-center.html

Critic's Notes
On Tonight: 'Torchwood: Miracle Day' Fires Up, Looking Back at 'An American Family,' Last Shuttle Liftoff, Second to Last 'Lights'
By Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant's 'TV Eye' Blog - July 8th, 2011

The history of American adaptations of British TV series goes back to "All in the Family" and "Sanford & Son." A few transplants retain their original charm in the wholesale change, many more do not. Still other great British series carried stateside in their original form are destined to largely cult status.

So there is an interesting move afoot in the careful adaptation of "Torchwood" (Starz, Friday, 10 p.m.), the terrific BBC sci-fi series that moves its writers and stars to the U.S. to join an American cast, even as the show itself moves from BBC America to Starz.

It's a splendid idea that infuses promotional muscle and budget into a show that's always worked well on in more modest surroundings, retaining the beloved cast of John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Kai Owen, while attracting a strong American cast that includes Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman, Alexa Havins, Arlene Tur and New Haven native Lauren Ambrose.

You wonder why somebody didn't go back and prepare the old 1973 tapes of "An American Family" about the time HBO put on a pretty good movie about in April. Interest in the series that was considered the original reality show was probably at its highest in years after the portrayal of Tim Robbins, Diane Lane and James Gandolfini.

Now an edited version makes its way back to public TV. "An American Family: Anniversary Edition" (CPTV4U, 3 p.m.) is that it's prefaced with a serious statement by its producer Craig Gilbert, whom Gandolfini played in the HBO film, speaking as if he were introducing a grand sociological study, rather than opening the Pandora's Box that lead to "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."

What's shocking even about the edited version is how dull it all seems now. The only spark in the family was Lance, the eldest son who moved to New York (and oddly, was downplayed in the HBO film). Maybe family reality shows really do need the contrivances and coaxing that modern shows provide, even as they erode the actual realities of everyday life. It's also on the regular CPTV July 10 at 7 p.m.

The nation's ambitious 30-year space shuttle program is coming to an end today with the final blastoff this morning. The liftoff of the final mission of the spaceshuttle Atlantis is scheduled for 11:26 a.m. But there's a 70 percent chance the launch would be delayed by rain, clouds and thunderstorms, meteorologists say.

Happening rain or shine is the first special to encapsulate the entire chapter of exploration, triumph and catastrophe. "Last Shuttle: Our Journey" (Science, 10 p.m.) is set to begin with same-day footage of the takeoff, but they may have to improvise.

It's the second to last "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 8 p.m.). Not too late to get involved.

Of course the Casey Anthony case is going to be covered in a two hour "Dateline" (NBC, 9 p.m.) and maybe "20/20" (ABC, 10 p.m.), but probably not on "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (ABC, 9 p.m.).

"Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta" (TLC, 9 p.m.) starts its second season.

"Prince William & Catherine: A Royal Love Story" (OWN, 9 p.m.) reruns on a day when a lot of other stations will be covering the couple's first visit to Hollywood.

A new "Real Time with Bill Maher" (HBO, 10 p.m.) features Ann Coulter, Amanda Foreman Christopher Hayes.

Two boats are missing on "Whale Wars" (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).

Broke Ass Stuart visits Boston on a new "Young Broke & Beautiful" (IFC, 11 p.m.).

The singing cowboy in the spotlight tonight is Gene Autry, with the films "The Old Corral" (TCM, 8 p.m.), "Home on the Prairie" (TCM, 9 p.m.), "Back in the Saddle" (TCM, 10:15 p.m.), "Texans Never Cry" (TCM, 11:45 p.m.) and "Wagon Team" (TCM, 1 a.m.).

Then comes a couple of crazy cop movies from the early 1970s, "The Super Cops" (TCM, 2:15 a.m.) and "Cops and Robbers" (TCM, 4 a.m.).

* * * *

DAYTIME TALK

Regis and Kelly: Jason Bateman, Poppy Montgomery, Paul Liebrandt
Gayle King: Tamar Braxton
The View: Bryan Cranston, Terry & Linda Jamison
The Talk: Jeffrey Tambor, Parvati Shallow
Ellen DeGeneres: Josh Duhamel, James Durbin (rerun)
Wendy Williams: Audrina Patridge (rerun).

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