Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2731

TV Sports
ESPN, MLB Strike Multiyear Rights Extension
New eight-year deal includes playoff games, extra regular season contests, reduced local blackouts
By Tim Baysinger, Broadcasting & Cable - Aug. 28, 2012

ESPN and Major League Baseball agreed to an eight-year extension of their multiplatform rights deal on Tuesday. The new agreement begins in 2014 and runs through 2021.

Terms were not disclosed, but MLB commissioner Bud Selig said on a conference call with reporters that it was more than double the previous deal.

The new pact is highlighted by the addition of an annual Wild Card game, which begins play this season; TBS holds the rights to these games in 2012 and 2013. This will be the first time ESPN will broadcast an MLB playoff game since 2006. The network also gains rights to any regular-season tiebreaker games, if necessary.

"We're thrilled to renew our long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball into the next decade. It's a great property. The enormous scope of what we acquired will provide fans with more live baseball and more ways to access baseball content than ever before," said John Skipper, president of ESPN Inc. and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks.

ESPN also gains 10 additional regular-season broadcasts, fewer blackouts in local markets and an increase in the amount that teams can appear on national television. The network will also produce a new daily MLB studio show and be able to show in-progress highlights on SportsCenter.

Added Selig: "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am thrilled that we will continue our long-standing relationship with ESPN far into the future. The level of ESPN's commitment to baseball -- both financially and through its expanded content -- is a testament to the strength of our game and its unprecedented popularity among our fans. Through its various networks and other media platforms, ESPN offers baseball fans more avenues to experience the game than ever before, and we're thankful for their continued support."

MLB's other rights holders, Turner and Fox are also renegotiating their contracts, with both set expire after 2013. "We are in the process of working on them," said Selig, who added that he hopes those will get done soon.

The deal was first reported by Sports Business Journal's John Ourand.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/488925-ESPN_MLB_Strike_Multiyear_Rights_Extension.php

TV Notes
Eddie Murphy and Shawn Ryan Are Teaming Up to Make a Beverly Hills Cop TV Show
By Josef Adalian, Vulture.com (New York Magazine) - Aug. 28, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: Nearly a year ago, Eddie Murphy told Rolling Stone that he was interested in turning his classic 1984 action comedy Beverly Hills Cop into a TV show. Now Vulture has learned exclusively that the project is not only a reality, but that The Shield creator Shawn Ryan is leading the charge to resurrect Axel Foley. Multiple industry insiders tell us Ryan, Murphy and Sony Pictures Television have partnered on a small screen adaptation of the massively successful film franchise, and that broadcast networks began hearing their pitch on the spin-off this afternoon. And here's the kicker: In addition to his main role as an exec producer, Murphy has agreed to an on-camera role in the show. Feel free to begin doing the Neutron Dance.

Murphy telegraphed his intent to be a visible presence in the TV version of Cop during his chat with Rolling Stone last October. "I'd do the pilot, show up here and there," he told the magazine. Murphy was also very specific about the idea he had for reviving Axel. It would be a series "starring Axel Foley's son, and Axel is the chief of police now in Detroit." Vulture hasn't heard details of the pitch to networks, so it's very possible that the concept Ryan and Murphy is bringing to the networks has changed since. Our spies were only sure that the series is designed to be "a buddy cop show," that it will be an hourlong crime procedural with strong comedic elements (hello, CBS!), and that Murphy would appear in the pilot and possibly a few special episodes throughout the first season.

As for the major players in this version, Murphy and his self-titled production company were producers on the Cop movie franchise, which is one reason he's on board as an exec producer. Sony has an overall deal with Ryan (who's getting ready to launch The Last Resort on ABC), and Paramount Pictures released the feature films (though it's unclear what role the movie studio might have in the TV take). Still, one thing is for certain: Multiple networks will go crazy for the chance to make this show. Also, if producers don't use "Axel F" as the theme song, we will not be amused.

http://www.vulture.com/2012/08/beverly-hills-cop-eddie-murphy-shawn-ryan.html

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Aug. 29, 2012

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
C-SPAN, 2:00 p.m. ET
It’s Wednesday, which means Day 2 of the storm-shortened 2012 Republican National Convention – and once again, the only place to watch it all, without interruption or interjection, is C-SPAN. Yesterday I found myself so bored and turned off by the partisan posturing on most cable news outlets, I kept returning to C-SPAN, increasingly grateful for its existence every time.

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Various networks, Check local listings
CBS, NBC and ABC are covering the final hour of prime time, Current TV begins its coverage at 7 p.m. ET, and Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC will be letting their respective talking heads loose at about the same time. If you want to listen to one network only, choose your preference – but my recommendation is to channel surf. Watch and listen to a variety of viewpoints, and networks, to be truly informed.

DAMAGES
DirecTV Audience Network, 9:00 p.m. ET
Last week, in a show that saved money while spending time with its leading ladies, Damages stranded Ellen (Rose Byrne) and Patty (Glenn Close) in the same airport waiting room, with nothing but liquor to keep them company. The eventual conversation left Ellen alone, and seething, as Patty boarded her private plane alone. Expect more confrontations tonight – but this week, behind the scenes, as each uses associates to undermine the other.

CASABLANCA
TCM, 10:00 p.m. ET
The fundamental things apply, and one fundamental thing is that this 1942 Humphrey Bogart movie is one of my first, and still favorite, “spider-web” movies – a film that ensnares me each time I see it on TV. And with Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains, along with Bogie at his best, how could Casablanca do anything less? Play it, Sam.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET
The best part of a convention night is the one-two punch of this show and The Colbert Report. No matter where you spend your time until prime time is through, when it’s over, convene here. You’ll be glad you did – and you’ll be laughing while you learn. Last night’s live Daily Show, with its reporters covering everything from muggy climates and giant palmetto bugs to Tampa’s strip clubs, had me laughing out loud many, many times. And that’s something the new fall comedies didn’t accomplish even once.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/

Critic's Notes
ABC Orders Marvel's 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' to Pilot From Joss Whedon
By Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter's 'Live Feed' Blog - Aug. 29, 2012

Three weeks after Disney CEO Robert Iger announced Joss Whedon would create a Marvel-related TV series for ABC, the network has made good on his vow.

ABC has given pilot orders to S.H.I.E.L.D, with the Avengers scribe on board to co-write the project based on the Marvel comic, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

From ABC Studios, the project is based on the long-running comic created by Jack Kirby and revolves around the secret military law enforcement agency dubbed S.H.I.E.L.D., which stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate.

Whedon is on board to co-pen the pilot alongside his brother Jed Whedon, and his wife, Maurissa Tancharoen, who all previously teamed on the three-part web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. (The CW will air the Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day starrer in October.) Avengers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Whedon will direct the pilot, should his schedule permit.

Production on the live-action project will begin immediately, with Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Tancharoen executive producing alongside Jeffrey Bell and Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb.

S.H.I.E.L.D. marks Whedon's return to the small screen. He most recently served as showrunner on Dollhouse, in addition to cult favorites Buffy andFirefly. Tancharoen and Jed Whedon were writer-producers on Dollhouse as well as Starz's Spartacus.

In the comics, S.H.I.E.L.D. revolves around unit director Nick Fury, who recruits Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and Thor to form a team to stop Thor's adopted brother Loki. The organization first made its debut in Strange Tales #135, which was published in August 1965.

For his part, Whedon signed a three-year exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television this month, under which he'd help develop a new live-action series for Marvel Television at ABC. For its part, ABC is still developing another Marvel property based on The Hulk.

Whedon is repped by CAA.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abc-marvel-joss-whedon-shield-pilot-365884

TV Notes
Dish Against the World: Why Dish Network Can't Stop Fighting
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com



Say this for Dish Network: It isn't afraid of a fight.

If you're like most TV viewers, you don't think much about the constant, mundane negotiations that bring your favorite shows to the screen. But then those talks break down, a contract expires at midnight, and the network you most watch goes suddenly dark.

It happened last month to customers of DirecTV, the largest satellite provider, when for nine days they lost their MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and other Viacom networks.

But if blackouts mark the height of hostilities in network and carrier negotiations, then Dish, the second-largest satellite provider, has proven itself the carrier most willing to go to the mattresses. It has been involved in 22 of the 42 blackouts tracked since March 2010 by the American Television Alliance, a coalition of consumer groups, cable companies and satellite providers -- including Dish.

No other carrier is nearly so blackout-prone. DirecTV, which has 19.9 million customers to Dish's 14.06 million, has had only six blackouts in the time frame monitored by the ATA. Time Warner Cable, which has about a million more customers than Dish, has been involved in just five blackouts, according to the group.

But the blackouts aren't the only reason Dish has a reputation for fighting. In June, it dropped AMC Networks in a feud so intense that Dish and AMC can't even agree on why they broke up. The federal government, meanwhile, is suing Dish in two different lawsuits, accusing it of illegally aggressive telemarketing. (Dish denies the claims.)

In potentially the biggest dispute of all, Dish is locked in litigation with ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC over its Auto Hop feature, which allows customers to skip the ads in previously-aired primetime network shows. Networks say it poses a threat to traditional, ad-supported television, and have asked a judge to order Dish to stop offering Auto Hop.

Dish President Charlie Ergen was a professional card player before he became a satellite TV mogul. One person who has faced off with Dish says Ergen approaches both jobs the same way.

"He conducts himself the way a professional poker player tries to bully people at the table," the person, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TheWrap. "They try to push around the weaker players and bluff big. It's a funny way to treat people who are ultimately your business partners."

Dish says it only fights when it needs to, noting that only a small percentage of its hundreds of contract negotiations lead to blackouts. The company digs in, said Dish Senior Vice President of Programming Dave Shull, to prevent rate increases that would be passed on to its customers.

"We do dozens of deals every single year and we have a very good sense of what the market pricing is for these deals," Shull said.

"When someone comes to us and has what we would call a skewed view of market pricing, we feel it's our responsibility to take a pretty strong stand."

Dish is taking that stand as retransmission fees are soaring – and carriers are struggling to slow them down. SNL Kagan reports that the fees went from $313.5 million in 2007 to roughly $1.5 billion last year, and are projected to hit $4.9 billion by 2017 -- with consumers absorbing much of the cost.

The hikes come as networks demand more money from cable and satellite providers. Those involved point to everything from more expensive sports deals to salary increases for the cast of "Modern Family" to explain the rise.

DirecTV says its rival is right that fees are going up too fast.

"I think the real story is not how many disputes we get into or Dish gets into," Derek Chang, DirecTV's executive vice president of content strategy and development, told TheWrap. "I think the real story is the economic demands that programmers are looking for are just outrageous. We all have businesses to run, and we're all trying to stay disciplined in an environment where the business is barely growing."

Dish, based in Englewood, Colo., said in a regulatory filing in July that it lost 10,000 net subscribers in the three months that ended June 30, an improvement over the 135,000 subscribers it lost a year earlier.

DirecTV, meanwhile, lost 52,000 subscribers in the second quarter, the first quarter in which it posted a net loss in subscribers since it debuted its satellite service in 1994.

Dish may say it is trying to keep customers' costs down, but customers don't always see it that way. A quick glance at the company's Facebook page finds a daily barrage of complaints from "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "Walking Dead" fans demanding the return of AMC Networks.

But Dish says those AMC shows are the only ones on AMC Networks that its customers tend to watch, and that on an hour-by-hour basis it isn't worth it to pay for not only AMC but AMC Networks' IFC, IFC Films, Sundance and WeTV.

AMC, however, says the dispute isn't really about fees. It notes that Dish dropped its networks only after it won a favorable ruling in a lawsuit in which it is seeking $2.5 billion from Dish over what it says is a broken promise to carry its Voom HD suite of channels.

"It is not about rate," AMC Networks CEO said in an earnings call earlier this month. "In fact, Dish has not discussed rates with us at all."

Dish's Shull, however, says viewers shouldn't expect a return of the AMC Networks until AMC agrees to drastically reduce its demands. In the meantime, he says, the shows are available on iTunes and Amazon.

The disputes with networks and the federal government aren't even Dish's biggest focus: It is also trying to launch a standalone wireless business in order to become, in the next decade, a single resource for Internet, video and telephone service.

It bought Blockbuster last year for $228 million in cash to compete with Netflix.

Ergen started the company three decades ago and stepped down as CEO last year to focus on long-term strategy. Though known for keeping a low public profile, he has recently been more open, even sitting down for pancakes with The Wall Street Journal.

At a recent event in Boulder, he explained the difference between blackjack, poker and backgammon. He said the game gave him a good foundation for going into business.

Blackjack, he said, "is very scientific … There's always a right answer and a wrong answer. Do you take a card, increase your bet, bet big or bet small?"

You shouldn't tip the dealer, he said, "because it's your money you're wasting when you do that."

"Poker, on the other hand, is a game where you don't have to have the best hand to win," he said. "Poker is really reading other people and reading human emotion, which certainly comes into play in business."

He added that while "luck is big part of backgammon, over a period of time, the real key to backgammon is being able to think many, many moves ahead."

Which game did he play best?

"I really wasn't very good at any of them," he said. "But I was probably better at blackjack."

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/why-dish-network-not-afraid-fight-heavyweights-53436

"...and an increase in the amount that teams can appear on national television"
In other words, more Yankees and Red Sox games.

Maybe a Padres game once in a while, just to drive some people crazy? (Right now, that's the only way TWC viewers in San Diego can get to see 'em)

Probably, but if all the money being poured into the Dodgers starts to produce results I'll bet we see more NL West games next season. The Dodgers could have a payroll larger than the Yankees next year, that alone will want these networks to see if all that money is going to pay off in wins.

Being a Dodger fan I sure hope it does, although I don't think it's going to happen this season as our pitching is too weak. My guess is that it will be the Nationals and Yankees in the Series, which of course just helps solidify that heavy east coast bias though.

Nah, they've got a studio in L.A. now....

Agreed. And I'm a Yankees fan. Enough already!

Dodgers play the Yankees next year so ther should be at least 2 of those games.

Maybe even this year....

Works for me.
Maybe, doubtful though unless the Dodgers get another quality starter, and soon.

TUESDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog

Nielsen Overnights (18-49)
‘MasterChef’ hits a season high on Tuesday
Fox's reality cooking competition averages a 2.8 in 18-49s
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - Aug. 29, 2012

Fox's "MasterChef" is hot stuff.

The Gordon Ramsay cooking competition surged to a season high last night, and it even topped NBC's competing "America's Got Talent" as the No. 1 show of the night.

"MasterChef" averaged a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating at 9 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, up 17 percent over the previous week.

That boosted Fox to No. 1 on a relatively quiet night for broadcast.

"Talent," which averaged a 2.4, down 4 percent from last week, and "MasterChef" were the only new reality shows on the Big Four last night.

The Big Three switched to Republican National Convention coverage at 10 p.m., and ratings were down from the equivalent night in 2008. ABC, CBS and NBC combined for a 2.4 rating, down 14 percent from a combined 2.8 four years ago.

NBC was the only network to see ratings rise for the RNC, up 0.1 to a 1.3 and bettering the combined competition. CBS averaged a 0.6 and ABC a 0.5.

As a reminder, ratings for the live convention coverage are subject to change because fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program ratings.

Fox just edged NBC for the night with a 2.1 18-49 rating and 6 share to NBC's 2.0/6. Univision was third with a 1.4/4, CBS fourth with a 1.0/3, ABC and Telemundo tied for fifth at 0.6/2, and the CW seventh with a 0.2/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won't be available for several weeks. Forty-five percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 2.2 for the first hour of "Talent." Fox's "MasterChef" and Univision's "Por Ella Soy Eva" tied for second with a 1.5 apiece. CBS's "NCIS" rerun was fourth with a 1.2, ABC's repeats of "The Middle" and "Last Man Standing" finished fifth with a 0.8, Telemundo's "Rosa Diamante" was sixth with a 0.5, and the CW's "Hart of Dixie" repeat was seventh with a 0.2.

At 9 p.m. Fox jumped ahead with the 2.8 for "MasterChef," followed by the second hour of "Talent" on NBC with a 2.6. Univision's "Abismo de Pasion" was third with a 1.5 and CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles" rerun was fourth with a 1.1. ABC's repeats of "Happy Endings" and "Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23" tied with Telemundo's "Corazon Valiente" for fifth with a 0.6 apiece, and the CW's "The Next" placed seventh with a 0.2.

At 10 p.m. NBC's convention coverage tied Univision's "Amor Bravio" for the lead with a 1.3 apiece. CBS's convention coverage and Telemundo's "Pablo Escobar" and "El Rostro de la Venganza" tied for third with a 0.6 apiece. ABC's convention coverage was fifth with a 0.5.

Among households NBC finished first for the night with a 4.9/8. CBS was second with a 4.1/7, Fox third with a 2.9/5, Univision fourth with a 1.9/3, ABC fifth with a 1.8/3, Telemundo sixth with a 0.7/1, and the CW seventh with a 0.4/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/masterchef-hits-a-season-high-on-tuesday/

TV Notes
Won: Charlie Sheen's 'Anger Management' gets 90-episode renewal
By James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Aug. 29, 2012

Party at Charlie Sheen’s house tonight!

The actor’s comedy series Anger Management was just picked up for a 90-episode renewal, FX announced. “We set a very high ratings bar that included some additional hurdles for Anger Management to earn its back-90 order and the series met and exceed those metrics,” said Chuck Saftler, executive vp of FX. “Bruce Helford has created a sitcom that works extremely well in our pre-10 p.m. programming lineup. Charlie Sheen and the entire cast did an amazing job in the first ten episodes, which were produced in a very tight window. I have no doubt that the producers and cast will be able to pull off the Herculean task of producing 90 episodes over the next two years.”

Yes, you read that right: Sheen and Co. will have to produce 45 episodes per year. (Hmm, if only there was some kind of substance Sheen could take that would give him a lot of energy and focus…)

As part of the show’s deal, Anger Management needed to hit a designated average ratings threshold over the course of its first season. Meeting that number triggered an automatic, additional 90-episode order. FX previously announced that Sheen’s father Martin Sheen would join the show full time if renewed.

Anger Management’s premiere was the most-watched basic cable scripted comedy debut in history and the series overall has averaged 4.5 million viewers and 2.5 million adults 18-49. Season two starts production Sept. 24.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/08/29/charlie-sheens-gets-90/

TV Notes
'SNL': Seth MacFarlane to Host Premiere; Frank Ocean Will Be Musical Guest
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com - Aug. 29, 2012

Seth MacFarlane will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" as it begins its 38th season Sept. 15, while Frank Ocean will be the musical guest.

The choices reflect the success of MacFarlane's summer hit "Ted" and the buzz around Ocean's coming out over the summer. MacFarlane's slate of Fox shows, including "The Family Guy," return this fall.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns on Sept. 22 for his second time as host, with Mumford & Sons as musical guests.

Daniel Craig will host Oct. 6 to promote the new James Bond film Nov. 9. Muse will be the musical guests.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/snl-seth-macfarlane-host-premiere-frank-ocean-will-be-musical-guest-53856

TV Notes
ABC Picks Up ‘Wipeout’ For a Sixth Season, Jill Wagner To Return As Co-Host
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - Aug. 29, 2012

ABC has renewed reality series Wipeout for a sixth season when the show will mark its 100th episode. The network didn’t specify whether the obstacle course show will air again in the summer. Jill Wagner will return as co-host after Vanessa Minnillo replaced her in Season 5. Hosting are John Anderson (ESPN’s SportsCenter) and John Henson (E!’s Talk Soup), with Wagner co-hosting.

The ever popular Big Balls will be back, along with new obstacles and completely redesigned Wipeout Zones. While not as strong in the ratings as it was early in its run, Wipeout is still one of the few broadcast shows that put on some numbers during the summer. ABC boasts that it is the 2011-12 season’s No. 1 show overall for Family Co-Viewing on the major networks (Adults 18-49 watching with Teens and Kids). Wipeout executive producers are creator Matt Kunitz and Scott Larsen. Endemol USA is producing.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/abc-picks-up-wipeout-for-a-sixth-season-jill-wagner-to-return-as-co-host/

* * * *

TV Notes
Bravo Renews ‘It’s A Brad, Brad World’, Greenlights ‘Courtney Loves Dallas’

Bravo has picked up a second season of It’s a Brad, Brad World, which follows stylist Brad Goreski. Additionally, the network has greenlighted Courtney Loves Dallas, a spinoff docu-series from Bravo’s Most Eligible Dallas centered on breakout star Courtney Kerr.

Produced by Pink Sneakers Prods. with Kimberly Cowin and John Ehrhard serving as executive producers, Courtney Loves Dallas features Kerr as she navigates the lively Dallas social scene with her group of sassy, dynamic friends.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/bravo-renews-its-a-brad-brad-world-greenlights-courtney-loves-dallas/

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Aug. 30, 2012

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
C-SPAN, 2:00 p.m. ET
Every four years, when the conventions are televised, I give thanks to C-SPAN – now more than ever. When the country is more divided than at any time since the Civil War, it’s the only network to provide both wall-to-wall coverage and a civil discourse.

2012 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Various networks, Check local listings
This is the final night of the 2012 Republican National Convention, which means, in this final hour, Mitt Romney will receive, and accept, the nomination of his party as its nominee for President of the United States in the upcoming election. Whoops – I guess I should have prefaced that with a Spoiler Alert! But you know, by now, where to watch: NBC and ABC are covering the final hour of prime time, Current TV begins its coverage at 7 p.m. ET, with Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC joining the (Republican) party at about the same time.

LOUIE
FX, 10:30 p.m. ET
Part 1 of 3. Louie (Louis C.K.) gets shipped out to the West Coast, to be a guest of Jay Leno’s on The Tonight Show. That’s the plan, anyway – but the plan may go awry when Louie starts to fear that he’ll be bumped. And you’re not paranoid if someone is out to get you.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: The best part of a convention night is the one-two punch of this show and The Colbert Report. And every night, they prove me right. And righter.

TOTALLY BIASED WITH W. KAMAU BELL
FX, 11:00 p.m. ET
With this show being taped the day of telecast, Bell’s humor ought to be really timely, and on a huge news week – giving us his perspective on the Republican National Convention ought to be a home run. Even so, I’ll be watching Stewart first, and taping Bell for later.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/

Technology Notes
Latest in TVs: Much higher definition, and prices
By Mike Snider, USA Today - Aug. 30, 2012

Get ready for a whole new case of TV envy. In stores later this year will be new big-screens, known as 4K TVs, that up the ante on HDTV with four times the resolution of sets now.

Prices expected to be $20,000 or so will limit 4K sets initially to the well-heeled. "Like the very early days of HDTV, with those kinds of price tags it will likely take up to 10 years to build any kind of mass market," says Myra Moore, president of Digital Tech Consulting.

But setmakers are counting on 4K to jump-start the TV market — after years of falling prices and profits. DTC expects TV sales to be about flat in the near term, with 1% growth this year and 2% in 2013, even with 4K.

Sony said Wednesday that it will join the fray with a Bravia 84-inch XBR-X900 4K LED TV this year.

The 4K label is from the nearly 4,000 pixels of horizontal resolution (3,840 by 2,160), or more than 8 million pixels total. Current HDTVs offer up to 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, or more than 2 million pixels.

The 4K allows pristine video, even on very large displays. "The quality, the depth and color of the picture, it really is amazing," says Phil Molyneux, Sony Electronics' COO.

The 84-incher is Sony's largest TV. It has 10 built-in speakers and also delivers 3-D video viewable with cheaper, lighter passive 3-D glasses. One European retailer has priced it at 25,000 euros (about $31,000).

Rival LG Electronics showed an 84-inch 4K display this year at the Consumer Electronics Show and announced last week that it will go on sale in South Korea next month for the equivalent of about $22,000.

LG and Sony will announce U.S. pricing and dates next week at a home tech show in Indianapolis.

Initially, there will be little 4K content to take full advantage of the set. But Sony's set will be able to upscale video from a source such as a Blu-ray player to near-4K quality.

Sony, which has 4K digital projectors in more than 12,500 U.S. movie theaters, has a 4K camera and home projector on sale as well.

Also, classic films are being remastered for 4K and some TV series, including CBS' Made in Jersey, are being shot in 4K.

So was the Taylor Swift video We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, due out today.

But until the 4K content pipeline is flush, "we will be on the 'classic chicken-and-egg timetable' with 4K sets," Moore says.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-08-29/4k-hdtv/57414472/1

TV/Business Notes
Thom Beers Named CEO of FremantleMedia North America
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com - Aug. 29, 2012

Thom Beers, the producer responsible for such reality hits as "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers," has been named CEO of FremantleMedia North America.

Wednesday's announcement, which had been widely expected, places Beers in charge of Fremantle's management and business performance, as well as the development, production and operations of more than 600 hours of programming, including "American Idol" and "The X Factor."

He is currently the CEO and executive producer at FremantleMedia-owned Original Productions.

Based in Los Angeles, he will report directly to Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia, who was previously the CEO of FremantleMedia North America.

"Thom Beers has a creative vision that has placed Original Productions, the company he founded, at the forefront of the industry," said Frot-Coutaz on a statement. "Thom’s multi-award winning combination of experience, innovation and expertise has made Original a dominant force on US primetime cable networks, and as an existing member of the FremantleMedia family he has a deep knowledge of our people, our company and our operations around the world. Thom is the perfect choice to take the helm of FMNA as it continues to grow, and we are very pleased that he has agreed to build on his successful leadership of Original and take on responsibility for FMNA.”

Added Beers: “I’m very excited to be taking on the challenge of leading FremantleMedia North America. FMNA has an unrivalled position in the largest television market in the world, creating some of the best loved, most successful television shows on the planet. ... I look forward to working closely with FremantleMedia’s partners and to building on the considerable successes of FMNA.”

Original Productions has won won six Prime Time Emmy Awards and received 24 Emmy nominations. It has created shows for networks including Discovery, History, The National Geographic Channel, A&E Network, Spike TV, truTV, and IFC.

FremantleMedia acquired a 75 percent stake in Original in 2009.

Prior to founding Original Productions, Beers served as a production executive and series and specials producer for 11 years at Turner Broadcasting. He later held a similar position at Paramount syndicated television in Los Angeles.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/snl-seth-macfarlane-host-premiere-frank-ocean-will-be-musical-guest-53856

TV Notes
CBS Reveals 'The Amazing Race' Season 21 Cast, New Twist
By Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter's 'Live Feed' Blog - Aug. 30, 2012

CBS on Wednesday announced the season 21 cast of The Amazing Race, which will includes a pair of reality stars, a heavy metal rocker, married monster truckers, a double amputee professional snowboarder and two Chippendales dancers.

Competitors include Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge, stars of the cable reality show The Fabulous Beekman Boys; professional dancers Jaymes Vaughan and James Davis; professinoal monster truck drivers Rob French and Kelley Carrington-French; James LoMenzo, a former member of the bands White Lion and Megadeth; and double amputee Amy Purdy, a motivational speaker and snowboarder. (Watch a video featuring the new cast in link at the end of this post.)

CBS also revealed a new twist that gives the teams a chance to double their winnings. If the team that wins the first leg of the season also can outrace the other 10 teams and win the final leg of the race, they will win a $2 million grand prize instead of the usual $1 million.

The 11 teams will travel through three continents, nine countries and cover more than 25,000 miles. Challenges will include rappelling 10 stories in Los Angeles, frying an egg on their heads in Indonesia, working as "rat collectors" in Bangladesh and revisiting one of the show's most infamous roadblocks in the Netherlands in this season’s “Switchback.”

Amazing Race, which is hosted by Phil Keoghan, premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30. The show is an eight-time Emmy Award winner for best reality competition program.

The season 21 teams are (in no particular order):

Name: Natalie Anderson
Age: 26
Hometown: Edgewater, N.J.
Current occupation: Physical Therapy Student

Name: Nadiya Anderson
Age: 26
Hometown: Edgewater, N.J.
Current occupation: Project Coordinator at Bridge2Peace

Connection: Twin Sisters

*****

Name: Josh Kilmer-Purcell
Age: 43
Hometown: Sharon Springs, N.Y.
Current occupation: Goat Farmer/Advertising Executive/Author

Name: Brent Ridge
Age: 38
Hometown: Sharon Springs, N.Y.
Current occupation: Chief Executive Officer of Beekman 1802

Connection: Goat Farmers/Life Partners

*****

Name: Rob French
Age: 46
Hometown: Boston, Ga.
Current occupation: Professional Monster Truck Driver

Name: Kelley Carrington-French
Age: 50
Hometown: Boston, Ga.
Current occupation: Professional Monster Truck Driver

Connection: Married Monster Truckers

*****

Name: Trey Wier
Age: 23
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current occupation: Land Consultant/Former College Athlete

Name: Alexis “Lexi” Beerman
Age: 22
Hometown: Dripping Springs, Texas
Current occupation: Clothing Designer

Connection: Dating

*****

Name: James LoMenzo
Age: 53
Hometown: Burbank, Calif.
Current occupation: Professional Musician/
Former Band Member of White Lion and Megadeth

Name: Mark “Abba” Abbattista
Age: 45
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Current occupation: Entertainment Lawyer

Connection: Friends

*****

Name: Abbie Ginsberg
Age: 31
Hometown: Encinitas, Calif.
Current occupation: Dance Instructor/Choreographer

Name: Ryan Danz
Age: 35
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Current occupation: Financial Service Company Owner

Connection: Dating Divorcees

*****

Name: Jaymes Vaughan
Age: 30
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Current occupation: Chippendales MC

Name: James Davis
Age: 27
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Current occupation: Chippendales Dancer

Connection: Chippendales Dancers/Best Friends

*****

Name: Rob Scheer
Age: 52
Hometown: Ketchikan, Alaska
Current occupation: Lumberjack and Entrepreneur

Name: Sheila Castle
Age: 44
Hometown: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Current occupation: Retail Manager

Connection: Engaged

*****

Name: Caitlin King
Age: 24
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Current occupation: Special Ed Teacher

Name: Brittany Fletcher
Age: 25
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Current occupation: Medical Device Sales

Connection: Best Friends

*****

Name: Gary Wojnar
Age: 52
Hometown: Livonia, Mich.
Current occupation: Substitute Teacher

Name: Will Chiola
Age: 53
Hometown: Dearborn Heights, Mich.
Current occupation: Substitute Teacher

Connection: Best Friends/Substitute Teachers

*****

Name: Amy Purdy
Age: 32
Hometown: Summit County, Colo.
Current occupation: Motivational Speaker/Snowboarder
(Amy is a double amputee)

Name: Daniel Gale
Age: 36
Hometown: Summit County, Colo.
Current occupation: Executive Director

Connection: Dating On and Off

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amazing-race-cast-twist-phil-keoghan-cbs-366781

Business Notes
'Dora the Explorer' executive out in Nickelodeon shake-up
By Meg James, Los Angeles Times 'Company Town' Blog - Aug. 30, 2012

Reeling from its spectacular ratings fall, Nickelodeon has pushed out animation chief Brown Johnson, the executive most responsible for creating the network's cartoon sensation "Dora the Explorer."

Johnson is leaving Nickelodeon "to pursue her own creative endeavors," Nickelodeon said in a statement Wednesday. She had served as president of animation for four years, but had been a creative force within the network for two decades.

Johnson was key to Nickelodeon's enormous success during the last decade, guiding "Dora the Explorer" and "Blues Clues," cornerstones of the network's ground-breaking preschool programming. The shows' success, along with the merchandise it spawned, turned Nickelodeon into a cash cow for parent company Viacom Inc.

However, during the last year, Nickelodeon has hemorrhaged young viewers.

The channel's ratings are down nearly 25% compared with last summer in the key demographic of children ages 2 to 11. Wall Street has been getting impatient with Viacom, questioning whether Nickelodeon has relied too heavily on older and fading franchises, including "SpongeBob SquarePants."

On Wednesday, Nickelodeon announced a management shake-up that saw the consolidation of the network's operations in Los Angeles, the outster of Brown and the reassignment of Margie Cohn, who had been in charge of live action programming.

Now, Russell Hicks, a 14-year Nickelodeon veteran and chief creative officer, will run West Coast operations. Previously the duties had been split between Johnson and Cohn. Hicks was named president of content development and production for the Nickelodeon Group.

"Russell has been one of the driving forces behind the Nickelodeon brand," Cyma Zarghami, president of the Nickelodeon Group said in a statement. Hicks will report to Zarghami. "This is the perfect moment for Russell to take the helm."

Before joining Nick, Hicks was vice president for marketing for the Cartoon Network/Turner brands, including Scooby Doo and the Power Puff Girls. He attended Cal State Fullerton, where he studied illustration and design.

While Cohn no longer reports to Zarghami, she was given duties in the realm of animation. Cohn will continue to oversee live action programming development, including short-form content and animation content for the Web.

The dismantling of the Los Angeles team and Brown's ouster come as the network struggles to make a come-back. Next month, Nickelodeon rolls out its big bet, a new CGI-animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" show.

Brown "leaves an indelible impact on generations of kids for which we will always be grateful," Zarghami said in the statement.

Fourteen years ago, while attending a children's issues conference in Los Angeles, Johnson was struck by a recurring complaint: the lack of Latino role models on TV. She returned to New York and suggested to producers that a proposed animated show about a bunny be recast to revolve around the adventures of a bilingual Latina girl.

"Dora the Explorer" was born. The show helped teach Spanish expressions, such as "lo hicimos!" (we did it!), as Dora would pause a moment to give children at home time to shout out the words.

"The idea is that being able to speak a second language becomes a magical power," Johnson said during a 2005 interview with The Times. At that time, "Dora" merchandise had racked up more than $3 billion in sales.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-nickelodeon-shakeup-dora-the-explorer-20120829,0,3614991.story

Obituary
'Dobie Gillis,' 'Bewitched' Actor Steve Franken Dead at 80
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - Aug. 29, 2012

Steve Franken, the actor who portrayed playboy dilettante Chatsworth Osborne Jr. on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and multiple characters on "Bewitched," died Friday, Franken's agent told TheWrap. He was 80.

Franken had been battling cancer, his wife Jean told the New York Times.

Born in Brooklyn, Franken was discovered by "Gillis" producer Rod Amateau while performing in a Los Angeles stage production of "Say Anything." His portrayal of Osborne was followed by a decades-long career that found Franken landing roles on a multitude of television series, including "Bewitched," on which he played various characters, including Cousin Henry and Orvis.

Franken also acted in films -- most notably, in the 1968 Peter Sellers film "The Party," in which he played the increasingly inebriated waiter Levinson.

More recently, Franken appeared in 2009's "Angels & Demons," playing Cardinal Colbert.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/dobie-gillis-bewitched-actor-steve-franken-dead-80-54066

Panasonic 8K 145" 7,680 x 4,320 rez almost 34,000,000 pixels.



Lets get to the holograms already.

& Taylor totally killed with that song having the 2nd best digital sales week ever
+ debuted #13 on the Billboard country chart which was a record for a female in the BDS era.

1 - 636,000 “Right Round” Flo Rida
2 - 623,000 “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” Taylor Swift
3 - 610,000 “TiK ToK” Ke$ha
4 - 559,000 “Grenade” Bruno Mars
5 - 542,000 “Somebody That I Used To Know" Gotye feat. Kimbra
Edited by dcowboy7 - 8/30/12 at 1:15pm

I don't think so
Edited by mrvideo - 8/30/12 at 12:06pm

What, 3D didn't do that?

WEDNESDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog[