Comcast Corp. has bought out Cablevision’s share in the FSN Bay Area and FSN New England sports nets for $570 million. Comcast will get 60 percent of the stake in FSN Bay Area (with Fox owning the other 40 percent) and 50 percent in FSN New England, giving it full control. FSN Bay Area carries San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose sports teams, […]
The ratings for Major League Baseball games are up 20 percent on regional cable networks, according to Nielsen, and advertisers are clearly benefiting from the strong start. Some of them, like Fox’s Detroit and Houston’s regional sports networks, are averaging better ratings than the local CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates in prime time. Meanwhile, Fox’s Saturday Game of the Week (which […]
Two lawmakers have introduced a bill to reverse the net radio royalty increase fee that goes into effect on May 15. Reps. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) introduced the bill in a bi-partisan effort yesterday in order to overturn the Copyright Radio Board’s decision that would increase the rate of royalties per song from .08 in 2006 to […]
Independent station CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario (outside of Toronto) is converting its’ entire programming schedule (sans news and prime-time programming) to E! programming, beginning Sept. 1. This marks the first time that a U.S. cable network is taking over a broadcast station and its’ repeaters in Canada. CHCH owner CanWest has pledged to continue airing Canadian content on the station, […]
Twentieth Television has cleared Family Guy in 90% of the country for syndication this fall, with 150 markets on board and 24 of the top 25 markets. Outside of the core Tribune group, recent markets cleared included San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Cleveland, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. (The press release misidentified one of the Orlando stations. […]
Rosie O’Donnell announced that she is leaving The View today, after failing to come to contract agreement with ABC. She is expected to leave in mid-June. Her arrival to the talk show brought increased ratings for ABC, but also controversy, as she has feuded with Donald Trump, and has frequently criticized the Bush administration. O’Donnell is weighing many options, including […]
The struggling MyNetworkTV will not be at the lavish network upfronts next month – instead, it will hit the road to New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago for one-on-one meetings with media buyers.That’s the smartest move MyNetworkTV has made all year. The network will completely abandon its soap operas by September (it launched with a all-telenovela format last September) in […]
This time, its WFNY-FM’s (“Free FM” – or “FraudFM” as many have dubbed it) The Dog House with JV and Elvis, suspended indefinitely for racist comments made on the air in a phone prank made to a Chinese restaurant. This follows another incident last week at a Augusta, Ga. station, where a talk-show host repeated Don Imus’ infamous comments on […]
Chicago sports fans are going to be in a tizzy trying to find their games tonight, as the Bulls, Cubs and White Sox are in action all at the same time. Comcast SportsNet will air Game 2 of the Bulls-Heat quarterfinal (also available on TNT), while the Cubs-Brewers game will be on CLTV (or Comcast SportsNet Plus), and the White […]
Continuing in the tradition of picking up events nobody else wants (Miss USA, the NHL), NBC has agreed to a three-year deal with U.S. Figure Skating to air figure skating events. ABC and ESPN has held the rights for the last 12 years, but passed on the upcoming contract. Hey NBC, Miss America is now available… make it a hat […]
Jim Corno has been promoted at Comcast Sportsnet Chicago to president effective immediately, from vice president and general manager. This move was a part of a management realignment at the three CSN regional sports networks. New presidents were also named at SportsNet New York (Steve Raab) and Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia (Stephanie LaFair Smith).
Bob Vila is being evicted from his home at CBS – The syndication outfit has pulled the plug on Bob Vila’s Home Again, ending a 28-year run on television. Low ratings and sub par weekend time periods (i.e. between midnight and 8 a.m.) apparently are to blame. Bob Vila began hosting PBS’ This Old House in 1979, but was dropped […]
It’s a month that has Mom’s day, the NBA and NHL playoffs (Chicago doesn’t apply for the latter – thank you Mr. Wirtz) – and lots of new TV. It’s sweeps. Get ready for a month that features 24, Lost, and American Idol blowouts, Bulls playoff basketball, and to top it off – the network upfronts, which comes with its […]
Overnighter James Van Osdol exits; so has afternoon guy Todd “Fook” Fooks.
Former X-Files star Gillian Anderson bashes TV in this piece from the London Telegraph via The New York Post, saying she’s doesn’t watch it, and doesn’t care for it, and saying it’s destroying society. Talk about biting the hand that fed you… Gee Ms. Anderson, how’s that film career working out for ya? Still living off those X-Files residual checks? […]
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