Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
BROADCAST/CABLE
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia will hear the case of television’s most famous wardrobe malfunction, and whether or not that incident – accident or planned – should result in a fine of more than half a million on the CBS Network and a $27,500 fine on each of the network’s owned local affiliates. CBS initially appealed the fines, calling them illogical because the incident was an accident, not a staged stunt. The FCC contends the network “knew or surely should have known” what was going to happen during their halftime show. (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hlpL2bm1p_smW89af8ysHj5wd1WA 9/11)
This year’s MTV Video Music Awards, described by bloggers and television critics as a “train wreck” and “incoherent,” has pop-culture observers wondering whether the longtime cable network has lost its appeal. Still, ratings and Web traffic for the VMAs are up this year. (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3582642 9/9)
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is to begin considering banning programmers from making cable systems take new channels to get must-haves, such as ESPN or CBS. Consumers pay “for a bunch of channels they may not want,” says FCC chief Kevin Martin. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2007-09-11-cable-fcc-a-la-carte_N.htm 9/11)
ION Media Networks acquired the rights to air NFL Game of the Week, the long-running, one-hour highlights show of the best game of the week for the 2007 season. A production of NFL Films, the 17-week series will debut on ION Television’s network September 15 at 6p with the Giants-Cowboys game from Kickoff Weekend. Additionally, ION also secured the rights to air a new series from NFL Films called Stories of the NFL which showcases the lives of NFL players off the field. Twenty-one half-hour episodes will begin airing on ION Television next February.
The CBS Audience Network announced partnerships with 29 CBS O&Os, 144 CBS Radio stations and up to 183 affiliated station websites to expand the platform’s reach to offer geographical targeting to national advertisers. Locally-produced news, weather and sports coverage will be available for pick-up by any sites within the network. In exchange, local partner sites will gain access to national CBS Entertainment, News and Sports video content. (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117971743.html?categoryid=1009&cs=1 9/10)
The FCC is scheduled to vote today on whether cable companies must carry both digital and analog signals after the February 2009 transition to digital TV. The cable firms argue that they should only have to carry digital signals, provided that customers know they can lease a digital set-top box. The Hollywood Reporter (9/11)
The Carlyle Group has reportedly put the sale of Insight on the back burner. According to a published report, bids for Insight were less than $3 billion and about $200 million shy of what Carlyle had anticipated. (Broadcasting & Cable 9/10)
PBS Kids Sprout has signed a new carriage deal with Time Warner Cable. With the new deal, Sprout will be available in 34 million unique households. (World Screen News 9/10)
Cox is bolstering its data network in the Tucson area and, when the $25 million project is complete next year, will have upgraded its bandwidth from the current 750 MHz to 1 GHz. The project will allow Cox to offer more choices in HDTV and video-on-demand without raising customers’ bills. (Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) 9/11)
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