Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

As much as one-fifth of the audience for television’s most popular shows are skipping the commercials, according to the first round of data for the new fall season, released by Nielsen Media Research. The figures underscore concerns about the effectiveness of TV advertising. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119258237478561380.html 10/17)

Short-form content from HBO sister channel Cinemax will be available via online video service Ripe TV, a deal that marks the movie channel’s first Web foray outside its own portal. Ripe TV has developed a channel called Max Effect for the content, and it will create a number of links and banner ads to drive traffic — and new subscribers — back to Cinemax. (The Hollywood Reporter 10/17)

Plans for sweeping changes at the BBC over the next several years are expected to include the elimination of some 2,000 jobs, mostly in the news and factual television departments. The broadcaster is reallocating resources to digital and making investments in new media. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7047477.stm 10/17) 

Star Wars the TV show? George Lucas told the LA Times yesterday he was working on a Star War spin-off, live action series for television that does not include Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, and in fact is more about robots than familiar characters. This is not to be confused with the Lucas’ other TV project, an animated series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Debra Messing will reprise her role as The Starter Wife in the 10-episode USA Network series based on the original miniseries which ran last summer, and for which she received an Emmy nomination.  The best news is also returning are Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott, the writing team from the miniseries, who will also exec produce the series.  The series is from Universal Media Studios, 3 Arts Entertainment and McGibbon/Parriott Prods, and is based on the novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer. (The Hollywood Reporter 10/17)

Comcast’s G4 and NBC Universal’s Sci Fi Channel have won the cable rights to ABC hit “Lost,” which both channels will begin running in the fall of 2008. The deal includes all 69 episodes from the show’s first three seasons for both networks, as well as the 48 episodes that will be produced by 2010. (Mediaweek 10/17)

CBS is extending the contract of CEO Les Moonves to Sept. 30, 2011, and tying his compensation more to the radio and television broadcaster’s stock performance. Moonves will earn a base salary of $3.5 million; in 2006, he received $5.6 million in salary. (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071016/cbs_moonves.html 10/16)

Extending an olive branch to television and film writers, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is withdrawing an unpopular proposal on residual payments that had threatened to derail contract talks. The current contract is still set to expire Oct. 31. (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-guild17oct17,1,1511856.story?ctrack=8&cset=true 10/17)

Cablevision Chief Executive Officer James Dolan said the company would not alter its $10.6 billion privatization plan. Despite some shareholder discontent, Dolan said in a statement that, “…I want to state emphatically that there will be no modification of the family’s accepted offer to acquire Cablevision.” (Forbes/Associated Press 10/16)