Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

It turns out that ABC decided to pay their writers for work done for the web before the strike began, according to The New York Times. Lost’s writing crew was paid around $800 an episode for the companion digital series Missing Pieces and promised a 1.2% – 2% residual of studio licensing fees. The backstory shorts have been premiering on Verizon’s VCast service before streaming on ABC.com. The paper contrasts the deal with NBC’s practice of not paying writers of The Office extra for their work on The Accountants, a web series also monetized by pre-roll ads. On one hand, the ABC deal is being held up as model for future agreements. On the other hand, the terms of the deal specifically state it does not set a precedent to be cited in future negotiations, underlying how uncertain networks remain in committing revenue points to new platforms.

Showtime’s “Dexter” attracted 1.23 million viewers Sunday, the show’s largest single-episode audience. The network’s “Brotherhood” also fared well during the evening, with 651,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. (Broadcasting & Cable 11/20)

Dexter

NBC completed its $875 million acquisition of Oxygen Media and announced that Bravo President Lauren Zalaznick will oversee the brand. Oxygen becomes part of the NBC Universal Cable group led by Universal Television Group President Jeff Gaspin, to whom Laruen reports. She will also continue to serve as Chair of NBCU’s Green Council. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-nbcu-acquisition-of-oxygen-media-closes  11/20, http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976322.html?categoryid=14&cs=1  11/20)

Verizon will increase the monthly price of its FiOS TV Premier by 12%, from $42.99 to $47.99, for customers who will subscribe after Jan. 20, 2008. The rate increase suggests that the telco is confident “in the strength of their product offering and their ability to gain share even without aggressive discounting,” Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said. It also implies that “the risk of a price war in the pay TV market is likely lower than investors expect,” Moffett added. (Multichannel News 11/20) 

The rationale for relaxing U.S. media ownership rules “seems to be increasingly evident,” says Barrington Research analyst James Goss, with the difficulties media companies are having in generating revenue streams “as the Googles of the world continue to siphon off their advertising.”  (http://www.thestreet.com/s/fcc-creates-dimmer-picture-for-tv-stocks/newsanalysis/business-technology/10391150.html  11/21)

The Directors Guild of America is entering tentative three-year labor agreement with ABC, CBS and NBC calling for annual wage increases for television news and sports directors and some staff. Negotiations for Writers Guild of America writers are scheduled to resume on Nov. 26. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6ed02f115f5e252e554d0374e0111869  11/20) 

The offices of Big Media execs reportedly are being inundated with phone calls, faxes and emails from television fans seeking an end to the Hollywood writers strike. Also: Blogs, social-networking sites and online video are giving striking writers a cyberspace soapbox. (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/the-secret-to-getting-moguls-to-settle  11/20, http://www.nypost.com/seven/11212007/business/cyber_strikers_566930.htm  11/21)

The NFL Network, looking to stitch together major carriage deals with the top cable companies, said that the National Footbal League would sell equity positions in the channel to certain distributors. At issue is whether cable companies offer the channel on basic cable tiers, which attract more eyeballs, or more expensive premium tiers. (Variety 11/20)