Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

With sparse fresh content available for viewers thanks to the ongoing writers’ strike, HBO’s “ In Treatment,” according to this review, “is the proverbial manna in the desert.” The half-hour drama about a psychiatrist, which stars Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest, premieres tonight. (Los Angeles Times 1/28)

The informal talks between Hollywood’s striking writers and studio bosses are going “in a positive direction,” says an insider. Big media may even let the writers’ union “declare a face-saving victory” in order to get a deal done. (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/urgent-talks-progress-report  1/25)

IAC/InterActiveCorp chief Barry Diller is in discussions to bring in outside investors or possible buyers for all four of the companies he plans to spin off including the HSN home-shopping cable network. IAC has been approached by large retailers interested in acquiring HSN. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120131093622118585.html 1/26)

Comcast is pulling the plug on AZN Television, its Asian-American channel. AZN will go off the air after April 9. Comcast says it had difficulty attracting advertisers for the network. AZN’s reach was also a lower-than-expected 13.9 million viewers and wasn’t growing. (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080125/comcast_asian_channel.html 1/25)

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is proposing a $1.4 million indecency fine against 52 ABC television stations over a 2003 broadcast of cop drama “NYPD Blue.” The fine is for a scene depicting a woman’s “nude buttocks.” ABC argues that “the buttocks are not a sexual organ.” (http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Fcc-Fines-Abc/800031853 1/26)

AT&T is rolling out U-verse in the Chicago area on Monday. U-verse, which offers home video and high-speed Internet service, is expected to lower cable rates. Nationally, AT&T has installed U-verse for 231,000 customers and is proceeding with about 12,000 new installations a week. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon_att_0128jan28,0,2611073.story 1/28)