Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
U.S. media employment in December fell to a 15-year low (886,900), slammed by the slumping newspaper industry, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Newspapers, television and radio all cut staffing last year. Media companies have eliminated one in six jobs (167,600) since 2000. (http://adage.com/article?article_id=125141 2/18)
Media companies that depend on advertising are looking with trepidation at 2008. Newspapers are seen as the most vulnerable; radio, local television are also expected to be hit hard. Also: Digital is regarded as the least vulnerable because it is inherently more measurable than other media. (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/FREE/36637424/1008 2/16, http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=125128 2/18)
The BBC is considering plans for the partial sale or stock-market flotation of BBC Worldwide, its commercial division, by 2012. Patel, The BBC says the idea is a “tempting” way of pulling more money into its coffers. Analysts value BBC Worldwide at more than £2 billion. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3380887.ece 2/17)
Showtime is expected to announce a major deal Tuesday with Sheraton Hotels that will get the cable channel in 74,000 rooms beginning next month. The deal puts Showtime squarely in competition with HBO, which has been considered a dominant force in hotel TV for years. (The New York Times 2/18)
Tudors on Showtime
NBC set a date of Feb. 18 (tonight) at 9 pm ET for the on air premiere of Quarterlife, the 36 chapter web drama developed by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick currently in its 12th chapter on MySpace and other web outlets. A number of 8-10 webisodes will be spliced together into 1-hour episodes, which will also stream on NBC.com.
ABC has picked up a new comedy pilot project from Warner Bros. TV and David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the folks behind Will & Grace. Thus far untitled, the project is about two business partners – one straight and one gay – who both find their significant others around the same time and attempt to balance work and love.
TNT’s coverage of the NBA All-Star game Sunday night was the coming-out party for a new TV innovation called the “backboard slideout.” The slideout makes it appear as though a graphics screen — which contains pertinent game information — is sliding out of the backboard during free-throw attempts. (Multichannel News 2/17)
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