Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

The broadcast networks hope to capitalize on the recent chaos of the Hollywood writers strike by doing away with some of the industry’s arcane conventions. Execs say they plan to abandon the clustering of program premiere dates in the fall, instead spreading them year-round. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120303589685370159.html  2/15)

Expanding its push with its newest scripted series In Treatment starring Gabriel Byrne, HBO will also begin running the show on HBO2 and HBO Signature.  Starting this week, HBO2 is rerunning the first episodes from 10-12m nightly, and starting on Sunday the 24th, HBO Signature will air the series weekly at 9pm, airing back to back a week’s worth of 30m episodes. HBO continues to air the show weeknights at 930p. The Hollywood Reporter (2/19)

Disney plans to raise its stake to 32.1% from 14.9% in India’s UTV Software Communications, maker of last year’s box-office hit “The Namesake.” UTV, whose stock more than tripled last year, has production agreements with New Corp. and actor Will Smith’s studio. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=acQJG73R_dpw  2/18)

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. is expected to announce today in its quarterly earnings call with the press that it will acquire the media and licensed properties of Emeril Lagasse for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock, reports The Wall Street Journal.  Included would be the TV programs The Essence of Emeril and the syndicated episodes of Emeril Live currently airing on the Food Network, numerous cookbooks and Lagasse’s website, as well as a host of licensing product deals. The one piece not included is the Emeril restaurants. (http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7b89AF302D-79EE-4214-81C7-2BE58F4BC041%7d  2/19)

The NBC Local Media division cancelled In the Loop with iVillage, reports TVWeek.  The show debuted as iVillage Live and was originally spawned from the female-focused iVillage.com site acquired by NBC Universal for $600 million in 2006. The multiplatform effort failed to garner much of an audience for NBC’s 10 O&O’s, who have been pushing for an alternative since it launched. IVillage.com itself faced a series of staff cuts earlier this month in the editorial, marketing and research departments including iVillage Editor-in-Chief Jennie Baird. (http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/02/nbc_station_group_cancels_in_t.php  2/18)

Verizon’s FiOS TV service is telling some customers they will have to wait to watch HDTV through its service even though the company has touted its deep HD offerings to consumers. Verizon blames a shortage of HD set-top boxes and HD DVRs in certain markets on equipment supplier Motorola, which said the huge demand had “exceeded expectations.” (The Wall Street Journal 2/19)

The Motion Picture Association of America has given a thumbs down to an FCC proposal that would mandate cable programmers offer wholesale services to MSOs and satellite companies on an a la carte basis. The MPAA termed FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s plan a “radical intrusion” into the program market. (Multichannel News 2/18)