Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE
Disney CEO Bob Iger is “ensuring a bright future” for the media giant, according to a Barron’s cover story. Only 22% of Disney’s revenue is from reception-vulnerable advertising. (http://online.barrons.com/article/SB120372700801387237.html 2/25)
CEO Bob Iger and Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana)
Viacom and Disney, which distributed best-picture winner “No Country for Old Men,” won seven Oscars each at the 80th Academy Awards on Sunday night, the most of the major studios. Films from Universal won five, Time Warner won four and News Corp. won two. Sony Corp. took home one. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aqF3X8LdElDY 2/24)
No Country For Old Men
ABC and Cox cable systems are establishing an on-demand video service that will allow viewers to watch ABC shows like “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” any time they choose. Viewers, however, will not be able to fast-forward through the commercials. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/business/media/25abc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 2/25)
NBC and Universal Media Studios will not pull the plug on its script orders for the 2008-09 season, scripts the writers didn’t have a chance to deliver before the strike was called. This is contrary to the announcements from other broadcast networks who pulled back on dozens of early script orders.
Sci Fi Channel’s “Ghost Hunters International,” the spinoff of the popular “Ghost Hunters” series, averaged 2.1 million viewers and 1.6 million households during its seven-episode first season, according to Nielsen Media Research. Sci Fi executives said the show was No. 1 in its time slot among adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. (Multichannel News 2/23)
A handful of CBS scheduling notes:
- CBS will debut the pilot of Dexter, the Showtime drama about a forensics expert who happens to be a serial killer, on February 17 at 10p.
- Power of 10 comes off the CBS schedule effective immediately, and will replace the time period with a variety of sitcoms (all repeats), reports Variety. Look for Power of 10 to return this summer.
- Price is Right returns to primetime with Drew Carey, starting Friday, February 22 at 8p. That scheduling move will push Ghost Whisperer back to 9p, and Moonlight goes on hiatus.
TBS will introduce its new BITCOMS this month to compliment its line-up of comedies. A BITCOM is a :30 commercial adjacency within sitcoms on TBS, each including an original stand-up routine that also integrates an advertiser, followed by a :30 commercial from the sponsor. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! will begin its BITCOMS this week during Everybody Loves Raymond.
Starz Entertainment signed deals with five major studios for new film content including exclusive first-run output agreements with Disney-ABC Domestic Television and Sony Pictures Television until 2012 and 2013 respectively. Other deals comprised of movie library acquisitions from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, MGM Worldwide Television Group and Universal Pictures which will provide nearly 1,200 films and TV series. The agreements also give Starz Entertainment the ability to offer content on multiple distribution outlets including its 16 linear channels, HD, Starz On Demand, Starz Play and Vongo.
TNT has ordered up ten episodes of a new project from Steven Bochco called Raising the Bar, produced by ABC Studios and Bochco Media. The legal drama stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Ruben and Jane Kaczmarek, about a public defender looking to help the down trodden.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will hold a special hearing today at Harvard Law School to review charges that Comcast deliberately slowed down the file-sharing traffic of the users of BitTorrent. Critics call Comcast’s action a “disaster for free speech.” (http://news.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1075209 2/22)
Cablevision is quietly working with Bear Stearns on ways to enhance shareholder value, including putting a value on AMC and IFC parent Rainbow Media ahead of a possible sale, as well as drawing up a list of Web sites and music venues for potential acquisitions. (http://www.nypost.com/seven/02252008/business/dolans_designs_99163.htm 2/25)
Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment
