Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

The CW is dropping its comedy division, laying off 25 to 30 staffers. The struggling network, born in 2006 from the former UPN and WB, is expected to focus on areas where it has had the most traction — unscripted programs like “America’s Next Top Model” and serial dramas like “Smallville.” (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i027bb05df1d76cf8b518acdbcfb60614  3/4)

The line between film and TV programming got increasingly blurry as Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said the company’s Paramount movie studio would begin creating cable TV content for MTV and other Viacom-owned channels. Dauman also said the company was looking into film projects as well as international growth for channels such as BET and Comedy Central. (MediaPost Communications 3/3)

The premiere of Lifetime’s new reality competition series Your Mama Don’t Dance last Friday (9p) attracted 1.6 million total viewers and a 1.15 HH rating.

Why is Ian Ziering hosting anything?  That scares me.

Buoyed by a Democratic primary season that attracted new voters, CNN’s prime-time audience of 25- to 54-year-olds soared 150% in February over year-earlier levels. The boost gave the Time Warner channel its first victory over News Corp.’s Fox News Channel in six years. (http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/FREE/241023799/1008  3/1)

TNT, in a bold move leading up to the upfront ad-selling season, has announced plans to develop an all-original prime-time programming slate on Monday through Wednesday nights as early as 2010. “Cable has taken the measure of broadcast TV in sports, news and theatrical movies, and now we’re ready to knock down the last bastion of broadcast dominance: weekly TV series,” said Steve Koonin, president of the Turner Entertainment Networks. (Variety 3/3)

A new comedy project for CBS - Single White Millionaire.  The Warner Bros. TV project has been given the official cast-contingent go-ahead.  The show is about a millionaire in his ’30s who decides it’s about time he figure out his personal life and settle down.

BET Networks with debut two new series on March 18 - Black Poker Stars Invitational and Iron Ring, airing them back to back beginning at 1030p.  Black Poker Stars Invitation features celebrity trash-talking poker players in Hollywood.  Iron Ring takes a punch at celeb-managed mixed martial arts fighting competitions.

After learning that one of its chefs had garnished his resume as nicely as some of his dinner plates, the Food Network made the quick decision to not renew chef Robert Irvine’s show at the end of the current season.  Dinner: Impossible will air all of the remaining episodes of the season, and the network may then chose to re-think its immediate decision about a new season.  Irvine said on his extensive resume that among those he had cooked for are the British Royal Family and a number of US Presidents. 

NBC Universal made a long-term carriage deal with Comcast to launch mun2 in April on the majority of its digital cable television line-ups. Telemundo will also be added to the Comcast systems in Seattle and Detroit next month. The deal additionally included a provision for Comcast to offer various programs from both networks on its On Demand service. (World Screen News 3/3)