Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

Speaking at a news conference in New Orleans at the opening of The Cable Show,Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman told reporters that he’s having “good conversations” with cable companies about carrying the pay-TV channel being developed by Paramount, MGM and Lions Gate. Dauman jokingly said that he kept a blank contract sheet for the upcoming venture in his pocket, just in case executives such as Comcast’s Brian Roberts have a pen that’s ready to write. (The Hollywood Reporter 5/19)

Sci Fi Channel has effectively expanded the boundaries of the science fiction genre and, not incidentally, the channel’s role in parent NBC Universal’s global strategy. “For an international standpoint, we really have two global brands. We have CNBC … and Sci Fi,” said NBCU Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Zucker. “Business is universal. And science fiction is such a well-known global genre.” (The New York Times 5/19)

“Battlestar Galactica” is one of the Sci Fi Channel’s biggest hits.

Time Warner chairman Dick Parsons says he will probably step down after this year, a move that will allow CEO Jeff Bewkes to take over the position at the world’s biggest media company. “I am leaving the company in good hands,” says Parsons at Time Warner’s annual meeting in Atlanta. (Iwantmedia 5/19, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=admbfjxH4tAU 5/16)

Comcast agreed to carry linear network MGM HD across its footprint and offer MGM HD movie titles to customers via VOD. The service draws from MGM’s library of over 4,100 films. Additionally, Multichannel News report MGM HD also landed a deal with Time Warner, its fourth cable carriage deal in addition to Comcast, Dish Network (both signed this week) and DirecTV. (Cynopsis 5/19)