Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

A&E has announced that it will proceed with a summertime production schedule for an upcoming drama series called “The Beast” despite the fact that its star, Patrick Swayze, has pancreatic cancer. Swayze, who is 55, has given assurances to the network and the producers that he has recovered enough to star in the show, which focuses on an FBI agent with a troubled past. (The New York Times 6/7)

Patrick Swayze at a basketball game last month in Los Angeles.

Digital-video-compression technologies have allowed cable networks to create a slew of subchannels that — not coincidentally — attract niche audiences that advertisers crave. The Retro Television Network, for instance, can customize its digital video streams for its more than 70 affiliates, which can then add local content and share in ad revenue. (The New York Times 6/9)

“Hawaii Five-O,” with Jack Lord, is one of the shows on the Retro Television Network.

If it seems as if high-quality programming on broadcast TV is drying up as the mercury rises, the author of this article has a suggestion for you: Check out what’s on cable TV. That’s where, according to this analysis, you’ll find the most intelligent series and the most enticing characters. (The New York Times 6/9)

VH1 has ordered eight hour-long episodes of a new reality series this fall called “Scream Queens.” The competition will pit 10 undiscovered actresses against one another as they vie for a role in an upcoming horror movie by Lionsgate Films. (The Hollywood Reporter 6/9)

Comedy Central has given the green light to a pilot featuring comedian and “MadTV” veteran Bobby Lee. The show is not yet titled, but will apparently revolve around Lee’s unique take on living in a multicultural world. (The Hollywood Reporter 6/9)

The youth-oriented CW says it has sold nearly $375 million in prime-time advertising for next season — about 40% less than it did last year. CW, a 2-year-old joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros., says its ratings plunged 23% from last year during the just-concluded TV season. (Iwantmedia 6/9, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cw7-2008jun07,0,5167961.story 6/7)

Weather Channel owner Landmark Communications is in direct talks Time Warner and a rival group made up of NBC Universal, Blackstone Group and Bain Capital to sell the cable network. No more formal bids are expected. The various sides are said to be negotiating for the best price. (Iwantmedia 6/9, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSBNG28234920080606 6/6)

The NCTA’s board has voted to officially consolidate all the industry’s major events around one spring and one fall window. Washington will play host to the spring events in 2009, which begin April 2, and Denver will be the site of the fall events, beginning Oct. 25. (TVWeek.com 6/6)

Comcast officials cut the ribbon late last week on the company’s new corporate headquarters building in downtown Philadelphia. The 1.25-million-square-foot tower is 975 feet tall, making it the largest skyscraper between New York and Chicago. (York Daily Record (Pa.)/Associated Press 6/8)

Verizon Communications has started to overbuild AT&T in the Dallas suburbs, according to this article. The move, which includes the area north of Plano, Texas, involves about 60,000 homes, mainly in the communities of Frisco and Allen. The move is expected to spur more competition in these markets for video incumbent Time Warner Cable. (OneTRAK 6/9)