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BROADCAST/CABLE by Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

While HBO has a lock on the rights to broadcast the opening ceremony of Inauguration Week on Jan. 18, Disney/ABC plans to provide multiplatform coverage of the many of the subsequent activities celebrating the affair. Disney Channel will broadcast “Kids’ Inaugural: We Are the Future” on Monday Jan. 19, a concert that will also be simulcast on Radio Disney as well as streamed on Disney.com immediately following the telecast. Meanwhile ABC will broadcast “The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration,” on Tues. Jan 20 at 8p ET that will include Obama’s initial speech, President and First Lady’s first dance of the night and live performances from a star-studded cast. (Cynopsis 1/9)

AMC‘s Emmy Award-winning “Mad Men,” arguably the hottest show on cable TV today, will kick off its third season this summer, a network executive confirmed. The series about a New York ad agency in the 1960s will serve as the lead-in to AMC’s six-part remake of “The Prisoner,” the 1960s British spy thriller. Variety (1/8)

HBO introduces a new comedy series, Eastbound & Down next month centered on a star pitcher who, because of his negative behavior gets kicked out of the MLB and goes home to North Carolina to teach P.E. at his former middle school. The six-episode series opens February 15 at 1030p and stars Danny McBride as Kenny Powers. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Ben Best all executive produce. (Cynopsis 1/9)

The media industry used to worry that ad dollars would disappear, but what was merely feared is now an accelerating trend. Barclays Capital (BCS) forecasts a 10% decline in U.S. ad expenditures—the worst since the Great Depression—and consumers continue to spend less. Recently a senior executive at a major magazine company told me the first half of ’09 will likely bring a 30% decline in ad pages. Companies from book publishers to broadcasters are bracing for serious hurt. Declining trendlines and heavy debt loads, taken on in rosier times, leave the likes of Univision, Clear Channel, and the now-bankrupt Tribune Co. under severe pressure. (Iwantmedia 1/9, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_03/b4116064966329.htm 1/8)

Time Warner announced it will take a non-cash impairment charge of $25 billion to reflect the declining value of its cable, publishing and AOL units. The company said it would post an operating loss for 2008, in contrast to operating income of $8.9 billion in 2007. Time Warner Cable, which is preparing for a spin off, plans to book a $15 billion asset writedown for Q4. (Cynopsis 1/9)

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