Daily Marauder

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BROADCAST/CABLE

The Golden Globes award ceremony reeled in the big stars, but not much of a television audience. Sunday’s awards ceremony on NBC averaged 14.6 million viewers, the second-lowest TV audience since 1995. For the last telecast of the ceremony, in 2007, the audience was 20 million. (Iwantmedia 1/13, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE50B7OH20090113 1/12)

MTV is hosting its own “Youth Inaugural Ball” on January 20, 2009 at 10pm ET/7pm PT to help parlay the impressive youth turnout on election day into continued interest in national and local community service. The show, which will be broadcast live across all MTV platforms in the U.S. including MTV, MTV.com, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, mtvU, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and MTV Mobile, will feature live remarks from newly inaugurated President Obama as well as performances from an all-star cast of performance artists. (Cynopsis 1/13)

Barack Obama is on his way to the big screen, thanks to a deal between MSNBC and Screenvision that will put the news channel’s inaugural coverage in 27 movie theaters across America. Free tickets are being handed out via MSNBC.com to see the inauguration and parade. (Iwantmedia 1/13, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i64ab5b30222e725f847b60a34904d5fb 1/12)

Showtime is employing what it calls a “digital sampling strategy” to whip up excitement around the premiere Sunday of the Steven Spielberg-produced “United States of Tara.” Besides TV, the premiere episode will be available on more than 100 Web sites, in theaters in 25 markets, on mobile-phone platforms and other content avenues. MediaPost Communications (1/12)

Just watched the first episode from one of their 100 web sites and was entranced.  The personalities are so engaging that you forget the original character at some point.  Check it out here in refreshingly amazing quality video.

“Stargate Atlantis” and “Sanctuary,” two Sci Fi Channel shows, ended their series and season runs, respectively, on high notes. The series finale of “Atlantis” on Friday attracted about 2 million viewers and earned a 1.5 household rating; the first-season closer of “Sanctuary” also pulled in about 2 million people, but put up a 1.6 rating mark. TVWeek.com (1/12)

NBC says it has sold about 90% of its available advertising inventory for Super Bowl XLIII, leaving between eight and 10 of the 67 available spots up for grabs, at a going rate of $3 million a pop. NBC is expected to break Fox’s record ad haul of $186.3 million. (Iwantmedia 1/13,http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/national-broadcast/e3ice058ab1756ad165816dd4f4733bfa74 1/11)

NBC is adding another legal show to its development slate, per THR, as the network gave a script commitment for a 30m comedy Barely Legal based on the true story of Kathleen Holtz who became the youngest person, at age 18, to pass the bar in California. The role of Kathleen will be played by Hilary Duff and Rob Morrow, who developed the project through his company Bits and Pieces Productions will executive produce; Universal Media Studios will produce. (Cynopsis 1/13)

Starz has extended a content deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment for exclusive rights to the company’s films as well as behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the movies’ stars. The extension keeps the companies’ previous pact, which is set to expire in 2013, in place into the latter part of the next decade. Multichannel News (1/12) , Variety (1/12)

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of Ray Romano’s “Men of a Certain Age,” a buddy comedy that also will star Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. The show, Romano’s first since “Everybody Loves Raymond,” is expected to premiere later this year. The Hollywood Reporter (1/12)

“Harper’s Island,” a new CBS murder mystery from the creators of YouTube hit “lonelygirl15,” isn’t just coming to television. The new series, premiering this spring, will be presented as a multi-platform interactive program with portions airing online and on mobile devices. (Iwantmedia 1/13, http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6629251.html 1/13)

IPTV service AT&T U-verse added NHL Network and NHL Network HD to its channel lineup. (Cynopsis 1/13)

Discovery is expanding its portfolio of HD networks with the launch of Animal Planet HD. (Cynopsis 1/13)

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