Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

Oxygen on Sunday attracted 145,000 18- to 34-year-old women, its largest audience ever in that demographic, with a marathon showing of “America’s Next Top Model Obsessed.” Total viewers watching the 12 episodes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. gave the network a 25% gain compared with the average in the same time period for the previous four weeks. Broadcasting & Cable (1/22)

On Wednesday at 8 p.m., CBS will pre-empt “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” to air a special edition of “The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric.” The move is not intended as a tryout for a new show, CBS says. The broadcast aims to attract new viewers to the evening news. (Iwantmedia 1/23, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/television/23cour.html?_r=1 1/23)

Smells like desperation to me… I think the controversy surrounding Katie’s new haircut is more interesting than her news program.

General Electric is reporting that its fourth-quarter net income fell 44%. “We expect 2009 to be extremely difficult,” says CEO Jeff Immelt. At GE’s NBC Universal, earnings fell 6.3% while revenue slid 2.7% as strong cable earnings were offset by declines at local stations. (Iwantmedia 1/23, http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090123-710183.html 1/23)

The Disney-ABC Television Group plans to merge its ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios units to streamline the creative process and “address the changing realities” of entertainment. The new unit, the ABC Entertainment Group, will be led by longtime ABC exec Steve McPherson. (Iwantmedia 1/23, http://www.smartmoney.com/news/ON/?story=ON-20090122-001044-1837&hpadref=1 1/22)

President Barack Obama has named Michael Copps as acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Copps, a member of the commission, is expected to run the agency until Obama’s technology adviser, Julius Genachowski, is appointed. Mediaweek (1/22)

The Screen Actors Guild is losing the support of a majority of its board to vote on a strike after a faction within the union backed a plan to suspend the vote. The update follows months of preparations for a strike vote that would have shut down production of studio movies and television shows. (Iwantmedia 1/23, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_en_bu/hollywood_labor 1/23)

Lifetime has ordered 20 half-hour episodes of a new cooking series, “Cook Yourself Thin,” to start in the spring. Author Harry Eastwood, who penned a book that led to a British TV show, will join experts Allison Fishman and Candice Kumai in demonstrating how to make meals healthier by reducing calories and fat. Variety (1/22)

NBC ordered a 60m pilot titled Mercy from writer Liz Heldens (Friday Night Lights), reports THR. The dramedy centers on three nurses who are friends and intertwined in each other’s professional and personal lives. Universal Media Studios will produce. (Cynopsis 1/23)