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BROADCAST/CABLE by Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

Contrary to what was previously reported, Super Bowl XLIII on NBC is now the most-watched Super Bowl in history after further ratings results were revealed yesterday by Nielsen. The game between the winning Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals averaged 98.7 million viewers topping last year’s Super Bowl on FOX at 97.5 million. Sunday’s game is the second most-watched telecast in history based on average viewers following the series finale of M*A*S*H with 106 million viewers. Super Bowl XLIII is also the most-viewed Super Bowl telecast ever with 151.6 million total viewers tuning in to some or part of the game (at least six minutes). (Cynopsis 2/4)

Time Warner is reporting a massive $16 billion loss in the fourth quarter after writing down the value of the assets held by the company’s cable operations, AOL and Time Inc. The dismal results add fuel to Wall Street’s concerns that no relief is in sight for media companies in 2009. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/time-warner-reports-16-billion/story.aspx?guid=%7B38AD3248-273B-4EFB-8FFF-DA5F6EA2A451%7D 2/4)

The Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers postponed scheduled contract negotiations after SAG President Alan Rosenberg notified members late Monday that he intends to file a lawsuit to reinstate Doug Allen as the union’s chief negotiator. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant rejected Rosenberg’s initial attempt to sue the guild on Tuesday morning on technical grounds, according to The Wrap, ordering him to refile the complaint on Thursday. (Cynopsis 2/4)

The CW switched around its midseason schedule moving 90210 to 9p on Tuesdays starting March 3 with repeat episodes through March 24. Eight new original episodes of 90210 will air from March 31 until the season finale on May 19. The network announced the second season premiere of Reaper is now scheduled for March 3 at 8p. All 13 original episodes of Reaper will air continuously each week until its season finale on May 26. The season finale of Privileged is slated for February 24 at 9p and a new cycle of America‘s Next Top Model will still debut on February 25 at 8p. (Cynopsis 2/4)

Starz opens its new 30m ensemble comedy Party Down on March 20 at 1030p. The 10-episode original series from Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) follows a team of catering employees at a different event each week as they individually try to catch their “big break”. Also on March 20, a new season of original comedy series Head Case opens with 10 episodes prior to Party Down at 10p. (Cynopsis 2/4)

Sportscaster Bob Costas is departing HBO to join the new MLB Network as a host for original programs, including the new show MLB Network Studio 42 With Bob Costas airing on Thursdays, and as a play-by-play announcer for an unspecified number of the network’s 26 regular season games. Costas will still be associated with NBC Sports yet he signed a cable-exclusive multi-year agreement with MLB Network. Terms of the deal were not available. (Cynopsis 2/4)

E! introduces a new 30m reality series Kendra (wt) about the youngest cast member of Girls Next Door series, Kendra Wilkinson. During eight episodes, viewers will follow Kendra as she embarks on a new life post-Playboy Mansion, learning how to live on her own and planning her wedding to Eagles wide receive Hank Baskett. (Cynopsis 2/4)

The Federal Trade Commission has signed off on Lions Gate Entertainment’s $255 million acquisition of the TV Guide Network and TV Guide from Macrovision. The FTC cleared the deal, announced in January, on antitrust grounds. Reuters (2/3)

Media bigwigs speaking at Crain’s Future of New York City conference say they weren’t prepared for dealing with a recession and the transition to the Internet simultaneously. It’s “almost a double whammy,” admits NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker. “Nobody expected” this. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090203/FREE/902039964 2/3)

Disney is reporting sharply lower-than-expected quarterly profit, as the global downturn impacts advertising and other areas. CEO Bob Iger says he sees “secular changes” in consumer behavior that could have long-term impact on broadcast television and DVD sales. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE5126M020090204 2/4)

(Below) Weigh in on this one.  Do you think this is over-the-top blatant advertising or an effective blurring of the line between content and advertising?  I would go with the latter on this one.  Pepsuber worked for me.  I guess the result lies in the details and creative deployment of the advertiser’s message in a way that isn’t a compromise of the sketch.

An NBC “Saturday Night Live” bit with a comical over-the-top promotion for Pepsi aired the next evening as a commercial during the network’s Super Bowl broadcast. The sketch actually was a paid commercial by Pepsi, made in collaboration with producer Lorne Michaels’ “SNL.” (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090203/ap_en_tv/fbn_super_bowl_snl_ad 2/2)

CBS gave a nod to a political drama titled House Rules from ABC Studios and executive producer Mark Gordon (Grey’s Anatomy). The drama is about freshmen congressmen and women as they enter Washington life. CBS also gave a cast-contingent pilot order to The Fish Tank, a 30m comedy about a teenager who is home alone without his parents five days a week. CBS additionally ordered a drama pilot called A Marriage from thirtysomething creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, per THR. (Cynopsis 2/4)

Cox Communications and Fox Cable Networks have entered into a multiyear, multimarket distribution deal involving Fuel TV as well as the high-definition versions of FX and Speed. The deal brings Fuel TV carriage to a total of 26 million homes. Multichannel News (2/3)

Time Warner Cable plans to lay off 1,250 people in the face of slowing growth at the second largest U.S. cable operator. The New York-based company is reporting a net loss of $8.16 billion in the fourth quarter. Time Warner expects to save $90 million a year from the job cuts. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_on_bi_ge/time_warner_cable_layoffs 2/4)

The fledgling Fox Business Network is entering a deal with satellite provider Dish Network to carry the cable channel, extending its total distribution to almost 50 million U.S. households. Also, Fox News Channel is renewing its distribution agreement with Dish. (Iwantmedia 2/4, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fox-business-reaches-deal-dish/story.aspx?guid=%7B02AD36A7%2D4DD7%2D481E%2D9B4D%2D3DFF93BB816E%7D 2/3)

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