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BROADCAST/CABLE by Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

In one of the biggest movie deals in the history of basic cable, USA Network has bought the rights for Universal Pictures’ entire 2009, 24-film slate. The $200 million agreement includes the network rights for Oscar nominees “Frost/Nixon” and “Milk.” “It’s certainly the biggest I’ve ever worked on, both qualitatively and quantitatively,” said Frances Manfredi, NBC Universal sales executive. Variety (2/8)

Milk

With the goal of becoming “the ESPN of local markets,” Comcast is spending aggressively on studio upgrades and new programming for its regional sports networks in cities such as New York, Boston and Chicago. “As we look at the different markets we are in, each one has different viewer sensibilities, and we are trying to target new programming to meet those sensibilities,” said Princell Hair, vice president of news operations at Comcast SportsNet. “ESPN has their sports talk shows nationally, and we are looking to do what they do nationally on a local level. There is room for both of us.” The New York Times (2/8)

Showtime Networks Inc. and mixed martial arts (MMA) event producer Strikeforce are developing a new live series for Showtime featuring MMA events, airing within the Showtime Sports franchise. The multi-year agreement between the two entities allows Showtime to produce and televise up to 16 live MMA events each year including Strikeforce world champion bouts and a series profiling emerging fighters in the sport. The first championship event will air April 11 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA and the specific fight card is TBA. (Cynopsis 2/9)

NBC’s summer reality competition show America‘s Got Talent will soon name a new host as Jerry Springer, host for the last two seasons, said last week he wanted to leave the show to concentrate on his other ongoing projects. Springer replaced the series’ original host Regis Philbin who helmed the first season. (Cynopsis 2/9)

Why can’t we ever seem to get rid of this guy?

Media titans are acknowledging that advertising dollars may never return in full force as the Internet leaves audiences increasingly fragmented. Declines in the value of media businesses could be permanent, analysts say. Rupert Murdoch admits: “We may never return to record levels.” (Iwantmedia 2/9, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123419225747863827.html 2/9)

The U.S. media and advertising industry cut 65,100 jobs in 2008, according to an analysis by Advertising Age. Media’s biggest loser last year: newspapers, which slashed 31,200 jobs. Broadcast TV cut 5,100 jobs. The bright spot: Internet-media companies, which added 5,400 positions. (Iwantmedia 2/9, http://adage.com/article?article_id=134423 2/9)

Television news execs say that a sea change is coming in how industry stars will be compensated. On-air reporters and anchors may seek long-term contracts at reduced wages. TV stations are expected to start hiring younger, less experienced news professionals as a way to keep costs down. (Iwantmedia 2/9, http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/CNBC-sends-a-message/story.aspx?guid=%7B2F3F6328%2D5178%2D4EE9%2D8694%2DA0B1382DD111%7D 2/9)

The CW is collaborating with publisher Alloy Entertainment on a one-hour drama pilot adapted from the book series The Vampire Diaries. The CW also approved Body Politic from CBS Paramount Network Television about young political staffers working in Washington, D.C. (Cynopsis 2/9)

CBS handed out a slew of pilot orders including a Dallas-based multi-camera comedy called Big D, cites THR. The storyline is about a New York married couple moving back to the husband’s home city of Dallas and the wife dealing with her Southern-belle mother-in-law. The network also continues its partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer, this time on a medical drama pilot called Miami Trauma about a team of trauma surgeons. (Cynopsis 2/9)

Late on Friday, CBS approved four more pilots: Three Rivers, another medical drama about organ transplants, with stories told from three perspectives – by the doctor, patient and donor, The Good Wife, a cast-contingent drama about a politician’s wife who decides to work again as a defense attorney, Accidentally on Purpose, a cast-contingent comedy based on the autobiographical novel by Mary F. Pols about a movie critic in San Francisco who becomes pregnant accidentally, and Waiting to Die, a  comedy is about two simpletons who are happy despite things looking bad from the outside. (Cynopsis 2/9)

NBC nabbed a comedy pilot titled State of Romance from writer/executive producers Barbara Wallace and Tom Wolfe and produced by Universal Media Studios. The single-camera project is set in Chicago and is described as a contemporary version of “Pride and Prejudice.” (Cynopsis 2/9)

Jennifer Lopez and partner Simon Field’s production company, Nuvorican Productions is teaming with Fox Television Studios to adapt the Argentinean television series Rebelde Way for the U.S. The plot surrounds a group of private school teens who form a pop band. (Cynopsis 2/9)

The four-month DTV delay — from mid-February to mid-June — means that the cable TV industry will have to be a little patient regarding the estimated 1 million additional subscribers that are expected to come over after their rabbit ears are rendered useless. Bob Gessner, president of Massillon Cable, said the delay “certainly frustrates any marketing efforts to attract over-the-air users to cable, but it is just a delay. Those who procrastinate will still be prospects in the future.” Multichannel News (2/8)

Despite the fact that people are increasingly turning to PCs for their video-viewing needs, they haven’t forgotten about the original small screen. According to Nielsen data for the quarter ending Sept. 30, the average American watched about 142 hours of television each month, a five-hour increase year-over-year. International Herald Tribune (2/8)

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