Television News Archives

At age 72 and with health problems to contend with, Bob Ireland says there's not a "heck of a lot" he can do to find new work to replace his crumbling pension plan.

Eight months after filing, Charter Communications Inc. said Monday it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $8 billion less debt.

This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week Novermber 24, 2009 Sign up now! by Steve Bunche -- Publishers Weekly, 11/23/2009 3:40:00 PM Few if any creators in the history of the comics medium have wielded the wide-ranging influence of Japan's Osamu Tezuka, and to prove it Abrams Comicarts recently released a stunning coffee table book ...

Discovery Communications is launching a major, multi-year science intuitive supporting President Obama's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics campaign.

As previously announced, the notes will be issued in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended .

There's still time Sunday to help 'Stuff A Bus' to help the Kelowna Food Bank. Astral Media is running their fifth annual "Stuff A Bus" campaign in an effort to help the less fortunate this holiday season.

Back in 1996, when Phil Donahue taped the finale of his groundbreaking daytime TV talk show in New York, the once-dominant program had become such an afterthought that it didn't even air in that market.

BBC Worldwide has been asked to come up with a three-year action plan that could involve the staged sell-off of some magazines and its holdings in independent TV production companies, as well as a review of online operations.

One of Oprah Winfrey's most popular programs apparently won't return in 2009. After seven years, the queen of daytime talk has no plans to tape a "Favorite Things" episode this year.

Consolidation in the Canadian media sector took another leap forward Wednesday, as CanWest Global Communications Corp.

TiVo Inc. reported a net loss of 6 cents a share for the third quarter of fiscal 2010, a penny below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 5 cents, and fell substantially from the prior-year quarter.

TORONTO a ' Canwest Global Communications Corp.'s holding company has been granted creditor protection as it continues to work on a plan to recapitalize the country's largest media conglomerate.

Advertisers that buy spots on network and cable TV will soon be able to measure exactly how millions of DVR owners digest programming, including which commercials they skip, under a licensing deal Google struck with TiVo Inc.

In this image taken from video Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 and provided by Harpo Productions Inc., talk-show host Oprah Winfrey announces during a live broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago that her daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell is resigning at the end of the year; he will be replaced by Peter Klein, the CFO of Microsoft's business division.

The National Post has been transferred to Canwest Global Communications Corp.'s publishing division along with the rest of its newspaper assets following court and debtholder approval Friday.

WorldGate , a leading provider of digital voice and video phone services and next generation video phones, has announced a new manufacturing agreement with Kenmec Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd.

Univision Interactive Media, Inc., the digital division of Univision Communications Inc., the leading Spanish- language media company in the United States, today announced that it is partnering with YouTube to make short-length and long-form Univision videos available on the YouTube.com website.

In September 2004, John Randolph "Bunky" Hearst Jr. and his wife, Barbara, hosted what would be their last dinner party at the couple's estate in the Hamptons.

Liberty Media Group Chairman John Malone says the NBCU/Comcast deal appears to have been "heavily engineered" and "obviously custom-tailored" for both companies.Malone was interested in talking with GE about a possible purchase of a controlling stake in NBCU as well, but said GE didn't share that interest.His comments came in an interview with ...

Charter Communications Inc.'s lenders, led by JPMorgan Chase & Co., lost a bid Wednesday to block the cable communications company from leaving bankruptcy.

Astral Media Inc. makes no secret of its interest in acquiring the specialty television arm of CanWest Global Communications Corp.

US magazine publishers Time Inc, Conde Nast and Hearst are preparing to launch an online newsstand described as an a a iTunes for magazines,a TMa TM according to published reports.

Lynchburg, VA - The legal wing of Liberty University is filing a complaint with the FCC for the way ABC handled the American Music Awards on Sunday.

Time Warner Cable Inc. is asking the public for help as it tries to curtail increases in the programming fees it has to pay to carry cable channels and broadcast stations on its systems.

ReelzChannel has named Mike Smith senior VP of programming and hired Steve Holzer as executive producer of original programming.A Smith, a television executive of more than 30 years duration, has been on special assignment with the network since September.

Oprah Winfrey, who recently announced she would end her daytime talk show in 2011, will produce a new cable television series that centers on the sexual explorations of a Los Angeles housewife.

A new data partnership between Google and TiVo could boost prices for television ads purchased through Google's TV ad buying system .

Disney Channel Latin America exec Carolina Lightcap has been named prexy of Disney Channels Worldwide.

But nowhere was the effect felt more keenly than in Silver Spring, where the Maryland-based Discovery Communications was vaulted into a new realm of prominence and prestige as the future home of The Oprah Winfrey Network.

The company, including Time Inc., Conde Nast and Hearst, would offer The New Yorker , Vanity Fair , Time , People , Sports Illustrated and other magazines using an iTunes-like "any way you want" store for content, sources told The New York Observer .

Oprah Winfrey is bringing a sexy new pilot to HBO, according to Variety . Oprah's Harpo Films has made a deal with the premium cable network to create an hourlong series about a woman who walks out on her perfect life, marriage and children to fulfill her secret fantasies and desires in L.A. "It is unsentimental and pretty shocking, and there is ...

Close You asked. We're building it. Andrew Willis Published on Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 12:00AM EST Last updated on Monday, Nov.

In this photo taken Nov. 20, 2009 and released by Harpo Productions, Inc., talk-show host Oprah Winfrey , right, talks with Vicky Kennedy, wife of the late Sen.

ABC has fielded some angry calls about the performance by recent "American Idol" Adam Lambert during its broadcast of the "American Music Awards" Sunday night.

Nakashima, Ryan - In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 and provided by Harpo Productions Inc., talk-show host Oprah Winfrey announces during a live broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago that her daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 ...

Residents appear to have little problem with Town Hall closing for two weeks, but there are those who disagree.

In this image taken from video Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 and provided by Harpo Productions Inc., talk-show host Oprah Winfrey announces during a live broadcast of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' in Chicago that her daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

The Walt Disney Company announced Sunday the start of production of the Chinese version of the classic High School Musical, working with local partners Shanghai Media Group and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation.

The companies havena t examined the studioa s finances and their level of interest will depend on price, said the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private.

In this Sept. 17, 2009 file photo, Sheryl Crow arrives at the VH1 Divas concert, in New York.

Susan Krashinsky Globe and Mail Update Published on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 7:04PM EST Last updated on Friday, Nov.

The secret to a long life is knowing when it's time to go. That line from an old Michelle Shocked song was humming in my head Friday as I drove to Harpo Studios in Chicago's West Loop.

By now, you've heard the news that Oprah Winfrey will be ending her daytime talk show in 2011 in order to launch her own cable network with Discovery Communications.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded ratings for Liberty Media Corp. subsidiary Liberty Media LLC on Friday.

Oprah Winfrey is apparently leaving Chicago in 2011, and Mayor Richard Daley thinks the reason may have something to do with criticism of her show's Michigan Avenue takeover in September.

In this Sept. 9. 2004 file photo. talk show host Oprah Winfrey sits atop a Pontiac G6 outside her Chicago studios.

Oprah Winfrey's iconic television talk show will end in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air, her production company said Thursday.

A box containing a Philips DVR compatible with TiVo and DirecTV is displayed at a Best Buy store June 11, 2004 in Niles, Illinois.

Canwest Global Communications Corp. is imploring the CRTC to order the country's cable and satellite firms to come to the table to negotiate a compensation plan for the TV signals they redistribute, and it wants some oversight in the room when it happens.

Ironically, the network that introduced a new generation of fans to Michael Jackson will also air his final performance.

London, High hopes for Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr at Comedy Awards Family comedy Outnumbered is leading the way at this year's British Comedy Awards , bagging five nominations.

The nation's broadcast regulator is stuck between a rock and hard place and wants nothing more than for the two to make nice.

In this Jan. 27, 2006 file photo, Michael White, then, CEO of PepsiCo USA, speaks in a panel session on Global Brands during the World Economic Forum WEF in Davos, Switzerland.

A bankruptcy judge has approved Charter Communications Inc. 's reorganization plan, paving the way for the company, the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, to emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of the year.

EchoStar Corp. said Wednesday that President and CEO Charles Ergen has stepped down from those posts and is being succeeded by board member Michael T. Dugan.

Sony and Oprah Eye 2010 Launch For Nate Berkus Show Following success of Dr. Oz, companies teaming up for second syndicated project Sony Pictures Television and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions are finalizing plans for a new syndicated daytime show featuring interior designer and Oprah Winfrey Show-regular Nate Berkus, according to sources with ...

Michael Jackson rehearses on June 23, 2009, for his series of comeback concerts called "This Is It." It would be Jackson's final rehearsal before his death.

Charter Communications Inc. said Tuesday a bankruptcy judge has confirmed its reorganization plan, clearing the way for the nation's fourth-largest cable TV operator to emerge from Chapter 11 in a few weeks.

A resident and a staff member were treated for non-life threatening injuries after a nursing home fire this afternoon, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

Loblaw Companies Ltd saw its third-quarter profits jump by 20 per cent as the grocery chain benefited from cost containment and improved supply chain efficiencies.

Moody's Investor Service said Monday it may raise its credit ratings for radio broadcaster and publisher Salem Communications Holding Corp.

Seems like Gary Parsons had more in mind when he said "now is the right time" to resign from Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who has seen his massive investment in cable operator Charter Communications Inc.

In this photo taken Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 and released Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 by Harpo Productions, Inc., seen is talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, second from right, with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her daughters, Willow, right, and Piper, left, during the taping of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago.

Univision, the biggest Hispanic broadcaster in the U.S., said Monday its shows will be coming to YouTube in the new year.

"The Curse of the Mogul: What's Wrong with the World's Leading Media Companies" by Jonathan A. Knee, Bruce C. Greenwald and Ava Seave.

The critically-acclaimed series from Sony Pictures Television for FX about post-9/11 New York City firefighters stars three-time Emmy winner Denis Leary and features guest stars Academy Award winner Tatum O'Neal , Maura Tierney and Patti D'Arbanville . The three-disc set contains 11 episodes from the second half of the fifth season of this edgy ...

Asian stock markets advanced Monday as better-than-expected news about U.S. retailers buoyed confidence in world's largest economy and gold prices hit a new record.

TORONTO Canwest Global Communications' newspaper division has been given more time by its creditors to restructure its operations and repay debt.

Indeed, after killing five people during the first 24 hours, the sniper team began the second day scouting for locations for another barrage of shootings.

Mobile television provider FLO TV, which uses UHF spectrum nationwide to deliver a subscription service with major network programming, is officially expanding its distribution beyond wireless carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T into general retail stores and selling its product exclusive of wireless voice and data plans.

Investors made few moves in the Treasury market Friday, relieved that another week of auctions has come to an end.

The Walt Disney Company today reported earnings for the fiscal year and fourth quarter ended October 3, 2009.

Attorney General Steve Six is partnering with Cox Communications and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce this week to educate and inform parents, guardians and children about the importance of safety.

Canwest Limited Partnership, the unit of restructuring media giant Canwest Global Communications Corp.

Discovery Communications has decided to take its longstanding news channel on Discovery.com and let it stand on its own.

A former ESPN production assistant whose affair with broadcaster Steve Phillips led to their firings says she confronted his wife only so he would stop pursuing her.

Telus Corp. , Corus Entertainment and Walmart Canada are among the 2009 top 10 "most admired" corporate cultures in Canada, a new survey shows.

Liberty Global Inc. , the cable company controlled by billionaire John Malone , agreed to buy Unitymedia GmbH for about 2 billion euros , gaining access to markets in 10 of Germanya s 20 largest cities.

Citadel Broadcasting , owner of KABC and KLOS , disclosed in its recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it is talking with its creditors about the possibility of declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Canwest Global Communications Corp. says its shares will begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange starting Monday, after being delisted from Canada's main stock market at the end of Friday's trading.

Stock futures are signaling a higher open Friday on Wall Street after a sharp sell-off a day earlier.

A jump in the nation's energy inventories sent stocks falling Thursday as investors worried that demand for oil and gasoline is falling because of the struggling economy.

The Walt Disney Co. posted a surprise 18 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings today and announced an executive job switch that pointed to an eventual successor to Chief Executive Robert Iger.

Nov. 12, 2009, 5:10 PM 152 XM founder Gary Parsons is out as chairman at Sirius XM radio, bringing the company in line wiht Nasdaq rules about independent board members.

A Connecticut woman who was mauled and blinded after a 200-pound chimpanzee attacked her in February is set to appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Chicago-based Harpo Productions said in a Monday statement that Charla Nash will appear on Wednesday's episode of Winfrey's talk show.

Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday's session are Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Walt Disney Co., and Kohl's Corp.

Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 2:15 a.m. LOS ANGELES - Marking a renewed focus on the proliferation of ways that movies are delivered to consumers, The Walt Disney Co.

Players Network , the leading Digital Television and Internet Media Network dedicated to Las Vegas Entertainment and the Gaming Lifestyle, announced today a distribution deal with Amazon to sell gaming DVDs to Amazon's 50 million plus unique user customer base.

A credit ratings agency on Wednesday raised its outlook on Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its subsidiaries, citing improving profitability.

TEMECULA, Calif. - Outdoor Channel Holdings Inc. said Wednesday that it's laying off a quarter of employees at recently acquired Winnercomm Inc.

The parent company of Clear Channel Communications posted another loss in the third quarter as the company continues to struggle amid a weak advertising environment.

Cox Communications announced today that HD customers now have free access to many of NBC's hottest shows anytime, On Demand, in high-definition. The new HD content added to MyPrimetime in Cox's On DEMAND library includes episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, Community, Parks and Recreation, Mercy and Heroes.

Share + Nov 10, 2009 2:35 pm US/Eastern MCKEESPORT DISH network is closing its McKeesport facility next year that employs 600 people.

The Walt Disney Co. is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings for the three months through September on Thursday.

Discovery Communications is expanding its science and technology news coverage online with the launch of a new website, DiscoveryNews.com. The site will break out the science news sections that currently reside on Discovery.com. Discovery.com has long had a strong science news presence, but upstarts like Scienceblogs.com and Discover Magazine's ...

Charter Communications Inc. said Monday that its loss widened in the third quarter on a $2.9 billion write-down on its franchises but that it expects to emerge from bankruptcy soon.

The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission has approved the sale of Canwest's CHEK-TV station in Victoria to a group of investors for $2. The federal regulator said Monday that the TV operations and related transmitters can be sold to a private numbered company owned by a consortium of local investors, 39 employees of the TV ...

"Sesame Street," the world's largest informal children's educator, celebrates its 40th birthday on PBS KIDS.

Gray Television reported third quarter revenue of $66.4 million, a 20% decrease from the $82.6 million it posted in last year's third quarter.

Another executive at The Walt Disney Co .'s movie studio is exiting hurriedly as the company's troubles continue at the box office with a weak opening for A Christmas Carol .

A Connecticut woman who was mauled and blinded after a 200-pound chimpanzee attacked her in February will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Chicago-based Harpo Productions announced Monday in a statement that Charla Nash would appear on Wednesday's episode of Winfrey's talk show.

Mutual of Omaha may have had its own "aha moment." The insurance company has decided to settle its lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey's production company over rights to the phrase.

The merger of A&E Television Networks and Lifetime Entertainment Services will not be without layoffs, as the company eliminated 10% of its workforce - 100 people - this past Friday.

Mediacom Communications, the nation's seventh-largest MSO, will roll into the DOCSIS 3.0 realm next month by launching two tiers, including a 100 Mbps downstream offering.

This undated photo supplied by the Sesame Workshop shows Caroll Spinney and his alter ego, a oeSesame Streeta icon Big Bird.

Cablevision Systems Corp. 's big WiFi deployment is ahead of schedule and is 15 percent under budget so far, executives said on today's earnings call.

France's main anti-racism organisation claims Disneyland Paris has a policy of hiring European workers because most people who visit the theme park are also white.

November 5, 2009 - SAN FRANCISCO - Ubisoft today announced the official launch of Press Your Luck 2010 Edition .

Utah is known for its outstanding locations and professional film crews, so it makes sense to have a magazine dedicated to promoting its vibrant film production community to Hollywood and filmmakers around the world.

Mediacom Communications Corp. filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2009-09-30. Mediacom Communications is the nation's eigth largest cable television company and one of the leading cable operators focused on serving the smaller cities and towns in the United States.

Loading... Video: Bob McDonnell wins big in Virginia. Brian Clark The Virginian-Pilot 1 of 6 Bob McDonnell, the Virginian governor-elect, takes the stage at the Republican victory party in Richmond to thank his supporters Tuesday night.

As speculation swirls that cable operators could be faced with a stiff retransmission-consent bill for News Corp.'s owned-and-operated Fox television stations, Cablevision Systems' chief operating officer told analysts that any retrans costs would not likely be shifted to customers.

Stocks and bonds pared earlier gains but then bounced back following the Federal Reserve's latest policy announcement, which suggested its easy-money stance will continue awhile longer.

BURBANK, California , November 2, 2009 - The Walt Disney Company, which for 60 years has portrayed the glories of nature in film, today announced a $7 million investment to protect forests in the United States, in the Peruvian Amazon and in the Congo Basin.

Home : Features : Television : 'Dr. Phil' will dispense advice through 2014 'Dr. Phil' will dispense advice through 2014 6-Nov-2009 Written by: Sari N. Kent The popular daytime talk show 'Dr. Phil' has been renewed and will be gracing the television screens of viewers into the year 2014.

Basic-video customer rolls continued their downward slide in the third quarter at Mediacom Communications, but financial metrics remained strong for the mid-market cable operator.

She declined, however, to comment on whether that would mean that her megawatt show would relocate to Los Angeles .

EXCLUSIVE: One of the biggest questions in the TV biz has been when, and even if, Oprah Winfrey would give up her daytime syndicated talk show to focus on OWN, her long delayed Oprah Winfrey Network in 70 million homes thatA was supposed to launch in place of the Discovery Health Channel as a joint venture between Winfrey and Discovery ...

The following recall has been announced: Hospira Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, is voluntarily recalling certain anesthetics because of possible contamination.

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. said Friday that its third-quarter net income rose 14 percent to $65.3 million, or 39 cents a share, compared $57.3 million, or 35 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.

Kirstie Alley is going to star in a new A&E reality "docu-series" about her life as a single mom and her efforts to lose weight.

Rarely has Canadian industry negotiations been fought out with such a public war of words.

The Walt Disney Co. received approval from the Chinese government for its Project Application Report for a new Disney theme park here.

Oprah Winfrey will be making an announcement on her show's future before the end of the year.

In this photo made Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, an installer's truck is parked outside a DirecTV... In this photo made Tuesday, Nov.

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. plans to buy a controlling stake in the Travel Channel under a deal with Cox Communications Inc, adding to its lineup of cable channels such as the Food Network and HGTV.

Sirius XM Radio Inc., the nation's only major satellite radio provider, on Thursday said its third-quarter loss narrowed as it booked smaller charges and revenue rose almost 27 percent.

The cast of "Southland" from l-r Arija Bareikis, Michael McGrady, Tom Everett Scott, Ben McKenzie, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy and Kevin Alejandro.

"Oprah Winfrey Show" co-exec producer Lisa Erspamer will move to her boss' emerging network, OWN, as chief creative officer beginning in January.

Some of the current economic hit broadcasters are taking is cyclical, broadcasters told the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday, but some of it is systemic and rooted in changes to the media marketplace that won't be undone by a rising stock market.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. reported Wednesday an increase in third quarter net income and said the company had successfully restructured its balance sheet.

The RCMP officer who fired his Taser at Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport the night the Polish immigrant died has filed a libel lawsuit against the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Outdoor Channel Holdings Inc. on Tuesday reported a modest quarterly profit to go along with a balance sheet that has no debt and more than $60 million in unencumbered working capital.

Discovery Communications Inc. said Tuesday that its net income for the third quarter fell 29 percent as an increase in operating costs offset a slight uptick in revenue for the owner of cable networks.

China's planning agency has approved plans for a Disney theme park in Shanghai, the Walt Disney Co.

Cablevision Systems Corporation today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Jaroo comes to the Internet on Tuesday with the aim of being a sort of Hulu for kids.

Bethpage -based Cablevision said net income was $98.9 million, or 33 cents a share, compared with a profit of $30.9 million, or 10 cents a share, in the same period last year.

LodgeNet Interactive Corporation , the leading provider of media and connectivity solutions to the hospitality industry, announced today at the LodgeNet Technology Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia that it has begun licensing its b-LANTM technology to the two leading commercial TV manufacturers for inclusion in their newest high-definition television ...

Univision Communications has announced a strategic alliance with MasterCard Worldwide to introduce two new prepaid financial services, the Univision Prepaid MasterCard Card and the Univision MasterCard Gift Card .

CanWest-Goldman battle erupts CanWest REUTERS U.S. investment bank tells court that media company's move to dissolve barriers around specialty channel joint venture is 'abusive' Andrew Willis and Grant Robertson Globe and Mail Update A little-known numbered company inside CanWest Global Communications Corp.

Canwest Global Communication 's application to transfer its flagship National Post newspaper to another holding was approved by both the court and lenders on Friday, Reuters is reporting .

TNT has picked up the critically acclaimed series Southland , closing a deal with Warner Bros.

The city-owned parking lot near the Baltimore Convention Center downtown has seen a myriad of hotel-development dreams come and go over the years.

Players Network , the leading Digital Television and Internet Media Network dedicated to Las Vegas Entertainment and the Gaming Lifestyle, announced today that it has finalized an agreement with Vegas Media Group to produce and distribute a new television series titled "iNVegas" to Players Network's 23 million homes.

Fifty-six percent of Americans thinks Sarah Palin cares about people like them, something which many Republican presidential candidates have not shared, but 71 percent don't think she's qualified to sit in the Oval Office, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted Oct.

Xtremepicks.com Alerts include McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants , Republic First Bancorp, Inc.

Just minutes ago, an Ontario judge allowed Canwest Global Communications to save the hemorrhaging National Post by moving it the paper into a group with its other dailies.

Black Entertainment Television will launch a scripted comedy series via the web beginning Nov.

A&E Garners Top Of The Mark Honor For Campaign Behind 'The Andromeda Strain' MCN Staff -- Multichannel News, 10/28/2009 11:32:45 AM Click here for more CTAM Summit 2009 here Showtime Networks, Inc.

Naples-based Beasley Broadcast Group reported advertising revenue losses for July through September, the company reported today.