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When Fox’s “Prison Break” ran its series finale last month, fans of the show were left wondering if the lead character was really dead. Their response was to go online and post a whole lot of “WTF?s” in chat rooms, fan sites and Twitter, using the Internet acronym for “what the f**k?” For 20th Century...
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USA Network development executive Lindsay Sloane is joining Fox Broadcasting, signing on to run drama development with Terence Carter. Ms. Sloane and Mr. Carter have been named co-heads of drama and will be charged with finding new one-hour projects for the network. With the title of vice president,...
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Fox and CBS did it again. For the 2008-09 TV season, Fox has officially claimed its fifth consecutive ratings win among adults 18-49, while CBS wrapped up the season as the most-watched broadcast network for the sixth time in the last seven years. It was a season in which comparisons were made difficult...
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With the television industry slogging through the worst economy in decades, the broadcast networks put their best foot forward at the upfront, then braced for long negotiations with media buyers and advertisers. “I’m surprised by how normal everything felt,” said one veteran buyer, noting the presentations...
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Fri, May 22 2009
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Filed under: Broadcast, Fox, ABC, Advertising, CBS, NBC, The CW, Print Edition, Upfront, Ad Buys
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Fox’s “24,” which is scheduled to air its two-hour season finale tonight, has returned from a yearlong hiatus with what is arguably its best season yet from a creative point of view. An Emmy winner for best drama series three years ago, the show lost its footing the following year. And the season after...
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TV’s No. 1 network is likely to kick off upfront week by announcing a new schedule marked by stability—and maybe a surprise or two. Fox, which is finishing its fifth season as the top-rated network among adults 18-49, is taking over NBC’s traditional Monday kickoff slot this year at the advertising market...
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Fri, May 15 2009
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Filed under: Fringe, Broadcast, Fox, Dollhouse, Cleveland, Print Edition, Glee, American Idol, Preston Beckman, 24, Lie To Me, House, Bones, Upfront, More to Love, So You Think You Can Dance?
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With the majority of the networks’ upfront presentations still a few weeks away, it’s difficult to predict when advertisers will start spending on television and online buys. But digital executives at most of the broadcast networks are optimistic that online sales will be a bright spot this year. If...
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For the first two weeks of the May sweeps, CBS is the only broadcast television network posting year-over-year gains among total viewers. The network is also the only one to avoid any losses among adults 18-49, the demographic still led by Fox. Among total viewers, CBS averaged 10.8 million viewers,...
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Fox is breaking more than a few rules with its rollout of “Glee,” the ambitious musical comedy series from “Nip/Tuck” creator Ryan Murphy. For the first time anyone in TV circles can recall, a network is using a pilot for a show not as the beginning of a series, but as the start of a marketing campaign...
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After the strike-induced tumult and turmoil of last season, broadcasters were praying things would somehow take a turn for the better during the 2008-09 campaign. It didn’t happen. With less than a month left to go before this season ends, four of the five major networks find themselves attracting fewer...
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It may be the age of TiVo and Hulu, but the next few weeks will once again underline an important tenet of the broadcast TV economy: Schedules still matter. Even as networks increasingly adapt to the notion that their programming is being absorbed long after its original broadcast, the day and time a...
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The summer television schedules revealed last week reflect the tension between the broadcast networks’ dual goals: attracting advertisers with quality fare and keeping costs low. In keeping with the trend of recent years, summer will not be light on original programming, with several networks using their...
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The Business of Television
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News
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Sun, Apr 12 2009
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Filed under: Broadcast, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Wipeout, The CW, Print Edition, Merlin, Big Brother, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Got Talent, The Philanthropist, Dating in the Dark, The Listener, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Mental, Hitched or Ditched, The Bachelorette, The Superstars, Blonde Charity Mafia, Here Come the Newlyweeds, Are You Smarter Than a Grader?, Hell’s Kitchen, More to Love, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
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Fox has appointed Gaude Lydia Paez vice president of corporate communications. Ms. Paez will focus on matters such as ratings, senior executive initiatives and strategic planning for the Fox brand. She reports to Shannon Ryan, senior VP of publicity and corporate communications. Before joining Fox, Ms...
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Despite the ailing economy, baseball is being very, very good to television networks that carry the games. With Opening Day on April 6, sponsors are lining up for the Great American Pastime. “Regular-season baseball sales are holding up very nicely,” said Fox Sports President Ed Goren. “In this environment...
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Rupert Murdoch may be a master of the universe, but that doesn’t mean he always makes the right call. Spending $5.4 billion to buy the Wall Street Journal just months before the newspaper business all but collapsed? Doesn’t seem such a genius move these days. The purchase was supposed to help turn Fox...