NBC Olympic audience hits Thursday high (Reuters)
February 24, 2006
Reuters - The amateur singers of "American
Idol" stole ratings gold from NBC's Olympics coverage in their
head-to-head matchup on Thursday, but the Winter Games in Italy
finished the night overall at No. 1 with its biggest U.S.
audience so far.
Clash of 'Idol' and Olympics Draws Viewers (AP)
February 24, 2006AP - "American Idol" did a number again on the Olympics in terms of viewers Thursday, but the big winner from one of television's most competitive nights in memory may be the viewers themselves.
Guest Lineup for the Sunday TV News Shows (AP)
February 24, 2006AP - Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:
"Housewives" Desperate for Latin Flavor (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - Buena Vista International Television Latin America announced
plans Thursday to produce four new versions of the Golden Globe-winning
series in Spanish and Portuguese.
ABC averages $1.7 million for Oscar ads (Reuters)
February 24, 2006
Reuters - The ABC network, flush from its
blockbuster Super Bowl telecast, is reaping yet another bonanza
from its upcoming Oscar show, traditionally one of the most
watched events of the year on U.S. television.
TV's "Huge Night" of Splats (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - Sasha Cohen went splat. Ruth Marie Milliman went gone. Jerry Rice
went disco. Bobby Bennett went the way of all Judd Harrises. Put these
special moments all together, and what do you have?
ABC averages $1.7 mln for Oscar ads: source (Reuters)
February 24, 2006
Reuters - The ABC network, flush from its
blockbuster Super Bowl telecast, is reaping yet another bonanza
from its upcoming Oscar show, traditionally one of the most
watched events of the year on U.S. television.
Corbett Trades Movie Scripts for Music (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - This just might be the role actor John Corbett was born to play.
TV's Night of Splats
February 24, 2006
Sasha Cohen went splat. Ruth Marie Milliman went gone. Jerry Rice went disco. Bobby Bennett went the way of all Judd Harrises. Put these special moments all together, and what do you have?
A "huge night for broadcast television."
ABC's assessment of Thursday night's four-way showdown between Winter Olympics figure skating, "Survivor," "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol" was not mere spin. Combined, average viewership on the big four networks was up more than 20 percent from last Thursday.
Overall, Winter Games host NBC won the night, averaging an estimated 24.5 million from 8-11 p.m.
Latin "Housewives"
February 24, 2006
Desperate Housewives knows no cultural boundaries.
Buena Vista International Television Latin America announced plans Thursday to produce four new versions of the Golden Globe-winning series in Spanish and Portuguese.
Industry Fiercely Opposes Unbundled TV (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - It's a question that many cable TV subscribers ask: My cable company keeps adding more channels to my system, but I don't watch many of them. Why can't I just pick the ones I want?
Four "Idol" Hopefuls Eliminated (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - Four American Idol hopefuls sang their final note on the
talent search Thursday, leaving 20 semifinalists still in the running.
Ex-"SNL" Star Morgan Cops to DUI (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - Maybe it's time for Tracy Morgan to lay off the Uncle Jemima's
Mash Liquor.
'Deal or No Deal' Back With Bigger Prizes (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - The promise of an easy million bucks, a stage crowded with sexy models and the smoothly calibrated charm of host Howie Mandel made "Deal or No Deal" an unexpected hit in television's December dead zone.
Ill. Governor Confused by 'Daily Show' Bit (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich wasn't in on the joke. Blagojevich says he didn't realize "The Daily Show" was a comedy spoof of the news when he sat down for an interview that ended up poking fun at the sometimes-puzzled Democratic governor.
"Idol" Eliminations
February 24, 2006
Four "American Idol" hopefuls sang their final note on the talent search Thursday, leaving 20 semifinalists still in the running.
Becky O'Donahue, Stevie Scott, Patrick Hall and Bobby Bennett were sent home after receiving the lowest number of votes from viewers.
"SNL" Star Sentenced
February 24, 2006Maybe it's time for Tracy Morgan to lay off the Uncle Jemima's Mash Liquor.
The former "Saturday Night Live" player has been placed on three years' probation and ordered to attend alcohol-awareness classes after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of drunken driving stemming from a December traffic stop.
Highs and Lows From NBC's Olympic Coverage (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - NBC's own figure skating dream team performed all of its twists and turns with no falls and few deductions. Sandra Bezic, Dick Button and Scott Hamilton offered cogent, incisive analysis that's also entertaining.
Griffiths, Flockhart in 'Sisters' act (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Golden Globe winners Rachel Griffiths and Calista Flockhart have been tapped to star in ABC's drama pilot "Brothers & Sisters."
Culp joins "Traveler"; CBS on "Waterfront" (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Steven Culp, who played Rex Van De Kamp in the first season of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," has joined the network's drama pilot "Traveler."
'Sex' entices Van Der Beek (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - "Dawson's Creek" alum James Van Der Beek has joined CBS' comedy pilot "Sex, Power, Love & Politics,"
Dinklage goes "Ultra" for CBS (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Peter Dinklage, star of the feature "The Station Agent," has joined the pilot cast of CBS' comic-book-based drama "Ultra.
'SpongeBob' lures record audience catch (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Nickelodeon hit "SpongeBob SquarePants" absorbed its biggest audience ever in a special primetime episode that aired Monday.
Livingston chosen to enter "Primary" (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Ron Livinston has been tapped for one of the two leads in Fox's drama pilot "Primary,"
Dove Web TV puts Huffman into the past (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Felicity Huffman is starring in a series of Dove webisodes directed by Penny Marshall that transport the Oscar-nominated actress into the homes of beloved TV moms Carol Brady, Lily Munster and June Cleaver.
Spectrum on "Quest" for reality (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Spectrum MediaWorks confirmed that its flagship franchise "X Quest" will ship as a massively multiplayer online game at the same time Fox Broadcasting Co. debuts the "X Quest" reality TV series produced by Imagine Television.
'Idol' Makes First Cuts of New Season (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - Now there are 20. "American Idol" booted four contestants Thursday night — two men and two women — in the show's first elimination round of the new season.
Ind. Jury Convicts Man Shown on 'Oprah' (AP)
February 24, 2006AP - A jury on Thursday convicted a man arrested last fall on sex abuse charges after he was profiled on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Disney 'Desperate' for Latin American Hit (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - More "Desperate Housewives" — in Spanish and Portuguese. Hoping to replicate the worldwide success of the Golden Globe-winning ABC drama, Disney's international production arm announced Thursday plans to produce four local Latin American editions, each with its own cast and cultural flavor.
Poll: TV Viewers Want Choice in Cable (AP)
February 24, 2006AP - Victoria Schaefer was thunderstruck when her 9-year-old daughter asked her what "pedophile" means.
Will Viewers Want Their My Network TV? (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - One month after it was
announced the WB and UPN would be downsized into the all-new CW, Fox has
decided to build a new sixth network of its own.
"Asia Extreme" thrills Sundance (Reuters)
February 24, 2006
Reuters - Sundance Channel has picked
up eight Asian features from theatrical distributor Tartan USA
and will launch "Asia Extreme," a late-night showcase for the
genre films, mainly thrillers, horror tales and mysteries.
Judy Woodruff Back With PBS (AP)
February 24, 2006
AP - Veteran broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff will return to her one-time home, PBS, for a project examining young people's views on religion, politics and other issues, including America's role in the world.
Predictable humor saps "Kappa Mikey" (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - "Kappa Mikey" accomplishes several "firsts" with its premiere during Nicktoons "Three-Headed Monster" programming block from 7 p.m.-midnight. It is the first anime series created and produced entirely in the U.S. It also is Nicktoon Network's first original series, produced for the channel by Larry Schwarz of Animation Collective.
Current TV Facing Two Lawsuits Over Name (AP)
February 24, 2006AP - A cable television network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore is facing at least two lawsuits challenging its use of the name Current TV.
Fox Cable acquires sports channel Turner South (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - News Corp. division Fox Cable Networks is acquiring regional cable channel Turner South from Time Warner division Turner Broadcasting, the two companies announced Thursday.
"Idol" crushes Olympics competition Wed (Reuters)
February 24, 2006Reuters - Simon Cowell and his musical friends crushed the Winter Olympics again Wednesday, doubling the Turin games in total viewers and tripling them in adults 18-49.
"Idol" Skates Circles Around Olympics (E! Online)
February 24, 2006
E! Online - Come Thursday night, all U.S. figure skater Sasha
Cohen
needs to do to win a gold medal in front of her
country is jump,
not fall, spin, not fall, pray her
scores are higher than
everybody else's, and, most
importantly (after not falling), hope
American
Idol doesn't run much past 9 p.m.