Eye retiree still on board
Although Ray Deaver is retiring from day-to-day service in the broadcasting business, he will serve out his hitch as chairman of the CBS affiliate board of governors, which keeps him in the post another year. After 40 years with the station, Deaver retired at year's end as president and GM of Gray Communications' KWTX-TV Waco, Texas. But Deaver will continue to serve Gray as board director and shareholder. Rich Adams replaces Deaver as GM at KWTX-TV. Adams had been GM of co-owned KXII(TV) Sherman, Texas.
CBS and the affiliates are still firming up plans for this year's meeting, which will probably be held at Las Vegas's Bellagio in late May, as it has the past couple of years.—S.M.
Ungloved one
Michael Jackson (below) will be appearing on this week's American Music Awards telecast (Jan. 9 on ABC) to receive his Artist of the Century Award, but the Gloved One will not be demonstrating his patented Moonwalk. He is scheduled to perform on the Grammy awards telecast on CBS later in the year, which makes exclusivity the price of exposure to a worldwide audience of a couple billion. AMW producer Dick Clark Productions has sued the Grammys, but the case is not expected to come to trial for a year. In the meantime, look for motions in the next few months asking for a ruling on whether the policy constitutes an unfair business practice.—
J.E.
No money down!
Sony, in a move mirroring the automakers', is bringing the "0% financing, no money down" pitch to the broadcast-equipment market. "If it's good enough for the car companies—and you look at the success they've had—I thought we could have success as well," says Sony's Ed Grebow (above). The company says that, through March 29 (the week before the NAB show), qualified buyers will be able to defer all costs and interest payments on professional, broadcast products until January 2003 on purchases of more than $2,000.
Grebow already calls it a success. "Our first week," he says, "this has exceeded all of our expectations."
—K.K.
Shuttering ALTV
The Association of Local Television Stations, which has fought hard for cable and satellite must-carry, appears to be preparing to shut its doors.
Sources say the organization's executive committee plans to meet this month and finalize closure plans, then present them to the board for a vote.
The association has money in reserve that it will need to disperse, which should keep it open for a few months, sources say.
ALTV has had a hard time justifying its existence since members Chris-Craft and Paramount Station Group were purchased by News Corp. and Viacom, respectively. Both companies are thought to be unlikely to continue paying dues to an association that supports the TV stations, not networks. ALTV chief Jim Hedlund and board chairman Ray Rajewski were unavailable for comment.
—P.A.
