Corporate Views
Viacom
is mulling whether to expand its UPN
schedule, potentially adding a night or so to its broadcast week. Viacom President and COO Mel Karmazin, speaking at the CSFB
conference in New York City last week, said that he and CBS
Chairman and CEO Les Moonves
will meet in January to discuss the possible expansion. Currently, UPN airs Monday-Friday 8-10 p.m. ET. ...
Tribune Co.
named President and CEO Dennis Fitzsimons
chairman. He will assume the job Jan. 1, succeeding John Madigan, who is retiring. ...
TIME WARNER CABLE
has signed a deal with MCI
and SPRINT
to deploy a nationwide digital phone service based on voice-over-Internet Protocol technology. The service will include unlimited local, in-state and domestic long-distance calling for one price.
Around the Tube
HBO
is picking up Carnivale for a second season of 13 episodes. No word on when the new season will air. The moody drama was a decent draw for HBO, averaging a 7.4 rating and a 10 share. The pay channel also had a good turnout for its "movie event" Angels in America, which scored an 8.6 rating with a 12 share on Dec. 7 in HBO's universe, which Nielsen counts as about 34 million subscribers. Part two was slated for Dec. 14. ...
ABC's two-hour special Trista and Ryan's Wedding pulled in 17.1 million viewers over the two hours, peaking at 10-10:30 p.m. with 19.4 million viewers. ...
Reality maven mark burnett
is producing unscripted drama The Casino for Fox, a 13-episode show that follows the new owners of Las Vegas's Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. It's planned for next summer. ...
Outdoor Life Network
is adding reality series Samurai Sportsman Jan. 31. OLN's take on East meets West stars real-life samurai Yoshi Amao
trying out Western outdoor sports, such as log rolling and bass fishing. ...
Sci Fi Channel's newest miniseries, Battlestar Galactica, which aired Dec. 8 and 9, averaged a hearty 4.2 million viewers and a 3.5 rating, the net's highest rating for 2003.
People Meeter
Game Show Network
programming chief bob boden
has left the company. The network is shifting its original programming focus to more lifestyle and reality and less on in-studio game shows. ...
E! Networks
is promoting Gavin Harvey
to executive vice president of marketing. He will lead marketing efforts for E! Entertainment Television
and Style
networks and international. He also directs advertising, promotions and creative services.
Veteran business-news journalist Stuart Varney
is joining FOX NEWS CHANNEL
as a contributor and substitute anchor. He has hosted CNBC's Wall Street JournalEditorial Board With Stuart Varney and also had a long run at CNN. ...
Another CNN vet, former Capital Hill reporter Jonathan Karl, is joining ABC
as senior foreign affairs correspondent, covering the State Department and foreign affairs. Reporter laura marquez
is also joining ABC News as a general assignment reporter in Washington. She previously worked for ABC O&O KGO-TV
San Francisco.
TV's Bloody Mess
As far as the Parent's Television Council is concerned, you might as well call it the Manson Family hour, at least during the November sweeps. The PTC studied and compared the broadcast networks' first two weeks of November sweeps from 1998, 2000 and 2002, and the results showed a dramatic increase in TV violence per hour. During the "family hour," 8-9 p.m., depicted violence was up 41% since 1998. The 9-10 p.m. hour saw the largest increase, a whopping 134%. One interesting note: The WB recorded a 95.6% drop in violence between 1998 and 2002, which the group attributes "almost entirely" to the move of Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
(left) to UPN.
