'Project Runway's Sixth Season Finale Ranks As Campaign's Most-Watched

11/20/09 The sixth-season finale of Project Runway ranked as the series best this year among households, viewers and key women's demo.The Nov. 19 telecast, during which 27-year-old New York native Irina Shabayeva became this campaign's winner, averaged a 3.4 household rating, up 31% from the show's season average to date, according to Nielsen data. The final was watched b..... ...Read More »

McDowell: The Color Green

11/20/09 FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell told a RainbowPUSH audience in Washington Friday that the key to minority ownership is, well, ownership. Addressing the group's Media & Telecommunications Symposium, McDowell said that he wanted to foster minority ownership that can be legally sustained--like a minority tax certificate program--and that will "first do no harm," but he als..... ...Read More »

Starz Rises During NASDAQ Debut

11/20/09 Liberty Starz, the publicly traded entity that includes Starz Entertainment and other former Liberty Media businesses, made its debut on the Nasdaq Global Market System Friday under the symbol "LSTZA," finishing the day at $50.25 per share, up 5% ($2.41 per share) from its when-issued close of $47.84 on Nov, 19. Liberty Starz was created after the spin-off of Liberty Entert..... ...Read More »

???Oprah??? Departure Shouldn???t Be Financial Hit For CBS, Stations

11/20/09 When The Oprah Winfrey Show goes off TV stations’ air on Sept. 9, 2011, the entity that stands to lose the most money is: Oprah. Winfrey and her Harpo Productions take home by far the most profit from Oprah. CBS Television Distribution (CTD), which distributes the show, earns well south of $50 million annually in distribution fees on the show, estimates ..... ...Read More »

OWN Sets Sights on Cable's Own Oprah Demo

11/20/09 Oprah Winfrey’s announcement Nov. 20 that she will end her syndicated talk show in 2011 gave a much-needed shot in the arm for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Now that Winfrey’s plans are coming into focus, the joint venture between Discovery Communications and Harpo Productions is expected to unveil a slate of new programming in the coming weeks. But when the ..... ...Read More »

Liberty Sports Rebrands As DirecTV Sports Networks

11/20/09 With the completion of the split-off transaction from Liberty Media Corp. combining DirecTV Group and Liberty Entertainment, Inc., Liberty Sports has been rebranded as DirecTV Sports Networks.The subsidiary of DirecTV comprises a trio of regional sports networks: FSN Northwest, FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain (and sub-region FSN Utah). Together, the three RSNS have a..... ...Read More »

Remillard Named Exec Producer 'C-SPAN's Washington Journal'

11/20/09 TV producer Michele Remillard has been named executive producer of C-SPAN's Washington Journal daily interview program. Remillard is a veteran of Washington public affairs and political shows. She is a former producer at Fox News, where she produced Special Report with Bret Baier and launched Beltway Boys, and before that was with CNBC's Hardball With Chris Matthew..... ...Read More »

Boucher, Pence Back Senate version Of Shield Bill

11/20/09  House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.) Friday praised the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving a compromise version of the shield law bill. The two are long-time backers of the legislation, which provides a qualified protection for journalists and their sources from being compelled to give up information to the governmen..... ...Read More »

Lifetime, '20/20' To Present Half-Hour Rihanna Special

11/20/09 Music sensation Rihanna is the subject of an upcoming special from Lifetime Television and ABC News that will detail the singer's life and her relationship with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. Rihanna Speaks Out: A Lifetime and 20/20 Special will air on Lifetime Nov. 25 at 10 p.m. It will feature segments of the singer's interview with Diane Sawyer which aired Nov. 6 on t..... ...Read More »

Primetime Ratings: CBS Ends ABC's Thursday Winning Streak

11/20/09 CBS ended ABC’s Thursday primetime winning streak in the 18-49 demo, posting a narrow victory on a sluggish night for the Alphabet net. Though it was the top-rated program for the evening in 18-49, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (5.0 rating/13 share, 14 million viewers overall) hit an all-time low in audience for a first-run episode, according to preliminary nation..... ...Read More »

Shepard Will Star In Epix's First Pilot 

11/20/09 San Shepard will star in the first original series pilot for movie service Epix.The actor (The Right Stuff) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (Buried Child) will appear in Tough Trade, portraying the patriarch of the Tucker family, a three-generation musical dynasty in Nashville, which is on the verge of bankruptcy given its members' tastes for drink, debauchery..... ...Read More »