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Comcast Spotlights On-Demand Service With “Summer Of Kids” Initiative
51 minutes ago
The No. 1 cable company will flood its on-demand menu with children’s shows in July — part of an effort to demonstrate to parents that they don’t have to buy a streaming service from Netflix or Amazon to find programming that will keep kids occupied in front of the TV or a mobile device. The “Summer Of Kids” plan follows Comcast’s “Watchathon” event in March that highlighted the virtues of on-demand. In the new campaign, Comcast says it will offer content from “every major kids network and brand,” including more than 1,000 downloadable TV shows and films. In conjunction with the “Summer Of Kids” campaign, Comcast is introducing guides in collaboration with Common Sense Media to help families find age-appropriate fare. That should give parents “ultimate peace of mind for safer, smarter viewing across devices,” says Comcast Cable’s programming VP Maggie Suniewick. For the last two weeks of July »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Veteran TV Lit Agent Dennis Kim Joins Resolution
1 hour ago
Exclusive: Jeff Berg’s Resolution is launching a TV lit department with the hire of boutique TV lit agency Rothman Brecher Kim partner Dennis Kim, as senior television agent representing writers, producers and directors. Since unveiling Resolution in January, Berg has built up the motion picture lit and film and TV talent divisions of the agency with a number of high-profile hires. The appointment of Kim gives Resolution a toehold in the lucrative TV lit business. “Dennis provides us with a deep set of relationships across the broadcast and cable communities. He is a highly respected agent and will play a key role in developing our television business,” Berg said. “We are fortunate to have him join us as he will be working with many of our film clients as well as the writers and producers he has represented over the years.” Kim began his career at UTA where he »
- NELLIE ANDREEVA
Ratings Rat Race: ‘Big Brother’ & ‘Whodunnit’ Down, ‘Crossing Lines’ Even, ‘Celebrity Wife Swap’ Hits Low
1 hour ago
The Sunday debut of this season’s Big Brother (1.7/6) saw the veteran reality show fall double digits from both last year’s Sunday debut and from the show’s Season 15 premiere on June 26. Last night’s one-hour Bb was down 26% from its Season 14 Sunday debut on July 15, 2012 and down 23% from Wednesday’s debut. The highest-rated show of the night, Big Brother was the second most watched show on Sunday after 60 Minutes with 5.78 million viewers. A 9 Pm encore of the June 24 premiere of Under The Dome (1.1/4) pulled in 5.12 million viewers making it the third most watched show of the night. Big Brother was preceded by a 60 Minutes (0.9/3) encore at 7 Pm. CBS won the night in both viewers and among Adults 18-49. Over on ABC, an America’s Funniest Home Videos encore (0.9/3) was followed by at new Celebrity Wife Swap (1.0/3) at 8 Pm. The spousal reality show was down 23% from its return to »
- DOMINIC PATTEN
Disney Brings ‘Watch ABC’ App To Four Cities Including L.A.
1 hour ago
This is a big step in Disney‘s effort to bring its TV Everywhere app to all of the markets where it owns TV stations, and to Hearst’s 13 ABC affiliates, by the beginning of the fall primetime season. Watch ABC, which enables pay TV subscribers to stream live broadcasts from their local ABC stations, is already available in New York City and Philadelphia. Beginning today Disney’s expanding the service to Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Raleigh-Durham. It’s not for everybody, and doesn’t go everywhere: Users need to be customers of Comcast, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Midcontinent Communications or At&T U-verse. The app works on iOS mobile devices and the Kindle Fire — as well as some Android tablets including the Samsung Galaxy. You have to be in the local market to see the live, linear programming although travelers can access on demand some episodes »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
National Geographic To Telecast ‘The Secret Life Of Predators’ in September
2 hours ago
National Geographic announced this morning it will telecast The Secret Life Of Predators on both National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild on Friday, September 20 and Friday, September 27. The programming will air as part of its Night of Exploration programming block, with naturalist Boone Smith hosting. Nat Geo’s announcement: (Washington, D.C. – July 1, 2013) — National Geographic Channel (Ngc) CEO David Lyle today announced the channel’s next sweeping natural history event: The Secret Life of Predators. From the networks that brought viewers Untamed Americas and Great Migrations, this four-part blue-chip event from National Geographic Television will be simulcast on both National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild on Friday, September 20 and Friday, September 27 during the “Night of Exploration.” Naturalist and big cat tracker Boone Smith is the host. “The Secret Life of Predators will push beautiful blue-chip specials to the next level,” said Lyle. “At National Geographic Channels, we are »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
Media Analyst Michael Nathanson Leaps To Moffett Research
3 hours ago
“We’re getting the band back together again,” former Nomura Securities analyst Michael Nathanson says of his decision to team up with Craig Moffett, his former colleague for eight years at Bernstein Research. With the move, Moffett’s new boutique research firm will be renamed MoffettNathanson LLC. It reunites two of the Street’s most provocative thinkers — Moffett specializes in telecom and pay TV distribution companies while Nathanson focuses on content producers and advertising. Nathanson twice won top honors among U.S. media analysts in Institutional Investor Magazine’s annual All-America Research Team poll. “One plus one is three,” Moffett says. “Michael is the most insightful media analyst around. But what’s most exciting is that he makes my work better, and vice versa.” Nathanson’s the brother-in-law of CNN chief Jeff Zucker — but that didn’t stop him at Nomura from giving Time Warner a “neutral” rating. »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
ABC News Adds NBC Philly Newscaster Aditi Roy to La Bureau
3 hours ago
ABC News announced this morning it has added Aditi Roy to its Los Angeles Bureau. Here is ABC News chief Ben Sherwood’s memo to staffers: I am pleased to announce that Aditi Roy is joining ABC News as a Los Angeles-based correspondent reporting for all our broadcasts and platforms. For much of the past decade viewers in Philadelphia have watched Aditi anchoring morning and evening newscasts for NBC10. She has done extensive reporting on education issues, focusing on the impact of violence in urban schools along with innovative approaches to boosting achievement. Aditi also spent several months in 2011 and 2012 reporting for NBC News broadcasts from Los Angeles. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors including eight Emmy nominations in categories ranging from “Best Hard News Reporter” to “Best Feature Reporter.” Aditi’s commitment to education extends well beyond her reporting. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees in political »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
Ion TV Grabs Season 7 Of ‘Psych’
4 hours ago
Ion Television bought rights to the first six seasons of the buddy dramedy in two years ago, and now it has secured the most recent run in a deal with NBCUniversal Cable and New Media Distribution. Psych, starring James Roday and Dule Hill, is USA Network‘s longest-running current series and was greenlighted in December for another season. “We’re excited to double down on the bet we made by adding Psych, a show that has consistently delivered a wide range of viewers since joining our lineup in 2011,” said Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO of Ion Media Networks. Related: Ion Television Gets Makeover With New Look, Logo »
- THE DEADLINE TEAM
Al Jazeera America Confirms Soledad O’Brien Deal
4 hours ago
Al Jazeera America confirmed this morning it had signed a deal with former CNN star Soledad O’Brien to contribute to the network as “special correspondent.” O’Brien’s production company, Starfish Media Group will produce hourlong documentary specials for the cable network. “I look forward to beginning a relationship with Al Jazeera America, which has made a commitment to producing quality programming and pursuing underreported stories,” O’Brien said in the announcement, confirming speculation that started last week. As a correspondent, O’Brien will contribute short-form segments to the primetime current affairs mag America Tonight on the new network, which is funded by the government of Qatar. O’Brien stepped down from CNN in March when network chief Jeff Zucker scrubbed her program Starting Point; he gave the time slot to Chris Cuomo’s New Day. At the time she left CNN, she formed Starfish Media, which, in addition »
- LISA DE MORAES, TV Columnist
Tribune’s $2.73B Deal For Local TV Will Make It The Top Independent Station Owner
5 hours ago
This is the most startling deal yet in the recent consolidation wave among TV station owners. With Local TV‘s 19 stations in 16 markets, Tribune will have 42 stations, up from 23. It will have outlets in 14 of the top 20 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, Denver, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Salt Lake City and Milwaukee. It will become the largest owner of Fox affiliates, with 14. The deal also will boost Tribune’s status as the CW network’s top distributor, with 14 stations. In addition, Tribune says that it will have five CBS stations, three for ABC, two for NBC, and four independents. “This is a transformational acquisition for Tribune — it makes us the #1 local TV affiliate group in America, expands the distribution platform for our high-quality video content, and extends the reach of our digital products to new audiences across the country,” Tribune CEO Peter Liguori says. The companies »
- DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Hot TV Teaser: 007 Biopic ‘Fleming’
6 hours ago
Dominic Cooper plays James Bond creator Ian Fleming in Sky Atlantic and BBC America‘s Fleming. The biopic takes a no holds barred look at the 007 master and his early life set against the permissive society of war-torn WWII London. Per BBC America, Cooper will play him as a man “whose real life was as exciting, eventful and sexually charged as his famous creation.” Also starring are Annabelle Wallis, Lara Pulver, Samuel West, Lelsley Manville, Rupert Evans and Anna Chancellor. The four-part mini debuts next year in the U.S. and the UK. Here’s a quick teaser Sky released today. »
- NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
Netflix Snags Fox’s ‘New Girl’ In Multi-Year Deal
7 hours ago
New Girl is coming to Netflix starting today. The streaming service and Fox have inked a multi-year deal to bring the network’s highest rated comedy to the subscription-based digital outlet. The first season of the Chernin Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV-produced series from creator Liz Meriwether will be available July 1 with subsequent cycles like the recently ended Season 2 to follow after their broadcast season is complete. “New Girl has proven to be the biggest breakout sitcom hit of the season and we are thrilled to be able offer it so quickly to our U.S. subscribers,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos in a statement. “We are delighted that Netflix viewers will now have the opportunity to enjoy this remarkable comedy. As a leader in digital distribution, Netflix is an important partner for us. We are thrilled to continue building our relationship with them,” added Fox »
- DOMINIC PATTEN
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