Entertainment Industry News

Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings: CBS Wins; ABC the Network to Beat Among Adults 18-49
Mediaweek.com – Fri Nov 6, 8:00 pm ET

-Yesterday's Winners: Survivor: Samoa (CBS), CSI (CBS), Grey's Anatomy (ABC), The Office (NBC), The Mentalist (CBS) Full Story »
Ratings Box: What's Hot/What's Not
Mediaweek.com – Fri Nov 6, 8:00 pm ET

Fox, of course, was hoping for a seven game baseball series. But the sixth, and final, World Series match-up between the Yankees and the Phillies rose to a series-high 22.66 million viewers and a 7.3 rating/20 share among adults 18-49, leading Fox to an easy Wednesday victory. Here were the network averages for Nov. 4: Full Story »
TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest
Mediaweek.com – Fri Nov 6, 8:00 pm ET

While speculation looms on the future of Oprah, spin-off Dr. Phil has been cleared by CBS Television Distribution through the 2013-14 season in approximately 70 percent of the country despite significant audience erosion this season. Season to-date, Dr. Phil is down by 15 percent in household rating (3.3 to 2.8) as 25 percent among key women 25-54 (2.0 to 1.5). Full Story »
Joe Jackson seeks allowance from son's estate
Reuters – Fri Nov 6, 7:55 pm ET

Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Joe Jackson, the elderly father of late pop star Michael Jackson, on Friday filed a court petition seeking an allowance from the singer's estate, saying his son had supported him for many years. Full Story »
Target fights Wal-Mart with $10 offers on DVDs
Reuters – Fri Nov 6, 11:35 am ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target is offering its top 10 pre-order DVD movie titles at $10 and free home delivery on the discounted DVDs in a bid to match Wal-Mart Stores price cuts ahead of the all-important holiday season. Full Story »
Court orders Beatles songs to be taken off website
Reuters – Fri Nov 6, 11:22 am ET

LONDON (Reuters) - London-based record label EMI has won an injunction against music website BlueBeat.com which it said was selling Beatles songs without its permission. Full Story »
Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings: A Ratings Grand Slam for Fox
Mediaweek.com – Thu Nov 5, 6:45 pm ET

-Yesterday's Winners: Baseball World Series, Game 6 (Fox), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS) Full Story »
"Guitar Hero" brings higher revenue for Activision
Reuters – Thu Nov 5, 6:35 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc reported a quarterly profit that matched analysts' estimates and revenue that was higher than expected, led by sales of the company's latest "Guitar Hero" offering. Full Story »
No decision yet on Oprah Winfrey move to cable
Reuters – Thu Nov 5, 6:03 pm ET

Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oprah Winfrey has not yet made a decision on a possible move of her syndicated chat show -- one of the TV industry's biggest money makers -- to her new cable network OWN, her production company said on Thursday. Full Story »
Scripps lands deal for the Travel Channel
Reuters – Thu Nov 5, 4:30 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scripps Networks Interactive Inc plans to buy a controlling stake in the Travel Channel under a deal with Cox Communications Inc that values the cable network at nearly $1 billion. Full Story »
Netflix movie streaming coming to PlayStation 3
AP – Mon Oct 26, 3:40 am ET

AP

NEW YORK - PlayStation 3 owners will soon be able to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix to their TVs using the gaming console, just as Xbox 360 owners have been able to do for a year. Full Story »
Association marks 20 years of greening Hollywood
AP – Mon Oct 26, 2:37 am ET

AP

LOS ANGELES - With local, organic food, minimal electricity use and on-site composting, the Environmental Media Association's 20th anniversary party might be the green standard for future Hollywood awards shows. Full Story »
Crowded theaters build momentum for 3-D at home
AP – Mon Oct 26, 1:13 am ET

AP

LOS ANGELES - Fans scrambled to see 3-D movies such as "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" in theaters this year and new 3-D televisions could soon have home viewers feeling as if they're surrounded by a spaghetti hurricane on their couches. Full Story »
Disney to rebrand sports complex as ESPN
Reuters – Thu Nov 5, 2:19 pm ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's sports complex in central Florida will be renamed in February after its ESPN unit, in a move to strengthen the well-known sports brand's ties with young athletes. Full Story »
Trade association asks for probe of book price war
AP – Thu Oct 22, 11:20 pm ET

AP

NEW YORK - A trade organization wants the government to look into the price war among online booksellers. Full Story »
Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings: CBS Wins; Strong Initial Sampling for ABC's V
Mediaweek.com – Wed Nov 4, 6:22 pm ET

-Yesterday's Winners: NCIS (CBS), V (ABC), The Biggest Loser (NBC), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS) Full Story »
Artist admits using other photo for 'Hope' poster
AP – Sat Oct 17, 4:17 am ET

AP

NEW YORK - The artist who designed the famous Barack Obama "HOPE" poster has admitted he didn't use the Associated Press photo he originally said his work was based on but instead used a picture the news organization has claimed was his source. Full Story »
National Ratings in Prime-Time: Week of October 26, 2009
Mediaweek.com – Wed Nov 4, 6:22 pm ET

Led by games one through four of The Baseball World Series (New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies), it was a clean sweep for Fox, with a first-place finish in households, total viewers and the three key demos -- adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. Compared to the year-ago week (when there was only the fifth -- and final -- game of Tampa Bay at Philadelphia in The World Series), Fox increased by as much as 54 percent in total viewers. Needless to say, the network is certainly hoping for a seven game series. ... Full Story »