Time Warner Enlists Networks for Internet TV Test

Les Moonves pushing for star's return, says Radar

(NEWSER) - In spite of all his tiger blood-fueled antics and misdemeanors, rumor has it that CBS wants Charlie Sheen back on Two and a Half Men. CBS head honcho Les Moonves has expressed said desire to Warner Bros. Television, the company that produces the show, a "well-placed insider" tells Radar Online . Moonves has reportedly spoken to Chuck Lorre, too, telling him "that he should 'let us handle Charlie,'" the source said. More»

Time Warner snafu gives North Carolina youths previews

(NEWSER) - Whoops! Kids watching cartoons yesterday morning may have been shocked by glimpses of something not exactly G-rated: the Playboy channel. A two-hour equipment failure allowed previews for the X-rated channel to run in the corner of two kid-specific Time Warner channels in parts of North Carolina, the News & Observer reports. "We've taken calls from concerned parents, and we understand that they are concerned,” says an exec. “We're concerned, too.” More»

News Corp. makes a deal well past original deadline

(NEWSER) - Time Warner Cable and News Corp. made a deal tonight that will keep the Fox networks on the cable giant's systems. The agreement came nearly a day after the original midnight deadline and minutes before the kickoff of the Sugar Bowl. Terms were not disclosed, but News Corp. had been demanding $1 per subscriber while Time Warner was offering around 35¢, Broadcasting & Cable reports. More»

From election-night snafus to the WGA strike

(NEWSER) - It’s been an embarrassing decade for TV networks, as the Hollywood Reporter proves with its list of the aughties’ biggest industry mistakes:

1. Hollywood writers’ strike: It was unnecessary and “mutually destructive”—and for viewers, “has there ever been a longer 14 weeks?”
2. ABC’s rejection of CSI: The show has scored $6 billion for CBS and prompted spurned producer Jerry Bruckheimer to walk out on Disney.

Cable provider keeps grip on Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV

(NEWSER) - The countdown to the New Year was a frantic one for Viacom and Time Warner. The companies had set a midnight deadline in their tense negotiations to keep Viacom’s networks—which include MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon—on the massive cable provider. As the ball dropped, Viacom granted a 1-hour extension, and the sides reached a deal soon afterward, according to the Hollywood Reporter. More»