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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: network television

network television stories: 68 news summaries

1 - 20 of 68 Stories | 1 2 3 4 Next >>

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 Emotional Oprah: 'It's Time' 

Winfrey tells fans 25 seasons the 'perfect number' to end on

11 hours, 49 minutes ago
(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey fought back tears today as she officially announced the end of her show, telling the audience the decision came from the heart. “You may hear speculation in the press about why I am making this decision,” she said. “Here is the real reason: I love... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Oprah Winfrey • talk show • TV industry • Oprah Winfrey Network • network television

Analysis

By Ending Show, Oprah Bets Big on Cable

Move will wound ABC, CBS—and Winfrey?

15 hours, 0 minutes ago
(Newser) - Oprah's decision to end her network show in 2011 is a risky bet on cable TV that will cost CBS millions of dollars and ABC stations millions of viewers. Oprah will concentrate solely on her long-delayed cable channel, OWN, though it’s not clear how yet. She’s told her... More »

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CBS • cable TV • ABC • Oprah Winfrey • Discovery Communications • TV industry • Oprah Winfrey Network • network television • Discovery Networks

 Jay Leno Not the Only Prime-Time Loser 

Networks retune their lineup to court young viewers

Nov 16, 09 9:54 AM CST
(Newser) - Network TV's big hits—Modern Family, The Cleveland Show, NCIS: Los Angeles—join a pack of losers and losing news: NBC viewership is down 10% among young adults, ABC and CBS have slipped, too, and Eastwick, Hank, and Trauma have already been canceled. The LA Times surveys the playing... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • NBC • CBS • Jay Leno • TV ratings • network television • The Jay Leno Show • Modern Family

technical difficulties

 To Save NBC, 
 Rethink Leno Strategy 

CEO Jeff Zucker to blame for slump

Nov 9, 09 1:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Cable giant Comcast wants to buy a controlling interest in NBC Universal. Sure, the company's movie business and cable channels are appealing, but what about the broadcast network? NBC is floundering, and CEO Jeff Zucker is to blame, Mark Harris writes in New York. One big problem is The Jay ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • NBC • NBC Universal • Jeff Zucker • TV ratings • network television • The Jay Leno Show

Matthew Greenberg

 Say Goodbye 
 to NBC as We Know It 

It's probably going be more like a cable network

Oct 28, 09 1:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - Monday was a milestone for NBC’s misbegotten Leno experiment: only 4.6 million tuned in, the worst Monday of the year, writes Matthew Greenberg. This is getting so bad it may signal the beginning of the end of NBC as we know it. The network’s rationale for putting... More »

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NBC • local news • Jay Leno • TV ratings • TV industry • networks • network television • The Jay Leno Show

It's Stephanopoulos vs. Cuomo to Replace Sawyer

The two are the leading candidates for 'Good Morning America'

Oct 24, 09 2:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Diane Sawyer's impending departure for ABC's evening news leaves two top contenders for her post at Good Morning America: George Stephanopoulos and Chris Cuomo. Stephanopoulos has the edge, writes Howard Kurtz, because he's got the bigger name and has performed well as host of This Week. But he has one... More »

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ABC • Good Morning America • Robin Roberts • George Stephanopoulos • network television • Diane Sawyer • Chris Cuomo • morning TV

tv review

 30 Rock in Danger 
 of Growing Stale 

Tina Fey's show starts new season tonight

Oct 15, 09 4:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tina Fey and crew return tonight with the season premiere of 30 Rock, and critics are worried that the show is losing its edge:
  • Todd VanDerWerff, AV Club: "30 Rock is still nowhere near a bad show, but it risks turning into a show where one-dimensional people spend
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NBC • Alec Baldwin • Tina Fey • 30 Rock • sitcom • network television

tv preview

 'Pathetic' Seinfeld 
 Reunion Invades Curb 

HBO show resuscitates Larry David's other brainchild 10 years later

Oct 4, 09 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Tonight's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm will go farther than usual to satisfy your Seinfeld craving, but it's hardly the real thing—nor is it meant to be. The eagerly awaited reunion arc kicks off with Jerry Seinfeld himself deeming the very idea "desperate" and "pathetic,"... More »

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entertainment • television • cable TV • HBO • Jerry Seinfeld • Larry David • Curb Your Enthusiasm • Seinfeld • Julia Louis-Dreyfus • sitcom • Michael Richards • network television • sitcoms • Jason Alexander • improvisation

3-D TV Shows Promise, But Those Glasses Still a Must

You'll have stuff to watch next year—but you still need specs

Sep 26, 09 12:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - Admit it, your heart skips a beat at the prospect of a 3-D high-definition TV in your own home. And by this time next year, Sony and Panasonic will have ‘em on the market. But—and it’s a big one, even after the cost—you’re going to... More »

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entertainment • Sony • USC Trojans • Ohio State Buckeyes • Panasonic • network television • Blu-ray • movie industry • 3-D • college football • 3-D glasses • 3-D HDTV • Monsters vs Aliens • Ray-Ban

TV REVIEW

 Modern Family 
 Is 'Startlingly Good'  


Sep 23, 09 4:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - ABC's Modern Family is a critics' darling, who generally think it's a clever update of the family sitcom, and one that doesn't sacrifice the tenderness we've come to expect from the classics of the genre. A sampling:
  • The series, "with its multifamily approach and semi-documentary form, redefines, updates
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • ABC • pilot • sitcom • network television • Ed O'Neill • Modern Family • family comedy

Analysis

Leno Ratings Doomed...as Is the Future of Network TV 

Ratings may stink, but bottom line will be strong for NBC

Sep 21, 09 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - No one expects the Jay Leno Show to maintain the pumped-up ratings it got this week—not even NBC. But the low-key talk show might represent the future of network TV anyway, simply because it’s so darn cheap, writes Brian Steinberg of Advertising Age. With viewers breaking... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NBC • Jay Leno • late night host • TV industry • network television • prime time • The Jay Leno Show

 Cancer Treatment 
 Derails Tierney's 
 Return to TV 

Breast cancer will take more treatment than initially thought

Sep 11, 09 10:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Treatment for breast cancer has forced a "deeply disappointed" Maura Tierney to withdraw from a leading role in the NBC series Parenthood, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The show was originally scheduled to start airing this month, but production was pushed back to allow Tierney, 44, to undergo... More »

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cancer • entertainment • television • NBC • breast cancer • network television • Maura Tierney • Parenthood

Networks Complain About Obama Hour

Broadcasters say 'overexposed' prez wastes valuable time

Aug 3, 09 10:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - Networks are not happy about the primetime hour that President Obama's July 22 news conference took up, reports Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. Rahm Emanuel called the top brass at all three networks to ensure they carried the event. The networks both resent the pressure and complain that... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Bush administration • television • Barack Obama • NBC • CBS • ABC • press conference • Rahm Emanuel • health care reform • network television • George W. Bush • television news • Obama administration • President Obama • prime time

(Newser) - By now, we’ve gotten a pretty good look at the White House’s PR playbook, and as you may have noticed, Barack Obama gets the ball a lot. The president is everywhere, Politico reports. He’s given more interviews than any other recent president had at this point in... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • media • press conference • public relations • town hall meeting • network television • approval ratings

 Boyle Bumps Obama Presser 


Jul 22, 09 6:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Susan Boyle may have lost in the final of Britain's Got Talent, but the Scottish spinster prevailed in an even bigger battle—with Barack Obama. When the White House told TV networks it was scheduling the president's news conference for 9pm Eastern time, NBC refused on the grounds that it... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • press conference • primetime TV • network television • public schedules • Susan Boyle • Britain's Got Talent • America's Got Talent

(Newser) - The right might complain that television networks are in thrall to Barack Obama, but they have a good reason to be: the president is good for business. As Politico reports, Obama-related programs send ratings spiking—when he appeared on the Tonight Show, it had its best Friday night in 17... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Nielsen Ratings • TV ratings • Tonight Show • network television • George W. Bush • President Obama

Little People Ask FCC for
Ban on the Word 'Midget'

Group spurred to action by Celebrity Apprentice episode

Jul 6, 09 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Little People of America have filed a complaint with the FCC in an attempt to get the word “midget”—which people of exceptionally small stature see as demeaning—banned from broadcast television, Newsday reports. The LPA was moved to action by a segment on NBC’s Celebrity ... More »

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television • FCC • Celebrity Apprentice • advertisements • network television • dwarf • insult

 World Series Games 
 Get Earlier Start Time 

Games to start before 8 in the East

May 18, 09 10:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - For the first time in 34 years, World Series games will start before 8pm in the East, USA Today reports. First pitches will be thrown at 7:57 (except on Sundays, due to broadcaster Fox’s NFL coverage); in recent years, the average was around 8:30, and games often... More »

MORE ABOUT:
MLB • Bud Selig • World Series • Fox • baseball • network television

(Newser) - A mysterious bald audience member turning up on various live Fox broadcasts is a viral marketing plant—as well as an actor on the show he’s subtly promoting. Michael Cerveris, in character as “The Observer” from the sci-fi drama Fringe, has so far been spotted, well, observing football,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
television • American Idol • NASCAR • football • Fox • television watching • network television • television advertising • live television • Fringe • Michael Cerveris

OPINION

ER Finale Did What Show Did Best: Critics

Show ends doing what it does best

Apr 3, 09 1:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - ER capped 15 seasons last night with a finale that satisfied many critics happy with cameos by original cast members and the series’ trademark fast pace.
  • Alan Sepinwall, Star-Ledger: "The finale worked hard to bring as many elements from that pilot full circle as they could, while showing
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NBC • emergency room • TV shows • doctor • network television • network dramas • Noah Wyle • Eriq La Salle

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