television – News Stories About television - Page 61

Chavez Bans Simpsons, Brings in Baywatch Babes

Apr 9, 2008 11:41 AM CDT

Chavez Bans Simpsons, Brings in Baywatch Babes

Chavez takes unsuitable cartoon off air, tells kids to watch 'Baywatch' instead

(Newser) - Hugo Chavez has bumped pudgy Homer Simpson from Venezuela's airwaves, reports the Times of London, opting instead for the decidedly more fit and furry David Hasselhoff. The dysfunctional Simpsons were deemed "inappropriate" for kiddies watching the morning TV lineup, but were replaced with the entirely, er, wholesome "Baywatch...

For Healthier Teens,
Keep the TV in the Den

Apr 7, 2008 12:55 PM CDT

For Healthier Teens, Keep the TV in the Den

Older adolescents who watch in their bedrooms pick up bad habits with the remote

(Newser) - Older teens feeling too fit, well nourished, and smart can turn all that around with one simple move: install a TV in the bedroom. Kids 15 to 18 with a boob tube in the boudoir were twice as likely to watch 5 or more hours a day than those who...

It's No Joke: Colbert Boosts Democracy

book review

Apr 5, 2008 6:42 PM CDT

It's No Joke: Colbert Boosts Democracy

New book blasts talk shows but hails political satire

(Newser) - Political satire that "means it" is missing from late-night TV, Russell L. Peterson argues in his new book, Strange Bedfellows: How Late-Night Comedy Turns Democracy Into a Joke. In Salon, Louis Bayard applauds Bedfellows for advancing a "decidedly moral argument," even if it undervalues Conan O'Brien and...

Justice Dept. Sues Fox
Over Raunchy
Reality Show

Apr 5, 2008 8:37 AM CDT

Justice Dept. Sues Fox Over Raunchy Reality Show

Latest round in indecency battle

(Newser) - The Justice Department has stepped in to force Fox to pay up $56,000 in indecency fines levied by the FCC but challenged by the broadcaster, Variety reports. Eight Fox-owned stations are being sued to collect fines for a 2003 episode of "Married by America" that featured men at...

Battlestar Returns to Raves

tv review

Apr 4, 2008 2:58 PM CDT

Battlestar Returns to Raves

Final season starts tonight to delight of critics, fans

(Newser) - "Battlestar Galactica," the sci-fi show that has gained cult status and critical acclaim by dabbling in morality, physics, and evil robots, embarks on its fourth and final season tonight. Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times calls it "one of the more beguiling series on television,"...

Reporters Wounded in Iraq Win Peabody Awards

Apr 2, 2008 4:05 PM CDT

Reporters Wounded in Iraq Win Peabody Awards

Woodruff and Dozier honored for their war reporting

(Newser) - Two journalists seriously injured in Iraq won Peabody Awards today for their stories on wounded veterans, the AP reports. Bob Woodruff of ABC and Kimberly Dozier of CBS each won for their profiles of soldiers returning home from Iraq. Woodruff suffered a brain injury in an IED attack in 2006,...

Oprah Dedicates Program to
Her Late Dog

Apr 2, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

Oprah Dedicates Program to Her Late Dog

Puppy mills probe a tribute to beloved spaniel Sophie

(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey's show on Friday will be in honor of her late cocker spaniel, Sophie, AP reports. The show features a probe into "horrific" abuses at puppy breeding mills, according to the correspondent who investigated the piece. Sophie gave me 13 years of unconditional love," said Winfrey. "...

Hamas Amps Up
Anti-Jewish Rant

Apr 1, 2008 10:32 AM CDT

Hamas Amps Up Anti-Jewish Rant

Hatred of Jews pervades media in Gaza, worries Fatah

(Newser) - In the 15 years since the Oslo accords, the Palestinian Authority under Fatah has tamped down anti-Semitic rhetoric. But in Hamas-controlled Gaza, incitement to violence against Jews has been amped up in everything from sermons to television cartoons. The New York Times investigates how virulent hatred of Jews—not just...

Networks Rethink
New Shows

Mar 31, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

Networks Rethink New Shows

Writers strike shakes up how new shows are developed

(Newser) - Networks are rethinking how they develop new TV shows after the writers strike, the Wall Street Journal reports. NBC is switching to a staggered debut schedule, and many networks are shying away from traditional, expensive pilots. With fewer chances to test-drive possible shows, networks are sticking especially closely to trusted...

Kathie Lee Will Join Today: NBC

Mar 31, 2008 4:27 PM CDT

Kathie Lee Will Join Today: NBC

Veteran talk-show host returns to daytime April 7

(Newser) - Kathie Lee Gifford will rejoin morning TV on April 7, Variety reports, as a co-host of the fourth hour of NBC’s Today. Gifford, 54, will share duties with Hoda Kotb. Her kids grown, Gifford wrote on her website she's keen to return to the small screen "8 years...

AT&T Offers Mobile TV; Demand Slow on Verizon Unit

Mar 28, 2008 11:27 AM CDT

AT&T Offers Mobile TV; Demand Slow on Verizon Unit

But CNet asks: does anyone care?

(Newser) - AT&T will offer TV subscriptions on some of its cellphones starting in May. The 10-channel service will be available for the LG Vu and the Samsung Access handsets. The company won’t release prices until May, but Verizon charges $15 for a similar service. The question—especially in a...

TV Newbie Verizon to FCC: Help Cable Users Switch

Mar 27, 2008 1:26 PM CDT

TV Newbie Verizon to FCC: Help Cable Users Switch

Move highlights telecom turf war

(Newser) - As Verizon rolls out its subscription-TV service, the company has asked the FCC to make the switch from cable easier for consumers, the Washington Post reports. In its petition, Verizon asked for the authority to shut off its customers’ cable services on their behalf, arguing that the switchover process is...

South Park Online? Sweet!

opinion

Mar 25, 2008 12:14 PM CDT

South Park Online? Sweet!

Every episode is now legally watchable

(Newser) - Every episode of South Park is now available online on one (legal) website. The South Park Studios production company site features every full episode of the show and about 3,000 embeddable clips. CNET blogger Harrison Hoffman wonders why the full shows aren't also embeddable. "Their reach may suffer...

Britney Solid in
TV Cameo

Mar 25, 2008 9:51 AM CDT

Britney Solid in TV Cameo

Troubled star back on TV, acting normally this time

(Newser) - Britney Spears looked "fresh-faced and relaxed" in her role on How I Met Your Mother last night, AP reports. The pop tart played a love-struck receptionist with a big crush on Josh Radnor in her cameo on the CBS sitcom. Reviewers—relieved to see Britney on-screen and acting normally—...

NBC Splits Off Studio for Cable

Mar 25, 2008 2:55 AM CDT

NBC Splits Off Studio for Cable

Shake-up hands key role to Sci-Fi channel boss

(Newser) - NBC is splitting its TV production unit into two companies. The units will share the same resources, but will be divided into separate cable and broadcast operations, according to the Hollywood Reporter. NBC's cable channels have been reaping the profits of hits like Battlestar Galactica and Monk, while its broadcast...

Writers Strike Breathes
New Life Into Scrubs

Television

Mar 24, 2008 11:58 AM CDT

Writers Strike Breathes New Life Into Scrubs

Sitcom poised to wring 8th season out of new network

(Newser) - The Writers Guild strike not only didn't deliver the death blow to Scrubs—it may have resurrected the veteran sitcom, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Production restarted today on the show, which NBC had already decided not to renew beyond a handful of episodes left over from before the job...

Seacrest Media Empire Still Expanding

Mar 23, 2008 7:07 PM CDT

Seacrest Media Empire Still Expanding

'American Idol' host runs 6 companies and wants to 'try everything'

(Newser) - Ryan Seacrest has a mission, and he’s proud to admit it: He aims to be the Dick Clark, Merv Griffin, and Larry King of his generation. Since childhood, the "American Idol" host has plotted every step to get closer to his goal, writes Tom Shales in the Washington ...

It's Not Too Late
for Old School Technology

opinion

Mar 23, 2008 4:17 PM CDT

It's Not Too Late for Old School Technology

If inventions can evolve, they can survive, says New York Times

(Newser) - Older technologies frequently face predictions of their demise as they are replaced with cutting-edge innovations, but so-called progress is rarely the sea change it’s chalked up to be, writes Steve Lohr in the New York Times. If old tech can adapt, it can often stay alive. Case in point:...

You Can Call Him (Judge) Al

Mar 23, 2008 12:01 PM CDT

You Can Call Him (Judge) Al

D'Amato is in talks to start a hyper-lucrative daytime court show a la Judge Judy

(Newser) - As if fathering a child at age 70 weren't enough drama, now Alfonse D'Amato might get benched: The former senator is in talks to start a daytime court TV show, the New York Daily News reports. And lest his following in the footsteps of Wapner incites too many snickers, such...

HBO Struggles for Post-Sopranos Hits

Mar 22, 2008 8:50 AM CDT

HBO Struggles for Post-Sopranos Hits

New management picks a new crop of shows, hoping for a winner

(Newser) - HBO, at 36 years old no longer a bold young upstart of a network, is struggling to come up with hits to match The Sopranos and Sex & The City, the Wall Street Journal reports. Changes in the top ranks have meant shifts in direction: The Texas-set Lily Tomlin drama...