Coda

Washington — About a dozen independent cable networks have formed their own trade group, which is already asking the Federal Communications Commission for reforms to curb program-tying practices.

The indie cable channels said that they have created the National Association of Independent Networks (NAIN), whose founding members include WealthTV, HDNet, the Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network and The Horror Channel.

The coalition has raised about $500,000, and plans to hire a full-time president for the group, based in Washington.

Some of the participating networks met with FCC chairman Kevin Martin last week, along with members of the American Cable Association, to express their support for a more competitive television programming environment.

According to WealthTV president Charles Herring, NAIN spoke out against the practice called “program tying,” in which large media companies require cable operators to carry less-desired channels in order to receive more popular ones. The practice of “program tying” consumes bandwidth, limiting cable companies from considering other programming choices and stifling competition, NAIN alleges.

The independent programmers are also urging action to improve enforcement of the 1992 Cable Act, and streamline the FCC’s rules that protect independent networks from illegal program-carriage decisions.

— Linda Moss

Washington — DirecTV is fighting a proposed regulation from the Federal Communications Commission related to the duplicative carriage of digital TV stations’ signals in high-definition and standard-definition formats.

In a filing last week, DirecTV told the FCC the proposal was burdensome, highly likely a violation of the First Amendment and best resolved by letting satellite subscribers upgrade their set-top box equipment.

“The [FCC] proposes an intrusion on satellite carriers’ First Amendment rights that is far from 'minimal,’ and would be far greater than that imposed on cable operators,” DirecTV said in its filing.

A few months ago, the FCC adopted a local-market rule that requires DirecTV and Dish Network to carry all stations transmitting in HD if they elected to carry even one station transmitting in HD. However, full implementation is phased in over four years, following the Feb. 17, 2009 DTV transition.

In addition to that mandate, the FCC is now proposing a rule under which satellite carriers would be required, in DirecTV’s words, to “carry all local broadcast stations in both HD and SD format if the signals of any local station in the same market are carried in both HD and SD.”

— Ted Hearn

Starz Entertainment and Lionsgate confirmed that film icon Dennis Hopper will star in Crash, a new dramatic series based on the 2005 Academy Award-winning Best Picture of the same name that will debut in October on the pay TV network.

The 13-episode, one-hour series, co-produced by Lionsgate, will be executive produced by The Shield’s Glen Mazzara and will include executive producers Paul Haggis, who directed and co-wrote the original film, Bob Yari and Bobby Moresco. Co-executive producers include Don Cheadle, who co-starred in the original film, Tom Nunan, Mark Harris, Jorg Westerkamp and Thomas Becker, all of whom were key members of the Oscar-winning production team.

Production on the series is already underway in Albuquerque, N.M., with additional filming scheduled to take place in and around Los Angeles. Sanford Bookstaver (Jericho, Bones, The O.C.) will direct the series premiere.

Set in Los Angeles, the series will continue to focus on an ensemble cast of characters and explore the complexities of social tolerance in contemporary America.

Starz Media’s Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive U.S. distribution rights, including home entertainment, to the Crash series, while Lionsgate will retain international distribution.

— Larry Barrett

New York — The auction for The Weather Channel continues to drag on, with reports claiming that the latest deadline for final bids was extended once again to last Friday. It appears to still be down to two bidders — NBC Universal and Time Warner Inc. — although some believe that NBC (teamed up with private equity giants Bain Capital and The Blackstone Group) has the upper hand.

Last week at the Merrill Lynch Media Conference in London, Time Warner chief financial officer John Martin said that the media giant was still interested in The Weather Channel, but he also stressed that Time Warner would be “extremely price disciplined” with any acquisition.

Owner Landmark Communications had been hoping to attract bids in the $5 billion range. At last glance, bids were in the $3.5 billion to $4 billion range.

— Mike Farrell

Silver Spring, Md. — Discovery Holding Co. and Advance/Newhouse Communications said last week they have reached an agreement to combine their interests in Discovery Communications Inc., making the group of networks a truly public separate company.

Discovery Holding will contribute its 66.7% interest in Discovery Communications and Advance/Newhouse will kick in its 33.3% interest in DCI into a newly publicly traded company, to be named Discovery Communications Inc. DCI’s current management team will fill all management positions at the new parent company.

— Mike Farrell

Washington, D.C. — Stonehenge Decoded’s premiere airing on National Geographic Channel attracted 4.6 million viewers, the best debut for a show on the network since Gospel of Judas in April 2006.

The two-hour program averaged a household rating of 1.37 and 0.92 rating among persons aged 25 to 54 during the initial airing, up 96% in the household rating and 130% in the target demographic compared to the six-week average for its time slot, the network said.

— Kent Gibbons