Multichannel News

• Rural Telcos: FCC Sec. 706 Authority Covers Retrans Reform
  
  John Eggerton, February 10, 2012
  Representatives rural telecom companies met with top FCC Media Bureau staffers this week to argue that the ancillary authority the agency has asserted in taking steps to promote broadband deployment and adoption, and buttress its network neutrality regs, can be used to justify reforming retrans.
  
• EWTN Files Suit Against Goverment over Contraception Mandate
  
  MCN Staff, February 10, 2012
  EWTN Global Catholic Network has filed a lawsuit to stop the contraception mandate.
  
• MSG Ratings ‘Linning' with Knicks' New Point Guard
  
  Mike Reynolds, February 10, 2012
  With major on-court contributions keying the New York Knicks' three-game winning streaking, the emergence of Jeremy Lin is resonating with viewers.
  
• YES Commemorates 10th Anniversary with Special Logo, Programming
  
  Mike Reynolds, February 10, 2012
    Next month, the YES Network, now sporting a special logo to commemorate the occasion, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an array of appropriately-themed programming and content.
  
• Scripps: Boosting Travel Channel a Priority
  
  Jon Lafayette (Broadcasting & Cable), February 9, 2012
  Scripps Networks Interactive is mapping out a big investment in Travel Channel, with hopes that its destination will be higher ad revenues and fat affiliate fees.
  
• Broadcast-Only TV Homes With Broadband Soar: Nielsen
  
  By Todd Spangler, February 9, 2012
  The number of U.S. households with broadcast-only TV and broadband climbed 23% in the third quarter of 2011 -- although they're just 4.4% of all TV homes and the jump is not necessarily evidence of growing cord-cutting, according to Nielsen.
  
• EIC Announces TV Nominees for 16th Annual Prism Awards
  
  Tim Baysinger (Broadcasting & Cable), February 9, 2012
  The Entertainment Industries Council announced Thursday the television nominees for the 16th Annual Prism Awards.
  
• Bravo Picks Up 'Real Housewives of Miami' for Second Season
  
  Lindsay Rubino (Broadcasting & Cable), February 9, 2012
  Bravo has renewed Real Housewives of Miami, the seventh installment of the network's franchise, for a second season, with production set to begin this month.
  
• House Dems Reintroduce DISCLOSE Act
  
  John Eggerton, February 9, 2012
  House Democrats Thursday reintroduced the DISCLOSE Act (HR 4010), which would impose new reporting requirements on Super PACs.
  
• Walden: Unlicensed Spectrum Is Important, But FCC Should Not Give Away Billions
  
  John Eggerton, February 9, 2012
  As the conferees get down to the short strokes on a compromise payroll tax break extension package, the issue of unlicensed wireless is heating up.
  
• House Communications Subcommittee Skeds FCC Budget Hearing
  
  John Eggerton, February 9, 2012
  The House Communications Subcommittee has announced it will hold a hearing Feb. 16 (9 a.m.) on the budget/spending of the FCC, over which it has oversight.
  
• Second 'South Park' Attacker Pleads Guilty
  
  John Eggerton, February 9, 2012
  A second man who threatened South Park writers over an episode that featured Muhammad in a bear suit has pled guilty to making threatening communications.
  
• Cisco's Service Provider Video Sales Rebound
  
  By Todd Spangler, February 9, 2012
  Cisco Systems' cable-focused service provider video unit bounced back in the quarter ended Jan. 28 with sales up 23% -- one year after the company reported a steep drop in set-top sales -- reaching $1 billion for the period.
  
• House Members Push Unlicensed Spectrum Carve-Out
  
  John Eggerton, February 9, 2012
  Forty-two House members (39 Democrats, 3 Republicans) have sent a letter to the conferees on the payroll tax break extension package, asking that spectrum incentive auction legislation in the package allows the FCC to use some of spectrum reclaimed from that auction for unlicensed wireless.
  
• Food Heats Up Scripps Networks' Q4 Earnings Rise
  
  Jon Lafayette (Broadcasting & Cable), February 9, 2012
    Scripps Networks Interactive said its fourth-quarter profits rose on double-digit ad revenue increases at its cable networks.
  
• DirecTV Goes Wide With 'Classic' TiVo HD DVR
  
  By Todd Spangler, February 9, 2012
  DirecTV is once again offering a TiVo DVR to all its U.S. customers -- for the first time in seven years -- although the box uses TiVo's older, standard-definition user interface and lacks certain DirecTV features, including multiroom DVR.
  
• Fox News Tops Cable News with Coverage of Santorum Wins
  
  Mike Reynolds, February 9, 2012
  Rick Santorum took three GOP presidential state wins on Feb. 7, while Fox New Channel was first again throughout among the three cable news networks providing the election coverage.
  
• Nickelodeon Reveals NickMom Series Pick-Up, Development Slate
  
  Lindsay Rubino (Broadcasting & Cable), February 8, 2012
  Nickelodeon announced Wednesday a new series pick-up and development slate consisting of over 50 projects for NickMom, its primetime, ad-supported comedy block and Web site launching this fall.
  
• DOJ Set To Approve Google's Acquisition Of Motorola Mobility: Report
  
  Todd Spangler, February 8, 2012
  The U.S. Justice Department is expected to approve Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility as early as next week, although the agency will "closely monitor" how the Internet giant uses the patents it's acquiring, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.
  
• Invidi Keeps Padding Addressable-Ad Patent Portfolio
  
  By Todd Spangler, February 8, 2012
  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Invidi Technologies, a provider of addressable-advertising solutions for pay-TV operators, its sixth patent, which covers a method of delivering addressable ads in a bandwidth-efficient way.