Three's a Charm — On Tape

Local regulators may have doubts about the benefits of the Comcast Corp.-AT&T Broadband merger, but some of them are giving out thumbs-up to a video designed to persuade them to approve local ownership transfers.

Comcast Corp. chairman Ralph Roberts, president Brian Roberts and cable unit president Stephen Burke can't jointly visit each of the hundreds of local franchise authorities who must approve the deal — or LFAs to you Wire regulars addicted to acronyms (and you know who you are). Thus, the company has produced a video to speak for them. Or, to get more real, them speaking in the video.

Either way you fathom, traditionally such tapes are slickly produced, tightly edited and full of hyperbole and promise. But those who've seen this merger tape — now in transit among LFAs — say it's unscripted and, well, charming. The threesome was taped in one take. They talked to the camera and sincerely made the corporate case.

Roberts pére comes off especially well, according to some who've seen the tape.

"I would buy a used car, even an unsold timeshare from this man, it was that good," quipped one viewer.

They Call Me Mr. Gans

With a new revelation about Adelphia Communications Corp. in the headlines every day of late, it's easy for The Wire to forget there are other cable pioneers in Pennsylvania who sport some integrity — and are recognized for it.

A recent case: operator Joseph Gans, who picked up an Outstanding Business Leader award May 23 from Junior Acheivement in Wilkes-Barre. The entire Gans clan came front and center for JA's top honor presentation, as did Pennsylvania Cable & Telecommunications Association president Dan Tunnell and past president Stanley Singer. And when the PCTA's Interconnect
newsletter distributed its next issue the following week, the association made sure Gans was a front-page, column-leading item.

The Adelphia aftershock wasn't lost on PCTA's writer, in wrapping up the account of Gans' honor. "It is wonderful to see that one of our pioneers, who has given so much to this state, receives this type of recognition," the article read.

Great Minds Think Alike?

A lot of topics are touted as all-important every day, but within the last few weeks, several Web sites have been running polls on their all-important, nothing comes close inquiry: Who should Britney Spears be dating next (after Justin Timberlake)? What's this — they didn't check out VH1's Behind The Music
or TV Moments
for a clue?

Nevertheless, E! Online proceeded to ask its audience about five prospects for Ms. Spears, including E! News Live
co-anchor Steve Kmetko. Josh Harnett was the only prospect to stand above Kmetko in the final tally, and not by much — 30 percent to 28 percent. People's site, which initially put Hartnett ahead of Heath Ledger (24 percent to 20 percent), was upended by a jokester who put Hugh Hefner far ahead of Prince William (40 percent to 26 percent).

TV Guide Online's contribution to the matter had 10 contenders, with Prince William and Hartnett tied at 18 percent. But they went one better than all comers by asking whom Timberlake should date next. For that, Tara Reid, former flame of Total Request Live/Last Call
host Carson Daly, came out slightly ahead of Christina Aguilera (17 percent to 15 percent). Both TV Guide surveys generated 6,000-plus votes.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

This isn't exactly a case of all-Paul-all-the-time, but it's getting there.

To celebrate Paul McCartney's 60th birthday this month, BBC America will run at least five shows starring the ex-Beatle as he closes in on that 64 he wrote and sang about all those years ago. On the schedule: Paul McCartney Forever
and Paul McCartney: Live at the Cavern.

You could conclude that BBC America is giving Sir Paul the live-and-let-live treatment. And on that note, we'll conclude.

'Upfront: The Game'

First there was "Upfront: The Musical," a production number performed at Nickelodeon's New York upfront pitch last March. Now, there's "Upfront: The Game."

That's the video game, courtesy of G4, the Comcast Corp.-owned gaming network. Developed by AstroManic Studios, the game is available at G4's Web site.

As G4 Media senior vice president of distribution and sales Dale Hopkins positioned it: "This was a way we could engage our clients, hopefully get a laugh and still get across the message that G4 is a great way to reach the young adult demo, 12 to 34."

The game itself offers three challenge levels — The Office, The Restaurant and The Boardroom — in which media buyers get to toss everything from cell phones to calculators at ad sales people whenever they pop up to annoy with trite pitches and promises. Top scorers, by the way, will win — what else? — video game consoles and games.

Not Excited

Running a high-speed cable-modem service must have been murder on the dogs. In taking a gander through the impressive list of items offered up during the Excite@Home Corp. equipment auction last week, we came across one slightly used foot massager — obviously necessary to keep things running.

About 3,000 people logged on to or schlepped over to the abandoned digs in Redwood City, Calif., May 29 to pick the company's bones clean.

Other undecidely un-businesslike items on the block included a barbecue grill, two pool tables, a ping pong table, a foosball table, a piano with stool, various company-branded tchotkes, exercise equipment and the piece de resistance, a 1994 BMW 540i with a mere 75,000 miles on it.

And all of broadband's hopes and dreams in the glove box, no doubt.