First in Television Cable Radio Satellite at Large With
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Broadcast iñg" FIRST IN TELEVISION CABLE RADIO SATELLITE J SYNDICATION AT NATPE: THE NAME OF THE GAME IS BARTER AT LARGE WITH PARAMOUNT'S KERRY MCCLUGGAGE PASSING IN REVIEW: NEW MEMBERS OF HOUSE TELCOMSUBCOM RADIO: LARRY KING GETS A DAY JOB COLUMBIA PICTURES TELEVISION BISTRIBUTION 4-4++-+..-.E+ 3-DIGIT 554 tt,vcI1;74.rt;ìnP .1PR93 BR032 19 Ct:vT_ `1N 55430 Premiering This Week 91% e Covering A Time Trax Kung Fu: The Legend C 4 Broadcasting IILhc 7 Wg.gic ABRY Communications and Gaylord Broadcasting have signed a letter of intent for joint operation of the latter's WVTV(TV), an independent in Milwaukee. The deal calls for ABRY to lease essentially all of the station's airtime, leaving it in control of most of the sta- tion's operations -programing, advertising, pro- motion, and traffic. Gaylord, though, remains the licensee, since ABRY also owns a station in the same market -Fox affiliate WCGV -TV. The ABRY station plans to hire some of the current wvTVtTV) employes. Gaylord will retain some employes, including a station manager, since it is still the licensee, but layoffs are likely at wvTV(TV), since the purpose of this deal is to reduce costs by combining the operations of the two stations in certain areas. That old gang of departing FCC Chairman Alfred Sikes is no more. Senior adviser Ken Robinson has already left to open his own law practice. Mass media legal assistant Sandy Wil- son has joined the Mass Media Bureau to help manage the countless rulemakings implement- ing the 1992 Cable Act. Common carrier aide Carla Rath will team up with former NTIA head Talk isn't cheap. CBS Evening News compares the contracts Janice Obuchowski at her consulting firm, of the soon -to-be late -night competitors. Freedom Technologies Inc. Chief of Staff Terry Haines and personal assistant Elaine Lorentz are still undecided. Another Sikes appointee, Linda Solheim, director of the Office of Legis- LETFERMAN JUMPS TO CBS lative Affairs, is now employed at The Jeffer- son Group, a Washington consulting/lobbying New show will run head -to -head against Leno; affiliates warned firm, as VP, federal communications. about clearances; Lorne Michaels to fill NBC's late -night void Compliance with the Cable Act's anti -buy. through provision, which prohibits cable op- By Steve Coe situation better and, when asked if he now feels erators from forcing subscribers to buy any tier secure, said, "Yeah, sure, the way Saddam Hus- of service -other than basic -to obtain pro- CBS is taking a $42 million gamble that David sein feels secure." graming offered on a per- channel or per -pro- Letterman will catapult the network to the top At a press conference in New York City imme- gram basis, will cost systems $260 million - of the late -night heap, a daypart where it has diately following the NBC announcement and $580 million annually during the 10 -year never really been a player. press conference in Santa Monica, Calif., Letter- phase -in period, NCTA told the FCC last week. Meanwhile, NBC, which already lost its prime man was joined by Lary Tisch, chairman, presi- The nation's largest MSO, Tele- Communica- time franchise Cheers earlier this year, decided to dent and chief executive officer, CBS Inc., How- tions Inc., said it would offer a basic tier at $10 stick with Jay Leno for the 11:30 p.m. slot. NBC ard Stringer, president, CBS Broadcast Group, with no buy -through requirement (see story, Entertainment President Warren Littlefield, in an- and Late Night with David Letterman executive page 8). But most systems, NCTA said, have nouncing Letterman's departure last Thursday producers Peter Lassally and Bob Morton. Letter- technical limitations that make compliance (Jan. 14), said Saturday Night Live executive pro- man acknowledged that since he was passed over costly, which could mean higher rates. ducer Lome Michaels will produce a show for the for the Tonight Show post that went to Leno, Home Box Office has extended its six -year 12:30 slot vacated by Letterman. "I've been kind of interested in doing an earlier couldn't be happier to be joining show. When I with 11 licensing, agreement for exclusive domestic "I CBS," began the 12:30 a.m. show Letterman said. long admired the network- years ago, I was a man. Now I'm 45 and pay -TV rights to Paramount Pictures' theat- "I've younger and now, thank God, at last, the chance to be on I think 12:30 might need a younger person." rical titles through 1997 in a deal said to be Circus of the Stars." Letterman's four -year deal Despite the highly publicized, drawn -out nego- worth more than $500 million. The original with CBS gives him a $14 million -$16 million tiations, Letterman denied any hard feelings to- deal giving exclusive pay -TV rights to Home annual salary, plus the chance to develop a com- ward NBC. don't begrudge NBC anything. The Box Office services HBO and Cinemax was set "I panion show airing after his 1 1:30 p.m. program. negotiations went the last minute, and at an estimated $500 million. The extension on until Leno, who seemed to have been left dangling by NBC conducted themselves honorably. It's just does not include international pay -TV rights to NBC until last Wednesday, earns a reported $3 that I wanted to do an 11:30 p.m. show, and when Paramount titles, although HBO is believed to million a year. you get the chance to do it and do it at the top - be working on a separate deal for those rights. "Welcome to NBC, which means Never Be- rated network, you can't ask for anything more For more late- breaking In Briefs, see pages lieve your Contract," said Leno upon being intro- than that." 121 and 122. duced to the media by Littlefield. Leno admitted Letterman admitted feeling disappointed that he he "would've felt better" if NBC had handled the was not chosen to succeed Johnny Carson at the ohiroW4J:L= :' 1GL 'GFt'i 142 Blue -Chip Stations f The Country. tinues Babylon 5 The Wild West WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION A Time Warner Entertainment Compam '' 1 W 3 Warner Bus. All Rights Reserved. 18. 1993 TOP OF THE WEEK enough to justify the economics. It will be tough." NBC, which for more than 11 years has held the strongest late -night lineup in television history, must move quickly to fill the 12:30 a.m. slot. Littlefield said the new Lome Michaels project will debut sometime before fall. As for speculation that comedian Dana Carvey would host a late -night show, Littlefield would say only that Carvey would do a television pro- ject, but would not elaborate on when the project would be produced or in which daypart it would air. Littlefield was introduced on Thursday by the cast of Seinfeld, which comedian Jerry Seinfeld called "one of the few bright spots remaining on with new Howard Stringer (at podi- At an L.A. press conference, Leno takes the stage Letterman bosses the network." Prior to accepting questions, Little- um) and Larry Tisch Thursday night in New York. with Littlefield after riding in on a Harley Davidson. field announced new comedy series projects star- Tonight Show, but said he feels no bitterness. ring John Larroquette, who appeared on NBC's NBC will test a handful of serialized dramas, each There are still questions to be answered about Night Court, and George Wendt of Cheers. The six weeks in length, under the banner Great Es- the new CBS show, although one thing is clear: it Larroquette project will be created and written by capes. All of the shows are being produced by will not be called Late Night with David Letter- Don Reo and executive produced by Reo, Larro- NBC Productions. The first, will debut in August, man, since NBC owns the name and will retain quette, Tony Thomas and Paul Witt. With a work- and each of the short-Flight series is designed to those rights, at least in the short term. Letterman ing title of Crossroads, Larroquette will play a function as a pilot for potential series. acknowledged that a name change is in order, and character who has hit rock bottom and tries to get Littlefield also announced that Steven Bochco joked that he and the producers would try to work his life back in order while working as the night will return to oversee L.A. Law for the final eight the name Joey Buttafuoco into the new title. The manager at an urban bus station. No producers episodes of this season. Also returning to the show location of the CBS show is yet to be determined, have been joined with Wendt's series project, will be writer /producer Bill Finkelstein, who won as well as whether NBC will also hold the rights to although he may team with several Cheers staff Emmy's during his stint on the show and who now such as certain Late Night sketches like "stupid members after the show's final season. oversees the Steven Bochco- produced Civil pet tricks" and the popular top -I0 lists. In an effort to address its Friday night woes, Wars. Letterman's CBS show is expected to debut in the fall and, according to Tony Malara, president, CBS affiliate relations, will have 65% live clear- ance and 90% total clearance, compared with the 39% live clearance and 80% total clearance for Crimetime After Primetime, the current holder of the time period.