The News í Perspective on the News How CBS Stood Up to the ?NBC's aced V -Chip of 'ER' Its Day p.20 I,hI1I1InmilllIuIIIl Eco75184 AUG96 DEF546+**CR39 JOIN C JOHNSON K7FQ-TV 67 NEPTUNE DLVC BILLINGS: PIT 59105-2129 www.americanradiohistory.com O V E R 50% S O L D I N JUST These station groups have already seen the T O N le 4 The Phenomenal RYSHER FNTEÑrINMCNT Chris -Craft Television Productions, Inc. _ United Entertainment Group, Inc. C1996 Rysher Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. www.americanradiohistory.com FOUR WEEKS! IN THE D light: CHRIS -CRA =T RENAISSANCE RIVER CITY LIN LII I VERSE H Daily Newsmagazine www.americanradiohistory.com Must Reading from BROADCASTING & CABLE Fast Pack February 26,1996 Shaking up the guard at NBC With ABC in second for the season in households and adults 18-49, new chief Michael Eisner promises that the network's prime time woes will "never happen again." / 5 lger: Auction could kill free TV The broadcasting industry may not survive if Congress decides to auction digital TV spectrum, CapCities /ABC President Robert Iger says. Meanwhile, broadcast lobbyists are confident that they have held off Congress's latest effort to put digital spectrum on the auction block. / 8,15 Networks' ad gain modest The Big Three networks showed a modest 3% ad rev- enue gain in 1995, according to the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association. Remembering the 1969 con- Declines in news, sports and children's programing were offset by gains in prime time. frontation over the First Amend- late night and early morning. / 9 ment between then -CBS p-esi- dent Frank Stanton (abovel and TCI may join DBS venture TCI may join News Corp. and MCI's DBS joint ven- Sen. John Pastore. BROacC-AST- ING & CABLE Editor Don West ture. TCI could provide a valuable asset to the partners via its subsidiary company, says this time. with the V- chip, Tempo, which is sitting on two as- yet -unlaunched DBS satellites. /12 the stakes are higher. 2C COVER STORY CABLE NBC preens in High court heats access arguments Several prime time NBC's Supreme Court justices appear to disagree with defenders rivals could have a of FCC rules authorizing cable systems to restrict indecent long wait to reclaim comment on leased- and public- access channels. /42 the ratings crown. The Table time approaches for Peacock Network is retrain Broadcasters and cable spreading its wings in operators are heading to the table prime time and late again over must carry/ retransmis- night, building a sion consent, with some predicting a dynasty that may rival less contentious meeting than the its dominance in the last time around. 46 1980s. "We'd like to / think we're poised for Anne Sweeney will leave (X Networrrs ro Don Ohlmeyer (I) and Warren run The Disney Channel and be executive Littlefield say they left nothing to another big run," Don VP of Disney ABC Cable Networks. 46 chance in boosting NBC's ratings. Ohlmeyer says. / 26 ligenTlet BROADCASTING BA plans first network launches Norfolk, Va.. Big Ticket's full house With its early success in the and Philadelphia will see major deployment of Bell first -run market, Spelling's Big Ticket Television may Atlantic's commercial video service next year, including turn more attention to syndication. / 30 true video on demand. / 52 Show hopes hinge on February books Many TECHNOLOGY market broadcasters are postponing fall program- major- Conus compresses in Washington Conus ing decisions until the February sweeps are over. This is Communications soon will become the first domestic giving syndicators grief, but others say the lackluster per- news organization to employ MPEG -2 for mass feed dis- formance of this season's new shows has forced the more tribution. /56 pragmatic approach. / 31 Hands 34 Fates & Fortunes ...... ...74 Radio may be underplayed Radio's lower prices Changing lead some would -be advertising clients to perceive radio Classified 60 In Brief 76 ads as less effective, an agency representative told sales Closed Circuit 77 Network Ratings 33 executives at a Radio Advertising Bureau conference. /38 Editorials 78 Washington Watch 23 4 February 261996 Broadcasting A Cable www.americanradiohistory.com Shaking up of the guard at ABC Eisner, Iger blast network performance; McDermott expected to he named to entertainment post; Harbert staying on, says Iger By Steve Coe development and production for NBC as senior vice presi- Disney put its imprimatur on ABC dent, leaving to take over the last week in public and in private entertainment presidency, as executives expressed dissatis- replacing longtime ABC faction with the network's prime time executive Ted Harbert. performance and appeared poised to Despite earlier reports that sign NBC programing executive Jamie Harbert might be leaving, he McDermott as president of its entertain- received votes of confidence ment division. on several fronts last week. It One season removed from its first was speculated that he would ABC Entertainment President Ted Harbert may be place finish in households and adults be bumped up to a newly cre- named chairman of ABC Entertainment; NBC's 18 -49, ABC is in second for the season ated post as chairman of the McDermott said to be on tap to succeed him. in both categories behind NBC and division. tives were not acknowledging any third among key demographics in the By week's end, NBC had agreed to a negotiations with McDermott, David February sweeps. ABC chief Bob Iger leave of absence for the 31- year -old Westin, president, ABC TV Network called the performance "unaccept- McDermott to allow her to "think about Group, said the network considers her able." Disney chief Michael Eisner my plans for the future," according to a a talented executive and would "love to said it would "never happen again." joint statement issued by McDermott have her." Sources confirmed that Dis- The word early last week had and the network last Thursday. ney has indeed held informal conversa- McDermott, who oversees series Although ABC and Disney execu- tions with McDermott, although corn- ABC offers mea culpa to affiliates ABC dropped the ball in programing the Febru- and chairman of the ABC Affiliate Board of ary sweeps, its executives told affiliates con- Governors, said: "What you want to hear as vened in Dallas last week for the network's win- an affiliate is that you and the network view ter meeting. And according to affiliates in atten- the data in the same way, and we do. They dance, Disney chief executive Michael Eisner get it. [The network's performance] is unac- said it would "never happen again." ceptable, and the top priority is to fix it." That kird of talk thrilled the affiliates, who, Ted Harbert, who led the programing pre- despite current prime time performance sentation (even joking about his being "under woes, appeared to come away from the fire "), told affiliates that the Lonesome Dove meeting enthusiastic and satisfied that the "prequel" would lead off the May sweeps and network is on the same page as the affiliates Eisner promised a daytime talk show with Marilyn Kentz and in terms of problems to be addressed. ABC affiliates better Caryl Kristensen (formerly of The Mommies) sweeps to Eisner, Disney President Michael Ovitz come. would debut June 10. Harbert also said the and retired Capital Cities /ABC chairman and Disney network was committed to a new Dana Carvey comedy board member Thomas Murphy were linked to the on Tuesday nights this fall. meeting by satellite. They stressed that ABC is a top ABC News President Roone Arledege made a pre- priority at Disney and that the number -one goal is to sentation on the planned 24 -hour news channel, saying right its pr me time course. the network was counting on extensive affiliate partici- Affiliates previewed three prime time shows debuting pation. He said affiliates would program huge blocks of in March: two Henson shows for Friday night-Muppets time on the channel, particularly when major stories Tonight and Aliens in the Family-and a new Monday break in their markets. He didn't spell out the business night Murder One lead -in, High Incident, a sort of NYPD deal for affiliate participation. Bluerrteets -Cops. Station executives said they liked Executives also said the network would roll out, by what they saw. region, a digital feed to affiliates starting in 1997, begin- "lt was 3 good meeting, much more so than anyone ning with the West Coast and working eastward. More expected, considering the struggles of February," said details will be released at next month's NAB conven- Paul La Camera, VP /GM of WCVB -TV Boston. Andrew tion. One issue to be settled is who will pay for new Fisher, executive vice president, Cox Broadcasting, receivers needed. -SM Broadcasting & Cable February 26 1996 5 www.americanradiohistory.com AVA A CONSTANT C PRODUCTION, AN ANBLIN TELEVISION PRODUCTION IN <S:OCIATION WITH WARNER BROS. TELEVISION. www.americanradiohistory.com Telepictures A Tune WA rar En1a*B :ompeny Pity Ytr81212 626980 Lot Anyaaa181819585228 CNCayoP521e80d6n www.americanradiohistory.com op pany officials have been careful not to give that impression. NBC tops ABC in sweeps, season ABC affiliates gathered in Dallas last week were told by Eisner (via It's a cliche to say that the TV network satellite) that the network's current business is cyclical, but it's also true. prime time woes will "never happen Just ask ABC. A year ago it was on top: again." Despite the network's prob- this season. NBC has toppled the Dis- lems, Eisner and Westin made a point ney -owned network from the ratings of giving Harbert a vote of confidence.