Now They're Talking 2
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ORAIAN B. REARS LIBRARY - SIOUX FALLS COLLES $3.95 3 1590 00055 5220 e Newsweekly of Teleaísió and Radio I. 1 5 No.46 65th Year 1995 A Cal,nl,rs Publication Mears Library 51OUX FA UN1Vf R517Y OF 1101 West 22nd 7 169 Sioux F311<, 5 05 onsibility and the future Syndication: ******+** *5 -DIGIT 57105 IihIIIii, luiIIIIIi ;iulllllnlliIlnnliliilliIINd First run running over BC198902 NOV96 REG472**CR18 UNIV OF SIOUX FALLS NORMAN B MEARS LIBRARY 1501 S PRAIRIE AVE SIOUX FALLS, SD 57105 -1623 First there was 6 (mhz), now they're talking 2 s -4 CASTLE ROCK. óa NvkAnt t 1995 Tornee Program Samcaa. Inc, M R*9S Flamed Must Reading from BROADCASTING & CABLE nisi lack November 13, 7995 TOP OF THE WEEK Spectrum In play Congressional budget -writers last week agreed to direct the FCC to study digital TV broadcast- ing, including spectrum auctions. / 4 Group W/CBS team to be named Peter Lund of CBS/Broadcast Group, Bill Korn of Westinghouse Broad- casting and CBS Entertainment's Leslie Moonves are expected 18 more members were to run the merged Westinghouse/CBS assets. / 6 inducted into BROAD - CASTING & CABLE'S Trinity renewal denied An FCC administrative law judge Hall of Fame last week. /20 denied renewal of wHFT Miami, saying Trinity Broadcasting used a minority licenseholder to evade ownership caps. / 8 FCC squabbles over kids TV Three FCC commissioners asked Chairman Reed Hundt to take back a request made to the networks for information on children's educational TV. /32 BROADCASTING SPECIAL REPOR i Hispanic broadcasting Hispanic TV network Telemundo is planning to make its Syndicators on a first-run roll The director of the most serious run in years at rival Univision. But the gap it first "Mad Max" movie will produce and direct a weekly must cross is a large one: Univision claims 75% of His- action hour based on the film. Other first -run syndicated panic viewers, Nielsen says. Meanwhile, Spanish -lan- series in the works for next fall are MCA's reality strip guage cable networks continue to build cable carriage in Justice and ITC's Beach Patrol. / 50 the U.S. while developing specialized programing for Look who's talking now niche audiences. / 70, 72 Tammy Faye Messner-former- CABLE ly Bakker-gets her own "squeaky- clean" talk hour íX won't pull on uniform Despite Fox's plans to with Jim J. Bullock. Syndi- form a cable sports network with TCI, the fourth network Spumco- an 82 cators have launched two the Ren & has no plans to remake fX as ESPN. / other talkers, one with author Stimpy' z studio -is TECHNOLOGY John Bradshaw and the other animating with comedian Teddy three new prrjects, including Digital `Fever' Garth Brooks's latest single, "The super-porcine 'He Hog.' / 56 Carpenter. / 54 Fever," was distributed simultaneously to radio stations all over the country via the DG Systems digital network, STORY COVER eliminating the vagaries of mail delivery. 88 Murphy: Broadcasters' / broadcaster Telem ,, Thomas S. Murphy, chairman/ et CEO of Capital Cities /ABC, is Companies unite to integrate Nortel and Antec at the pinnacle of his career, have joined to bid against companies including AT &T, overseeing the dramatic im- Scientific -Atlanta and General Instrument for systems - provement in the company's integration contracts. 93 cable profits and good perfor- / mance by ABC owned- and -op- Dialing for games Interactive Television Network Thomas Murphy on his erated stations. Those factors will test its low -tech way to play interactive games, in- plans for CapCitles/ made the in the $ I9 ABC's merger with Dis- difference cluding blackjack and trivia, over TV. The only equipment ney: "l plan to take as billion commanded for the corn- required of the cable subscriber is a telephone. / 94 much in Disney stock pany's recent merger with Dis- as they'll let me. "/48 ney. Murphy praises the compa- Changing Hands 63 Editorials 118 nies' coming together, saying, "The people in control Classified 96 Fates & Fortunes 114 the business we're in." Cover photo really understand Closed Circuit 100 In Brief 115 by Steve WinterBlackStar 40 / Datebook 112 Washington Watch 36 Broadcasting & Cable November 13 1995 3 Hill leaves FCC door ajar to DTV auctions Broadcasters hear warning of plans to shrink second channel, losing HDTV capability By Chris McConnell and would have broadcasters Christopher Stern required Con- that their digital gress to revisit spectrum might Congress handed broadcasters a the issue before be auctioned or setback last Friday by adopting any licenses parceled into language that leaves them were awarded. tiny bits. exposed for at least another year to an Broadcast Auctions of auction of digital spectrum. lobbyists were the digital spec- The agreement directs the FCC to disappointed trum "could kill study whether TV stations should bid that Congress the public's for spectrum rather than receive it free did not slam the free, universal as now proposed. But no second -chan- door on spec- service as we nel auction can take place unless Con- trum auctions. Pressler Hundt know it," Asso- gress authorizes a broadcast spectrum "Broadcasters ciation for Maxi- sale. Auction supporters say the digital were rolled," said one observer. But oth- mum Service Television Chairman spectrum could be worth as much as ers expressed confidence that Congress Edward Reilly said in opening the $100 billion. would ultimately give TV stations digi- association's ATV Update conference. Under terms of the agreement, the tal channels, regardless of the FCC rec- "The Senate language would snatch FCC will not award any digital TV ommendation. defeat from the jaws of victory," Reilly licenses until November 1996. The pro- The action places FCC Chairman added, urging the audience to get vision worked out last Friday is a partial Reed Hundt in a position of advantage. involved in the industry's campaign to victory for Senate Commerce Commit- Two weeks ago, he told Pressler that secure the second channel. tee Chairman Larry Pressler (R- S.D.), his plan for the FCC study had "real Broadcasters also are worried that who wanted to delay the allotment of merit." The commission already has their 6 mhz second channel could be digital TV licenses until Jan. 1, 1998. launched a proceeding to set rules on shrinking. Several lobbyists last week Pressler originally wanted the study to digital TV implementation. reported that Capitol Hill staffers were be conducted with an eye toward auc- Word of the compromise language eying smaller spectrum parcels as an tions and also had favored language that followed a week of worry among alternative to assigning each broadcast- er a 6 mhz slice of spectrum. The alternative -aimed at conserv- ing frequencies -would call for the Update on ATV industry to deliver digital, "standard - Broadcasters last week got a look at a definition" pictures over the smaller new transmission technology that engi- channels rather than the HDTV pro- neeers say will cut the cost of delivering grams or multiple streams of SDTV digital TV. possible over a 6 mhz channel. Discussing the transmission cost Broadcasters and others stressed that issue at last week's ATV Update con- channels of less than 6 mhz would ference, CBS's Joseph Flaherty foreclose the option of delivering high- showed broadcasters a Westinghouse definition TV or using the Grand A new transmission module will cut semiconductor module that will allow Alliance transmission system. transmission costs, engineers say. digital transmitters to operate at higher Although the system can deliver sever- temperatures. Engineers say the al standard TV channels within 6 mhz, amplifier will reduce transmitter costs by cutting down on the number of it does not work over smaller channels. components needed in a transmitter and the unit's cooling requirements. "Instead, an entirely new transmission "It moves the technology along," said PBS engineer Ed Williams. "It's a system would have to be designed and welcome addition to bring in a new technology that will permit high effi- tested," said Advisory Committee on ciency and lower costs." -CM Advanced Television Service Chair- man Richard Wiley. 4 November 13 1995 Broadcasting & Cable THE PROGRAMING VOID THAT PRECEDES THE NEWS. It's Lund, Korn, Moonves: The top of Group W/CBS Management team may be set next week for merged broadcasting operation By Steve McClellan turning the network around -as well as rule changes). Mason likely would specific management roles -as soon as take charge of the CBS radio networks Westinghouse Electric is expect- the FCC rules on the planned merger- as well. ed to announce as early as next expected as early as Nov. 20 but no Johnathan Rodgers now runs the week that CBS /Broadcast later than Dec. 7. CBS owned television station group, Group President Peter Lund, Westing- Still unclear are the exact roles and and Nancy Widmann runs the net- house Broadcasting Chairman Bill titles to be held by Lund and Korn, and work's radio operations. "Whatever Korn and CBS Entertainment President lines of authority and reporting you do, don't start firing people in Leslie Moonves will form the top tier between them and to Jordan. Sources print. It's way too early for that," offers of executives running the merged say that is still not resolved. "But one source close to the situation. "The Westinghouse /CBS broadcasting unless something very untoward hap- company will need a lot of managerial assets. pens [this] week," offers one source, expertise." As of deadline last week, Lund's "the organization will contain both But clearly, firings and layoffs are post- merger involvement was seen as a Lund and Korn. With them and top -of -mind for many of the net- done deal, barring any unforeseen Moonves and a lot of input from Jor- work's employes -especially veter- glitches this week.