<< NETWORKING WARS Scheduling Prompts an HBO-NBC Tussle

After taking aim at The Sopranos last the Saturday airdate does not reflect a lack year, NBC has again irked Home Box Office of faith in the NBC movie, whose producers officials—this time by scheduling a fact- include actress Goldie Hawn. based movie about the 1998 slaying of gay Albrecht said HBO will likely shift youth Matthew Shepard to run the same Laramie to a different night but hasn’t made night HBO was going to run its own movie a final decision. Zucker said NBC has yet related to that topic. to lock in the date with affiliates and a move HBO announced a few weeks ago that is possible, agreeing that the movies , adapted from Moises shouldn’t run the same night. Kaufman’s stage play based on interviews Scott Seomin, entertainment media with townspeople about the much-publicized director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance murder, would premiere March 16. Earlier Against Defamation, lauded both films but this week, NBC tentatively selected that expressed disappointment over the night for The Matthew Shepard Story, which scheduling fracas. “If they’re competing stars Stockard Channing and against each other, no one wins,” he said. as the title character’s parents and was This is only the latest skirmish involving originally earmarked for October. the two networks. Last May, NBC Chief Executives at HBO reacted by saying Executive Robert Wright wrote members of that NBC is either trying to undermine their Hollywood’s production community film or piggyback on the pay channel’s soliciting feedback regarding HBO’s The publicity and promotion. They were Sopranos. Accompanied by a tape of a especially puzzled that NBC would slot its particularly explicit episode, the letter noted production on a Saturday, when HBO that the pay television drama is “a show traditionally launches movies and NBC which we could not and would not air on normally broadcasts theatrical films because NBC because of the violence, language and of the night’s lower viewing levels. Chris nudity.” Albrecht, HBO’s president of original Wright insisted he was simply trying to programming, said the films explore provoke a dialogue about the hit program’s complementary sides of an important issue cultural significance and what that might and NBC’s scheduling would do a disservice mean for network television, but HBO to both. “It’s taking this whole one- executives suggested there were ulterior upmanship thing to a new low,” he said. “I’m motives, among them expressing just surprised that they would damage their disapproval of The Sopranos’ content prior [own] movie ... and sacrifice what should to voting for the . be an important project for the sake of I don’t HBO officials also intimated that NBC know what.” executives were annoyed when the pay NBC, however, maintained the network channel nearly swept the recent Golden was unaware HBO had chosen the same date Globe Awards, which were televised on and that the scheduling was happenstance, NBC. Zucker laughed off that notion, saying not a counter-programming strategy. “Why HBO should stop worrying about NBC and would we ever pay attention to them?” said “go get itself some viewers” for best drama NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker, winner “Six Feet Under.” alluding to the channel’s modest ratings relative to the major networks, adding that courtesy of 365gay.com

www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 11th, 2002 Q7