&dinel:s THE NEW5WEEKLY OF TV, RADIO & INTERACTIVE MEDIA 84.95 JANUARY 8, 2001 www.broadcastingca .com SPECIAL REPORT NATPE 2001 BUYER'S GUIDE From first -run to off -net, our first look at the big show in Las Vegas, with charts aid a special show -by -show analysis GO AHEAD, BLAME US CBS and NBC news divisions conclude their election night miscues demand some fixes BLUE OVER B LACKOUTS DBS operators cry over new FCC rules that take them out of the game PAGE o LOOK OUT! COPYRIGHT STORM JUST AHEAD Congress will act, but when? And how? » PAGE 7C -- er ...k.onr:. ,- 3-DI tT :551 I'I1I1I1i1mlll D C' Ci 7;., 1,,u., p C.,; A!, C, 1 FK e r [; .JOHN C. .)qF-WSCN KTVS4-TV a.ylb:.r WATLo.F-TCP7 WAY It7L..LL.1NGs. NT .:,,g1C7a-7'7eá, Arrest &Trial is up 25% since its launch and up 14% since the November book alone. Nov. 00 12/10/00 Change Arrest A Trial 2.2 2.5 +14% +25% Since Premiere! Power Of Attorney 3.1 3.0 -5% +14% Since November! Judge Hatchett 2.5 2.4 -4% Street Smarts 2.1 2.0 -5% Curtis Court 2.0 1.9 -5% 2.5 To Tell The Truth 1.9 1.8 -5% 2.2 House Calls 1.3 1.3 Flat Dr. Laura 1.2 1.1 -8% 2.0 November 2000 Moral Court 0.8 0.8 Flat Mars/Venus 0.8 0.7 -12% Week Ending Week Ending 10/8/00 1 2/1 0/00 Sex Wars 0.7 0.7 Flat Source: NSS/Galaxy Explorer; Hi-IAA/0M%; riorlek ending 10/9/00: week ending 12/10/00 vs. 11,2/00 - 11129/00. In one of the toughest environments for launching a new show, Arrest & Trial hasn't just survived - it's prospered. Up an incredible 25% since its October premiere, and up an even more incredible 14% ARREST since the November sweep. So as it continues to grow, keep your sights set on Arrest & Trial. With a show of this caliber, success is JR AL definitely in the cross hairs. STUDIOS USA © 2001 Studios USA. All Rights Reserved. 41, it ßROADCASTIGCAßLE {www.broadcastingcable.com} Volume 131 Number 2 COVER STORY Top of the Week January 8, 2001 TUFF STUFF Queen of the ring Many say Linda McMahon is the power at the World Wrestling MEA CULPA CBS and NBC release Federation. » 20 results of investigation into election -night debacle. » 6 FIGHT OVER RAINBOW NBC steps into bidding war over Cablevision's entertainment networks. » 10 ..~ COMMITTEE PICKS Tauzin will : :: . ... head newly combined Commerce; no word yet on telcom subcommittee. » 10 NBC will invest more in its reporting resources. FLAWED STANDARD Broadcasters will try to achieve consen- sus on DTV modulation. » 11 ON LIFE SUPPORT The Health Channel has two options now that WebMD Ú is gone. » 12 SPECIAL REPOR1 WINDING DOWN News Corp. begins dissolving its News Digital Media subsidiary. » 14 NATPE 2001 Where content is king Programming Rep. Tauzin will have say on telcom and energy. and new -media content and technologies will be on display in Las Vegas Jan. 22 -25. » 30 The last laugh Syndicators may find Programming Interactive Media stations hungry for off-net sitcoms. » 34 This just in Some last -minute projects Digital content Copyright projection is like- A look at first -run Offerings range that missed the NATPE listings. » 56 ly issue for upcoming Congress. » 70 from talk to dating, action to reality. » 36 Coast to coast Syndicator Litton Inc. plants a flag in Hollywood. » 57 Technology Debutantes Cable nets get premieres out NYPD HDTV The gritty police drama will be B &C Eye 4 before broadcasts February sweeps. » 59 ABC's first high -definition series. » 74 Broadcast Ratings 62 Diverse devices C- Cube's new chip will work Cable Ratings 60 Business with set-tops, DVDs, PVRs. » 75 Changing Hands 65 Classifieds 82 rates Despite financial woes, AT&T DTV -on -PC Start -up AccessDTV unveils "digital Raising Common Ground 72 moves cautiously in boosting prices. » 64 media receivers" at CES. » 75 Cutting Edge 76 Datebook 77 Editorials 90 Washington Facetime 78 Crying foul Nobody is happy with the Fates & Fortunes 79 Fifth Estater 81 FCC's new sports blackout rules. » 68 Financial Wrap -Up 15 Missing media Bush economic summit lacks Jessell's Column 18 broadcast, cable representation. » 69 Station Break 58 Syndication Ratings 61 Two Cents 68 Broadcasting & Cable /1 -8 -01 3 !CEYE PUBLIC POLICY General SYNDICATION SYNDICATION Familiar faces Hold your horses face off criticism Don't look for Paramount's new first-run talk show, Caroline, to Can NAIPE survive Jeopardy's Departing U.S. Surgeon Gen. Dr. David Satcher is going a out with wind up on the co -owned CBS celebrity edition, taping Jan. 23 bang, at least when it comes to making not -so- a subtle point about stations, as had been speculated. in Las Vegas. Survivor and television I II and education. Inside Satcher's Washington office is a Sources say another station host Jeff Probst will be one of the stack of black- and -white bumper stickers reading: "SURGOEN group has entered the picture - 12 stars competing. Others include S GENEREI; WARNIG: Telivison Promots Iliteracy." In small type and apparently has the inside Kevin Sorbo, Martha Stewart and the sticker's maker is as noted nonprofit "TV-Free America," which track. A deal could be done for former basketball great Charles wasn't aware that Satcher had them in his office. Satcher spokesman the show, with comedian /actress Barkley. One celebrity taping, fea- Damon Thompson wasn't pleased to be asked about the display. Caroline Rhea, as early as this turing Jodie Foster, Harry Connick "We freely don't distribute [the stickers]," he said. They are week. The source would not Jr. and Nathan Lane, already in "over a corner of" Satcher's inner office reveal the group voted most like- wrapped in Los Angeles. Most of where "most people never ly to succeed, but the NBC sta- the star sessions, airing Feb. 5 -9, go." siA N( tions, which already have signed will tape during the NAIPE con- GENER on for nontraditional talker The vention at the Las Vegas oEN ots 11 Other Half, and Paramount's Hilton. King World will give R Iliteracy $ pro own station group, are said to tickets to NAIPE -goers on a ter,. be two possibilities. first -come, first -serve basis. NICK OF TIME companies to carry both analog and digital putting those stations in a joint venture ABC flagship O &O WABC -TV New York is signals of broadcasters if systems build suf- with ABC, sources confirm. Under that expected to launch digital broadcast ser- ficient channel capacity to prevent popular scenario, ABC would have managed the vice from the World Trade Center Tuesday cable channels from being bumped. Also on venture, which would have created five (Jan. 9), just in time for that evening's tap: digital non -duplication and carriage duopolies. But when Univision offered first HDTV telecast of NYPD Blue (at 10 negotiation rules for the digital era. $1.1 billion for USA's 13 stations, it was p.m.), marking its own new -season Although FCC Chairman William Kennard too good a deal for Diller to pass up. ABC launch. Sources say the digital transmis- is pushing hard for the DTV issues to be is still in the hunt for stations. sion will only be at quarter power because voted at the meeting, probably his last at it will be the first real test of the station's the agency's helm, some at the commis- CANADIAN COFDM new digital antenna. sion wonder whether the timing is right Television broadcasters in Canada are cur- and say resistance could build. rently on board with the ATSC 8 -VSB trans- HOLD YOUR DIGITAL HORSES mission standard, but a group of private The FCC next week is scheduled to vote on DILLER: A- B -C -YA LATER TV broadcasters in Toronto have been several DTV- related issues (see story, page Although USA Networks ultimately struck a given approval by Industry Canada to test 11). These include asking for comment on a deal to sell its stations to Univision for COFDM and 8 -VSB transmission from plan that eventually could require cable $1.1 billion, USA came very close to Toronto's CN Tower. J 4 Broadcasting & Cable /1 -8 -01 An exciting 22- episode action hour that is sure to KNOCK you out. 47 Thomas Calabro Kirn-Maree Penn with Lee Majors SOUTHERN4 NEW LINE TELEVISION STAR R A I I M E W A E N E C O M P A N Y 020[0 A Southern Star production in associati3n with Coate/Hayes Productions. TOP OF THE WEEK News, which relied solely upon the VNS numbers without taking into account Coulda, shoulda the breaking news from Florida. This sit- uation left Dan Rather, the anchor of CBS, NBC studies cite election snafus, urge changes CBS News and the embodiment of the network's Election Night coverage, at a By Dan Trigoboff the University of Pennsylvania, who pro- disadvantage, since he received his infor- CBS' and NBC's news divisions took duced the report with CBS executives Linda mation from the producers of the some blame for bad calls during the Mason and Kathleen Election Night broad- election -night debacle, passed some Frankovic, wrote, "For cast as they received the of it to the Voter News Service consortium, me, the underlying prob- 'The networks say it's calls from the CBS recommended changes, and, in separate lem with coverage by the more important to News Decision Desk." reports, provided - particularly in the case broadcast networks of the Among the major of CBS-a heretofore unseen level of detail election returns is overcon- get it right than to recommendations by regarding election-night coverage.