MAY 12 L95 I 13 The Newsweekly of Television and Radio 1 Vol. 127 No. 20 6501 Year 1897 Cahners Publication is JAY LE N ' and the Work Ethic How Hard lt Is To Mace It r; .Easy /0 Alegi the It UPN after S - a network s NBC first o chute for fall e ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *3 -DIGIT 591 Ii ahlih nulllhmhhnliluilhihllihullnl 80075184 AUG98 REGE 1805 J)HN C JOHNSON KTVQ -TV 979 NEPTUNE BLVD BILLINGS, MT 59105 -2129 www.americanradiohistory.com Very little talent. (shown actual size) Buena Vista Television www.americanradiohistory.com We've had big success with very little talent... www.americanradiohistory.com Big success. production begins 6/2/97 series premieres 9/97 www.americanradiohistory.com http: //www.broadcastingcable.com Must Reading from Fastlac May ; 2, '997 THE PEABODY AWARDS TOP OF THE WEEK / 4 Honor Rcll Salhany leaving UPN Thirty -year TV veteran Lucie Salhany will not renew her contract as UPN 's president and chief executive officer The 56th annual when her deal with the network expires in September. 4 Peabody Awards / will be present- Tough traveling for UPN, WB Many industry ed in New York mavens say the chances for success of either UPN or The WB tonight, May 12. are less than even, but principal partners in both companies The official pro- say they're pressing ahead in a bid to build assets that could gram of the be worth billions in five years. / 5 prestigious Syndicated upfront market looks good Madison event, recognizing distin- Avenue is a bull market, with more than $2 billion of national guished achievement and mer- advertising activity for time in syndicated shows for the 1997- 'Little House' was one itorious public service by show cited by legisla- 98 season. 12 radio and TV stations, cable / tors calling for retun of the family hour. / 9 organizations and individuals. Administration eyes foreign ownership caps appears following page 58. for DBS The Clinton administration asked the FCC to conduct a rulemaking on the way in which foreign ownership caps should apply to the DBS business. / 18 BROADCASTING / 31 CABLE / 44 Distributors hit syndication sales road Adult channels scramble to comply with law Columbia TriStar Television Distribution opened bidding Cable operators must begin scrambling both audio and in the nation's top three markets last video feeds for adult programing on May 18, or limit the week for CBS's The Nanny, expected to programing to the 10 p.m. -6 a.m. time slot. / 44 debut in syndication in fall 1998. / 31 Olbermann exits ESPN Outspoken ESPN Sports - Center for Media Education Center anchor Keith Olbermann has has been taken off the applies kids TV pressure Citing air until at least May 13. Network officials deny he's been the "growing public health concern" over suspended, but some observers wonder whether Olbermann M., children's TV viewing habits, a media is out at ESPN altogether. / 45 watchdog group is encouraging Southern SPECIAL Tough road for new cable entries California parents to monitor local sta- Jerry quit REPORT Horror stories abound when it comes tc new Springer tions for children's programing. 34 his WMAO -TV com- / cable networks. Even branded and well -financed mentary job after have four days. í 32 Independent radio owners entries their difficulties. But the potential concentrate efforts Independent rewards keep new networks coming. / 62 owners find that clustering in a single market leads to a larg- er share of the market's advertising dollars. / 42 Telemedia ALVIEPI<_:`, takes Micro- All the right Ticketmaster night soft to court Ticketmaster's moves After five years. lawsuit against Microsoft could America Online The Tonight .Show with Jay last weeK posed a change profoundly the way sites link profit after months of Lena is winning the late - on the World Wide Web. / 59 losses and snafus. ' 60 night wars and enjoying its highest -rated season in total TECHNOLOGY /51 viewers and all key young - Networks' views adult demographics. Leno differ on DTV Digital television is often hailed as the biggest thing to hit TV since color, talks with BROADCASTING & but for broadcasters the transition to is CAHI.E about the serious DTV anything but black and white. business of being funny five / 52 a week. nights / 26 Changing Hands 38 Datebook 107 In Brief 112 Cover photo by Chris Haston Classified 94 Editorials 114 Network Ratings 36 Closed Circuit 16 Fates & Fonunes...109 Washington Watch..24 Broadcasting & Cable May 12 1997 3 www.americanradiohistory.com Broadcast ng 8 Cable e-ek Nonetheless. she earned the respect of affiliates."I really hate to see her leave," said Lowry Mays. chairman of Clear Channel. UPN's largest affiliate Salhany won't group outside BHC. "I think she was doing an outstanding job." Salhany braved many battles during her tenure at UPN. Early on. she bucked the business plan by canceling Pig Sty. a renew for fall sitcom produced by Viacom's Para- mount studio. Last year. she was forced Is staying until successor to defend her heavy reliance on sitcoms is named; will open own featuring African -Americans. "Comedy is comedy." she told TV writers. One of media company those comedies, Moesha, now ranks as UPN's highest rated. By Lynette Rice "She is a loss, no doubt about it." said HOLLYWOOD media buyer Paul Schulman. "She's done an awful lot of good for UPN." Te timing was unexpected but the But Salhany says she won't stray far nnouncement was not. as Lucie from the network she helped to launch. Salhany -a 30 -year veteran of the She plans to launch JH Media Co.- television industry-said last week that named after sons Jake and Hal -which she would not renew her contract as has already signed on as a long -term UPN's president and chief executive consultant to BHC. Salhany also will officer. Her deal with the network is set represent BHC's interests on the UPN to expire in September. operating committee. which includes Salhany's announcement comes less BHC President Bill Siegel and Jonathan than two weeks before the netlet's fall Dolgen. chairman of Viacom Entertain- schedule presentation in New York. ment Group. where UPN Entertainment President Salhany won't stray for from JPN; she "Over the past three years she has Michael Sullivan will announce which will serve as consultant to B:IC. which poured her heart into assembling a tal- UPN, and will represent BHC operates ented and enthusiastic organization of the IO comedy pilots in development interests on UPN operating committee. have passed muster for fall. UPN also whose performance has consistently stands poised to launch a fourth night of exceeded our expectations." Siegel said. programing in the fourth quarter. "We are grateful to Lucie for her con- "I'm still going to be here until some- In the works tributions to UPN over the past two and body lelsel comes in." Salhany said last a half years and look forward to the net- According to Salhany. UPN will pick um week. "I'm not giving up my desk until work's future development and expan- two or three sitcoms for the fell f or -he a replacement is named. I'll stay and sion." added McCluggage. following development slate. we'll work together. It's not an issue." Salhany expects to work with the new Speculation about Salhany's tenure at Bouncers (Viacom)- Bouncer3 at nip CEO "the same way they worked with UPN has persisted since January, when nightclub me. We're collaborative. Not that we The Inner -city Viacom exercised its option to purchase Good News (MTM)- agree on everything." gospel singer 50% of the network from BHC Commu- Salhany, who was Fox's first female Head Over Heels (Columb a Tri- nications Inc. BHC has operated UPN chairman before joining UPN in Sep- Star) -Miami dating service since its launch in January 1995. What's tember 1994, said she made the decision Hitz (MTV, Paramount) -Andrew more, repeated assurances from Salhany now because she wants to relocate her Dice Clay in comedy about record family to Boston. where her husband, a that she and Kerry McCluggage. chair- company restaurateur, has remained. Salhany man of Viacom's Paramount TV. have Livin' in the USA iJonesiSalzman UPN's best interests at heart have failed Prod.) -Immigrant -owner audio; says she will maintain offices for her to quell talk about tension between the video store in New York company in Boston and Los Angeles. key executives. McCluggage also sits Macio Trotman project (Jones /Salzman The news about Salhany shouldn't on UPN's operating committee. Prod.) -Trotman plays various roles send a chill to ad reps when UPN makes Hollywood's worst -kept secret was Totally Cool (Columbia its fall presentation on May 20 in New the friction between Salhany and Mom and daughte' cornea), York. media buyers say. "It's Mike Sul - McCluggage. "They went around town Veronica's Video (Big Ticket TVt- livan's show." Paul Schulman says of openly bad- mouthing each other." said a Dad and son comedy the entertainment president. "He'll be source, adding the buttoned -down Whitey (Ruddy Greif Co ) -Anglo the guy doing the talking and giving the McCluggage chafed at the intense. some- man in ethnic neighborhood rationale. If the schedule is good. people what scattershot approach of Salhany. will be anxious to buy UPN." 4 May 12 1997 Broadcasting & Cable www.americanradiohistory.com Top of the Week The fight to be fifth UPN, WB continue to hoe tough row; despite losses, both say they're in for long haul By Steve McClellan ahead of where we'd thought we'd be in manager of a major institutional investor NEW YORK distribution.