VCahners THE NEWSWEEKLY OF TV, RADIO & INTERACTIVE MEDIA S4.95 R i F APRIL 30, 2001 www.Oroadcastingcable.com SPECI_AT. REPORT: BUFFY'S MOVING EPISODE UPFRONT 2001 The WB loses one of its hits; now networks might rethink their deals with rival studios o FRITi,°. FINESSE, - The NAB president spent the convention trying to avoid making waves C1 C BUMMED IN BOSTON Why are some Beantown stations afraid of a new Don't look Nielsen People Meter? o LIGHTS! down CAMERAS! Slow economy, strike threat BI .CKOUT! makes for an uncertain ad How California stations market » PAGE 24 are dealing with the energy squeeze .. ......, '-JIiIT urr`iurrru 591~ JOHN JOHNSON41.1,10? REGE: 268 hTvr - TV 2b wATCF'+TCN .dAv BI_.LLNr:S Mr 59102--7755 THEFACEOF JUSTICE #1 new first -rui strip among A25 -54 GVPVH.'1' 92% clearance. Host Brian Dennehy ARREST & TRIAL T C THE FACE OFANEW PHENOMENON Acclaimed medium with strong loya following. Ove- 90% clearance. ce CROSSING OVER with John Edward I THE FACE OF THE WILD GAME. RDEN Remarkable growth of +20% in HH rating WILDLIFE JOURNAL since its debut season.'°' Over 80% clearance. 1, Soste NSSIOaiary Eaplorer GYM where apkame. >rvmiero-to-date 3/25171, kw = strips wee a senes debut since e701C0. .2, Sayre NSS/WMry Eapgaer MI MAU* P1D mee 325101 n P10 tee 14M10 es PTO Mrs 2e199 3, Snafu 165'Gapry E.pwer lel MlGMS. MD mull/25101. hurler, wee cedue CC. CV. LI .e, Se.rce NSSLaLary E.ploror NNMLML, 97590.14901 vs b779e-94/99 i51 Swtt' PISS Gabry E.dre, NN Mi'iAMC PEI) mm 3441)t hrJueea iMl t.pe cales exe4 FF 5E. N. g wog PII MINI I '1lllll.= III I --THF F#k-F 01 COMPASSION 3.6 PTD HH rating; Only strip to g-ow for two consecutive years.` 97% clearance. --- MAURY HIE I\(101RESPECT First Lady of talk enters her 19th s 97% clearance. AN t -_ Mir-- - -- ACE TO FACE.-- 4.0 PTD HH rating ranks #2 among all talk strips.(3) 93 % clearance. JERRY SPRINGER THE FACE OF A WA -O #1 returning first -run weekly action haur.'s' Will conclude i -s F.ix season run with a For Advertiser Sales Call: two part finale in June 2001. 212.373.7770 `' USA. Ail - r_rIMINS1 /lb:-r11t4/111.111111111 .. 1r:11 1-- BROADCASIINOCABLE a {www.broadcastingcable.com} Volume 131 Number 19 Top of the Week April 30, 2001 1 WITH FINESSE Leading a divided industry, NAB's Eddie Fritts takes an accommodating tone. » 8 SLOW SHOW Exhibitors at NAB noted a marked decrease in attendance. » 10 MEASURING BOSTON The first U.S. market will switch to local People Meters in a year. » 11 SPOTLIGHT ON LATINOS Access The boys of NYPD Blue be ending will their Hollywood will get a Latin spin -off and, long run on FX. probably, NBC distribution. » 12 JACKASS FEAT MTV takes more heat over teens' imitating its popular program. » 14 COVER STORY SHARED DUTY NYPD Blue will air in 1 syndication on both Court TV and TNT. » 16 2001 PREVIEW: LIFE AFTER WWF USA aims for the top cable spot with a lineup of themed UPFRONT programming. » 16 A sagging economy and potential strikes make TV's ad- buying season tough to predict. » 24 FALLOUT In the wake of the Dr. Laura debacle, Frank Kelly is out and Broadcast may see a power shift. » 25 Greg Meidet is in at Paramount Domestic Will syndication be a strike breaker? » 27 Television. » 18 Ratings growth could lift cable's profile. » 34 BROADBAND BILL Legislation to Six major players: broadcast's sales chiefs. » 38 allow regional phone companies to offer NAB's Eddie Fritts says network -affiliate high -speed data moves along. » 22 tension is at an all -time high. B &C Eye 5 Programming Interactive Media Broadcast Ratings 50 Cable Ratings 54 Defection The reason behind Buff's move Old and new RealNetworks' top execs talk Changing Hands 57 to UPN has Hollywood buzzing. » 46 about the Internet's threat and potential for Classifieds 77 At five Fox News Sunday marks its fifth year traditional -media companies. » 61 Datebook 70 with strong ratings, younger demo. » 48 Quitting Quokka Sports, NBC's partner in Editorials 82 online Olympics coverage, folds. » 61 Business Fates & Fortunes 72 Technology Fifth Estater 76 Low point AT &T Broadband's cash -flow Financial Wrap -Up 18 margin drops to 16% in first quarter. » 56 File exchange Pathfire system will enable Focus 53 Washington Sinclair to share digital content among alt Jessell's Column 23 its stations. » 64 Station Break 52 Interference call Both sides see validation Two Cents Power squeeze California stations initiate 81 in report on spectrum sharing. » 58 Web Watch 62 energy -saving efforts. » 66 Violence and kids Senators say the media industry still has a problem. » 58 4 Broadcasting & Cable /4 -30 -01 L iBlast -ing staff With live field trials of its datacasting service in five cities having concluded in March and no customers in sight, iBlast Networks has Programming terminated about 40 operations people involved in its alpha test. pow -wow That leaves about 40 to carry on. In light of this and other technical challerges, the company, With top Hollywood syndication which has already invested about S30 million, is working hard to studios pulling out of NAIPE or maintain "emotional momentum" among its broadcast -station threatening to, the organization's partners as it aims for a spring launch. Says iBlast CEO Michael PROGRAMMING board meeting in Los Angeles Lambert (a station owner himself): "It's part of the ebb and flow this week ought to be lively. The of the business. We took advantage of the opportunity of the Headline disaffected syndicators say downsizing of America to trim a little hit." NAIPE is no longer worth the nudes cost of exhibiting. NATPE has been listening. Who is it that lurks behind "We are certainly not locked tedsturnovers.com? The site made into the way we do business, and a splash last week by posting we are going to evaluate whether nude photos of actress-turned- there are incentives we can offer newscaster Andrea Thompson. The to make it a more efficient and former NYPD Blue -JAG -Baywatch viable floor," says NAIPE actress was tapped as an anchor President Bruce Johansen. for CNN Headline News after a "We are going to explore ways stint at an Albuquerque station. Michael Lambert we can encourage the exhibitors CNN said Friday it would stand (c) and Oliver to save money," he adds. Luckett (r) are behind its hire. still trying to "Unfortunately, most of the did pose for Black and White make iBlast go. "I money they spend doesn't go to Ken Solomon Magazine, a prestigious artistic left venture for us. It goes to their booths and the new Fine publication, several years ago," other stuff." Living cable Thompson acknowledged. "I did network. this as a piece of art and make no apologies for the creative decisions I've made." Tedsturnovers.com is a lively chronicle of CNN, told from ONE FOR THE BOOKS. RUPERT MURDOCH'S BOOKS, THAT IS the perspective of people with an Mortimer Zuckerman's offer to buy his toughest competitor is no joke, says the New Yak Daily News publish- er. Two weeks ago News Corp. 'executives scoffed when Zuckerman said he wanted to buy the New York Post. ax to grind. It coulc be that the owner of the financially troubled Doily News simply wants to see his competitors books, The powers behind the site suggest News Corp. o dais. Zuckerman told the FCC last week he'll seriously consider naking an offer for the aren't interested in going public. Past, won't nake a he can see balance "IVithout access to the equally shaky but bid unless the papers sheet. "All of us involved are still getting Post's liabilities ... t s imposs-bte for me to describe a specific price I would be wilting to pay," he said. our severance checks in the mail, The FCC is examiniig the Pcst's finances as part of a review of News Corps acqui!ition of WWOR -TV so that tends to make us a bit New Ycrk and nine other Chris -Craft stations. News Corp officials contint.e to dismss Zuckerman's over- gun- shy," said a site manager in tures. 'If Mr. Zuckerman continues to insist he's serious about buying the Post, maybe one day someone an e-mail return-addressed will tale him seriously, but at hasn't happened yet," said a spokesman. TedTurner @Yahoo.com. Broadcasting & Cable /4 -30 -01 5 1,11 The Rii BEINFELD switches stations in 13 met New Time Rank Market Station Period Increase New York WNYW 11:00pm +96% vs time period Los Angeles KCOP 7:00pm +73% vs time period Boston WFXT 7:00pm +171% vs Seinfeld 1 Detroit WJBK 7:30pm +57% vs time period Minneapolis KMSP 6:30pm +14% vs Seinfeld Tampa WTA 7:30pm +50% vs time period Phoenix KSAZ 10:30pm +373% vs Seinfeld St. Louis KTVI 10:00pm +22% vs time period Baltimore WUTB 7:00pm +314% vs Seinfeld San Diego XETV 7:30pm +22% vs Seinfeld Kansas City KMBC 10:30pm +181% vs Seinfeld Milwaukee WITI 10:30pm +38% vs time period Providence WNAC 7:00pm +286% vs Seinfeld WrCOLUMBIA TRISTAR TELEVISION Source: NSI, WRAP Overnights. M -E, DISTRIBUTION ° %HH Rtg Growth, SEINFELD 4 /02 - 420 /01), CASTLLEt ROÇKa vs. prior week tp (3/26 - 310/01 in NY, LA, TP) The Luder to Young Admit Progranrdng..