PROGRAMMING
The ratings war between U.S. terrestrial nets, CBS and ABC, rages on, with
another point for the Disney-owned net. For the first time in its history, a CBS
"Survivor" finale was outdone by the competition - ABC primetime soap
"Desperate Housewives." [E! Online News]
E! Online

More bad news for the BBC. Ratings for the Brit broadcaster's two main TV
stations, BBC1 and BBC2 have fallen to a record low. The decline, which is widely
blamed on the rise of multi-channel viewing, has afflicted ITV1 even more
severely - since 2000, the channel's audience share has fallen 22 per cent. [The
Independent]
The Independent

Just when you thought the reality craze was finally dwindling.... Despite
plummeting ratings for its reality series, Fox will air "Who's Your Daddy?," a
reality show that awards $100,000 to a contestant who successfully identifies
her long-lost biological father. [BBC News]
BBC

In about a year, Brit cricket fans will have to flip the channel to get live
coverage of their favorite sport. England's home matches will no longer be
seen on terrestrial television, as the England and Wales Cricket Board announced
BSkyB's exclusive rights to broadcast all live international cricket on Sky
Sports starting in 2006. [The London Times]
The London Times

BUSINESS
Japan's Sony Corporation and South Korea's Samsung will partner up once
again. The companies, which currently operate a joint venture to make LCD display
panels for televisions, hope to spread the huge cost of product development by
sharing patents on basic semiconductor technology and other standard
applications integral to new product lines. [BBC News]
BBC

TECHNOLOGY
Nintendo will begin selling an adaptor for its DS (double screen) and Game
Boy Advance hand-held game systems that will allow users to play music and
video. The move is an effort to match a popular feature on Sony's portable game
machine. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

CONTROVERSY
Yesterday, at the entertainment trial of the year, otherwise known as the
Disney/Ovitz trial, Robert A. M. Stern, a former director of the Walt Disney
Company, said that the company made a "wise investment" when it fired the former
president and granted him a $140 million severance package. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

Well, at least one trial is over....Time Warner will pay $210 million to
settle securities fraud charges involving the company's America Online unit.
Prosecution will be deferred provided AOL and Time Warner cooperate in an
investigation into whether or not AOL helped smaller Internet companies artificially
inflate their earnings. The media giant had been hoping to conclude the trial
before the end of the year in hopes to acquire part or all of bankrupt cable TV
company, Adelphia Communications. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

ADVERTISING
"You've seen the films, now visit the set," is the theme of a new advertising
campaign in the U.K. urging Brits to travel across the pond to the U.S. The
$4 million campaign, by the Los Angeles office of English ad agency M&C
Saatchi, plays on the British love of American movies. Print, television and
billboard ads will feature clips from films like "Thelma and Louise," "Sweet Home
Alabama" and "L.A. Story." [The New York Times]
The New York Times

AWARDS SHOWS
The big winner at Canada's annual Gemini Awards was "Human Cargo," a six-hour
CBC drama that delved into the miseries of the third world refugee problem.
The program won seven of the 17 for which it was nominated, including Best TV
Movie or Miniseries. [Google News]
Google News

The 2005 Golden Globe nominees have been announced and the most celebrates
are: "Sideways," a film about a couple of guys in California's wine country,
which earned seven Golden Globe nominations; Martin Scorsese's not-yet-released
"The Aviator," which scored six nominations, including Best Picture; and Jamie
Foxx who boasted noms himself, including Best Actor for "Ray," Best Supporting
Actor for "Collateral" and Best Actor for TV movie, Redemption. [E! Online
News]
E! Online

FILM
Fans of cult BBC comedy "Red Dwarf," which aired in the U.K. from 1988-1998,
will get a big screen version of their show in "Red Dwarf: The Movie." The
film may be shot in Queensland, Australia next year. [The Herald Sun]
The Herald Sun

PRESS RELEASE CLIPS
Anime Network, the first channel in North America dedicated to anime and the
first round-the-clock net ever launched from a VoD platform, has inked a
10-year linear cable network agreement with Buckeye CableSystem.
The Anime Network

Five Breakthrough Entertainment series will air on Zone Vision's Reality TV
channel in the U.S. during the 2005-2006 season. The package includes "Little
Miracles," "Exchanging Vows," "Med Students," "Situation Critical" and "Patient
Files."
Breakthrough

Cambium Catalyst International has made a bunch of sales. "Timeblazers" has
been sold to Discovery Kids in the U.S.; "Monster by Mistake" has been sold to
Beijing TV China, UBC Thailand, Hungama TV in India and Viziontrade in
Albania; "Eckhart" has been sold to National TV Romania, BBC Kids Canada and Vizion
Trade in Albania; "Cooking for Love" has been sold to 8TV Malaysia and
Discovery's Travel & Living Channel in India; "Healthy Home" was bought by MICO
Japan, Happy Times Media China and Arad Communications in Israel.
CCI

DECODE Entertainment is getting into the hi-tech business, producing
interactive extensions of its programming. The company is creating content for
hand-held platforms, interactive TV, PC, web and is extending its gaming technology
development with a project for the Nintendo DS System - the dual screen
hand-held system.
Decode

Denmead, an independent film and TV publicity company, will become part of
entertainment PR big-wig, Rogers & Cowan. The company will keep all of its
former clients.
Rogers & Cowan

The single mother-daughter team of Lisa and Brittny Gastineau will be
featured in E! reality series "Gastineau Girls." The women, the ex-wife and daughter
of NFL star Mark Gastineau, live lives that fit somewhere in between "The
Gilmore Girls" and "Sex and the City."
E!

Fremantle Home Entertainment, the home entertainment division of
FremantleMedia, has been nominated for the BAFTA Interactive Awards 2005 Best DVD Award
for "Really Bend it Like Beckham."
Fremantle Home Entertainment

GSN's documentary "Video Game Invasion: The History of a Global Obsession,"
was just released on DVD. The Network for Games's doc focuses on the cultural
impact and behind-the-scenes stories of video game creators.
GSN

France-based Marathon's animated series, "Totally Spies," has been confirmed
as GMTV's highest rated Sunday morning kids' show in the U.K.
Marathon

Starting in 2005, MTV Networks will launch three customized channels for
ethnic audiences within the U.S. MTV Desi will serve Indian-Americans, MTV China
will serve the Chinese-American community and MTV Korea will serve
Korean-Americans.
MTV Networks

Patrick Tillieux, the current managing director of SBS Belgium, has been
named as the president/chairman of the management board of SBS Broadcasting B.V.,
a Dutch multimedia company what owns three TV stations.
SBS Broadcasting

Walt Disney TV International has announced several appointments and
promotions in its European Branded TV division. Simon Amselem has been appointed to svp
and managing director, Branded TV France; Josè Vila will be vp and managing
director, Branded TV Iberia; and Simon Bailey has been named vp and deputy
managing director, Branded TV U.K.
BVITV

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