TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com/media/feedlogo.gif TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Arrested Development news that isn't about the movie: IFC to air serieshttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/10/20/arrested-development-news-that-isnt-about-the-movie-ifc-to-air/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/10/20/arrested-development-news-that-isnt-about-the-movie-ifc-to-air/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/10/20/arrested-development-news-that-isnt-about-the-movie-ifc-to-air/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Arrested Development
It seems these days when anyone talks about Arrested Development, the conversation inevitably turns to the still up-in-the-air film sequel -- something that's proven to be more elusive than finding your own Cornballer. Last we heard, the film was actually in development (a term that only loosely means what it's supposed to in Hollywood), but in the meantime, though, there is some good news - IFC has picked up the off-network rights to Arrested Development.

Continue reading Arrested Development news that isn't about the movie: IFC to air series

 

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]]>Arrested DevelopmentcableIFCJason BatemanMitch HurwitzThe BluthsJonathan ToomeyTue, 20 Oct 2009 17:01:00 ESTA&E buys Lifetimehttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/27/aande-buys-lifetime/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/27/aande-buys-lifetime/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/27/aande-buys-lifetime/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A&E and Lifetime Network logosA long-awaited merger between two cable channels has been finalized...uh, finally.

A&E Networks aquired Lifetime as part of a deal between Hearst, Disney and NBC Universal. The deal makes Lifetime a sub-company in the A&E empire.

The deal puts Disney and Hearst in the front row seats of both networks with NBC in a distant third. This means that NBC can sell its holdings in Lifetime to the other two parties within the next 15 years.

There doesn't seem to be any serious announcement or confirmations of a name or brand change under their new owners. Lifetime will still be called Lifetime.

Continue reading A&E buys Lifetime

 

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]]>a and ea and e hdAAndEAAndEHdaeae networksAeNetworksdisneyhearstlifetimelifetime networkLifetimeNetworknbcnbc universalnbcunbcuniversalDanny GallagherThu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:00 ESTWill Cartoon Network become "The Network"? http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/18/will-cartoon-network-become-the-network/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/18/will-cartoon-network-become-the-network/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/08/18/will-cartoon-network-become-the-network/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Cartoon Network It seems that all of television is slowly losing its identity. The History Channel doesn't cover history. TV Land clogs their airwaves with run-of-the-mill reality shows. Comedy Central gives Carlos Mencia his own show.

It must be hard to draw in the kind of ratings the average television executive expects (average=viewers who are willing to commit mass suicide if they miss a rerun of Chico and the Man) when you're anchored to one theme or genre. But it's not impossible.

One network that seems very close to giving up entirely is the Cartoon Network. According to the Los Angeles Times, CN's new lineup of live-action, reality-based programming is tanking in the ratings and rumors are swirling that the CN may drop the "C" in its name. Does the head of Radio Shack now work for the Cartoon Network?

Continue reading Will Cartoon Network become "The Network"?

 

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]]>adult swimAdultSwimbrainrushcartoon networkCartoonNetworkdestroy build destroyDestroyBuildDestroysurvive thisSurviveThisturner broadcastingTurnerBroadcastingDanny GallagherTue, 18 Aug 2009 21:07:00 ESTVerizon to offer cell phone services with FiOShttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/28/verizon-to-offer-cell-phone-services-with-fios/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/28/verizon-to-offer-cell-phone-services-with-fios/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/28/verizon-to-offer-cell-phone-services-with-fios/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Verizon FiOSVerizon is planning to package FiOS TV and Internet service with its wireless cell phone services. All I can say is, it's about time.

If I may go off on a rant here for a moment, I actually investigated getting FiOS installed in my house. Verizon didn't even have a fiber optic cable anywhere near me that they could run to my building. And I live only a few miles from Manhattan.

Despite that, by offering a set fee for both FiOS and cell phone service, Verizon is providing something that cable competitors can't duplicate. It's a smart move on the part of the company. Since I already have Verizon Wireless, I can only wish that they got off their lazy asses and laid some more fiber optic around my neighborhood.

In the meanwhile, I'm stuck with my sadly deficient cable company (satellite isn't an option due to the nature of my condominium). For those who have FiOS, how is it? Would you be excited about packaging that with your cell phone service?

 

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]]>cell phoneCellPhoneFiOSVerizonVerizon WirelessVerizonWirelessWirelessBrad TrechakTue, 28 Jul 2009 11:04:00 ESTComcast changes ending to FIOS commercial (but it's easy to understand why)http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/25/comcast-changes-ending-to-fios-commercial-but-its-easy-to-unde/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/25/comcast-changes-ending-to-fios-commercial-but-its-easy-to-unde/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/25/comcast-changes-ending-to-fios-commercial-but-its-easy-to-unde/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

You've seen the commercial below. It's a Comcast ad that takes on Verizon FIOS by saying that FIOS costs more, doesn't have as much HD as Comcast, and is filled with too many lame videos.

Last night I watched the commercial again (for the 4000th time) and I noticed that they've changed the ending. The FIOS guy used to say "I'm going to write down your credit card number which I memorized when I was looking..." I always thought that was an odd line, pretty much insinuating that a Verizon rep would take someone's credit card number like that. But they've now taken that line out and replaced it with something else (though the new line escapes me at the moment - anyone?). I wonder if Verizon complained?

 

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]]>cable tvcomcastcomcast commercialcommericalsfioshdverizonBob SassoneThu, 25 Jun 2009 15:43:00 EST2.5 million homes still haven't switched to digital TV for some reasonhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/18/2-5-million-homes-still-havent-switched-to-digital-tv-for-some/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/18/2-5-million-homes-still-havent-switched-to-digital-tv-for-some/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/18/2-5-million-homes-still-havent-switched-to-digital-tv-for-some/#commentsFiled under: , ,

tvEarlier this year, when we were going to switch to digital television in February, my sister sent me an e-mail and asked me if I was ready for the switch, and I thought to myself, I think I've been ready for several years. So I'm not quite sure why people are still having a problem switching from analog to digital (I'm especially confused when people say that older citizens use TV as their "lifeline" to the outside world - if you're using words like that, you really should switch or your family should switch for you).

Nielsen is reporting that 2.5 million homes still haven't switched to a digital TV or bought a converter box, even though that original switch date was extended to last Friday. I'm wondering why these people haven't switched yet. I'm not talking about people who have a TV but really don't watch it because they read books (as if you can't do both, but that's another rant). I'm talking about people who watch TV a lot and haven't made the switch yet.

 

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]]>analog tvconverter boxesdigital televisiondtvnielsenBob SassoneThu, 18 Jun 2009 08:01:00 ESTNew 3-D channel coming at yahttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/new-3-d-channel-coming-at-ya/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/new-3-d-channel-coming-at-ya/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/new-3-d-channel-coming-at-ya/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

3d glassesHave you been clamoring for an all 3-D television network? Have you been hoping and praying that the god of your choice would listen to your prayers and deliver unto you a fully three dimensional network? Have you been unable to sleep for months on end as your very sanity teeters on the precipice of your grasp on reality?

Me neither.

Nevertheless, a publicly traded company hopes to turn a humble syndicated network into the world's first fully three-dimensional channel.

Continue reading New 3-D channel coming at ya

 

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]]>3-d camera3-d glasses3-dCamera3-dGlasses3d3d tv3dTvamg tvAmgTvsignet international holdingsSignetInternationalHoldingsDanny GallagherWed, 15 Apr 2009 09:05:00 ESTNew York Post breaks a HUGE spoiler for American Chopper - VIDEOhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/09/new-york-post-breaks-a-huge-spoiler-for-american-chopper-video/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/09/new-york-post-breaks-a-huge-spoiler-for-american-chopper-video/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/09/new-york-post-breaks-a-huge-spoiler-for-american-chopper-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Paulie and Paul Teutul from American ChopperRegular watchers of American Chopper will look at the picture to the right and immediately ponder the following question: is Paul Sr. giving Paulie Jr. a big hug or a meaty, larynx-crushing choke hold?

I've been notoriously anti-reality TV for a long time, but I gave American Chopper a grace chip when it ran on the Discovery Channel for the first few seasons. It can get just as over-the-top as most reality shows tend to do, but it still had a genuine level to it somewhere in just about every episode, and it offered viewers something more than just grown men fighting. I'm also a pathetic wanna-be gearhead and would watch a custom Buick LaSabre build contest if I thought I could generate an ounce of knowledge from it over my rich, car-building friends.

So imagine my surprise when the New York Post broke the biggest spoiler in the show's history, other than the fact that it is still on the air.

Continue reading New York Post breaks a HUGE spoiler for American Chopper - VIDEO

 

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]]>american chopperAmericanChopperdiscovery channelDiscoveryChannelorange county chopperorange county choppersorange county choppers silveradoOrangeCountyChopperOrangeCountyChoppersOrangeCountyChoppersSilveradopaul teutelpaul teutel jrpaul teutel srpaul teutulsPaulTeutelPaulTeutelJrPaulTeutelSrPaulTeutulstlc reality showTlcRealityShowDanny GallagherThu, 09 Apr 2009 10:03:00 ESTSuper-mega-uber-exclusive! The State DVD set for release this summer! Maybe...http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/05/super-mega-uber-exclusive-the-state-dvd-set-for-release-this-su/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/05/super-mega-uber-exclusive-the-state-dvd-set-for-release-this-su/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/05/super-mega-uber-exclusive-the-state-dvd-set-for-release-this-su/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MTV's The StateNothing has frustrated TV fans more than the never-ending release of The State DVD from MTV. It has become the Duke Nukem Forever of the television universe.

One minute, it's on and the next minute, it's off. Then it's back on again, then the whole thing gets called off. Then it rises from the ashes like a flaming phoenix into the never-ending sky only to get doused with a fire extinguisher by an MTV Home Entertainment executive.

Now it appears that ill-fated collection of magic discs is coming soon to a DVD store near you until MTV decides it's time to destroy your dreams and tell your children there is no Santa Claus again.

Continue reading Super-mega-uber-exclusive! The State DVD set for release this summer! Maybe...

 

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]]>joe lo trugliojoe lo truglipJoeLoTruglioJoeLoTruglipmade up medical proceduresMadeUpMedicalProceduresmtvs the stateMtvsTheStatethe stateTheStatetv on dvdTvOnDvdDanny GallagherSun, 05 Apr 2009 10:01:00 ESTSharona returning to Monkhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/25/sharona-returning-to-monk/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/25/sharona-returning-to-monk/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/25/sharona-returning-to-monk/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The final season of the show that made USA famous for something other than playing non-stop reruns of Wings is turning into a reunion special. Or should I say a special reunion?

Bitty Schram, the actress who played Sharona, Adrian Monk's original partner in fighting crime on Monk, will return for an episode sometime during the show's eighth and final season.

This will mark her first appearance on the comedy-mystery since she mysteriously disappeared from the show halfway through the third season. It should also make for an interesting close to a series that has redefined the way the higher channels on the dial create and produce their own series.

Continue reading Sharona returning to Monk

 

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]]>adrian monkAdrianMonkbitty schramBittySchrammonknatalie teegerNatalieTeegersharona flemingSharonaFlemingtony shalhoubtony shaloubTonyShalhoubTonyShaloubtraylor howardTraylorHowardusa networkUsaNetworkwingsDanny GallagherWed, 25 Mar 2009 09:05:00 ESTStairway to Stardom, or what American Idol filmed in a Staten Island basement 25 years ago would look like - VIDEOhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/24/stairway-to-stardom-or-what-american-idol-filmed-in-a-staten-is/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/24/stairway-to-stardom-or-what-american-idol-filmed-in-a-staten-is/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/24/stairway-to-stardom-or-what-american-idol-filmed-in-a-staten-is/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

stairway to stardom nyc cable access gloria huddleNothing breeds talent quite like cable access television.

Starting in 1979, Brooklyn resident Frank Masi created and hosted a program on local New York television called Stairway To Stardom. Filmed in what appeared to be a freshly carpeted Staten Island basement, Stairway was an especially early, low-budget predecessor to Star Search and American Idol, but sprinkled with the key element of hometown appeal.

Continue reading Stairway to Stardom, or what American Idol filmed in a Staten Island basement 25 years ago would look like - VIDEO

 

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]]>american idolAmericanIdolcable accessCableAccessmichelle sharpeMichelleSharpenew york cityNewYorkCitysharpeworldstairway to stardomStairwayToStardomstar searchStarSearchtalent showTalentShowEliot GlazerTue, 24 Mar 2009 11:00:00 ESTWar! Huh, good God. What is it good for? Awesome comic satire! Say it again! - VIDEOShttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/21/war-huh-good-god-what-is-it-good-for-awesome-comic-satire-s/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/21/war-huh-good-god-what-is-it-good-for-awesome-comic-satire-s/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/21/war-huh-good-god-what-is-it-good-for-awesome-comic-satire-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The cast of The Chaser's War on Everything

The Chaser's War on Everything, a satiric hidden camera prank show from Australia, aims to be everything most shows of their ilk fail to achieve. It's satirical, unbiased in its stance against everything from commercialism to phony diplomacy, and more probing than a proctologist with banana hands.

This sparks a startling question: what the hell is a show this smart doing on the G4 Network?

The show found its way to the States earlier this year as part of the network's Duty Free TV block of foreign cult faves like Trigger Happy TV, Unbeatable Banzuke and Ninja Warrior. It's become one of the better shows on the all geek network, which either says worlds for the three-year-old show or doesn't say much for the rest of G4's original programming. I'll let you decide while reminding you this is the same network that once produced a game show where the first person to vomit lost. Even Fox wouldn't sink that low. Wait, are we talking about some kind of survival situation?

Continue reading War! Huh, good God. What is it good for? Awesome comic satire! Say it again! - VIDEOS

 

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]]>australian broadcast corporationaustralian broadcasting corporationAustralianBroadcastCorporationAustralianBroadcastingCorporationduty free tvDutyFreeTvg4g4tvninja warriorNinjaWarriorthe chaserthe chasersthe chasers war on everythingTheChaserTheChasersTheChasersWarOnEverythingtrigger happy tvTriggerHappyTvunbeatable banzukeUnbeatableBanzukewars that dont suckWarsThatDontSuckDanny GallagherSat, 21 Mar 2009 12:04:00 ESTSo, were you digital TV'd this week?http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/so-were-you-digital-tvd-this-week/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/so-were-you-digital-tvd-this-week/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/so-were-you-digital-tvd-this-week/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

How did your DTV transition go on February 17thYou may not have realized it after coming off of your President's Day Booze and Beef BBQ, but February 17th was the voluntary day for television stations to turn off those piddly analog signals and crank up their digital ones. Other than one guy shooting his television over the conversion, the switchover of about a quarter of the 1800 television stations in the U.S. went off fairly smoothly. Course, this was just the dress rehearsal. The real performance will be on June 12th, which has become the new 'no change' cut over date.

Being a proud citizen of the United States, I thought I'd take your pulse once again and find out if any stations in your viewing area cut over on Tuesday. If they did, and you were one of those remaining folks without a cable hookup, did you encounter any problems with your new digital converter box? Also, just out of curiosity, was there one major market station that remained in analog mode while the others jumped into the digital pool?

Come on, Americans! Let your voice ring out on this matter.

 

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]]>converter boxConverterBoxDTV transitionDtvTransitionFebruary 17February17June 12June12rabbit earsRabbitEarsRichard KellerFri, 20 Feb 2009 17:01:00 ESTFBI joins Comcast's Super Bowl porn probehttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/fbi-joins-comcasts-super-bowl-porn-probe/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/fbi-joins-comcasts-super-bowl-porn-probe/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/20/fbi-joins-comcasts-super-bowl-porn-probe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

FBI logoWarning: this post about the FBI's investigation into the Super Bowl porn snafu uses the word "probe" several times. Viewer discretion is advised.

Comcast's probe into the Super Bowl porno snafu has officially become an FBI probe. A Fox affiliate in Tucson reported that the cable provider has asked the FBI to conduct their own probe into the 30 seconds of pornography that aired during Super Bowl XLIII.

Special Agent Manuel Johnson of the Phoenix FBI field office would only confirm for TV Squad that the probe is still ongoing.

Continue reading FBI joins Comcast's Super Bowl porn probe

 

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]]>excessive use of the word probeExcessiveUseOfTheWordProbefbipornporn starporn starspornopornographypornstarPornStarssuper bowlsuper bowl pornsuper bowl porn flicksuper bowl porn interruptionsuper bowl xliiiSuperBowlSuperBowlPornSuperBowlPornFlickSuperBowlPornInterruptionSuperBowlXliiitristan kingsleyTristanKingsleyDanny GallagherFri, 20 Feb 2009 16:28:00 ESTThe recession: bad for cable...good for the Internethttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/07/the-recession-bad-for-cable-good-for-the-internet/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/07/the-recession-bad-for-cable-good-for-the-internet/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/07/the-recession-bad-for-cable-good-for-the-internet/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hulu racked up an increase of viewers late last year as more people turned away from cable.As we all know, and are probably tired of hearing because it makes us so damned depressed, the recession is hitting everyone hard. Businesses are closing left and right, people are losing their jobs, and unemployment rates are hitting levels not seen since the days of leg warmers, headbands and tainted Tylenol. It's bad enough that even if people still have a job, their employers are taking extensive belt tightening measures to make sure they are prepared for the worst.

One of the things being eliminated from families' budgets during this belt tightening is their cable or satellite hookup. With costs that can total over $100 a month, families are just not ready to dump that kind of cash on something they feel doesn't have any value. That doesn't mean they are going without television (especially after the DTV switchover) and turning to a simpler life of canning vegetables, making quilts, and attending square dances. Rather, they are switching off their hi-def flat screens, turning on their computer flat screens, and getting their TV fix over the Internet.

Continue reading The recession: bad for cable...good for the Internet

 

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]]>cableHDTVHuluJoostNetflixRecessionsatelliteunemploymentRichard KellerSat, 07 Feb 2009 09:03:00 ESTPorn victims to get ten bucks from Comcasthttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/03/porn-victims-to-get-ten-bucks-from-comcast/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/03/porn-victims-to-get-ten-bucks-from-comcast/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/03/porn-victims-to-get-ten-bucks-from-comcast/#commentsFiled under: , ,

ComcastSo you've probably heard about the 30 seconds of porn (video is unbelievably NSFW. You will be fired and embarrassed if you watch this video. Please don't show to your parents, kids, or clergy. Warning! Graphic!) that many Tucson residents saw during the Super Bowl. And if you lived in the area and actually saw it, you might be getting some money from Comcast.

The cable company has decided to pay ten dollars to each person who was "affected" by the showing of porn during the game. I have no idea how you're supposed to prove you saw it or even what "affected" means. Annoyed? Ticked off? Embarrassed for your family? Aroused? Did it make you want to strangle a puppy? Comcast, the nudity you showed on Super Bowl Sunday made me rethink my career path. I want my ten dollars!

Comcast is still investigating what exactly happened, but they're pretty sure it was done by someone on purpose. Only people who didn't watch the game in HD actually saw it, which is a great ad for HDTV. Not sure if the spokesperson for the company helps by using the words "aggressively pursue" and "come to a resolution" in the statement.

 

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]]>10 dollarscomcastfootballhdnflnuditysuper bowlsuper bowl sundayBob SassoneTue, 03 Feb 2009 12:45:00 ESTWill more time make the digital TV transition any easier?http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/27/will-more-time-make-the-digital-tv-transition-any-easier/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/27/will-more-time-make-the-digital-tv-transition-any-easier/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/27/will-more-time-make-the-digital-tv-transition-any-easier/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

DTV.gov logoYesterday, the U.S. Senate followed President Obama's recommendation and approved a delay in the digital TV transition date from February 17 to to June 12. If a similar measure passes in the House, then we all know what that means: four more months of DTV transition ads! Woo hoo!

Seriously, though, will it matter if the transition date is February, June, or sometime in Obama's second administration? At this point, even the most casual observer has figured out that the transition hasn't been communicated very well to the American public. People who have cable or satellite still think that they need to buy a new HDTV or upgrade to digital cable in order to be compliant with the conversion, people who got discount coupons for converters early on have found that the coupons have expired and they can't get more, and the people who have converted are being surprised that some weak stations won't come in due to the "digital cliff effect."

Continue reading Will more time make the digital TV transition any easier?

 

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]]>barack obamaBarackObamabest buyBestBuycircuit cityCircuitCitydigital televisionDigitalTelevisionDTVfebruary 17February17june 12June12president barack obamapresident obamaPresidentBarackObamaPresidentObamatransitionus senateUsSenatevoteJoel KellerTue, 27 Jan 2009 19:02:00 ESTObama wants to delay that whole digital TV thinghttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/08/obama-wants-to-delay-that-whole-digital-tv-thing/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/08/obama-wants-to-delay-that-whole-digital-tv-thing/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/08/obama-wants-to-delay-that-whole-digital-tv-thing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

retro tvYou've seen the countless ads with the dire warnings: switch to digital TV by February 17 or you won't be able to watch any of your favorite shows and you'll have to read a book or play with your kids. And I bet your local news stations have been running various tests and a crawl at the bottom of the screen to remind you about the transition. Now it looks like it might not happen when it's supposed to..

The Obama transition team is asking Congress to extend the deadline because the way the transition has been handled hasn't been the smoothest: there's been a problem with the coupons that the government is giving out so people can get a converter box, the education on the new technology has been inadequate, and the government doesn't have the funds to make the current date a reality. Consumers unions are also asking for the date to be extended.

My sister asked me if I was ready for the digital transition, and I told her that I've been ready for years. Then I met someone last week who says she still has a small portable TV with rabbit ears. Are you ready for the change?

Continue reading Obama wants to delay that whole digital TV thing

 

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]]>analogconsumers uniondigital transitiondtvfccfebruary 17obamatelevisiontvBob SassoneThu, 08 Jan 2009 19:06:00 ESTTop TV Stories of 2008: The rise of the cable networkshttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/02/top-tv-stories-of-2008-the-rise-of-the-cable-networks/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/02/top-tv-stories-of-2008-the-rise-of-the-cable-networks/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/02/top-tv-stories-of-2008-the-rise-of-the-cable-networks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Burn Notice
Everybody's been boo-hooing the ongoing decline in the ratings of the broadcast networks for years now. Each year their numbers erode and the news outlets go crazy trying to figure out what's going on. But there's been a quieter story building during that same timespan, and it really came to the forefront this year. While the major broadcast networks have seen a drop in viewers, the cable networks have been busting ratings records all year, culminating with USA not only having the best year of any cable channel in 2008, but having the best year in the history of cable television.

But what does that mean for television, in general? Is it just the continuing evolution of a drastically changing medium? Considering the state of the economy and its impact on the networks, it's definitely worth noting that someone on the airwaves is apparently doing something right, and it's these cable channels. Ironically, many of those same success stories in cable are sister stations to the broadcast networks, even going so far as to lend them shows during that pesky writer's strike. But how can it be that while the Big Four are going down, the cable networks are on the rise?

Continue reading Top TV Stories of 2008: The rise of the cable networks

 

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]]>battlestar galacticaBattlestarGalacticaburn noticeBurnNoticefeaturedpsychsaving graceSavingGracesci fiSciFithe closerthe history channelTheCloserTheHistoryChanneltnttopstories2008usawga strikeWgaStrikeJason HughesFri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:00 ESTViacom going black on Time Warner Cablehttp://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/31/viacom-going-black-on-time-warner/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/31/viacom-going-black-on-time-warner/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/31/viacom-going-black-on-time-warner/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Have been itching for a fix of South Park, Spongebob or Bonanza?

Well, bite down on some leather, drink plenty of fluids, and get ready for some long nights of withdrawal, because Viacom is pulling 18 channels off the air from all of Time Warner Cable's outlets in protest over their recent carriage fee raises.

That means if you're a TWC customer and a fan of anything on Comedy Central, VH1, Spike, Nickelodeon, Logo, CMT or (if you're completely blind and deaf) MTV, you're boned.

Continue reading Viacom going black on Time Warner Cable

 

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]]>comedy centralComedyCentralmtvnickelodeonspikespike tvSpikeTvtime warner cableTimeWarnerCablevh1viacomDanny GallagherWed, 31 Dec 2008 10:01:00 EST