Help a TV brand out -- or any brand, for that matter. That's what we customers want to do, apparently, according to a new survey. Eight out of ten Internet users actually want to tell marketers ways to make better products and services. I'm guessing this pertains to TV shows, as well.

Naming Seth MacFarlane the host of ABC's "The 85th Academy Awards" next February seems on the surface to be a bold and smart move. The guy can sing, act, and, oh yeah, write and produce blisteringly sarcastic stuff. I'm talking about "Family Guy," of course. But wait a second. If you think MacFarlane will glom his "Family Guy" attitude onto the hallowed big movie event, you'd be wrong.

Many of the NFL's actions over the past several weeks may come down to one observation by TV media buyers: The cost per thousand viewers of sports TV, or CPMs, will grow.