Like a hungry shark circling its prey, Comcast and its Outdoor Life Network, now referred to as OLN, is continuing its low-key but determined move to take a bite out of cable sports kingpin ESPN.

The announcer, who has been subbing for Larry King, disapproved of Thursday night's focus: a teen's disappearance in Aruba and BTK.

As the ANA is gearing up for its 95th Annual Conference: The Masters of Marketing (less than two months away!), I wanted to provide a "sneak peek" of what's in store for this year's event. The three day agenda will focus on those areas identified as "most important" to ANA members-Successful Brand Building and Marketing Accountability.

Following Peter Jenning's death on Aug. 7 from lung cancer, the American Legacy Foundation said it has crafted a print ad via Omnicom Group's GSD&M appealing to smokers to get help. An ad breaking in USA Today features white text against a black background. The copy reads: "You don't need another lecture on the reasons to stop smoking. You need a game plan. That's where we can help. The American Legacy Foundation is a national organization dedicated to preventing and reducing tobacco use. Working with state governments and various public and private partners, we can provide the tools and information …

The tension in Hollywood over declining box-office receipts heated up on Thursday as the head of the trade organization for movie theaters accused the chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Robert A. Iger, of leveling a "death threat" against his industry. The trade official, John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, was responding to a statement by Mr. Iger to Wall Street analysts this month that movie studios need to accommodate changing consumer demand by releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on DVD.

The interns at CBS News were given a challenging assignment this summer: develop ideas for a new "CBS Evening News" format. CBS executives, of course, are doing the same thing, and some of them, including news President Andrew Heyward, watched the college students' presentations a few weeks ago.

USA TODAY, the largest-circulation daily newspaper in the country, is launching a glossy technology magazine covering consumer electronics and trends, the newspaper announced Thursday. The new 80-page magazine, USA TODAY NOW Personal Technology, will launch Oct. 17 with at least 300,000 copies printed. It will be sold at newsstands across the country with a cover price of $4.95. The magazine will feature articles on shopping for electronics, how to set them up at home, Q&A articles with experts, polls, and editors' picks on key products.

The Kroger Co. has signed a deal with In-Store Broadcasting Network (IBN) to launch a TV network in 2,500 Kroger stores, according to the company. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the nation's No. 2 grocery chain behind Wal-Mart; IBN, of Salt Lake City, Utah, provides in-store music and TV advertising services to supermarket and drug store chains.

The members of Slipknot are ready to have it their way--and that means the masked metal mavens want to shut down a new Burger King marketing campaign. In the spots, currently airing on such networks as MTV, VH1 and Spike TV, the fictional band Coq Roq is decked out in masks similar to those worn by Slipknot and performs such ditties as "Bob Your Head" and "Cross the Road" in an effort to persuade head-banging foodies to make a beeline to the nearest BK for the newfangled delicacy, which are fried chicken strips with dipping sauce. BK also launched a …

NHL games will air on Outdoor Life Network for at least the next two seasons. The league finalized a two-year deal with Comcast Corp. -- the owner of OLN -- late Wednesday night after ESPN declined to match the agreement that will pay the NHL $65 million this season and $70 million in 2006-07. The agreement between Comcast and the NHL was approved by the league's board of governors last week. ESPN, which resumed regular broadcast of NHL games in 1992, had until Wednesday night to match the contract but decided to pass.