"Fashion House," a 13-week series that debuts Sept. 5, promises to deliver the successful, over-the-top melodramas that dominate Spanish-language TV each night, reports Bloomberg. The difference is that it will air in English, on News Corp.'s MyNetworkTV, a new broadcast network that will reach 91 percent of U.S. households using company-owned and independent stations. The format, known as "telenovelas," is a move intended to halt a steady decline in viewership. News Corp. isn't the only media company betting they will: ABC will air "Ugly Betty" this fall, a weekly comedy based on the telenovela "Betty la Fea," while NBC is …

At a time when Nielsen seems especially keen on developing new clients and additional revenue streams, there's one piece of new business the TV ratings giant hasn't been all that eager to pursue: spunky new interactive TV network ReacTV. In the three weeks since ReacTV founder Frank Maggio announced his attention to become a Nielsen ratings client during a keynote at the Advertising Research Foundation's Audience Measurement Symposium on June 21, Nielsen executives have declined to return calls from ReacTV executives.

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the Comcast and Time Warner purchase of the assets of Adelphia Communications for $17.6 billion today, after imposing broad limits on cable companies signing exclusive deals with regional sports networks, Ad Age reports. The 4-to-1 vote -- with only Democratic commissioner Michael Copps dissenting -- approved the deal that will lead to Adelphia, the country's sixth-largest cable provider, merging with two larger competitors and further concentrating the cable industry. Adelphia has been in bankruptcy since 2002. With the deal and related market swaps, Time Warner gains presence in Los Angeles, Dallas and Cleveland, while …

Will the tepid financial results just released by Tribune Co. strengthen the hand of its unhappy largest shareholder? The media company's profits plunged 63% in the second quarter while revenue declined about 1% to $1.43 billion. The numbers come in the middle of a boardroom battle between Tribune and the Chandler Trusts, which own about 14% of the company and have opposed a share buyback plan while calling for a breakup of the company. Crain's Chicago Business says a representative of the Chandlers declined to comment, but Edward Atorino, an analyst at Benchmark Co., says the results could help the …

Historic changes to Australia's $12 billion media industry have been condemned as a blow for consumers, a disaster for democracy and a squandered opportunity, reports the Canberra Times. Under new rules announced this week, limits on foreign companies owning a piece of the national media will be gone and local firms will get the chance to own print, radio and TV interests in one city or regional area. Communications Minister Helen Coonan said the release of new digital channels could provide up to 30 news, information and entertainment services delivered to mobile phones, TV and computers. Broadcasters ABC and SBS, …

Tribune Co. is not alone in its profit woes. The rising cost of newsprint, flat or falling circulation and poor ad growth has led to a dismal second quarter for several newspaper industry companies, reports The New York Times. While executives are blaming a weak operating environment for lower profits, they also vow to trim expenses and focus on the Web in the months to come. Tribune, McClatchy, Gannett and Media General have all shown stagnant or down profits. But analysts say the results were in line with expectations. "Nobody was expecting the second quarter to be a bang-up," says …

His comeback took a mere three weeks. Former CBS anchor Dan Rather and Mark Cuban's HDNet announced Rather will produce and host a weekly news program, "Dan Rather Reports," beginning in October, Ad Age reports. The hour-long show will feature news reports, interviews and investigative pieces and "won't be the corporate news or short-segment news you find on broadcast or cable networks," Cuban says. "This is journalism." While Rather stepped down as anchor of "CBS Evening News" in March 2005, he continued to contribute to "60 Minutes." He left CBS in June, five months before his contract expired. Rather says …

"What do TV shows about a mysterious teenager minus a bellybutton, a police officer returning to his urban neighborhood and a small town dealing with the possible end of the world have in common?" asks the Associated Press. All three are on or joining ABC Family as part of an effort to boost original programming after a long reliance on reruns and movies. The cable net has put a renewed emphasis on family shows, aggressively targeted to viewers 18-to-28. Says ABC Family President Paul Lee: "Family drama is alive and well, and people are rediscovering it. We felt we could …

Three years ago, the Federal Communications Commission set out to deregulate media ownership, only to meet the protests of 3 million people, notes North Carolina's The Independent Weekly. Then, a federal court stopped the FCC in its tracks, just as Congress was voting to halt its new rules. Now, the FCC has announced a review of the ownership rules limiting the number of broadcast outlets a single company can own. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is from the Tarheel State and is part of a Republican majority on the commission. "But what you really need to know about Martin is …

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, begun in 2001 with a pay-per-view bout, has forged a successful relationship with cable network Spike TV and is attracting bigger audiences to each event. At Spike, a reality series about the UFC is bringing in serious ad dollars, with Burger King, the U.S. Army and Taco Bell among the largest advertisers. According to Kevin Kay, Spike's general manager, it is the network's highest-rated program and biggest revenue generator. While he worried in the early years if advertisers would come on board, now he says: "We've given them a huge television platform, and we helped them …