With 48 days to the mid-term elections, a progressive think tank has some advice for candidates making that final push for votes. One key piece, says Peter Leyden of the New Politics Institute, is to buy cable. He notes that far more money went to broadcast--$1.5 billion as opposed to $80 million for cable--in 2004. The problem is that much of that money is wasted, since it reaches people "far beyond the districts that progressive organizations and campaigns want to reach." And that is akin to flushing your ad dollars down the toilet, he adds. Other recommendations include heavy use …

Rupert Murdoch's willingness to surrender a hard-won controlling interest in DirecTV to fend off a threat from John Malone's Liberty Media is indicative of a new industry mind-set. And it will result in the restructuring and even dismantling of media companies, writes Diane Mermigas. The trading of assets and the restructuring of major media conglomerates will be brisk during the 18 months, she says, as players reposition themselves in a digital marketplace governed by new rules. Murdoch has cooled on DirecTV's distribution magic, likely because of impatience with how long--and how much--it will take to make it more competitive with …

As the end of a 10-year carriage deal with Cablevision Systems approaches, Fox News took to the newspapers to warn viewers that the network could soon go dark in some markets. It ran ads in three local newspapers--one in Westchester and two in Stamford, Conn.--that serve Cablevision subscribers. The ads tell viewers they could lose the channel within 30 days. Other carriage agreements are also set to expire soon. The ad move could mean Fox News is looking to rally support from its fan base to help cut new deals. "We haven't yet had what we might call productive negotiations …

At least 28 parties have expressed interest in buying the niche magazines that Time Warner is selling. And potential bidders are heavily weighted toward financial players, followed by European publishers that have the clout of a stronger currency. According to a source, the New York Post says the books will show the magazines have free cash flow in the range of $30 million, and the company expects to fetch $300 million to $400 million for them. "The financial pressure at Time Inc. is out of control," says one insider, while another adds: "Morale has never been lower." Mags on the …

For a long time, "Telemundo was the little network that couldn't," no matter how much it tried to challenge the much-larger Univision. But the channel has finally found itself, just as its big rival is sagging in the ratings. Although still no fatal threat to Univision, Telemundo has seen a 27 percent increase in its 18-49 audience over the last year that has narrowed the gap. At the same time, it's pushed even farther ahead of TeleFutura, Univision's sister network. "The Telemundo brand is evolving, but I think the key is relevance to our audience, whether it's news or sports …

NBC Universal hopes to double revenues from overseas TV film and digital activities in the next few years, citing the appointment of Peter Smith to the job of president of its international business. Smith, who is currently in charge of NBC's Universal Pictures International division, told the Financial Times: "It would be nice to see the business double in size over the next three or four years, but we've not put a specific target on it." The broadcaster, part-owned by Vivendi Universal, now generates one-fifth of its revenues from outside the U.S. However, Smith says they want to create opportunities …

With newspapers expanding political coverage on their Web sites, some of the most effective and entertaining use of their Internet editions thus far has been links to political ads. Big dailies like The New York Times and The Washington Post have been screening such ads for effectiveness and accuracy for years, but only recently have actual moving images been put online. Now, at least three dailies are offering readers a chance to view them via their Web pages. "If you are into political ads, you can just park there and watch," says John Harris, national politics editor of the Post, …

To reach the often elusive college market, some advertisers have decided to sponsor free movies on campus. As part of the package, messages are plastered on pre-event publicity and at the venue. One company, Alloy Media + Marketing, likes to screen major motion pictures just prior to wide public release. This provides a free venue for college students "to hang out and experience a brand new film and fits the idea of a product launch," says Alloy vp Samantha Skey. Youth Media & Marketing Networks (Y2M) is also in the business, but it favors classics and films tied to DVD …

The "Free to Be" marketing push from new broadcast network the CW features phrases like "Free to Be Fierce," "Free to Be Super" and "Free to Be Funny." But considering the channel's willingness to offer up every conceivable facet of its multi-platform network, perhaps the lasting slogan might be ""Free to Be Commercial." The CW--the first broadcast network to launch since its predecessors, the WB and UPN, did in 1995--will be flush with advertisers, pulling in $650 million in upfront commitments. The CW also has deals with a handful of top brands that make them founding charter advertisers. Buyers say …

The head of Tribune is defending his running of the Los Angeles Times, telling community leaders that the company has made improvements at the paper over the six years it has owned it, the newspaper reports. In a letter to former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and 19 other prominent Angelenos, Dennis FitzSimons said the Chicago-based company was spending a larger share of its revenue on the Times' editorial operations than Publisher Otis Chandler did during "what many refer to as the 'golden age' of the newspaper." He was responding to a letter from the group that backed executives who …