Time could soon run out for Court TV, as the channel faces a deadline that could permanently shut out of EchoStar's DISH Network lineup. In a series of comments at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen says he might pull Court TV off the DISH Net menu for good if a new carriage deal is not worked out by Feb. 1. Both sides say there has been no change in Court TV's carriage status, but neither company would confirm if negotiations were actually going on. Ergen doesn't usually wait once he decides to …

Arbitron and the Nielsen Company have formed a joint venture that will allow the pair to continue developing the Project Apollo research service, which uses both Arbitron's Portable People Meter and ACNielsen's Homescan to track relationships between consumers' exposure to advertising and their purchasing choices. In testing so far, the companies have used a national pilot panel of about 11,000 people in 5,000 households that provides data to a select group of customers. PPM collects information on exposure to network radio, broadcast TV and cable networks, while Homescan tracks purchase pf packaged-goods. "By making it possible to …

Pop star Fergie, the female singer for The Black Eyed Peas, is the new face of Candie's shoes. She stars in work that puts her at the center of the company's spring ad campaign, with a TV commercial breaking on the Grammys in select markets. She will also make appearances on behalf of the brand and participate in campaign launch events while Candie's and retailer Kohl's will sponsor her Dutchess tour later this year. Previous Candie's endorsers include Destiny's Child, Hilary Duff, Dixie Chicks and Jenny McCarthy. The effort, created in-house, launches in March issues of fashion, entertainment and …