The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed relaxing an agency rule to allow big-city newspapers to buy the smaller television stations in their markets, a move designed as a compromise in the ongoing issue of corporate control of the airwaves. Under Chairman Kevin Martin's plan, set for a commission vote Dec. 18, newspapers in the nation's 20-largest media markets could buy one radio or television station in their cities, if certain conditions apply. The station could not be among the four most-watched in the market, essentially preventing newspapers from buying popular stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, …

In the writers' strike's second week, some writers may be planning to break ranks. Some of the writers for at least one soap opera, CBS Corp.'s "The Young and the Restless," gave up their status as guild members with plans to return to writing, according to a source. Other soap writers are considering following their lead -- or writing in secret -- to keep their jobs and their shows on the air. Late last week, the WGA posted on its Web site a phone number to report "strike-breaking activities and scab writing" to the guild's 12-person Strike Rules …

The NBC Owned-and-Operated Stations Group has a new moniker: NBC Local Media Division. The new name also gets a new pair of executives. Brian Buchwald is the new senior vice president, local digital media and multiplatform, and Mark French is senior vice president and general manager of new digital unit NBC Everywhere. Wallace said the station group's name change reinforces its mission. "Our stations produce local content for a multitude of platforms beyond their primary channels," he added. "NBC Local Media better reflects the full scope of our capabilities, as well as our ability to offer clients a fully …

As the writers strike drags on, some marketers are beginning to worry that it could soon disrupt TV schedules and cut into ad viewership.While the 2-week old job action has thus far put just late-night talk and comedy shows into rerun, marquee programs, including "The Office," and "24" have stopped production, bringing the supply of top-rated prime-time fare into question. So far, most of the schedule is intact and media buyers aren't that worried; their contracts guarantee total audience counts,which the networks would have to make good on if ratings fall. But the real concern is the …

Lucy Hughes has been tapped by CBS Radio as itsnew senior vice-president of research. She comes from a three-year stint at CBS Television Stations Group and will report to vice president of sales Michael Weiss. She had also been serving as director of local station research for KCBS-TV and KCAL-TVin Los Angeles for about a year. Weiss said: "As the industry moves further into the digital space and advertisers continue to demand more accountability as to how they are spending their ad dollars, it's imperative we have someone of Lucy's caliber at our disposal to interpret and evaluate our …

Lincoln has bailed out of its three-year deal with Earvin "Magic" Johnson, dumping the former Laker star in favor of hip-hop artist Common to help better connect with African-Americans. Ford says its new celeb will be pushing the Lincoln Navigator SUV in ads across a variety of media, events and online. The aim is to make the marque "hipper and a little cooler," says Marc Perry, multicultural marketing manager for Lincoln. Common appeals to consumers in their late 20s to mid-30s. Johnson worked well for Lincoln, he adds, but the automaker wants to "keep things contemporary." The …

Cable network FX has renewed "Damages" for two more seasons, ordering up several dozen more episodes of the Sony Pictures Television show that stars Glenn Close as a litigator pursuing a case against a corrupt corporate titan played by Ted Danson. For its first season, the program pulled an average of 2.5 million total viewers -- 1.1 million in the adults 18-49 demo. Those numbers increase to 5.1 million and 2.5 million, respectively, when factoring in weekly multi-telecast airings. "FX is proud of our status as a leader in fostering bold, high-quality scripted programming," says FX President and General …

DirecTV is ready to roll with three new original series for its general entertainment network the 101. They include a comedy court program; a game show hosted by Meat Loaf and a Joan Lunden-vehicle designed to honor local heroes. The satellite provider's intention for the net -- located on Channel 101 -- is to give viewers with programming they can't find elsewhere, says Eric Shanks, executive vice president at DirecTV Entertainment. "The Supreme Court of Comedy," features real cases brought to small claims courts in California that will now be decided by Dom Irrera at the Laugh …

Product placement has hit the hotel biz in a big way as brands, including Sony and Restoration Hardware, cut deals to get their,stuff into high-end rooms. The move allows guests to try out things like SonyPlayStation3, and also buy them, perhaps at a discount. "Quite often we share the same customer [demographics] as the hotel, so we're able to co-market and do things together that are more valuable than just selling product," says Claire Eeles, general manager of Restoration Hardware's trade unit. At the Luxor hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Restoration Hardware will design and provide furniture as part …

The Federal Communications Commission is about to issue some new rules that could open the cable television market to independent programmers and rival video services. According to federal officials,the FCC has decided that cable companies have become too dominant. And giving the commission expanded powers over cable, is expected to be announced later this month. If so, it would be a big change for the industry, deregulated by Congress in 1996. The finding could lead to more diverse programming and consumer groups hope it might also mean lower rates. "The finding will provide the commission with additional …