As the newspaper industry is being knocked back on its heels, the New York Times Co. Wednesday reported an 11% drop in second-quarter advertising revenue and an 82% plunge in quarterly earnings compared with a year ago, when the bottom line was boosted by the sale of a broadcast unit. The outlook for the current quarter is no better. Advertising revenue fell 18% in June, and there has been no improvement so far in July, says CEO Janet Robinson. Advertisers "are really saving dollars" to offset higher energy costs and lower consumer spending. "The economy has gotten …

Media companies, worried about protecting their content, are clamping down on how their kid-friendly characters are used in the outside world. Parents planning birthday parties for their children with costumed characters like Hannah Montana are now facing stumbling blocks that include trademark infringement. Lately, Marvel Entertainment Inc., Scholastic and other corporations that own the rights to popular characters have sent cease-and-desist letters, threatened lawsuits and in some cases received settlements from unauthorized character impersonators.

TNT has given the green light to "Night and Day," a pilot from Joel Surnow, "24" co-creator, and Todd Robinson. The gritty drama about the life of an ATF agent marks Surnow's first series project since he departed "24" in February after seven years. Emmy winners Surnow and Robinson penned the "Night and Day" script and are executive producing. On the feature side, Surnow also has romantic comedy "That Face" in the works at Morgan Creek Prods. and Universal Pictures.

The upcoming installments of CNN's "Black in America" series have signed on McDonald's and Geico as sponsors, reaching beyond the network's regular stable of advertisers. "We are attracting new category advertisers because of relevant, audience-connecting programs like "Black in America," says Greg D'Alba, CNN executive. Having an African-American candidate for president undoubtedly helps fuel the interest among both viewers and brands. Upcoming installments anchored by Soledad O'Brien are "The Black Women & Family," airing Wednesday night, and "The Black Man" on Thursday. The sponsorships include encore presentations airing over the weekend.

When "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday on allegations he assaulted his mother and sister, Warner Bros. execs scrambled to assess the impact on the movie's marketing efforts. Bale's arrest coincides with a major ad campaign for the film and for Burger King, which urges consumers to give in to their "dark side." In one ad, a young man refuses to give up his seat to an old lady carrying heavy bags. Bale canceled a London promotional press session slated for Tuesday, but is expected to be ready for interviews in Barcelona on Wednesday …

When NBC programming head Ben Silverman, recently said, "We're managing for margin and not for ratings," media insider Shelly Palmer heard one thing. He says it was a signal that this is the end of broadcast television. Investing in programming and ratings, not margins, is the only thing that will turn the business around, Palmer writes. "The recipe for profitable broadcast television is simple: Develop large audiences that you can accurately measure, and sell them to advertisers who need to reach them." If, on the other hand, "you want to sunset an organization and squeeze every last …

U.S. daily newspapers aren't reducing just their newsrooms, they are also downsizing stories, page count, sections, international coverage and national news, according to a new Pew Research study. Ironically, many of the editors surveyed think their papers are improving their coverage, even as they lament recent reductions. At the same time, only a minority of editors thinks online journalism will save their papers. The 57-page study also confirms that the newspaper industry is really two businesses: big-city papers that are hurting mightily, and smaller papers that are doing fairly well. Of dailies with circulations over 100,000, 85% report …