These days, the 10 p.m. slot is inhabited mostly by so-so drama performers and fading franchises--a far cry from the days when "ER" was posting 40 shares, "Law & Order" was at its height and "NYPD Blue" also soared. The networks have been frustrated in their attempts to capitalize on the success of their 9 o'clock shows. With the exception of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" leading into "Grey's Anatomy" five years ago, no 9 o'clock series in recent years has helped launch a stand-alone success. NBC won't even program the slot with scripted fare anymore, moving "The Jay Leno Show" into …

CBS News was wondering what its journalist Katie Couric was doing introducing a promotional video aimed at car dealers. Couric appeared in a promotional clip created by the Automotive Broadcasting Network, which picks up CBS entertainment and news content via the CBS Outernet unit. ABN used a snippet of Couric in a marketing piece that deplores the "negativity" of the news and its bad effect on car-buying. The footage of Couric was originally part of her introduction of a news clip; ABN never had permission to use it in marketing materials. Ironically, one example of negative news …

Newspaper publishers may face more bankruptcies this year as ad sales at newspapers decline almost 20%, said Standard & Poor's analyst Emile Courtney at the McGraw-Hill Media Summit. Gannett and The New York Times Co. aren't likely candidates for bankruptcy, he said, but he didn't identify which publishers are. Courtney also said the switch to online-only "is very difficult" for papers because the Web generates just 10% of total revenue for most newspaper publishers. Courtney further warned that newspapers have a "limited market" for asset sales.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says he is open to adjusting antitrust policy if it could help preserve the newspaper industry. The industry is reeling from a shift in advertising and reader attention to online media. Some struggling newspapers in multiple-newspaper cities have limited antitrust immunity, allowing them to combine business activities while maintaining separate news operations. Expanding that immunity and allowing mergers may help some papers survive. "To the extent that we have to look at our enforcement policies and conform them to the realities that the newspaper industry faces, that's something that I'm willing to do," …

Jonathan Knee, an investment banker who advised on the San Diego Union-Tribune sale and is director of the media program at Columbia Business School, sees plenty of hope for newspapers. At the same time, he admits the newspaper industry "has not been blessed with the best managers," and that generations of monopoly profits "have dulled their senses." Compared to media businesses like movies, music and books, most newspapers still have higher profit margins, he says. The most profitable newspapers have tended to be in monopoly markets with circulation of 20,000 to 100,000 readers. Big papers like The New …

Cable and online TV companies think tough economic times will help them grow, betting that thrifty consumers will stay home and keep spending on home entertainment. People are clearly looking for cheaper entertainment, according to Tom Rogers, TiVo CEO. He adds that while consumers may be reluctant to make large purchases, they seem prepared to pay for a high-definition TV. TiVo hopes to be the company chosen by viewers overwhelmed by a plethora of TV channels and content. "We call it the easy couch-potato approach," Rogers says. In the wake of the downturn, TiVo has tried to …

In the government's nearly $800 billion stimulus package, there is one thing missing, according to Bob Pittman, former CEO of MTV Networks and former COO of AOL Time Warner. To get people spending again, and the economy moving, the government needs to help American businesses advertise their products and services. Pittman writes that a meaningful resurgence in consumer spending is necessary right now to get us out of this economic hole, and "maybe some of the current drop in consumer spending is the result of recent cuts in advertising." Consumers that hold the key to our recovery are …

The New Yorker, Condé Nast's literary title, got 10 nominations for the American Society of Magazine Editors' prestigious National Magazine Awards. The categories include General Excellence, Reporting, and Feature Writing. GQ, also owned by Condé, was the second-most nominated with eight nominations, the most ever for GQ in a single year, per ASME. While The New Yorker has received more awards (47) than any other magazine, nominations don't always translate into wins, as evidenced by 2007, when the title got 12 nominations but won none.

When you are the fourth-place network, it's a tough challenge to get the attention of viewers, even when you have something new or intriguing. Two shows that recently premiered on fourth-placed NBC barely moved the Nielsen needle. Most surprising was "Kings," the ambitious two-hour opener of a modern-day David & Goliath tale, starring Ian McShane. It was seen by only 6.1 million viewers last week, less than half the audience of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," which aired at the same time. Viewership was even less than the collection of old "Saturday Night Live" skits that ran in the same …

Condé Nast Publications has trimmed its corporate pension plan, announcing that whatever money is in the pension plan is now frozen and that parent Advance Publications will no longer contribute to the plan. In addition, employees who are not yet vested in the pension plan will no longer be eligible to become vested. The company will continue to make limited contributions into employees' 401(k) retirement plans. A company rep states that the plan was "modified to help the company manage its business through this challenging time." The drop in ad pages at Condé Nast has reached 30% …