Most TV viewers see less and less of a distinction between TV giants such as NBC, ABC and CBS and cable cousins such as USA, TNT and MTV. "Kids and teenagers and even adults under 35 don't really differentiate between cable and broadcast. It's just TV," says Jim Spiropolous, research director at MediaVest. He predicts that all but the most premium broadcast shows will end up with ratings on par with cable in just a few years. Indeed, the number of viewers who watched broadcast network programs within seven days after airing fell in every significant demo category between 2007-2008 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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," …

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.

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 …

Gannett cut its chief executive's pay package by 60% last year, passing along the financial misery that has tormented the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as its stock price and profit shrank. CEO Craig Dubow's 2008 compensation was valued at $3.1 million, based on newly disclosed SEC figures. That's down from 2007 compensation of $7.9 million, which included stock options. As big as the pay cut, it still fell short of the 79% plunge in Gannett's market value that erased $8 billion in shareholder wealth last year. Dubow's 2008 pay consisted mostly of a $1.17 million base salary …

Like most media stocks, CBS shares have slumped badly amid the recession. That's true even though the company's core TV network is growing, and it scored the season's top new show, "The Mentalist." Wall Street may finally be changing its tune. Caris & Co. analyst David Miller upgraded CBS stock, arguing that the recent share price below $4 reflects roughly the value of its Showtime pay-cable channel, without even weighing the value of the CBS broadcast network and other assets. CBS is the only broadcast network that has seen ratings grow this season. The network is averaging …

Facing a budget squeeze, Advertising Age is changing its summer publishing schedule, reducing the number of issue per year from 50 to 43 or 44. Crain Communications, the trade mag's parent, is also laying off an undisclosed number of employees at many of its more than 30 media properties, and is cutting salaries 10% across the board. During the weeks in which there is no Advertising Age print issue, the magazine's regular news, analysis, data and columns will be available online. "Our goal is to emerge from this recession as a stronger company as we begin to look …