The NBA has forged new multiyear deals with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Dish Network to carry the league's NBA TV. With the new agreements, the league will reach 45 million homes this season. NBA TV offers more than 100 live games, original programming and studio shows. The NBA recently struck affiliate deals with Comcast, Cox, DirecTV and Verizon. The NBA season begins Oct. 27. The three companies that signed on will continue to carry NBA League Pass, the subscription package offered by the league that airs about 40 out-of-market games each week.

Starting Oct. 28, users will have to pay $5 per week for an online subscription to Newsday, unless they already subscribe to the print paper or are customers of Cablevision's Optimum Online. Cablevision owns Newsday. Initially, non-subscribers will see only the site's homepage, classifieds, school closings, obituaries, weather and entertainment listings. However, Newsday may modify what's free and what isn't based on user feedback, says Debby Krenek, managing editor. Newsday officials claim their new paid plan will not affect most local readers, because 75% of homes in the paper's circulation area are either print subscribers or Optimum Online …

The Chicago News Cooperative, a new nonprofit reporting organization launched Oct. 22 and immediately announced a deal to provide content to the New York Times. The Times will use news from the CNC to feed its new local edition pages in Chicago, similar to what it's doing in San Francisco. The CNC is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and comprises former Chicago Tribune journalists and other editorial staff. CNC journalists will provide two pages of CNC branded news and commentary to The New York Times twice a week in its Chicago editions on …

MPG is expected to retain the $100 million North American portion of Danone's media buying and planning account. Mediaedge:cia, which pitched against MPG in the U.S., will retain the U.K. business worth approximately $40 million, and OMD will control the company's $150 million planning and buying account in China. Danone's market-by-market global media review was procurement-led, which explains why much of the business isn't shifting shops. The RFP included questions such as: "Can you [provide] precise flexibility of budget you allow to keep these guarantees for 2010?" "Can you improve your net CPM?" "Can you improve the level of …

Slate editor David Plotz offers a fresh glimpse of the future of newspapers and magazine Web sites. More sophisticated ways of measuring usership and engagement will change advertisers focus from a mass audience to focus on loyal, engaged users who want quality, long form journalism, he says. "The one curious reader is worth 50 times the value of the drive-by reader. The person who makes a commitment to your [media] brand... if you can get those readers, a smaller set of readers, who come to you three or five or 10 times a week, you don't have to …

Si Newhouse's Condé Nast has been all about big budgets, big splashy pictures and the best writers and editors with total creative control who became wealthy celebrities. No other publisher could compete. Can the empire be fabulous once again after the recession? The company insists it can, but that attitude poses a huge risk. CEO Chuck Townsend, a money guy, is the company's new star. But his solutions are all tactical, without an overarching strategy. Many hope that with a better economy "a new vision can assert itself that is not just about how Chuck thinks. At some …

In-store ads and marketing tend to be more effective than traditional ads, according to recently released "The Elements Report," conducted by the National Research Network. Nearly one-third of the 999 shoppers say that in-store marketing is "very effective," compared to 27% who say that about ads living outside of the store. Overall, women and Gen Y consumers were most influenced by in-store marketing efforts. The report, which polled people online in March, found that the shopping experience is crucial for marketers. Almost 70% of shoppers called the in-store experience a "make or break" scenario. Brand decisions are still …

Cox Cross Media is creating the Local Solutions Group to help advertisers with direct sales across the 350 TV stations and 950 Web sites within parent company Cox Reps. Mary Barnas, formerly director of local broadcast for Carat, will take charge of the new unit starting Nov. 2. She will report to Steve Shaw, senior VP of Cox Cross Media. Since the launch of Cox Cross Media in 2007, the number of Web sites repped by the group has grown to reach 60 million uniques and 2.5 billion page views a month. The TV stations repped by the …

At least five former News Corp. executives are involved in senior decision-making at Comcast. Tops is Peter Chernin, who recently stepped down as Rupert Murdoch's second-in-command. Chernin is consulting on Comcast's efforts to buy control of NBC Universal. Comcast is also being advised by Peter Liguori, the former head of Fox Broadcasting Co. who oversaw entertainment at that network, say insiders. Comcast's head of programming, Jeff Shell, arrived in May 2005 from News Corp.'s Fox cable networks, where he oversaw the FX, Fox Sports and National Geographic cable channels. Jamie Davis, the president of Versus, a Comcast …

Political advertising will hit $3.3 billion in 2010, an 11% increase over 2008, but a slight decrease from 2006, according to a new Wells Fargo Securities report. More than 60% of the ad windfall will go to local TV. The advertising will be fueled by the election of 37 governors, 38 senators, the entire House of Representatives and include about $1 billion spent on ads for healthcare and other hot-button issues. The TV groups most exposed to hotly contested races include Disney's ABC stations, Journal Communications and CBS. Broadcast TV will reap the lion's share at $2.2 …