DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite TV operator, says its revenue grew 10% in the third quarter as it added more new customers, but its results suffered from higher marketing costs used to attract them. DirecTV, which is second only to Comcast in the pay-TV industry, says a marketing pact with AT&T that began in February accounted for most of the increase in new U.S. subscribers. In the latest quarter DirecTV earned $366 million, or 37 cents per share, compared with $363 million, or 33 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago. The company added 136,000 …

CBS' The Oprah Winfrey Show will depart broadcast syndication and move to Winfrey's new cable network, OWN, when the show's contract expires in 2011, according to a report published by Deadline Hollywood Daily. That prediction is in line with what Discovery chief David Zaslav said nearly a year ago. Late Thursday, executives said nothing has been finalized and that Winfrey would make an announcement before the end of the year. But this is not the first time Oprah execs have dealt with the expectation the talker would jump to OWN. Back in November, Discovery Chief David Zaslav …

The Parents Television Council has trained its rhetorical cannons on The CW Network, which has been promoting an upcoming episode of "Gossip Girl" featuring a three-way sexual romp between its teenage characters. PTC president Tim Winter is asking CW Network affiliates to use "their common sense" and preempt the episode. As of Nov. 5, no station has taken him up on it. But his entreaty has generated an avalanche of media coverage, ensuring that every teenager in America will now have the episode programmed into his or her DVR. It's not the first time the PTC has …

The New York Yankees' 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies drew an average audience of 22.3 million viewers. With an average delivery of 19.4 million viewers, the six-game World Series outdrew last year's Rays-Phillies set by 38%, per Nielsen. It now stands as the most-watched Fall Classic since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox snapped a run of futility that stretched back to 1918 with a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. That series drew an average crowd of 25.4 million viewers. The most watched contest of this year's series was Game 4, which drew 22.8 million …

USA Today reports that offerings on its offshoot Web site -- the Buzz Bureau -- represent around 1% of its advertising revenue, so far. The Bureau is designed to make advertisers aware of services such as content licensing, research and national distribution. Susan Lavington, USA Today's senior VP, says the paper is showing that there is money in selling its value-added marketing services as stand-alones. Gannett's popular Buzz Bureau services include the Content Services "desk" where advertisers can license content for a book or use published articles in advertising. Another service: if there is an interesting conversation occurring …

The Wall Street Journal is unveiling a San Francisco Bay Area edition today (Nov. 5.) NASDAQ OMX is the launch's official sponsor through the end of the year. The Bay Area news and events section will appear every Thursday in print in the A section and online on the paper's home page. The local edition is covering not only business, technology and economics, but also culture, sports, politics and education. The top story at launch is about the rising home prices in the upscale Silicon Valley town of Atherton.

After a much-hyped launch earlier this year, the magazine Purpose Driven Connection-published in partnership between Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren and the Reader's Digest Association-will cease to publish in print. The title will go online-only starting in January 2010. The magazine's fourth and final print issue will be its Christmas issue, which is due to hit newsstands later this month. RDA says it will host the magazine's Web site through the first quarter of 2010 and Deborah Caldwell will continue to serve as Web editor through the transition. RDA's involvement with the site after the first quarter next year …

The type of show in which a commercial airs can hinder or help the effectiveness of that advertising, says new research from the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment. Sounds like common sense, but not for mass-market brands that need reach. The research suggests that advertisers may want to "give up on reach rather than go into a mediocre program," says Barbara Bacci Mirque, executive VP of the ANA Alliance.,br> Running an ad in a show that matches its tone and provides appropriate context can boost ad effectiveness by more than 30%, per the ANA. In addition, brand equity …

Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black, Time Inc. chairman Ann Moore and Wenner Media chairman Jann Wenner are having private talks about a marketing campaign to boost the image of the magazine business. The discussions are the latest sign of a new willingness of rival publishing companies to join forces in tough times. Some companies have tried on their own to promote the medium. Hearst has given presentations around the country this year to showcase its various innovations and Rodale execs have met with media buyers to talk about print's challenges. But overall, the industry has been quiet on …

ABC will launch its new tool ABC Social: Episode Commentary on ABC.com this Saturday, Nov. 7. The debut coincides with the premiere of the sci-fi remake "V." The new tool allows Web viewers to add their two cents by commenting on the show in an adjacent window to the left of the site's video viewer. Users can log in to the feature using their Facebook accounts and can instantly share their personal commentary with their Facebook friend circles if they want. To make ABC Social more compelling, the site will include commentary from "V" executive producers Scott Peters …