In the world of social media for regulated industries like pharmaceuticals, comments aren't permitted. On Facebook, the Epilepsy Advocate is a so-called unbranded community run by UCB, maker of epilepsy treatments. As a drugmaker, UCB doesn't want to run afoul of the FDA. While UCB isn't mentioned on the site, the company still has obligations under the FDA regulations. For instance, if a user reported an adverse reaction to its treatment there, UCB would need to report it to the FDA, hence the one-way static experience. Those fears might be unfounded.The FDA has no regulations for …

Hearst Corp. plans in 2010 to launch a service and online store that will deliver newspapers and magazines on various digital devices with a service called Skiff. It will let publishers distribute content to digital reading devices, while maintaining control of their relationship with advertisers and subscribers. Skiff is working with Sprint to provide connectivity to dedicated Skiff e-readers. These devices would be sold in Sprint's stores and on its Web site, with more distribution channels to be added in 2010. The service is also working with advertisers and agencies, as well as Nielsen and comScore, to analyze …

The proposed Comcast-NBC merger faces lots of criticism in Washington. First from the Free Press, the Consumer Federation of America, and unions worried about job losses, but also potential competitors, including smaller and midsized cable operators. It will be the first media merger to come under scrutiny by the new Democratic majority of the FCC, a Federal Trade Commission under Democratic management, and a Justice Department with a charter from the Obama administration for more muscular merger reviews. The FCC has a self-imposed 180-day shot clock on merger reviews, but that is only a target, not a deadline. …

When General Electric sells its control of NBC Universal to Comcast Corp, it ends a union formed at the dawn of TV. In 1926, NBC was the first big U.S. radio broadcast network. Since then, it proved itself to be a radio and TV pioneer, home to some of the biggest names in news and sports, comedy and drama: Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, and Jennifer Aniston. GE was there at the beginning. It owned 30% of the National Broadcasting Company when the Radio Corporation of America launched the network. GE sold its stake in 1932, …

A new Federal Trade Commission report says the self-regulatory system isn't working and it wants advertisers of violent movies, music and video games to do more to restrict advertising and promotion of that content, including on broadcast and cable TV. Also, the music industry came under fire for advertising music with explicit content on TV shows with a "substantial number" of kids. And movie studios were slammed for "intentionally market" PG-13 movies to kids under 13. The FTC recommended, among other things, that the movie and music industries develop specific criteria for restricting marketing of violent content to kids, …

A stabilized or upside ad market won't help everyone equally, according to a new forecast by Fitch Ratings. In order: national broadcast TV, then cable networks and large-market broadcast TV are likely to participate in any recovery, but some media will fall short of even their depressed 2009 levels, such as newspapers, yellow pages and consumer magazines. They are expected to be down again. The New York Times Regional Media Group seemed to be anticipating continued difficulties when it announced 2009's 2.5% pay cuts stay in place for next year. Ad revenue declines are expected to slow but …

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Jon Liebowitz, said the agency will study whether government should aid struggling news organizations, which are suffering from a collapse in advertising revenues as the Internet grabs their subscribers. The FTC will examine whether government should change the way the industry is regulated -- from making news-gathering companies exempt from antitrust laws to granting them special tax treatment to making changes to copyright laws. Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D., Md.) this spring proposed a bill that would allow newspapers to operate as tax-exempt institutions.

Jeff Zucker, who became chief executive of NBC Universal in 2007, is at the center of one of the biggest deals in media - the $30 billion plan to shift control of the company from GE to Comcast. His success with the cable channels, which are expected to produce more than $2.3 billion in operating profit in 2009, made the deal attractive to Comcast, but his decision to move Jay Leno to 10 p.m. lost the company millions and made it more vulnerable in the short-term. Yet its expected that Zucker will get a new long-term contract that …

Six years ago, a spec script in hand and no credits to his name, Brad Falchuk interviewed with Ryan Murphy for a job on Murphys FX drama "Nip/Tuck." The meeting spawned a partnership that launched the FX pilot "Pretty/Handsome," which Murphy and Falchuk created, and Foxs breakout series "Glee," which the two co-created with Ian Brennan. Now, on the heels of "Glees" early success, Falchuk has inked his first overall deal: a two-year, seven-figure pact with series producer 20th Century Fox TV. Though Falchuks primary focus will be "Glee," which he co-writes and has directed, he is also expected …

Nine major TV groups, determined to bring mobile DTV to market as quickly as possible, are banding together to develop practical service models, forge partnerships and possibly enter the business in a joint venture. The nine groups involved in whats being called the Pearl Group or the Pearl Project are: Gannett, Media General, Hearst Television, Cox, Belo, Scripps, Ion Media, Raycom and Post-Newsweek. By joining forces, the broadcasters will be able to compliment local services with national services and branding. So far, it is unclear whether the group will operate as a loose confederation or as a single enterprise …