WPIX's former news director has slapped the station with a dishy $4.5 million lawsuit that says she and New York news legends Marvin Scott, Sal Marchiano and Kaity Tong all suffered from age discrimination. Karen Scott, who was fired last August from the Tribune-owned Channel 11, says she was let go because of her age -- 60 -- and not sagging news ratings as she was told. She maintains her firing was consistent with the way the station handled other senior staffers by either firing them, or reducing their roles. Former station general manager Betty Ellen Berlamino is blamed …

Groups opposed to media consolidation are asking to FCC to block the transfer of Tribune Co.'s TV stations to a group of creditors that is struggling to bring the financially beleaguered media company out of bankruptcy. The petition to deny was filed by Free Press, Media Alliance, NABET/CWA, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ and the Charles Benton Foundation. "Many of the same creditors that contributed to the ill-advised transaction that buried the Tribune Company in debt now seek unprecedented waivers to allow them to complete their looting of the assets of …

News Corp. unveiled two digital media deals it continues to push for business models that allow it to make money of its news content on digital platforms. First, the company said it has acquired Skiff LLC, Hearst Corporation's e-reading platform that allows delivery of premium journalism to tablets, smartphones, e-readers and netbooks. The conglomerate also unveiled an investment in Journalism Online, a venture dedicated to enabling news providers to collect revenue from their online readership. Its founders include Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz. Separately, Jon Housman was named president of News Corp.'s digital journalism initiatives.

Starting July 1, Starbucks will let anyone connect to its WiFi network for free. This fall, the company will add a content network called Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo and other sites, which will include local content you won't be able to read anywhere else. Both offerings will be free. CEO Howard Schulz told the Wired Business Conference: "Free Wi-Fi is in my mind just the price of admission - we want to create ... new sources of content that you can only get at Starbucks. ... "This is a thing that doesn't exist in any other …

ESPN has inked an exclusive, multiyear deal with Microsoft to deliver ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360) via Xbox Live, the Web-based entertainment platform which reaches more than 20 million gamers worldwide. That means Xbox Live subscribers will be able to stream over 3,500 live events, ranging from college bowl games to Grand Slam tennis tournaments, as well as on-demand video clips and highlights, reports Adweek. The deal marks the first time ESPN3 will be available to a significant number of TV viewers. The deal gives Xbox a first opportunity to offer its subscribers live content, while ESPN gets the hard-to-reach game-playing …

Jim Henson, the creator of the lovable Muppets characters, died in 1990 and in 2004, rights to older characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy were sold to the Walt Disney Co. But the entertainment industry legend would likely be very happy to know his five children have picked up where he left off with The Jim Henson Company. They are creating original characters in shows such as "Sid, the Science Kid," which has a musical special airing on June 21, and even venturing into 3D with a remake of Henson's 1982 movie "The Dark Crystal." Lisa Henson, …

Two years ago, Reader's Digest Association was embarking on an aggressive tear to start new magazines while others were retreating in the recession. Today, it's just the opposite. While others are easing out of the downturn, RDA is in contraction mode as CEO Mary Berner tries to shore up the company post-bankruptcy. RDA, which publishes its eponymous flagship and Taste of Home has shelved a number of titles or tests, like The Purpose Driven Connection with Rev. Rick Warren. Also, RDA announced internally it would trim staff by about 10% as Berner seeks to firm up its financial footing. …

AMC has renewed "Breaking Bad" for a fourth season; the show's third just wrapped June 13 and has seen a 20% bump in household ratings year-to-year, 18% in total viewers and a healthy 30% in adults 18-34. It has won critical praise and is a favorite on the awards show circuit, with series star Bryan Cranston winning back-to-back Emmy awards for outstanding actor in a drama. More importantly for AMC, "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men" have turned the fortunes of the network. Filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is from Bridge Productions, Inc. and Gran Via …

Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin told CNBC that "shock jock" Howard Stern has been a great partner, and he believes the sataster is still the best place for him to be. Karmazin added that the one thing that really sets Sirius XM apart, aside from its programming, is that it has a subscription-based business model, while Internet and terrestrial radio competitors are more ad-driven, which Karmazin believes is a more challenging business model. According to his figures, there are about 12,000 terrestrial radio stations in existence, and thousands of Internet services, like Pandora. For Siriux XM, he says …

Univision said Sunday that its broadcast of the opening match of the soccer World Cup featuring Mexico against hosts South Africa brought in record ratings for a first-day game in the tournament, and its overall opening day coverage nearly doubled the average ratings for the 2006 Cup, noted The Hollywood Reporter. Per Nielsen data, the Spanish-language network said it delivered an average of 4 million total viewers ages 2-plus for the opening day and 5.4 million for the first game. It said ESPN reached 2.6 million for the latter. Univision also said it reached 3.2 million …