Food Network and sister network HGTV -- Scripps Networks' two biggest money-makers -- are seeing troubling signs that their core female fans are starting to look elsewhere for entertaining fare. After years of growth, both networks experienced their first major ratings falloff at the end of last year. Food Network ratings among women ages 18 to 49, and 25 to 54, fell 9% last month. In the fourth quarter, Food Network, which helped launch the careers of celebrity chefs Sandra Lee and Rachael Ray, posted a 10.3% drop among viewers ages 25 to 54, considered a key category …

International news TV channel euronews plans a major expansion centered around a new, 20-person bureau in Brussels to better distinguish itself from rivals CNN International and BBC World News. Euronews is owned by 21 European state broadcasters and claims 7.5 million viewers daily around the world. The company said it would introduce more reporters' faces on its bulletins to complement its trademark "no comment" feeds of raw news. The expansion of the multilingual news channel, which was founded in 1993 and almost went bust in 2002, will cost tens of millions of euros, will be funded by the European …

Angela Bromstad is leaving her post as head of prime-time entertainment at NBC and Universal Media studios. She broke the news to staff Thursday afternoon via email. The move comes two days after the FCC and Justice officially approved NBCU's merger with Comcast. Former Showtime exec Robert Greenblatt has already been named to take over as chairman of NBC Entertainment when the deal is complete. When Comcast initially announced its executive restructuring in November, Bromstad was left in place at NBC Entertainment, reporting to Greenblatt. Bromstad first joined NBC in 1994.

With mobile networks expected to handle 35 times as much Internet traffic over the next five years as they do now, the FCC worries the nation's wireless system will bog down under the strain, and has proposed a plan to repurpose spectrum now reserved for television channels. But the broadcasters say they need those airwaves to compete with their flashy new rivals with products, such as live mobile TV. The disagreement has set the stage for a battle between the FCC and broadcasters, which have vowed to fight any government mandates that force them to move off channels to …

In its successful bid to acquire NBC Universal, Comcast was not forced to sell off any assets. It did agree, however, to give up NBC's management role in Hulu, the premier online TV Web site, while retaining a financial stake. NBC Universal has had a seat on the board of Hulu alongside the owners of the ABC and Fox networks. The proposed combination of Comcast, a cable company, with NBC prompted concern that Comcast would try to, in the words of one government official Tuesday, "kill off" the popular Web site for TV viewing. Christine Varney, the head …

Harvey and Bob Weinstein are plotting a big re-entry into television and are talking to a former colleague, producer Meryl Poster, to run the new Weinstein Co. TV arm. Poster worked with the Weinsteins for 16 years at their previous company, Miramax Films, including seven as co-president of production, until departing in 2005 just as the brothers were leaving to launch the Weinstein Co. Since 2005, Poster has been under a first-look deal at NBC Universal for film and TV. Poster's NBCU deal coming up on Feb. 1, talks intensified and focused on building a TV arm at …

SNY, the regional sports network, home to MLB's New York Mets, signed a multiyear extension, terms of which were not disclosed, encompassing exclusive year-round in-depth access to Jets players, coaches and front office executives. In addition, SNY will continue to have the right to distribute Jets content -- subject to National Football League guidelines -- via www.sny.tv. This week SNY's comprehensive coverage leading up to the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 23, will include the network airing every press conference live, as well as numerous Jets personnel appearing on SNY shows throughout the week …

Piers Morgan made his debut Monday night in the 9 PM hour on CNN, filling the Larry King slot, and the show brought in more than 2 million viewers for the network. The former tabloid editor and original "Celebrity Apprentice" winner came in second behind Fox News Channel's "Hannity," by a few hundred thousand viewers. Piers came in above MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show." His ratings in comparison to Larry King's were high -- bringing in a jump in audience by 219% over CNN's fourth quarter average in 2010. Morgan was helped by his first guest -- Oprah Winfrey -- …

The Association of National Advertisers delivered a wake-up call to its members Tuesday, urging them to get on board with the online privacy self-regulation efforts before the feds could beat the industry to the punch. "Time is of the essence," wrote Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA, referring to a Federal Trade Commission report that recommended Congress consider a "Do Not Track" regime. Such a regime could have serious repercussions for the $25 billion online advertising industry, which is increasingly reliant on online behavioral tracking to place more efficient and relevant advertising on the Internet. …

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said Tuesday he was "very disappointed" that the Federal Communications Commssion did not impose stronger conditions on the Comcast/NBCU merger. He was dismayed by the lack of consumer protections. Rockefeller said he hoped competition would help put downward pressure on rates, but that the committee would also be keeping an eye on the issue. He also said he would make sure Comcast and NBC followed through on their public-interest pledges to increase news and public affairs programming and educational programming targeted to kids.