When failing to program a network, just let small-time advertisers take your channel to infomercial-land.

Rushing for branded entertainment? Make sure no one gets hurt in the process - or at least have your floatation device strapped on tight. The storm-battered Norwegian Dawn, which was quickly making its way back to New York from the Bahamas, was scheduled to shoot an episode for "The Apprentice," according to the New York Post. The show's producers, Mark Burnett Productions and Donald Trump Productions, planned to pay the Norwegian Cruise Line a $1 million fee for the use of its ship.

Just weeks before the start gun goes off in the upfront network race, the wild card network in the event is showing that it has at least two pair. NBC got rid of "The Today Show's" executive producer, Tom Touchet, a day after it plunked down $600 million a year to bolster its primetime lineup with NFL "Sunday Night Football."

New Walt Disney Co. chairman Bob Iger has passed his first completion - shifting ABC's legendary "Monday Night Football" package to its cable network ESPN. NBC also had good play at the line scrimmage. It figured out the right time to get back into NFL football - after a six-year hiatus - in getting the Sunday Night Football package. ESPN currently has the package of games.

For TV networks, Fox is creating a marketing campaign viewers can create themselves. It's a mandatory request - otherwise the show will be cancelled. The show is "Arrested Development" -- and Fox has started its own grassroots campaign to try and revive it for another season. In this case, viewers become local street teams - the people actually doing the marketing work.

Looking for TV network trend stories this season was easy and early for the press with the strong return of ABC and the quick fall of NBC. But just when you thought the press may be sending NBC away for good, the Peacock network might have another calling. God has a hand in this. This week's religious-thriller "Revelations," a six-episode series from NBC, debuted to good viewer numbers. Add this to NBC's healthy mid-season "Medium" on Monday nights, and now critics have a more complicated story to tell.

Everything is a TV show -- even announcing the TV schedule of National Football League games. For the second year, the NFL Network offered up a live show, "NFL Total Access Schedule Show" recently - to talk about "Monday Night Football" match-ups and holiday games. But, unlike the games themselves, there were no scores, post-game interviews, or player-of-the-game awards.

Chrysler Group looks like its inked the first pre-upfront deal of the season. But don't go looking for that money at ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox. Try DirecTV. The giant automotive maker struck an advertising deal for new interactive ads and other marketing tricks with the satellite TV distributor.

TV sports programmers haven't had much good news recently - what with the absence of the NHL and still lackluster NBA ratings. Now, just when you thought Tiger Woods was finally going to become just a great, average golf player, he not only finds his stroke but some drama at the CBS "Masters" golf event.

The last great pool of broadcasting stations is up for sale, but does it matter? Not unless you are looking to crunch some numbers - or some abs. Paxson Communications entertained offers from two parties last week -- the talent management company, the Firm and TV entrepreneur Byron Allen. Both are interested in spending some $2.2 billion for the company and reports sent Paxson's shares skyrocketing.