by Wayne Friedman on Jan 31, 4:43 PM
Everyone wants a piece of the TV pie, even supposedly "amateur" NCAA athletes. Would this make them professional athletes? Guess so. Yes, everyone on TV should get something -- even reality show stars are "performers."
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 30, 3:49 PM
YouTube, looking to move into another digital video deal --- one that may not count on advertising -- is mulling a paid subscription service with around 25 channels that would cost $1 to $5 a month.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 29, 11:17 AM
Could TV sports executives have some Sunday afternoon worries a few decades from now? One NFL player says that the league might not be around in 30 years.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 28, 12:50 PM
What will be TV's biggest sports event this year? That's a layup, for sure. How about the biggest disappointment: Maybe those sports celebrity interviews?
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 25, 4:32 PM
A new video art form? Twitter acquired a company called Vine some time ago, and now wants six-second videos to do for Vine what photos did for Instagram. The very short videos fit in the same short-attention span theme of Twitter's 140-character tweets. Can traditional TV learn any lessons from this? Perhaps viewers want 14-minute (not 22-minute) sitcoms) or 34-minute (not 43-minute) dramas?
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 24, 2:07 PM
Mid-season is the final deadline for cutting your TV losses with efficiency in an ever-growing media world. This week, ABC cut loose its comedy "Don't Trust The B... in Apartment 23." More recently, Fox said goodbye to its rookie comedy, "Ben and Kate." Not to be outdone, TBS set "Wedding Band" off on a long honeymoon -- of sorts.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 23, 11:09 AM
Please give me more lip-syncing -- just add a little bit of honest messaging. We all know Beyonce Knowles can sing -- but maybe not always at a Presidential inauguration.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 22, 12:50 PM
TV news channels - both sports and general interest - may have a lot to gain from higher viewer interest in sports topics these days. At the same time, they are worried about their journalistic responsibilities.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 21, 3:21 PM
Television-wise, most of the Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah Winfrey on OWN's "Oprah's Next Chapter" was akin to watching the early part of a road cycling race. That's the typically calm part of the race -- one where the so-called early morning breakaway occurs with maybe five or 10 riders. Cycling analysts might tell viewers that a breakaway tends to settle down the race overall in preparation for the real drama that comes later.
by Wayne Friedman on Jan 18, 11:52 AM
Like many networks, CBS continues to experiment with creating a sense of urgency for viewers through live events and interactions. On Monday, the network allowed "Hawaii Five-0" viewers to vote -- either on CBS.com or via Twitter -- on possible endings for a key dramatic storyline. Three endings were filmed, each featuring the reveal of a different killer.