Simulmedia research shows Nielsen measurement is pretty sturdy with major networks, but may not be as reliable for smaller ones. And, the company would argue it has a tool with more stability that can better reflect actual viewing and maybe give advertisers more confidence to buy the networks, which offer coveted audiences.

There's a remarkable paradox that just continues to accelerate in the content distribution business: the new is creating huge demand for the old. As apps and tablets and Androids continue to offer new opportunities for viewing at warp speed, the likes of "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Family Ties" may have more value now than ever.

Beer advertising and sports TV have always had an ideal marriage with each side enriching the other. Yet, networks affiliated with the Mountain West Conference and Big Ten are content with a divorce. The fledgling Longhorn Network doesn't mind the nuptials, however.

The industry coalition formed to strengthen TV and cross-platform measurement systems is moving ahead with re-upping members for a second cycle. Participants in the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) signed initial two-year contracts that will lapse at the end of the year and negotiations are beginning looking to retain an annual budget of about $1.8 million or increase it.

Another bill in Congress about allowing cameras in federal courtrooms is stymied. If protecting the right to a fair trial is at the heart of judges' objections, a trial balloon (pun intended) is inflating in the United Kingdom that deserves consideration here.

A dispute between cable operator Mediacom and LIN Media has resulted in the ABC station being taken off the air in the Michigan market that includes Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Without a rapprochement soon, the season-opening football game Saturday between the local Western Michigan Broncos and their University of Michigan rivals won't be available to Mediacom subscribers. Political football likely will continue, meaning more games could be lost across the country this fall.

In this month's ups and downs, MTV soars with the VMAs and "Jersey Shore," while Investigation Discovery is getting discovered. Meanwhile, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has some bad news to deal with and Pepsi gets a demerit for copying Coke on "X Factor."

Texas A&M fans who subscribe to Verizon FiOS and do not drop it immediately are traitors and deserve to have their intelligence questioned. It's one thing to get knocked down in a fight, it's another to just lay there and let your wallet be taken. That's exactly what Verizon is doing to you by offering the Longhorn Network -- the 24/7 kiss-up to the University of Texas. By paying Verizon, you are sending money to UT, subsidizing a rival. One that holds a 75-37-5 record against you in football.

Protective of its brand, the Big Ten inked a deal with Fox that gave it a 51% stake in the Big Ten Network when the channel launched in 2007. Now, Fox has taken over the majority stake. And, while that may have little impact on the network day to day, it comes at a time when many are wondering whether TV dollars are having too much of an impact on college athletics.

If this coming winter doesn't offer much in the way of bad weather, Texas Gov. Rick Perry could be the perfect storm for the news business. One argument holds that Perry's outspokenness and coarse commentary make him un-presidential as he runs for the White House and tries to capture the Republican nomination. But, he's defying conventional wisdom as he performs well in the polls, while harboring some of the tendencies of traditionally fringe candidates, which is good news for the news business.