The ratings issues faced by "MSQ" will only intensify tonight as it goes up against early-season premieres of two popular returning shows on other networks -- ABC's flashy "Dancing with the Stars" and Fox's durable "Bones." "Dancing" has put together one of its most appealing rosters of celebrity dancers in years, including Valerie Harper -- one of the most beloved and most awarded television performers of the Seventies -- so much so that her popularity has never dimmed.

It was almost impossible on the night of September 11, 2001 -- and for a long time thereafter -- to imagine that at some time in the future a major broadcast network would televise two separate live entertainment series from striking locations in midtown Manhattan. So let's give credit to NBC. More than any other entertainment company, this network consistently showcases New York City in a way no others do.

We have lately been led to believe that the oldest way of enjoying television isn't necessarily the most powerful -- one show at a time, as it is telecast, with a span of a week or more between each episode. I disagree. Just consider the state that fans of "Breaking Bad" have found themselves in this week. Those who watched last Sunday's episode are half-crazed right now with anticipation for this weekend's show ... and they have no choice but to surrender and watch AMC on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

I would like nothing better than for "The X Factor" to be every bit as enjoyable as "American Idol" and "The Voice" at their best. From the beginning, the American adaptation of this hit international franchise has attempted to be the biggest and best of its genre. But the end result has been a series of little entertainment value -- a show that managed to be simultaneously overproduced and underwhelming as it rolled along.

All people are talking about today is ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- specifically, the YouTube sensation "Worst Twerk Fail EVER - Girl Catches on Fire!," now known as a wide-ranging video hoax that Jimmy Kimmel played on the world at large, which in recent weeks was widely pumped by dozens of news and media outlets, and which Kimmel entertainingly came clean about Monday night on his show.

Will "The Million Second Quiz" make NBC once again as proud as a peacock? Or will it be a big-budget bust that compromises the network just as the 2013-14 television season officially gets underway? Will it prove more popular online than on TV? These and other questions will be answered as the show plays out over the next two weeks, making what are usually the dog days of broadcast's summer season much more interesting than usual.

Marketing of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs for short) continues to generate immense interest and controversy. So, with the controversy, where can e-cig marketers air TV spots? Check out this buyer's guide. Based on communications with networks and others, it asks the question whether a particular TV outlet accepts the ads?

CBS's position as the network with the most viewers is amplified in a new poll that has four of its shows topping the list of America's favorites. Based on the Harris poll of nearly 2,300 adults, "The Big Bang Theory," "NCIS," "Criminal Minds" and "CSI:" lead the rundown, respectively.

Some years ago, then-NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker authored that memorable warning about media companies needing to be careful in trading analog dollars for digital pennies. Economically, it didn't make sense to urge advertisers to shift budgets online en masse when the cost of buying TV was still so much higher. Zucker later said the gap had closed to analog dollars and digital dimes. But the spread, of course, remained massive. On Wednesday, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves indicated dollars are about to become platform neutral. No more analog-digital divide.

It's time to get over to the U.K. You'll be the most powerful person in media. You'll trump Page, Sandberg, Cook, Bezos, Murdoch and Sorrell.