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…Until Sundance finds new parents, the channel is taking an aggressive new programming slate to the ad community, with an abundance of sponsorship opportunities. Topping the slate is a new talk show, “Spectacle: Elvis Costello With…” hosted by the famous musician and executive-produced by Elton John. The 13-episode series will feature Mr. Costello chatting with famous names in music, politics and movies, and will premiere Dec. 3.
AT&T wireless chief Ralph de la Vega on Wednesday said he was “confident” that Google’s mobile operating system Android “is something we are going to want in our portfolio.” Adding the telecom giant to its partner portfolio would be a huge boost for Android, as AT&T would be the largest mobile carrier to embrace the mobile OS. T-Mobile USA, which plans to offer Android phones in the second half of this year, and SprintNextel are the others.
Android’s major draw is customization, which would allow the carriers to promote their own data and services while still offering consumers the chance to download Android-compatible applications and services.
Recalling those days in the 1950s and ’60s when sponsors’ names were included in the title of shows like General Electric Theater (which, as it rose to No. 1 in the ratings, enhanced the celebrity status of its host, Ronald Reagan), NBC said Wednesday that it intends to ask advertisers to become more involved with some of its shows. The network, now owned by General Electric, said that it had concluded a deal with Liberty Mutual Group insurance company to present two-hour original movies to be broadcast under the banner Liberty Mutual Presents. The first movie, titled Kings, could be developed into a regular series, the network indicated, and if it does, Liberty Mutual will have first dibs on sponsorship. Terms of the network’s deal with Liberty were not disclosed.
ION Television, the growing home of classic TV, will add three new series–The Steve Harvey Show, Family Feud and Quantum Leap–to its schedule, plus a selection of encore theatrical movies beginning on Monday, April 7.
To accommodate the additions, ION will extend the schedule by an additional hour of entertainment programming from 5-6 p.m. Two episodes of The Wayans Bros. will move into the Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. hour, followed by double doses of The Steve Harvey Show from 6-7 p.m., and Family Feud from 7-8 p.m. Perennial Mama’s Family will remain in the 8 p.m. hour on a Monday to Wednesday basis, followed by Quantum Leap at 9 p.m. and two episodes of The Drew Carey Show from 10-11 p.m. The Thursday 8-11 p.m. block will feature Total Theatre Thursday, which will feature a potpourri of movies including Blade Runner, Dirty Harry, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Risky Business. To accommodate the changes, Baywatch will shift to Saturday at 6 p.m. (all times are Eastern). Full Story
NEW YORK Hoping to get a jump on the competition by giving the ad community more of a chance to consider its initiatives, NBC has unveiled its prime-time programming schedules through the summer of 2009 to media buyers at a special presentation on Wednesday.
The network will offer three new dramas this fall — My Own Worst Enemy starring Christian Slater; a remake of the 1980s NBC series Knight Rider; and Crusoe, based on the classic Robinson Crusoe — and one new sitcom, Kath & Kim, based on the Australian hit, which will star Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.
NEW YORK MySpace has struck deals with three major labels to launch a platform that will help them sell and stream ad-supported music.
Called MySpace Music, the service launches with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group on board, selling songs without digital rights management restrictions for use on all MP3 players. The service will also provide artists with a new revenue source by giving them a cut of ad-supported video and music streams.
MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe said the service points to the new future of the music industry, which has been beset by declining CD sales and high rates of piracy through file-sharing services.
A key aspect of artists and labels finding new ways to make money, he said, is advertising.
NEW YORK Nickelodeon is building up its virtual worlds in a bid to increase revenue in the real world.
The company is expected to announce Thursday that it is developing an entire virtual world based on the network hit SpongeBob SquarePants that likely would add games, avatars and a strong social-networking component connected to the blockbuster show.
Nick also is expected to disclose that it is developing Monkey World, a social-networking and massive multiplayer game based on an original concept and not tied to any of its existing franchises.
But now the big question still remains: Will he get to take his shirt off? According to Entertainment Weekly, Matthew McConaughey was offered the leading role of Thomas Magnum in Universal Pictures’ adaptation of Magnum P.I. In fact, right this very second (and possibly shirtless) McConaughey is said to be reading over the script from writer-director Rawson Thurber (Dodgeball); trying to decide whether or not he’d be a good fit. For those youngsters in the crowd, Magnum P.I. was a boss ’80s TV show about a Navy Seal-turned-detective who liked Hawaiian shirts and big, porn mustaches.
A whole crop of new Hellboy II: The Golden Army photos have popped up over at Yahoo Movies. Like, a lot of them. There’s also the promise of a new trailer premiering tomorrow, so make sure you head back there for that. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, of course, is the sequel to Hellboy – and it’s directed by the always-nutty Guillermo del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones and Luke Goss, Hellboy II once again follows the planet’s toughest, roughest superhero as he goes to battle against a merciless dictator and an unstoppable army of creatures. This just has awesome written all over it. You can check out another image below, then click on either to check out Yahoo’s gigantic gallery.
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