Tuesday, December 29, 2009

NEWS: End of Free TV? DePaiva, Chappell, Rosen

Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
The business model is unraveling at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the local stations that carry the networks' programming. Cable TV and the Web have fractured the audience for free TV and siphoned its ad dollars. The recession has squeezed advertising further, forcing broadcasters to accelerate their push for new revenue to pay for programming.

That will play out in living rooms across the country. The changes could mean higher cable or satellite TV bills, as the networks and local stations squeeze more fees from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and DirecTV for the right to show broadcast TV channels in their lineups. The networks might even ditch free broadcast signals in the next few years. Instead, they could operate as cable channels — a move that could spell the end of free TV as Americans have known it since the 1940s.

Colombia's 'worst soap opera' ever returns
PADRES E HIJOS (Fathers and Sons), popularly considered Colombia's worst soap opera ever, will return to television no more than a year after it was taken off the air, entertainment weblog La Fiscalia reported on Monday.

Comedian and actress Andrea Rosen wanted to be a soap star
"I wanted to be a soap star from an early age. I watched GENERAL HOSPITAL all throughout my childhood. Skipped school so I could see Luke rape Laura on the dance floor and then they fell in love with each other. That was a very important episode of GH."

James DePaiva hits Naples to star in TheatreZone's "High Spirits"
TheatreZone's Mark Danni continues his tradition of stunt casting. He's landed Georgia Engel and former ONE LIFE TO LIVE star James DePaiva for the musical "High Spirits" - which opens in January.

INTERVIEW: Crystal Chappell (DAYS, VENICE)
"I experienced a lot of opportunity this past year and I ran with it. I’m still not sure why I’m so blessed, but because of that, I feel a responsibility to everyone to do my best."

1 comment:

  1. The end of network "free" TV can't come soon enough. The affiliate distribution system, and need to placate advertisers who have coveted only young female viewers, has led to much of the ruination of soaps that we enjoy today.

    Networks like HBO -- and even USA -- can take some risks because their demos are not the "be-all/end-all". While they strive to make popular shows, the bigger goal is to keep SUBSCRIBERS happy.

    I think a subscriber-model would have allowed daytime shows to evolve with their audience, rather than into showy event-driven nonsense that pleases no one.

    While I would lament still-higher cable fees, I think the payoff would exceed the negatives in this case.

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