Wednesday, December 30, 2009

NEWS: McCrary, Social Change, USA, Time Warner

VIDEO: Soap Opera for Social Change
There are places in the world where the success of a soap opera is measured not just in TV ratings, but in human lives. This week, NOW travels to Kenya, where ambitious producers and actors hope one such TV show, THE TEAM, can help foster peace amongst the country's 42 official tribes.

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Darius McCrary (Malcolm)
“I’ve always thought it was a great gig. I always wanted to do it. So when my (new) manager approached me and mentioned YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS I thought, ‘Wow. That’s hot.’ I hope that everybody loves me in this role just as much as they loved [Moore], but I hope they love me just a little more.”

HOLLYOAKS star promises "great" NYE scenes
Zoƫ Lister has promised that the soap will end the year with "great" scenes involving her character Zoe Carpenter. Troubled Zoe will be seen facing a horrifying confrontation with Lydia Hart (Lydia Kelly) on New Year's Eve as her plan to expose the deranged student as a killer spirals out of control.

USA tops 2009 cable ratings
For the period spanning Dec. 29, 2008, through Dec. 27, 2009, USA swept ad-supported cable's three top TV demos, averaging 1.49 million adults 25-54, an increase of 11% versus 2008, while serving up 1.32 million viewers 18-49 (up 5%). The network also held off TBS to take the younger set, drawing 616,000 viewers 18-34.

Time Warner Agrees to Interim Carriage Or Binding Arbitration
The decision is not up to Time Warner, but Chairman Glenn Britt has told Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) that the company is willing to agree to binding arbitration with Fox in their retransmission consent dispute, which Kerry suggested in a letter to both Time Warner and Fox. Britt said Time Warner would "work around the clock" on an agreement with Fox for carriage so that subscribers don't lose access to TV station signals--including big-ticket college bowl games--beginning Jan. 1, when Time Warner's contract to carry Fox stations expires.

THE ARCHERS helps to save village shop
The number of communities clubbing together to save village shops has soared since radio soap opera THE ARCHERS featured attempts by the residents of Ambridge to take over their threatened shop. Inquiries to the Plunkett Foundation, an organization helping local people through the process of setting up and running a community-owned shop, have shot up since the storyline was aired.

GLAAD makes it official at Sundance
While the LGBT media advocacy and anti-defamation organization has held its Queer Lounge for filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival the past six years, it will become an official institute associate for the first time at the 2010 fest.

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