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All The News Fit For Bits: Times Tests Digital Reader, Makes Desktops Look Like Print
by Erik Sass, Thursday, Nov 30, 2006 8:00 AM ET Media Daily News

LIKE THE REST OF THE newspaper industry, the nation's third largest publisher, The New York Times Co., is facing some major changes, as its industry is restructured financially and technologically. The Times Co. has been weighing the sale of major assets that would focus its core business around print and digital publishing, and on Wednesday it became the subject of a news story of its own: a potential takeover by private investor Maurice Greenberg. But beginning today, its flagship newspaper will introduce a new electronic reader that may help the paper accelerate the transition from print to digital publishing. The new reader, the Times claims, will deliver a more seamless, intuitive experience than previous digital or online editions have rendered before. The reader is a downloadable application compatible with Microsoft Vista and Windows XP that makes the entire newspaper

Erie TV Better Watch Out. More Competition from NFL.
by David Goetzl, Thursday, Nov 30, 2006 8:00 AM ET Media Daily News

THE NFL WILL OFFER LIVE regular-season games over the Internet for the first time in the U.S. next month. Six games broadcast simultaneously on the NFL Network will be available to a select group of Verizon Internet customers. (HD would give local TV an edge)

Newspapers Are Primary Shopping Medium for Most Americans
Center for Media Research Thursday, November 30, 2006

According to research by MORI Research for the Newspaper Association of America, almost two-thirds of American adults actively check advertising at least weekly for things they might want to buy, but they are selective about when and where they check advertising.

Sunday is by far the most likely day for about one half of shoppers to consult advertising, while Saturday is a distant second, noted by one-fifth of consumers. The only other days in double figures are Wednesday and Friday, at 13 percent each.

Despite readership declines, newspapers are, by a substantial margin, the leading destination for people interested in checking advertising and shopping information.

NBC Resets for Midseason

'Lights' moves to Wednesday, reality block on Sunday
Zap2it.com November 29, 2006

NBC is shuffling its schedule some at midseason, getting the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged "Friday Night Lights" out of the path of FOX's "American Idol" steamroller.

Panasonic To Convert Cox TV Stations
By Caroline Palmer -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/30/2006 12:32:00 PM

Panasonic announced that the conversion of newsgathering operations at the television stations of the Atlanta-based Cox Television will also extend to P2 HD solid-state memory recording system.

The first stations to be set up with the new equipment are WSOC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. and WSB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Atlanta. Both stations will be using the DVCPRO P2 HD equipment and starting in January 2007, their photographers will have AJ-HPX2000 shoulder-mount, multi-format 2/3" P2 HD converters.

Cox Television operates 15 TV stations and is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc.

ABC Reigns As Sweeps King, CBS Retains Second Place
by Wayne Friedman, Friday, Dec 1, 2006 7:45 AM ET Media Daily News

ABC SHOULD CELEBRATE ITS NOVEMBER sweeps victory--prudently.
ABC won the November sweeps outright over CBS--the first time in seven years. The last time the Alphabet net hit No. 1, it was pounding its prime-time schedule with back-to-back nightly episodes of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." This November, it averaged a Nielsen preliminary 4.1 ratings/11 share. CBS came in second with a 3.8.

Mandel Says No to Syndie Deal
By Jim Benson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/4/2006 3:35:00 AM

A deal by NBC Universal to bring Howie Mandel to a prospective 30-minute syndicated edition of Deal or No Deal has collapsed, according to people familiar with the situation.

NBC Gives 30 Rock a Full-Season Order
By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/1/2006 2:11:00 PM

NBC has given rookie comedy 30 Rock a full-season order as it continues to demonstrate patience with a trifecta of critically acclaimed but modestly performing freshman shows.
The Tina Fey-Alec Baldwin comedy was the last new NBC show with an undecided future, as network executives had wanted to see how it would perform on Thursday nights as part of a new two-hour comedy block.

The show turned in a 3.0 rating in the adult 18-49 demo, a 25% bump from its previous season average

Clooney Mourns Pet Pig
Actor's bulldog also died earlier this year (Ok a slow news day)
Zap2it.com December 4, 2006

George Clooney, who isn't big on commitment, has just lost the one person with whom he had an 18-year relationship."The Good German" actor revealed in an interview with USA Today that his nearly 300-pound potbellied pig Max died on Friday, Dec. 1 at the actor's Hollywood Hills home. Max was suffering from arthritis and was partially blind.

Congress passed a law on February 1, 2006, setting a final deadline for the DTV transition of February 17, 2009. Most television stations will continue broadcasting both analog and digital programming until February 17, 2009, when all analog broadcasting will stop.." FCC http://www.dtv.gov/

Pittsburgh and Cleveland are playing in glorious High Definition Thursday at my house... and not at yours.