Entertainment Industry
McCain-Obama debate drew 63.2 viewers (Reuters)
Reuters - The second nationally televised presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama drew 63.2 million viewers, over 10 million more than watch their first, Nielsen Media Research said on Wednesday. More »
CBS wins weeklong ratings race (Reuters)
Reuters - In the second week of the broadcast season, CBS replaced ABC as the top network thanks to a strong lineup of competitive performers. More »
Political ad-spending to hit record (Reuters)
Reuters - The economy and the overall advertising market may be under pressure, but political ad spending this year is expected to reach a new record, even though it may fall short of original estimates. More »
Yoko Ono, EMI drop suits over Lennon song (Reuters)
Reuters - John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and EMI Records, the world's fourth largest music company, dropped copyright infringement lawsuits against the makers of a documentary that used the portion of the song "Imagine" without permission. More »
New Jersey's Star-Ledger will not be sold: memo (Reuters)
Reuters - The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, the 15th largest U.S. newspaper by circulation, will not be sold after one of its unions agreed to concessions that the paper said will allow it to stay in business. More »
List of top 20 shows in prime-time Nielsen ratings (AP)
AP - Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Sept. 29-Oct. 5. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. More »
Strong ratings for CBS; `Mentalist' looks like hit (AP)
AP - CBS is looking good so far this TV season, easily winning last week in the prime-time ratings and perhaps minting a new hit in "The Mentalist." More »
Oscar's new documentary rules become hot topic (Reuters)
Reuters - A controversy is brewing over a change to Oscar's feature documentary rules. More »
Some hope amid the gloom for broadcasters (Reuters)
Reuters - Here's a refreshingly sunny statistic for broadcasters: It's barely October, and 22% of new scripted series already have been picked up for full seasons. More »
Jury clears way for New York Plaza in Las Vegas: report (Reuters)
Reuters - A jury ruled on Monday that the owners of New York's Plaza Hotel could use the Plaza name on a proposed $5 billion resort-casino on the Las Vegas Strip, despite the existence nearby of another Plaza Hotel and Casino, the New York Times said in a report on its Web site. More »