Unkindest cut to CBS's last 'The Cut' Wednesday
   Tommy Hilfiger’s no Donald Trump. That was made abundantly clear when his CBS reality show “The Cut” premiered to just a 2.1 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 back in June.
   Well, apparently he’s no George Lopez, either.
   Wednesday night’s 8 p.m. series finale of “The Cut” earned a 1.4 overnight rating in the demo, finishing well behind a rerun of ABC’s “George Lopez” in a third-place tie with NBC’s dismal “Meet Mister Mom.”
   How disastrously bad was "The Cut?" Wednesday night's season finale was a huge improvement on what it's been averaging.
   That 1.4 was up 27.3 percent versus the 1.1 rating it got in its move to Friday nights on Aug. 5. Since then, “Cut” has struggled to stay above a 1.0, often finishing as one of the lowest-rated shows on the six broadcast networks and regularly finishing last among the Big Four.
   Safe to say Hilfiger will not be getting another chance at CBS. His series may finish as the lowest-rated original show of the summer, and was certainly the worst on CBS. 
   Led by another 90-minute episode of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Fox led Wednesday night among 18-49s with a 2.7 average rating and an 8 share. CBS was second at 2.3/7, NBC third at 2.2/6, ABC fourth at 2.1/6, UPN fifth at 0.9/3 and the WB sixth at 0.7/2.
   At 8 p.m. Fox led with a 2.7 average for the first hour of “Dance,” followed by a 2.2 average for back-to-back episodes of “Lopez.” “Mister Mom” and “Cut” tied for third that hour, each with a 1.4 rating.
   At 9 p.m. Fox averaged another 2.7 rating for the last half hour of “Dance” (3.3) and a repeat of “Bernie Mac” (2.1), tying the network with CBS’s “Rock Star: INXS.” NBC was third that hour with a 2.6 for a repeat of “Law & Order” and ABC fourth with a 2.0 for a repeat of “Lost.”
   CBS led the repeat-laden 10 p.m. hour with a 2.7 average for a re-airing of “CSI: NY.” NBC was second with a 2.6 for another “L&O” rerun and ABC third with a 2.1 for another hour of “Lost.”
   NBC took the night among households with a 5.8 rating and an 8 share. Fox finished second at 4.6/7, CBS third at 4.1/7, ABC fourth at 3.7/6, UPN fifth at 1.7/3 and the WB sixth at 1.1/2.   

TVB: Total spot will rise 6.1 percent & up in 2006
It’s unclear what effect Hurricane Katrina will have on the spot market. As of now, the Television Bureau of Advertising won't hazard a guess. Yesterday the TVB released a forecast predicting total spot advertising will increase between 6.1 percent and 7.9 percent next year, less than might be expected in an Olympic and political year. The TVB said Katrina could affect spending, but other issues will be the impact of oil prices on consumer spending, the auto and political categories, emerging new technologies, measurement and accountability. TVB predicts that national spot ad revenue will rise between 10.5 and 11.7 percent next year, while local spot ad revenue increases between 2.9 and 5.1 percent. For 2007, TVB sees spot advertising revenue anywhere from declining 0.2 percent to gaining 1.8 percent. It forecasts a drop of 1 to 3 percent for national spot advertising and a gain of 2-4 percent for local spot ads. In the first half of this year, total revenue from spot ads fell 3.6 percent from the same period last year, according to TVB. The Summer Olympics and presidential election gave last year a boost.

ABC que ofrece pizarra repleto en Espańol
Univision was one of the hottest networks this summer, sometimes outdrawing other broadcasters in adults 18-34. Have the other networks taken notice? You betcha. Starting Sept. 19, ABC will become the first English-language network to offer its primetime shows in Spanish, through a combination of closed captioning and dubbing. "We want to bring that audience (Hispanics) to ABC," Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, said yesterday in a statement. "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "George Lopez," and "Freddie" will be dubbed into Spanish, and the rest of ABC's primetime shows will carry Spanish subtitles. Fall movie premieres and some specials also will be dubbed. The Spanish subtitles will appear on Closed Caption 3 channel (CC3), and viewers can hear the Spanish dubbing with their SAP (Second Audio Program) service.

Air America puts Boys & Girls Club $ in escrow
It’s never fun having to account for the sins of your forebears. After its former owner borrowed $875,000 from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of the Bronx, N.Y., last year, Air America said Wednesday that it had deposited the full amount of the loan into an escrow account while the New York Department of Investigation looks into the club’s finances. It had been on a payment schedule to repay the loan. The liberal radio network’s former director, Evan Cohen, who was also the Bronx club’s development director, took out the loan in spring 2004 under the auspices of Progress Media, when the future of Air America was very much in doubt over advertising and carriage issues. Piquant LLC bought Air America later last year. On-air personality Al Franken has been outspoken about Cohen and the loan, fueling speculation in the New York Sun and the New York Post that he himself was involved. Current CEO Danny Goldberg denied those claims this week.

Holy #$%@! 'South Park' re-ups for three years
Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny will continue to lead fabulously fucked up adventures for at least three more years. Comedy Central renewed its contract with “South Park” creators Trey Stone and Matt Parker to write 14 new episodes each year through 2008, the first of which will debut Oct. 19. “South Park” is the cable network’s most-watched program, ranking No. 38 on all of basic cable among adults 18-34 through August of this year with a 0.84 rating, according to Nielsen data analyzed by buying agency Magna Global USA. The show also ranked 46th among 12-34s with a 0.92 and 24th among men 18-34 with a 1.11. 

Gonzo's parting words: 'Relax -- This won't hurt'
Hunter S. Thompson was as blunt in death as he was in life. Nearly seven months after his February suicide, a note he wrote days before he shot himself has been released. It was published yesterday in Rolling Stone, which launched Thompson’s career, and offers insight into the soul of a man facing his own faded youth, echoing the searing style that the writer was known for. In a note scrawled in black marker and entitled “Football season is over,” Thompson wrote: "No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun -- for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax -- This won't hurt." Thompson left the note for his wife, Anita, and son, Juan. The note’s title apparently refers to the end of the NFL season, which Thompson followed closely through its completion each January.