News Shorts

Networks split Tuesday night
On a night when everyone won a time period, CBS and ABC split households and adults 18-49 last night. At 8 p.m., CBS’s “JAG” won households and its second half-hour among adults 18-49, and at 10 p.m., “Judging Amy” did the same. ABC won only the 9:30 p.m. half-hour in households and adults 18-49 with “NYPD Blue,” but the rest of its programs performed well enough for the network to win the demographic for the night. NBC won the 9 p.m. half-hour in households and adults 18-49 with “Frasier” and the 10 p.m. half-hour among adults 18-49 with “Dateline,” while Fox won the 8 p.m. half-hour among adults 18-49 with “That '70’s Show.” The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Tuesday were: CBS 9.7/16 and 3.6, ABC 7.5/12 and 4.1, NBC 6.4/10 and 3.9, and Fox 5.0/8 and 4.0. On Monday, Fox eked out a win among adults 18-49 with strong performances by “Boston Public” and “Ally McBeal.” “Boston Public” won the 8 p.m. hour among adults 18-49. CBS placed second in the demographic by one-tenth of a rating point, helped by a 9 p.m. win by “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Becker.” The two sitcoms also won their hour in households. With “Monday Night Football,” ABC was in third place among adults 18-49, one-tenth of a rating point behind CBS. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Monday night were: CBS 9.2/14 and 4.7, ABC 9.0/14 and 4.6, NBC 6.7/10 and 3.6, and Fox 6.5/10 and 4.8.

NBC signs Tim till 2012; still working on Katie
NBC, it seems, doesn't like to say goodbye. The peacock network has signed political commentator Tim Russert to an 11-year deal and is said to be offering Katie Couric upwards of $65 million if she'll stay on at "Today." Under the terms of his new contract, Russert will continue to host "Meet the Press," his Sunday morning political roundtable, through the end of 2012, by which time three more presidential races will have concluded. Russert also hosts a weekly show on CNBC, serves as Washington bureau chief of NBC News and contributes to "Today" and "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw." Couric's pending deal is a sign of the network's faith in her, considering that "Today" has been giving ground to runner-up "Good Morning America" in the ratings race. NBC is thought to be offering her a contract worth at least $13 million a year for five years, which would make her the best paid television news personality. To further grab her attention--Couric has been courted by virtually every media company in the U.S.--NBC would throw in perks like the option of creating and producing her own daytime talk show.

NY Times slapped with lawsuit over new HQ
The New York Times is meeting legal resistance to its plan to build a new 52-story headquarters on Eighth Avenue. Gary Barnett, a Manhattan real estate developer, has sued the paper, alleging that The New York Times Co. is getting a "sweetheart" deal that could end up costing taxpayers upwards of $100 million, according to the New York Daily News. Barnett, who owns a parking lot that is being condemned to make way for the new building, says the Empire State Development Corp., which is handling the project, intentionally undervalued the property in its agreement with the Times, virtually ensuring that the paper will get massive tax breaks from the city. Barnett failed in an earlier attempt to challenge the deal on legal grounds, and the Times says that his current allegations are without merit.

Diller expected to merge USA with Vivendi
Barry Diller looks to be getting close to a deal to sell back the TV properties that he bought from Universal four years ago. Vivendi Universal Chairman Jean-Marie Messier has expressed a desire to merge with USA Networks Inc. and gain control of USA Network, Sci-fi Channel and the Studios USA production unit. Doing so will probably cost him more than twice the $4.1 billion Diller paid for them, and he'll have to convince Diller to take a subordinate role in the Vivendi Universal empire, perhaps overseeing all media and entertainment operations. Vivendi already owns 43 percent of USA Networks but is prohibited from buying more by an agreement with Diller.

Another reality show for would-be space shots
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A new reality show wants to send a bunch of ordinary folks--just like you!--into orbit. Titled "Ancient Astronaut," the show will combine elements of archeology and UFO lore, challenging teams of competitors to replicate the feats of the ancient peoples who built Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids and other historical oddities. By doing so, they will shed light on whether or not the original builders got help from advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. The winning team will undergo cosmonaut training, with one member earning a trip into space on a Russian rocket and a possible stay on the International Space Station. Image World Media, which is producing the show, is reportedly in talks with several broadcast networks. NBC had a similar show in the works last year. "Destination: Mir" proposed sending a winner on a sojourn to the titular Russian space station. There was only one problem: Before the show could begin production, the Russian space agency deorbited Mir, sending it crashing into the ocean.

Composer sues Martha Stewart for musical theft
Did Martha Stewart, entertaining expert extraordinaire, have the poor manners to rip off someone else's song? Composer Edward Dzuback is seeking a court injunction to prevent the syndicated "Martha Stewart Living" program from using a theme song he claims borrows from his music without his permission. Dzuback, who won a Daytime Emmy for his compositions on CBS's "As the World Turns," claims the theme song is a slightly altered version of one of his pieces. A spokesperson for Stewart has denied that the song was plagiarized.

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