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The glut of awards shows might have gotten to viewers, as the first-ever AFI Awards on CBS came in dead last on Saturday night, losing to a rerun of the James Bond installment of "Goldeneye" on NBC, an encore presentation of "GI Jane" on ABC, and Fox's regular lineup of "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted." NBC took the night with a 3.5, adult 18-49 rating, compared to ABC's 3.3, Fox's 3.2 and CBS's 1.9, based on preliminary Nielsen data. The household rating and share were: NBC 6.2/11, ABC 5.6/10, Fox 5.3/9 and CBS 4.0/7. On Friday night, NBC continued its dominance, but lost three half-hours in 18-49s to Fox, which brought out Adam Sandler's "Happy Gilmore." NBC edged Fox with a 4.4 to its 4.0, adult 18-49 rating, whereas ABC and CBS lagged behind with a 2.5 and 1.9, respectively. A new episode of "Ellen" at 8:30 p.m. came in last, failing even to sustain a repeat of "King of Queens." The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share for Friday night were: NBC 9.8/17, Fox 5.3/9, ABC 4.7/8 and CBS 4.2/7.
AMAs and Grammys fight over Michael
Michael Jackson will make an appearance at this week's American Music Awards, but don't expect any high-pitched squealing or crotch-grabbing. The self-proclaimed King of Pop is showing up just to pick up his "artist of the century" award, not to perform. That means that Dick Clark, producer of the AMAs, will go ahead with his lawsuit against the Grammys. Clark says that C. Michael Greene, CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, forbids artists from appearing on the AMAs if they want to be part of the more widely viewed Grammys. He says it was this pressure that persuaded Jackson to back out from an oral agreement to perform at the AMAs. But that doesn't mean you can't watch Michael flash his socks this Wednesday. While the AMAs are airing on ABC, CBS will be rebroadcasting Jackson's 30th anniversary concert special.
Terror suspect wants his trial televised
O.J. Simpson, make room for Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged terrorist who aims to be the next big thing on Court TV. On Friday of last week, Moussaoui's lawyers asked that the defendant's trial be televised, arguing that live coverage of the proceedings could help to insure that Moussaoui receives a fair trial. Court TV has been fighting to broadcast the trial since Dec. 21, claiming that the open nature of a televised trial will demonstrate the strength of our democratic process to foreign critics. Opponents of broadcasting the trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 14, say that the media presence could be nerve-racking for witnesses, resulting in altered testimonials. Whether or not cameras will be allowed will be decided by Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in a hearing that is to begin Jan. 9.
Bison burger, anyone? Ted T.'s new project
A lot of people think that Ted Turner is full of bull, but what's really on his mind these days is buffalo. With nothing much for him to do anymore at AOL Time Warner, Turner has hatched a plan to launch a chain of restaurants that will offer, among other dishes, 25 different types of bison burgers. A total of 10 Ted's Montana Grill restaurants will open their doors to diners this year in cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver and Nashville. George McKerrow, founder of the LongHorn Steakhouse restaurant chain, will supply the know-how behind the venture, while Turner will put up most of the money. A dedicated environmentalist, Turner reportedly hopes that increased demand for bison meat, which is leaner and healthier than beef but tastes similar, will encourage ranchers to cultivate large herds of the animals, which were hunted nearly to extinction.
Makeovers for 'Max Bickford,' 'Emma Brody'
Astute viewers of CBS's "The Education of Max Bickford" may notice a sudden improvement in their protagonist's attitude. The show, touted by many critics as one of the fall season's bright spots, has struggled for ratings, prompting CBS executives to order up a personality makeover for the oft-curmudgeonly title character, played by Richard Dreyfuss. Starting soon, fans will see less of abrasive, bitter Max, and more of understanding, easygoing Max. The show's writers will also dispense with the complicated, multi-stranded story structures of each episode. The changes have largely been met with little opposition, largely owing to the fall departure of creators and executive producers Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich. Over at Fox, similar renovations are underway on the show "American Embassy." Formerly "Emma Brody," "Embassy" comes to the air in March, replacing "Ally McBeal" for six weeks. With "Ally's" ratings down, "Embassy's" creators have hastened to minimize the similarities between the two shows, excising glib voiceovers and shifting the focus to Emma's efforts to help others and away from her romantic entanglements.
No NBC for many San Franciscans
Going into its purchase of TV station KNTV in San Francisco, NBC knew some broadcast viewers in the Bay Area might have a problem getting the signal. What it didn't expect was that roughly 212,000 households out of the area's 2.4 million TV households, 145,000 just in San Francisco alone, would have trouble with their new channel 11, according to a Roper study commissioned by NBC. This translates to one-fifth of one rating point nationally. KNTV has set up a number for people to call and voice their complaints, in addition to sending out teams to investigate specific cases. The rub lies not in KNTV's broadcast signal, which was actually boosted to the maximum potency allowed by the FCC in the summer of 2000, but in its location and direction toward San Francisco. One possible solution, moving the San José station tower north 25 miles, would increase reach, but such a move is at least months away, far after NBC's coverage of next month's Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City. Many viewers have balked at subscribing to cable just to catch NBC's programming.
January 7, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
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