The Week in Review: Bye-bye Chernin, Hello (Again) Bart

Finally starting to dig through emails, articles, etc. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a couple of substantive posts up this week, in between writing, researching and whatnot.

Some of the more intriguing articles from the week…

• I’m still undecided about the relatively new website, The Daily Beast. However, industry observer Kim Masters has posted a few informative “insider-ish” columns, including this one about the recent departure of News Corp’s second-in-command, Rupert Murdoch, and the potential power vacuum that could be emerging;
• Robert Johnson (founder of BET) is testing the limits of the FCC’s must-carry policy (in tandem with Ion) in the digital realm. His goal: develop an “urban-targeted” broadcast network using some of the additional spectrum provided to broadcasters as they move to digital. Comcast has now publicly objected to this effort;
• The Simpsons will soon be the longest-running prime time series in TV history, surpassing Gunsmoke;
• Can we anticipate more social scientifically-oriented “violence in the media” research being funded in the near future?
• Samuel L. Jackson signs a NINE-picture deal with Marvel;
• In yet another sign of cable’s growing strength, Turner plans to take on CBS at this year’s upfronts;
• It looks like lifestyles of the rich and famous (2.0 reality version) will be omnipresent on cable TV for quite some time;
• ESPN becomes the latest TV entity aiming to move into the local (sports) news business with its ESPNChicago venture