TV Land to Endow Chicago TV Museum
Chicago — As part of a 10-year sponsorship, TV Land will step into the comedy spotlight at the Museum of Broadcasting Communications, which is scheduled to open here next year.
The partnership encompasses an undisclosed monetary donation from TV Land, as well as major promotional support from the network as part of its commitment to the preservation of TV and radio comedy.
The donation to the nonprofit radio and television museum, a 70,000-square-foot facility located downtown near the new Trump Tower Chicago and directly adjacent to the House of Blues and Harry Caray’s restaurant, will help underwrite an interactive comedy exhibit, featuring an array of classic and contemporary highlight clips. It will also house original TV Land content celebrating the pioneers of TV comedy, as well as touch-screen kiosks through which visitors can test their TV acumen.
Dish Network Tops UM Consumer Ratings
Ann Arbor, Mich. — EchoStar Communications Corp. led the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index ranking of cable and satellite companies for a second consecutive year, but rankings for both EchoStar and rival DirecTV Inc. fell from last year’s rankings.
EchoStar scored a 68 during the first quarter on the index, down 4.2% from 71 during first-quarter 2004.
DirecTV, which placed second, with a score of 67, saw its score dip 5.6% from the 71 it scored during the same period last year.
Cox Communications Inc. (63) was the top-rated cable company, followed by Time Warner Cable, “all other” cable companies (59); Comcast Corp. (58) and Charter Communications Inc. (56).
Comcast saw its customer satisfaction index score increase 3.6% compared to the first quarter of 2004, while Time Warner Cable increased its score by 1.7%.
“The competitive landscape may be changing for the cable and satellite TV industry. First measured in 2001, satellite has consistently bested cable by a wide margin,” University of Michigan professor Claes Fornell wrote in a commentary about the index “In fact, satellite companies have led cable by an average of 11 ACSI points each year. But this year, both DirecTV and EchoStar’s ACSI scores weaken significantly, falling to their lowest ever.”
AOL, TNT Ride 'Into the West’
Atlanta — Supporting its sister company’s ambitious limited series, America Online is teaming with Turner Network Television to bring online consumers an array of video programming from Into The West, the 12-hour project from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg that begins June 10.
The collaboration began May 17 with the world premiere of the “World of Fire” music video by Sarah McLachlan and Robbie Robertson on AOL Music’s “First View” (www.aolmusic.com). Other video content includes the series trailer, weekly episodic previews and recaps that can be screened at www.aol.com/television. As a sponsor of the Western, AOL will receive numerous on-air mentions, pointing viewers to AOL to discover this online fare, according to company officials.
