stephen.battaglio

The Biz: Will Michelle Obama Be the Next Oprah?

While President Obama has been locked in a tight battle for reelection, his wife's favorability ratings have soared higher than ever. America loves First Lady Michelle Obama, and when viewers see her on the talk-show circuit doing pushups with Ellen DeGeneres or reeling off a Top 10 list on Late Show With David Letterman, it's easy to understand why. Michelle Obama has such an appealing TV presence that if she and her husband find themselves moving out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January, she'll have the opportunity to make the transition from high-profile, engaging talk-show guest to big-name talk-show host — arguably the biggest ever in terms of recognizability.

Mon, Oct 29, 2012

The Biz: Will Michelle Obama Be the Next Oprah?

The Biz: Bob Schieffer Preps for Final Presidential Debate

CBS News Washington bureau chief Bob Schieffer has worked on his network's coverage of every presidential debate since 1976. But Schieffer told TV Guide Magazine he decided to stay out of the fray this time around until he moderates the final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, in Boca Raton, Fla., on Monday (9/8c).

Sat, Oct 20, 2012

The Biz: Bob Schieffer Preps for Final Presidential Debate

The Biz: Analyzing the New Daytime Lineup

A lot of new big names have moved into the daytime neighborhood this fall, but viewers are choosing to spend more time with a familiar friend. The Ellen DeGeneres Show is off to its best start in its 10-year history, ranking as the No. 1 syndicated talk program among the advertiser-favored audience of women ages 25-54 through the first two weeks of the TV season. Its overall average of 3.3 million viewers is up 6 percent from a year ago, putting it behind Dr. Phil (3.8 million) and Live With Kelly and Michael (3.4 million).When Oprah Winfrey ended her program in 2011, insiders in the syndication business wondered where her viewers would go. No program last year took immediate advantage of the upheaval, but daytime habits change glacially. "All the research indicated that after Oprah left there was a large opportunity for Ellen, and that may be playing itself out," says Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, which syndicates Ellen.

Wed, Oct 10, 2012

The Biz: Analyzing the New Daytime Lineup

The Biz: Willie Geist Named Co-Host of Today's Third Hour

Willie Geist is going to need an extra shot in his Starbucks. On the Wednesday edition of NBC's Today, he was officially named co-host of the program's third hour. Geist, 37, will take over Nov. 12 for...

Wed, Oct 10, 2012

The Biz: Willie Geist Named Co-Host of Today's Third Hour

The Season's Hits and Misses (So Far)

What if a new TV season launched and nobody came? Post-Olympics sneak peeks, video on demand and online previews have taken some of the excitement out of the traditional network premiere week, as none of the new shows has had breakout ratings (many CW series start this week). Also to blame: the fact that 45 percent of all TV households now have a DVR and that more viewers catch a show on their computer or iPad if they miss it on TV. "The immediacy and the excitement of seeing a show has gone away," confirms one network executive. But the season must go on. Here's what the numbers tell us.

Mon, Oct 1, 2012

The Biz: 48 Hours Readies Its 25th Season

The Saturday premiere of 48 Hours (10/9c) marks the start of the CBS newsmagazine's 25th season. But executive producer Susan Zirinsky can think of far more important numbers connected with the program.

Sat, Sep 29, 2012

The Biz: 48 Hours Readies Its 25th Season

The Biz: Today Executive Producer Addresses Shakeup

Don't blame Matt Lauer if you miss Ann Curry on NBC's Today. The morning show's executive producer Jim Bell said Wednesday it was his decision to eject Curry from the co-anchor chair back in June.Lauer has rarely been the subject of unfavorable press since he became a star co-anchor on Today in 1997. But Today's ratings have dropped further behind ABC's Good Morning America since Curry was replaced by Savannah Guthrie.

Wed, Sep 26, 2012

The Biz: Today Executive Producer Addresses Shakeup

The Biz: Inside the Great Debates

The first debate between President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Wednesday, October 3, is expected to be the steel cage match of the political season. They'll meet again on October 16 and October 22. TV Guide Magazine asked experts who have been on the front lines of past presidential campaigns to tell us what to expect — and what the candidates need to do to win.

Tue, Sep 25, 2012

The Biz: The Conventions' Winners & Losers

The Democrats and Republicans did their best to info-tain you with their party conventions. While the ultimate judgment will come in November, here are the stars who shined and dimmed during the confabs.

Mon, Sep 10, 2012

The Biz: The Conventions' Winners & Losers

Summer TV's Hits & Misses

It was a summer that won't be remembered fondly, at least by the broadcast networks. Despite a flurry of new shows, from CBS' Dogs in the City to ABC's Glass House, there wasn't much to crow about — at least until NBC's Summer Olympics ratings juggernaut came along. Cable fared better, launching new hits like A&E's Longmire and TNT's Perception and opening events like History's Hatfields & McCoys to big numbers. Here are some of this summer's highs and lows.

Tue, Sep 4, 2012

Tom Brokaw Explores Britain's World War II Resolve in Their Finest Hour

The stunning panoramic views of London featured throughout NBC's coverage of the summer Olympic Games make it hard to imagine the devastation that occurred 72 years ago during the Blitz. While it might harsh your Olympic-induced mellow, NBC's Tom Brokaw takes an intense look back at how the city survived the barbarism of Adolf Hitler's Germany in the two years before the U.S. entered World War II with Their Finest Hour (Saturday, 8/7c). The documentary precedes...

Fri, Aug 10, 2012

Tom Brokaw Explores Britain's World War II Resolve in Their Finest Hour

Who Earns What: TV's Highest Paid Stars

If Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard worked as a TV actress today, her famous line would be: "I am big. It's the paychecks that got small." Networks and studios have continued to take a hard line on holding down salaries, based on TV Guide Magazine's annual survey drawn from conversations with agents, network executives and studio heads. Rare is the lead actor who can enter a new series earning more than $125,000 an episode. The exceptions are those with a ratings track record of having a major hit show (Matthew Perry) or a significant career in feature films (Kevin Bacon). Premium cable networks such as...

Wed, Aug 8, 2012

The Biz: CBS' Norah O'Donnell Joins the Morning Game

If Norah O'Donnell becomes the next big thing in morning television, history will point to a frosty January day in Iowa when she put a direct question to Republican presidential aspirant Newt Gingrich. "You said of Mitt Romney, 'Somebody who will lie to you to get to be president will lie to you when they are president,'" she said. "I have to ask you, are you calling Mitt Romney a liar?" Responded Gingrich: "Yes." It was a viral video that had CBS News executives thinking O'Donnell could be more than their chief White House correspondent. "She's had a lot of moments like that," CBS News president David Rhodes says of his...

Tue, Aug 7, 2012

The Biz: CBS' Norah O'Donnell Joins the Morning Game

The Biz: Getting to Know Today's Savannah Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie steps into the giant X-ray machine that is morning television as she settles in to Today's coanchor chair this morning. Viewers will get to know her well over the next few months, but now chief NBC News White House correspondent Chuck Todd — who once shared his beat and a daily MSNBC show with Guthrie — tells us what to expect.

Mon, Jul 9, 2012

The Biz: Getting to Know Today's Savannah Guthrie

The Biz: Inside Ann Curry's Today Exit --- What Went Wrong

Ann Curry learned that you're a member of the Today family until the ratings say you're not.Curry spent her final morning as co-anchor with Matt Lauer on Thursday, giving a tearful goodbye before heading to a new role as the program's anchor-at-large and NBC News national and international correspondent (which came with a new long-term contract). Savannah Guthrie, NBC News legal correspondent and co-anchor of the third hour of Today for the last year, will be named as Lauer's new partner on Friday, according to sources familiar with the plan.Curry, who joined Today in 1997 as a newsreader, was part of ...

Thu, Jun 28, 2012

The Biz: Inside Ann Curry's Today Exit --- What Went Wrong

The Biz: Arsenio Hall Talks Back

Arsenio Hall may have fallen off the radar before he won The Celebrity Apprentice in May. But now the 56-year-old comic who once revolutionized late night will continue to blaze his comeback trail with a new nightly syndicated talk show set to debut next year. Here are some things he said that made us...

Wed, Jun 27, 2012

The Biz: NBC Execs Work to Find a New Role for Ann Curry

Ann Curry's era as co-anchor of NBC's Today will be brief, but the network is making every effort to keep her in the family. NBC News executives and Curry's representatives are working on a new deal for a new high-profile role that will play to her strengths as an international correspondent. Getting her to accept that role, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, is vital to making her transition out of Today a smooth one. "They want to make Ann OK with this," says the insider. "They can't...

Thu, Jun 21, 2012

The Biz: NBC Execs Work to Find a New Role for Ann Curry

The TV Season's Winners and Losers

The 2011-2012 TV season ended with a whimper, as all five broadcast networks posted year-to-year drops in viewership during May sweeps. But the season as a whole wasn't too bad: Sure, some big swings (Pan Am, Terra Nova) missed, but a solid 15 freshman shows (out of 45) were renewed. Here's a roundup of this year's winners and losers. WinnersFunny girlsCBS' 2 Broke Girls was the year's highest-rated new comedy, averaging a strong 5.6 million viewers with adults 18-49. The show has already been upgraded to a plum 9pm time slot for fall. "That shows enormous...

Wed, May 30, 2012

Next Season's Big Trends

Get those season passes ready. The networks have announced 39 new series for 2012-2013, spanning virtually every kind of drama (procedurals, serials, thrillers) and comedy (family, workplace, romantic). And while new X Factor judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato threaten to dominate the media's attention this fall, even they may be no match for Dr. Zaius, the monkey M.D. on NBC's Animal Practice, or the drippy aliens on ABC's The Neighbors. Here's a look at what viewers will encounter next season...

Fri, May 25, 2012

The Biz: Dateline NBC Celebrates 20 Years

Twenty years ago, the hottest genre in network television wasn't sitcoms, dramas or reality shows — it was newsmagazines. CBS's 60 Minutes was the number-one show. ABC had Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs scoring big ratings on 20/20 and signed Diane Sawyer for Primetime. NBC had the most difficult time getting a newsmagazine off the ground until it launched Dateline NBC on March 31, 1992 after trying and failing with 17 other shows. Over the next 20 years...

Tue, May 22, 2012

The Biz: Dateline NBC Celebrates 20 Years

The Biz: TV Changes You Can Believe In

Change can be scary — especially for a TV show that swaps hosts or faces new competition. Here's a look at how a few longtime favorites have been handling tough transitions. Live! With KellyRegis Philbin sat next to...

Mon, May 14, 2012

The Biz: Inside the Memorial Service for 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace

CBS News legend Mike Wallace was so competitive he even poached an interview from his son. At Tuesday's memorial service for his father, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace recounted how in 1996, he booked comedian Chris Rock for a coveted sit-down on ABC's 20/20. At the last moment, Rock...

Tue, May 1, 2012

The Biz: Inside the Memorial Service for 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace