Topic: Bleier Center of Television and Popular Culture

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Top Super Bowl commercials 2011: six winners and losers

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How Netflix went wrong: Qwikster was good for company, not the customer.

Netflix pulled the plug Monday on its DVD rental spin-off division Qwikster. Creation of the division was supposed to help Netflix prepare for the cyberfuture, but the move just angered its customers.
The reality of fall TV

An upstart genre shows its influence as reality TV dominates the fall lineup and finds its techniques adopted across the TV landscape.
Will Rupert Murdoch's woes cross the Atlantic?

Rupert Murdoch's troubles in the UK could spread throughout his global media empire, say experts. A lawsuit filed Monday in Delaware may be just the beginning.
Mark Halperin suspended indefinitely from MSNBC: When language bites

After referring to President Obama with a term that can't appear in a family newspaper, MSNBC commentator Mark Halperin was suspended from the network and issued a warning by Time Magazine, where he is an editor-at-large.
Tempest in a Twitterpot: Why Keith Olbermann generated such a fuss

Keith Olbermann transported his signature show from MSNBC to the little-watched Current TV, almost quadrupling their ratings – and setting off a twitterstorm by running long.
Accolades galore for Jim Lehrer as he opts to exit 'PBS NewsHour'

Veteran newsman Jim Lehrer will relinquish the anchor's chair at 'PBS NewsHour' on June 6. Media analysts credit him for the newscast's 'fact-based,' 'well-reasoned,' and 'civilized' approach.
'Jetman' zooms along rim of Grand Canyon in first US flight

Jetman, aka adventurer Yves Rossy, hit 190 m.p.h. Saturday as he flew with a jet-pack above the Grand Canyon. Where some see self-promotional stunt man, others see a boundary-breaker.
Scott Pelley in, Katie Couric out, at CBS Evening News

Scott Pelley, who Mike Wallace once called 'the finest journalist in the business,' will replace Katie Couric as the face of CBS Evening News.
Extreme goes mainstream

Maximum shock behavior pervades TV as real-life antiheroes feed the public's thirst for 'truth.'
Katie Couric and 'CBS Evening News.' Is it time for them to part ways?

Katie Couric may be leaving when her contract is up in June. Ratings for 'CBS Evening News' are down, but not everyone says it's her fault. Where would she go next? And who would take over?
'The Kennedys' miniseries: Where JFK meets Michael Jackson

Two big new miniseries, 'The Kennedys' and 'The Borgias,' take on historical figures. But in the end, their story lines might tell us more about the present day than they do about history.
Charlie Sheen on Twitter: How much more damage can he do?

The idea of the outspoken and off-kilter Charlie Sheen going onto Twitter suggests a public-relations apocalypse. But some media experts say it's a perfect match.
Oscar swag to fill your designer bag. And is that Brad Pitt??

Designer stuff is a big part of Oscar weekend – everything from handbags, Mongolian jewelry, vitamins, hand-made chocolates, aluminum art apples, and cosmetics to exotic lodging deals. Hollywood’s glitterati come to see and be seen. And to fill their swag bags.
Top Super Bowl commercials 2011: six winners and losers

Super Bowl commercials have become a mini-film festival, keeping the less-than-diehard football fans in front of the tube. But this year’s top spots are singled out for their misses as much as their hits.
Oprah Winfrey channel debuts Saturday, but is it time for a new network?

Oprah Winfrey, whose successful syndicated show is in its last season, is launching her new cable TV network OWN to start the new year. The move is a risky one, media analysts say.
Did Jon Stewart hurt the Democrats in Election 2010?

Comedians like Jon Stewart took aim at candidates like Christine O'Donnell in Election 2010, and sharp political satire may have led to cynicism, suppressing the youth vote, experts say.
'Baracka Flacka Flames': Does foul-mouthed spoof help or hurt Obama?

The 'Head of the State' video that portrays President Obama as a swearing, drinking, racial epithet-hurling 'Baracka Flacka Flames' is driving debate on satire and the mood of youth voters.