Update: Cable Positive Gets Major Grant

Record Grant Creates Youth AIDS Effort
Armed with a $200,000  grant from The Motorola Foundation, Cable  Positive will launch a Youth AIDS Media Institute (YAMI). It’s the largest single grant Cable Postive has ever received. The YAMI announcement will be made Thursday. YAMI’s purpose is “to empower youth to take an active interest and make a tangible impact in their communities regarding HIV and AIDS education, prevention, and awareness,” Cable Positive said.

More on Martin’s Math
As if you needed additional material to denounce FCC chief Kevin Martin’s 70/70 math, SLN Kagan late Friday released an analysis showing cable penetration at 58% at year-end 2006. That’s far below the 70% mark K Mart proffered earlier this week. SNL Kagan data shows penetration of homes passed peaked at 65.5% in 1998. As of year-end 2006, cable subs were at 65.4 million, or 58.4% of 111.9 million homes passed. Two recent quarters of declining cable subscriptions make it seem likely this figure will drop further by the end of 2007, Kagan said.

Iowa Presidential Forum Might Go Long, HDNet Says
Tomorrow’s sixth Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum could go beyond its 2-hour time slot if moderators Michele Norris of  NPR and Ray Suarez of The Newshour with Jim Lehrer feel candidates haven’t had enough time to debate the issues, HDNet Exec Prod/News Director Dennnis O’Brien said. “We will run as long as we need to,” O’Brien said in response to our question.

HDNet as well as local Mediacom systems will carry the forum (8pm ET), the oldest minority gathering with the candidates. All 8 Democrat presidential candidates have confirmed their participation. No Republican has consented to appear. O’Brien conceded it’s not easy to get real insight from 8 candidates in two hours, but he vowed to try. “No question that you can answer in 30 seconds is worth asking,” he said. HDNet’s Dan Rather will provide pre-forum coverage at 7:30pm, and post-forum coverage, scheduled for 10pm.  

Speedy Bresnan
Bresnan Communications said Speed Plus is now available in all Bresnan OnLine 8.0 Mbps markets. With download speeds of up to 15 Mbps, Bresnan OnLine is nearly twice as fast as the standard 8.0 Mbps service and about ten times as fast as 1.5 Mbps DSL. Customers with 8.0 Mbps can add Speed Plus for an additional $9.95 per month. No additional equipment is required.

Where Do We Apply For A Job?
NBC Late Night host Conan O’Brien has vowed to pay 75 non-striking staffers out of his own pocket next week.
[Businessweek]

Mandarin-Language TV to Star Here
News Corp’s Star TV and KyLinTV unveiled today an agreement to launch three Mandarin-language channels in North America on KyLinTV’s IPTV platform. Beginning tomorrow, Star Chinese Channel of Taiwan
will debut on KyLinTV’s premium package. Soon, music channel Channel V of Taiwan and a classic Chinese movies channel will join KyLinTV’s lineup. 

Predictions, Predictions
It’s that time of year. Businessweek media critic Jon Fine leads things off  in the Dec 10 issue. A few of his prognostications: at least one major U.S. daily paper will redefine the word “daily” and drop its printed Saturday edition; Wall St Journal readers and staff will concede Rupert Murdoch hasn’t ruined their paper; Kevin Martin’s attempt to prevent newspapers from owning TV stations in the same market will go nowhere; Jeff Bewkes will remake Time Warner by crafting a broad partnership/deal with Google, Microsoft or Yahoo!     
[Businessweek]

Lucky Number Seven for CNBC
Wide swings in the market helped somebody, namely CNBC. The network had its best November in total viewers since 2000 in Business Day (5am-7pm ET) and its best November in 25-54 since 2003. It was also CNBC’s best month in Business Day programming in total viewers since August 2002. CNBC in November was up 42% in total viewers (286,000) in Business Day vs last November (201,000). The figures are CNBC’s measured ratings. 
 
What A Streak For Hallmark
First there was the carriage extension agreement with Comcast. Then there was the ratings coup for 90-years-young actor Ernest Borgnine in Hallmark’s A Grandpa For Christmas. [Read Thursday’s Update] Now there’s a statement from family friendly TV supporter FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, congratulating Hallmark and Comcast on their agreement. saying “Family audiences are the real winners…The Hallmark Channel, with its award-winning original movies and much-loved classics- all G-rated- again proves that American families want this type of uplifting programming and that the marketplace is responding without government intervention.” (Does she ever talk with Kevin Martin?)