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CABLE WORLD STAFF
Speaking at an HRTS lunch last week in L.A., some of cable's top programmers, including Turner's Brad Siegel, Showtime's Jerry Offsay and USA Network's Stephen Chao, talked tough about cable vs. broadcast. For their part, Chao and Siegel spent time pinned to the mat defending the popularity of wrestling. But also on stage was former HBO chief Michael Fuchs, who has kept a very low profile since he was booted out of Time Warner three years ago. Fuchs joked about his career and said: "For some of you younger people, this probably seems like Jack Parr coming back to the Tonight Show. There is a life after being a master of the universe. You know what that life is? Yoga."
While his panel crowed about cable's prowess, Fuchs provided a refreshingly honest perspective, noting that cable has a 20% distribution disadvantage to the broadcast networks and that the highest-rated broadcast drama outrates the highest cable drama by a 10-1 margin. But even Fuchs conceded that cable can make millions with a mere 1.0 rating.
Also back in the news: former Fuchs buddy (later to become enemy) Frank Biondi. Biondi, who also once headed up HBO, as well as Universal Studios until he was axed in 1998, has been hired by King World Prods. as a consultant on strategic planning and acquisitions.
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