Impeachment trial not ready for broadcast prime time

NEW YORK (AP) — The first night of arguments in favor of President Donald Trump's impeachment before the U.S. Senate was judged not ready for prime time by many of the nation's television executives. ABC, CBS and NBC all stuck with regularly scheduled programs like “Chicago Med,”...

'NewsHour' host and debate moderator Jim Lehrer dies at 85

NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Lehrer, longtime host of the nightly PBS “NewsHour” whose serious, sober demeanor made him the choice to moderate 11 presidential debates between 1988 and 2012, has died, PBS said Thursday. He was 85. Lehrer died “peacefully in his sleep,” according to PBS....

PBS says journalist Jim Lehrer of the 'MacNeil-Lehrer Report' has died at 85

ABC News to bolster streaming service with live programming

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News is moving aggressively to boost its streaming service with the belief that these products will change the news business over the next decade the way cable channels CNN, Fox News and MSNBC did a generation ago. The network said Thursday that it will hire some 50 new journalists,...

Ratings dip for NFL conference championship games

NEW YORK (AP) — It's no secret, sports fans. Better games produce better ratings. That was the simple lesson for the NFL this week, after a dip in viewership for its conference championship games, compared to 2019. The Nielsen company said 42.8 million people watched the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green...

Hallmark media CEO leaves, month after same-sex ad backlash

NEW YORK (AP) — The head of Hallmark's media business is leaving the company after 11 years, just a month after its flagship Hallmark Channel faced an outcry over a decision to pull an ad with a lesbian couple kissing. No reason was given for Bill Abbott's departure, and no replacement was immediately...

Column: Finally, the Super Bowl might be fun again

Finally, the Super Bowl might be fun again. No more scowling Bill Belichick, angry as always under his hoodie. No more sly smiles and phony platitudes from Tom Brady. No talk about Spygate; no worries about deflated footballs. And no more speculation about just what New England owner Robert Kraft might be up to....

From Erivo to Pacino, TV critics meeting draws stars in

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — When members of the Television Critics Association gather each January to preview upcoming programs and hear from those who make them, the result can be a kind of exotic celebrity zoo. This year's mixed crowd included reality stars (Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian West), Oscar winners...

CBS' early exit shows decisions networks face on impeachment

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS was the first major network to break away from President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate on Tuesday, allowing its viewers to watch their regular afternoon fare instead of a debate over a proposed amendment to subpoena White House documents. The decision illustrated the...

Coast Guard officer accused of terror plot asks for leniency

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Federal prosecutors are recommending a 25-year prison sentence for a Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and targeting Supreme Court justices, prominent Democrats and TV journalists for attacks inspired by racist killers. But defense attorneys are seeking leniency...