The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 47

1 THE FRESNO BEE THURSDAY JUNE 14 2001 E3 6mb promt i A DIGEST OF THE LATEST IN TELEVISION RADIO Spanish network is off to a slow start to ffltiv season pftfre 'Stargats SG-J begins atIO pJune 29 on? Wfwmium chanr special government MonnMnil S' Jtt IhraijgbiuTandertfl QatBwaytorvwod KnownMSG-l(1ho ftaamisl6dbyCdJack PNePjMchani tacwon Visalia-based Pappas Telecasting Companies is having problems lining up affiliates in Texas for the launch of Azteca America a new Spanish-language network that was to be operating by the end of June A deal has reached an impasse that would make Dallas television station KXTX Channel 39 the hub of the Spanish-language network KXTX Channel 39 general manager Bill Murphy refused to comment and referred all inquiries to Pappas Telecasting Michael Angelos special assistant to Harry Pappas the chief executive officer of Pappas Telecasting Companies directed all inquiries to the company's new public relations firm BSMG Worldwide "Azteca America will not comment on the specifics of the discussions with potential stations for our says spokesperson Anne Burkheimer Pappas Telecasting Companies and the Mexican television network TV Azteca entered into a $500 million deal last year to launch a new Spanish-language network in the United States The network would compete with Univision and Telemundo for Spanish-speaking viewers The plan announced by Pappas and Ricardo Salinas chairman and chief operating officer of TV Azteca was for the new network to be on the air by the end says Don Caparis KDBC general manager That extension would give Pappas until Aug29 to dose the deal Although negotiations are supposedly continuing Caparis heard from anyone with Pappas Telecasting for six to eight weeks Caparis adds the unfinished deal has left his Texas station "between a rock and a hard National advertising buyers have been reluctant to purchase advertising time on KDBC because they don't know if the El Paso station will remain a CBS affiliate or make die switch to Azteca America Jim Bixler station manager of KVTZ in Corpus Christi confirmed a deal between K-Six Television Inc and Pappas Telecasting to buy KVTZ and KVTV in Laredo is not moving forward "We were in negotiations with Pappas and then all of a sudden they disappeared It has been a month since they were here At that time they seemed to be says Bixler "Our board of directors has passed a lost-faith resolution regarding Pappas and started negotiations with The deal to buy the Corpus Christi affiliate would have created a major problem for Pappas KVTZ has an agreement to remain a CBS affiliate until 2007 That agreement would continue with any sale and would delay the switch to the Azteca America signaL Harry Pappas explained during the Sept 8 announcement of the planned launch of the network he would have affiliates in Bakersfield Los Angeles Miami San Francisco Houston Dallas Phoenix El Paso Sacramento and San Diego About half of the Hispanics living in the United States reside in seven cities: Los Angeles New York Miami San Antonio San Francisco Chicago and Houston The goal was for Azteca America to reach about 65X of the nation's TV market by 2002 Last year Pappas predicted within five years of the launch Azteca America will own 50 stations and be available to 95X of Hispanics in the United States Angelos explained in April that plans remained on track to have the new network launch in IS cities that would cover 45X of the Hispanic market in the United States The loss of potential affiliates in Dallas Paso and Corpus Christi would cost Pappas the ninth- 10th- and 14th-ranked Hispanic television markets in the United States Competing with established Spanish-language stations would be tough Univision which reaches 92X of U5 Hispanics attracts 80X of the audience Telemundo Networks grab the other 20X The reporter can be reached at rbefitteyfre8nobeecom or at 441-6355 Untimely Demise Rick Rentley of the second quarter of 2001 which ends June 30 KXTX was to be the central location for the network's operations It is the biggest independent television station in Texas with an estimated cable coverage of SI counties The over-the-air signal reaches about million viewers in nearly 2 million households in the Dallas market alone which has about 130000 Hispanic homes Dallas is not the only place in Texas where Pappas Telecasting has had problems Deals with television stations in El Paso Corpus Christi and Laredo have either fallen through or are in jeopardy Pappas Telecasting made a deal in March 2000 to purchase KDBC Channel 4 in El Paso Texas But 15 months later the deal has not dosed "Pappas has asked for an the series' creator saw a chance to explore in flashback style the relationship between Martin Sheen's President Bartlet and his father through the woman who worked for both of them was a terrible thing that we would lose this wonderful actress who was so good and so loyal to the show but it really did add a tremendous amount of understanding to the president of the United States at a time it was really necessary I understand the anger and disappointment expressed by the show's Many viewers could see themselves or their mothers while watching Mrs Landingham The West Wing" is appealing for its idealized vision of how die nation's government should work In a White House of people filled with self-importance Joosten's character took them down to size and reminded them who they should be working for "I think she represented for a lot of people the voice of the little Joosten said Sworn to secrecy about the character's fate and not trusting herself Joosten took off on vacation the week her "death" aired She returned to find about 15 phone messages and 80 e-mails "Even the fellow who sold me a car two years ago called" she said He inquired about Joosten's health -and about whether she was interested in a trade-in Since television characters are often written out of shows for health concerns she's been assuring people that she's fine It wasn't a contractual tiff either Joosten wasn't demanding more money or more screen time She may even get to play Mrs Landingham again In the May 16 season finale a week after her the character become popular or re-popular -thanks to their placements in TV commercials Included among the 20 songs are three from Volkswagen: "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake "Da Da Da" by Trio and "Mr by Styx plus "Right Here Right Now" by Fatboy Slim "Lust for Life" by Iggy Give It Up Part 1" by Marvin Gaye and The Shining" by Badly Drawn Boy says the press release that came with a promotional copy of the CD "advertising is entertainment and vice-versa" In other words everyone winsl Advertisers sell more products and the artists sell more records To quote a song by the Who now playing regularly during a car commercial: They call that a bargain Iraa anchor HeadNn0N0W8l andrnerttal Rmiu'asf rcdnielinglilhel JronmanTrlathlonl Championship I The triathlon alfswknlfi! 12iniie bike Bvoug 28i-mileruA DWontol run severe 1 isli pbmpetiave termisl a certifledj3 aerobics Instructor water skier and a ecubal gyou Know! Jackacomedyl trtviashowbasedv theCDHfl'l prerhieres with beckto- back episodes starting at8pmWednesday The ABC summer series tenures the I return of comedian PaiuH Reubens to television hj persona cfTroyJj Stevens host ofYoii Don1KnowJack'lp Reubens is better known tor his charauctsr Peewee Herman MoMlaufll Wednesday teabigH Cday for Comedy Central the day 'when the new season of "South starts at 10 pjn Stan Ketmyl Kyie Cartman Chef and Timmy face all new adventure 4 Following outhg Park is the debut Prlmetime GBck'" Martin Short slips into heavy makeup to portray a variety of characters including the host Jiminy GBck: Mew cop The departure of Rick Schroder from NYPO Blue leaves an opening kx a new partner for Detective 1 Andy Sipowicz (Dermis I Franz) Speculation is former "Saved By the Beil star Mark-Paid Gosseiaarhasthe -1 I inside track to fill the vf 'Vjj you aren't familiar with work he can be seen in the original USA Network I movie 'Beer Money set to debut at 9 pm Viewers mourn the death of West feisty Mrs Landingham By David Bauper ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -The plot twist shocked most viewers of The West Wing" but not Kathryn Joosten The actress who has portrayed presidential secretary Dolores Landing-ham for the two seasons The West Wing" has been on the air knew exactly what was coming earlier this spring when she was told the show's producer wanted to see her "There's only one reason you get called into the producer's she said "and because they're going to kill you off" And so they did though mercifully offscreen Her blunt-spoken character died in a collision with a drunken driver adding to the president's anguish with his lob in jeopardy over revelations that he id a serious illness For a bit player in a television drama the fictional death nonetheless resounded to the point that a California Democrat called for a moment of silence in the state Assembly chamber to honor her And even now on "The West (airing at 8 pm Wednesdays on NBC) with Mrs Landingham popping up in summer repeats viewers are still mourning her demise "It done cavalierly believe said Thomas Schlamme the executive producer who gave Joosten the fateful phone calL Schlamme said he and Aaron Sorkin ASSOCIATED PRESS Kathryn Joosten's Mrs Landingham was often quick to remind Martin Sheen's President Bartlet and other self-important White House officials who they work for on "West Wing" saleswoman for Welcome Wagon in the Chicago area She's worked regularly in comedies such as "Murphy Brown" and "Dharma a Greg" "The publicity resulting from Mrs Landingham's untimely demise has been good for me personally" Joosten said In a youth- and beauty-obsessed business she has an ace in the hole "Almost every sitcom needs at some point a smart-mouthed grandma" she said appeared onscreen again bringing to life President Bartlefs internal dialogue Schlamme and Sorkin have held out the possibility of other ghostly appearances definite and Joosten is a little suspicious "You cant have Mrs Landingham popping into the Oval Office every other she said Joosten 61 is a divorcee who followed a dream to Hollywood six years ago after a lifetime spent working as a nurse and a VALLEY RADIO unr Music becomes advertising as stars sell to brand names By Timothy Finn KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Unless you hit the mute button during TV commercials you're probably aware that advertisers are using pop music to sell products more than ever Commercials you see have become a lucrative promotional medium for pop stars like Moby who licensed several cuts from his album to various products and Sting whose multiplati- num "Brand New Day" album was going nowhere until the song "Desert Rose" showed up in a luxury-car campaign Now comes this piece of news from the Cart Before the HorseTail Wagging the Dog Department: Last Tuesday Universal Music released "As Seen on TV: Songs From a collection of tunes that recently have "'tyf 0 A 1.