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Dan Rather Sues CBS for $70 Million (NYT)
Rather asserts that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on 60 Minutes after forcing him to step down as anchor of the CBS Evening News in March 2005. He also contends that the network committed fraud by commissioning a "biased" and incomplete investigation of the flawed Guard broadcast and, in the process, "seriously damaged his reputation." NYT/TV Decoder: Rather charges that CBS wanted to "curry favor" with the White House. LAT: CBS dismissed Rather's claims. "These complaints are old news and this lawsuit is without merit," the network said in a statement. LAT: Suit singles out CBS executives. Hollywood Reporter: Fordham University professor Paul Levinsohn said that in his view, Rather is justified in filing the suit and was treated shabbily by CBS. "What CBS should have done was stick by Dan Rather," Levinsohn said. "Here's a man who has devoted his life to the organization. It seems to me that Viacom ran scared." WaPo: Rome Hartman, a former executive producer of CBS Evening News who now works for the BBC, said: "It's got to be about this lasting sense of hurt and pride. I was flabbergasted. I just don't get it."

NBC to Offer Free Show Downloads (NYT)
NBC Universal, acknowledging that viewers are increasingly moving away from traditional television viewing, announced plans today for a service that will make popular NBC programs available to download free to personal computers and other devices. The programs will be offered for a week immediately after their initial broadcasts and will include embedded commercials.

Magazines Eclipse Newspapers in Ad Revenue Share (Folio:)
Consumer magazines posted a one percent increase in the share of the media advertising revenue pie during the first half of 2007 according to MPA. Overall, magazines posted a revenue share of 17.7 percent in the first half of the year. Television, at 44.9 percent, had the largest share. Newspapers, not surprisingly, slipped 1.1 percent — the biggest decline of any sector — and fell to third overall with 17.6 percent.

CBS Aims to Be the Talk of the Web (LAT)
Swingtown is a CBS show about partner-swapping couples. It's also what CBS executives call their new Internet strategy. The idea is to let their online material be promiscuous: Instead of limiting their shows and other online video to CBS.com, the network is letting them couple with any Web site that people might visit. "CBS is all about open, nonexclusive, multiple partnerships," said Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive.

ABC to Begin Streaming Ad-Supported Primetime Shows on AOL (Paid Content)
ABC is pushing ahead with its revised online video strategy in a deal to distribute its primetime shows for free on AOL starting today. Last week Disney-owned ABC said it was changing its online game plan; instead of primarily distributing its programs on its homepage, ABC is now embracing outside syndication, though it isn't, and probably won't be, part of NBC-News Corp. JV site Hulu.

Britney Defender Turns Web-Vid Tantrum Into Development Deal (WaPo)
Lisa de Moraes: You know that guy who goes by the name Chris Crocker, who generated 8 million hits on YouTube in one week railing against the media for making fun of Britney Spears for profit? Now he's used poor BritBrit for profit, landing a development deal with production house 44 Blue, which plans to develop a "docusoap" in which Crocker's front and center.

Think.MTV.com Aims to Get Young People Involved in Good Causes (TV Week)
MTV is looking to tap the good in the youth market with a new online community designed to help users get involved and recognize those who take action. A beta version of Think.MTV.com launches today. The site will give young people information about getting involved and the tools to find and mobilize others with similar interests, said Ian Rowe, VP of public affairs and strategic partnerships for MTV.

GMA's Robin Roberts Begins Chemo Today (AP)
Robin Roberts, who had surgery last month for breast cancer, was to begin chemotherapy Thursday. Roberts, co-host of ABC's Good Morning America, which airs from New York City, said during Wednesday's broadcast that she would first go into work "and then head off for my chemotherapy."

Next Ken Burns War Film Could Be on Vietnam (B&C)
Documentary producer Ken Burns told a National Press Club audience in Washington, D.C., Wednesday that he will never say never to war again, with a Vietnam documentary a possible next conflict to bring to TV. He was talking about his reluctance to tackle the subject on TV after the huge and somewhat surprising success of The Civil War, his groundbreaking 1990 documentary.

TMZ Learns If It's Not Ito, It Must Say So (LAT)
It seemed like another reporting coup for TMZ.com. The celebrity Web site posted a video of "Judge Lance Ito," who presided over O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial, declaring the former football great "guilty as sin" of the crimes he is accused of in Las Vegas. One problem: It wasn't Ito.

Newspaper Readership Remains Stable in Canada (Toronto Star)
Newspaper readership trends remain stable in Canada's four biggest markets despite the growing popularity of online editions, according to a study. The results show about half of adults read a newspaper on an average weekday and 75 percent read at least one on a weekly basis, suggesting daily newspapers remain a "vital source" of news in those markets.

Kid Nation: Grow Up, CBS! (WaPo)
Tom Shales: Television has been exploiting children virtually since it began. The latest chapter in the saga is a long way from the relative innocence of those early days: an appalling monstrosity called Kid Nation, unveiled on CBS last night amid a flurry of hype and controversy.

Why Is Bob Herbert Boring? (Washington Monthly)
T. A. Frank: Times columnist Bob Herbert is a sensible person who usually assesses things more accurately than his colleagues, regularly hits the streets to report on the world outside, shines a light on people and issues that deserve far more attention than they usually get, and tells you things you really ought to know but don't. But here's the catch: you don't read Bob Herbert. Or, if you say you do, I don't believe you.

Have Lawsuits From Islamic Society of Boston Cowed Media? (Boston Phoenix)
Adam Reilly: Has the Boston press decided that aggressively covering the ISB is too risky? The answer, according to Boston Herald editor Kevin Convey, is "No" — but there's an asterisk... "I don't think anybody in the business would deny that major lawsuits...can have a chilling effect — not only on us, but on other people as well."

BBC to Address Reports of TV Fakery (Guardian)
The BBC is to make a statement about the future of former Blue Peter editor Richard Marson and up to 25 other staff allegedly involved in viewer deception later today. The statement is expected to be the BBC's first official response to revelations yesterday that children's show Blue Peter was involved in a second incident of viewer deception when a poll to name its new cat was disregarded. Independent: A radio producer is the first person to be fired over the faked phone-ins scandal which has rocked the BBC. Leona McCambridge was sacked for gross misconduct after an internal inquiry into claims that production staff on Liz Kershaw's show on BBC 6Music regularly posed as competition winners.