Turner Broadcasting System

Robert J. Wussler, 73, president of the CBS Television Network in the 1970s and later the top aide to Ted Turner in the expansion of Turner's cable TV operations, died June 5 at his home in Westport, Conn. Mr. Wussler, a native of Newark, N.J., first made his mark with CBS as executive producer for news. He was named to head CBS's sports coverage in the mid-1970s. Mr. Wussler was hired by Turner in 1980 to help run the fledgling Turner Broadcasting System, and TBS grew to a media enterprise that included CNN, a new TNT network, and the MGM film library.

After a month of negotiations, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and Time Warner Inc. are wrapping up merger talks and are likely to conclude a deal this week, sources said yesterday. The $8 billion stock deal would create the world's largest entertainment company, combining the power of the Warner Bros. film studios and cable television systems with 11 million subscribers, and Time's publishing empire, with Turner's Cable News Network, MGM film library, studios and Atlanta Braves.

The San Diego Padres are still alive. Barely. They can thank San Francisco, which bounced back to avoid a three-game sweep last night and beat the host Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-1. The Padres were idle. The loss cuts the Dodgers' lead to two games in the National League West race. Los Angeles needs just one win over San Diego in their season-ending three-game series at Dodger Stadium to clinch a second straight division title. "It was just maybe a case of looking ahead to San Diego," LA cleanup hitter Eric Karros said.

Entrepreneur Ted Turner is at it again. Today he launches his new cable network, TNT (Turner Network Televison). And as can be expected, he will start it off with a bang. (Check with your cable company to see when it will be adding this channel to its lineup.) Tonight at 8, TNT will broadcast the first half of the film classic "Gone with the Wind. " The second half will be shown tomorrow, and Wednesday an original two-hour documentary on the making of "GWTW" will be presented. The documentary was produced for Turner Broadcasting System by "GWTW" producer David O. Selznick's sons, L. Jeffrey and Daniel.

World Championship Wrestling is going on hiatus. After the March 26 "Nitro" in Panama City, Florida, no new shows will be broadcast and no live events will be staged. According to a memo distributed to WCW staff on March 16 the promotion will "review its programming plans and determine the course of future WCW-branded entertainment events" during the time off. Next comes word WCW may lose its coveted timeslots on Turner Broadcasting System Inc. channels TBS and TNT. Jamie Kellner, newly named TBS Inc. chairman and CEO, may have dealt the deal's fatal blow by indicating that he has no interest in maintaining WCW's slots.

A recent court ruling has solidified American Film Technologies Inc.'s position as a leader in the movie-colorization industry, officials of the Wayne firm said yesterday. A court in California dismissed a patent infringement case filed against AFTI by one of its leading competitors - Color Systems Technology. Both firms produce color versions of black-and-white films. "We went to the mat with this suit to protect our . . . technology, and refused to consider a settlement because we felt we would ultimately prevail," said George R. Jensen Jr., chairman of AFTI.

A jury has ruled that Turner Broadcasting System should pay $316 million to a Texas businessman who claims the media giant breached a contract while he was negotiating to buy Atlanta's pro basketball and hockey teams, along with a downtown arena. David McDavid signed a letter of intent with Turner to purchase the NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers in April 2003. The proposed deal also included rights to Philips Arena, home of both teams. A Fulton County (Ga.) Superior Court jury ruled in the case yesterday.

Johan Santana won the American League Cy Young Award yesterday for the second time in three years. The Minnesota Twins ace received all 28 first-place votes for a perfect total of 140 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association. Chien-Ming Wang of the New York Yankees finished a distant second with 15 second-place votes and 51 points. Toronto's Roy Halladay was third with 48 points. Santana went 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA and 245 strikeouts to propel Minnesota from a poor start to the AL Central title.

Turner Broadcasting System is getting ready to apply for an NHL expansion franchise - a bid that, if successful, would give the company its third professional sports team. "TBS intends to apply to own and operate a franchise in the tenth-largest market in the U.S.," Turner Sports president Harvey Schiller wrote in a letter to the NHL. The price of the franchise is likely to be about $75 million, with an application fee of $100,000. The team would play in a new downtown arena TBS plans to build for its NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks.

In spite of Ted Turner's billions, a divorce from wife Jane Fonda could be quick and easy - if the couple has a prenuptial agreement. "If they did have one, it could be a very simple matter," said divorce attorney Bruce R. Steinfeld, of Atlanta, where Turner has his main residence and where many of his businesses are based. A prenuptial agreement is likely, he said, considering Turner's wealth. The Atlanta Constiituiton estimates his worth to be $7.8 billion. Such an agreement would address the issues of division of property and alimony.

David Levy summed up the new NCAA Tournament viewing experience perfectly. "The viewer becomes the producer," said Levy, the president of Sales, Distribution and Sports, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Two weeks ago, I was sitting in Levy's corner office in the Time Warner Building overlooking Columbus Circle in midtown Manhattan talking about the 2011 tournament. It was impossible to contain his enthusiasm. And who would want to? If you are at home watching the tournament, you will no longer have to agonize over whether CBS will leave the game you want to see for a game you don't care about.

IT WAS VINTAGE Ted Turner. In February of 1999, the Atlanta Braves owner and founder of the CNN cable network, addressed the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association in Washington. In one withering salvo, major league baseball's loosest cannon trashed the Ten Commandments and mocked John Paul II, the Vatican's first Polish pope. "They're a little out of date," Ted said of the Commandments. "If you're only going to have 10 rules, I don't know if prohibiting adultery should be one of them . . . " He was asked to comment on the Polish pope and responded by lifting a leg and showing his foot.

Robert J. Wussler, 73, president of the CBS Television Network in the 1970s and later the top aide to Ted Turner in the expansion of Turner's cable TV operations, died June 5 at his home in Westport, Conn. Mr. Wussler, a native of Newark, N.J., first made his mark with CBS as executive producer for news. He was named to head CBS's sports coverage in the mid-1970s. Mr. Wussler was hired by Turner in 1980 to help run the fledgling Turner Broadcasting System, and TBS grew to a media enterprise that included CNN, a new TNT network, and the MGM film library.

EVER WONDER how a pregame show gets put on the air? Like the millions of fans who watched Monday's dramatic Phillies-Dodgers game, the main concerns were the outcome and if Carlos Ruiz was going to score the winning run on Jimmy Rollins' double in the ninth inning. You saw it, live on Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). About 8 hours earlier, preparation for the 7:30 p.m. pregame show was in its early stages. The Daily News was invited to go all-access with the TBS production and broadcast teams.

A jury has ruled that Turner Broadcasting System should pay $316 million to a Texas businessman who claims the media giant breached a contract while he was negotiating to buy Atlanta's pro basketball and hockey teams, along with a downtown arena. David McDavid signed a letter of intent with Turner to purchase the NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers in April 2003. The proposed deal also included rights to Philips Arena, home of both teams. A Fulton County (Ga.) Superior Court jury ruled in the case yesterday.

Cooking the truth It is amazing that the Defense Department has concluded that former Pentagon policy chief Douglas Feith's prewar intelligence work was technically not illegal ("Study: Prewar work inappropriate, not illegal," Feb. 9). The Defense Department's report to Congress is a first step in exposing the fact that the Bush administration deliberately made a false case for war. It is insulting that this war was not only avoidable, but was sold on what the Downing Street Memos called "fixed intelligence.

Johan Santana won the American League Cy Young Award yesterday for the second time in three years. The Minnesota Twins ace received all 28 first-place votes for a perfect total of 140 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association. Chien-Ming Wang of the New York Yankees finished a distant second with 15 second-place votes and 51 points. Toronto's Roy Halladay was third with 48 points. Santana went 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA and 245 strikeouts to propel Minnesota from a poor start to the AL Central title.

TBS will alternate showing the National League and American League Championship Series for 7 years starting next season under a television deal with Major League Baseball announced yesterday. Turner Broadcasting System paid about $310 million for the package. The network will televise the NLCS in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, and the ALCS in the 2008, 2010 and 2012. "It makes sense," commissioner Bud Selig said. "They have the division series. The economics were what we wanted.

World Championship Wrestling is going on hiatus. After the March 26 "Nitro" in Panama City, Florida, no new shows will be broadcast and no live events will be staged. According to a memo distributed to WCW staff on March 16 the promotion will "review its programming plans and determine the course of future WCW-branded entertainment events" during the time off. Next comes word WCW may lose its coveted timeslots on Turner Broadcasting System Inc. channels TBS and TNT. Jamie Kellner, newly named TBS Inc. chairman and CEO, may have dealt the deal's fatal blow by indicating that he has no interest in maintaining WCW's slots.

In spite of Ted Turner's billions, a divorce from wife Jane Fonda could be quick and easy - if the couple has a prenuptial agreement. "If they did have one, it could be a very simple matter," said divorce attorney Bruce R. Steinfeld, of Atlanta, where Turner has his main residence and where many of his businesses are based. A prenuptial agreement is likely, he said, considering Turner's wealth. The Atlanta Constiituiton estimates his worth to be $7.8 billion. Such an agreement would address the issues of division of property and alimony.