BRIEFS

CARTOON, WB COMBINE AD SALES OPERATIONS

AOL Time Warner said it will combine national advertising sales units of Kids WB and Cartoon Network as of the end of the TV season in September. The combined operation will report to Kim McQuilken, EVP, Cartoon Network ad sales and marketing.

MSNBC AXES 'DONAHUE'

MSNBC last week canceled its highest-rated program, Donahue. The show fell short of high expectations, finishing well behind its rivals on Fox News Channel and CNN. MSNBC already signed former wrestler and governor Jesse Ventura to host a prime-time show on the network later this year.

LID TORN OFF BAD MUSIC

Parodying VH1's venerable Behind the Music, upstart MuchMusic USA will launch Behind the Music That Sucks on March 7. The show uses the career highs and lows of pop stars as comedic fodder. The first episode looks at Eminem, Dr. Dre, Marilyn Manson and others. MuchMusic will promote the new series on air and with ads in Manhattan on telephone kiosks, bus shelters, subway platforms and buses.

TRIO DOES LOS ANGELES

Trio bought an hour on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles to air its documentary The Blockbuster Imperative. The 11 p.m. time buy for March 15 is designed to give the channel more exposure in the No. 2 market, where it is carried by some operators, but not Charter or Adelphia. Trio also bought space on 40 billboards and print ads in the market. Sources estimate the cost of the promotion at about $500,000.

POLLACK PRESENTS ON TCM

Turner Classic Movies is bringing back The Essentials on April 6 with a new host, Academy Award-winning director Sydney Pollack. The series will consist of 26 classic films picked by Pollack including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bonnie and Clyde, The Apartment and The Philadelphia Story.

HOSTS NAMED BY CMT

CMT said Toby Keith and Pamela Anderson will co-host the CMT Flameworthy 2003 Video Music Awards, airing live on April 7. Keith will also perform on the show, joining Shania Twain, Faith Hill and others.

SHOWTIME GETS ANIMATED

Film Roman is creating an animated series for Showtime Networks based on the cult comic strip Free for All.

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