"Market Wars" may become "Flea Marketeers"

Looks like the upcoming companion program to Antiques Roadshow (Current, Nov. 7, 2011) might get a new name. Its working title has been Market Wars, but PBS is now asking Facebook fans to vote. An early fave: Flea Marketeers. Catchy!

Former unpaid intern sues "Charlie Rose," claims show violated wage laws

A former unpaid intern for pubcasting talk show Charlie Rose has filed a lawsuit against Rose and his production company, the New York Times is reporting. Lucy Bickerton contends New York State wage laws were violated because the show’s interns were not paid. Bickerton and the law firm representing her, Outten & Golden, told the paper they were seeking to bring the lawsuit as a class action on behalf of all unpaid interns working for the show since March 2006.

Paul C. Curnin, a lawyer for Charlie Rose Inc., told the Times, “We will review the complaint and respond. We are confident that Charlie Rose Inc.’s employment practices are appropriate.”

Maine governor's supplemental budget once again would zero out pubcasting funding

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has presented lawmakers with a supplemental budget that includes further spending cuts, such as eliminating all support for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, reports the Bangor Daily News. The move took MPBN President Mark Vogelzang by surprise. In a story on the station's website, Vogelzang said he has been unsuccessful in attempts to meet with the governor. "MPBN has taken our fair share of cuts in response to the challenges that this state faces," he said. "But this looks like it's punitive, it looks like it's political rather than financial."

Some elements of the supplemental budget, including the zeroing out of MPBN, were initially included in the governor’s biennial budget proposal, but were restored in a subsequent spending plan.

Adrienne Bennett, the governor’s spokesperson, told the Bangor newspaper that the governor believes the pubcasting network should be funded by advertisers.