Amazon tests new Kindle subscription model on science fiction fans.

Ann Taylor features Demi Moore in fall campaign.

Apple could double market share with iPhone 5, says analyst.

Blockbuster begs customers for a second chance.

Dish Network aims to compete with Netflix.

Disney partners with Chiquita and Fresh Express.

Facebook acquires iPad book publishing app; and sees landmark California privacy ruling.Continue reading...

Keith Olbermann makes his television comeback next week (on June 20) on Al Gore’s still nascent Current TV. Since launching in 2005 as a quasi public affairs cable network focused on user-generated content (including ads), Current has struggled to find a brand presence in the crowded TV universe, let alone stay current.

Now, the network is making a big-ticket bet that the outspoken Olbermann can draw an audience, lend more authority and news chops, and become the cornerstone of a sharper focus on hardhitting political commentary and news — a crucial repositioning as 2012 election coverage starts to gear up.Continue reading...

Carl's Jr. taps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Olivia Munn for a cameo, above.

Below, new spots from Newcastle Ale, Lady Gaga, ING Direct, MSNBC and more.Continue reading...

The budget knives in Congress may be out for a particularly sacred cow – or should we say, fowl – and the Muppet world is striking back. Sesame Street even found some friends to come and play in the political fray.

PBS Kids icon Arthur, a beloved animated aardvark that sprang from books to the screen, along with Sesame Street stalwarts Big Bird and Elmo, lined up on Wednesday morning as props for Democratic congressmen who are opposed to Republicans’ targeting of government funding for their broadcast homes.Continue reading...

In an effort to draw a clear line of differentiation, MSNBC is adopting a new tagline that "defines us and defines our competition," according to Phil Griffin, MSNBC president. The tagline, "Lean Forward," was publicly announced today, kicking off a two-year marketing push to garner awareness for the cable news channel.

MSNBC has now surpassed a flagging CNN to become the second leading cable news channel behind Fox News. Even so, awareness of MSNBC ranks below that of CNN, Fox and even HLN (Headline News Network), according to the New York Times.

That's why MSNBC needs to "tell our story to more people," MSNBC's CMO Sharon Otterman tells the Times.Continue reading...

We've been watching the ups and downs (mostly downs) of CNN for some time now. The trials and tribulations of this once leading cable television brand seem to be a heck of a lot more interesting than its programming.

We recently reported that anchor Campbell Brown has decided to throw in the towel, not long after Lou Brown and Christiane Amanpour departed. Chalk it up to sinking ratings and heated competition from MSNBC on the left and Fox News Channel on the right.

Now CNN is faced with another looming dilemma: What to do with the Larry King Live 9 PM Eastern time slot. As with other CNN programs, this long-running interview show has been sliding; in fact, it has lost as much as half its audience since the presidential election. The 76-year old King, often accused of being patronizing and asking only easy questions, is apparently not ready to retire -- but his contract is up a year from June, and CNN will not say if it will be renewed.Continue reading...