CBS Takes a Public Swipe at Miniseries Producer Halmi

A feud between top CBS executives and blockbuster miniseries producer Robert Halmi Sr. bubbled to the surface Wednesday, as CBS Television President Leslie Moonves directed backhanded slaps at both Halmi’s projects and NBC for relying upon them.

Moonves, in the course of lauding CBS’ upcoming made-for-TV movies during a session with TV reporters in Pasadena, said: “We at CBS have never been dominated by one producer who provided bad special effects”--a clear reference to Halmi and such high-rated NBC productions as “Gulliver’s Travels,” “The Odyssey” and, more recently, “The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns.”

The comment underscores ongoing acrimony between CBS and Halmi, who, according to sources, has fired off several angry letters to network officials accusing them of copying his ideas. One salvo came not long ago after CBS announced plans for several fantasy-oriented productions, including a new version of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Moonves also took a swipe at Halmi’s upcoming “The 10th Kingdom”--a five-part, 10-hour fantasy that NBC will premiere Feb. 27. The network delayed the original airdate so most of the project will now play outside the February rating sweeps, reducing possible damage to its sweeps results if the ratings are poor.

NBC also announced Sunday that Lindy DeKoven, its executive in charge of miniseries and movies, has left that post--an action Moonves implied could be an effort to deflect criticism if “10th Kingdom” turns out to be a bomb.

“If I had 10 hours coming on that I thought was a dog, I guess I would get rid of the executive [responsible] early so I could blame them for it,” Moonves said.

NBC stated that the network has confidence in “10th Kingdom,” and DeKoven insisted earlier this week the decision to leave was her own, as she dealt with burnout after a seven-year run at the network. In addition, the executive who hired her, Don Ohlmeyer, left NBC last year.

“I’m about taking risks. I’m about change. The last thing I want to do is repeat myself,” she said.

A spokesman for Halmi said the producer had no comment regarding the comments made by Moonves.

CBS also received some harsh questioning Wednesday regarding its employment of digital technology to obscure an NBC logo during network news coverage of New Year’s Eve festivities in Times Square.

CBS News President Andrew Heyward acknowledged the technology “poses new issues” but said he felt its use amounted to “a form of electronic signage” and didn’t reflect manipulation of the news.

News watchdogs question the use of such technology to alter the “reality” viewers see on television, similar to the controversy that flared in 1994 when ABC News correspondent Cokie Roberts delivered a “live” report in front of what turned out to be a projected backdrop of Capitol Hill.

Moonves said it was CBS’ preference not to advertise NBC’s logo on the network, adding somewhat wryly, “If it was part of a news story, if somebody used the NBC logo to commit a murder, we wouldn’t cut it out.”