The Weather Channel is threatening to rain all over DirecTV if it can't come to terms on a new distribution agreement with the satellite broadcaster.

The current contract between DirecTV, which has more than 20 million subscribers, and the Weather Channel expired at the end of last year. An extension was agreed upon, but now the Weather Channel is anticipating that DirecTV will drop the service because the two are still at an impasse.

"For DirecTV to take us off their lineup would be deeply irresponsible to its customers who not only count on the Weather Channel on a day-to-day basis, but...

The U.S. Supreme Court could settle the fate of a new technology company that television broadcasters fear would destroy their business.

On Friday, the high court said it would hear arguments that Aereo Inc., a start-up firm, violates copyright law by enabling its customers to stream local television stations over the Internet and that it should be shut down.

The major media companies seeking the court's review include CBS Corp., 21st Century Fox, Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp. 

FACES TO WATCH 2014: Digital media

Launched in 2012 and backed by media mogul Barry Diller, Aereo is currently...

CNN President Jeff Zucker said the network has no plans to abandon hard news even as it seeks to broaden its programming and audience with more documentary and unscripted fare.

Speaking Friday at the semi-annual  Television Critics Assn. Press Tour in Pasadena, Zucker said, "CNN is not and never will abandon our first and fundamental brand equity, which is news and breaking news."

Zucker, who took over as head of CNN a year ago after spending many years at NBC as a news executive and then chief executive of NBCUniversal, did say he would like CNN's on-air presence to have more energy.

FACES TO...

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide the fate of Aereo.

The high court said on Friday that it will hear arguments from the major broadcast networks that Aereo, a start-up that allows people to stream local television stations, violates copyright law and should be shut down.  

Launched in 2012 and backed by media mogul Barry Diller, Aereo is available in 10 cities, including New York. It distributes broadcast signals via a tiny antenna and offers customers access to a cloud-based digital video recorder that holds up to 60 hours of content. The service costs $8 to $12 a month. 

Broadcasters CBS,...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to join headline act Bruno Mars during the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show on Feb. 2 in New Jersey.

Mars is scheduled to make the announcement that he has invited the group to appear at the big game during Fox's coverage of the New Orleans Saints-Seattle Seahawks playoff contest on Saturday, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Currently on tour, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were already lined up to play a pre-Super Bowl bash in Brooklyn on Feb. 1, hosted by sports radio station WFAN-AM in New York.

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV

An NFL...

CBS' comedies continued to rule Thursday night, though it looks like fans of "Community" are coming back from vacation.

The NBC Dan Harmon comedy about a group of misfits at a junior college rose in the ratings from last week's premiere, according to early numbers from Nielsen. "Community" drew 3.57 million viewers and generated a rating of 1.4 in the key 18-to-49 demographic, up 8% from last week's two-episode average, which is somewhat of a feat given that last year's second episode sunk 37% from the premiere. 

"Parks and Recreation" returned and jumped 40% from its last original episode...

It's official. Jennifer Lawrence's "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" became the highest grossing movie released in 2013 in the U.S. and Canada, hitting an estimated cumulative total of more than $409 million in domestic ticket sales, distributor Lionsgate said on Thursday. 

By adding about $493,000 to its domestic take Wednesday night, the dystopian action movie overtook the year's hitherto No. 1 release, Disney's 3-D superhero adventure "Iron Man 3," which pulled in slightly less than $409 million in its run. "Catching Fire" has also surpassed the total domestic gross of its 2012 predecessor,...

After the coffee. Before deciding if I should get a vanity plate.

The Skinny:Just got my car registration renewal notice. Maybe I should get a vanity plate that says "MorningFix." That way my groupies (I know you're out there) will have an easier time finding me. I'll be back in Pasadena today at the TV press tour to hear what CNN chief Jeff Zucker has to say but when I have any downtime I'm going to go back to reading about the Gov. Chris Christie scandal. I can't get enough it! Friday's headlines include the weekend box office preview, a review of HBO's "True Detective" (I loved it) and...

Satellite broadcaster DirecTV is less than thrilled with the WWE's plans to launch an online network and said it will have to rethink its relationship with the programmer and whether it will continue to offer its pay-per-view specials.

As part of the WWE's online network, which will launch next month, its 12 pay-per-view specials including the hugely popular "Wrestlemania" will be made available to subscribers at a price tag of $9.99 a month.

Traditional pay-TV distributors including DirecTV have for years counted on WWE's pay-per-view specials as a solid revenue source. Typically the...

LAS VEGAS — Local resident Tony Holdip stood admiring the latest technological lust object on display at the world's largest consumer electronics show as a friend joined a crowd of amateur photographers snapping pictures of the immense 110-inch Samsung TV.

"This is unbelievable," Holdip said, and commented on the set's brightness and image clarity. "The only problem I can see with this is it's possibly too big."

The Samsung Electronics Co. television set represents the next generation in home entertainment, "ultra-high-definition," or "4K," TV sets that boast four times the resolution of...

"Lone Survivor," Universal Pictures' military drama about a mission gone wrong, could ambush "Frozen" at the box office this weekend, as "The Legend of Hercules" joins the fray and "Her" and "August: Osage County" enter more theaters. 

The Afghanistan war movie could generate $20 million in ticket sales through Sunday in the U.S. and Canada, according to people who have seen pre-release audience surveys, though Universal is predicting a softer $17 million. That probably would make it the top movie this weekend ahead of "Frozen," Disney's hit animated musical. 

"Lone Survivor," written and...