Survey: 80M Americans watched TV programming online in ‘07
An estimated 80 million Americans, or 43% of the country’s online population, screened a prime-time TV show on the Web last year, according to a study by Solutions Research Group. Among the most-watched online programs are “Heroes,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Ugly Betty,” “Chuck” and “CSI.” The Hollywood Reporter

Nielsen: Super Bowl XLII most-watched ever
Sunday’s Super Bowl ranks as the most-popular edition of the big game yet, as well as the second-most-watched measured entertainment or sports broadcast of all time, according to Nielsen Media Research ratings. An average of 97.5 million viewers watched the game, with a record 148.3 million people catching at least part of the contest. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.), New York Daily News

FCC sued by six cable nets over must-carry rule
The FCC’s requirement that cable systems must carry all analog and digital broadcast signals after the DTV transition violates the First Amendment, argues a federal lawsuit filed by C-SPAN, Discovery Communications, The Weather Channel, TV One, A&E Television and Scripps Networks. “Today’s lawsuit by a handful of self-serving pay TV programmers represents yet another attempt by cable interests to block a successful digital television transition,” said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. The Hollywood Reporter, TVNEWSDAY (free registration)

Super Bowl spots get second life online
Marketers are getting extra bang for their Super Bowl ad bucks through views of their spots on dozens of general and niche Web sites, as well as via playbacks on DVRs, according to this article. A number of online communities, video sites and Web portals also have jumped onto the Super Bowl bandwagon by hosting polls and forums about ads that aired during the game. The New York Times

Cabler hits tornado victim with $2,000 bill for new equipment
A woman in Wheatland, Wis., whose home was hit by a tornado initially was charged $2,000 by Time Warner Cable to replace damaged equipment. When she inquired about the charges, a company manager reportedly told her she would have to submit the bill to her insurance company. However, a Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said anyone who explains the circumstances of the tornado can have the charges waived. Associated Press