The Writers Guild of America, West, (WGAw) says that women and minority writers remain underrepresented on television staffs, according to the preliminary findings from its forthcoming Hollywood Writers Report. [...]

According to the WGAw, the data for hiring on show for next season "looks increasingly grim following the recent shuttering of urban-oriented networks UPN and WB to create the newly launched, fledgling CW network."

The CW consolidation is only likely to make the ongoing crackerfication of TV worse, though the merge-crazy, bottom-line-focused network has offered the concession of combining all their urban shows into a one-hour dramedy staffed entirely by 60 women and minority scribes, an exciting opportunity for underrepresented writers to bang out the weekly adventures of Taye Diggs and Eve raising their adopted son, young Chris Rock.

• TV Staffs Are Light on Women, Minorities [B&C]

[...] MTV is betting that its global reach through more than 100 channels will vault URGE over competitors. MTV plans to offer music videos, television shows and 2 million song tracks through individual sales or a monthly subscription service. Specifics such as pricing and which songs and videos would be offered weren't disclosed.

MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler said the company, a unit of Viacom International Inc., allied itself with Microsoft because it wanted to exploit the flexibility and ubiquity of Microsoft's Media Player software, which comes preinstalled in the Windows operating system.

"[Apple Chief Executive] Steve Jobs has a point of view," Toffler said. "ITunes is about a digital storefront for a la carte downloads. Our goal is to create a utopian music community that keeps subscribers coming back."

We can hardly believe our good fortune, knowing a musical Garden of Eden awaits us and all it took was the pairing of one monopoly, Microsoft's plundering computer kingdom, with one media conglomorate, Viacom's plexus of teen famewhore opiating TV networks. It will be nothing short of a virtual Shangri La, where in place of eternal youth and happiness, you can watch an episode of Laguna Beach crash your computer.

• MTV to Sell Online but Shuns the IPod [LA Times]

Spike found that men responded not only to brave and extremely competent leads but to a menagerie of characters with strikingly antisocial tendencies: Dr. Gregory House, a Vicodin-popping physician on Fox's "House"; Michael Scofield on "Prison Break," who is out to help his brother escape from jail; and Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis on "The Shield," a tough-guy cop who won't hesitate to beat a suspect senseless. Tony Soprano is their patron saint, and like Tony, within the confines of their shows, they are all "good guys."

Now that Spike knows the magic bullet to the hearts of their vaginaless viewers lies not in sex, gadgets, or cars, but in grumpy, alpha-male criminal behavior, their programming can practically produce itself: they need simply train their cameras on the real-life exploits of ex-Sopranos cast members, add a rap-metal soundtrack and Lorenzo Lamas V.O., and simply sit back as the coveted 18-39 male Nielsen demographic tumble headlong into their lady-free cable manzone.

• What Men Want: Neanderthal TV [NY Times]

Still, industry leaders warn that it's unlikely the New York event will bestow creators of indie TV with the kind of instant buzz that Sundance has given winning filmmakers.

"It's not entirely analogous, because those movies were ready-made products you could go and acquire," said Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment. "With this, at best, there's probably something that's going to be a presentation for something that becomes a pilot for something that could eventually become a series."

"That being said," continued Reilly, the stress of heading a fourth-place network seemingly carved into his furrowed brow, "we're going to buy every half-baked idea we can get our hands on. I'm hearing really great things about a show two thirteen year-olds from Providence shot with their webcam about a school crossing guard with irritable bowel syndrome. I think it's going to provide excellent protection for Joey next season. Matt LeBlanc can't carry this network all by himself."

• The small screen gets its Sundance [LAT]
• Previously: NBC’s Kevin Reilly Feels Sparks Of Impending Success [Defamer]

Representatives of the various companies attributed the separate events to efforts to put together fundraisers quickly to help the victims.

NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said other networks were welcome to participate in Friday's concert and broadcast a feed of the event.

"The more money, the more efforts, the more benefits for the victims," Marks said. "This is no way an exclusionary event. It's about charity and helping people."

Maybe if the NBC folks let the other networks replace the My Name is Earl graphic from their feed with promos for their own Fall shows, everyone could take a deep breath, pool their resources, and have a unified event. Leo would want it that way.

Also: Who needs a telethon when we've got Britney's prayers? And has anyone figured out if Omarion is OK?

• 3 Televised Benefit Concerts for Victims Are Announced [LAT]
• TV Telethons Announced for Katrina Victims [AP]

"People say tragedy plus time equals comedy, but the timing is always iffy," said Matt Solo, Mr. Wilding's agent. "It's still too close to 9/11, and 9/11 can repeat itself. You'd be sinking money into it, and then at some point, there'd be a tragedy out there in the world. Imagine you're on the hook for tens of millions, and then you get a massive boycott."

And, you know, after the tragedy out there in the world or whatever there would be, like, thousands of dead people—bummer, dude—and what if they had Nielsen boxes for the 18-49 demo? Then you'd totally be out tens of millions of dollars, get the boycott and whatnot, and have shitty ratings, The advertisers would so not be down with that at all. Imagine the hell that tragedy shit would be on agency commissions!

• The Pitch: A Series About Wacky Terrorists [NY Times]

Many gay and lesbian characters fall into minor or supporting roles in the TV season that begins the week of Sept. 19, GLAAD found. Homosexual characters also tend to lack ethnic and gender diversity.

The study looked at 110 scripted shows and found 16 characters on 14 shows. There were 13 males and three females. Thirteen were white.

"If you're looking at network television to see a good cross-section of our community, you're not going to find it," [GLAAD spokesman Damon] Romine said. "What you will find is primarily gay white males."

This won't help the gay-white-male thing, but it would boost the numbers a little if they counted Jim from According to Jim and Kevin James's character on King of Queens. We've always thought the big lugs' macho posturing was merely overcompensation for identity issues. Let's get those guys out of the closet first, then worry about evening out the ratio problems.

• Study: Few Gay Characters in New TV Season [AP]
• Previously: Gays Go Cold [Defamer]

It really is the end of an era. E! is not only selling T-shirts from defunct shows, but they're also taking bids on ex-CEO Mindy Herman's old office furniture. It's mainly steel tables and retro chairs, and no punching bags in sight.

The T shirt sales are open to the public (lots of Brooke t-shirts), but the furniture is in an upstairs conference room.

If they're really interested in symbolism, perhaps they can persuade Tara Reid to close out the sale by burning an effigy of Anna Nicole Smith, finally ending that ugly chapter of their history.

• It's Official: Mindy Herman E!xecuted [Defamer]