At Deadline

Showtime and Starz Encore are preparing to launch more themed channels into the digital universe. Viacom’s Showtime Next targets the 18-24-year-old set and is flanked by Showtime Women and Showtime FamilyZone. They’ll roll out in March. Meanwhile, the Liberty Media unit plans to debut Starz! Comedy and Starz! Kidz in 2002. Neither network will charge additional license fees for their upcoming entries.

USA Networks announced plans to consolidate its entertainment ticketing operations by merging Web unit Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch with Ticketmaster Corp. in a deal valued at $653 million. The deal, expected to close early next year, reunites two divisions that were split in 1998 when USA sold the online group to CitySearch in exchange for stock.

RCN’s Starpower reportedly applied for a franchise in Fairfax County, Va., now serviced by Cox.

DirecTV has launched its first dedicated interactive channel, “Instant Weather” from the Weather Channel. Powered by Wink, the 24-hour service offers up-to-the-minute weather updates to DirecTV subscribers.

Pioneer Digital Technologies sued Gemstar-TV Guide International, claiming Gemstar is competing unfairly. Gemstar sued Pioneer in 1998, alleging the company infringes a Gemstar patent by selling boxes used for cable television.

National cable television network ad revenues for the first three quarters reached $7.28 billion, up from $5.98 billion last year, the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau estimated. Revenues for the full calendar year should top $10 billion, and total cable industry ad revenues, including local/spot and regional network dollars, may exceed $13.7 billion.

Veteran English rocker Ozzy Osbourne and several bands that performed with him on his Ozzfest 2000 summer tour filed a $20-million lawsuit against MCY.com, DirecTV and In Demand over a PPV telecast of a concert they claim was taped for Internet play only.

Shares of Viacom, Walt Disney and News Corp. slumped last week after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter downgraded the stocks, citing a stormy outlook for the advertising market.