Making the challenge that much greater: his entire programming budget for the year at Starz is less than what he once paid for a single mini-series at HBO, one of the many things Albrecht revealed in a controversial interview that he gave GQ Magazine this past fall.

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Broadcasters may then be unable to fund commitments to quality and diversity, and be forced to increase their output of low-budget, advertiser-friendly programming, resulting in a diminished range of free-to-air content.

ECONOMIST: Funds for refugees

Mr. Greenblatt said he noticed the bulge in "Tonight's" budget last spring, after he had finished introducing his first full season of prime-time programming.

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