ENTERTAINMENT

Judge Refuses to Step Down in TV Rerun Case: A federal appeals judge refused to step down in the ongoing fight over the issue of allowing the networks to sell TV program reruns. Last week the Hollywood studios were joined by the Federal Communications Commission in requesting that U.S. District Judge Richard Posner recuse himself from the proceeding because of consulting work he did for CBS on a similar issue in 1977. Posner penned the federal appeals court decision last month that threw out the FCC’s 1991 compromise on new “financial interest and syndication rules.” In an eight-page opinion, Posner denied any conflict of interest and called the petitioner’s motion to recuse him “untimely.” Hollywood interests notified the court that they will seek a rehearing on the matter.