Starboard tries to spike Yahoo's cable plans; Aereo's Kanojia moves on

More cable news from around the Web.

> Jeffrey Smith, CEO of activist hedge fund Starboard Value, wrote a letter to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, saying he is "increasingly concerned" over reports that Yahoo is looking to acquire cable TV assets such as Scripps Networks Interactive and Time Warner Inc.'s CNN. Story

> Aereo chief executive Chet Kanojia, along with the bankrupt streaming company's CTO, Joe Lipowski, are working on a new startup called Project Decibel. Story

> Fox Network Group is cutting its ad sales staff, and cable ad sales president Lou LaTorre is leaving his post, following the consolidation of the company's broadcast and cable ad sales operations. Story

> Discovery Channel president Rich Ross told a Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour audience Thursday that his network will develop at least two scripted shows. Story

> FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has accused broadcasters of slowing his plans to conduct auctions by 2016. Story

> Former CBS Corp. chief executive Mel Karmazin has expressed his support for the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. Story

> NBC has yet to sell out its advertising inventory for next month's Super Bowl, a benchmark Fox achieved by Thanksgiving last season. Story

> Gray TV stations WOWT-TV NBC in Omaha, Neb., KAKE-TV ABC in Wichita, Kan., and WIBW CBS in Topeka, Kan., have been blacked out on Cox Communications systems. Story

And finally ...  Comcast has backed away from plans to enter the electricity business in Pennsylvania. Story