AT&T’s Massive Debt Slows Its Transition Into Media Powerhouse
Bloomberg: When AT&T acquired Time Warner for $85 billion, investors fretted that show business was going to become a big distraction. But it’s the $176.5 billion debt pile from that deal that’s turned into the real...
WGA Says 7,000+ Writers in Hollywood Have Fired Their Agents
Deadline: More than 7,000 WGA members have fired their agents as the guild ramps up its campaign against talent agencies that refuse to sign its new code of conduct. The guild said it delivered “a first batch of over 7,000 termination...
Hollywood on Brink of Tech Apocalypse as Bots Replace Writers
Vanity Fair: It won’t be long before machine learning begins to impact jobs in Hollywood. A few years ago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors explained how they were exploring A.I. that could be used to write screenplays. Now, algorithms are actually...
Disney’s ‘Avengers’ to Screen 72 Hours Straight at AMC Theaters
Los Angeles Times: AMC Theatres is bracing for one of the biggest weekends ever when “Avengers: Endgame” opens Thursday evening. Seventeen of the theater chain’s locations will remain open for more than 72 hours straight to meet demand for the Disney...
AT&T: HBO’s ‘Thrones’ is Ending, But Will Live On in Merchandise
Associated Press: From wine to clothing to tours, HBO and retailers have cashed in with “Game of Thrones” merchandise. “Thrones” is not only a huge international show but also a massive business, with all sides hoping to pad the bank during the show’s eighth and final...
Comcast’s E! Plots News Expansion After Seeing Growth in Mobile
Variety: E! is expanding its entertainment-news programming, with plans to add three more hours of coverage to its linear schedule in 2020. The expansion builds on the cabler’s success in growing E! News’ presence on digital platforms, particularly...
Sony Unveils Its Own Taxi-Hailing Mobile App Similar to Uber, Lyft
MediaPost: Sony and five taxi companies in Tokyo have created a taxi-hailing service with automatic payments, much like the systems of Uber and Lyft. The service, called S.Ride, allows consumers to summon the nearest taxi from within the largest taxi network in...
Luminary to Make $100 Million Bet on New ‘Netflix for Podcasts’
Forbes: On Tuesday, the New York and Chicago-based startup Luminary will launch what it claims will be "Netflix for podcasts," an $8/month subscription service that includes a podcast app and access to dozens of exclusive...
Google Staffers Say They Faced Retaliation After Holding Walkout
New York Times: Claire Stapleton, a marketing manager at YouTube, said Google had demoted her after she urged colleagues to walk out from the company last year over its treatment of sexual...
Facebook Names General Counsel, Global Communications Chief
CNBC: Facebook announced on Monday that it’s bringing in a new general counsel and VP of communications as it tries to rebuild its image following a year filled with scandals. Facebook has seen an exodus of top talent since the company became embroiled in...
Twitter, Facebook Get Blocked in Sri Lanka After Attacks on Easter
Recode: The Sri Lankan government blocked Facebook and other social media following deadly blasts that killed 290 people on Sunday. Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other platforms have struggled to stop the flow of misinformation that is now all too common following...
Elsevier Inks Norwegian Deal to End Paywalls for Academic Papers
Financial Times: Elsevier, the academic publisher, will on Tuesday announce a €9 million deal with a Norwegian consortium under which published research will be freely accessible. Under the two-year pilot “open access” publishing agreement, research from certain...
Hearst, Dazed Media Prep Launch of New Print Magazines in China
MediaPost: Hearst and Dazed Media are set to launch print editions of their brands in China this year, leaping into a growing fashion and entertainment market. After seeing positive response to its digital version, ElleMen Fresh, a Hearst China property, will publish...
Playboy Fires Half of New York Club’s Bunnies Over Poor Service
New York Post: There’s a crisis at the new Playboy Club, because its management hasn’t been able to train the famed “Playboy Bunnies” to perform basic hosting tasks. “Service has been so bad that new management had to be brought...
AMI’s National Enquirer Sale Likely to Bring Refocus on Celebrities
MediaPost: American Media Inc.’s sale of the National Enquirer to the CEO of Hudson News should be positive for the tabloid. Instead of writing about President Trump’s enemies, the title can get back to the business of covering celebrity...
Benioffs’ Time Magazine 100 Summit to Showcase Kushner, Cook
Time Magazine: Jared Kushner is slated to appear at the Time 100 Summit on Tuesday in New York. The day-long event will convene leaders from past and present Time100 lists. Other notables scheduled to appear include Tim Cook and Hillary...
New York Times Late Media Columnist’s Writings Due in New Book
Associated Press: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced that “Final Draft: The Selected Work of David Carr” is scheduled for the spring 2020. “Final Draft” will include everything from Carr’s cultural writing to his struggles with...
Vox Media in Deal to Produce ‘Retro Tech’ Docuseries for YouTube
Real Screen: YouTube has commissioned Vox Media to produce the docuseries "Retro Tech" starring YouTube creator Marques Brownlee. The unscripted series will document Brownlee as he unboxes, reviews and reveals vintage tech...
AT&T’s Warner Bros Selling Studio Lot Ahead of Move to Gehry HQ
Daily Mail: Warner Bros. is selling its ranch lot in Burbank featuring the iconic fountain from the "Friends" opening credits to make way for new nearby studios designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. Ahead of its 100th anniversary, the studio is expanding its...
Disney’s ‘Avengers’ Arrives Next Weekend to Dominate Box Office
Associated Press: “The Curse of La Llorona,” the Warner Bros. horror film, opened at the top spot on its opening weekend — the last before “Avengers: Endgame” arrives to dominate. The wildly anticipated Disney and Marvel juggernaut should disintegrate all competition...
Lionsgate Studio Struggling Amid Shifting Currents in Hollywood
Los Angeles Times: Lionsgate’s $50-million critically panned reboot of “Hellboy” (backed by Millennium Films) bombed at the box office. Costly efforts including a $100-million “Robin Hood” have fizzled. The bombs mark a startling fall for what a few years ago was...
Netflix Inks Whopping $60-Million Three-Project Deal with Beyonce
Variety: Netflix has become a destination for television visionaries like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, with deals worth $100 million and $250 million, respectively. The streaming giant is honing in on music, too, landing a three-project deal with Beyonce worth a...
Disney Heiress Says CEO’s Salary Has Corrosive Effect on Society
Fast Company: In 2018, Disney CEO Bob Iger got a big raise. His total compensation increased 80% to hit $65.6 million. For Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Disney cofounder Roy Disney, that level of pay is “insane.” Moreover, she says, executive pay at that level has...
Discovery Veteran Ad Sales Leader to Resurface at NBCUniversal
Adweek: Ben Price, the former Discovery Communications ad sales chief who left the company following last year’s merger with Scripps, has landed a new gig at NBCUniversal. He will serve as EVP, sales and client partnerships, national...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Withdraws from TV Industry Ad Consortium
Ad Age: WarnerMedia is pulling out of OpenAP, the consortium it helped to found in an effort to standardize audience buying on TV. “As our company has transformed, our advanced advertising strategy has evolved. As a result, we are withdrawing from OpenAP,” WarnerMedia...
Sinclair Emerges as Top Bidder for Fox Regional Sports Networks
Fox Business: Sinclair Broadcasting appears to have emerged as the leading candidate to win the auction of the 21st Century Fox’s Regional Sports Networks, having placed what people close to the deal call the top bid to acquire the...
Liberty’s SiriusXM Unveils ‘Essential’ Music Streaming Plan for $8
The Verge: SiriusXM is now offering an $8-per-month streaming music plan that it calls SiriusXM Essential, a bundle of over 300 channels consisting of music, talk radio, comedy, sports, and other content. This new, cheap option doesn’t include Howard Stern’s channels...
Netflix Tests Shuffle Feature to Help Users Choose What to Watch
TechCrunch: Netflix is testing a new feature that can help you start streaming when you don’t know what to watch. The company confirmed it’s testing a shuffle mode of sorts, which will allow you to easily click on a popular show to start playing a random...
Facebook CEO Could Be Held Accountable in Federal Privacy Probe
Washington Post: Federal regulators investigating Facebook for mishandling its users’ personal information have set their sights on CEO Mark Zuckerberg, exploring his past statements on privacy and weighing whether to seek new, heightened oversight of his...
Fox News Surpasses Cable, Broadcast TV Rivals in Mueller Ratings
Mediaite: With the long-awaited release of Robert Mueller’s report, Fox News reigned supreme in early ratings, beating out its cable news rivals — and even some broadcast networks — on the news heavy...