Former chief negotiator Nick Counter, 69, dies by Company Town

Nick Counter, the longstanding former negotiator for the major studios who squared off against Hollywood's writers during a 100-day strike in 2008, has died. He was 69. The former president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers...

Breaking up the boys' club in Hollywood labor negotiations by Company Town

Carol Lombardini may have the toughest, if least glamorous, job in Hollywood. As the chief negotiator for the major studios, she must find consensus among a group of executives who often have conflicting interests and priorities. But Lomabardini, the...
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The Morning Fix: Waiting for Oprah. Moonves is bullish! Walmart slashing prices. Littlefield to pen tell-all (or more likely, tell-some) by Company Town

After the coffee. Before getting depressed that "Sesame Street" turned 40. Will she or won't she? It's that time of the decade again where everyone starts trying to figure out whether Oprah Winfrey will keep doing her daytime talk show...
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CBS reports third-quarter profit; advertisers 'knocking down the doors,' Moonves says by Company Town

CBS Corp., which owns the most-watched TV network, released earnings this afternoon that revealed glimmers of hope that the recession's grip on the advertising market finally might be easing. Higher syndicated rerun sales of its television shows,...

Redbox revenue still booming, but growth is slowing by Company Town

Good news for the three Hollywood studios lined up against Redbox: the $1-per-night DVD rental kiosk company's revenue growth slowed in the third quarter. Good news for the four studios that have signed deals with Redbox: Its revenue was up...
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Movie projector: Holiday season kicks off with Disney's pricey 'Christmas Carol' by Company Town

We just got past Halloween. Thanksgiving is still three weeks away. You know what that means. Christmas baby!Friday, Walt Disney Studios opens "A Christmas Carol," its nearly $200-million version of the classic holiday tale starring Jim Carrey...
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Wal-Mart slashes DVD prices to $10, potentially spurring price war by Company Town

In an unprecedented discounting move that could signal a price war that would benefit the major movie studios and cash-strapped consumers, Wal-Mart has slashed the price of a number of the upcoming DVDs of big-budget summer movies to $10 on...
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Yanks, Fox celebrate Series win by Company Town

Although a Game 7 would have been sweet for Fox, the network ended up getting its biggest audience for the Fall Classic in five years. Some 22.3 million people tuned in last night to watch the New York Yankees defeat...
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Scripps makes its travel plans, and they're not cheap by Company Town

Scripps Networks Interactive has bought a majority stake in the Travel Channel in a deal that values the cable network at $975 million. That price tag is sure to raise eyebrows in the industry. When Travel Channel parent Cox Communications...
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The Morning Fix: Disney messes with Mickey! Christmas comes earlier. The agent to the toys! CNN's woes. by Company Town

After the coffee. Before throwing a fit that some stores are already in Christmas mode. Makeover for Mickey. Apparently forgetting what happened when Warner Bros. messed with Bugs Bunny and gave him and other Looney Tunes characters a new look...
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Studios and theaters clash over FCC waiver by Company Town

The nation's theater owners and movie studios are once again at odds when it comes to the future distribution of movies.In regulatory filing today, the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the chief lobbying group for the major studios, restated its....
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Oprah channel OWN hires another creative executive by Company Town

The highly anticipated but delayed cable channel OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will soon have a new chief creative officer -- Lisa Erspamer. But unlike those who have gone before her, this executive has something that others at OWN have...

"Ice Age" heats up News Corp.'s earnings, but overall revenues experience cooling by Company Town

A strong summer box office, a healthy cable business and strong book sales helped News Corp. report an 11% increase in net income, helping to offset decreases in the media conglomerate's broadcast television, newspaper and Internet businesses. The...
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Networks preparing to battle cable and maybe their own affiliates over retransmission consent by Company Town

In the search for new revenue streams, the broadcast networks are going to their affiliates with their hands held out or their guns drawn, depending on one's viewpoint. Specifically, if their affiliates are getting money from cable and satellite operators...
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IATSE and AFI settle labor dispute by Company Town

The AFI Fest won't have to worry about a "Norma Rae" scene playing out in Hollywood. An ugly labor dispute between the union representing Hollywood's below-the-line workforce and the American Film Institute has been settled. Last week...
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