Company Town

SAG's Pamm Fair resigning

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:53 GMT

Pamm Fair, deputy national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild, is resigning. Fair, the longtime head of SAG's government affairs, will step down by the end of the year, a person close to SAG said. SAG officials declined to......(read more)

Jeff Zucker's rough ride

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:52:21 GMT

It's probably not much fun being Jeff Zucker these days. Over the last year or so, the NBC Universal President and CEO has faced harsher criticism than usual. A press favorite when he was the wunderkind producer of NBC's "Today,"......(read more)

'New Moon' smashes 'Potter' midnight ticket sales record

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:43:37 GMT

The vampires have beat the boy wizard. According to four people close to the movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sold more than $22.2 million worth of tickets in midnights shows last night, the all-time record set this summer by......(read more)

The Morning Fix: Oprah's decision: Winners and losers. Vivendi and NBC still far apart. `New Moon' to be full moon! AOL slashes and burns!

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:06:42 GMT

After the coffee. Before getting my audition tape to replace Oprah ready. Oprah makes up her mind. Oprah Winfrey gave official notice that she is leaving her talk show when her deal is up in 2011 and will focus her......(read more)

The Oprah effect: Winners and losers

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:13:14 GMT

Oprah Winfrey's decision to walk away from her daytime talk show after 25 years when her contract expires in 2011 will have a ripple effect throughout the television industry. The big winners are Discovery Communications, which is partners with Winfrey...(read more)

Oprah Winfrey to quit daytime talk show in 2011 to focus on new cable network

Company Town — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:13:38 GMT

Oprah Winfrey is taking her act to cable. The talk show diva who has ruled daytime TV for almost a quarter of a century is pulling the plug when her current deal expires in the fall of 2011. She will......(read more)

State budget cuts hit Hawaii Film Office

Company Town — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:33:42 GMT

It's no day in paradise for Hollywood's self-described "Tropical Back Lot." Confronting a fiscal crisis, Hawaii is laying off its film commissioner and two of her key staffers in the Hawaii Film Office in a bid to save the state......(read more)

Movie projector: 'New Moon' headed for $90-million-plus launch

Company Town — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:42:54 GMT

Edward and Bella's latest bite at the box office looks like it will be the second biggest of 2009. People with access to pre-release audience surveys say "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" will likely sell about $90 million worth of......(read more)

Is John Malone really worried about Comcast-NBC or is there another agenda at play?

Company Town — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:22:49 GMT

How's this for irony? Liberty Media Chairman John Malone, the cable mogul who was once dubbed Darth Vader by Al Gore and who wrote the book on how to combine content with distribution, squeeze competitors and build an empire, is......(read more)

The Morning Fix: Which Hollywood stars are overpaid? New DirecTV CEO is part of Pepsi Generation. NFL to limit tailgating. 'Parks & Recreation' is getting hot

Company Town — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:34:39 GMT

After the coffee. Before deciding whether to buy a big-screen TV now or wait for those sexy energy-efficient models coming out in 2011. Overpaid? Me? How dare they! Don't look for Will Ferrell or Ewan McGregor to do any sit-down......(read more)

Hulu gets access to music videos from EMI, amping up online competition

Company Town — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:44:25 GMT

EMI Music became the first major music company to agree to distribute its music videos and concert footage on Hulu, the popular online video site. Starting with today's announcement, EMI will make content available from its various music labels, including...(read more)

Ratings: Heather Locklear's return boosts 'Melrose Place' -- just a bit

Company Town — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:23:37 GMT

It's not much of a comeback story, yet. Heather Locklear's heavily hyped return to The CW's remake of "Melrose Place" did provide a bump in the ratings -- but it was nowhere near as big a bump as the flailing......(read more)

DirecTV picks beverage executive as its new chief

Company Town — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:06:52 GMT

DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television provider, has named Pepsico International chief executive Michael White, who also serves as vice chairman of the beverage giant, to its top job. He replaces former chief executive Chase Carey, who...(read more)

Video game sales are to movie box office as house sales are to pet adoptions

Company Town — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:13:57 GMT

In a culture that has become obsessed intrigued by movies' openings at the box office, it's no surprise that other products, particularly in the world of entertainment, want to compare their launches to those of the biggest films. There's...(read more)

The Morning Fix: Analyzing Comcast. Call of Duty delivers! Icahn at it again.

Company Town — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:38:01 GMT

After the coffee. Before buying up those last spots at the Super Bowl. Analyzing Comcast. Wall Street Journal columnist Holman Jenkins weighs in on Comcast's plans to take over NBC Universal. Though he's quick to buy the spin on why......(read more)