The all-new Hollywood Reporter offers unprecedented access to the people, studios, networks and agencies that create the magic in Hollywood. Published weekly, the oversized format includes exceptional photography and rich features.
On the morning of Feb. 9, Jeff Bezos’ top lieutenant Jeff Blackburn told Amazon Studios staff that NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke was taking over the top post left vacant when Roy Price exited Oct. 17, hours after a producer went public in THR with a sexual harassment claim. Blackburn sent the companywide email just 10 minutes before the news broke, and, according to insiders, there had been zero prior discussion with top staff of the move and what it will mean for the behemoth’s evolution in the content space, particularly in film, where Salke, 53, has no prior experience. As the dust now settles, the question looms: Is Amazon Studios going all-in on big commercial fare? Given Salke’s track record as a champion of such TV juggernauts as This…
Mark Lazarus The NBC Sports chief can celebrate strong early TV ratings for the Pyeongchang Olympics and especially robust digital ad sales. Susan Wojcicki The YouTube CEO is forced to suspend ads for star Logan Paul’s channel and tighten content standards as she lashes out at Facebook: “Get back to baby pictures.” Chris Brearton The veteran showbiz lawyer joins client MGM as its new COO, overseeing business development for the studio. Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove (left) The Alcon Entertainment leaders preside over layoffs after Blade Runner 2049 results in an estimated $80 million loss. Showbiz Stocks $30.95 (+23%) TWITTER (TWTR) The social network giant reports $91 million in net income, the first time it does not lose money in a quarter. $27.05 (-18%) LIONSGATE ENT. (LGA-A) Jon Feltheimer, CEO…
Is New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman the guy who finally drives The Weinstein Co. into bankruptcy? Ever since several dozen women came forward in October to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of rampant sexual misconduct, Weinstein’s namesake indie studio has resisted a Chapter 11 filing. Instead, TWC has explored alternatives from seeking loans from private equity firms to pursuing a sale of the company and its nearly 300-film library, which is largely encumbered by debt. But over the weekend of Feb. 10, a deal to sell TWC to an investor group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet was so close to coming to fruition that Schneiderman took the rare step of filing a lawsuit on a Sunday (Feb. 11). The move makes Schneiderman a momentary power player with his insistence that…
Guest Column As the streaming wars heat up, Hulu is a brilliant financial vehicle for its owners Comcast, Disney, Fox and Time Warner. The more money that goes into Hulu, the more consolidated revenue and EBITDA it can create for its owners as it buys more content, while Hulu’s losses build without impairing their owners’ balance sheets. With the launch of Hulu Live in 2017, a streaming cable TV-like service that carries the networks of its owners, Hulu added a new layer of fully owned revenue for its owners (retrans fees and affiliate fees) and off-balance-sheet losses. But media investors in Hulu’s three primary owners (Comcast, Disney and Fox) should demand greater disclosure of Hulu’s positive impact on its owners — Disney investors especially, since Fox’s share of Hulu is…
SAG-AFTRA’s new sexual harassment code of conduct, issued Feb. 10, is the latest of its kind in recent weeks. How do these policies differ? Three unions — WGA West, DGA and SAG-AFTRA — are struggling to reconcile duties to accused members with obligations to members and others who might be victims. So while all three unions vow to enforce a zero tolerance policy, the SAG-AFTRA code and the directors’ recently issued procedures note that accused members facing employer discipline might be entitled to union representation. Only the SAG-AFTRA code says that members can be disciplined for harassment. The Writers Guild takes the opposite tack, declaring itself “a union, not judge or jury” in its FAQ. And “personal criminal history” has no effect on WGAW membership. That hands-off approach might stem…
Two months after President Trump signed a sweeping tax overhaul that cuts the corporate rate to 21 percent, the entertainment industry is now feeling the effects despite a turbulent stock market. 21st Century Fox and Viacom both attributed profit increases to the gains they have realized from the tax law passed Dec. 22. Disney, Comcast, AT&T, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Saban Brands all have unveiled plans to offer $1,000 bonuses to more than 430,000 total employees. “It’s been a gift handed on a silver platter,” says GHB Insights analyst Daniel Ives, who notes that top tech giants are poised to reap the benefits of the law as they repatriate an estimated $350 billion in overseas cash by the end of the first quarter. Apple — which is in the process…
