BizofShowBiz: January 2008 Archives

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Jan30	"Juno" Soundtrack Moves to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 Know More: Music Industry News A 13 percent increase in sales by the soundtrack from Oscar-nominated "Juno," brought its sales to 65,000 in the U.S., enough to land it in the No. spot on the Billboard 200. The last time a nominee for the Academy Awards reached this spot was in January 1998, when "Titanic" landed there. Knocked out of the top spot was Alicia Keys and "As I Am," which still performed strong, but the 1 percent drop was enough to put her in the No. 2 spot, selling 60,000 units. Reaching her highest chart and sales level ever, Natasha Bedingfield came in at No. 3 for the week, based on the sales of 50,000 discs of her second album, "Pocketful of Sunshine." Her single "Love Like This," which is now in the top 20 of the Hot 100, helped move the album. For the week, CD sales reached 7.8 million units, an increase of 4.7 percent over last week. With sales for the weak coming in at 30.6 million discs, it's a decline of 10.3 percent from last year at the same time. Posted at 9:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan30	New TV Series Based on Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" Launching in Fall 2008 Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 While fans of the series, Sci Fi and Fantasy will be ecstatic to hear this, even better, Sam Raimi will be the Executive Producer of the series, which should add a lot of flair to the production.Disney-ABC Domestic Television and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Montel" Saying Goodbye after 17 Years Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 For 17 years, “The Montel Williams Show” has been a part of the fabric of American television, focusing mostly on social responsibility issues. That will be ending soon, as the final show will air at the end of this season."We've... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How Many Viewers Will Network TV Lose before Strike is Over? Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 The last time there was a writers' strike, 20 years ago, somewhere around 10 percent of those watching network TV never returned. That of course causes us to ask the question on what the impact will be this time. But... Continue Reading Posted at 4:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	BSkyB to Lose Money for First Time in Six Years over ITV Divestment Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 After John Hutton, Business and Enterprise Secretary in Britain decided he'd follow the recommendations of the Competition Commission to force BSkyB to lower its stake in ITV to below 7.5 percent, it was projected by Morgan Stanley it would result... Continue Reading Posted at 1:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan29	Disney Partnering with Wal-Mart in Hannah Montana Deal Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) will announce a partnership Wednesday, in a deal that will include over 140 products culled from the Disney Channel's powerhouse teen show Hannah Montana.Wal-Mart will position itself as the "Hannah Montana Headquarters," and the products... Continue Reading Posted at 11:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Poor Barbara Walters Can't Handle "Mean" Kathy Griffin Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The producer of "The View," Bill Geddie, called Kathy Griffin to tell her she wouldn't be allowed to appear on the talk show Tuesday, which had been scheduled in conjunction with her final show in New York, which had sold out.She wasn't... Continue Reading Posted at 10:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NHL All-Star Game Increases Overall Viewership by 18 Percent Over Last Year Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The All-Star game for the National Hockey League on Versus increased its household rating by 14 percent over the game last year, as it received a household rating of 0.8. The game also drew an overall audience of 796,717, which was... Continue Reading Posted at 8:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gwyneth Paltrow Latest Actress to Prefer Marriage and Children to Stardom Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 Gwyneth Paltrow announced recently that she no longer has the type of professional ambition she used to have before her marriage and children came along. She said there are no plans at this time to return to her former intense... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Margaret Truman, Daughter of Late President Truman, Dies at 83 Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The daughter of Harry S. Truman, Margaret Truman, died Tuesday from a brief illnes, according to her son Clifton T. Daniel. Margaret Truman was a concert singer in her own right, as well as a radio and television host, and... Continue Reading Posted at 4:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC Rejects Pediatrician Criticism, Will Air Controversial "Eli Stone" Episode Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The emotion-filled issue related to the use of thimerosal, a preservative which was formerly used in vaccines and had a mercury base in it, is the subject of the new legal drama "Eli Stone," which has drawn the ire of... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan28	Disney Scores Another Original Movie Hit with "Minutemen" Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The Disney Channel has learned how to tune into their demographic's interests, as eleven out of the last twelve original movies they made have drawn over five million viewers in its premiere airing.The latest was Friday's "Minutemen," a time-travel tale... Continue Reading Posted at 11:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Would Guillermo del Toro Create a Dark Hobbit? Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The buzz across the web today has been that Guillermo del Toro may be close to being chosen to helm the upcoming two Hobbit films.Peter Jackson and New Line ended their feud recently, and Jackson signed on to produce the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	John Malone and Liberty Media Trying to get Diller off of Board Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The gloves are coming off in the battle over the future of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq:IACI), as the latest move by John Malone and Liberty Media Corp. (Nasdaq:LCAPA) is to try to get Barry Diller kicked off the board.Each side has a lawsuit... Continue Reading Posted at 8:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America Board Recommends Ratification of Agreement with Studios Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 In a unanimous vote, the board of directors of the Directors Guild of America voted on Sunday to recommend the collective bargaining agreement hammered out on January 17, be ratified by the Guild's members.DGA president Michael Apted said after the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cate Blanchett Receives "Modern Master Award" at Santa Barbara Film Festival Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 Cate Blanchett was honored with yet another award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival saturday night, as she received the Modern Master Award from the director of "I'm Not There," Todd Haynes. She is beautifully pregnant with her third child,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan27	"No Country" Leads the SAG Awards - "Sopranos" in TV Drama Sweep Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 Winning the prized best performance by a cast in a motion picture, Joel and Ethan Coen's “No Country for Old Men,” walked away with the SAG award Sunday night.Also winning in connection with the film was Javier Bardem whoe won... Continue Reading Posted at 10:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	BSkyB Awaits British Government Response to Stake in ITV Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 The battle that has been brewing for months over the move of BSkyB in buying a 17.9 percent stake in ITV, which effectively kept Virgin Media from taking over the company, will go to the next stage, as this week... Continue Reading Posted at 7:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Meet The Spartans" Spoof Leads Box Office Weekend for Fox Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 The "spoof" genre seems to have gathered a core audience, as just about every time one has been released over the last couple years, they seem to perform far better than expected.It's no different this time around, as the latest... Continue Reading Posted at 5:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan26	The Deal that Brought Paige Davis Back to "Trading Spaces" Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 One thing happened when the powers that be decided they wanted to take "Trading Spaces" another direction, and fired host Paige Davis ... and that was to plunge in the ratings.When TLC received new managment last year, they decided of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:53 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	UB40 Singer Ali Campbell: "Not Quitting Band for Solo Career" Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Reports about UB40 singer Ali Campbell that he is quitting the group to go out on his own, continue to circulate, and Campbell wants to put to rest that idea once and for all. He continues to assert it's the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oprah Winfrey Fighting Barbara Walters for Madeleine McCann Story Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Two of the top talk show queen bees - Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters - are fighting for the right to an interview with the parents of missing Madeleine McCann, Gerry and Kate McCann.The McCann’s spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, confirmed the reports... Continue Reading Posted at 8:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marlon Brando's Son "Christian Brando" Dies at 49 Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Christian Brando, who had struggled through enormous personal, familial and legal troubles throughout his life, died Saturday of pneumonia at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. Brando was 49.The most notorious incident in Christian Brando's life came when... Continue Reading Posted at 6:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cost of Bare Behind on TV? $1.4 Million for Disney's ABC Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 The baring of a female characters' behind in a NYPD Blue episode in 2003, could end up costing Disney's (NYSE:DIS) ABC $1.4 million. The fine would be levied against 52 ABC Television Network stations for airing the program.According to the... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Robert Redford Announces Next Two Film Projects Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Talking from the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford revealed what his next two projects would be. His first one will be "A Walk in the Woods," based on a book by Bill Bryson talking of his adventure hiking the Appalachian... Continue Reading Posted at 3:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan25	Move Over Radiohead, Here Come the "Charlatans" Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 The Charlatans are taking up where Radiohead left off, by offering their latest album "You Cross My Path" for free online. Radiohead successfully offered their album as a free download and it generated more than 122,000 in physical albums afterward.It... Continue Reading Posted at 10:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Reality Shows Scoring Big During Strike - How Will it Change Writer's Futures? Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 With another reality show scoring big during the writer's strike, it may show the future of television and growing impotency of the writers in that regard.The newest reality hit is "The Moment of Truth" from Fox (NYSE:NWS-A), which enjoyed a... Continue Reading Posted at 9:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Helen Mirren Furious Over Being Snubbed for American "Prime Suspect" Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 Helen Mirren has powerfully played the role of DCI Jane Tennison on the ITV network series "Prime Suspect" for 15 years (aired for that long), was angered over not being considered for the part in the American version.Mirren said, "There... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Las Vegas Burning - Monte Carlo on Fire! Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 The Monte Carlo hotel-casino caught fire and guests fled the blaze, with some in tears, as hotel employees worked to get them to safety.At about 11 a.m. Vegas time, the smoke on the roof of the Monte Carlo was spotted and... Continue Reading Posted at 3:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan24	Steve Bochco New Series "Raising the Bar" Approved by TNT Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Steven Bochco, who among credits too numerous to mention, executive produced Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, has had his latest project given the go ahead by TNT: "Raising the Bar.The show is lawyer-based series dealing with attorneys who went... Continue Reading Posted at 10:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Releases more in "Disney Dream Portrait Series" Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 If you don't know what the "Disney Dream Portrait Series" is, it's the placement of celebrities into fairy tale scenes from Classic films from the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS).You can see a couple suites of photos from Annie Leibovitz along... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Channel's Scott Garner Named Senior Vice President, Planning, Scheduling and Acquisitions of Lifetime Networks Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Scott Garner, who is one of the big reasons behind the success of the Disney Channel, has been picked as the new Senior Vice President, Planning, Scheduling and Acquisitions for Lifetime Networks. Some of the major hits he's helped engineer are... Continue Reading Posted at 8:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gemstar-TV Guide Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Virgin Media Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Although Gemstar-TV Guide is in the process of being sold by News Corp. (NYSE:NWS-A) to Macrovision, it is the second company under its corporate umbrella to file a lawsuit against Virgin Media. The two companies don't have a lot of... Continue Reading Posted at 8:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Iron Man Photo Released by Marvel Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Marvel released (NYSE:MVL) a new picture of Iron Man from the upcoming movie of the same name, which stars Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role as Tony Stark, the man behind the mask.For those who don't no anything about... Continue Reading Posted at 1:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Life After People" Breaks History Channel Record Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 History Channel's Monday night special called "Life After People" broke the all time record for viewership for the the channel in its history."Life After People," which garnered a total of 5.4 million viewers, along with a 3.9 household rating, dealt... Continue Reading Posted at 12:33 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jericho can be Seen on Sci Fi Channel Starting February 11 Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 The Sci Fi Channel has worked out a deal with CBS Television Distribution for the rights to air "Jericho" over a period of three years.They will have the rights to the first two seasons as part of the agreement.Launching on... Continue Reading Posted at 12:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan23	Upcoming Star Trek Trailer and Responses Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 A lot of people probably have seen the teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie by J.J. Abrams, but below is a good one.The movie, which is slated for a Christmas day release in 2008, stars Chris Pine, Zachary... Continue Reading Posted at 11:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will Cate Blanchett become First in History to Win "Lead" and "Supporting" Oscar in Same Year? Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 For the 11th time in history, an actor or actress has been nominated for an Academy Award in a leading and supporting role in the same year, and Cate Blanchett is that 11th person.She has been nominated for the Best... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fox Scores Best Week in Network's History Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 Led by the return of its powerhouse "American Idol," along with the high viewership of the National Football league playoff game, Fox (NYSE:NWS-A) landed the highest weekly viewership in its history; both for the key 18-49 demo, as well as... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Netflix Earnings Increase 6% For Quarter Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 For the quarter ending December 31, Netflix (Nasdaq:NFLX) earnings grew 6 percent, reaching $15.8 million, or 24 cents a share. That's an increase over the same quarter last year, which yielded $14.9 million, or 21 cents a share.Overall revenue for... Continue Reading Posted at 4:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan22	The Future of Summer Glau Looks Bright Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 ... and not because her character on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, comes from it!I really like how Summer Glau is building her career. Rather than doing the "star" thing, she's been quietly going about learning her craft and getting... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	British Oddsmaker Ladbrokes Already Has Oscar Favorites Picked Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 Not long after the announcement of the nominations for the Academy Awards, British betting website Ladbrokes offered its odds on some of the favorite categories. You can see the full list of nominees on my recent post.The favorite to win... Continue Reading Posted at 6:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oscar Nominations: Everything's Up for Grabs this Year Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 This years' pick of Oscar nominations has left it wide open as to who will walk away with the hardware, as no clear favorites have emerged, and the usual surprises coming forth. Some things that didn't surprise were the leaders... Continue Reading Posted at 5:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Heath Ledger, Latest Young Actor to Die, Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 In what can only be called stunning, Heath Ledger was found dead today in a Manhatten apartment building, assumed to be his home. He was 28.He starred in "The Patriot," "A Knights Tale," "Brokeback Mountain" and "Monster's Ball."The last role... Continue Reading Posted at 3:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Trailer and Photos from Film Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 Anticipation for second in the the wildly successful Chronicles of Narnia series, which started with "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe," is starting to already generate early buzz, as the trailer and some early photos are out.Another relative unknown... Continue Reading Posted at 12:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan21	Murdoch Gets Ben Silverman's Reveille Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 Well...not that Murdoch, but she's related. Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS-A) head Rupert Murdoch, has made a deal with NBC Entertainment co-Chairman Ben Silverman to acquire his production company Reveille, for a reported $125 million plus, said the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles - Episode Three Highlights Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 Caution: SpoilersTerminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles just finished, and it was by far the slowest of the first three shows. It mostly has set up the storyline for what's ahead.Sarah continues to hunt down where the new Skynet creators are, and... Continue Reading Posted at 8:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony Pictures Television Retains Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Executive Producer Harry Friedman Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 The president of Sony Pictures Television, Steve Mosko, announced today they signed a multi-year deal with executive producer Harry Friedman, to keep him with the company."Harry Friedman is an enthusiastic innovator, a wonderful collaborator and an extremely talented producer," said... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Kiefer Sutherland Serves His Time, Released from Jail Today Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 With the Sargeant from the Glendale Police Department saying Kiefer Sutherland was a "model prisoner," Sutherland left jail early this morning after serving his 48-day sentence for drunken driving. He was released sometime around 1 p.m. on Monday. "As I understand... Continue Reading Posted at 3:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan20	Firing of L.A. Times editor James O'Shea Shows Many Still Don't Get it Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 The leaders of the Los Angeles Times need to do a better job of ferreting out those that don't understand, or refuse to understand, the existing business climate they're operating under. For the third time in a row, a standing... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Mr. Big" Chris Noth and Tara Wilson have Baby Boy! Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 Christ Noth, famous for his role in "Sex in the City" as Mr. Big, has had a baby boy with girlfriend Tara Wilson. A spokesman for the couple said, “I am happy to confirm that Chris Noth and Tara Wilson... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Suzanne Pleshette of "The Bob Newhart Show," Died Saturday at 70 Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 After a long bout with lung cancer, actress Suzanne Pleshette died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 70. She was best known for playing the role of Emily Hartley on "The Bob Newhart Show."According to Pleshette's attorney Robert... Continue Reading Posted at 5:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	DreamWorks Animation SKG Latest to Announce "Theme Park" in Dubailand Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG announced it will be partnering with Dubai-owned Tatweer, a real estate company, to build a theme park in the emirate of Dubai.Tatweer is a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, a large conglomerate, and owns and heads the development... Continue Reading Posted at 5:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Cloverfield" Leads Strong Box Office Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 The marketing campaign for JJ Abrams' new horror film "Cloverfield" paid off strongly for them, as it vaulted to the No. 1 spot in the weekend box office, taking in a solid $41 million for its opener.With those numbers, its... Continue Reading Posted at 2:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan19	Actor Allan Melvin Dies at 84 Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 The prolific character actor Allan Melvin died today at the age of 84.Allan Melvin is one of those actors that almost everybody has seen, but nobody knows his name. His first break came when he signed on to "The Phil... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Glenn Close Says Public Turning Against Writers Guild of America Strike Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 According to Glen Close, the strike by the Writers Guild of America is starting to turn the public against them.Talking to the New York Post, Close said, "I'll never cross a picket line, but this writers' strike may now be... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Italy's Mediaset SpA Wins Exclusive Broadcasting Rights from Time Warner Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 Mediaset SpA from Italy gave Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia a black eye, as they won the rights to Time Warner (TWX) and Universal (UVV) television and movie content in Italy, according Pier Silvio Berlusconi, son of the former prime minister... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Michael Copps Misguided in Concerns over Privatization of Media Companies Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 For some reason Democrat Michael Copps, who serves on the Federal Communicatons Commission (FCC), says he continues to have concerns over what private-equity companies might do with their recently purchased media companies.His overall concern is whether the private-equity companies break... Continue Reading Posted at 3:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan18	Jeff Zucker and NBC Looking to Cancel Upfront Hoopla Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 Jeff Zucker said he's getting close to deciding on whether NBC Universal (GE) will continue its upfront show this year, put together to dazzle their advertising partners and affliates.Talking to Reuters, Zucker said, "When people say the upfront, there are... Continue Reading Posted at 8:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Flawed Results of the "Interpret" Survey Concerning Writers Strike Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 If you were to believe the report by Worldscreen, citing an "Interpret" survey on the response of Americans to the strike by the Writers Guild of America, you'd be made to think the industry was about to collapse.The major problem... Continue Reading Posted at 7:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Your Response to Cloverfield? Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 The hype, marketing and anticipation is over. Now that a lot of people went to see the cloverfield movie, sound off on what you thought about it.In my look at forums and comments, I've found a mixed bag of comments... Continue Reading Posted at 6:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former Celebrity Chess Champ Bobby Fischer Dies at 64 Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 Who would have thought that someone could take the game of chess and bring it to the world stage, and yet that's what former world chess champion Bobby Fischer did. Today the former chess champ died at the age of... Continue Reading Posted at 6:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood Content Will Drive Entertainment Convergence Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 A couple things have held back the merging of the Internet and Television, and when they're taken care of, things will begin to move quickly. One key element is the way to move forward is with retailers like Target (TGT)... Continue Reading Posted at 2:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan17	Weta Digital Nominated for Three Awards for "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 Weta Digital for their work on "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," has been nominated for three awards for their usual quality craftsmanship.First, the Visual Effects Society has nominated them for two awards for their work on "Waterhorse." VES... Continue Reading Posted at 10:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America Reaches Three-year deal with AMPTP Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 Pressure's on Writers Guild to deal!After only five days of formal talks, the Directors Guild of America reached a three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Details of the agreement have yet to be unveiled.In a... Continue Reading Posted at 4:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Have Media Stocks Hit the Bottom Yet? Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 The stocks of the mainstream media companies were hammered across the board this year, as the majority of them dropped in value.For the year, CBS (CBS-A) has plunged by 14 percent; Viacom (VIA-B) by 9 percent; Disney (DIS) by about... Continue Reading Posted at 4:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan16	Writers Guild of America Starting to Act Like Thugs ... Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 ... and are trying to play god!The Writers Guild of America is starting to lose all integrity, as they are haphazardly deciding who gets their almighty blessing and who doesn't. Take the hypocrisy of the last day. WGA West President... Continue Reading Posted at 11:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sci Fi Channel Promotes Dave Howe to President Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 Dave Howe has been named to replace Bonnie Hammer as the president of the Sci Fi Channel. Hammer will remain president of the USA Network.There probably isn't anybody better than Howe to take on the new role, as he's been... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Advertising Going to Handheld Devices? Not for NBC Universal Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 With a lot of attention on the possibilities for advertising on handheld devices, the big media companies have been focusing on advertising "out-of-home," and with the mobility of people in mind, but not in connection with cell phones.Rather, many companies... Continue Reading Posted at 5:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"American Idol" Outperforms All Major Channels Combined Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 While some are trying to make it look like "American Idol" is in trouble because they dropped in viewership from the 2007 season opener of, it's really just something to get people to read their columns.For one thing, American Idol... Continue Reading Posted at 4:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves Expecting Baby Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 Matthew McConaughey announced that he and girlfriend Camila Alves are expecting a baby. She is three months along in the pregnancy and doing well, he added.On his web site, cited by Mercury News, he announced: "Got some blessed news... a... Continue Reading Posted at 3:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan15	Viggo Mortensen Joined by Charlize Theron in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Saying she is a fan of the writings of Cormac McCarthy, specifically this work, Charlize Theron has taken on a minor role in the upcoming film "The Road," based on McCarthy's apocalyptic novel. Mortensen plays the lead, as a father trying... Continue Reading Posted at 11:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Johnny Depp Donates to Hospital Which Saved His Daughter's Life Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Thankful for the the Great Ormond Street children's hospital treating and saving his daughter's life, Johnny Depp donated GBP1 million in a show of appreciation.When Depp was in London filming Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, his daughter... Continue Reading Posted at 8:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Apple Confirms iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV Upgrades at Macworld Expo Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Two Main Apple announcements at Macword Expo connected to the showbiz industry:Apple Movie RentalsApple (AAPL) confirmed at the Macworld Expo that it would be offering movies from all six major movie studios through its iTunes movie service. User will be... Continue Reading Posted at 8:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Actor Brad Renfro Found Dead in Los Angeles Home Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Reports from the coroners office confirm that actor Brad Renfro was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Renfro had a troubled history of drug abuse and arrests related to drugs. So far the causes of his death... Continue Reading Posted at 6:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oprah Winfrey Extending Her Brand: Partnering with Discover Communications for "The Oprah Winfrey Network" Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 One show for Oprah Winfrey isn't enough, now she'll be able to extend her brand through an entire cable channel, as she partners with Discovery Communications (DISCA) for The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The venture, which involves no cash, will... Continue Reading Posted at 4:01 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Scores Huge Premiere Numbers Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 It looks like Fox (NWS-A) definitely has another hit on its hands, as the premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" drew some huge numbers. We'll see if they hold after the Monday night showing at 9 p.m., which I... Continue Reading Posted at 1:10 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan14	Toshiba Bypasses Media Companies and Goes Straight to Mainstream Consumer to Decide DVD War - Slashes HD DVD Prices Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 The recent announcement by Warner Bros. (TWX) that they are going to exclusively support Blu-Ray high definition DVDs from Sony Corp. (SNE) has pressured Toshiba Corp. to come out with a new strategy to combat the tipping of the scales... Continue Reading Posted at 10:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Elijah Wood Says He Would Love to be Part of Next Hobbit Film Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 If an e-mail conversation between Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood was correctly understood, it gives us a potential confirmation of rumors floating around that the two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" will include the second film being a... Continue Reading Posted at 6:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Steroids Scandal Extending to Celebrities and Musicians Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 A number of musicians and celebrities were connected to to steroids in an investigation based in Albany, New York, according to a report by Times Union of Albany.Some that were named were 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Tyler Perry, Wyclef... Continue Reading Posted at 2:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan13	EMI Cutting One Third of its Work Force Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Media reports say that EMI Group will be cutting about one third of its 6,000 workers, along with dropping a number of the artists. The Wall Street Journal reported sources tell them the majority of cuts will come from the... Continue Reading Posted at 10:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fox About to Dominate Again: Here Comes "American Idol" Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Now that there competitors are on the ropes, Fox (NWS-A) has a chance to dominate the airways more than before, as "American Idol" is about to be released upon a depleted bunch of network competition. Now that there isn't much... Continue Reading Posted at 10:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ringo Starr Says there will Never be a Beatles Reunion Tour Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Ringo Starr put down rumors that there is any chance he will get together will Paul McCartney and Dhani, son of late Beatle George Harrison for a reunion tour. Dhani would have played guitar if it had happened.Starr said, "There... Continue Reading Posted at 8:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Netflix Offering Unlimited Streaming Starting Monday Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 In an attempt to steal some of Apple's (AAPL) thunder, Netflix (NFLX) announced it would start offering an unlimited online movie service starting Monday, a day before Steve Jobs talks about Apple's entry into the digital movie download market on... Continue Reading Posted at 5:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Bucket List" Leads Decent Box Office Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 It wasn't a great weekend at the box office, but it brought a fair amount of business to the studios and theaters, led by "Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The drama of two terminally ill cancer patients... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan12	"The Spiderwick Chronicles" Release Moved up to February 14 Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 According to Paramount Pictures (VIA-B) and Nickelodeon Movies, they're going to move the date of the release of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" up to February 14.The film is based on the popular fantasy book series "The Spiderwick Chronicles," by Tony DiTerlizzi... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Buddy Holly's Widow Threatens to Sue 'Peggy Sue' Over Book Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 The widow of singer Buddy Holly, Maria Elena Holly, is threatening to sue Peggy Sue Gerron, whose name was made known across the world from the song "Peggy Sue." Originally the song had "Cindy Lou" in it, based on the... Continue Reading Posted at 6:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Starting Formal Negotiations Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 With the foundation laid for a new contract, the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to begin negotiations for a new contract. The two have been getting together over the last... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney CEO Robert Iger Rewarded with $27.7 Million for 2007 Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 After growing profits for eight quarters in a row, Walt Disney Co (DIS) rewarded CEO and president Robert Iger with a total compensation package of $27.7 million, according to the company's proxy.Iger's existing salary, which will extend through 2010, is... Continue Reading Posted at 4:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	PBS Offering Jane Austen Tribute Series Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 Jane Austen fans will feel like they're in heaven, as PBS will be showcasing a three-month tribute to the author which inludes all six of the novels she completed, along with an additional drama about her life. The series will... Continue Reading Posted at 2:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan11	Time Warner Secures $2 Billion Loan to Pay Off Short-term Debt Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 In a regulatory filing today, Time Warner Inc. (TWX) revealed it had received financing of $2 billion in three-year loans to primarily pay off short-term debt about to be due. The lead lenders were Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and... Continue Reading Posted at 9:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney in Licensing Deal to Publish Storybooks in Indian languages Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The Walt Disney (DIS) company, via its Disney Publishing Worldwide division (India), has made a licensing deal with one of India's leading publishers - Popular Prakashan. "Disney stories carry positive values and bring out the gift of imagination in children.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What's the Real Reason behind Hannah Montana Body Double Controversy? Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The attempt to make the revelation that Miley Cyrus uses a body double to transition between numbers into an issue is about the stupidest things I've ever heard of.Her public relations firm PMK, spoke of the incident saying, "To help... Continue Reading Posted at 7:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marion Jones Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 For lying to investigators about using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, along with participating in a check-fraud scheme, former track great Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison.Jones pleaded for leniency, but the judge said the actions came years apart,... Continue Reading Posted at 5:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Lives up to Hype Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The screening of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has created a lot of buzz, as most that have seen it agree it could be a blockbuster for Fox (NWS-A). Director David Nutter seems to have done everything right in the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former U.S. Figure Skating Champion Christopher Bowman Dies of Possible Drug Overdose Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 One of the more colorful characters in American men's figure skating, Christopher Bowman, who also had the moniker "Bowman the Showman," was found dead in North Hills, California of a possible drug overdose. Bowman was 40.Bowman had a troubled life... Continue Reading Posted at 12:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan10	Lesley Moonves says CBS Exceeding Expectations in All Divisions Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 CBS Corp. (CBS-A) chief executive Lesley Moonves told analysts Thursday that every division at the company was exceeding expectations, and no short-term effects from the writers strike or the economy were affecting the company's performance. He also asserted the company... Continue Reading Posted at 10:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	MySpace Launches New Celebrity Channel Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 A new web channel was launched today by MySpace (NWS-A) called "MySpace Celebrity," which will allow stars and fans to interact with one another, among a host of other things.To begin with, at launch, the channel had over 300 celebrity... Continue Reading Posted at 9:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jennifer Lopez Retiring to Spend Time with Baby Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 In an interview with Harper's Bazaar magazine, Jennifer Lopez said she's going to retire from show business for some time in order to devote herself to spending as much time with her and husband Marc Anthony's new baby after she... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rachel Bilson says "No" to Nudity Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 Rachel Bilson said in a recent interview that she almost dropped out of "The Last Kiss" because she refused to appear nude in the film.A report from "People" cited a quote of Bilson's saying, "Movies can be sexy or sexual... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	When the Car's the Star Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 I thought it would be fun to see what's causing all the hoopla in India, as what is being labeled the world's least expensive car was unveiled to the public today.It's interesting to see how brilliantly Ratan Tata marketed the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 9	Morgan Spurlock Signs Production Deal with Fox Television Studios Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Morgan Spurlock, who became widely known for his Oscar-nominated documentary, "Super Size Me," has signed on with Fox Television studios to develop scripted and nonscripted projects for the studio.Spurlock will create the projects through his Warrior Poets shingle, where he'll... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Sex Scene between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 The sparks have evidently flying on the set of "Four Christmases," between Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, and I don't mean love sparks.Rather the two have been fighting because of their two very different ways of approaching work. Witherspoon is... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former Little Rascal Writes Book Encourging Disabled and Disadvantaged Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 The former Little Rascal known as Stinky, Ernie Weckbaugh, has released a book called "The Spirit of David," which tells 28 different short stories which encourage the disabled and disadvantaged.If you've seen the Little Rascal pictures, you'd identify "Stinky" as... Continue Reading Posted at 7:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radiohead's "In Rainbows" Debuts at No. 1 on U.S. Charts Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Radiohead continues their assault on the music charts, as it debuted in the U.S. as the No. 1 album on the pop chart. That follows other No. 1 results in Canada, France, Japan and Britain.While the numbers weren't huge for... Continue Reading Posted at 4:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Cutting More Jobs Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) has been cutting back on more jobs in the company, as it continually struggles across a number of its properties.On Tuesday more layoffs were initiated, including Wendy Mure, who was the brand development director at... Continue Reading Posted at 4:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Warner Bros. Could Cut up to 1,000 Jobs Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 "WARN" notices, mandated by the federal government, have been sent out be Warner Bros. (TWX), which could be the precursor to up to 1,000 workers for the company being laid off.A Warner spokeswoman said that under the U.S. Department of... Continue Reading Posted at 2:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 8	The People Name Johnny Depp and Reese Witherspoon as Top Movie Stars at "People's Choice Awards" Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 The people have had their say, and what they say is Johnny Depp and Reese Witherspoon are their favorite movies stars this year, as they spoke with their votes for the annual People's Choice Awards.Speaking of Johnny Depp, he must... Continue Reading Posted at 11:58 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Kate Winslet in Negotiations to Replace Nicole Kidman in "The Reader" Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 The publicist for Kate Winslet said she is close to a deal to replace Nicole Kidman in her role "The Reader." Winslet was actually originally asked to play the role, but had to decline because of conflicts in her schedule.Based... Continue Reading Posted at 8:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sarah Jessica Parker Expanding Her Brand through "Bitten" Clothing Line Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 Sarah Jessica Parker has always been classy, and her taste for fashion unquestionable. With that in mind, her new wildly successful apparel line "Bitten" has really taken off. Even Oprah is showcasing her product.In a brilliant move, Parker decided to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	American Gladiators Pounds its way to Best Premiere Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 Strongest start of new show this season!The performance of "American Galdiators" for NBC (GE) with its season premiere surprised a lot of people, as it delivered some big numbers for the network on Sunday. The question will be whether they will... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eminem Rushed to Hospital over the Holidays Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 TMZ reported that Eminem was rushed to the hosiptal over the holidays due to pneumonia and a serious heart condition."Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia," the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 7	Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Expecting First Baby Together! Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban didn't even start his concert tour together and the couple are already expecting a baby. Kidman's publicist Wendy Day said, "Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban confirmed today that they are expecting a baby. The couple are... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Pays $421 Million for 14.6% Stake in Premiere AG Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The largest pay-TV company in Germany, Premiere AG, was the latest target of Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. (NWS-A), as they acquired a 14.6 percent stake in the company for $421 million. "We see enormous potential for growth in Germany... Continue Reading Posted at 4:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Officially Launches New Studio Name Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The official name of the studio arm of Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has been now changed to “Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” formerly "Disney-MGM Studios." Originally the change was scheduled for January 1, 2008, but the process involved took longer than expected.... Continue Reading Posted at 3:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Weta Workshop Lands "Justice League of America" Costume Design Gig Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Reports are that Weta Workshop has landed another role in a potentially big movie, as they were chosen to design the costumes of the heroes in the Justice League of America film. Some of the featured superheroes will be Wonder... Continue Reading Posted at 3:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	UK Box Office Breaks Summer Record Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The UK box office did this year what the American box office did: break the summer box office record.Nielsen EDI data says the overall summer box office finished with £904 million, an increase of eight percent over 2006. Unsurprisingly, Harry... Continue Reading Posted at 2:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dr. Phil Says No to Britney Spears Show Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The plans to have a one-hour special show to look at the latest antics of Britney Spears was cancelled by Dr. Phil McGraw, saying that the situation was "too intense" for him to continue on with the plans."We had planned... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jack Black Announces He and Wife Tanya Haden Expecting Baby No. 2 Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden are expecting their second child, according to Black, who announced it at a press event promoting his upcoming movie "Please Be Kind Rewind." Black, who along with acting is also a musician, being a... Continue Reading Posted at 10:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 6	Bill Gates Highlights Continuing Role of Software at CES - also Partnership with NBC for Olympics Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 Bill Gates contributed the opening keynote address at his 11th CES conference, talking about what he called the digital decade, which started in 2001, and continues on through today and onward.Referencing software's role specifically in the decade, Gates said, "...in... Continue Reading Posted at 10:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony Again Presents Organic LED TVs at Consumer Electronics Show Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 OLED TVSony Corp. (SNE) again offered up their OLED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show to remind consumers they are an innovative and cutting edge company. They also revealed their robotic music player at the show.First, their OLED TV, or... Continue Reading Posted at 7:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	National Treasure: Book of Secrets Leads Box Office for Third Straight Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 For the third weekend in a row moviegoers chose National Treasure: Book of Secrets as their favorite movie to see. It was able to gross $20.2 million, which ended up being a fairly strong hold of 43 percent. Not bad... Continue Reading Posted at 5:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 5	HD DVD Promoter Cancels Press Conference after Time Warner Drops Format Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 The announcement by Time Warner Inc. (TWX) that it would stop supporting both HD DVD and Blu-Ray formats, and go with only Blu-Ray, caused the promoters of HD DVD to cancel a press conference on Sunday.With the International CES exhibition... Continue Reading Posted at 10:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Family Entertainment Central" Offers Guidance on Family-friendly Entertainment Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 There are a number of websites out there created to help people make decisions on what entertainment is appropriate for families, and a new one was recently developed, bringing it all under one roof, so you don't have to go... Continue Reading Posted at 6:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney's "It's A Small World" Co-creator Joyce Carlson Dies at 84 Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 A lot of people won't know who Joyce Carlson is, but her work was seen by millions every year that visited Disney's, "It's A Small World." Carlson was one of those who worked on the original miniature prototype of "It's... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 4	Britney Spears Locked in Suicidal Patient Ward at Cedars-Sinai Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 A report from the Daily News says Britney Spears has been locked in the psych ward of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and was characterized as a "special needs" patient, which means she will be held in the ward for 72 hours... Continue Reading Posted at 11:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dorothy Hamill Undergoing Breast Cancer Treatment Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 Dorothy Hamill, a former Olympic figure skating gold medalists, announced today that she is being treated for breast cancer at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.Hamill, who is still beautiful at 51, was touring with the "Broadway on Ice"... Continue Reading Posted at 9:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will Amy Fisher Survive Sex Video? Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 The infamous Amy Fisher, who took a gun a shot the wife of her then lover Joey Buttafuoco in the head, is now the newest porn queen, and she doesn't seem to care.Why would someone like Fisher even want herself... Continue Reading Posted at 8:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Growing Weakness in Writers Guild Revealed as they try to Attack Leno Success Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 After boasting about their commitment to David Letterman and saying their inclusion on his show will make it superior to Jay Leno's Tonight Show, the Writers Guild of America is panicking and backtracking as it attempts to draw attention away... Continue Reading Posted at 5:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony BMG Joins other Major Music Labels in Dropping DRM Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 Sony BMG (SNE) has become the last of the major music labels to commit to offering digital music downloads without digital rights management (DRM). Warner Music Group (WMG), EMI and Vivendi's Universal Music Group had already made that decision.This move was... Continue Reading Posted at 3:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 3	Leno and "Tonight Show" KOs Letterman and Writers Guild Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 I wrote a couple days ago that the hype about Dave Letterman getting back writers for his show being touted as a competitive advantage, had better come through in reality. The results for the first night are in, and the... Continue Reading Posted at 5:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The News is Sunny for Landmark Communications and "The Weather Channel," on the Block for $5bn Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 Landmark Communications, the parent of "The Weather Channel," has put the property up for sale for an approximate $5 billion. Lankmark is owned by the Batten family from Virginia.The channel was launched in 1982, and originally drew a large company... Continue Reading Posted at 4:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Elisabeth Hasselbeck Returning to "The View" Monday Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the co-host of "The View," will be returning to the show Monday, January 7.Hasselbeck, who gave birth to a son, Taylor Thomas, on November 9, has been on maternity leave from the ABC (DIS) talk show since October... Continue Reading Posted at 1:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 2	Season Premiere of WifeSwap is Feisty Exchange Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 The inevitable battle between two opposite lifestyles happened on the season premiere of WifeSwap, as two families with extreme lifestyles exchanged wives and moms, and the sparks flew.Representing an overt obsession with outward appearance, the Guastafero family battled it out... Continue Reading Posted at 10:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radiohead set to top UK Charts with "In Rainbows" Physical Album Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 The Radiohead experiment to release their "In Rainbows" album digitally for whatever people wanted to pay for it looks like it's paying off, as the release of the same album via CD is set be the No. 1 album in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jennifer Hudson Passionately Wants a Grammy Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 While Jennifer Hudson appreciates her Oscar for her part in Dreamgirls, the actress and singer says her childhood dream has been to win a Grammy, and she wont be happy until that becomes a reality.Hudson said concerning her dream: "I... Continue Reading Posted at 5:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 1	Nervous U.S. Government Offering Digital TV Converter Coupons Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 With the date for digital conversion only a little over a year away, the U.S. government has released its first converter box coupons for older TVs to convert to digital broadcasting. Those with television sets which use over-the-air antennas won't... Continue Reading Posted at 10:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC and Fox Narrow Debate Field - Ron Paul Backers Furious Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 With the decision to exclude some of the presidential candidates in upcoming debates over the coming weekend, it has Ron Paul supporters up in arms, especially with Fox News (NWS-A). The reason given by Fox News for its exclusion of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	US Studios Looking to Bollywood for Growth Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 Bollywood has always been an interesting film market, in that for a number of years it was run in a much different way than other film industries across the world. Now that has been changing at a fast pace, and... Continue Reading Posted at 6:01 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Daniel Radcliffe Lands Role of Slain Photographer Dan Eldon Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 While the competition to play the role of Dan Eldon, a photo-journalist murdered by a Somalian mob in 1993, was tough, with stars like Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger vying for the role, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) ended up winning... Continue Reading Posted at 4:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will David Letterman Finally Overtake Jay Leno? He Better! Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 Now that David Letterman has struck a deal with the WGA through his tiny, independently owned Worldwide Pants company, he may have a chance to finally catch Jay Leno, as he's been far behind Leno in ratings since 1995.The two... Continue Reading Posted at 12:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

« December 2007 | Main | February 2008 »

Jan30	"Juno" Soundtrack Moves to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 Know More: Music Industry News A 13 percent increase in sales by the soundtrack from Oscar-nominated "Juno," brought its sales to 65,000 in the U.S., enough to land it in the No. spot on the Billboard 200. The last time a nominee for the Academy Awards reached this spot was in January 1998, when "Titanic" landed there. Knocked out of the top spot was Alicia Keys and "As I Am," which still performed strong, but the 1 percent drop was enough to put her in the No. 2 spot, selling 60,000 units. Reaching her highest chart and sales level ever, Natasha Bedingfield came in at No. 3 for the week, based on the sales of 50,000 discs of her second album, "Pocketful of Sunshine." Her single "Love Like This," which is now in the top 20 of the Hot 100, helped move the album. For the week, CD sales reached 7.8 million units, an increase of 4.7 percent over last week. With sales for the weak coming in at 30.6 million discs, it's a decline of 10.3 percent from last year at the same time. Posted at 9:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan30	New TV Series Based on Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" Launching in Fall 2008 Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 While fans of the series, Sci Fi and Fantasy will be ecstatic to hear this, even better, Sam Raimi will be the Executive Producer of the series, which should add a lot of flair to the production.Disney-ABC Domestic Television and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Montel" Saying Goodbye after 17 Years Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 For 17 years, “The Montel Williams Show” has been a part of the fabric of American television, focusing mostly on social responsibility issues. That will be ending soon, as the final show will air at the end of this season."We've... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	How Many Viewers Will Network TV Lose before Strike is Over? Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 The last time there was a writers' strike, 20 years ago, somewhere around 10 percent of those watching network TV never returned. That of course causes us to ask the question on what the impact will be this time. But... Continue Reading Posted at 4:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	BSkyB to Lose Money for First Time in Six Years over ITV Divestment Gary Bourgeault January 30, 2008 After John Hutton, Business and Enterprise Secretary in Britain decided he'd follow the recommendations of the Competition Commission to force BSkyB to lower its stake in ITV to below 7.5 percent, it was projected by Morgan Stanley it would result... Continue Reading Posted at 1:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan29	Disney Partnering with Wal-Mart in Hannah Montana Deal Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) will announce a partnership Wednesday, in a deal that will include over 140 products culled from the Disney Channel's powerhouse teen show Hannah Montana.Wal-Mart will position itself as the "Hannah Montana Headquarters," and the products... Continue Reading Posted at 11:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Poor Barbara Walters Can't Handle "Mean" Kathy Griffin Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The producer of "The View," Bill Geddie, called Kathy Griffin to tell her she wouldn't be allowed to appear on the talk show Tuesday, which had been scheduled in conjunction with her final show in New York, which had sold out.She wasn't... Continue Reading Posted at 10:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NHL All-Star Game Increases Overall Viewership by 18 Percent Over Last Year Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The All-Star game for the National Hockey League on Versus increased its household rating by 14 percent over the game last year, as it received a household rating of 0.8. The game also drew an overall audience of 796,717, which was... Continue Reading Posted at 8:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gwyneth Paltrow Latest Actress to Prefer Marriage and Children to Stardom Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 Gwyneth Paltrow announced recently that she no longer has the type of professional ambition she used to have before her marriage and children came along. She said there are no plans at this time to return to her former intense... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Margaret Truman, Daughter of Late President Truman, Dies at 83 Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The daughter of Harry S. Truman, Margaret Truman, died Tuesday from a brief illnes, according to her son Clifton T. Daniel. Margaret Truman was a concert singer in her own right, as well as a radio and television host, and... Continue Reading Posted at 4:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC Rejects Pediatrician Criticism, Will Air Controversial "Eli Stone" Episode Gary Bourgeault January 29, 2008 The emotion-filled issue related to the use of thimerosal, a preservative which was formerly used in vaccines and had a mercury base in it, is the subject of the new legal drama "Eli Stone," which has drawn the ire of... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan28	Disney Scores Another Original Movie Hit with "Minutemen" Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The Disney Channel has learned how to tune into their demographic's interests, as eleven out of the last twelve original movies they made have drawn over five million viewers in its premiere airing.The latest was Friday's "Minutemen," a time-travel tale... Continue Reading Posted at 11:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Would Guillermo del Toro Create a Dark Hobbit? Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The buzz across the web today has been that Guillermo del Toro may be close to being chosen to helm the upcoming two Hobbit films.Peter Jackson and New Line ended their feud recently, and Jackson signed on to produce the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	John Malone and Liberty Media Trying to get Diller off of Board Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 The gloves are coming off in the battle over the future of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq:IACI), as the latest move by John Malone and Liberty Media Corp. (Nasdaq:LCAPA) is to try to get Barry Diller kicked off the board.Each side has a lawsuit... Continue Reading Posted at 8:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America Board Recommends Ratification of Agreement with Studios Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 In a unanimous vote, the board of directors of the Directors Guild of America voted on Sunday to recommend the collective bargaining agreement hammered out on January 17, be ratified by the Guild's members.DGA president Michael Apted said after the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cate Blanchett Receives "Modern Master Award" at Santa Barbara Film Festival Gary Bourgeault January 28, 2008 Cate Blanchett was honored with yet another award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival saturday night, as she received the Modern Master Award from the director of "I'm Not There," Todd Haynes. She is beautifully pregnant with her third child,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan27	"No Country" Leads the SAG Awards - "Sopranos" in TV Drama Sweep Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 Winning the prized best performance by a cast in a motion picture, Joel and Ethan Coen's “No Country for Old Men,” walked away with the SAG award Sunday night.Also winning in connection with the film was Javier Bardem whoe won... Continue Reading Posted at 10:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	BSkyB Awaits British Government Response to Stake in ITV Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 The battle that has been brewing for months over the move of BSkyB in buying a 17.9 percent stake in ITV, which effectively kept Virgin Media from taking over the company, will go to the next stage, as this week... Continue Reading Posted at 7:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Meet The Spartans" Spoof Leads Box Office Weekend for Fox Gary Bourgeault January 27, 2008 The "spoof" genre seems to have gathered a core audience, as just about every time one has been released over the last couple years, they seem to perform far better than expected.It's no different this time around, as the latest... Continue Reading Posted at 5:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan26	The Deal that Brought Paige Davis Back to "Trading Spaces" Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 One thing happened when the powers that be decided they wanted to take "Trading Spaces" another direction, and fired host Paige Davis ... and that was to plunge in the ratings.When TLC received new managment last year, they decided of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:53 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	UB40 Singer Ali Campbell: "Not Quitting Band for Solo Career" Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Reports about UB40 singer Ali Campbell that he is quitting the group to go out on his own, continue to circulate, and Campbell wants to put to rest that idea once and for all. He continues to assert it's the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oprah Winfrey Fighting Barbara Walters for Madeleine McCann Story Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Two of the top talk show queen bees - Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters - are fighting for the right to an interview with the parents of missing Madeleine McCann, Gerry and Kate McCann.The McCann’s spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, confirmed the reports... Continue Reading Posted at 8:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marlon Brando's Son "Christian Brando" Dies at 49 Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Christian Brando, who had struggled through enormous personal, familial and legal troubles throughout his life, died Saturday of pneumonia at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. Brando was 49.The most notorious incident in Christian Brando's life came when... Continue Reading Posted at 6:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cost of Bare Behind on TV? $1.4 Million for Disney's ABC Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 The baring of a female characters' behind in a NYPD Blue episode in 2003, could end up costing Disney's (NYSE:DIS) ABC $1.4 million. The fine would be levied against 52 ABC Television Network stations for airing the program.According to the... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Robert Redford Announces Next Two Film Projects Gary Bourgeault January 26, 2008 Talking from the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford revealed what his next two projects would be. His first one will be "A Walk in the Woods," based on a book by Bill Bryson talking of his adventure hiking the Appalachian... Continue Reading Posted at 3:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan25	Move Over Radiohead, Here Come the "Charlatans" Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 The Charlatans are taking up where Radiohead left off, by offering their latest album "You Cross My Path" for free online. Radiohead successfully offered their album as a free download and it generated more than 122,000 in physical albums afterward.It... Continue Reading Posted at 10:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Reality Shows Scoring Big During Strike - How Will it Change Writer's Futures? Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 With another reality show scoring big during the writer's strike, it may show the future of television and growing impotency of the writers in that regard.The newest reality hit is "The Moment of Truth" from Fox (NYSE:NWS-A), which enjoyed a... Continue Reading Posted at 9:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Helen Mirren Furious Over Being Snubbed for American "Prime Suspect" Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 Helen Mirren has powerfully played the role of DCI Jane Tennison on the ITV network series "Prime Suspect" for 15 years (aired for that long), was angered over not being considered for the part in the American version.Mirren said, "There... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Las Vegas Burning - Monte Carlo on Fire! Gary Bourgeault January 25, 2008 The Monte Carlo hotel-casino caught fire and guests fled the blaze, with some in tears, as hotel employees worked to get them to safety.At about 11 a.m. Vegas time, the smoke on the roof of the Monte Carlo was spotted and... Continue Reading Posted at 3:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan24	Steve Bochco New Series "Raising the Bar" Approved by TNT Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Steven Bochco, who among credits too numerous to mention, executive produced Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, has had his latest project given the go ahead by TNT: "Raising the Bar.The show is lawyer-based series dealing with attorneys who went... Continue Reading Posted at 10:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Releases more in "Disney Dream Portrait Series" Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 If you don't know what the "Disney Dream Portrait Series" is, it's the placement of celebrities into fairy tale scenes from Classic films from the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS).You can see a couple suites of photos from Annie Leibovitz along... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Channel's Scott Garner Named Senior Vice President, Planning, Scheduling and Acquisitions of Lifetime Networks Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Scott Garner, who is one of the big reasons behind the success of the Disney Channel, has been picked as the new Senior Vice President, Planning, Scheduling and Acquisitions for Lifetime Networks. Some of the major hits he's helped engineer are... Continue Reading Posted at 8:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Gemstar-TV Guide Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Virgin Media Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Although Gemstar-TV Guide is in the process of being sold by News Corp. (NYSE:NWS-A) to Macrovision, it is the second company under its corporate umbrella to file a lawsuit against Virgin Media. The two companies don't have a lot of... Continue Reading Posted at 8:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Iron Man Photo Released by Marvel Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 Marvel released (NYSE:MVL) a new picture of Iron Man from the upcoming movie of the same name, which stars Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role as Tony Stark, the man behind the mask.For those who don't no anything about... Continue Reading Posted at 1:04 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Life After People" Breaks History Channel Record Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 History Channel's Monday night special called "Life After People" broke the all time record for viewership for the the channel in its history."Life After People," which garnered a total of 5.4 million viewers, along with a 3.9 household rating, dealt... Continue Reading Posted at 12:33 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jericho can be Seen on Sci Fi Channel Starting February 11 Gary Bourgeault January 24, 2008 The Sci Fi Channel has worked out a deal with CBS Television Distribution for the rights to air "Jericho" over a period of three years.They will have the rights to the first two seasons as part of the agreement.Launching on... Continue Reading Posted at 12:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan23	Upcoming Star Trek Trailer and Responses Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 A lot of people probably have seen the teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie by J.J. Abrams, but below is a good one.The movie, which is slated for a Christmas day release in 2008, stars Chris Pine, Zachary... Continue Reading Posted at 11:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will Cate Blanchett become First in History to Win "Lead" and "Supporting" Oscar in Same Year? Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 For the 11th time in history, an actor or actress has been nominated for an Academy Award in a leading and supporting role in the same year, and Cate Blanchett is that 11th person.She has been nominated for the Best... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fox Scores Best Week in Network's History Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 Led by the return of its powerhouse "American Idol," along with the high viewership of the National Football league playoff game, Fox (NYSE:NWS-A) landed the highest weekly viewership in its history; both for the key 18-49 demo, as well as... Continue Reading Posted at 7:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Netflix Earnings Increase 6% For Quarter Gary Bourgeault January 23, 2008 For the quarter ending December 31, Netflix (Nasdaq:NFLX) earnings grew 6 percent, reaching $15.8 million, or 24 cents a share. That's an increase over the same quarter last year, which yielded $14.9 million, or 21 cents a share.Overall revenue for... Continue Reading Posted at 4:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan22	The Future of Summer Glau Looks Bright Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 ... and not because her character on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, comes from it!I really like how Summer Glau is building her career. Rather than doing the "star" thing, she's been quietly going about learning her craft and getting... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	British Oddsmaker Ladbrokes Already Has Oscar Favorites Picked Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 Not long after the announcement of the nominations for the Academy Awards, British betting website Ladbrokes offered its odds on some of the favorite categories. You can see the full list of nominees on my recent post.The favorite to win... Continue Reading Posted at 6:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oscar Nominations: Everything's Up for Grabs this Year Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 This years' pick of Oscar nominations has left it wide open as to who will walk away with the hardware, as no clear favorites have emerged, and the usual surprises coming forth. Some things that didn't surprise were the leaders... Continue Reading Posted at 5:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Heath Ledger, Latest Young Actor to Die, Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 In what can only be called stunning, Heath Ledger was found dead today in a Manhatten apartment building, assumed to be his home. He was 28.He starred in "The Patriot," "A Knights Tale," "Brokeback Mountain" and "Monster's Ball."The last role... Continue Reading Posted at 3:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Trailer and Photos from Film Gary Bourgeault January 22, 2008 Anticipation for second in the the wildly successful Chronicles of Narnia series, which started with "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe," is starting to already generate early buzz, as the trailer and some early photos are out.Another relative unknown... Continue Reading Posted at 12:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan21	Murdoch Gets Ben Silverman's Reveille Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 Well...not that Murdoch, but she's related. Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS-A) head Rupert Murdoch, has made a deal with NBC Entertainment co-Chairman Ben Silverman to acquire his production company Reveille, for a reported $125 million plus, said the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles - Episode Three Highlights Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 Caution: SpoilersTerminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles just finished, and it was by far the slowest of the first three shows. It mostly has set up the storyline for what's ahead.Sarah continues to hunt down where the new Skynet creators are, and... Continue Reading Posted at 8:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony Pictures Television Retains Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Executive Producer Harry Friedman Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 The president of Sony Pictures Television, Steve Mosko, announced today they signed a multi-year deal with executive producer Harry Friedman, to keep him with the company."Harry Friedman is an enthusiastic innovator, a wonderful collaborator and an extremely talented producer," said... Continue Reading Posted at 8:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Kiefer Sutherland Serves His Time, Released from Jail Today Gary Bourgeault January 21, 2008 With the Sargeant from the Glendale Police Department saying Kiefer Sutherland was a "model prisoner," Sutherland left jail early this morning after serving his 48-day sentence for drunken driving. He was released sometime around 1 p.m. on Monday. "As I understand... Continue Reading Posted at 3:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan20	Firing of L.A. Times editor James O'Shea Shows Many Still Don't Get it Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 The leaders of the Los Angeles Times need to do a better job of ferreting out those that don't understand, or refuse to understand, the existing business climate they're operating under. For the third time in a row, a standing... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Mr. Big" Chris Noth and Tara Wilson have Baby Boy! Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 Christ Noth, famous for his role in "Sex in the City" as Mr. Big, has had a baby boy with girlfriend Tara Wilson. A spokesman for the couple said, “I am happy to confirm that Chris Noth and Tara Wilson... Continue Reading Posted at 5:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Suzanne Pleshette of "The Bob Newhart Show," Died Saturday at 70 Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 After a long bout with lung cancer, actress Suzanne Pleshette died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 70. She was best known for playing the role of Emily Hartley on "The Bob Newhart Show."According to Pleshette's attorney Robert... Continue Reading Posted at 5:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	DreamWorks Animation SKG Latest to Announce "Theme Park" in Dubailand Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG announced it will be partnering with Dubai-owned Tatweer, a real estate company, to build a theme park in the emirate of Dubai.Tatweer is a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, a large conglomerate, and owns and heads the development... Continue Reading Posted at 5:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Cloverfield" Leads Strong Box Office Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 20, 2008 The marketing campaign for JJ Abrams' new horror film "Cloverfield" paid off strongly for them, as it vaulted to the No. 1 spot in the weekend box office, taking in a solid $41 million for its opener.With those numbers, its... Continue Reading Posted at 2:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan19	Actor Allan Melvin Dies at 84 Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 The prolific character actor Allan Melvin died today at the age of 84.Allan Melvin is one of those actors that almost everybody has seen, but nobody knows his name. His first break came when he signed on to "The Phil... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Glenn Close Says Public Turning Against Writers Guild of America Strike Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 According to Glen Close, the strike by the Writers Guild of America is starting to turn the public against them.Talking to the New York Post, Close said, "I'll never cross a picket line, but this writers' strike may now be... Continue Reading Posted at 7:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Italy's Mediaset SpA Wins Exclusive Broadcasting Rights from Time Warner Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 Mediaset SpA from Italy gave Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia a black eye, as they won the rights to Time Warner (TWX) and Universal (UVV) television and movie content in Italy, according Pier Silvio Berlusconi, son of the former prime minister... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Michael Copps Misguided in Concerns over Privatization of Media Companies Gary Bourgeault January 19, 2008 For some reason Democrat Michael Copps, who serves on the Federal Communicatons Commission (FCC), says he continues to have concerns over what private-equity companies might do with their recently purchased media companies.His overall concern is whether the private-equity companies break... Continue Reading Posted at 3:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan18	Jeff Zucker and NBC Looking to Cancel Upfront Hoopla Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 Jeff Zucker said he's getting close to deciding on whether NBC Universal (GE) will continue its upfront show this year, put together to dazzle their advertising partners and affliates.Talking to Reuters, Zucker said, "When people say the upfront, there are... Continue Reading Posted at 8:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Flawed Results of the "Interpret" Survey Concerning Writers Strike Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 If you were to believe the report by Worldscreen, citing an "Interpret" survey on the response of Americans to the strike by the Writers Guild of America, you'd be made to think the industry was about to collapse.The major problem... Continue Reading Posted at 7:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Your Response to Cloverfield? Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 The hype, marketing and anticipation is over. Now that a lot of people went to see the cloverfield movie, sound off on what you thought about it.In my look at forums and comments, I've found a mixed bag of comments... Continue Reading Posted at 6:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former Celebrity Chess Champ Bobby Fischer Dies at 64 Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 Who would have thought that someone could take the game of chess and bring it to the world stage, and yet that's what former world chess champion Bobby Fischer did. Today the former chess champ died at the age of... Continue Reading Posted at 6:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood Content Will Drive Entertainment Convergence Gary Bourgeault January 18, 2008 A couple things have held back the merging of the Internet and Television, and when they're taken care of, things will begin to move quickly. One key element is the way to move forward is with retailers like Target (TGT)... Continue Reading Posted at 2:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan17	Weta Digital Nominated for Three Awards for "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 Weta Digital for their work on "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," has been nominated for three awards for their usual quality craftsmanship.First, the Visual Effects Society has nominated them for two awards for their work on "Waterhorse." VES... Continue Reading Posted at 10:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America Reaches Three-year deal with AMPTP Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 Pressure's on Writers Guild to deal!After only five days of formal talks, the Directors Guild of America reached a three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Details of the agreement have yet to be unveiled.In a... Continue Reading Posted at 4:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Have Media Stocks Hit the Bottom Yet? Gary Bourgeault January 17, 2008 The stocks of the mainstream media companies were hammered across the board this year, as the majority of them dropped in value.For the year, CBS (CBS-A) has plunged by 14 percent; Viacom (VIA-B) by 9 percent; Disney (DIS) by about... Continue Reading Posted at 4:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan16	Writers Guild of America Starting to Act Like Thugs ... Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 ... and are trying to play god!The Writers Guild of America is starting to lose all integrity, as they are haphazardly deciding who gets their almighty blessing and who doesn't. Take the hypocrisy of the last day. WGA West President... Continue Reading Posted at 11:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sci Fi Channel Promotes Dave Howe to President Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 Dave Howe has been named to replace Bonnie Hammer as the president of the Sci Fi Channel. Hammer will remain president of the USA Network.There probably isn't anybody better than Howe to take on the new role, as he's been... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Advertising Going to Handheld Devices? Not for NBC Universal Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 With a lot of attention on the possibilities for advertising on handheld devices, the big media companies have been focusing on advertising "out-of-home," and with the mobility of people in mind, but not in connection with cell phones.Rather, many companies... Continue Reading Posted at 5:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"American Idol" Outperforms All Major Channels Combined Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 While some are trying to make it look like "American Idol" is in trouble because they dropped in viewership from the 2007 season opener of, it's really just something to get people to read their columns.For one thing, American Idol... Continue Reading Posted at 4:02 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves Expecting Baby Gary Bourgeault January 16, 2008 Matthew McConaughey announced that he and girlfriend Camila Alves are expecting a baby. She is three months along in the pregnancy and doing well, he added.On his web site, cited by Mercury News, he announced: "Got some blessed news... a... Continue Reading Posted at 3:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan15	Viggo Mortensen Joined by Charlize Theron in Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Saying she is a fan of the writings of Cormac McCarthy, specifically this work, Charlize Theron has taken on a minor role in the upcoming film "The Road," based on McCarthy's apocalyptic novel. Mortensen plays the lead, as a father trying... Continue Reading Posted at 11:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Johnny Depp Donates to Hospital Which Saved His Daughter's Life Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Thankful for the the Great Ormond Street children's hospital treating and saving his daughter's life, Johnny Depp donated GBP1 million in a show of appreciation.When Depp was in London filming Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, his daughter... Continue Reading Posted at 8:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Apple Confirms iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV Upgrades at Macworld Expo Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Two Main Apple announcements at Macword Expo connected to the showbiz industry:Apple Movie RentalsApple (AAPL) confirmed at the Macworld Expo that it would be offering movies from all six major movie studios through its iTunes movie service. User will be... Continue Reading Posted at 8:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Actor Brad Renfro Found Dead in Los Angeles Home Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 Reports from the coroners office confirm that actor Brad Renfro was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Renfro had a troubled history of drug abuse and arrests related to drugs. So far the causes of his death... Continue Reading Posted at 6:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Oprah Winfrey Extending Her Brand: Partnering with Discover Communications for "The Oprah Winfrey Network" Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 One show for Oprah Winfrey isn't enough, now she'll be able to extend her brand through an entire cable channel, as she partners with Discovery Communications (DISCA) for The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The venture, which involves no cash, will... Continue Reading Posted at 4:01 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Scores Huge Premiere Numbers Gary Bourgeault January 15, 2008 It looks like Fox (NWS-A) definitely has another hit on its hands, as the premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" drew some huge numbers. We'll see if they hold after the Monday night showing at 9 p.m., which I... Continue Reading Posted at 1:10 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan14	Toshiba Bypasses Media Companies and Goes Straight to Mainstream Consumer to Decide DVD War - Slashes HD DVD Prices Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 The recent announcement by Warner Bros. (TWX) that they are going to exclusively support Blu-Ray high definition DVDs from Sony Corp. (SNE) has pressured Toshiba Corp. to come out with a new strategy to combat the tipping of the scales... Continue Reading Posted at 10:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Elijah Wood Says He Would Love to be Part of Next Hobbit Film Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 If an e-mail conversation between Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood was correctly understood, it gives us a potential confirmation of rumors floating around that the two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" will include the second film being a... Continue Reading Posted at 6:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Steroids Scandal Extending to Celebrities and Musicians Gary Bourgeault January 14, 2008 A number of musicians and celebrities were connected to to steroids in an investigation based in Albany, New York, according to a report by Times Union of Albany.Some that were named were 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Tyler Perry, Wyclef... Continue Reading Posted at 2:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan13	EMI Cutting One Third of its Work Force Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Media reports say that EMI Group will be cutting about one third of its 6,000 workers, along with dropping a number of the artists. The Wall Street Journal reported sources tell them the majority of cuts will come from the... Continue Reading Posted at 10:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fox About to Dominate Again: Here Comes "American Idol" Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Now that there competitors are on the ropes, Fox (NWS-A) has a chance to dominate the airways more than before, as "American Idol" is about to be released upon a depleted bunch of network competition. Now that there isn't much... Continue Reading Posted at 10:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ringo Starr Says there will Never be a Beatles Reunion Tour Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 Ringo Starr put down rumors that there is any chance he will get together will Paul McCartney and Dhani, son of late Beatle George Harrison for a reunion tour. Dhani would have played guitar if it had happened.Starr said, "There... Continue Reading Posted at 8:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Netflix Offering Unlimited Streaming Starting Monday Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 In an attempt to steal some of Apple's (AAPL) thunder, Netflix (NFLX) announced it would start offering an unlimited online movie service starting Monday, a day before Steve Jobs talks about Apple's entry into the digital movie download market on... Continue Reading Posted at 5:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Bucket List" Leads Decent Box Office Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 13, 2008 It wasn't a great weekend at the box office, but it brought a fair amount of business to the studios and theaters, led by "Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The drama of two terminally ill cancer patients... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan12	"The Spiderwick Chronicles" Release Moved up to February 14 Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 According to Paramount Pictures (VIA-B) and Nickelodeon Movies, they're going to move the date of the release of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" up to February 14.The film is based on the popular fantasy book series "The Spiderwick Chronicles," by Tony DiTerlizzi... Continue Reading Posted at 7:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Buddy Holly's Widow Threatens to Sue 'Peggy Sue' Over Book Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 The widow of singer Buddy Holly, Maria Elena Holly, is threatening to sue Peggy Sue Gerron, whose name was made known across the world from the song "Peggy Sue." Originally the song had "Cindy Lou" in it, based on the... Continue Reading Posted at 6:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Directors Guild of America and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Starting Formal Negotiations Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 With the foundation laid for a new contract, the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to begin negotiations for a new contract. The two have been getting together over the last... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney CEO Robert Iger Rewarded with $27.7 Million for 2007 Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 After growing profits for eight quarters in a row, Walt Disney Co (DIS) rewarded CEO and president Robert Iger with a total compensation package of $27.7 million, according to the company's proxy.Iger's existing salary, which will extend through 2010, is... Continue Reading Posted at 4:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	PBS Offering Jane Austen Tribute Series Gary Bourgeault January 12, 2008 Jane Austen fans will feel like they're in heaven, as PBS will be showcasing a three-month tribute to the author which inludes all six of the novels she completed, along with an additional drama about her life. The series will... Continue Reading Posted at 2:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan11	Time Warner Secures $2 Billion Loan to Pay Off Short-term Debt Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 In a regulatory filing today, Time Warner Inc. (TWX) revealed it had received financing of $2 billion in three-year loans to primarily pay off short-term debt about to be due. The lead lenders were Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and... Continue Reading Posted at 9:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney in Licensing Deal to Publish Storybooks in Indian languages Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The Walt Disney (DIS) company, via its Disney Publishing Worldwide division (India), has made a licensing deal with one of India's leading publishers - Popular Prakashan. "Disney stories carry positive values and bring out the gift of imagination in children.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What's the Real Reason behind Hannah Montana Body Double Controversy? Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The attempt to make the revelation that Miley Cyrus uses a body double to transition between numbers into an issue is about the stupidest things I've ever heard of.Her public relations firm PMK, spoke of the incident saying, "To help... Continue Reading Posted at 7:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marion Jones Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 For lying to investigators about using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, along with participating in a check-fraud scheme, former track great Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison.Jones pleaded for leniency, but the judge said the actions came years apart,... Continue Reading Posted at 5:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Lives up to Hype Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 The screening of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has created a lot of buzz, as most that have seen it agree it could be a blockbuster for Fox (NWS-A). Director David Nutter seems to have done everything right in the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:57 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former U.S. Figure Skating Champion Christopher Bowman Dies of Possible Drug Overdose Gary Bourgeault January 11, 2008 One of the more colorful characters in American men's figure skating, Christopher Bowman, who also had the moniker "Bowman the Showman," was found dead in North Hills, California of a possible drug overdose. Bowman was 40.Bowman had a troubled life... Continue Reading Posted at 12:32 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan10	Lesley Moonves says CBS Exceeding Expectations in All Divisions Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 CBS Corp. (CBS-A) chief executive Lesley Moonves told analysts Thursday that every division at the company was exceeding expectations, and no short-term effects from the writers strike or the economy were affecting the company's performance. He also asserted the company... Continue Reading Posted at 10:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	MySpace Launches New Celebrity Channel Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 A new web channel was launched today by MySpace (NWS-A) called "MySpace Celebrity," which will allow stars and fans to interact with one another, among a host of other things.To begin with, at launch, the channel had over 300 celebrity... Continue Reading Posted at 9:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jennifer Lopez Retiring to Spend Time with Baby Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 In an interview with Harper's Bazaar magazine, Jennifer Lopez said she's going to retire from show business for some time in order to devote herself to spending as much time with her and husband Marc Anthony's new baby after she... Continue Reading Posted at 8:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rachel Bilson says "No" to Nudity Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 Rachel Bilson said in a recent interview that she almost dropped out of "The Last Kiss" because she refused to appear nude in the film.A report from "People" cited a quote of Bilson's saying, "Movies can be sexy or sexual... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	When the Car's the Star Gary Bourgeault January 10, 2008 I thought it would be fun to see what's causing all the hoopla in India, as what is being labeled the world's least expensive car was unveiled to the public today.It's interesting to see how brilliantly Ratan Tata marketed the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 9	Morgan Spurlock Signs Production Deal with Fox Television Studios Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Morgan Spurlock, who became widely known for his Oscar-nominated documentary, "Super Size Me," has signed on with Fox Television studios to develop scripted and nonscripted projects for the studio.Spurlock will create the projects through his Warrior Poets shingle, where he'll... Continue Reading Posted at 9:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	No Sex Scene between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 The sparks have evidently flying on the set of "Four Christmases," between Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, and I don't mean love sparks.Rather the two have been fighting because of their two very different ways of approaching work. Witherspoon is... Continue Reading Posted at 7:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Former Little Rascal Writes Book Encourging Disabled and Disadvantaged Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 The former Little Rascal known as Stinky, Ernie Weckbaugh, has released a book called "The Spirit of David," which tells 28 different short stories which encourage the disabled and disadvantaged.If you've seen the Little Rascal pictures, you'd identify "Stinky" as... Continue Reading Posted at 7:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radiohead's "In Rainbows" Debuts at No. 1 on U.S. Charts Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Radiohead continues their assault on the music charts, as it debuted in the U.S. as the No. 1 album on the pop chart. That follows other No. 1 results in Canada, France, Japan and Britain.While the numbers weren't huge for... Continue Reading Posted at 4:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Cutting More Jobs Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) has been cutting back on more jobs in the company, as it continually struggles across a number of its properties.On Tuesday more layoffs were initiated, including Wendy Mure, who was the brand development director at... Continue Reading Posted at 4:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Warner Bros. Could Cut up to 1,000 Jobs Gary Bourgeault January 9, 2008 "WARN" notices, mandated by the federal government, have been sent out be Warner Bros. (TWX), which could be the precursor to up to 1,000 workers for the company being laid off.A Warner spokeswoman said that under the U.S. Department of... Continue Reading Posted at 2:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 8	The People Name Johnny Depp and Reese Witherspoon as Top Movie Stars at "People's Choice Awards" Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 The people have had their say, and what they say is Johnny Depp and Reese Witherspoon are their favorite movies stars this year, as they spoke with their votes for the annual People's Choice Awards.Speaking of Johnny Depp, he must... Continue Reading Posted at 11:58 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Kate Winslet in Negotiations to Replace Nicole Kidman in "The Reader" Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 The publicist for Kate Winslet said she is close to a deal to replace Nicole Kidman in her role "The Reader." Winslet was actually originally asked to play the role, but had to decline because of conflicts in her schedule.Based... Continue Reading Posted at 8:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sarah Jessica Parker Expanding Her Brand through "Bitten" Clothing Line Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 Sarah Jessica Parker has always been classy, and her taste for fashion unquestionable. With that in mind, her new wildly successful apparel line "Bitten" has really taken off. Even Oprah is showcasing her product.In a brilliant move, Parker decided to... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	American Gladiators Pounds its way to Best Premiere Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 Strongest start of new show this season!The performance of "American Galdiators" for NBC (GE) with its season premiere surprised a lot of people, as it delivered some big numbers for the network on Sunday. The question will be whether they will... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eminem Rushed to Hospital over the Holidays Gary Bourgeault January 8, 2008 TMZ reported that Eminem was rushed to the hosiptal over the holidays due to pneumonia and a serious heart condition."Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia," the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 7	Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Expecting First Baby Together! Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban didn't even start his concert tour together and the couple are already expecting a baby. Kidman's publicist Wendy Day said, "Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban confirmed today that they are expecting a baby. The couple are... Continue Reading Posted at 7:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Pays $421 Million for 14.6% Stake in Premiere AG Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The largest pay-TV company in Germany, Premiere AG, was the latest target of Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. (NWS-A), as they acquired a 14.6 percent stake in the company for $421 million. "We see enormous potential for growth in Germany... Continue Reading Posted at 4:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney Officially Launches New Studio Name Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The official name of the studio arm of Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has been now changed to “Disney’s Hollywood Studios,” formerly "Disney-MGM Studios." Originally the change was scheduled for January 1, 2008, but the process involved took longer than expected.... Continue Reading Posted at 3:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Weta Workshop Lands "Justice League of America" Costume Design Gig Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Reports are that Weta Workshop has landed another role in a potentially big movie, as they were chosen to design the costumes of the heroes in the Justice League of America film. Some of the featured superheroes will be Wonder... Continue Reading Posted at 3:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	UK Box Office Breaks Summer Record Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The UK box office did this year what the American box office did: break the summer box office record.Nielsen EDI data says the overall summer box office finished with £904 million, an increase of eight percent over 2006. Unsurprisingly, Harry... Continue Reading Posted at 2:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dr. Phil Says No to Britney Spears Show Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 The plans to have a one-hour special show to look at the latest antics of Britney Spears was cancelled by Dr. Phil McGraw, saying that the situation was "too intense" for him to continue on with the plans."We had planned... Continue Reading Posted at 2:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jack Black Announces He and Wife Tanya Haden Expecting Baby No. 2 Gary Bourgeault January 7, 2008 Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden are expecting their second child, according to Black, who announced it at a press event promoting his upcoming movie "Please Be Kind Rewind." Black, who along with acting is also a musician, being a... Continue Reading Posted at 10:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 6	Bill Gates Highlights Continuing Role of Software at CES - also Partnership with NBC for Olympics Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 Bill Gates contributed the opening keynote address at his 11th CES conference, talking about what he called the digital decade, which started in 2001, and continues on through today and onward.Referencing software's role specifically in the decade, Gates said, "...in... Continue Reading Posted at 10:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony Again Presents Organic LED TVs at Consumer Electronics Show Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 OLED TVSony Corp. (SNE) again offered up their OLED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show to remind consumers they are an innovative and cutting edge company. They also revealed their robotic music player at the show.First, their OLED TV, or... Continue Reading Posted at 7:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	National Treasure: Book of Secrets Leads Box Office for Third Straight Weekend Gary Bourgeault January 6, 2008 For the third weekend in a row moviegoers chose National Treasure: Book of Secrets as their favorite movie to see. It was able to gross $20.2 million, which ended up being a fairly strong hold of 43 percent. Not bad... Continue Reading Posted at 5:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 5	HD DVD Promoter Cancels Press Conference after Time Warner Drops Format Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 The announcement by Time Warner Inc. (TWX) that it would stop supporting both HD DVD and Blu-Ray formats, and go with only Blu-Ray, caused the promoters of HD DVD to cancel a press conference on Sunday.With the International CES exhibition... Continue Reading Posted at 10:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Family Entertainment Central" Offers Guidance on Family-friendly Entertainment Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 There are a number of websites out there created to help people make decisions on what entertainment is appropriate for families, and a new one was recently developed, bringing it all under one roof, so you don't have to go... Continue Reading Posted at 6:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Disney's "It's A Small World" Co-creator Joyce Carlson Dies at 84 Gary Bourgeault January 5, 2008 A lot of people won't know who Joyce Carlson is, but her work was seen by millions every year that visited Disney's, "It's A Small World." Carlson was one of those who worked on the original miniature prototype of "It's... Continue Reading Posted at 1:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 4	Britney Spears Locked in Suicidal Patient Ward at Cedars-Sinai Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 A report from the Daily News says Britney Spears has been locked in the psych ward of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and was characterized as a "special needs" patient, which means she will be held in the ward for 72 hours... Continue Reading Posted at 11:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dorothy Hamill Undergoing Breast Cancer Treatment Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 Dorothy Hamill, a former Olympic figure skating gold medalists, announced today that she is being treated for breast cancer at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.Hamill, who is still beautiful at 51, was touring with the "Broadway on Ice"... Continue Reading Posted at 9:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will Amy Fisher Survive Sex Video? Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 The infamous Amy Fisher, who took a gun a shot the wife of her then lover Joey Buttafuoco in the head, is now the newest porn queen, and she doesn't seem to care.Why would someone like Fisher even want herself... Continue Reading Posted at 8:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Growing Weakness in Writers Guild Revealed as they try to Attack Leno Success Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 After boasting about their commitment to David Letterman and saying their inclusion on his show will make it superior to Jay Leno's Tonight Show, the Writers Guild of America is panicking and backtracking as it attempts to draw attention away... Continue Reading Posted at 5:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sony BMG Joins other Major Music Labels in Dropping DRM Gary Bourgeault January 4, 2008 Sony BMG (SNE) has become the last of the major music labels to commit to offering digital music downloads without digital rights management (DRM). Warner Music Group (WMG), EMI and Vivendi's Universal Music Group had already made that decision.This move was... Continue Reading Posted at 3:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 3	Leno and "Tonight Show" KOs Letterman and Writers Guild Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 I wrote a couple days ago that the hype about Dave Letterman getting back writers for his show being touted as a competitive advantage, had better come through in reality. The results for the first night are in, and the... Continue Reading Posted at 5:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The News is Sunny for Landmark Communications and "The Weather Channel," on the Block for $5bn Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 Landmark Communications, the parent of "The Weather Channel," has put the property up for sale for an approximate $5 billion. Lankmark is owned by the Batten family from Virginia.The channel was launched in 1982, and originally drew a large company... Continue Reading Posted at 4:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Elisabeth Hasselbeck Returning to "The View" Monday Gary Bourgeault January 3, 2008 Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the co-host of "The View," will be returning to the show Monday, January 7.Hasselbeck, who gave birth to a son, Taylor Thomas, on November 9, has been on maternity leave from the ABC (DIS) talk show since October... Continue Reading Posted at 1:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 2	Season Premiere of WifeSwap is Feisty Exchange Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 The inevitable battle between two opposite lifestyles happened on the season premiere of WifeSwap, as two families with extreme lifestyles exchanged wives and moms, and the sparks flew.Representing an overt obsession with outward appearance, the Guastafero family battled it out... Continue Reading Posted at 10:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radiohead set to top UK Charts with "In Rainbows" Physical Album Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 The Radiohead experiment to release their "In Rainbows" album digitally for whatever people wanted to pay for it looks like it's paying off, as the release of the same album via CD is set be the No. 1 album in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jennifer Hudson Passionately Wants a Grammy Gary Bourgeault January 2, 2008 While Jennifer Hudson appreciates her Oscar for her part in Dreamgirls, the actress and singer says her childhood dream has been to win a Grammy, and she wont be happy until that becomes a reality.Hudson said concerning her dream: "I... Continue Reading Posted at 5:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Jan 1	Nervous U.S. Government Offering Digital TV Converter Coupons Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 With the date for digital conversion only a little over a year away, the U.S. government has released its first converter box coupons for older TVs to convert to digital broadcasting. Those with television sets which use over-the-air antennas won't... Continue Reading Posted at 10:39 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC and Fox Narrow Debate Field - Ron Paul Backers Furious Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 With the decision to exclude some of the presidential candidates in upcoming debates over the coming weekend, it has Ron Paul supporters up in arms, especially with Fox News (NWS-A). The reason given by Fox News for its exclusion of... Continue Reading Posted at 7:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	US Studios Looking to Bollywood for Growth Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 Bollywood has always been an interesting film market, in that for a number of years it was run in a much different way than other film industries across the world. Now that has been changing at a fast pace, and... Continue Reading Posted at 6:01 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Daniel Radcliffe Lands Role of Slain Photographer Dan Eldon Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 While the competition to play the role of Dan Eldon, a photo-journalist murdered by a Somalian mob in 1993, was tough, with stars like Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger vying for the role, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) ended up winning... Continue Reading Posted at 4:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will David Letterman Finally Overtake Jay Leno? He Better! Gary Bourgeault January 1, 2008 Now that David Letterman has struck a deal with the WGA through his tiny, independently owned Worldwide Pants company, he may have a chance to finally catch Jay Leno, as he's been far behind Leno in ratings since 1995.The two... Continue Reading Posted at 12:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

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