☀️ DIS+ Exec Shakeup, Creator Push Continues

Mornin! Here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.

Where look at that — the FCC is totally fine with Middle East nations owning a combined $24B / 38.5% financial position in a company with a broadcast TV network. What were the odds?

Brendan Carr gave the FCC’s rubber stamp to the WARNAMOUNT deal yesterday regarding the foreign ownership component, as the Ellison family & REDBIRD hold 100% voting control of the company.

The FCC said the “public interest would be served” by permitting the exception to the 25% foreign ownership rule for a broadcast TV license that PSKY was petitioning for. How it would be served, exactly, well . . . that’s for another time.

Don’t worry, the FCC also specified that the Middle East countries cannot access nonpublic U.S. data at PSKY, so that should do it.

THEN: Donna Langley, Ted Sarandos and SAG-AFTRA Prez Sean Astin were among those in D.C. yesterday to drum up support amongst lawmakers for the federal production tax credit program, as part of a day organized by the COALITION FOR AMERICAN PRODUCTION (CAP) involving several other members of the greater production community from various states.

PLUS: UNI put out a statement saying it “remains committed” to releasing Musk in theaters internationally, and is “working through” a release plan.

• To round out the triumvirate of parties involved here (alongside BLEECKER theatrically in the U.S.), HBO MAX has the streaming rights.

KUDOS: To Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi, who welcomed their 2nd child via adoption this month.

AND: CBS/PAR+ are doing a JLO Show: Live in Las Vegas special on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m., which will be the final performance of her 12-show residency there.

WELL: Ya hate to see the AI gang wars bubbling up . . . but now ANTHROPIC’s CLAUDE has been utilized to successfully hack CHATGPT.

BUT: At least AI is finally decoding WWII Nazi messages from 83 years ago.

ALSO: COSM added UNI to its movie studio partnership biz alongside WB, creating a reformatted version of Shrek for the immersive theater experience at its L.A., Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit locations, although no screening dates have been set with the announcement.

AH: Nice to see NETFLIX shooting in my Jersey hometown. What up, Kev Hart and Henry Cavill! I’ll see you later today if you’re still there — let me know if you want to grab #FridayPizza at the good place.

With a side shout-out to Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning in Morristown, New Jersey, for PAR+.

And Dan Levy & co. also for NETFLIX in Metuchen, New Jersey. Welcome to Hollywood East, everyone!

For the record, The Ankler’s Christopher Rosen and I are available for skilled NJ background work anytime #HireAPro.

See all of you A-listers at the Montclair Film Festival in about a month, yes?

FINALLY: 2 developments from here in the NYC nightlife scene:

• The Tracks bar is back in Penn Station 🙌 , after a nearly $4M renovation.
• Jake’s Dilemma, a UWS home to too many late nights for twentysomethings for the past 30+ years, is closing after losing its lease.

NEW POD

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🎥 The Silver Screen