☀️DISNEY TV Joins Summer Layoffs Chorus
WTF was that new PAR "offer" exactly? / UFC lawsuit revived / SIRIUSXM's '24 shrinking continues
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY, August 1, 2024.
Where CBS NEWS is revamping the CBS Evening News format to make it cheaper more dynamic. No more $4M a year main anchor salary, and enter a 4-person team of existing CBS NEWS talent ( John Dickerson, WCBS’s Maurice DuBois and chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn, and Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan).
Finally . . . no more “dealing with the things we think people might want to see,” and a focus on “real serious reporting,” according to new EP Bill Owens (who also is EP at 60 Minutes #onesalarytwojobs).
Because if there’s one thing that the core late 60s evening news viewer loves, it’s change in something they’ve watched their entire lives.
WELL: We’re halfway there on VENU — we have a price . . . but still no launch date. $43 a month and a broad “fall” launch timeline. College football season starts in earnest in a month.
AND: NBC is gonna bring Olympics broadcasting legends Bob Costas & Al Michaels into coverage at some point this month (both are in Paris for the games).
THEN: The Feds busted up a sex trafficking ring at COMIC-CON, arresting 14 people and recovering 10 victims of trafficking.
ALSO: Maya Rudolph will return to SNL to portray Kamala Harris this fall — and while certainly a stellar impression, can’t help but point out the irony of SNL not passing the baton to a new cast member to play the role (hopefully a succession plan is indeed needed come the 2nd half of the season).
ALTHOUGH: Given Trump’s dumpster fire of an appearance before a group of Black journalists yesterday — any way we can fire up a 30 min. special SNL preview episode this Saturday? Come on NBC — one more way to amortize those Olympics costs! Jost can do Weekend Update from the beach!
PLUS: TIFF found a new lead sponsor this year in Canadian telecom firm ROGERS, replacing longtime sponsor (and ROGERS competitor) BELL.
OH: The Studios lobbying group the MPA, SAG-AFTRA, DISNEY and music’s RIAA all endorse a “No Fakes Act” being introduced in the Senate, which would make it illegal to make an AI replica of someone without their consent.
MY APOLOGIES: To U.S. women’s rugby player Alex “Spiff” Sedrick for confusing her with teammate Ilona Maher (in my defense, The Athletic’s coverage led with Ilona yesterday) — Alex had the amazing 90-yard, game-winning run.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
WB is back to the summer distribution plate with M. Night’s Trap, which is looking at $15M to $20M depending on your optimism.
Knock at the Cabin opened to $14M, and Old about $17M in 2021.
IN THIS EDITION
WTF exactly was going on with PARAMOUNT yesterday, and how is Elle Woods even being mentioned in the context of . . . whatever that was.
#MediaNerd🤓 is in full effect today — SIRIUSXM and Hollywood studios have more in common than you think. See what SIRIUS is doing to try and find its way to 💰 growth in the new streaming era.
Plus the latest #cordcutting updates from the cable biz, and where META is trimming money to keep that bigtime growth going and more.
Plus, deal & casting news from NEW LINE, DISNEYFOX, AMAZON, an Upfront snapshot (of sorts) from FOX and much more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
