Podcasting can be a “liberating” medium to work in for creatives with a sense of adventure and a willingness to lay themselves on the line in the service of good conversation. That was the message shared Thursday night by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, hosts of the Wondery podcast “Armchair Expert,” as the pair were […]

Christina Spade, the former chief financial officer for Showtime and CBS Corp., has launched Alexun Advisory, a consulting firm focused on helping to guide companies on long-term operational and planning decisions. Spade aims to distinguish Alexun’s offering from other consulting shingles that have proliferated in recent years with an emphasis on how to plan and […]

It’s not about volume, it’s about curation. It’s not about serving up shows for specific demographics so much as it is having something on the menu to satisfy subscribers’ ever-shifting moods and tastes. So says Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich in discussing the art of managing content for Hulu Originals, ABC Entertainment, Disney Branded […]

Charlamagne Tha God got a tattoo of Wolverine at age 16. Next month, the “Breakfast Club” personality and longtime comic book lover is diving deeper into publishing through a deal with Artists, Writers and Artisans for a fantasy thriller graphic novel “ILLuminati.” The project will have a Kickstarter component – not so much for financing […]

Top showbiz executives were in a mood to accentuate the positive on Sunday as industry insiders gathered at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Leaders of top studios, networks, talent agencies and more convened to talk a little shop, compare notes and celebrate excellence in a business […]

In the summer of 1982, Ronald Reagan was in the White House, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” led the box office, “Dallas” topped the Nielsen rankings and Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” was No. 1 on the pop chart. The U.S. was suffering through the end of a recession but still embracing the “Morning in […]

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 chief Casey Wasserman detailed their early planning for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games during a panel held Tuesday as part of the CNBC x Boardroom: Game Plan conference in Santa Monica. Wasserman faced an uncomfortable few minutes toward the end of the session when moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin […]

In the late 1980s, when future “SportsCenter” legend Linda Cohn wanted to move up the ladder in her career from Long Island cable news, she made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies one day for her camera operator. It was a bribe to persuade him to stay late to help her film a spec […]

Amazon Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” had a soft start for Season 2 and couldn’t fend off Netflix’s “Worst Ex Ever” for the No. 1 spot among streaming original TV series for the Aug. 30-Sept. 5 period. Meanwhile, Lee Daniels’ “The Deliverance” topped the streaming original movies chart for […]

Disney leaders have responded to claims made by DirecTV executives amid the contract dispute that led to ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned channels going dark on the satellite TV provider’s platform as of Sept. 1. DirecTV executives made bold claims on Sept. 3 about how Disney’s actions have harmed consumers as well as the decline […]

Entravision Communications alumnus Christopher T. Young has joined The Weather Channel as chief financial officer. He will also serve as executive VP of the cabler’s parent company, Allen Media Group. Young will be based at Weather Channel’s Atlanta and in Los Angeles where Allen Media Group is based. He reports to CEO Byron Allen and […]

ESPN and other Disney-owned channels have gone dark on DirecTV after the sides failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement, a business impasse that reflects the broader economic pain spreading throughout the pay TV sector. The blackout, coming on the kickoff weekend for ABC’s college football football coverage and a little more […]

The California state Senate has passed a law that requires consent for the use of dead performers’ likenesses for AI-created digital replicas. SAG-AFTRA has been among the organizations championing the legislation as a means of helping the estates of deceased performers maintain some control over AI-created fakes and replicas of famous figures. The union was […]

One of the biggest cultural trend stories coming out of last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago was the party’s warm embrace of social media creators and influencers. No social media maven on the ground at the United Center got more of a boost out of the DNC marathon than 12-year-old Knowa De Baraso of […]

Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris talked up her plan to promote an “opportunity economy” and defended her past policy shifts and track record as Vice President during her first high-profile news interview since moving to the top of the ticket earlier this month. Vice President Harris sat with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, […]