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☆ TV News Can’t Sidestep Turbulence as Election Approaches
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Television news may have never been this unsettled six months before a presidential election. ABC News is in the throes of change, after its president announced on Sunday night that she was leaving. Much of the challenge for television news divisions is, at its core, how to navigate a fast-evolving business. Instead, viewers are flocking to less lucrative streaming services, leaving the parent companies of the networks less sure-footed. And all of this is happening as news organizations face one of the trickiest journalistic assignments: an especially divisive presidential race.

Organizations: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN

Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, told employees on Sunday night that she was retiring, capping a tumultuous tenure marked by infighting, damaging leaks and a major shake-up of the news division’s leadership ranks. In an email to employees, Ms. Godwin said that she reached her decision to leave after a period of “considerable reflection.” In a separate note to employees, Debra O’Connell, a longtime Disney executive, said she would be overseeing ABC News. “Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” Ms. Godwin said in her note. “I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family,” she added. Ms. Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, has had a rocky tenure atop ABC News.

Persons: Kim Godwin, Godwin, Debra O’Connell, ” Ms, “ Organizations: ABC News, Disney, ABC

☆ Networks Covering Trump’s Trial: No Courtroom Scenes, but Look at the Text on Our Screen
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A little after 10:30 a.m., just as a prosecutor began delivering his opening statement in Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial, CNN’s chief legal correspondent, Paula Reid, had a live on-air update. “We’re learning that Trump is sitting back in his chair,” Ms. Reid said, “and not even looking at the prosecutor as he speaks.”This could make for a compelling visual, if only viewers could see Mr. Trump. Instead, CNN viewers saw Ms. Reid sitting on a blustery balcony somewhere outside the courthouse alongside the prime-time anchors Anderson Cooper and Kaitlan Collins. Together they tried to navigate a challenging assignment: how to cover a historic trial when network cameras aren’t allowed inside? Mr. Trump’s trial began in earnest on Monday, a remarkable event when a former president was being tried in a criminal case — and where television cameras are banned, forcing members of the TV and news media to figure out creative approaches to in-the-moment coverage.

Persons: Donald J, Paula Reid, Trump, ” Ms, Reid, Anderson Cooper, Kaitlan Collins, Trump’s Organizations: CNN

☆ Americans’ New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Early last year, Josh Meisel and his wife wanted to watch a new buzzy Peacock drama, “Poker Face,” starring Natasha Lyonne. But Mr. Meisel, a scientist who lives outside Boston, did not subscribe to Peacock. If they weren’t watching “Poker Face” anymore after two weeks, they would cancel Peacock. In the weeks that followed, Mr. Meisel, who is 39, cut loose Max, Apple TV+ and Hulu. He eventually resubscribed to Hulu and Apple TV+ when there were shows the couple wanted to watch — Hulu for “The Bear,” Apple TV+ for “Slow Horses” — but canceled both again after they finished watching a new season.

Persons: Josh Meisel, ”, Natasha Lyonne, Meisel Organizations: Apple Locations: Boston, Hulu

☆ Corporate Polish Meets Partisan Reality for NBC’s News Chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Cesar Conde is not the typical leader of a major news institution. A Wharton-trained executive who revived the fortunes of Telemundo and sits on the boards of Pepsi and Walmart, Mr. Conde had limited experience in journalism when, in 2020, he became the chairman of NBC’s sprawling news division, including MSNBC, CNBC, and franchises like “Meet the Press,” “Nightly News” and the “Today” show. Now he is trying to navigate the biggest crisis of his tenure: a journalistic firestorm that prompted an open revolt among his stars and has fueled internal questions about just how neatly Mr. Conde’s corporate experience and ambitions gel with the unique challenges of the news business. The blowback facing Mr. Conde, 50, a former fellow in George W. Bush’s White House who prides himself on having an even-keeled, nonpartisan reputation, is coming from both sides of the aisle. Left-leaning fans of MSNBC felt betrayed, and Republican officials are mocking NBC as biased, even threatening to bar its reporters from this summer’s nominating convention.

Persons: Cesar Conde, Wharton, Conde, Ronna McDaniel, Mr, Donald J, George W, Bush’s Organizations: Telemundo, Pepsi, Walmart, Mr, MSNBC, CNBC, Press, Republican National Committee, NBC

☆ In Saga of NBC and Ronna McDaniel, Perks and Perils of Partisan Talk on TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Trying to juice ratings in an election year, a major TV network hired a pair of provocative commentators from the political establishment to inject some spiky opinion into its otherwise-staid campaign coverage. These days, the role of the “paid contributor” — a commentator on contract, to bloviate on demand — is fully baked into the TV news ecosystem. Or, in the case of Ronna McDaniel, as the former chairwoman of the Republican Party. Ms. McDaniel’s tenure as a paid contributor at NBC News was less successful than those of many of her peers. (Her two immediate predecessors as Republican leader, Michael Steele and Reince Priebus, work for MSNBC and ABC News.)

Persons: Gore Vidal, William F, Buckley Jr, —, ”, Ronna McDaniel, McDaniel’s, Michael Steele, Reince, McDaniel, Donald J Organizations: ABC News, West Wing, Republican Party, NBC, MSNBC, ABC

The Ronna McDaniel era at NBC News has come to an abrupt and chaotic end. Ms. McDaniel’s appointment, announced with fanfare on Friday, was immediately criticized by reporters at the network and viewers on social media. The backlash at NBC has already created other problems for Ms. McDaniel. Ms. McDaniel was negotiating on Tuesday with lawyers to engage with NBC on her behalf. Leaders in the NBC newsroom, convinced that election year audiences deserved to hear a perspective from conservatives like Ms. McDaniel, believed the hubbub would fizzle out.

Persons: McDaniel, McDaniel’s, NBC’s, Donald J, Trump Organizations: NBC News, Republican National Committee, NBC, MSNBC, Republican Party, Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood

☆ CBS Signs 5-Year Deal for Golden Globes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Golden Globe Awards once again have a long-term broadcast home. CBS announced on Monday that it had signed a five-year deal to broadcast the Globes, providing a much-needed shot in the arm for a program that was on life support not long ago. “CBS’s collaboration with the Globes for this year’s broadcast was a big win for both of us and established strong momentum for awards shows in 2024,” George Cheeks, the president of CBS, said in a statement. NBC, the longtime broadcaster of the Globes, gave up the event after several ethics and diversity scandals imperiled the award show. In 2021, The Los Angeles Times reported that the organization that administers the Globes had no Black members, setting off a significant backlash in Hollywood.

Persons: “, ” George Cheeks Organizations: Globe, CBS, Globes, NBC, Los Angeles Times Locations: Hollywood

☆ Debra OConnell to Oversee News at Disney
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Walt Disney Company announced on Wednesday that a longtime executive at the company, Debra OConnell, would become the president of a newly created division that will include ABC News and the company’s local stations. Image Debra OConnell will become the president of a newly created division that will include ABC News and the company’s local stations. Credit... Randy Shropshire/Variety, via Getty ImagesThe reorganization mirrors what has taken place at other network news divisions. Several executives at NBC News report to Cesar Conde, the chairman of the so-called NBCUniversal news group, a division that includes local news and cable networks like MSNBC. Wendy McMahon, the president of CBS News, also oversees local stations.

Persons: Debra OConnell, OConnell, ” Kim Godwin, Debra, ” Dana Walden, Randy Shropshire, Cesar Conde, Wendy McMahon Organizations: Walt Disney Company, ABC, America, ABC News, Disney Entertainment, Variety, Getty, NBC, MSNBC, CBS News

☆ Super Bowl Viewership Rose to 123.4 Million, a Record High
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sunday night’s overtime Super Bowl shattered ratings records. An audience of 123.4 million watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen and CBS, which broadcast the game. That figure easily eclipsed last year’s record high of 115.1 million, when Kansas City defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Final Nielsen ratings for the Super Bowl will be issued on Tuesday. At a moment when traditional television ratings have been in free fall, the N.F.L., particularly the Super Bowl, has stood immune to massive viewership changes affecting the rest of the media world.

Persons: Nielsen, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift Organizations: Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Nielsen, CBS, Kansas City, Philadelphia Eagles, Super, Paramount, Univision, Nickelodeon Locations: Spanish, Travis Kelce , Kansas, Las Vegas

☆ Hollywood Made 14% Fewer Shows in 2023, Marking the End of Peak TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s official: Peak TV has peaked. Last year, 516 scripted television series aired or streamed in the United States, a 14 percent decline from 2022, the FX cable network said on Friday. That was only the second drop in at least 15 years, and the biggest, according to FX’s research. The total is the most definitive evidence of a slowdown that executives have been predicting for at least a year. The strikes wiped out the entire fall lineup for scripted network TV, and the fallout is likely to be felt throughout 2024.

Persons: — Organizations: FX Locations: United States

☆ Super Bowl Broadcast Is a Crossroads for CBS Sports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( John Koblin | Kevin Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the one hand, Sunday will be a joyous occasion for CBS Sports. The sports division will broadcast its 22nd Super Bowl, the most of any network. The storied CBS Sports division, the broadcasting home of marquee events like the Masters and March Madness, is confronting a wave of change. It all leaves CBS Sports facing a number of challenges — which company leaders say they can handle by sticking to what they know. “No matter what happens in the future to the company, sports will increasingly be more important each and every year,” Mr. McManus said.

Persons: Sean McManus, —, ” Mr, McManus Organizations: CBS Sports, CBS, Paramount, Southeastern Conference, Netflix

☆ The Results Are In: Here’s What Americans Streamed in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Last year, studios continued to pull back how much they spend on new TV shows. A pair of strikes effectively shut down Hollywood for several months, disrupting new releases of television shows and movies. And yet Americans kept on streaming. The time that people watched streaming services from their TV sets last year jumped 21 percent from 2022, according to a year-end review on streaming trends by Nielsen, the media research firm. There were nearly a million television shows and movies for Americans to choose from on over 90 streaming services.

Organizations: Nielsen Locations: Hollywood

Even by the standards of a news business whose fortunes have plummeted in the digital age, the last few weeks have been especially grim for American journalism. Prominent newspapers like The Washington Post are shedding reporters and editors, and on Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times laid off more than 20 percent of its newsroom. Esteemed titles like Sports Illustrated, already a shadow of their former selves, have been gutted overnight. An average of five local newspapers are closing every two weeks, according Northwestern University’s Medill School, with more half of all American counties now so-called news deserts with limited access to news about their hometowns. Of 1,100 public radio stations and affiliates, only about one in five is producing local journalism.

Persons: — Organizations: Los Angeles Times, Cable, Sports, Northwestern University’s Medill School Locations: Washington

☆ Netflix Is Said to License ‘Sex and the City’ From HBO
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

HBO is renting out one of its most valuable series to Netflix. Every season of “Sex and the City,” the HBO comedy that aired from 1998 to 2004, will begin streaming on Netflix for the first time in early April, according to three people familiar with the deal. Now “Sex and the City,” which had been licensed to cable networks, will be offered on Netflix as well. Unlike the other series HBO has licensed to Netflix, “Sex and the City” is part of an ongoing franchise for the company. The “Sex and the City” spinoff series, “And Just Like That,” streams on HBO’s streaming service and is preparing production for a third season.

Persons: ” Organizations: HBO, Netflix, City, Brothers Locations: ”

☆ 4.3 Million Watched the Emmys, a New Low
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Emmy Awards ratings collapse continues. An audience of 4.3 million people watched the Emmys on Fox on Monday night, the lowest viewership since records have been kept, according to preliminary Nielsen data. In 2022, the Emmys garnered 5.9 million viewers, the previous low. The ratings have put the Emmys dangerously close to the Tony Awards, which for decades has drawn a significantly smaller audience. But in June, 4.3 million people tuned into the Tonys, an increase from its previous ceremony.

Persons: Tony Organizations: Fox, Nielsen

☆ Congrats, and Goodbye, to Peak TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As “Succession” cast members marched up to the Emmy stage on Monday night to grab their statues for the show’s final season, they used it as one last opportunity to say goodbye. Kieran Culkin, after kissing his co-star Brian Cox on the lips, gave a tearful speech while accepting the award for best actor in a drama. Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook, who each won acting awards as well, gave loving tributes to fellow cast members. And Jesse Armstrong, the creator of “Succession,” capped off the night by accepting the best drama award for the third and final time and noting: “We can now depart the stage.”It all punctuated an end-of-era feeling at the Emmy Awards on Monday night. The ceremony felt in many ways like a book end to the so-called Peak TV era itself.

Persons: ”, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Sarah Snook, Jesse Armstrong, “ Ted Lasso, Saul, ” “ Barry, Maisel Organizations: Atlanta

☆ A Few Words About Netflix’s Success: Vivid. Snappy. Tags.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Imagine magazines that have no cover lines, and there were just photographs on them,” said Allan Donald, a director of product at Netflix. Most rival streaming services don’t bother displaying tags, or don’t have the same financial resources to support a group of employees to do all the work behind them. It commands 247 million subscribers worldwide, more than double many other streaming services. One of the reasons Netflix’s engagement is so high is that it deploys numerous tools to coax a viewer to watch. There are more than 10,000 titles on Netflix and thousands more on other streaming services.

Persons: ”, Allan Donald, Eunice Kim Organizations: Netflix, Nielsen, Prime, Disney Locations: United States, Hulu

The nominations for the 75th annual Emmy Awards were announced on July 12, 2023. The next day, the Screen Actors Guild voted to go on strike, joining the Writers Guild of America in a work stoppage that shut down Hollywood for months. As a result of the strikes, the Emmys were postponed until January. The ceremony will air on Monday — on the heels of the Golden Globes, in the midst of the N.F.L. Our TV reporter, John Koblin, joins TV editor Jeremy Egner to discuss the competitions to watch on Emmy night, and whether this ceremony might be a turning point for both the Emmys and the era of “peak TV.”

Persons: John Koblin, Jeremy Egner, ” Organizations: Screen Actors, Writers Guild of America, Golden Globes Locations: Hollywood, Iowa

☆ David Letterman Ends Conspicuous Absence From ‘The Late Show’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It started much like the way it ended for David Letterman. There he came, striding onto the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Monday night, to a standing ovation and a chorus of chants of “Da-vid! “Stephen,” Mr. Letterman said as he sat down. Mr. Letterman has been no stranger to the limelight since he stepped down from his late-night gig. He has done Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show several times; Seth Meyers’s late night show; Ellen DeGeneres’s daytime talk show; Howard Stern’s radio show; Dax Shepard’s podcast; Marc Maron’s podcast; Conan O’Brien’s podcast.

Persons: David Letterman, striding, Ed Sullivan, “, Letterman, ”, Stephen Colbert, “ Stephen, ” Mr, Colbert, —, Jimmy Kimmel’s, Seth Meyers’s, Ellen DeGeneres’s, Howard, Dax Shepard’s, Marc Maron’s, Conan O’Brien’s Organizations: “, CBS, Netflix, Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC, Philipps

☆ What to Know About OpenAI’s Chaotic Weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Friday, Mr. Altman was abruptly dismissed as OpenAI’s chief executive. Details for his surprise departure are still emerging but a dispute with a fellow founder of OpenAI appears to have played a role. Mr. Sutskever also objected to what he perceived as his own diminished role inside the company. “It doesn’t seem at all implausible that we will have computers — data centers — that are much smarter than people,” Mr. Sutskever said recently on a podcast. I don’t know.”Two other OpenAI board members, Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, have ties to the Rationalist and Effective Altruist movements, who have been concerned that A.I.

Persons: Altman, Steve Jobs, OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Mr, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Altman “, ”, Brad Lightcap, Sam Organizations: Apple, Rationalist

☆ CBS Says New Scripted Shows Will Return in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CBS announced on Monday that new episodes of scripted series would return in mid-February, making it the first network to lay out scheduling plans since a tentative agreement was reached last week to end the longest labor crisis in Hollywood in decades. Several returning series, including “Young Sheldon,” “NCIS,” “Ghosts,” the Tom Selleck drama “Blue Bloods” and “FBI,” will premiere later that week. Because of dual screenwriter and actor strikes, Hollywood scripted production has been severely disrupted since May and effectively shut down since July. The writers reached a deal with the studios first, in late September, allowing writers rooms to open up again and new episodes of late-night shows like “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” to air. The actors reached a tentative agreement last week, which will allow cameras to begin rolling soon.

Persons: Justin Hartley, “ Young Sheldon, ”, Tom Selleck, Stephen Colbert ” Organizations: CBS, FBI, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood

One of the longest labor crises in Hollywood history is finally coming to an end. Upset about streaming-service pay and fearful of fast-developing artificial intelligence technology, actors joined screenwriters on picket lines in July. The writers had walked out in May over similar concerns. It was the first time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the head of the actors’ union and Marilyn Monroe was still starring in films, that actors and writers were both on strike. Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling reported from Los Angeles and John Koblin from New York.

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, Brooks Barnes, Nicole Sperling, John Koblin Organizations: SAG Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Rangers-Diamondbacks World Series Ratings Are Lowest Ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The World Series wrapped up on Wednesday night with the Texas Rangers storming the field to celebrate the team’s first-ever championship. The five games averaged 9.1 million viewers, displacing the 2020 World Series, which averaged 9.8 million after a pandemic-shortened season. Also, the 2020 World Series was played at a neutral stadium, depriving the telecasts of the crowd energy that fuels a championship broadcast. Monday night’s Game 3 had just 8.12 million viewers, making it the least-watched World Series game since records were kept. The previous low was Game 3 of the 2020 World Series — played between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays — which was watched by 8.34 million.

Persons: — Organizations: Texas Rangers, Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Nielsen, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays

☆ HBO Chief Calls His Effort to Attack Critics a ‘Very, Very Dumb Idea’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Casey Bloys, the chairman of HBO, enjoys a reputation in the entertainment industry as an effective programmer and an easygoing executive who stays above the fray. All of which made his appearance at a news conference on Thursday, addressing his role at the center of a media tempest, quite striking. Mr. Bloys acknowledged his involvement in an effort to create fake Twitter accounts to respond to television critics who had unfavorable views of HBO’s programs. The article caught the attention of much of the entertainment industry, with several rival executives privately musing how the HBO executive could be so thin-skinned. New York Magazine described it as a “mini-scandal” that “is perhaps the funniest thing to happen in media in years.”

Persons: Casey Bloys, Bloys, Rolling Stone, ” Organizations: HBO, Twitter, New York Magazine

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