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☆ Jimmy Fallon Apologizes to Staff After Article on Workplace Environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“If I ever mistreated anybody, or made you feel bad, that was not my goal,” he said in the meeting, according to a staff member who was present. “I want this show to be fun. It should be inclusive for everybody. It should be the best show, the best people. I just wanted to say I miss you guys.”

Persons: Jimmy Fallon, ” Mr, Fallon, “, Rolling Stone, ”

When television and movie writers went on strike in May, studios quickly suspended certain first-look deals — mostly those for lesser-established writers. In an escalation of the standoff between studios and the Writers Guild of America — it has entered its fifth month, with no end in sight — Warner Bros. moved late Wednesday to suspend deals with the 1 percent of television writers. Warner Bros. also suspended deals with Greg Berlanti (“Superman & Lois”) and Bill Lawrence (“Ted Lasso”), among others, the people said. A spokeswoman for Warner Bros. declined to comment. A spokesman for the Writers Guild of America had no immediate response.

Persons: Mindy Kaling, Abrams, Warner, Kaling, Greg Berlanti, Lois ”, Bill Lawrence, Ted Lasso ” Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Warner Bros, College Girls

Mr. Thompson, 66, joins the network with more experience running a sprawling news organization than Mr. Licht, a former morning and late-night show producer. Mr. Thompson started as a trainee at the BBC in 1979 and ascended to the position of director general, the broadcaster’s top position, in 2004. He joined the Times Company as its chief executive in 2012, and was among a group of executives who revitalized the company financially by greatly expanding its digital subscription business. When Mr. Thompson took over at the Times Company, a subscriber-only paywall for the paper’s website was still in its infancy. “I just thought we weren’t doing it well enough,” he said.

Persons: Licht’s, Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling —, David Leavy, Zaslav, Thompson, Licht, ” Organizations: CNN, BBC, Times Company

Mark Thompson, a former chief executive of The New York Times and leader of the BBC, is expected to be named the next top executive of CNN, according to three people with knowledge of the decision. Some senior executives at Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, have already been informed of the decision to hire Mr. Thompson, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because some executives at CNN hadn’t yet been informed of the decision. Mr. Thompson and a spokesman for Warner Bros. Ratings have plummeted, profits have slumped, and the network is still reeling from Chris Licht’s tenure as chief executive, which was terminated in June amid sagging staff morale.

Persons: Mark Thompson, Thompson, Chris Licht’s, Licht’s, Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling —, David Leavy, David Zaslav Organizations: The New York Times, CNN, Warner Bros, Discovery, Warner Bros .

As the Hollywood union strikes have dragged on, key characters have taken turns in the spotlight. There is Fran Drescher, the comedic actress who, with surprising ferocity, has rallied the actors’ union against television and film companies, and enraged studio executives in the process. But one crucial participant has remained an enigma: Carol Lombardini, 68, the top union negotiator for studios and a 41-year veteran of Hollywood labor battles. Ms. Lombardini has not given an interview of more than a few words since 2009, when she ascended from the No. Studios reached an agreement with the directors’ union in June; the writers last struck in 2008, the actors in 1980.

Persons: Fran Drescher, Robert A, Carol Lombardini, Lombardini Organizations: Hollywood, Disney, Alliance, Television Producers, Studios

☆ G.O.P. Debate Draws 12.8 Million Viewers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first Republican debate on Wednesday night drew an audience of 12.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen, indicating robust interest despite the absence of former President Donald J. Trump, the front-runner in the race. The viewership figure, which includes totals from both Fox News (11.1 million viewers) and the Fox Business Network (1.7 million), was significantly higher than anything else on television on Wednesday night, and outperformed the broadcast network totals combined. It was also the most-watched cable telecast of the year outside of sports, surpassing an episode of Paramount’s “Yellowstone,” which had 8.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The audience total, however, is a far cry from the record 24 million viewers who tuned in to Fox News for the opening Republican debate in the 2016 election cycle, which featured Mr. Trump on a debate stage for the first time. Nor did it reach the 18.1 million who watched one of the early Democratic debates in June 2019.

Persons: Donald J, Trump Organizations: Republican, Nielsen, Fox News, Fox Business Network Locations: ”

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery to Add CNN Channel to Max Streaming Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CNN is moving a step closer to its digital future. The cable news network will start a 24-hour streaming channel on Max beginning on Sept. 27, Warner Bros. Discovery, which is CNN’s parent company and also owns Max, said on Thursday. The CNN Max channel will feature distinct live programming, including a streaming-only news program hosted by the veteran anchor Jim Sciutto, but in a more unusual move, it will livestream several programs from the cable network, the company said. The overlap will include at least four hours of cable shows like “The Lead With Jake Tapper,” “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer” and “Anderson Cooper 360.” The cable shows will stream at the same time they appear on cable, JB Perrette, the president of global streaming at Warner Bros.

Persons: Max, CNN Max, Jim Sciutto, Jake Tapper, ”, Wolf Blitzer ”, “ Anderson Cooper, JB Perrette Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, JB, Fox

In an apparent attempt to break a labor stalemate that has helped bring nearly all of Hollywood production to a standstill, the major entertainment studios took the unusual step on Tuesday night of publicly releasing details of their most recent proposal to the union that represents 11,500 striking television and movie writers. Shortly before the public release of the proposal, several chief executives at the major Hollywood companies, including David Zaslav, who leads Warner Bros. Discovery, and Robert A. Iger, the Disney kingpin, met with officials at the Writers Guild of America, the writers’ union, to discuss the latest proposal, according to three people briefed on the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private session. By releasing the proposal, the companies are essentially going around the guild’s negotiating committee and appealing to rank-and-file members — betting that their proposal will look good enough for members to pressure their leaders to make a deal. Some writers immediately pushed back, including David Slack, whose credits include “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” and “Person of Interest.”

Persons: David Zaslav, Robert A, David Slack, ” Organizations: Hollywood, Warner Bros, Disney, Writers Guild of America

It is unclear how far along the talks are with Mr. Thompson and the other candidates. Mr. Thompson declined to comment. Semafor earlier reported CNN’s interest in Mr. Thompson. Since Mr. Licht’s departure, CNN has been run by four people, three of whom — Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling — are CNN veterans. The fourth, the CNN chief operating officer David Leavy, has been a longtime lieutenant to Mr. Zaslav, and was appointed shortly before Mr. Licht’s dismissal.

Persons: Mark Thompson, Thompson, David Zaslav, Chris Licht, Semafor, Licht’s, Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling —, David Leavy, Zaslav Organizations: The New York Times, CNN, Warner Bros, Mr, Discovery

☆ As Hollywood Strikes Roll On, Viewers Have a Chance to Catch Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On his Amazon Prime page, Mr. Martinez had been seeing a tile for the show “The Boys” for some time. The superhero series was one he thought he had no interest in. “I’m enjoying it, and I’m glad I started it,” he said. Not all the viewers need a new old show to watch. “It’s a cartoon series for kids, but I’m not going to lie — it’s also for adults,” she said, laughing.

Persons: Eric Martinez, Martinez, “, ”, Brenda Stewart, ” She’s, King ”, Stewart, it’s, I’m Organizations: San Francisco Bay Area, HBO, Amazon, CSI, Disney Locations: San Francisco Bay

Late-night television shows immediately went dark, and broadcast networks have retooled their fall seasons to include mostly reality series. Both sides had characterized it as a meeting to determine whether it made sense to restart talks. With a strike starting to hurt companies and writers alike, was there a give-and-take to be had? Screenwriters and actors are worried about not receiving a fair share of the spoils of a streaming-dominated future. Many streaming shows have eight to 12 episodes per season, compared with more than 20 made for traditional television.

Persons: ” Karen Bass Locations: Angeles, Los Angeles

☆ Emmy Awards Are Pushed to January Because of Hollywood Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The event will join the Golden Globes, the AFI Awards, the Grammys and the Oscars, among others, in a two-month stretch. The Emmys ceremony, now scheduled for Martin Luther King’s Birthday, is a day after the Critics Choice Awards and a week before Oscar nominations are scheduled to be announced. Series eligible for the coming Emmy Awards had to premiere between June 2022 and May 2023. Nominations were announced last month, and the perennial Emmy heavyweight HBO again dominated the other networks and streamers. Emmy voting will begin as normal next week, with the results being held under lock and key for many months.

Persons: Martin Luther King’s, Oscar Organizations: Television Academy, Golden Globes, AFI, Fox, HBO

☆ Hollywood Writers and Studios to Restart Talks After 3-Month Standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The major entertainment studios and thousands of striking writers have agreed to meet to restart talks after a three-month standoff, according to the writers guild. The union, the Writers Guild of America, told screenwriters in an email Tuesday night that Carol Lombardini, the studio negotiator, asked for “a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations.”The guild said it would not comment further. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the organization that bargains on behalf of the studios, also declined to comment. The meeting represents the first sign of movement in a stalemate that began in early May after negotiations between the writers and studios fell apart.

Persons: Carol Lombardini Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers

☆ Emmy Awards Will Be Postponed Because of Actors’ and Writers’ Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fallout from the Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes continues. The 75th Emmy Awards will be postponed because of the strikes, according to a person briefed on the plans. Emmy organizers are hopeful that would give the Hollywood studios enough time to settle the labor disputes. The writers have now been on strike for 88 days and have not returned to the bargaining table with the major Hollywood studios since negotiations broke down in early May. By the time tens of thousands of actors joined the writers on picket lines and went on strike on July 14, it all but put a nail in the coffin for an Emmys ceremony in September.

Persons: ’ Organizations: Hollywood, Fox, Television Academy, New York Times

☆ Hollywood Strikes Mean Steady Diet of Reruns, Game Shows and Reality TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Scripted television series premiering at a slower pace. The “New Releases” and “Just Added” banners on streaming services piling up with reality shows, documentaries and international fare. Ninety-minute episodes of “Survivor” and “60 Minutes.” A steady diet of Pat Sajak, Steve Harvey and David Spade hosting game shows in prime time. For the better part of a decade, viewers have been inundated with dozens of new scripted shows every month, an overwhelming era in entertainment known as Peak TV. The days of 600 new scripted shows a year are officially over and unlikely to return.

Persons: Pat Sajak, Steve Harvey, David Spade Organizations: Survivor

☆ Actors and Hollywood Studios ‘Remain Far Apart’ on Crucial Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As tens of thousands of actors go into their fifth day of a strike versus the Hollywood studios, the two sides have shown no signs of returning to the bargaining table — and are even exchanging barbed messages that underscore how far apart they are. Late on Monday night, leadership of SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, sent out a 12-page memo to members laying out their demands and the studios’ counterproposals. They “remain far apart on the most critical issues that affect the very survival of our profession,” the note said. “A strike is not the outcome we wanted,” the alliance said. “For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best.”

Persons: “, ” Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, The Alliance, Television Producers

“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,” Ms. Drescher said in a statement. “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”It would be the first time that actors and screenwriters were on strike at the same time since 1960, when Marilyn Monroe was near her peak. “We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of Hollywood companies, said in a statement. Many of the actors’ demands mirror those of the writers, including higher wages, increased residual payments (a type of royalty) from streaming services and aggressive guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence to preserve jobs. Guild leadership also wants new regulations regarding self-taped auditions, a pandemic phenomenon that has resulted in significantly fewer live casting sessions.

Persons: ” Ms, Drescher, Marilyn Monroe, AFTRA Organizations: Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Netflix, Apple, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood

The stage was different, and so was the tone. “The eyes of the world and particularly the eyes of labor are upon us,” Ms. Drescher said. What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor.”She shook her fists in indignation. “I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us!” she continued. Shame on them!”Ms. Drescher is the latest in a long line of familiar faces — Ronald Reagan, Patty Duke and Charlton Heston among them — to run SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents tens of thousands of screen actors.

Persons: Fran Drescher, ”, ” Ms, Drescher, “, Ms, — Ronald Reagan, Patty Duke, Charlton Heston Organizations: SAG Locations: Hollywood

☆ What the Hollywood Actors and Writers Strikes Mean for TV and Movies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than two months, viewers have been without new episodes of late-night shows like “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” because of the writers strike. With the actors now voting to strike too, viewers are likely to notice the effects of the dual walkouts more broadly within the next couple of months. Unless there is an immediate resolution to the labor disputes, the fall television lineup is almost certain to be affected. Instead of new episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” or “Abbott Elementary,” the ABC fall lineup in September will be populated by a combination of reality series, game shows and reruns. That means lots of episodes of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “Judge Steve Harvey.”Likewise, the Fox broadcast network announced its fall lineup on Wednesday, and it is packed with unscripted series like “Celebrity Name That Tune,” “The Masked Singer,” “Kitchen Nightmares” and “Snake Oil,” a new game show hosted by David Spade.

Persons: Stephen Colbert, ”, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon ”, “, Abbott, Steve Harvey, Singer, David Spade Organizations: ABC, Fox

☆ HBO’s ‘Succession’ Dominates Emmy Nominations in Uncertain Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The moment of triumph for HBO is coming at a time of transition for the network, which since last year has been run by a debt-ridden parent company, Warner Bros. The network is now part of a streaming service that removed its call letters (bye HBO Max, hello Max). HBO had the three most nominated shows: “Succession” (27), “The Last of Us” (24) and “The White Lotus” (23). It was in 1992, when NBC landed nominations for “I’ll Fly Away,” “L.A. Law,” “Law & Order” and “Quantum Leap.” All four series lost to that year’s winner, “Northern Exposure,” from CBS.

Persons: ”, HBO Max, Max, ” Roy, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, L.A, Jason Sudeikis, “ Ted Lasso, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Hader, “ Barry, ” Jason Segel, Martin, Quinta Brunson, “ Abbott, ” Brunson, Isabel Sanford, Christina Applegate, ” Rachel Brosnahan, Maisel, ” Natasha Lyonne, Jenna Ortega Organizations: HBO, Warner Bros ., Brothers, Netflix, Warner Bros, NBC, CBS, “ Locations: The

The move represents a further integration into the newsroom of The Athletic, which The Times bought in January 2022 for $550 million, adding a publication that had some 400 journalists covering more than 200 professional sports teams. Online access to The Athletic, which is operated separately from the Times newsroom, is included for those who subscribe to two or more of The Times’s bundle of products. A group on the business desk will cover money and power in sports, while new beats covering sports will be added to other sections. When The Times bought The Athletic, executives said the deal would help the company appeal to a broader audience. They added it to a subscription bundle that includes the main Times news site as well as Cooking, the Wirecutter product review service and Games.

Persons: Kahn, Drake Organizations: The, The Times, The Athletic, Times, Journalists, Athletic

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