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AMC Networks told its employees Tuesday that it is planning significant layoffs, according to a memo obtained by CNBC and people familiar with the matter. In recent years, AMC Networks has been seen as an acquisition target for larger media companies. We have directed the executive leadership of AMC Networks to undergo significant cutbacks in operations. These will include a large-scale layoff as well as cuts to every operating area of AMC Networks. We are confident that AMC Networks will come through this even stronger.

Deal Paramount Plus Essential Black Friday Deal (Annual Plan) Now through November 27, new and returning subscribers can get 50% off an annual Paramount Plus plan. Limited-Time Deal Paramount Plus Premium Black Friday Deal (Annual Plan) New and returning subscribers can get 50% off one year of Paramount Plus if you sign up by November 27. Rare Deal Paramount Plus/Showtime Essential Annual Plan For a limited-time, new members can get a year of Paramount Plus with Showtime for half off. Deal Paramount Plus/Showtime Premium Annual Plan Now until November 27, new members can get a year of Paramount Plus with Showtime for 50% off. This brings the bundle with an ad-free Paramount Plus Premium membership down to $75 for your first year.

☆ Emma Corrin resuscitates the debate over gender neutral awards categories
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Awards season has barely begun, and one of the stars of streaming’s most decorated shows is weighing in on the debate over whether legacy awards shows such as the Oscars, Emmys and BAFTAs should fuse their gendered acting categories to avoid a binary system. Now, “it’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories,” they said. Around the same time as Dillon’s exchange with the Academy, MTV announced they were doing away with gendered categories for its MTV Movie and TV Awards. The Grammys also got rid of gender-based categories in 2011, as part of a large-scale overhaul of the legacy music awards event. Other awards to more recently update their categories to exclude a gender binary include the Spirit Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards, both of which made the change this year.

☆ These are the best Black Friday streaming deals from Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Streaming is getting more expensive, but there are still some good deals to be had this Black Friday. From Amazon to HBO, there are a number of offers available if you want to catch up on "House of the Dragon" or finally watch "The Handmaid's Tale." The offer is available to new subscribers, as well as past subscribers who haven't been members for at least the past month. Prime Video — $1.99 for select channelsSopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSubscribers to Amazon Prime already receive Prime Video included with their membership. Disney Plus — Get a full year for $79Thiago Prudencio | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

☆ Hasbro CEO says inflation won't ruin Christmas but Wall Street is worried
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN Business —The holidays are rapidly approaching, and for the toy company Hasbro, a slowing economy could be a proverbial Grinch that steals Christmas. Before joining Hasbro, Cocks was an executive at Microsoft (MSFT) from 1999 through 2006 and 2008 through 2016. Cocks said Hasbro is investing “significantly” in digital toys, particularly digital versions of classic Hasbro board games like “Monopoly” and “Scrabble” as well as D&D and the company’s “Magic: The Gathering” game. It’s definitely been a boon for the game,” Cocks said. “If there’s a couple of truisms in life, there’s death, there’s taxes, and there’s parents wanting to have a great holiday for their kids.”

☆ Paramount Global shares jump after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway increases stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global 's stock got a boost Tuesday after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway upped its stake, a fresh signal that the media and entertainment company could be an acquisition target. Berkshire disclosed in public filings late Monday that it now owns more than 91 million shares in Paramount. Buffett's firm first disclosed its new stake in Paramount in May. Paramount is controlled through its class A shares by National Amusements, chairman Shari Redstone's holding company. Paramount owns "Top Gun: Maverick" movie studio Paramount Pictures, as well as the broadcast network CBS, cable channels including MTV and VH1, the premium network Showtime, and fledgling streaming service Paramount+.

American comedian Leo Gallagher has died at the age of 76, according to his family. Gallagher passed away from organ failure while in hospice care in his Palm Springs, California, home, his son-in-law told NBC News. 1 comedian in America for 15 years, with comedy specials airing on Showtime and MTV. In his career spanning decades, Gallagher hosted 14 Showtime specials and around 3,500 live comedy shows, according to his website. Toward the end of his career, the comedian starred in Geico commercials and in his first movie, "The Book of Daniel."

☆ Gallagher, watermelon smashing comedian, dead at 76
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Comedian Gallagher, best known for his watermelon-smashing comedy routine and many popular specials in the 1980s, died Friday morning, according his manager Craig Marquardo. Gallagher’s most famous bit involved a hand-made sledgehammer he called the “Sledge-O-Matic,” which he would use to smash food on stage, spraying the audience. Comedian Gallagher circa 1970s. Bill Johnson/Denver Post/Getty Images“That was something else he liked to claim credit for, which was physically engaging the audience in that manner,” the obituary said. “While his counterparts went on to do sitcoms, host talk shows and star in movies, Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades,” the obituary said.

☆ Comedian Gallagher, famous for smashing watermelons, dies at 76
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

PASADENA, CA - MAY 23: Comedian Gallagher performs during his appearance at The Ice House Comedy Club on May 23, 2014 in Pasadena, California. American comedian Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. has died at the age of 76, according to his family. Gallagher passed away from organ failure while in hospice care in his Palm Springs, California home, his son-in-law told NBC News. He had been unwell and suffered multiple heart attacks prior to his death. In his career spanning decades, Gallagher had 14 Showtime specials and around 3,500 live comedy shows.

☆ From prison to beating depression, rapper Fat Joe shares new memoir
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alicia PowellNEW YORK, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Recording artist Fat Joe is sharing the highs and lows of his life in his new book “The Book of Jose: A Memoir”. However, Joe reveals he made his life look easy while he was going through a lot behind the scenes. “My son being born autistic, and his mother wanted to give him up for adoption, or my mother catching cancer, or my brother's drug addiction or going through depression when (Big) Pun died.”Rapper Big Pun died in 2000 after suffering a heart attack and respiratory failure. His Bronx store features a classroom where both after-school and adult programs are held. “You got Big Pun.

☆ Paramount took a risk keeping ‘Top Gun’ grounded for two years. It was this year’s biggest hit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Maverick” flew into theaters with lots of buzz and strong reviews, and that helped the movie blow past box office projections for its opening weekend. It brought in a Memorial Day weekend record of $160 million at the North American box office. “Maverick” is an old-school box office hit made for the biggest screen possible that emerged just as the industry’s future was very much in doubt. “The commercial reception of Tom Cruise’s legacy sequel was the summer movie miracle theaters needed,” Scott Mendelson, a box office reporter, wrote for Forbes. Climbing back up the mountain"We really felt, and Tom certainly agreed with the fact that we had a great big screen movie," Bakish said.

☆ 'Spector' review: A Showtime docuseries examines Phil Spector's legacy while giving Lana Clarkson near-equal time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Perhaps most notably, this Showtime docuseries gives near-equal time to victim Lana Clarkson, including how the media posthumously denigrated her. “Phil Spector very much saw himself as a victim of all kinds of things,” says Vikram Jayanti, who interviewed the producer for a BBC documentary. Spector’s attorneys fueled that by playing a reel of her appearances in movies like “Barbarian Queen” in court, which, some observers noted, merely served to humanize her. “What a horrible fate for a legend,” says Paul Shaffer, David Letterman’s band leader and one of Spector’s friends. “Spector” premieres November 4 on Showtime’s streaming service and November 6 at 9 p.m.

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’Even before making its way to theaters, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 film starring Chadwick Boseman — has birthed some of this fall’s biggest pop culture moments, including a Rihanna song drop. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 11. “The Inspection” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 18. “Bones and All” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23. “Strange World” opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 23.

☆ Paramount Global shares slide as results miss and TV revenue falls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global on Wednesday reported $6.92 billion in revenue for its third quarter, an increase of 5% year-over-year. Yet the company's results missed expectations as it suffered from cord cutting and a drop in advertising revenue. Advertising revenue for the segment also dropped, a sign that macroeconomic headwinds are beginning to hit. Paramount said advertising revenue for its TV networks was down 3% to about $1.9 billion. The company noted it also restructured some of its international affiliate TV agreements during the quarter, which shifted revenue from pay-TV services to streaming.

☆ YouTube Launches Streaming-Service Store as Competition Intensifies for Viewers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Miles Kruppa | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For the streaming services, the new hub gives them deeper exposure to YouTube’s millions of users. YouTube on Tuesday launched an online marketplace for streaming services with more than 30 offerings, another step in the Google unit’s bid to become a one-stop shop for video entertainment. The new feature, called Primetime Channels, will allow viewers in the U.S. to subscribe to individual streaming services including Showtime, Paramount+ and Starz directly through YouTube. The National Basketball Association has also agreed to add its NBA League Pass package of games to the platform at a later date.

Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter has some in Hollywood heading for the exit. Bye," Rhimes tweeted to her nearly 2 million Twitter followers on Saturday afternoon, two days after the billionaire tycoon closed his $44 billion deal to purchase the service. Here's a running list of other folks from the overlapping worlds of television, movies, music and sports who say they plan to leave. Sara BareillesThe Grammy-winning singer/songwriter tweeted to her nearly 3 million followers on Sunday: "Welp. I’m coming off Twitter today—let’s see where we are when the dust settles."

☆ Nudged in School to Try Everything, Jon Hamm Chose Acting
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jon Hamm, 51, is an actor best known for his role as Don Draper in the AMC series “Mad Men.” He co-starred in “Top Gun: Maverick” and stars in the films “Corner Office” and “Confess, Fletch,” which he co-produced and is on Showtime on Oct. 28. He spoke with Marc Myers. Technically, I’m an only child, but after my parents divorced when I was 2, I never felt that way. I’ve always had a large cast of extended family members.

Internet celebrity turned boxer Jake Paul will fight UFC legend Anderson Silva on October 29. Paul vs. Silva will be a Showtime pay-per-view event airing October 29 at 9 p.m. How to watch Paul vs. SilvaYou can watch Paul vs. Silva on October 29 at 9 p.m. Paul vs. Silva (PPV Fight) Internet celebrity turned boxer Jake Paul will fight UFC legend Anderson Silva on October 29. Paul vs. Silva fight card

☆ The bear market blues: a diagnosis for our times
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Alden Bentley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

John Schott MD, a portfolio manager at The Colony Group, retired psychiatrist and a recognized expert on market psychology, coined the term Bear Market Depressive Syndrome (BMDS) in his 1998 book "Mind Over Money." After prolonged bull markets, investors tend to go into denial during bear markets. MARKET RISK FACTORS ALMOST UNPRECEDENTEDThe S&P 500 (.SPX) was down more than 27% year-to-date in mid-October. "That essentially moves the market at a faster pace than you would have seen in previous periods of market weakness." Negative sentiment readings indicate the market is running out of sellers, and are thus considered a bullish signal.

☆ ‘White Lotus’ Star F. Murray Abraham Traded Gang Life for a Career on Stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

F. Murray Abraham, 82, is an actor best known for his Oscar-winning performance as Antonio Salieri in “Amadeus.” He co-starred in “Scarface” and “Inside Llewyn Davis,” and on Showtime’s “Homeland.” He co-stars in season 2 of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” starting Oct. 30. He spoke with Marc Myers. In my early teens in El Paso, Texas, I was in a gang called the Rogues. We had knives and we did stupid things, but we weren’t as dangerous as other gangs in the area. We had fights, but everybody walked away.

☆ Showtime’s ‘Lincoln Project’ doc, like the super PAC, is noisy but not all that effective
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Michael Arceneaux | Michael Arceneaux Is The Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Showtime’s five-part docuseries about The Lincoln Project, the super PAC founded by multiple well-known Republican strategists and operatives with a shared contempt for Donald Trump, reminds me a lot of the organization’s work in 2020: noisy but not necessarily all that effective in realizing its stated goals. It’s not that The Lincoln Project founders shouldn’t be proud of the house they built. We also definitely didn’t need so much footage of various fans — including celebrities — and Lincoln Project members talking about how cool, popular and great the organization is. At the time of that revelation, not even The Lincoln Project disputed it. And while I won’t deny the coverage The Lincoln Project garnered during and after the 2020 election, is it all that hard to troll someone like Trump?

☆ Showtime chief’s departure signals Paramount is moving forward on its plan to merge streaming services
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global executive David Nevins, who joined Showtime in 2010 and has run the premium network since 2016, is leaving the company at the end of the year. Paramount Global announced Thursday that it's moving Showtime's network business under the leadership of Chris McCarthy, who runs other linear cable networks such as MTV and Comedy Central, and the streaming service under Tom Ryan, who runs Paramount Streaming. The moves come as the company is considering the idea of merging Showtime into Paramount+ and using the network's hit programming to fuel Paramount+ subscriptions, according to people familiar with the matter. The company's goal is to have Paramount+ be one of the five largest global streaming services, along with Warner Bros. "We are always exploring options to maximize the value of our content investment by giving consumers access to great Paramount content — including the iconic, groundbreaking and premium content offerings of Showtime -- across an array of services and platforms," a Paramount Global spokesperson said.

The series continues the story that originated in 1986's "The Karate Kid," offering an entertaining blend of action, drama, comedy, and '80s nostalgia. Check out the trailer for 'Cobra Kai' season 5Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Courtney Henggeler, Martin Kove, and Thomas Ian Griffith also star. "Cobra Kai" season one premiered on YouTube Premium in 2018, and a second season followed in 2019. How to watch 'Cobra Kai'"Cobra Kai" season five is now available to watch exclusively on Netflix. How to watch 'The Karate Kid' moviesIf you're interested in catching up on the story of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence before streaming "Cobra Kai," you can watch the first three "Karate Kid" movies on Paramount Plus or Showtime.

☆ Amex Blue Cash Preferred card review: A generous welcome bonus offer and 6% back at supermarkets make this cash-back card hard to beat
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-19 | by ( Holly Johnson | Jasmin Baron | Freelance Writer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

If you prefer to only earn cash back, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a star. Here's our comparison of the Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday to help you decide which is best for your wallet. No, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express isn't made of metal — it's a plastic card. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a credit card, not a charge card. You can't transfer cash back (Reward Dollars) from the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express to other Amex cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card.

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