Category: News

What’s Going on with the CBS Investigation of Leslie Moonves?

It’s been roughly two months since CBS announced its investigation of the charges against now-former CEO Les Moonves and some of his colleagues. If you think it’s been too long since we heard how the investigation is going, you aren’t alone. So does The New York Times, which started the whole ball rolling.

So, c’mon NYT, level with us. What’s up?

Charlie Rose, Leslie Moonves and Jeff Fager

CBS Inquiry Into What Went Wrong in Les Moonves Era Hits Snags as It Advances

by Rachel Abrams

The #MeToo movement may have affected the CBS Corporation more than any other mass media company over the past year. After The New Yorker and The Washington Post published articles detailing accusations against high-ranking men at the network, CBS parted ways with Leslie Moonves, its chief executive; Jeff Fager, the longtime executive producer of “60 Minutes”; and Charlie Rose, one of its best known anchors. read article

Are U.S. Broadcast Networks Deliberately Self-Destructing?

Broadcast ratings are worse than ever, and the handwriting that spells “T-H-E-E-N-D is on the wall? Why don’t the networks start reading it?

by Roger Friedman

Prime time ratings for [last] Thursday night were a little shocking, especially for NBC. read article

Have You Heard the Good News About ‘Duck Tales?’

Duck Tales, one of the most well-written animated kids’ shows in all of TV, has been renewed for Season 3. We know because Disney said so, right here:

What makes the announcement video above particularly notable to us here at TVWriter™ is that the voice actors who play Huey, Dewey, and Louie actually recorded together for the very first time. Animation voiceovers usually are done one lonely actor at a time in a teeny booth with a screaming director on the other side of the glass partition.

Well, okay, we made up the “screaming director” thing. But, you know, it sounds kinda neat that way, yeah? read article

South Africa’s OUTtv is Fighting the LBGT Fight

“Everything’s a battle” is a truism of the television industry, worldwide. Take this one, for example:

Why the gay-focused channel OUTtv on DStv will only be made available in South Africa and not the rest of Africa
by Thinus Ferreira

The gay-focused OUTtv channel will only be available in South Africa and nowhere else in Africa where organised opposition and resistance to the broadcast of “pro-gay” television content the past few years have landed Naspers’ MultiChoice pay-TV arm and channel distributors in hot water with the rest of the continent’s censorship board and regulators. read article

What’s In Store for Fox TV Execs Now That They’re Moving to Disney?

Insider info! We love it. Especially when we’re talking about what’s going on at what formerly were two true television behemoths. (But are soon to become one that’s even – erm – behemothier.)

Walden, Rice & Landegraf

by Michael Schneider

When the Walt Disney Company unveiled much of its new TV networks organizational structure Monday, it didn’t come with many surprises: As expected, Peter Rice will assume oversight as chairman of Walt Disney Television and co-chair of Disney Media Networks once the company closes its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

Under Rice, as previously reported, Dana Walden has been named chairman of Disney TV Studios and ABC Entertainment, while John Landgraf will continue to oversee FX Networks and FX Productions as chairman. National Geographic Partners chairman Gary Knell, Disney Channels Worldwide president/COO Gary Marsh and ABC News president James Goldston will also answer to Rice. read article