Disney buys Maker Studios. Ben Sherwood upped at ABC.
After the coffee. Before buying another power cord for my laptop.
The Skinny: My cat Skinny, for whom the Skinny is named, chewed through yet another power cord for my Mac. It’s what he does best. He doesn’t try to chew the lamp cords or even my phone charger, just the Mac power cords. Then he hides because he knows he’s done something wrong. Today’s recap includes stories on Ben Sherwood’s big promotion at Disney. Also, Disney buys Maker Studios and our TV Critic Mary McNamara wonders if “The Good Wife†made a bad move by offing a major character.
Daily Dose: Esquire Network’s “Friday Night Tykes†has generated a lot of attention for its portrayal of youth league football. Even the National Football League expressed concerns about the violence and seeming lack of concern for safety on the show and the message that sends. Perhaps to make amends, Esquire will air “Tackling Tykes†next Tuesday to discuss safety for little kids playing football. NFL players will be part of the special.
Big Ben. Less than five years ago, Ben Sherwood was a former news producer trying out a second career as an author. Now he is one of the most important executives at Walt Disney Co. On Monday, Disney Chairman Bob Iger tapped Sherwood to succeed the departing Anne Sweeney as co-chairman of Disney’s television holdings and president of the Disney/ABC Television Group. Sherwood, who came back to television in 2010 as president of ABC News, will now have oversight over ABC and many Disney cable networks including the Disney Channel and ABC Family. ESPN, of course, remains a separate operation under the stewardship of John Skipper. More on Sherwood from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Variety and Hollywood Reporter.
Making a mark. Walt Disney Co. struck a deal to buy Maker Studios, an online video studio, for $500 million in cash. For Disney, which has had struggles in the digital space, the deal gives it an immediate presence. Maker has thousands of channels and almost 400-million subscribers. For Disney, it can serve as a lab for potential TV and movie products as well as a promotional platform. If certain incentives are reached, Disney could end up paying as much as $450 million more for the company. Coverage and analysis from the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Variety.
Space to rent. Would you go to a movie theater to watch a football game? Well, first the NFL and the networks have to allow it, but theater owners are trying to figure out ways to bring in new revenue and screening TV shows, sporting events and concerts is on the table. Of course, the reason theaters are considering this is because the movie studios see their future on screens other than the big one. The Los Angeles Times on theater chains hunting for new revenue.
What else is new? According to Consumer Reports, cable giants Comcast and Time Warner Cable are not America’s favorite companies. The two pay-TV distributors, who are planning to merge, got bad marks for customer service and value. Here’s the thing. Everyone hates their cable company. Time Warner Cable could come to my house every morning and make me coffee and I’d still find something to complain about. It’s what we do. More on the survey from Bloomberg.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Mary McNamara on the killing of a major character on “The Good Wife.â€
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