Sean Combs eyes Fuse. TV Academy plans makeover.
After the coffee. Before creating my own entertainment festival.
The Skinny: Nothing against “True Detective,†but you know what I like about “The Walking Dead� I like that I am not required to read 10,000-word essays about each episode or search for hidden clues. It’s all right in front of me. Today’s roundup includes Sean “Diddy†Combs making a play for Fuse and Fox Broadcasting restructuring its entertainment unit.
Daily Dose: Although the Justice Department’s review of Comcast’s deal to buy Time Warner Cable won’t get going for several weeks, one area of focus will likely be whether the cable industry is a threat to the development of Internet-delivered video services known as over-the-top or OTT. Meanwhile, Comcast is starting to make the rounds of the Federal Communications Commission to make the case for approval of the sale. The first hearing in Congress is set for April 2.
Trying to light a fuse under Revolt. Sean Combs is interested in acquiring the music channel Fuse from Madison Square Garden. If successful, Combs would shut down Fuse and put his own music network, Revolt, on in its place. Fuse is in more than 70-million homes while Revolt has just a fraction of that reach. Fuse has been on the market for awhile but so far no one has agreed to the $300-million minimum bid MSG is seeking. Combs’ offer was reportedly $200 million. Details from Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times.
ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll
Earley to rise. Fox Broadcasting is restructuring ts programming unit and putting more executives under Chief Operating Officer Joe Earley. The move basically combines the network’s current programming and development units. It also puts more of the day-to-day operations on the shoulders of Earley, who became COO in 2012 and frees up his boss — entertainment chief Kevin Reilly — to focus on bigger-picture strategies. More from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.
Getting a makeover. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is dropping the arts and science from its name and will now be known as the Television Academy. The name change is just one part of a strategy to make the academy more relevant to the industry. Of course, it costs money to be more relevant, so the academy is also looking to raise $40 million to give its North Hollywood headquarters a makeover. The Los Angeles Times looks at the Television Academy’s plans for the future.
Leaning out. Sharyl Attkisson, a high-profile investigative reporter at CBS known for her scrutiny of the Obama administration, is leaving the network. Citing unnamed sources, Politico said Attkisson “had grown frustrated with what she saw as the network’s liberal bias, an outsize influence by the network’s corporate partners and a lack of dedication to investigative reporting.â€
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Mary McNamara on Lindsay Lohan’s OWN show. Robert Lloyd on El Rey’s “From Dusk Till Dawn.â€
Follow me on Twitter. I don’t need to be at SXSW to be cool. @JBFlint.
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