Monday, February 02, 2009

Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



"Bob Iger isn’t the most extreme example. In 2007, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves was awarded a competition package worth $36.8 million. Moonves is a gifted network television programmer. But it’s been rough sledding at CBS lately. Recently, Bernstein Research predicted ad revenues at the company’s local stations would fall by 26 percent in 2008. It warned that CBS might have to slash its dividend to keep a healthy credit rating. Moonves may soon need to make a goodwill gesture himself to keep investors happy. News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch and the company’s COO, Peter Chernin, are two more of the media industry’s highest paid executives. Murdoch made $27 million in 2007. His deputy made $28 million. This is nearly $4 million less than they each made in 2006. But News Corporation’s stock has been in a tailspin for the last two years. Still, there must be plenty of shareholders who would argue that Murdoch and Chernin deserved to give up a little more. Time Warner’s top executives haven’t raked in nearly as much. They are hardly in a position to protest. Their famously dysfunctional company has yet to recover from its failed 2000 merger with AOL. Richard Parsons, Time Warner’s former chairman and CEO, received $18 million in 2007. (Earlier this year, he departed for Citigroup.) Parsons’ successor, Jeff Bewkes, made $19 million. The change in the executive suite has done nothing to revive the company’s moribund stock prices." (Waxword)

"WHICH two Hollywood buddies should go home to their wives instead of partying together in New York clubs with bags of cocaine?" (PageSix)

"The talk was about Bernie Madoff in a midtown restaurant that the famous swindler frequented often. Asked about him, the waiter remembered him well. Why? Because he was 'one of those black cards.' Black cards? Yeah, you know, the American Express Titanium. In case you’re one of the seven people in Manhattan who doesn’t know what that is, it’s the Credit Card To End All Credit Cards. Just having it means you’re loaded. (Although nowadays I wouldn’t bank on it.) When it came out, it had an annual fee of $2,500 and you were expected to charge a quarter million bucks a year on it. Or preferably more. And for that you could go anywhere your little heart desired. Upgrades as plentiful as M&Ms and the service staffs bowing and kowtowing. When your tchotkes become objets.I think that’s the way the creators saw it. The waiter at the midtown restaurant who remembered Bernie Madoff and his Titanium saw it another way. 'Everyone knows those people with that black card are the world’s worst tippers. Bernie Madoff never once even left ten percent on his bill, and he came in here all the time.'" (NYSocialDiary)

"The Pentagon’s top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan — to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said. The recommendations to narrow U.S. goals are contained in a classified report by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is likely to be shown soon to Obama as part of a review of Afghanistan strategy announced by the new administration. Obama is expected to announce soon his decision on a request for additional forces from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David McKiernan. Several officials said they believe the president will approve sending three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, totaling roughly 10,000 to 12,000 troops." (Politico)

"Lionsgate just bought this year's big Sundance Film Festival winner Push: Based On The Novel by Sapphire with no less luminaries than Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry using their friendship and production companies to get behind the pic. Perry, as you know, has a giant overall deal at the mini-major. Push, which starred Mo'Nique (who was honored with a Special Jury Prize for acting) and Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz as well as unknowns, won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Awards in the U.S. Dramatic Competition for only the 3rd time in the festival history. Push was directed by Lee Daniels who produced Monsters Ball for Lionsgate." (DeadlineHollywoodDaily)

"PHARRELL Williams eyed the Picasso, Warhol and Miró paintings adorning the Fifth Avenue penthouse and dead-panned, 'I'm thrilled to be here at the Denise Rich Museum.' The sartorially correct crooner was helping welcome Yousef Al Otaiba, the handsome, young, single ambassador to the US from the United Arab Emirates. Smiling nonstop, Beyoncé and Ashanti devoured Denise's homemade babaganoush and hummus. Anthony Weiner, hand-in-hand with a glowing Huma Abedin, was introduced to Patti LaBelle as 'the next mayor of New York.' Charmed by the congressman, Patti electrified the room with 'A Change Is Gonna Come.'" (PageSix)

"'Far more secret memos' on hard interrogations, detention and warrantless wiretapping programs have been discovered, most originating in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), according to a new report. And Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., confirmed Monday, has indicated that a number of them may be made public. The list of the more than three dozen still highly classified documents was assembled by Pro Publica, an independent public interest journalism organization founded in 2007 by former Wall Street Journal managing editor Paul Steiger." (Spyalk/CQPolitics)

"To some observers, Caroline Kennedy's failure to launch in her bid for Hillary Clinton’s old Senate seat signaled the likely end of the Kennedy dynasty. After all, she was the most prominent and popular member of the family in her generation. She was aiming for not just any Senate seat, but the one held by her late uncle, Robert Kennedy, who is about as close to political sainthood as American leaders come. And, of course, the family's patriarch, Ted Kennedy, has been suffering from cancer and recently collapsed at an Inauguration Day event. Will anyone be there to continue the family's legacy once Teddy exits the political stage? In fact, there are plenty of younger Kennedys who could follow Caroline in the batting lineup. The list includes activists like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., politicians like Joseph Kennedy II, and journalist/First Lady of California, Maria Shriver." (TheDailyBeast)

"CBS’s usually dependable Friday night lineup was in reruns over the weekend, but the network still finished tied for first for the night among viewers 18-49. CBS and ABC each averaged a 1.8 overnight rating and 6 share in the demo, according to Nielsen, with NBC and Univision tied for third at 1.6/5, Fox fifth at 1.3/4 and CW sixth at 0.6/2. As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs. At 8 p.m. CBS was first with a 1.9 for a repeat of 'Ghost Whisperer,' followed by ABC with a 1.7 for 'Wife Swap.' Univision was third with a 1.6 for 'Cuidado con el Angel,' NBC fourth with a 1.5 for the recently renewed 'Howie Do It,' Fox fifth with a 1.3 for a repeat of 'House' and CW sixth with a 0.8 for 'Everybody Hates Chris' (0.8) and 'The Game' (0.8)." (Medialifemagazine)



(image via littlebigscreen)

"Sony Pictures Classics has bought U.S. rights to Woody Allen's next film, 'Whatever Works.' The Gotham-set comedy will be released in the summer. 'Whatever' stars Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Begley Jr. and Patricia Clarkson. Allen wrote and directed the film, which is produced by Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum." (Variety)

"Flavor (Flav) noted (on The Howard Stern Show) that he was the only radio host to ever broadcast from jail, adding that his longest sentence was for two-and-a-half years: 'I know it was wrong, what I did. But back in the day? I was the man!...The gang I was in, some of the stuff I had to do.' Flavor told the crew that he faced some tough guys in prison: 'They thought they'd make a name for themselves and beat up Flavor Flav...This was in the sixth building. The sixth building of Riker's Island.'" (HowardStern/Rundown)

"Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has a new foe -- Ashley Judd. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, with a hand from the actress, has launched a Web-based campaign targeting Palin over her environmental record. In a video premiering on the organization’s new Web site, EyeOnPalin.org, Judd takes aim at Palin for allegedly promoting the aerial killing of wolves in Alaska, and goes so far as to accuse Palin of proposing bounties for severed forelegs of killed wolves. 'It is time to stop Sarah Palin and stop this senseless savagery,' Judd says in the ad." (Politico)

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