News Cycles: Entertainment Industry News

CORRECTED: "Twilight" publisher sees film boosting book sales (Reuters)

Reuters - Described in publishing circles as America's answer to Harry Potter, the teen-age vampires of "Twilight" may reach a wider audience when the movie of the book comes out Friday with the publisher hoping for a surge in book sales.

Bruce Willis wants cash back from Malaysia company (AP)

AP - A Malaysian technology conglomerate pledged Friday to repay $900,000 to Hollywood star Bruce Willis, but denied any wrongdoing after he took legal action to demand a refund of his investment.
more

Showbiz bulls still abound in battered market (Reuters)

Reuters - As markets plunged again Thursday, some Wall Street experts were telling about 400 television executives that they are bullish on the entertainment industry.
more

Fox News chief Roger Ailes extends contract (Reuters)

Reuters - After spending millions in recent months to lock up key talent including Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, Fox News founding chairman and CEO Roger Ailes has signed a five-year deal that will keep him at the top-rated cable news channel until he's at least 73.
more

Cross currents buffet Oscar campaigns (Reuters)

Reuters - Awards season can sometimes feel like Thanksgiving dinner: it brings people together, but it's fraught with competing allegiances.

Three ABC programs hear no pickup lines (Reuters)

Reuters - ABC has decided against giving full-season orders to "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Eli Stone," but is not officially saying that the struggling shows are canceled.

Hollywood producers juggle many roles (Reuters)

Reuters - What, exactly, does a producer do? Besides supervising the production schedule. And hiring and firing talent. And managing the financing and the budget. In short, besides everything.
more

Hollywood actors, studios meet again with mediator (Reuters)

Reuters - After weeks of shuttle diplomacy, a U.S. federal mediator brought labor negotiators for major Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild back together on Thursday for their first meeting in four months.

New York Times cuts dividend, "reevaluates" assets (Reuters)

Reuters - The New York Times Co slashed its dividend by almost three-quarters and plans to cut spending and reevaluate its assets to cope with an advertising decline that is gouging U.S. newspaper publishers.

Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings: CBS Wins; ABC and NBC Continue to Struggle (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - -Yesterday's Winners: Bones (Fox), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS)
more

Ratings Box: What's Hot/What's Not (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - Based on national ratings in prime-time through the first eight weeks of the season (Sept. 22 � Nov. 16, 2008), here is how the five broadcast networks are faring in households and adults 18-49 (with change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses). CBS is first in households, while ABC and CBS are tied for dominance among adults 18-49. The five networks, on average, are down by 10 percent in households and 12 percent among adults 18-49, with female-driven the CW posting the biggest losses.
more

Matthiessen wins National Book Award fiction prize (AP)

AP - The economy hung like a cloud over the 59th annual National Book Awards. Barack Obama was the silver lining.

TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - Here is an updated status report of the freshman 2008 entries:
more

Disney to release 5 films on IMAX (AP)

AP - The Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday it agreed to deliver five movies via IMAX theaters beginning with the 3-D movie "A Christmas Carol," starring Jim Carrey, in November 2009.
more

Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings: CBS Wins; Strong Dancing With the Stars on ABC (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - -Yesterday's Winners: NCIS (CBS), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Mentalist (CBS)
more

NY judge tentatively OKs Google copyright deal (AP)

AP - A judge has tentatively approved a settlement of lawsuits between Google and book authors and publishers that may put millions of out-of-print texts online.

National Ratings in Prime-Time: Week of November 10, 2008 (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - Consistent CBS extended its winning streak in households and total viewers to seven consecutive weeks, while also dominating among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. NBC and Fox shared the top spot in adults 18-34, but both networks were down across the board year-to-year (with losses for Fox more considerable). Excluding adults 18-34, ABC finished second overall, with its largest audience since premiere week. Female driven the CW ranked fifth, while last-place MyNetworkTV was on the plus side in households, total viewers and adults 25-54. ...
more

List of top 20 shows in prime-time Nielsen ratings (AP)

AP - Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Nov. 3-9. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
more

Prime-Time Ratings: Weekend Highlights (Mediaweek.com)

Mediaweek.com - -Friday's Losers (excluding repeats): Supernanny (ABC), Deal or No Deal (NBC), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox), Everybody Hates Chris (CW), The Game (CW), Crusoe (NBC), Don't Forget the Lyrics (Fox), Lipstick Jungle (NBC)
more

CBS is top network in viewers 6th week in a row (AP)

AP - Top-ranked "60 Minutes" and second-place "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" helped CBS to win the prime-time viewership race again last week. It was CBS' sixth consecutive victory.
more