Daily Variety articles from April 2002

Daily Variety archives from April 2002

Woo's man of 'Destiny'.(John Woo, 'Men of Destiny')(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... John Woo is courting Nicolas Cage to star with Chow Yun-Fat in "Men of Destiny," the director's epic look at the 19th-century construction of America's railroads. The project, a Tom Vaughan script that has been rewritten by "Face/Off"...

Col's 'Room' at the top: 'Smoochy' limps to 7th.('The Panic Room,' 'Death to Smoochy')(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... "The Panic Room" was sizzling as Sony's thriller, starring Jodie Foster, debuted with $30.2 million, setting a record for an Easter weekend opener and helping make the frame the biggest Easter weekend ever. According to ACNielsen EDI, the...

Acad winner lifts D'Works' 'Fog'.(Jennifer Connelly to star in "The House of Sand and Fog," Dreamworks)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Jennifer Connelly has committed to join Ben Kingsley in "The House of Sand and Fog," an adaptation of the Andre Dubus III novel whose domestic rights Dream Works purchased in an auction Friday. Stewart Till's Signpost will handle foreign...

FCC lets Viacom doff cap.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Viacom won't have to sell off valuable TV stations until the FCC decides the fate of an endangered ownership rule banning broadcasters from controlling stations that reach more than 35% of the national audience. The media...

Oscars buoy pics' B.O. gold.(box office sales for Oscar-winning movies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Oscar's help came in handy over Easter weekend for "A Beautiful Mind," "Monster's Ball," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "Gosford Park." Universal's "Mind," which took home four wins including best picture,...

Whedon widens Mutant's reach.(Chris Buchanan named president of Mutant Enemy Productions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Scribe-producer Joss Whedon has tapped former tenpercenter Chris Buchanan to serve as prexy of his Mutant Enemy Prods. Buchanan will have day-today responsibility for all business-related matters of the 20th Century Fox TV-based shingle....

Video helmer Carr bows prod'n shingle.(Bret Carr founds Lil' Mama Pictures)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK - Musicvid helmer and fledgling feature director Bret Carr has founded Lil' Mama Pictures, a Los Angeles-based production shingle with plans to produce TV and film. Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour") is among the private investors...

Gerson exec VP at EMI.(Jody Gerson, EMI Music Publishing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Jody Gerson has been upped to executive vice president, U.S., EMI Music Publishing. Gerson, most recently senior veep, West Coast Creative, will continue to develop, nurture and sign talent to EMI Music Publishing as well as to run...

L.A.'s KNBC feathers nest with Olympics coverage.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Thanks to NBC's Winter Olympics coverage, the Peacock's Los Angeles station, KNBC, put the freeze on Spanish-lingo station KMEX - the city's usual demo leader - during the February ratings sweep. Reminiscent of the Games' controversial...

'Sweet' talk turns sour.('Sweet Smell of Success' symposium cancelled)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK - Is it a case of biting the hand that just slapped you twice? The New York Times announced last week that its TimesTalks symposium with the creative team of "Sweet Smell of Success" has been cancelled. Times reporter Jesse...

Grammys appear set for return to Gotham.(New York City)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... While the fat lady hasn't officially sung, it appears all but certain a Wednesday news conference scheduled by the Recording Academy at Madison Square Garden will declare the return of the Grammy Awards to Gotham. Officials with the...

Jordan welcomes Ricci to his 'Borgia' family.(Neil Jordan, Christina Ricci)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Christina Ricci will play the female lead in the Neil Jordan-directed historical drama about the Borgia family. Myriad Pictures and Image-movers will make the film this summer. Ricci, who'll shoot "Borgia" after completing work in Woody...

WWF grapples with branding.(World Wrestling Federation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- The World Wrestling Federation is moving to distinguish its flagship series "Raw" on TNN and "Smackdown" on UPN from each other, assigning specific wrestlers exclusively to each show instead of shuttling them between the two. ...

Eye net seeing stars: Harden, Caruso among talent joining roster. (Pilot Watch).(Marcia Gay Harden, David Caruso to star in CBS shows)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The stars were aligned at CBS late last week as the net booked top talent to lead its new TV projects. Marcia Gay Harden, former "NYPD Blue" star David Caruso, Alfred Molina and "Sex and the City's" Kyle MacLachlan have joined the Eye's...

Wilder lauded as one of H'wood's greats.(filmmaker Billy Wilder)(Obituary)
April 1, 2002... Fans in the media and in showbiz paid tribute over the weekend to Billy Wilder, trying to sum up his amazing life and work. The 95-year-old writer, director and producer, who died Wednesday night at his home in Westwood, was known in...

Kosar to pen col thriller.(Columbia Pictures signs Scott Kosar to write movie script)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In a mid-six-figure deal, Columbia Pictures has hired scribe Scott Kosar to write an as-yet-untiled supernatural thriller for Sony-based Laurence Mark Prods. The concept, which studio suits are keeping close to the vest, centers on a...

Spin cycle in overdrive for SAG, ATA.(Screen Actors Guild)(Association of Talent Agents)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The spin battle over SAG's tentative deal with talent agents has intensified as voting by the guild's 98,000 members begins this week. Ballots go out Wednesday and are due back April 19. Opponents of the pact, which would ease agency...

A violent reaction: Study links TV habits to aggressive behavior.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- A study spanning almost two decades has concluded that teenage boys who watch even one hour of TV per day are prone to aggression and violence in later years, with such behavior dramatically jumping among teens glued to the tube...

Fox's 'Bunny' hops to it via strong debut.(midseason television programs from ABC,CBS and Fox ratings, U.S.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Fox puppet laffer "Greg the Bunny" scored solid numbers its first night out, while ABC's "Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)" and CBS' "AFP: American Fighter Pilots" are already headed to the endangered series list. ABC drew mixed results last...

Nevermore for 'Once' as Alphabet pulls plug.(ABC cancels "Once and Again" television series)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... It's over and out for "Once and Again," the critically acclaimed ABC drama from Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick that never quite caught on with a mass aud. Ending months of speculation over the show's fate, ABC announced last week that it...

FCC begins Comcast review.(U.S. Federal Communications Commission begins review of bid to buy AT and T Broadband)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission has started the clock running on its review of Comcast's bid to buy up AT&T Broadband, the telco's gargantuan cable unit. Agency commenced its official 180-day review of the $75 million...

Lifetime, Hearst end pic production deal.(Hearst Entertainment will no longer produce 9 original movies for Lifetime Entertainment, U.S.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Lifetime has ended its agreement with Hearst Entertainment that called for Hearst to produce at least nine of the 12 original movies the network schedules every year. Bruce Paisner, president of Hearst Entertainment, said the...

ThinkFilm goes global in pre-buying 'Event' pic.
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- ThinkFilm has acquired worldwide rights to Thom Fitzgerald's "The Event," an ensemble drama starring Parker Posey, Olympia Dukakis, Don McKellar, Sarah Polley, Jane Leeves and Brent Carter. Acquisition, company's eighth since...

U HomeVid's LaMagra exits.(Maria LaMagra resigns from Universal Studios Home Video)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Universal Studios Home Video veepee of publicity Maria LaMagra is leaving the company after 11 years. LaMagra, who has overseen publicity for the unit during several ownership changes at the studio and through multiple management changes...

Adelphia stox socked: Accounting, bankruptcy news scares investors. (Business).(Adelphia Business Solutions files for bankruptcy, Adelphia Communications Corp. affected, U.S.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Investors trashed shares of family-controlled cable company Adelphia Communications last week after a former telecom subsidiary filed for bankruptcy, leaving the cabler with a potential $500 million liability. Adelphia execs also...

Post-house Laser Pacific's revs dip. (Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Post production outfit Laser-Pacific posted lower fourth quarter revenues and earnings, due largely to the slump in entertainment and advertising production, as well as the reliance of TV webs on cheaper reality programming. For the...

Showbiz legal eagles plan practice merger. (Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Law firms Katten Muchin Zavis and Rosenman & Colin will merge. The combined firm will have more than 600 lawyers and a significant nationwide entertainment and media practice. The new firm will have approximately 50 entertainment lawyers,...

Astral Media OKs stox split. (Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... TORONTO -- Shareholders of the specialty and pay TV company Astral Media greenlit a two-for-one stock split last week. The split, which takes effect April 9, will double the number of Astral shares trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange to...

NYSE to delist NTL for low stock price. (Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Shares of big U.K. cabler NTL Group will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after the company failed to meet stock price and market capitalization requirements, the NYSE and the company said. The shares were suspended...

Showbiz stocks.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Thursday, March 28, 2002 Find stock prices and news about any company at Variety.com/stocks YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AMC AEN --...

Toons draw crowds: 'Ice Age,' 'Monsters, Inc.' score big o'seas. (World News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Heading into the Easter break and school vacation in many markets, "Ice Age" and "Monsters, Inc." were the big draws for kids and a fair number of grownups, while adults in some territories -- but by no means all -- were rediscovering "A...

Johannesburg woos pix with new film office. (World News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... JOHANNESBURG -- With Cape Town firmly entrenched as South Africa's premier filmmaking center, Johannesburg is playing catch-up by creating a film office headed by marketing chief Themba Sibeko. Sibeko believes Gauteng province -- the...

Rumors swirl around fate of Kirch Group. (World News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... BERLIN -- Reports have heated up over the possible fate of Teutonic TV giant Kirch Group, while leading German politicians have spoken out against the possibility of Silvio Berlusconi acquiring a minority stake in the company via his holding...

Pacific vision NABS coin. (World News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... SYDNEY -- Australia's Pacific Vision has clinched financing for its first production, animated TV series "Yakkity Yak," unveiled a slate of upcoming toons and created a development company. The firm was launched in 1999 by Tim Brooke-Hunt,...

Granada inks pact with Dutch indie. (London).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Granada has inked a format co-production deal with Dutch indie TeVe Holland. Under the agreement, TeVe Holland will have the first option to produce Granada formats for the Benelux territories. Granada will co-produce, giving the ITV...

CineMedia off Markt. (Germany).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... German production company CineMedia Film announced that it intends to terminate its listing on the Neuer Markt in order to enter the regulated Frankfurt stock exchange market. CineMedia said its decision is a result of increased...

Wells adds territories. (Germany).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Paris-based multithematique has appointed James W. Wells head of operations in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Benelux countries, in addition to his position of managing director at the company's German subsidiary. Niche channel operator...

About a boy. (Film Reviews).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... (U.K.-U.S.) A UIP (in U.K.)/Universal (in US) release of a United Intl. Pictures (U.K.) and Universal Pictures presentation, in association with Tribeca Prods., Working Title Films and Kalima Prods. Produced by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De...

Teddy Bears' Picnic. (Film Reviews).
April 1, 2002... A Magnolia Pictures release of a Vision-box Pictures production in association with Century of Progress Prods. Produced by Marc Ambrose. Executive producers, John Bard Manulis, Harry Shearer, Michael Kastenhaum. Co-producer, Cal Naylor. ...

Calif. man faces jail time in c'right case.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Federal officials have announced the first criminal conviction in California under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. A Northern California man Thursday pleaded guilty to circumventing technology that protects a copyrighted work and to...

Briggs materializes as Vapor Records prez.(Gary Briggs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Former Warner Bros. Records exec Gary Briggs has been named president of Vapor Records, a label founded by Neil Young and his managers, Eliot Roberts and Frank Gironda. In addition, Bonnie Levetin has been promoted to general manager of...

Nantucket fetes Schamus.(James Schamus)(Nantucket Film Festival)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... James Schamus will receive NBC'S Screenwriter Tribute at the seventh annual Nantucket Film Festival, June 20-23. Schamus, a partner in the Gotham-based production company Good Machine, penned and produced "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,"...

SAG oks board cuts: Vote approves money-saving reorganization.(Screen Actors Guild)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Members of the Screen Actors Guild national board have overwhelmingly agreed to cut SAG'S national board to 62 from 107 and to boost Hollywood's representation from 46% to 53%. Move, designed to save SAG as much as $500,000 a year, was...

Greenberg taps into Vivendi.(Robert Greenberg)(Vivendi Universal )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Robert Greenberg has joined Vivendi Universal as senior VP and prexy of global compensation and benefits, a new position. An expert in executive compensation, Greenberg reports to Andrew Kaslow, senior exec VP of human resources...

NBC paces TV field for 6th Prism Awards.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NBC led the TV pack in nominations for the sixth annual Prism Awards with nine, followed by CBS and ABC with five each. Paramount led all major studios with five nominations (including a television mention for CBS' "Becker"). The Prism...

MPAA Ratings.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... R "Alone" (Bedford); for violent images and sexual content. "Bobby G. Can't Swim" (Gabriel); for language and drug content, some sexuality and violence. "The Brooklyn Boys" (Spectrum); for violence, sexuality and language. ...

Prod'n goes on after NBC reality mishap.(Dog Eat Dog)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... An incident early Wednesday on the set of upcoming NBC reality skein "Dog Eat Dog" won't affect production, the network said. A 26-year-old contestant was hospitalized after the show staged a hold-your-breath-underwater contest. According...

Mendes up to join Washington in 'Out'.(Eva Mendes, Denzel Washington)(Out of Time)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... It looks like "Out" is in for Eva Mendes: Negotiations are nearly complete for the actress to appear opposite Denzel Washington as one of two female leads in the Carl Franklin-helmed noir thriller "Out of Time" for MGM. Mendes had two...

Exec shuffle.(Joe Castellon)(Nina Gordon )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Joe Castellon has been named exec creative director of KAS Music & Sound, a new recording facility at Kaufman Astoria Studios. Castellon will oversee operations of the facility, which was launched after the recent acquisition of assets of...

Land of plenty: Actors go for star bucks.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2002... WASN'T IT JUST the other day that the town was talking about the vaunted "$20 million club?" Well, that elite fraternity of superstars is no more. It's now officially the "$25 million club." Those old $20 million paydays are now considered...

Datebook.(events in entertainment industry)
April 1, 2002... Jamie Lee Curtis will host the Starlight Children's Foundation's 19th annual Dream Gala Saturday at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom. Call (310) 899- 9191 for ticket information. Laura Innes, Megan Mullally and Christopher Lowell...

Longtime CNN exec Ed Turner dies.(Cable News Network)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
April 1, 2002... ATLANTA -- Ed Turner, who helped establish CNN as a major respected news organization, died Saturday at George Washington U. Hospital in Washington, D.C., of liver cancer. He was 66. "Ed loved his profession, his staff and his network,"...

Kirch fight moves to Hollywood?(Kirch Group)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... BERLIN -- The struggle to save Teutonic media empire Kirch Group from teetering into bankruptcy moves from Germany to Los Angeles this week. Time is running out after creditor banks and partners in core television unit KirchMedia on...

Midseason misfire: Fox's 'Embassy' joins fast-yanked crowd.(Fox Broadcasting Co.)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Midseason casualties are piling up as the networks head into the final two months of the TV season. On Monday, Fox announced it would evacuate "The American Embassy" after just four airings, while UPN has dropped reality duo "Under One...

Persuaders pry some big bucks.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The big-time entertainment and media lobbyists earn a cut above the rest, but get bumped down the salary package list when it comes to perks. The Motion Picture Assn. of America's Jack Valenti, for example, made $1.15 million...

USA pumps prod'n with Pichirallo.(USA Films)(Joe Pichirallo)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... With the merger of USA Films and Universal Pictures set to close this spring, USA is adding muscle to its production team, hiring Joe Pichirallo, a seasoned executive in the specialty films arena, as exec VP of production. Pichirallo will...

Kaye's cautionary tale.(Tony Kaye)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... It's getting harder to say no in Hollywood. Just ask director Tony Kaye, who was sued for $10 million by Larry Jenkins, producer of a script that Kaye declined to direct. Last week, a federal judge dismissed Jenkins' claims, tossing...

Liberty blue, bleeds red.(Liberty Media Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- John Malone's Liberty Media saw its fourth-quarter loss widen to $3.71 billion after it wrote down the value of holdings in media companies from AOL Time Warner to News Corp. Sales at Liberty, the powerful Englewood, Colo.-based...

Army archerd. (Just for Variety).(Milton Berle)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
April 2, 2002... GOOD MORNING AND GOODBYE, UNCLE MILTIE: I'm sure you must have loved that farewell at Hillside Monday. Natch, it was SRO. I know you were comfortable, since your hat and raincoat were right there with you. (You always did feel any room was too...

WGA East, CBS push back deal deadline.(Writers Guild of America)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... The Writers Guild of America East and CBS have agreed to extend their contract expiration date a week, until this Friday, while negotiations continue. The WGA East, which launched negotiations four weeks ago, instructed members to report...

TV Museum documents the aftermath of Sept. 11.(Museum of Television and Radio)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... The Museum of Television & Radio will spotlight Sept. 11 and its aftermath for its third annual Television Documentary Festival, unspooling May 1-19 in New York. Fest will open May 1 with a panel discussion, to be toplined by "60 Minutes"...

Mayer's Sr, VP at U vid arm.(Vivian Mayer of Universal Studios Home Video)
April 2, 2002... Vivian Mayer has been named senior vice president of publicity at Universal Studios Home Video. Her appointment had been expected, with news last week of the resignation of longtime USHV publicity vice president Maria LaMagra (Daily...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
April 2, 2002... Screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary originated "Men of Destiny" as a pitch and did not rewrite it. Information was wrong in Monday's paper. FourSight Entertainment manager Michael Lasker's name was misspelled in the March 22...

Affils, NAB back cap on station ownership.(National Association of Broadcasters and affiliates)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... WASHINGTON -- The National Assn. of Broadcasters and a coalition of network affils fired off a letter Monday urging the Federal Communications Commission to maintain an ownership cap that prevents big media congloms from buying up more TV...

SAG warns of commission addition if agent deal fails.(Screen Actors Guild)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Stumping for approval of its deal with agents, SAG has warned members that the tenpercenters could take as much as $328 million in additional film and TV commissions over three years if thesps spurn the pact. "If the recommended Agency...

Gramnet spooked by pitch.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Boris Karloff. Kelsey Grammer. The two have little in common, except playwright Chad Beguelin. Beguelin, 32, has found a champion in Grammer's Gramnet Prods. for his pitch "Frankenteacher." Low-six figure deal marks Beguelin's first...

Sci Fi's just deserts: Sarandon joins cast of mini sequel 'Dune'.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Susan Sarandon has joined the ensemble cast of "Children of Dune," Sci Fi Channel's six-hour miniseries follow-up to the cable network's Emmy-winning "Frank Herbert's Dune." Sarandon will portray Wensicia, a ruthless princess eager to...

'Beene' keen for 'Tenenbaum' thesp.(Fox Broadcasting's comedy pilot "Oliver Beene")(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Fox has found its Oliver Beene. Young thesp Grant Rosenmeyer ("The Royal TENENBAUMS") has taken the title role in Fox comedy pilot "Oliver Beene," from scribes/producers Steve Levitan and Howard Gewirtz. Deal was among a handful to...

Digital dailies for Par. (Cyber biz).(Paramount Pictures and Antex Electronics)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Paramount Pictures has inked a deal with Antex Electronics to use the company's Media Director system for the delivery of digital dailies in the production of its television projects. The studio becomes the first major Hollywood player to...

Sena to helm 'Killer' thriller.(Dominic Sena)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Helmer Dominic Sena will team with "American Psycho" producer Chris Hanley on an adaptation of "The Killer Inside Me," the 1952 pulp fiction classic by Jim Thompson. A screenplay was written by Andrew Dominik, the critically acclaimed...

Cabler sez no to YES: Cablevision offers subs rebate in lieu of games.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- The big New York cable operator that's refusing to carry the games of the New York Yankees said it will offer a rebate to its 2.9 million subscribers for the 130 games they won't see this year. Rebate plan is an indication that...

Walden, UA set to play in Denver.(Walden Family Playhouse)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- Walden Media has teamed with United Artists Theaters and television and stage producer Douglas Love to establish the Walden Family Playhouse, a live theater within a United Artists multiplex located in the Denver suburb of Lakewood....

SAG taps Ellis topper of human resources.(Screen Actors Guild appoints Bethany Ellis as executive director of human resources)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... The Screen Actors Guild has tapped Bethany Ellis as national exec director of human resources following last year's departures of the department's top two execs. Ellis has been working at SAG national headquarters in Hollywood for several...

Sills' song over at Lincoln.(Beverly Sills resigns as chair of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- Beverly Sills has resigned as chair of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, effective May 1. In her letter to the center's board, the former opera star wrote, "As you know, for two years I have been stating my intention...

Obituaries.(entertainment attorney Lee N. Steiner)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
April 2, 2002... Lee N. Steiner Lee N. Steiner, long one of the two or three top entertainment attorneys, whose ability to bring industryites to the negotiating table and accomplish deals was well known, died Thursday of complications of Parkinson's...

'Casting out stake: Comcast needs coin from AT&T shares of TWE. (Business).(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- Cabler Comcast intends to divest AT&T'S interest in Time Warner Entertainment if the 25% stake hasn't been sold once the Comcast-AT&T Broadband merger closes. Comcast, the nation's third-largest cable company, said in a...

MusicNet cues up trio for senior management. (Business).(executive appointments)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- Major label-backed digital music startup MusicNet has tapped three execs to fill senior management posts, including two veterans of the music and online worlds who are leaving companies facing hard times in cyberspace. Cindy...

A group including Viacom cut its stake in Westwood One to 15.8% from 20%. (Biz Briefs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2002... A group including Viacom cut its stake in Westwood One to 15.8% from 20%, according to a filing with the SEC last week. The group, which owns 17 million common shares of Westwood One, sold warrants for 1 million shares back to Westwood for...

Japanese film distributor Toho recorded a parent-only net profit of slightly more than 6.2 billion yen ($47.7 million). (Biz Briefs).(Toho Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2002... Japanese film distributor Toho recorded a parent-only net profit of slightly more than 6.2 billion yen ($47.7 million), almost the same as the previous year. Losses caused by the Mycal Corp. bond default, charges on bank stock valuation...

Morgan tunes to stake in V2. (Business).(Morgan Stanley and Company Inc.'s investment in V2)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2002... LONDON -- Investment bank Morgan Stanley has taken a 47.5% stake in V2, Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson's indie record company, by converting [pounds sterling]89 million ($128 million) in bonds into shares. Morgan Stanley gained the...

XM stock takes hit despite new subs. (Business).(XM Satellite Radio)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2002... NEW YORK -- Beleaguered radio satcaster XM Satellite Radio signed up more than 48,000 new subscribers in the first quarter of this year, topping expectations by 15%. But Wall Street took little note of the bullish numbers amid continuing...

Showbiz Stocks.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
April 2, 2002... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Monday, April 1, 2002 Find stock prices and news about any company at Variety.com/stocks YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AMC AEN -- 13.50...

IFP/West taps lab group.(finalists announced for 2002 Independent Project/West's Director's Lab)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2002... Eight finalists have been selected for the 2002 Independent Feature Project/West's Director's Lab, a seven-week program funded in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Finalists are Michael Caleo, with project "The Last...

Jim Brown: All American.
April 2, 2002... A 40 Acres and a Mule release of an HBO Sports Documentary in association with 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks. Produced by Spike Lee. Executive producers, Ross Greenburg, Rick Bernstein. Co-producers, Mike Ellis, Sam Pollard. Directed by...