Daily Variety articles from December 2009

Daily Variety archives from December 2009

TV scuffle.(VARIETY.COM)
December 30, 2009... Go to Variety.com/foxtwcable for updates on the contract battle between Fox stations and Time Warner Cable. The sides face a Thursday midnight deadline to cut a deal or Fox stations could go dark on Time Warner systems in Gotham. L.A. and other...

Niche clique: holiday prestige pics bank on kudos lift.
December 30, 2009... Distribs are hoping their prestige titles survive the holiday season and then blossom in January and February as awards season enters the final stretch. The final two entries debut today in Los Angeles and New York: Michael Haneke's "The...

Indie-fatigable.(movie industry)
December 30, 2009... The tumult in the independent film world continued in 2009, but there were bright spots for the sector's survivors. The lights were turned off at Paramount Vantage and Miramax (at least for now) and the financial health of distribs such as...

Fight erupts over TV trial.
December 30, 2009... As an effort to overturn Proposition 8 makes its way to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco next month, a lingering question is whether the upcoming trial over same-sex marriage will be televised. Such extensive coverage would be a first...

Hip mix of pix get library cards.
December 30, 2009... Pics ranging from "Pillow Talk" and "The Muppet Movie" to "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Once Upon a Time in the West" are among the 25 titles selected as this year's addition to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, the feds' official...

Looking back at a few miscues.(screw-ups )
December 30, 2009... So much for that spoof video in which Hitler responds to the "Avatar" trailer, anticipating that the movie will be a flop and comparing the visual effects to those in "FernGully: The Last Rainforest." The Internet, apparently, means never...

The Kennedy Center Honors.(Television program review)
December 30, 2009... (Special; CBS, Tues. Dec. 29, 9 p.m.) Produced by the Kennedy Center. Producers, George Stevens Jr., Michael Stevens; line producer, Bill Urban; director, Louis J. Horvitz; writers, Sara Lukinson, Lewis Friedman, George Stevens Jr., Michael...

Color and mood unite in 'Single'.(below the LINE)(A Single Man)(Movie review)
December 30, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the day Eduard Grau first met Tom Ford, the fashion-designer-turned-director hired the young cinematographer to shoot "A Single Man." Perhaps he was taking a risk with the Barcelona-born cinematographer--Grau was...

A few renovations: Gotham-bound shows undergo retooling.(The Addams Family and Banana Shpee)
December 30, 2009... Two Gotham-bound shows that met a mixed response from critics in their Chicago tryouts are now busy retooling before their New York bows. Jerry Zaks has been tapped to rework upcoming Broadway tuner "The Addams Family," while Cirque du...

Show's over for puppets.(The Jeff Dunham Show)(Brief article)
December 30, 2009... Comedy Central has confirmed that "The Jeff Dunham Show" will not return for a second season. A year ago, Dunham's Christmas special set a record for the cabler by drawing 6.6 million viewers, leading to an overall deal for the...

India's 'Idiots' sets record.(3 Idiots)(Brief article)
December 30, 2009... Helmer Rajkumar Hirani's "3 Idiots," toplining Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, has scored the best opening weekend ever for an Indian film. Comedy, which opened Friday, grossed 1 billion rupees ($21.4 million) worldwide, distributor Reliance...

Key locks B'way deal.
December 30, 2009... Key Brand Entertainment, the company that owns and operates the producing org and tour presenter Broadway Across America, has sealed a deal to acquire legit ticketing and editorial website Broadway.com in a transaction to be completed in early...

A final touchdown: NFL helps CBS, NBC end 2009 on top.
December 30, 2009... CBS and NBC fared best in the last full week of 2009, with each getting a boost from NFL action on Sunday. The Eye also continued to generate pretty good numbers with scripted repeats including its Monday comedies and "NCIS" tandem, while NBC...

This Emotional Life.(Television program review)
December 30, 2009... (Docu; PBS, Mon.-Wed. Jan. 4-6, 9 p.m.) Produced by Vulcan Prods., Nova/WGBH and Kunhardt McGee Prods. Senior executive producers, Richard Hutton, Paula S. Apsell; executive producers, Peter Kunhardt, Dyllan McGee; supervising producer,...

Nielsen scorecard.(television audience ratings)(Statistical data)
December 30, 2009... Top primetime shows of the week (Dec. 21-27, 2009) Adults 18-49 Overall and Rank Skein (Net) rating/share in millions 1 Sunday Night Football (NBC) 6.9/19 ...

Monday a holiday at B.O.
December 30, 2009... When studios say that every day is like the Saturday between Christmas and New Year's, they aren't exaggerating--especially this year. The potential windfall of holiday period weekdays was evident Monday, when 20th Century Fox's "Avatar"...

GLAAD hand at Sundance.(Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)(Brief article)
December 30, 2009... Sundance 2010 will mark the inaugural year of GLAAD's involvement as an Institute Associate of the fest. The nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, GLAAD will host Cine-GLAAD at select...

Balkind hires Reimers back.
December 30, 2009... Brand specialist Bemis Balkind has hired seasoned ad man Charles Reimers, founder of Crew Creative Advertising, as creative director. As chief creative officer at Crew Creative, Reimers designed and oversaw campaigns for "The Bourne...

Helmer musical chairs.
December 30, 2009... Casey Nicholaw will step in to helm tuner "All About Me," the Dame Edna-Michael Feinstein show that bows on Broadway in the spring. Nicholaw replaces Jerry Zaks, who departs the production to join another incoming musical, "The Addams Family"...

Hot to trot: cable rises with originals.
December 29, 2009... The top basic cablers prospered by sticking to the script in 2009, riding original drama and comedy skeins to new ratings heights. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, cablers that boosted the volume of...

Pair engulfed in WWII 'Fog'.(Gil Adler and Shane McCarthy on Night and Fog)(Brief article)
December 29, 2009... Producers Gil Adler and Shane McCarthy have optioned the sci-fi horror comicbook "Night and Fog" from publisher Studio 407. No stranger to comicbook-based material, Adler has produced such graphic-based fare as "Constantine," "Superman...

WB, Fox jostle for '09 bragging rights.
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a week to go, Warner Bros. declared Monday it will set a new industry record in reaching $3.99 billion in worldwide ticket sales in 2009. Or will it? Twentieth Century Fox could match that number, or even best...

China's boffo B.O. year.
December 29, 2009... Disaster pic "2012" has shot past "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" to become the top movie hit of all time in China, adding an exclamation point to a year in which the nation's B.O. is expected to post 40% year-over-year growth. By...

A Gadget Gathering: CES Set to Rebound with 3D, Apple Buzz
December 29, 2009... Electronics manufacturers are ready to roll the dice in Las Vegas again. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than 330 new companies are expected to be among the 2,500 exhibitors showcasing their gadgets at the 2010 Intl. Consumer Electronics Show...

Tyra to end her talker.
December 29, 2009... Add Tyra Banks to the list of daytime yakker hosts who are prepping their exits. Banks' Warner Bros.-produced strip "The Tyra Banks Show" will end its five-year run in the spring. The CW, which airs the show on its daytime sked, will keep it...

China puts TV online to boost image.(China Network Television)(Brief article)
December 29, 2009... Chinese pubcaster CCTV has launched the country's first national Internet-distribbed TV service, China Network Television, a key weapon in a push to expand the web's reach. The service, which is part of a propaganda drive to boost China's...

Correction.(Correction notice)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Actor Marvin Kaplan was misidentified as actor Arnold Stang in a photo in Monday's paper.

Lion braces for bidding process.
December 29, 2009... The possible sale of MGM--one of Hollywood's longest-running dramas--will come into focus in the next few weeks when the first bids are expected to be submitted. The Lion, which put itself up for sale Nov. 13, has received several...

Jordi Molla.(Players)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Molla ("Bad Boys II") has joined the cast of "Knight and Day," starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Molla has several other pics in the pipeline, including "There Be Dragons," with Wes Bentley, and "Bunraku," with...

Lindsay Pulsipher.(Players)
December 29, 2009... Lindsay Pulsipher ("NCIS") has booked a series regular role on HBO's "True Blood." Most recently, Pulsipher was a series regular on A&E drama "The Beast." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sharon Case.(Players)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sharon Case ("Young and the Restless") has been cast opposite David James Elliott in the romance telepic "Dad's Home," for the Hallmark Channel. Bradford May is helming from a script by Adam Rockoff.

Mackenzie Aladjem.(Players)
December 29, 2009... Mackenzie Aladjem has joined the cast of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie." She will play Jackie's daughter, Fiona Peyton. Aladjem's credits include "CSI: Miami" and "Passions." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Thesp tunes up for 'Tenor' gig.(Inside Moves)(Justin Bartha in Lend Me a Tenor)(Brief article)
December 29, 2009... Justin Bartha appears poised to make his Broadway debut, stepping into the role originally announced for T.R. Knight in the upcoming revival of "Lend Me a Tenor," directed by Stanley Tucci. While reps for the production would not confirm...

'Ragtime's' final chord.(LEGIT)(Brief article)
December 29, 2009... It's no longer a rumor: "Ragtime" will shutter Sunday. The musical revival has been the subject of much discussion along Broadway since it opened last month, earning its fair share of favorable reviews and word of mouth but failing to build...

Big finish for b'way: 'Wicked's' holiday sesh sets Rialto record.(LEGIT)
December 29, 2009... Santa brought box office presents to many--but not all--Broadway shows last week, as enduring juggernaut "Wicked" ($2,092,745) broke its Thanksgiving record to set a new high-water mark--top-grossing week in Rialto history. [ILLUSTRATION...

Broadway top 10: Dec. 21-27.(LEGIT)
December 29, 2009... Broadway Top 10: Dec. 21-27 Week's Show Net Receipts (Theater) Potential Prev. Week's (Prod. Category)(Seats) Net Receipts Net Receipts...

Film box office wrap for the weekend of Dec. 25-27, 2009.
December 29, 2009... Weekend at the B.O. Dec. 25-27, 2009 $269.4 million vs. last weekend +95.8% vs. last year +33.6% Screen scene The weekend's top 10 engagements: Theater, city (circuit) Gross 1 Avatar ...

Once Upon a Time in the Provinces.(Movie review)
December 29, 2009... (Odnazhdy v provintsii) (Russia) A Central Partnership, Tan-Film Studio production, with the support of the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography. Produced by Ruben Dishdishyan, Aram Movsesyan, Sergey Danielyan, Yuri Moroz. ...

The Hedgehog.(Movie review)
December 29, 2009... (Le Herisson) (France) A Les Films des Tournelles, Pathe, France 2 Cinema, Eagle Pictures, Topaze Bleue production, with participation of Canal Plus, Cinecinema. (International sales: Pathe, Paris.). Produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint....

Demons.(Television program review)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Series; BBC America, Sat. Jan. 2, 10 p.m.) Filmed in the U.K. by Shine in association with Sony Pictures Television Intl. Executive producers, Dean Hargrove; producers, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy; director, Tom...

AFI picks year's moments.(American Film Institute )
December 29, 2009... The American Film Institute has singled out James Cameron's "Avatar" as a "pioneering effort to unleash the human imagination" in naming the pie one of its eight "moments of significance" for this year. "With an army of technological wizards...

Filmdom's new dimension: from 'Avatar' to 'Under the Sea,' 3D glasses took the red carpet by storm in 2009.(V)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas work the crowd Feb. 26 at the opening-night screening of their Disney pic at the El Capitan in Hollywood. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AVATAR:...

Capri captures H'wood hearts.(V)(Capri Hollywood film fest )(Brief article)
December 29, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mariah Carey shares the love with Capri Hollywood film fest founder Pascal Vicedomini on Monday. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Pouts flew to the Italian isle fest to tubthump "Solitary Man." ...

Best B'O' present ever: 'Avatar,' 'Sherlock' pace all-time high $280 mil weekend.
December 28, 2009... There was enough Christmas cheer for nearly everyone at the domestic B.O., which tallied its biggest weekend in history as a number of films--led by 20th Century Fox's 3 D juggernaut "Avatar"--benefited from moviegoers stuffing themselves silly....

Fox squeaks out record.
December 28, 2009... With help from animated dinosaurs, singing chipmunks and the distant world of Pandora, 20th Century Fox has reached an estimated $2.26 billion in foreign ticket sales to set a new industry record at the international box office. The previous...

Cabler faces station break.
December 28, 2009... It's not looking good for an 11th-hour accord between Fox stations and Time Warner Cable before the Thursday night expiration of Fox's retransmission consent agreements with the nation's second-largest cable operator. The sides can't even...

Deals see exex cash in.
December 28, 2009... Just in time for the holidays, top execs at Liberty Media and Cablevision have inked rich new employment contracts. Greg Maffei cut a five-year deal to remain prexy-CEO of Liberty Media Corp. that takes effect Jan. 1. His pact gives him a...

Eastman fest focus: archive to held revamp screening event.(George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film)
December 28, 2009... One of the world's most important film archives and study centers, the George Eastman House Intl. Museum of Photography and Film, is getting into the film fest biz. The Eastman House has struck an alliance with the 360 | 365 Film Festival in...

Stang was voice of 'Top Cat'.
December 28, 2009... Arnold Stang, the nerdy character actor who was a mainstay of 1950s and '60s TV and a prolific voice actor in cartoons including Hanna-Barbera's "Top Cat," died Dec. 20 in Newton, Mass. He was 91. Stang died of pneumonia, said JoAnne Stang,...

Alien scribe dies.
December 28, 2009... Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon was inspired by everything from comicbooks to B movies when he co-wrote the script for the influential 1979 sci-fi pic "Alien." O'Bannon, who also wrote "Total Recall," died Dec. 17 in Santa Monica. He was 63. ...

Designers sculpt 'Avatar' beasts.(concept designer Neville Page)
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Movies have all kinds of designers, including production designers, sound designers and costume designers. For CG-heavy movies like "Avatar," though, a new profession has emerged: concept designer. Neville Page, who...

'Psych 9' travels to new Galaxy.
December 28, 2009... New distribution company Galaxy Pictures has acquired indie thriller "Psych 9" and set a Feb. 5 launch in U.K. cinemas on digital screens. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Directed by newcomer Andrew Shortell, "Psych 9" stars Sara Foster, Cary...

Disney noms a new face.(Sheryl Sandberg )
December 28, 2009... The Mouse House has nommed Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg to serve on its board of directors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sandberg would serve as an independent director, and her appointment would expand the board to 13...

Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker" took home honors for best pic and director from the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle.(Awards Briefs)
December 28, 2009... Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker" took home honors for best pic and director from the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. In the acting categories, George Clooney ("Up in the Air") and Meryl Streep ("Julie and Julia") took home...

Phoenix critics named Quentin Tarantino's WWII epic "Inglourious Basterds" the best of the year for 2009.(Awards Briefs)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Phoenix critics named Quentin Tarantino's WWII epic "Inglourious Basterds" the best of the year for 2009. They named Tarantino top helmer and his cast best ensemble. Phoenix crix also named "Moon" as the overlooked pic of the year and honored...

SAG's class action: guild lobbies outside fi-core workshop.
December 28, 2009... With most of Hollywood shut for the holidays, a skirmish broke out last week over thesps being persuaded to quit the Screen Actors Guild. SAG First VP Anne-Marie Johnson and several board members including Kent McCord leafleted outside a...

'Boondocks' back in 2010.
December 28, 2009... After nearly a two-year hiatus, animated series "The Boondocks" is returning for a third season. According to creator Aaron McGruder's Twitter feed, the show is currently in production and set to air in early 2010. No network has been...

Perry hits the road.(Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Movie producer and actor Tyler Perry said he is taking his sharp-tongued character Madea back on tour. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Perry posted a message on his website Saturday in which he said that he'd taken some time off in the past few...

Studio's Italo bloom: 'Flower' will launch Fox's local shingle.(World News)(Vallanzasca--The Flower of Evil)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Fox is going local in Italy with the launch of a long-gestating film production shingle called 21st Century Fox. Outfit's first film will be "Vallanzasca--The Flower of Evil," a biopic about Milanese mobster Renato Vallanzasca who in the...

Toho touts blurb blitz.(World News)(Space Battleship Yamato)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Toho, Japan's leading distrib and exhib, is splashing out $11 million on New Year's Day advertising for its sci-fi spectacular "Space Battleship Yam ato"--a huge sum for a local pic. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The spend comes on top of its $30...

Holy holla for Homer.(World News)(The Simpsons)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... The Vatican's newspaper has given "The Simpsons" the thumbs up. L'Osservatore Romano last week congratulated the show on its 20th anniversary, praising its philosophical leanings as well as its stinging and often irreverent take on religion....

Spain drains coin for pix.(World News)
December 28, 2009... Days after Gallic paybox Canal Plus hiked coin for the French film biz, TV support for local movies in Spain looks set to drop. Spain's supreme court has questioned the legality of TV quotas, enforced by local licenses, that oblige local...

Xpand grows 3D efforts.(World News)(Xpand and Arclight Films )(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Upping its distribution business, digital 3D company Xpand has inked with Arclight Films to take rights to Spain and former Yugoslavian territories on 3D features "Mulan" Disney's live-action version of the 1998 toon, and shark adventure "Bait,"...

Deal shakes up Korean pay TV biz.(World News)
December 28, 2009... The Korean pay TV industry is set for a shake-up in the new year. South Korean conglom CJ Group has acquired a controlling stake in On Media Corp. for $369 million, making it the dominant provider in the local cable TV business. The deal...

3 Idiots.(Movie review)
December 28, 2009... (India) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Reliance Big Pictures release of a Vinod Chopra Films production. Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Associate director, Rajesh Mapuskar. Screenplay, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Hirani,...

The New Daughter.(Movie review)
December 28, 2009... An Anchor Bay Films release of a Gold Circle Films production. Produced by Paul Brooks. Executive producers, Scott Niemeyer, Norm Waitt. Directed by Luis Alejandro Berdejo. Screenplay, John Travis, from a short story by John Connolly. Camera...

George Michael.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... George Michael, a longtime Washington, D.C.-based sportscaster for WRC-TV and NBC, who attracted a nationwide following as host of popular weekly show "The George Michael Sports Machine," died Dec. 24 in D.C. of cancer. He was 70. Michael...

James Gurley.(Obituaries)
December 28, 2009... James Gurley, the innovative guitarist who helped shape psychedelic rock's multilayered, sometimes thundering sounds as a member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, the band that propelled Janis Joplin to fame, died Dec. 20 in Palm Springs...

Vic Chesnutt.(Obituaries)
December 28, 2009... Vic Chesnutt, the paraplegic singer-songwriter whose dark, candid songs dealt with human frailty and mortality, died Friday in Athens, Ga. He was 45. Chesnutt's label, Montreal-based Constellation Records, confirmed the musician's passing on...

Connie Hines.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Actress Connie Hines, who played the wife on the popular 1960s television show "Mister Ed," died Dec. 18. She was 78. Her "Mister Ed" co-star Alan Young told the Los Angeles Times that Hines died at her Beverly Hills home from complications...

Shari Rhodes.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Casting director Shari Rhodes died Dec. 20 in Santa Fe, N.M., after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 71. Rhodes was an exec producer on "The Man in the Moon" and helped give Reese Witherspoon her start. Most recently, she has been...

Alaina Reed-Amini.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Alaina Reed-Amini, the Broadway star and TV actress best known for her long-running roles on "Sesame Street" and "227," died Dec. 17 in Santa Monica after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 63. Previously known as Alaina Reed Hall,...

St. Trinian's: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.(Movie review)
December 28, 2009... (U.K.) An Entertainment Fill Distributors release of an Entertainment Fill Distributors, Ealing Studios presentation of a Fragile Fills production, in association with Aegis Film Fund, Prescience. (International sales: Ealing Studios Intl.,...

The Man Who Sold the World.(Movie review)
December 28, 2009... (Morocco) A Prod' Action, SNRT, Soread, 2 M production, with support from Cinematographique du Maroc. (International sales: Pilar Cazorla, Madrid.) Produced by Cazorla. Directed by Imad Noury, Swel Noury. Screenplay, Swel Noury, based on...

Kick Off.(Movie review)
December 28, 2009... (Iraq-Japan) A Narin Film (Iraq)/NHK, NEP (Japan) production, with the support of Kurdistan Cinema Sulimany, Kurdistan TV, Korek Telecom. (International sales: Small Talk, Yokohama, Japan.) Produced, directed, written by Shawkat Amin Korki....

Moore fests the merrier.( Michael Moore and Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival )(Brief article)
December 28, 2009... Filmmaker Michael Moore started a summer film festival five years ago in his adopted hometown of Traverse City, Mich. Now he's teaming with Emmy winner Jeff Garlin to organize a mid-winter comedy counterpart. The inaugural Traverse City...

More heat on 'Shore'.
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MTV is getting more pressure to cancel its "Jersey Shore" reality show. The latest criticism comes from the New Jersey Italian American Legislative Caucus, which said the show promotes derogatory ethnic stereotypes...

One Big Happy Family.(Television program review)
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Series; TLC, Tues. Dec. 29. 9 p.m.) Produced by RDF USA. Executive producers, Mike Duffy, Chris Coelen, Julia Silverton; supervising producer, Art Lyons; senior story producer, Mark Krick; camera, Max Miller;...

New cover for WB cops.
December 28, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warner Bros.' cop comedy "A Couple of Dicks" has become "Cop Out." Director Kevin Smith revealed the name change last week before the "Cop Out" trailer began showing in front of Warner's "Sherlock Holmes" on...

Yule logjam: B.O. gifts for every demo.
December 23, 2009... With a socko $16.4 million domestically on Monday, 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" continued its box office onslaught and now could win the Christmas weekend as well--but there's plenty of competition, as Santa will be delivering a sleigh full of...

Weekend B.O. Preview.(box office)(Statistical data)
December 23, 2009... Weekend B.O. Preview Variety.com/weekendopeners Bows of holly Christmas weekend usually brings a blizzard of new titles to the domestic B.O., all looking to feast on the merriest time of year for moviegoers. TOP CHRISTMAS OPENER Pic (Year) ...

Comcast cues exec.
December 23, 2009... Comcast has struck a five-year employment pact with Stephen Burke, the No. 2 exec at Comcast, who will oversee NBC Universal once the cabler's transaction with General Electric is completed. Deal keeps Burke, who is exec veep-chief operating...

Have a jolly holly 'thon.(A Christmas Story)
December 23, 2009... What started out as a scheduling lark--Tumer's 24-hour "A Christmas Story" marathon--has now spread across the cable yuletide landscape. For the 13th year in a row, Tumer will dust off the 1983 cult fave, which will air this year from 8 p.m....

The Eye shows have it.
December 23, 2009... CBS dominated primetime's ratings race last week thanks to originals of its strong scripted series and the concluding hours of reality vet "Survivor." The Eye loaded up on firstrun fare in a week when its rivals opted for mostly repeats and...