Morning Fix: Mariah Carey to ‘Idol’; Rebekah Brooks to be charged.
After the coffee. Before hearing NBC’s spin.
The Skinny: I need to take a crash course on the Olympics so I can at least pretend to know what I’m talking about. Send me your cheat sheets. Tuesday’s headlines include Fox’s landing of Mariah Carey as a judge on “American Idol,” former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks is to be officially charged in the phone hacking scandal that took that tabloid down, and Thursday may no longer be the most important night for the TV business.
Daily Dose: FX has gobbled up the rights to just about every major summer release including “The Avengers,” “Men in Black 3” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.” But the cable channel is not optimistic about its odds for getting “The Dark Knight Rises” from Warner Bros. Instead TNT, which is a sister company of Warner Bros., is expected to land the latest Batman movie.
Deja Vu all over again. Once again News Corp.’s Fox is hoping an aging diva can boost “American Idol.” The network has tapped pop singer Mariah Carey to replace Jennifer Lopez as a judge on the hit show, which saw its ratings tumble last season. A replacement is still needed for “American Idol” judge Steven Tyler. Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly suggested that getting new judges might become a regular thing on the show to keep things fresh. More on “American Idol” and other Fox news from the Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
New game plan. Peter Rice, who is considered one of News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch’s favorite executives, has been promoted to chairman and chief executive of Fox Networks Group. Rice, who already had oversight of the Fox network, now adds News Corp.’s sports empire to his portfolio. David Hill, the longtime head of Fox Sports, will now focus on new business opportunities for the unit. Details from the Los Angeles Times and Broadcasting & Cable.
A legal smacking for hacking. In our last bit of News Corp. news Tuesday morning, Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, was among eight people to be charged with phone hacking. News Corp.’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid, which Brooks once ran before heading its U.K. publishing arm, has been accused of hacking into voicemails of celebrities, crime victims and even members of the royal family. Also charged was Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor who went on to become Prime Minister David Cameron’s chief of communications. Coverage from the BBC and New York Times.
Where’d everybody go? Box office may be up this year, but actual attendance at the movies has been on a downward spiral. According to an analysis from Goldman Sachs, movie attendance last year was at a 25-year low. More on the report from the New York Post.
Progress, not perfection. NBC is getting props for streaming just about every event from the Summer games in London. Oh, but they are leaving out one little event -- the opening ceremony. That will still only be available on television and on tape delay in the United States. Coverage of NBC’s decision from the Wall Street Journal.
A new Thursday? For decades, the most important night on television as far as advertisers were concerned was Thursday. First made powerful by NBC’s powerful sitcoms and now ruled by CBS and Fox, Thursday was crucial for companies trying to reach big audiences before the weekend. But now Thursday may be losing some of its luster. Advertising Age analyzes ratings and tries to make the case that Thursday is not the big deal it once was.
Leaks on WikiLeaks movie. According to Deadline Hollywood, Jeremy Renner is considering playing Julian Assange in DreamWorks’ movie about WikiLeaks. Personally, I’d prefer “Saturday Night Live’s” Bill Hader. Also being considered to direct the movie is Bill Condon (“Twilight”).
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Where’s our gold? Some musicians are griping that the organizers of the London Olympics are trying to stiff them.
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