SAG nominations out! Discovery dreams of Scripps.
After the coffee. Before getting over being snubbed for Man of the Year.
The Skinny: If you haven’t seen HBO’s documentary “State of Play” about the parents of child athletes, check it out. It’s very disturbing and made me grateful for my absentee parents and latchkey kid childhood. Wednesday’s highlights include the breakup of Brad Pitt and Paramount Pictures. Also, the SAG nominations are out and Discovery Communications has Scripps Networks on its wish list.
Daily Dose: It doesn’t get the attention of other cable networks, but Adult Swim, the Cartoon Network’s nighttime programming block, is closing out a record year. The animation channel will hit new highs in adults 18-49 and 18-34. Furthermore, in prime time, Adult Swim will finish No. 2 behind TBS among young men.
Breaking up is hard to do. Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B is severing its ties with Paramount Pictures in favor of a deal with New Regency, which is based at 20th Century Fox. Plan B had been based at Paramount since 2005, but the relationship grew tense over the production company’s “12 Years a Slave,” which was distributed by New Regency and Fox Searchlight. More on Plan B’s new home and what happened at Paramount from the Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Times.
PHOTOS: Cable versus broadcast ratings
Wish list. Media industry observers have long thought that Discovery Communications, parent of cable networks Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet and numerous others, would be a good fit with Scripps Networks Interactive, which owns HGTV and a big chunk of Food Network. Variety says that subject was discussed at a Discovery board meeting this week. Now before you get all excited, the story doesn’t say an offer was made or would be or that an investment bank was being retained. Odds are at every Discovery board meeting, the members of the committee to buy stuff lists Scripps (which is family controlled) as a candidate.
It’s an honor just to be nominated. The Screen Actors Guild nominations were announced early this morning. Nominees include Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Bruce Dern, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Among the movies singled out were “12 Years a Slave,” “The Butler,” “American Hustle” and “Dallas Buyers Club.” TV shows getting recognition include “Breaking Bad,” “Homeland,” “Game of Thrones” and, of course, “Modern Family.” Early thoughts on the nominees from the Los Angeles Times.
A win for journalists. Fox News reporter Jana Winter will not have to testify in the trial of alleged Aurora shooter James E. Holmes. Winter’s scoop that Holmes had shown a psychiatrist a notebook about his plans for a mass killing had his defense lawyers wanting to make her testify about whom her sources were. The New York Court of Appeals ruled Winter does not have to testify, winning cheers from media advocates. Details on the ruling from the New York Times.
A new court to play on. The Tennis Channel isn’t ready to wave the white flag in its fight against Comcast Corp. The cable network is taking its distribution fight to the Supreme Court. At issue is how Comcast carries Tennis Channel compared to other sports networks that it owns. Tennis Channel says Comcast is playing favorites in an illegal way but so far the courts have sided with Comcast. Coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Next time you are at Union Station, you may be able to catch a movie.
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