Morning Fix: ‘Apes’ climbs high at box office. Fox plans TV-unit overhaul.
After the coffee. Before getting over World Cup withdrawal.
The Skinny: If the Justice Department wants to talk to me about the media landscape as it reviews the Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal (see below) I am available -- if they will cover my airfare back to D.C. Maybe throw in some Redskins tickets, too! Today’s roundup includes the weekend box office report and the restructuring of Fox’s TV operations. Also, a look at 30 young stars to watch.
Daily Dose: The expected restructuring of Fox’s TV operations (see below) will put 20th Century Fox Television chiefs Gary Newman and Dana Walden in the bright lights within parent company 21st Century Fox. Already two of the most senior executives at the media giant, having Fox Broadcasting report to them as well will give them even more turf. But with success comes scrutiny. One former top Fox executive notes that while 21st Century Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch doesn’t really meddle with the TV production arm, he is very hands-on with Fox Broadcasting, which means even more pressure in an already intense job. Have fun!
Climbing high. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” went through a lot of bananas. The sequel to 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” took in more than $70 million in its debut weekend. That beat even the most optimistic predictions. Doing well in very limited release was director Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” which made over $350,000 from just five screens in New York and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, overall the weekend box office was down compared with the same time a year ago. Weekend box office recaps from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.
New order. 21st Century Fox is expected to unveil a new structure for its television operations this week. Fox Broadcasting will now report to 20th Century Fox Television, the television studio unit. That means studio chiefs Dana Walden and Gary Newman will be overseeing the Fox network. The move, which comes in the wake of Kevin Reilly’s departure as head of programming for Fox Broadcasting, also gives Fox Networks Group chief Peter Rice more turf at 21st Century Fox, as Walden and Newman will report to him. Previously, the TV studio reported to Chase Carey, the chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox. More on the expected changes from the Los Angeles Times and Variety.
They bought Kenny! In an attempt to bring in more users, Hulu has acquired all the reruns of Comedy Central’s long-running cartoon “South Park.” Hulu, which is co-owned by 21st Century Fox, Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp., has struggled in the last few years to generate buzz. Unlike Netflix and Amazon, it hasn’t gotten a lot of attention for the few original shows it has attempted. While buying “South Park” reruns will get it some attention, the show has been on a long time and reruns have been all over the place so it may not provide all the heat Hulu execs are betting on. Yes, I’m cynical on this one. More on the deal from the New York Times.
Speak now or forever hold your peace. As is standard operating procedure in any legal review of a big merger, the Justice Department has reached out to top media executives for background chats on Comcast’s proposed purchase of Time Warner Cable. Bloomberg says CBS, Disney and Discovery have been asked to provide information about the media industry to the Justice Department, which along with the FCC is reviewing the deal. The question is whether these companies will try to torpedo the sale or talk about what great guys everyone in the industry is and that it is all one big love-fest.
Uh, did you do any research before going there? The Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley is famous for restricting media access. While Allen & Co. loves the attention the annual gathering of top media and tech executives gets, they also make it very hard for reporters to actually talk to anyone there, which only adds to the mystique. Apparently someone forgot to tell Fox Business Network reporter Charlie Gasparino about the worship from afar rules of Allen & Co. He got booted out after twice trying to get into restricted areas, according to the New York Post.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Betsy Sharkey on 30 young actors to watch.
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