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Variety
Managing Editor for Variety and co-author of Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and Fall of the WB and UPN; former editor of the Hollywood Reporter
PROFILE
Cynthia Littleton
Guest
FROM Cynthia Littleton
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Can the Weinstein Company be turned into a positive force for women? The Weinstein Company has taken a huge financial hit since assault and harassment allegations came out against co-founder Harvey Weinstein. Now it’s looking for a buyer, and at least two female-led investor groups are in the running. They both want to use the company’s movie and TV revenue to help victims.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Donald Trump Sells Miss Universe Trump’s been leading in the polls, but his politics have been clashing with his some of his business ventures. So today, he announced he’s unloading one of those ventures. Trump has sold the Miss Universe beauty pageant empire. For months, he’s been battling with the TV networks that air the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants because of his comments on immigration. We get a primer on the sale.
The Spin-off
HBO Now, Andy Lack's Back, Two Comedies, Two Strategies HBO reveals some details, including the price, behind their new OTT service. Andy Lack returns to NBC News, but that doesn't mean Brian Williams will be coming back. A very sad goodbye to Simpson's co-creator Sam Simon. And we take a look at two new, quirky comedies that were launched with very different strategies.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
TV Pilot Season Shakeup We’re in the middle of March Madness - the basketball tournament - but that’s also a perfect name for TV’s pilot season. This is the height of the network’s annual scramble to produce new shows and roll out their Fall line-ups. It’s a costly and slightly crazy tradition - and it’s only gotten costlier and crazier. For years, network executives have said that they were going to do things a better way. Now it seems like that’s finally started to happen.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Alternatives to Cable There are a head-spinning number of ways to watch TV these days that don’t even involve a cable box. And that’s the argument Comcast is going to make as it defends its acquisition of Time-Warner Cable. We untangle the web of TV alternatives to figure out what our options are and what they will be in the future.
Which Way, L.A.?
After Year in Limbo, SAG Finally Ratifies Contract It's finally over. After a year of bitter in-fighting, the Screen Actors Guild has overwhelmingly approved a new contract . The deal looks much the same as one SAG was offered by the studios last year and which has already been approved by the AFTRA , the Writers' Guild and Directors' Guild . Cynthia Littleton is Deputy Editor of News at Variety , a daily trade publication covering the entertainment industry.
Recommended
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Gov. Jerry Brown: California and China will fight climate change together President Donald Trump reportedly wants the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and he’s expected to announce a decision soon. California Governor Jerry Brown heads to China to strengthen climate and clean energy ties.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians? News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?