Obama's FCC Pick Tom Wheeler Appears Before Senate Committee
June, 18, 2013 2:39 pm | Comments On #FCC, Jay Rockefeller, John Thune, Media, President Obama, Tom WheelerA Senate Commerce Committee hearing into Tom Wheeler's nomination as Federal Communications Commission chairman quickly turned into a partisan debate about the FCC's future.
Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) urged Wheeler, President Obama's choice, to be a consumer advocate.
Also read: Obama Expected to Name Tom Wheeler FCC Chairman
"You face an agency that has become increasingly polarized and politicized," said Rockefeller. "The rules we have now may not be those we should have for the future, but that does not mean we should not have any, as so many in the industry seem to be advocating.
"The FCC chairman should be more than the arbitrator of industry interests," added...
Read MoreObama's FCC Choice Tom Wheeler Faces Senate Confirmation Hearing Tuesday
June, 17, 2013 5:06 pm | Comments On #FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, Media, President Obama, Tom WheelerPresident Obama’s choice as new chairman of the Federal Communication Commission, Tom Wheeler, faces a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday amid initial indications the Senate will try to move quickly to confirm him as the permanent replacement for now departed chairman, Julius Genachowski.
Members of the Senate Commerce Committee will hear testimony from Wheeler, though a final committee vote on the confirmation may come later this week or next week. How quickly the full Senate will take up the nomination remains uncertain. Republican senators have blocked votes on several other Obama appointees.
Also read: Obama Formally Taps Tom Wheeler as FCC Chairman
Managing director of Core Capital Partners, Wheeler is a former lobbyist as well as a bundler...
Read MoreMarvel's 'Ghost Rider' Dispute Headed Back to Court
June, 11, 2013 3:46 pm | Comments On #Gary Friedrich, Ghost Rider, Marvel Entertainment, Media"The Ghost Rider" lawsuit filed by writer Gary Friedrich over rights to the Marvel Entertainment character returned to life Tuesday with an appellate court ruling that a lower court shouldn’t have dismissed Friedrich’s suit seeking compensation for Marvel’s continued use of the character.
In an unusually long 48-page decision, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ordered trial of Friedrich’s claims of ownership of rights to the character, including his claim for royalties or other payments from the movies made featuring the character.
A three-judge panel said a lower court judge incorrectly dismissed Friedrich’s claims out of hand and needed to review factual issues presented.
Also read: ...
Read MoreCable Execs at NCTA: There's a World of Opportunity in the Off-Seasons
June, 10, 2013 3:08 pm | Comments On #Ali Rowghani, AMC Networks, anne sweeney, Disney Media Networks, Joshua Sapan, NCTA, ncta cable show, Television, twitterTechnology is dramatically altering the focus of cable programmers and marketers on traditional seasons, creating a demand for more serialized stories and focusing efforts on promoting programs after they have already aired, three top execs told a cable industry conference in Washington on Monday.
“The off-season is not the off-season any more,” Joshua Sapan, president-CEO of AMC Networks, said during a panel discussion at the National Cable and Telecommunications Assn. annual Cable Show. He described how second-screen activities -- from Twitter to webisodes discussing programs that have aired -- are being used increasingly to boost long term interest and ratings for AMC programs.
“One of the most interesting things happening in TV is what happens between seasons. We have all seen 'Homeland' and other shows build between seasons and you come...
Read MoreReport: More Research Needed on Link Between Media and Violence
June, 05, 2013 5:13 pm | Comments On #MediaDeclaring that detailed scientific research on the impact of media violence on gun violence is sorely lacking, the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday recommended that scientists prioritize significant new research on the subject.
In a 69-page report into “Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-related Violence” produced at the request of the Centers for Disease Control after the Sandy Creek school shootings in December, the Institute of Medicine offered one piece of good news for the movie and TV industry: The report said that while violence in videogames and the media may be...
Hey, FCC: What Are You Doing About Those Loud TV Ads?
June, 05, 2013 11:10 am | Comments On #TelevisionHello FCC … FCC. Can you hear me? Hello! Hey, what are you doing about toning down those loud TV commercials?
Two legislators who helped Congress enact the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act in September 2010 asked that question Wednesday.
Also read: FCC Cracks Down on Loud Commercials
In a joint letter to Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Mignon, the legislators -- Clyburn, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. --called for the FCC to update Congress on its progress implementing legislation that is intended to prevent broadcasters and cable...
Read MoreCourt OK's Lawsuit Against Oprah's Use of 'Own Your Power'
May, 31, 2013 11:42 am | Comments On #TelevisionIt may truly be empowering to “Own Your Power,” but an appellate court panel said Friday that Oprah Winfrey, her Harpo Productions and the Hearst Corp. can be sued by a motivational speaker and radio-show host who claims the line violated her trademark and was illegally used on an “O” magazine cover and a related event.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision that said the use of the line amounted to “fair use” and threw out claims made by Simone Kelly-Brown against Winfrey, Hearst, as well as corporate sponsors of the event.
The appellate court ordered...
Read MoreMarty Franks, Dean of Network Lobbyists, to Retire from CBS
May, 29, 2013 12:46 pm | Comments On #MediaMarty Franks, CBS’s senior vice president for government affairs and the dean of TV network lobbyists in Washington, announced Wednesday he will retire Sept. 30 after a 25 years leading battles in Congress and the FCC.
CBS president CEO Leslie Moonves, announcing the retirement in a memo on Wednesday, credited Franks with the key role in getting Congress to approve retransmission consent and repeal the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules that had prevented networks from owning and later syndicating most of the entertainment programs they aired.
...
Read More'Citizen Koch' Filmmaker Joins Protest of Kochs' Purchase of Tribune Co.
May, 29, 2013 12:20 pm | Comments On #MediaDocumentary filmmaker Tia Lessin is going on the offensive against any attempts by the Charles and David Koch to buy the Tribune Co. newspapers, weeks after some PBS stations plans to air her controversial “Citizen Koch” documentary about the Koch brothers drew controversy.
Lessin on Wednesday joined local activists and concerned citizens at a New York protest outside the doors of one of the bigger owners of Tribune stock -- Angelo, Gordon & Co. which holds 9.4 percent of Tribune Co. stock. A company spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.
Unions including the Writers Guild of America East and consumer groups have...
Read MorePiracy 'Extortion': Courts Cracking Down on Lawyers Targeting Porn Downloaders
May, 28, 2013 3:06 pm | Comments On #courts, Movies, piracy, pornThe most successful strategy to get consumers to pay up for viewing pirated films appears to be falling apart.
Courts are starting to look askance at lawyers’ efforts to seize on downloaders of porn rather than Hollywood films and use the threat of public embarrassment to extract quick payments.
In courtrooms around the country, major internet service providers, consumer groups and some judges are raising questions about the legal tactics of lawyers who uncover the names of consumers whose accounts were allegedly used to view pirated films, then demand payments of up to $4,000 not to file lawsuits.
Also read: Hollywood Studios Fuming Over BitTorrent, Cinedigm 'Deal With the Devil'
The suits -- made...
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What happens when the political world and the entertainment industry collide. From FCC policy wonks to the MPAA to celebs at the White House, it’s TheWrap on Washington.
