Mel Karmazin

After the coffee. Before finding out why I wasn't invited to Fashion Week. The Skinny: I watched about 20 minutes of "The X Factor" and here's my take: More performances (good and bad) and fewer attempts at creating behind-the-scenes drama. Thursday's headlines include the ongoing mystery of who is behind "Innocence of Muslims," Joaquin Phoenix is back at work and SiriusXM chief executive Mel Karmazin may be out of work soon. Daily Dose: Comcast executive Jeff Shell's resume just got a big bump.

Sirius XM Radio has tapped James Meyer as its interim chief executive officer while the search for a permanent replacement for Mel Karmazin continues. Meyer, currently president of sales and operations, has been with the satellite radio broadcaster since 2004. He will also take Karmazin's spot on the Sirius XM board of directors. Karmazin, who announced his plans to resign earlier this fall, had said he would stay with Sirius XM until February. However, with the appointment of Meyer, Karmazin's resignation as CEO and board member takes effect immediately.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. Chief Executive Mel Karmazin will resign from the satellite radio broadcaster on Feb. 1. The move was not unexpected. Liberty Media, the largest shareholder in SiriusXM, is in the process of taking control of the company and Karmazin had previously indicated he would likely leave as a result. Karmazin's contract with SiriusXM expires at the end of this year. He said he is staying on an additional month to ensure a smooth transition. He will also resign from the SiriusXM board.

After the coffee. Before ignoring a new version of the iPad. The Skinny: For some reason my DVR blew off recording Fox's "New Girl" last night. Any other Time Warner Cable subscribers have the same problem or is mine just possessed? Wednesday's headlines include Mel Karmazin's plans to leave SiriusXM, Netflix stock tumbles after it posts disappointing results, and the National Geographic Channel movie “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden" gets some last-minute editing.  Daily Dose: The World Series starts Wednesday night in San Francisco and Fox is hoping a Tigers-Giants battle will deliver.

Mel Karmazin, Viacom Inc.'s chief operating officer, took a swipe at Walt Disney Co.'s plans to cut 4,000 jobs at a Hollywood luncheon Wednesday, telling the 750 or so entertainment executives in attendance, "That's not how you should run a business." Karmazin, who is in charge of the nation's second-largest media giant, opened an address at the Hollywood Radio and Television Society's luncheon in Beverly Hills on Wednesday by poking at Disney.

Viacom Inc. Chairman Sumner Redstone could not keep it bottled up: Just as Mel Karmazin, chief executive of CBS Corp., was describing his strategic vision for the merged CBS and Viacom for a national television audience, Redstone blurted out: "I'm in control! Remember--I'm in control!"

Viacom Inc. Chief Operating Officer Mel Karmazin's statement Wednesday that supporters of fired "BET Tonight" host Tavis Smiley were playing the "race card" sparked reaction Thursday from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, NAACP Chairman Kweisi Mfume and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who will lead a protest today in Washington outside BET headquarters, took the most aggressive stance. Mfume is expected to detail his position this morning, and Jackson sought reconciliation.

"Rivals, and Friends?" (July 10) was an interesting report on the satellite radio competitors Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. One is dismayed, however, to find that one of the competitors has hired as chief executive an executive from vacuous TV whose entire career has been based upon foisting tasteless entertainment upon the masses. Mel Karmazin, formerly of Viacom Inc., gives meaning to the New York media expression, "No one ever got rich by overestimating the taste of the public."

Sirius XM Radio has tapped James Meyer as its interim chief executive officer while the search for a permanent replacement for Mel Karmazin continues. Meyer, currently president of sales and operations, has been with the satellite radio broadcaster since 2004. He will also take Karmazin's spot on the Sirius XM board of directors. Karmazin, who announced his plans to resign earlier this fall, had said he would stay with Sirius XM until February. However, with the appointment of Meyer, Karmazin's resignation as CEO and board member takes effect immediately.

After the coffee. Before ignoring a new version of the iPad. The Skinny: For some reason my DVR blew off recording Fox's "New Girl" last night. Any other Time Warner Cable subscribers have the same problem or is mine just possessed? Wednesday's headlines include Mel Karmazin's plans to leave SiriusXM, Netflix stock tumbles after it posts disappointing results, and the National Geographic Channel movie “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden" gets some last-minute editing.  Daily Dose: The World Series starts Wednesday night in San Francisco and Fox is hoping a Tigers-Giants battle will deliver.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. Chief Executive Mel Karmazin will resign from the satellite radio broadcaster on Feb. 1. The move was not unexpected. Liberty Media, the largest shareholder in SiriusXM, is in the process of taking control of the company and Karmazin had previously indicated he would likely leave as a result. Karmazin's contract with SiriusXM expires at the end of this year. He said he is staying on an additional month to ensure a smooth transition. He will also resign from the SiriusXM board.

After the coffee. Before finding out why I wasn't invited to Fashion Week. The Skinny: I watched about 20 minutes of "The X Factor" and here's my take: More performances (good and bad) and fewer attempts at creating behind-the-scenes drama. Thursday's headlines include the ongoing mystery of who is behind "Innocence of Muslims," Joaquin Phoenix is back at work and SiriusXM chief executive Mel Karmazin may be out of work soon. Daily Dose: Comcast executive Jeff Shell's resume just got a big bump.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. Chief Executive Mel Karmazin said he would likely leave the company when Liberty Media takes control of the satellite radio broadcaster. Liberty, the largest shareholder in SiriusXM, currently holds just under 50% of the stock and has already told the Federal Communications Commission that it plans to acquire more than that and would like the regulatory agency to approve it as the outright owner when that happens. Speaking at the Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, Karmazin said he is willing to talk about staying but added, "If I were Liberty I would say, 'I'm not sure we need Mel.'" Karmazin's contract with SiriusXM is up at the end of the year.

Liberty Media informed the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that it had acquired more than 48% of Sirius XM Radio's shares and intends to push that amount above 50% in order to take control over the New York satellite radio company. Liberty disclosed the plan several months after it failed to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to grant it control over Sirius based on its ownership of 40% of the company's shares.  Sirius' chief executive, Mel Karmazin, rebuffed the takeover attempt at the time, saying Liberty's argument that its 40% stake was sufficient to gain control was akin to proclaiming "Forty is the new 50. " Liberty's chairman, John Malone, might have taken that barb to heart.

"Rivals, and Friends?" (July 10) was an interesting report on the satellite radio competitors Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. One is dismayed, however, to find that one of the competitors has hired as chief executive an executive from vacuous TV whose entire career has been based upon foisting tasteless entertainment upon the masses. Mel Karmazin, formerly of Viacom Inc., gives meaning to the New York media expression, "No one ever got rich by overestimating the taste of the public."

The highly unusual employment contract fashioned by Mel Karmazin to protect himself against his meddlesome boss paid off handsomely: The former president of Viacom Inc. collected $35.4 million in bonuses and salary after quitting in June. The nation's third-largest entertainment company disclosed the payment -- and another one of $20.8 million to outgoing Viacom entertainment chief Jonathan Dolgen -- in its second-quarter earnings report Thursday.

Liberty Media informed the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that it had acquired more than 48% of Sirius XM Radio's shares and intends to push that amount above 50% in order to take control over the New York satellite radio company. Liberty disclosed the plan several months after it failed to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to grant it control over Sirius based on its ownership of 40% of the company's shares.  Sirius' chief executive, Mel Karmazin, rebuffed the takeover attempt at the time, saying Liberty's argument that its 40% stake was sufficient to gain control was akin to proclaiming "Forty is the new 50. " Liberty's chairman, John Malone, might have taken that barb to heart.

The highly unusual employment contract fashioned by Mel Karmazin to protect himself against his meddlesome boss paid off handsomely: The former president of Viacom Inc. collected $35.4 million in bonuses and salary after quitting in June. The nation's third-largest entertainment company disclosed the payment -- and another one of $20.8 million to outgoing Viacom entertainment chief Jonathan Dolgen -- in its second-quarter earnings report Thursday.

Viacom Inc.'s tightfisted entertainment chief, Jonathan Dolgen, who revolutionized how movies are financed, resigned Wednesday after acknowledging that a shift in leadership at the company had left no room for him at the top. Dolgen's exit followed by a day the resignation of his boss, Viacom President Mel Karmazin, who lost a four-year power struggle with the conglomerate's 81-year-old chief executive, Sumner Redstone.

In a surprise ending to one of the most closely watched management sagas, Viacom Inc. President Mel Karmazin was close Wednesday night to extending his contract at the entertainment giant beyond the end of the year, sources close to the situation said. The new employment agreement would lift a cloud that has been hanging over Viacom for more than a year.