ENTERTAINMENT
March 26, 2013 | By Meg James
CBS Corp. has acquired a 50% stake in the TV Guide Network for about $100 million, giving the big broadcaster a larger toehold in cable television. CBS said Tuesday it had entered into a joint venture with the independent film and television studio Lionsgate, which owns the other 50% of the channel also known as TVGN. CBS bought out the stake held by One Equity Partners, an investment arm of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The 32-year-old TVGN is widely distributed -- it is available in 80 million homes -- but it has stumbled attempting to create an identity after the conversion to digital channels that made the TV Guide channel's once useful rolling scroll of cable channel program schedules irrelevant. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Your entertainment 'Morning Fix' Now cable subscribers can easily navigate an interactive channel guide by tapping a button on their remote controls.
ENTERTAINMENT
March 25, 2013 | By Joe Flint
After the coffee. Before the matzo ball soup. The Skinny: I'm in D.C. for Passover, and it snowed here. So much for seeing some cherry blossoms, lunching at an outdoor cafe near the Capitol and taking a nice long jog. Monday's headlines include a recap of the box office and yet another story on the struggles of NBC's "Today. " Daily Dose: NBC, which suffered through a brutal winter, is hoping for a spring renewal starting Monday night with the return of "The Voice" and the network's drama "Revolution," which delivered solid numbers in its fall debut.
ENTERTAINMENT
March 22, 2013 | By Joe Flint
Looking to expand its cable portfolio, CBS is in talks to acquire a 50% stake in TV Guide Network for about $100 million. Currently co-owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and One Equity Partners, an investment arm of JPMorgan Chase, TVGN has been on the block for more than a year. CBS would acquire the stake held by One Equity Partners, people familiar with the talks said. An agreement could be announced as early as next week. Although it is distributed in more than 80 million homes, TVGN has struggled in its attempts to become a mainstream entertainment channel.
WORLD
March 3, 2013 | By Vincent Bevins, Los Angeles Times
SAO PAULO, Brazil - When left-leaning President Joao Goulart was deposed by the Brazilian military in 1964, the nation's major news media, controlled by a few wealthy families, celebrated. But during the 21-year dictatorship that followed, the government censored the newspapers and television stations the families operated. Things are different now. Since 2003, Brazil has been run by the popular left-of-center Workers' Party, known as PT, which has left the news media alone. But the publications and TV stations, still controlled by the same families, have been critical of the party, despite a public approval rating for President Dilma Rousseff as high as 78%. Not a single major news outlet supports her, with some newspapers and magazines particularly harsh in their criticism.
ENTERTAINMENT
January 8, 2013 | By Joe Flint
Satellite broadcaster DirecTV is taking the next step with its in-house channel Audience Network. Best known as the channel that gave a second chance to critically acclaimed but low-rated dramas "Damages" and "Friday Night Lights," the Audience Network is now making a big push into original scripted programming with the drama "Rogue. " Set to premiere in April, "Rogue" is a gritty and dark look at a detective (Thandie Newton) who goes undercover and finds herself crossing lines and putting her career in jeopardy.
BUSINESS
December 28, 2012 | By Meg James and Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times
Pay-TV channel Starz is trying to chart a new orbit. Early next year, its parent company, Liberty Media, plans to spin off the premium network and its sister channel Encore into a new, stand-alone, publicly traded company. Such a move would normally be cause for celebration. But for Starz, the separation comes amid uncertainty. Its track record producing original shows has been mixed. The market is getting increasingly crowded not only from Starz's traditional competitors, HBO and Showtime, but also from new rivals including Netflix, Amazon and Redbox.