Showbiz Sandbox 418: Fighting For Control of His Company, CBS Head Les Moonves Is Now Fighting to Keep His Job
July 30, 2018
The challenge for CBS of fending off an unwanted merger with its parent company, Viacom, was made all the more difficult last week when the New Yorker published a story in which the broadcaster’s longtime CEO, Les Moonves, was accused of sexual misconduct by six women. The company now has to determine how to handle the allegations not only of Moonves, an influential executive who is credited with CBS’s success, but also the claim that a culture of sexual harassment exists throughout the organization.
Speaking of companies that are having chaotic weeks, MoviePass seems to be on the brink of collapse (i.e. bankruptcy). Apparently they ran out of money, borrowed $5 million to keep the lights on, changed their rules again and decided pretty much no one gets to see “Mission Impossible”.
The turmoil for some entertainment and tech companies extends beyond their own walls all the way to Wall Street where stock prices have become volatile and seem to defy any sense of logic. Shares of companies with solid profits have plumeted, while at the same time the prices for those losing money, like Spotify, have risen.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including producer Kenya Barris’ nine-figure deal with Netflix, Jeffrey Katzenberg raises $1 billion for a new entertainment venture and “Hamilton” may soon be headed into movie theaters, but not how you might expect.
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Showbiz Sandbox 340: Bob Dylan Is A Poet and We Didn’t Know It
October 18, 2016
When Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature last week there were cries of joy and jeers of contempt over the decision. Music Journalist Sal Nunziato joins us to ponder whether Dylan’s work is in fact literature. He explains why, out of all the musicians that could have received such an award, it had to be Dylan.
Nunziato explains who out of this year’s 19 nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should actually get in. Will Kraftwerk finally make the cut? Joan Baez seems like a no-brainer and nobody would be shocked if Pearl Jam makes it through on their first attempt, but what about bands like Depeche Mode and hip-hop stars such as Tupac Shakur?
Meanwhile, there’s never been more ways to listen to music thanks to streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Now Amazon has entered the world of music streaming and hopes that soon every song request begins with the word “Alexa.”
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including an expansion of the latest Harry Potter franchise, Billy Bush reaches a settlement to depart “Today” and Netflix gives comedian Chris Rock a huge payday.
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