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 188: Remembering Roger – Personal Recollections of the World’s Most Famous Film Critic

April 8, 2013

The death of film critic Roger Ebert last week after a lengthy and public battle with cancer was followed by an endless stream of heartfelt appreciations. Arguably one of the most recognized and influential movie critics in the world, few were aware of Ebert’s generosity, especially when it came to fellow critics and journalists.

David Poland of Movie City News and Anne Thompson of Indiewire join our hosts in discussing a few of the personal memories each has of Ebert from spending time with him over the years. For instance, did you know filmmaker Michael Moore credits Ebert with helping spread the word about the his first movie? Or that Ebert was an early investor in a little web startup named Google?

Meanwhile, late night television dominated the entertainment news last week as NBC officially announced they would not be renewing Jay Leno’s contract as host of the “Tonight Show” in order to bring in the younger Jimmy Fallon. The move has been widely hailed as a boneheaded attempt to win ratings in key demos as competition increases, but in the end Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” might still bring in more viewers.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” sequel, “American Idol’s” declining ratings and why take-down notices issued by movie studios are actually helping pirates, not hindering them.

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