I realize I’m a disproportionately passionate consumer of news of all kinds, and I also know I’m part of a quickly dying breed who has both the appetite and the personal mindset to do so. So much as I might take issue with some of the motivations behind some journalists in an era where merely getting attention is a yuge part of their mission I do appreciate when those following a story like dogs chasing a bus feel the need to drop what they consider to be of paramount (pun intended) importance on a freaking Sunday.
THE ANKLER’s Elaine Low took time out from whatever other weekend obligations she might have had with family members or her tennis coach to take to her LinkedIn feed to remind those who care that on Friday she was even more on top of the most emotionally charged story in Hollywood than she typically is when she churns out emergency podcasts, using an all-caps SCOOP as clickbait:
Less than three weeks after President Donald Trump floated the idea of a federal film and TV tax incentive, a bill could be introduced as soon as next week, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Some expressed optimism that it could pass into law by year’s end.
The co-leads of the bill are likely to be U.S. Representatives Laura Friedman and Linda Sánchez (both California Democrats), and Republicans Brian Jack (Georgia) and Nathaniel Moran (Texas).
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, entertainment-guild leaders and Trump’s specially appointed Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight held a press conference earlier this week to tout a new Motion Picture Association study, which found that a federal film and TV tax incentive could increase American production to 65 percent of global production, up from the current 39 percent, and create more than 143,500 full-time jobs annually. Reps. Friedman and Jack co-hosted the conference with the U.S. Film and Television Production Coalition, a group that includes Voight, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America and the Teamsters. Friedman’s district includes the studio-rich cities of Glendale and Burbank. Jack’s district includes Trilith Studios, once a longtime Marvel production hub.
“This is a jobs bill,” said MPA chief Charlie Rivkin on Tuesday. “When… any major motion picture, films in the United States, it injects about $1.3 million a day into the local economy.”
And yeah, I consider that an even bigger deal than the ongoing misghagoss that continues to unfold between the Ellisons and practically every grandstanding AG and stunting politicians because as I mused late last week I actually believe Nepobaby is more than justified in seeking greener pastures given how much the state he currently has his lot in has dropped the ball over more than a decade that preceded any of the seismic shifts in the political landscape.
That said, there’s more than enough interest in how that story is evolving, and between that and the knowledge that today is Yom Kippur it didn’t surprise me that THE WRAP’s warrior princess Sharon Waxman perhaps also gave up a brunch and a Dry Bar appointment to author her own breaking news early yesterday morning:
A plan that would hold Warner Bros. Discovery separate from Paramount Skydance through the end of potential litigation may be the key to ending a standoff between the Hollywood studio and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, allowing the stalled $110 billion merger to proceed, TheWrap has learned.
The maneuver, called a “hold separate,” would provisionally allow the merger to proceed while litigation challenging the deal as a breach of antitrust laws could make its way through the courts. Doing so would allow Paramount to avoid the painful ticking fee that begins on Oct. 1 and move the merger forward. But if the AGs’ litigation were to prevail, the deal would have to unwind.
Still, this move may be the key to getting to a compromise over what has been a stubborn standoff between Bonta and Paramount for weeks. Negotiations between the two sides kicked off on Friday and seemed to quickly lock in to a path toward resolution.
I admire her passion and aggressiveness–even though as fellow indie journalist Rick Ellis of TOO MUCH TV pointed out early this morning that optimism may be a tad premature in light what clearly is yet another lobbying attempt on Bonta’s part:
When you last received a newsletter from me on Saturday morning, the business and entertainment press were filled with stories suggesting a resolution to the Paramount merger legal battle was likely to happen over the weekend, as both sides were racing towards an agreement. The storyline was that California Attorney General Rob Bonta was looking for a way to save face and was willing to take a much less ambitious proposal from Paramount in order to protect his future political ambitions.
But at the time, I wrote that the optimism was likely due in part to carefully orchestrated leaks from the Paramount side. And that contrary to what was being suggested, the negotiations included input from all 12 state AGs, not just Bonta. And that not every AG agreed with Bonta’s approach. I also laid out an overview of some of the negotiating points being discussed.
I’ll refer you to Ellis’ full story for the details, but suffice to say Waxman’s got some motivations of her own. After all, THE ANKLER is her arch-rival, and it sure seems Low and her activist bosses Janice Lin and Richard Rushfield are tapping into more moles in different places–and Ellis, located more than 1000 miles away geographically and arguably a million miles away in lifestyle–has them all beat when it comes to reporting as accurately as he does tenaciously.
In all of these cases, independent journalists are putting the “efforts” of their one-time mainstream employers to shame. That’s especially true in the case of Chris Cilizza, a one-time CNN contributor who blows up my Substack several times a day with print and video stories that are both timely and provocative. The one he dropped late Thursday on his SO WHAT? feed that specifically took his alma mater apart was one I found myself cheering along with:
A few days ago, I came across this headline: “CNN Gets Massive Ratings Boost as Fox News Takes Big Hit.” Intrigued, I clicked on the story. And came across this (bolding is mine):
The cable news ratings for the month of August are in, and it’s good news for CNN, the only network to buck the trend and finish with higher numbers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic.According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen big data + panel, CNN averaged 624,000 total viewers and 109,000 demo viewers in primetime for the month of August. While this was down 5 percent in total viewers from the prior month, it was up 7 percent in the key demo……One big reason for CNN’s ratings boost was CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which landed as the network’s top performer with 725,000 total viewers and 152,000 demo viewers.
Which made me profoundly depressed. Not because CNN is doing well but because of the reason CNN is doing so well…I am aware that writing something like this makes me a bit of the turd in the punchbowl in Washington media circles. Plenty of people may agree with my sentiments — in fact, I know they do because as I have mulled this piece for the last few months they have told me they feel the same way — but they don’t want to say it. Because saying it isn’t how things are done— or whatever. But I don’t say this lightly: I think what is happening in shows like “NewsNight” is actively bad for our democracy.
Let me be clear: I am not at all opposed to airing political differences in conversation. Especially on TV. But let me also say this: The performative aspect of the “NewsNight” is what I can’t stand…The entire point of the show is NOT to have a thoughtful debate on the news of the day. It is to put piranhas in a bowl and watch them tear each other apart.
It was Cilizza’s mic drop that ignited me most:
The job of the executives is to get people to watch — RATINGS — and they have clearly found something with this format. What depresses me is that people watch. LOTS of people. Scroll to the top of this post again; “NewsNight” averages 725,000 viewers every night, including 152,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic.
If that sounds like a lot of my own musings, you do pay attention. And that’s exactly why I’m refusing to give more oxygen to the story that otherwise dominated the weekend’s news cycle. The one where three networks who were banned from the White House as of Saturday morning and their equally ratings-desperate challengers who are not exactly joining hands in solidarity devoted just about every spare moment to saber-rattling and throwing out First Amendment references. A firehose of self-righteous sludge that continued into this morning with what THE ASSOCIATED PRESS’ Jocelyn Noveck dropped onto the site of practically every mainstream publication my browser history prompts me with.
Actual reporting of actual news matters scant little any more–especially to folks in that coveted demographic. In the linear media landscape, even roughly 20 per cent of an audience under age 55 is a big deal. I hope you’ve also paid attention to the skew of the late lamented LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT and the financially challenged new daypart champion JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!. NEWSNIGHT is beating them both by nearly 2-1 in demo comp.
But instead of acting in the manner that behavior resembling a petulant child throwing a tantrum warrants–ignore it!!–the impacted entities have actually sworn that they will continue to cover the administration–using their “loyalty” to that First Amendment as their justification. I dare say Cilizza knows the real reason for their panic. They need Fat Orange Jesus as the straw to stir their drink. NEWSNIGHT is merely one example of that. (The same can be said of Kimmel, I suppose).
And by continuing to amplify and slavishly cover every freaking Happy Hour in the Oval Office and every rambling speech he gives in front of roaring helicopter blades–even if every factchecker human and robotic is on the case–they are giving him exactly what he and his diabolical enablers wanted in the first place.
Yet another weekend wasted where coverage of electable, viable candidates with agendas that address real issues has gone by. Only six more remain before what I’m constantly being reminded is the most consequential and urgent election in the history of the free world actually takes place–though I remain dubious that will actually happen. And all we seem to be able to come away with are desperate pleas to “vote blue, no matter who”. Where I live, that’s as insulting a demand as the one that spewed from Truth Social on Friday.
At least I can choose to ignore him and focus on what matters far more to me and people I actually know. The ability to work and a reason to stay in Los Angeles in the first place. Topics that Rob Bonta is apparently too damn distracted to deal with right now.
Anyone in sympatico with that? Help me get him into a mud pit.
Until next time…