Rupert Unchained

Rupert Unchained

Yesterday’s announcement by FOX News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace that he was leaving the organization to join the fledgling CNN+ streaming service may have been shocking, but those familiar with the history of how an unencumbered Rupert Murdoch values traditional journalism would likely have deemed it inevitable. Wallace, the son of legendary CBS News and … Read more

One Last First?

One Last First?

As 2021 starts to wind down, I’ve got what will likely be my final in-person sporting event on tap today when I attempt to watch my beloved but depleted New York Football Giants attempt to take on the Los Angeles Chargers at still-spanking new SoFi Stadium.  ‘ When I purchased the tickets last spring, I … Read more

And Just Like That…This?

And Just Like That…This?

I actually looked forward to the reboot of SEX AND THE CITY that debuted this week on HBO Max.  As someone who watched a lot of TV with my wife, this show became a staple of our binges and often one of the few escapes from the misery I endured. The show took on a … Read more

From Too Little To Too Much?

From Too Little To Too Much?

One of the big inflection points of pop culture and media research has been the ongoing noise about the transparency of information coming from Netflix about the performance of its content.  As a subscription video on demand service, its business model relies strictly on whether people continue to pay for the opportuity to watch, not … Read more

This Land Is Yours, Landgraf

This Land Is Yours, Landgraf

Almost lost in the pre-Christmas rush of media and pandemic news was a report of a branding tweak that I believe represents a huge win for a perpetual insurgent that has even triumphed over Mickey Mouse. Disney announced this week that FX, the network I am proud to say I helped build that was acquired … Read more

Even This We Get To Experience

Even This We Get To Experience

Tonight two television shows originally written in the 1970s and 1980s will be performed live in front of a (fully vaccinated) studio audience on the cusp of 2022 helmed by a man who was born in 1922.  And trust me, he will be very much alive and in front of a studio audience himself. Simply … Read more

It’s About Time

It’s About Time

On a December Sunday filled with football and latkes the best news I saw yesterday was the announcement that, nearly 60 years after he retired and nearly 50 years after he died Gil Hodges is finally, finally going to be immortalized in the baseball Hall of Fame. As a Mets fan who came of age … Read more

Of Trump And Research

Of Trump And Research

Incredibly, the intersection between the world of Leblanguage and the world of Donald Trump is larger than logic would otherwise dictate.  And I’ll offer that on many measures I could help him be better at what he tries to do. Yesterday it was reported by The Young Turks, a progressive-skewing online news network, that the … Read more

The Land of Oz

The Land of Oz

Once upon a time Mehmet Oz was an effervescent practicing cardiologist at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York who caught the eye of Oprah Winfrey and began contributing to her wildly popular daytime show.  As Oprah’s clout and empire expanded, along with Phil McGraw (success) and Nate Berkus (miss) Oz got the opportunity for … Read more