I was going to devote today’s musing to the fact that despite my strong belief, based in large part on my own direct experience—yes, mostly positive—with Rupert Murdoch, that although he has released a statement that insists he is technically passing the stewardship of his companies to number one son Lachlan, there is little question … Read more
A writer once stopped by my old apartment to work on a script with my roommate, who was ostensibly collaborating with him on a “passion project”. While they were brainstorming, the writer took over the kitchen to prepare dinner for them, which included his “special sauce”, which he casually explained was “like the kind usually … Read more
So yesterday’s breaking news was all abuzz about Rupert Murdoch’s announcement that after a 70-year career helming the companies that eventually became News Corporation and the array of assets known as FOX he was at last stepping down from that position. As (ironically) CNN reported: Rupert Murdoch, the powerful right-wing media mogul who built and … Read more
Far too many years ago for me to be comfortable owning up to (ok, it premiered 48 years ago this month; happy?!!?) a breakthrough sitcom set at a Brooklyn high school called WELCOME BACK, KOTTER was appointment TV. While most of the fans from that era will recall the show being where we first saw … Read more
Nielsen’s monthly and eagerly anticipated snapshot on the world of video, THE GAUGE, dropped its August report yesterday, with its own PR firm (somehow spared from the recent budget cuts that cost dozens of highly experienced researchers their actual JOBS) prolifically chortling their version of facts to an overly salivating world of observers, investors and … Read more
As the handful of truly devoted, long-term fans of these musings might remember, when my journey began a couple of years ago, I had both the resources and determination to work with a life coach, a powerful and determined man who had been a member of the United States Olympic judo team in 2004 and, … Read more
Contrary to the opinions of so many people who would still claim to be friends of mine, when it’s brutally clear that no matter how much logic, reason or fact may go into what classifies as nothing more than an educated POV based on decades of actual experience, if there is a narrative that absolutely, … Read more
Byron Allen’s back in the news cycle again, and yet again there seems to be shock that he’s mentioned in the same breath as some of America’s largest media monoliths as a serious candidate for the ownership of a conglomerate as storied as ABC (not to mention a few other significant Disney assets). Google some … Read more
If nothing else, the actions and reactions to the two polarizing celebrities that have dominated trade press and zeitgeist surrounding the crippling dual strikes against the AMPTP have brought to mind the reality that you honestly never know how much people one might intuitively believe have nothing in common actually do. Drew Barrymore and Bill … Read more
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to connect via a high-profile friend with David Kenny, who at the time was the CEO of Nielsen. I had never personally met David; my dealings at those levels preceded David’s tenure, and he cut his teeth with executive positions on the agency side. I expressed to … Read more