I imagine when Chris Licht first took the gig as head of CNN he had a similar reaction to the CNN+ business plan as I did when I got set up with Marilyn. Well-intentioned, to be sure. But not for me. But in both situations the challenge is to be respectful enough to those who … Read more
Yesterday’s massive drop in the valuation of Netflix stock sent shock waves through the investment community, as not only did Netflix suffer on the heels of its disclosure that for the first time in a decade they lost subscribers year over year but other media companies who serve as their chief rivals fell significantly as … Read more
As the entertainment world and fans of BLACK-ISH say goodbye to this show tonight, I’m reminded that I came late to this party, and it was only at the personal request of the show’s creator that I did. The last time I attended an in-person convention was three winters ago, and as someone who played … Read more
I was somewhat disturbed when I saw some social media reaction earlier this week to the announcement of a third new daytime talk show for a fall launch, NBCUniversal’s KARAMO. Featuring the openly gay co-star of Netflix’s reboot of the one-time breakthrough Bravo hit QUEER EYE Karamo Brown, it is a de facto replacement for … Read more
MEMO TO: BOB CHAPEK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY FR: STEVE LEBLANG, MEDIA CONSULTANT SUBJECT: THAT FLORIDA THING Mr. Chapek, I want to preface these opinions by reinforcing they are my own exclusively, nor do I profess to know the inner workings of your company. I certainly don’t know the nuances of the … Read more
A few months back, when Mark Zuckerberg woke up from a fever dream and renamed Facebook Meta, I was prompted to recall my own adventures in renaming and rebranding networks and services, and the astounding amount of time, effort and money involved in such an undertaking. This morning, Amazon gleefully announced their own contribution to … Read more
I extol praise on quite a number of Apple TV+ projects, and I’ll admit I’m a little pre-disposed to wanting to. I’ve had the privilege of working directly with many of their key executives for many years, and I’ve seen first-hand their dedication to finding the right talent and the right tone for projects they … Read more
It’s the first Sunday of baseball season, and for decades that often meant I’d begin several months spent many relaxing hours of ensuing Sundays on a beach towel or sitting in a sun chair poring over standings, team statistics, expanded and exhaustive lists of players’ individual performances and box scores. My default paper then and … Read more
Every now and then a move is made by a major media company than even I can’t find any fault with. Yesterday’s announcement from the Disney corporate execs that 30-season reality stalwart DANCING WITH THE STARS will move to Disney Plus this fall and will indeed continue beyond that was one of them. DWTS, as … Read more
A generation ago, the battle for time slots on local television stations for first-run syndicated shows was fierce, passionate and strategic. As the “consigliere” to those on the front lines in the more expensive suits, I would frequently be brought into conversations and often business lunches with buyers and even competitors. While we were technically … Read more