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MEDIA

Days After Gutting The Washington Post, Murdoch Media Veteran Will Lewis Abruptly Steps Down

“‘Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue. His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution,’ said the union representing most Post employees.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Academy Held A ‘Bake-Off’ For Ten Shortlisted Casting Directors To Explain What Casting Actually Is

“Only members of the casting branch vote on the nominations, but the bake-off is open to members from across the Academy, since they’ll be the ones voting on the winner.” - Vulture

Where Has Hollywood’s Production Money Gone?

Quite a bit went to Great Britain last year, actually. - The Guardian (UK)

Yorkshire Takes A Weary Breath, Prepares For Another Onslaught Of Wuthering Heights Fans

One hotel owner: “It could all be a flash in the pan, and that’s fine. If it sticks, that’s also great. What I do know is that I won’t be renaming any rooms as ‘The Jacob Elordi Room’ or ‘The Heathcliff Room.’” - The Guardian (UK)

Suddenly, The Michelle Obama Documentary Is Incredibly Popular On Streaming

Surely it’s a coincidence that as a movie named about the current First Lady opens in the UK, people start watching a movie about Michelle Obama (“a rise in views of more than 13,000%”). - The Guardian (UK)

The Muppets Were On Top. Then Decades Of Bad Business Decisions Toppled Their Popularity. Can They Rise Again?

The characters have survived a cruel decade defined largely by false starts, aborted projects and creative in-fighting. - The Wrap (MSN)

Enormous Challenges For Disney’s New CEO

The entertainment industry is in flux, and Disney will need someone with a deft hand if it is to survive and thrive. The business is consolidating around just a few superpowers, many of whom have the luxury of giant tech businesses to fall back on (see: Google and Amazon). - The Wrap (MSN)

Netflix CEO Goes To Testify Before Congress; A Culture War Ensues

He ended up spending much of his time before the Judiciary subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights pushing back against accusations from Republican senators that the streamer is politically biased. - NBC

Amazon Pulls “Melania” From Movie Theatre After Cheeky Marquee Promotion

It all started with a joke on a movie marquee: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. ‘Melania’ starts Friday.” - Seattle Times

Sony Spent $457 Million To Buy The “Peanuts” Franchise. Now What Will The Conglomerate Do With It?

It’s going to “leverage the iconic IP across music, film and global distribution platforms,” as one would expect. On the music side, this means “integrating Peanuts characters and storylines into the company’s music, video and live event offerings;” the film/TV side intends to “broaden the franchise’s reach” worldwide. - Variety

Former Muppets Exec Sues Jim Henson Company

"Jason Lust, a former senior executive … who helped shepherd some of The Jim Henson Company's most successful modern movies and TV series, … filed the lawsuit last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asserting breach of contract. The complaint … seeks at least $7.5 million in damages.” - TheWrap (MSN)

Hollywood Unions Express Concerns About Netflix’s Warner Buy

“Both proposed transactions raise significant issues that impact stakeholders across the media sector, including our members,” the DGA’s statement read. - Deadline

How Miss Piggy Became A Star

A sow in opera gloves would have been a decent gag in itself, but it soon became clear that the character was destined for greater things. - The New York Times

Inside The Police Investigation Into Ex-CEO At Sacramento’s Capital Public Radio

Monica Bustamante, the lead detective on the case, “said a portrait emerged of an executive who exploited the station’s lack of internal controls and weak oversight to carry out what she described as a prolonged scheme of deceit that mirrored the life of a well-to-do jet-setter.” - The Sacramento Bee

Nebraska Public Media Will Finally Get Its Own Radio Outlet In Omaha

The network has nine other outlets of its own throughout the state, but the NPR affiliate in Nebraska’s largest city, news/talk KIOS (91.5), is run by the City of Omaha School District. Now, a commercial broadcaster leaving the market is spinning off one of its stations to NPM. - Inside Radio

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