CBS Media Ventures President Steve LoCascio Announces Retirement; Replacement to Be Named Soon (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large CBS has announced that its eight CW-affiliated channels shifting to independent will make the transition on Friday. The network’s stations group revealed plans to change the call letters to those outlets in several markets, as well as primetime plans for those stations going forward. CBS had previously announced in May that TV stations will be dropping their affiliation with The CW and becoming independent stations would include WPSG Philadelphia (DMA #4), WUPA Atlanta (DMA #6), KBCW San Francisco (DMA #10), KSTW Seattle (DMA #12), WTOG Tampa-St.

EXCLUSIVE: Elaine Bauer Brooks will be leaving her post as EVP, Development and MultiPlatform Content at CBS Media Ventures after nine years at the company.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “The Amazing Race” executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, along with host/EP Phil Keoghan, had already shot a Season 35 of “The Amazing Race” last year, and it was mostly edited and ready to go. But then came a detour: Early this winter, CBS approached both “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” about expanding to weekly 90 minute episodes for fall 2023. Rather than try to retroactively try to pad an additional half hour on to those already-shot episodes, van Munster, Doganieri and Keoghan decided to hit the road again and take full advantage of filming supersized installments.

Range Media Partners on Wednesday announced its hiring of William Lowery and Shawn McSpadden, a pair of Nashville-based music industry veterans who will help it broaden the reach of label Range Music while continuing to work out of the Tennessee capital.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will celebrate its 2023 Gold and Silver Circle Inductees at the 44th Annual News & Documentary Awards on September 27-28 in New York.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has tapped broadcast journalist icon Dan Rather, as well as veteran network correspondents John Quiñones and David Martin to be inducted into its annual Gold Circle honor society. NATAS’ 2023 Gold and Silver Circle inductees will be recognized at the 44th Annual News & Documentary Emmys on Sept.

EXCLUSIVE: Rubicon Global Media, the company recently formed by Chris Albrecht and Jorge Granier to aggregate leading intellectual property from Latin America and Spain, has entered a strategic partnership with Mexico-based film and television production firm BTF Media.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Hollywood Critics Association, which had recently been hit with allegations of malfeasance and accused of harboring a hostile membership environment, has completed an organizational restructuring that it believes will address those issues. The HCA was set to reveal those plans to its 180 members this afternoon, including a new name: The Hollywood Creative Alliance.

Sophia Scorziello editor Los Angeles-based pubcaster KCET has revealed its student finalists and episode line up for the 24th season of Fine Cut Festival of Films, an annual showcase and celebration of Southern California’s young filmmakers. The series of six, one-hour blocks on KCET will broadcast collections of short films from the student finalists beginning at 10 p.m. PT on Sept.

Mamma mia! Charles Martinet, the voice actor behind Nintendo’s famous, animated plumber Super Mario, has officially announced his retirement from voicing the character in any upcoming projects. “Charles Martinet has been the original voice of Mario in Nintendo games for a long time, as far back as Super Mario 64,” announced Nintendo of America in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

Irish model Vogue Williams has shared adorable snaps of the newest addition to the family as they welcomed a little puppy. Vogue, 37, and her husband the Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, 35, have been married since 2018 and share three children together Gigi, Theo and new baby boy Otto. But the family have just welcomed their newest addition, in the shape of an adorable pup called Bertie.

Ethan Shanfeld Steve Aoki has recruited Paris Hilton, Akon, Galantis and more for his 10th studio album, “Hiroquest: Double Helix,” out Nov. 17.

Selena Gomez has announced the release of a new single called ‘Single Soon’, set to be unveiled next week.The singer will release her new single next Friday (August 25), which is produced by Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat.“Y’all have been asking for new music for a while,” Gomez wrote on social media to announce the song. “Since I’m not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer.”A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)Last year, Gomez released her documentary My Mind And Me charting her rise to fame and a decade-long struggle with mental health issues.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large One of my favorite categories this year, however, is lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie. And here’s the top reason: This is the only acting category this year that features not a single previous Emmy winner among its nominees. As a matter of fact, half of them have never been nominated at all.

Kelly Clarkson fans will have an extra dose of chemistry this September.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Primetime Emmys were delayed, but the show must go on for the Television Academy 75th Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards. This year’s recipients, revealed on Tuesday morning, will be honored at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, Oct.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Jo Koy is extending his relationship with Netflix, signing a deal to bring his next two stand-up comedy specials to the streamer. The specials will mark Koy’s fifth and sixth with Netflix; first up, the next one will tape at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn on November 10 and 11, with an expected 2024 premiere. Art & Industry is producing that special.

The changes in CBS News leadership also include the return of a sole figure with the title of news division president.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews will take direct oversight of CBS News, the latest move in a broader restructure of operations at Paramount Global’s CBS business. Matthews, a CBS News veteran who once supervised the Washington bureau and had been put in charge of overall newsgathering, will now have top editorial oversight for CBS News across all platforms. She will oversee all CBS News programs, bureaus, global newsgathering, streaming and digital editorial, as well as standards and practices, special events, politics, elections and surveys, social, the race and culture unit and CBS News Radio.

CBS Media Ventures President Steve LoCascio is retiring after 34 years at the company and its previous iterations as the division will become part of the portfolio of Wendy McMahon, named this morning as President and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.