Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Peabody Awards won’t be throwing a return celebration this year after all. The org has scrapped this years event, which would have been the first in-person Peabody ceremony since 2019 (before the pandemic), in the wake of the writers strike. Originally set to be held on Sunday, June 11, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, this also would have been the first Peabody Awards to be held in Southern California. “As an organization dedicated to honoring the most compelling and empowering stories in broadcasting and streaming media, we recognize and respect the position that many of this year’s Peabody Award winners find themselves in,” the org said in a statement. “Due to the ongoing uncertainty and meaningful challenges that exist industrywide, we have decided to cancel the 83rd annual Peabody Awards ceremony that was set to take place on June 11 in Los Angeles. Canceling the ceremony is extremely disappointing as this year’s 39 winners are immensely talented and have brought forth powerful stories that deserve to be celebrated.”
ESPN Drawn Into Disney Layoffs, Though Most Talent Decisions Coming Later This Year; Streaming Chief Russell Wolff, 43-Year Publicity Vet Mike Soltys Among Dozens Exiting
25.04.2023 - 21:29 / deadline.com
Disney’s widespread layoffs are not going quite as deep at ESPN as in other parts of the empire, but the roster of those departing does include at least one high-ranking exec: Russell Wolff, GM of ESPN+.
The EVP’s exit was reported by multiple media outlets and then confirmed to Deadline by a person familiar with the cuts, whose second wave began rolling out Monday and will continue until Thursday. Disney plans to lay off some 7,000 workers, roughly 3% of its global workforce, in pursuit of $5.5 billion in cost savings. ESPN is expected to cut fewer than 100 workers during this round.
Wolff was promoted to his current role in 2018, the same year ESPN+ launched. The service now ended 2022 with 24.9 million subscribers. In a note to his colleagues, Wolff said he would be departing in July, capping a 23-year run at the network. Prior to running ESPN+, Wolff had risen through ESPN’s international ranks, becoming EVP and managing director.
Another few dozen more ESPNers will be part of the next wave of cutbacks just prior to the summertime, according to an insider, and then decisions on contract renewals (or not) for talent will follow. Major on-air figures like Stephen A. Smith, Joe Buck and Chris Fowler, among others, are not going anywhere but given the changes sweeping through the sports world and the entire media business, a number of recognizable personalities will be on the list of cuts.
From a high point of almost 100 million U.S. households a decade ago, ESPN’s pay-TV penetration has fallen to 74 million, and the accompanying decline in carriage revenue has altered the economics of the main network and its flanker channels. ESPN+ has steadily added marquee live events, but is still viewed as a complement to the
Palme d’Or Winner Wim Wenders On Being Told He’d Have Two Movies At This Year’s Cannes: “Taking It Easier Turned Out To Be Wishful Thinking”
Wim Wenders could be the Bob Dylan of European cinema: always around, always the same, always different. Sometimes he’ll arrive in Cannes with a documentary, like 2018’s Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, and sometimes he’ll come with a work of fiction, like his timeless 1984 Palme d’Or winner Paris, Texas. This year, he’s coming with one of each: Anselm, a 3D portrait of artist Anselm Kiefer, and Perfect Days, the story of a Tokyo toilet cleaner. Ironically, Wenders thought he’d have more time on his hands after the pandemic and moving on from his role at the European Film Academy. How wrong he was…
Peak Stress TV: Some of This Year’s Top Emmy Contenders Are Also the Most Anxiety-Inducing
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large All three series are some of the most nerve-racking shows on television. Peak TV, meet Stress TV. Hold on, I’m not going to dust off the tired “what’s comedy versus drama” debate. I feel like we lost that battle long ago when hourlong comedic dramas (or dramatic comedies) like “Ally McBeal” and “Desperate Housewives” won comedy Emmys. Shows like “Beef” and Peacock’s “Mrs. Davis” have avoided the debate entirely by instead entering the limited Emmy race. And that’s perhaps for the best — Although “Beef” would seemingly land otherwise in the comedy race and “Mrs. Davis” in the drama race… I think “Mrs. Davis” may be the most lighthearted of any of the shows I’ve mentioned so far (and not nearly as stressful, despite the fact that it’s about A.I., the thing that will probably put me out of a job in a few years._
NBCU Streaming Chief Addresses Linda Yaccarino Exit During Upfront: ‘We Want to Thank Her and Wish Her Well’
exited the company after more than a decade on Friday to serve as the new chief executive officer of Twitter. “So what was more surprising today, being welcomed by a foul mouthed teddy bear or seeing me up here on stage?,” Lazarus told an audience of advertisers during the company’s Upfront presentation on Monday, referencing a raunchy musical opening from Seth MacFarlane’s Ted.
Prince William’s Earthshot Prize To Take Centre Stage In Singapore This Year
The global spotlight is shining on Singapore as Prince William announces the location for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony.
Startup Telly Plans to Give Away 500,000 Free 4K TVs This Year. The Catch? The Sets Have a Second Screen That Constantly Shows You Ads
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ilya Pozin made a bunch of money when Viacom bought Pluto TV, the free video-streaming company he co-founded, for $340 million four years ago. Since exiting Pluto about a year after that deal closed, Pozin has been working on another startup venture — one he thinks will be a much bigger deal. On Monday, Pozin’s brainchild, Telly, comes out of stealth after two years in development. Telly wants to ship out thousands (and eventually millions) of free 4K HDTVs, which would cost more than $1,000 at retail, according Pozin. The 55-inch main screen is a regular TV panel, with three HDMI inputs and an over-the-air tuner, plus an integrated soundbar. The Telly TVs don’t actually run any streaming apps that let you access services like Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+; instead, they’re bundled with a free Chromecast with Google TV adapter.
Watch Mae Muller’s performance at this year’s Eurovision
Mae Muller has closed this year’s Eurovision song contest with the UK entry for this year’s competition.Muller performed ‘I Wrote A Song’ as the last performance of the evening – you can watch footage and reaction of the moment below.WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED HER IN HERE. TEN OUT OF TEN.
Rihanna, Paris Hilton, & More Stars Are Celebrating Their First Mother's Day This Year!
So many stars have become new moms within the past year!
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5, Part 1 Heads to Peacock Later This Month (TV News Roundup)
Yellowstone” Season 5 will be available to stream on Peacock, the streamer announced Tuesday. Season 5 of “Yellowstone” spotlights the Dutton family as they fight “to defend their ranch and way of life.” When their family’s secrets begin to strain the family, political hopes and outside alliances threaten their fate. “Yellowstone” is led by Kevin Coster and also stars Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Kelsey Asbille. The second half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 is set to launch this November on the Paramount Network, with this season being its final. While the original series is coming to an end, an untitled “Yellowstone” sequel series has been ordered.
‘Yellowstone’: Peacock To Stream First Half Of Season 5 Later This Month
On the heels of Paramount’s announcement that it will wrap Yellowstone later this year, Peacock is once again reminding folks that it has the exclusive rights to those ultra valuable reruns.
Fox CEO Defends Dominion Settlement: ‘We Made the Business Decision to Resolve This Dispute’
$787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems during the media giant’s fiscal third quarter earnings call on Tuesday. “We made the business decision to resolve this dispute and avoid the acrimony of a divisive trial and a multi-year appeal process, a decision clearly in the best interest of the company and its shareholders,” Murdoch told analysts and investors.
‘Kubi’ Teaser: Takeshi Kitano’s Epic War Film Premieres Out Of Competition At Cannes Later This Month
Legendary Japanese actor-director Takeshi Kitano returns to the Croisette for the first time this year since 2010, when his film “Outrage” competed for the coveted Palme d’Or. And while “Kubi,” Kitano’s latest directorial effort, may premiere out of competition at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival this month, The Film Stage still think it’ll be a festival highlight.
Nielsen Recount Declares This Year’s Super Bowl the ‘Most Watched’ in History
115.1 million people watched the Feb. 12 Super Bowl broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs’ triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles across various traditional television, its Spanish language Fox Deportes and digital streaming services.That Nielsen Media Research figure was up by 2.1 million from the 113 million viewers initially credited to the game, which featured a last-minute win for the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs in one of the most exciting championship games in years.
Paris Hilton To Make Her Met Gala Debut This Year
Paris Hilton is headed to The Met Gala.
‘It Lives Inside’ Trailer: Bishal Dutta’s SXSW Award-Winning Horror Film Arrives Later This Year
One of the best things about a focus on diversity and inclusion in film is that the mainstream horror genre is getting an infusion of other cultures and perspectives. No longer are horror films completely overrun with white people running from the boogeyman in every slasher.
‘The Crown’ Season 6 First Look: The Final Season Of Netflix’s Royal Family Drama Arrives Later This Year
All good things must come to an end. And in the case of Netflix‘s “The Crown,” that means its upcoming sixth season is also its final one.
‘It Lives Inside’ Trailer: Bishal Dutta’s SXSW Award-Winning Horror Film Arrives Later This Year
One of the best things about a focus on diversity and inclusion in film is that the mainstream horror genre is getting an infusion of other cultures and perspectives. No longer are horror films completely overrun with white people running from the boogeyman in every slasher.
Disney Layoffs: 20th Digital Studio Folding, D23 Team Downsizing
As we are kicking off Day 3 of Disney’s second round of layoffs, here is information on a couple of cuts that happened yesterday but got lost in the flurry of staff reductions. We will update with more as layoff news comes in throughout the day.
Disney Layoffs On Film Side Include Story, Distribution, Marketing Departments; Searchlight & More
EXCLUSIVE: As Disney cuts 4K staffers across the conglomerate in a goal to reach $5.5 billion in savings, Deadline has learned that on the feature side, those being laid off were largely comprised of mid-level and coordinator staffers.
Nate Silver to Leave ABC News as Disney Layoffs Continue
lose a total of 50 staffers throughout the entire layoff process. The spokesperson declined to disclose how many ABC News employees were impacted in the current wave.