Food Network Whips Up New Talent Deal With Carla Hall

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorPresident Donald Trump will take questions from voters live – and ABC News will be there to show his instant reaction.The Walt Disney-owned news unit plans to air a live “town hall” with President Trump and undecided voters on Tuesday, September 15, at 9 p.m. – just seven weeks before Election Day.  The event will be televised by ABC and streamed by ABC News Live, and is the latest in a recent series of big “gets” by the news operation.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorFootball fans are about to get a bird’s-eye view of gridiron proceedings when they tune in to NBC.The network plans to offer stunning overhead shots thanks to the use of a C360 camera that will be stationed on the bottom of the event’s SkyCam and can provide zoom-in shots of specific players as well as wide looks of plays along the sidelines or views of players on the line of scrimmage.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorDisney Television Studios president Craig Hunegs began his tenure at Disney last year with a diplomatic mission to carve a new template for talent deals that reflect the realpolitik of the current marketplace.As Hunegs details in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” the traditional construct of profit participation agreements is increasingly becoming outmoded in a marketplace where so many shows wind up staying in the walled gardens of SVOD

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMSNBC is getting closer to making some important weekend plans.The NBCUniversal-owned cable-news outlet is expected sometime this fall to decide on a successor for Joy Reid’s mid-morning weekend slot, according to two people familiar with the matter. Figuring out who might be among the contenders hasn’t been difficult.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorHowie Long has long helped Fox viewers understand the ins-and-outs of gridiron play. Now he’s going to encourage them to make a wager on what they might see.Long is the latest Fox Sports personality to take up promotional duties for Fox Bet, the mobile sports-wagering partnership Fox Corporation operates in conjunction with Flutter Entertainment, the parent of the popular online-betting platform FanDuel.

Kristin Chenoweth has been set as the host of the upcoming Food Network competition series Candy Land, which is based on the Hasbro children’s game of the same name.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorFood Network said it has started production on a new competition series called “Candy Land” that is based on the Hasbro children’s game and is hosted by Kristin Chenoweth.The six-episode series features five groups of cake and sugar artists, who create showpieces in order to get  a chance to win a grand prize of $25,000.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorHistory plans two new hour-long documentaries and an original eight-part podcast devoted to coverage of the infamous events of September 11, 2001.The two documentaries,  “9/11: The Final Minutes of Fight 93” and “9/11: The Pentagon,” will debut Friday, September 11 at 8 pm. and 9 p.m.

Kate Aurthur editorFood Network is cutting down the number of episodes for the upcoming fourth season of its holiday series “Christmas Cookie Challenge,” because of a crew member tested positive for COVID-19 this week, Variety has learned. The season will be six episodes long instead of its usual eight.Sonic Dog, the producers of the show, offered Variety a statement (posted in full below), saying, “At episode 6, unfortunately, an employee tested positive; after contact tracing, the producers

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorKeyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Zubin Mehenti have a big radio debut on Monday, when they take over ESPN’s national morning slot. But their new jobs started in earnest on Wednesday.The trio met in their studio at ESPN’s New York production facility for the first time, ready to test out their rapport.

“The bursary will aim to help people who have been impacted financially by the pandemic and includes those on Working Tax Credits, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefits, Personal Independence Payment Plans, Universal Credits and Free School Meals (P4+).“This will ensure all children and young people have equal access to our activities.”To help fund the bursary scheme, the organisation has set up a Crowdfunder campaign and hopes members of the public will donate.Matthew

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorJackie Levin, a veteran producer at NBC News’ “Today” who in recent years steered the show’s 9 a.m.

Peter White Television EditorEXCLUSIVE: Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals is back with a series of self-shot shows.However, the series, which was rebooted last year after its initial 11 year run, will debut on the Food Network Kitchen app rather than the linear network.The Discovery-owned company is launching 20 episodes this fall on the direct-to-consumer service, which launched last October.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNick Khan, a behind-the-scenes power in the world of sports representation, is moving to professional-wrestling powerhouse WWE, where he will take on the role of president and chief revenue officer.Khan replaces George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, two longtime senior WWE executives who left Vince McMahon’s entrepreneurial professional-wrestling operation abruptly in a shake-up of management in January.More to come…

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorDiscovery said second-quarter net income fell 71% after the coronavirus pandemic spurred a pullback in advertising at both its U.S.

Clare Crawley’s announcement as the new Bachelorette already came with controversy surrounding it. This latest news is a twist that no one saw coming — she’s out of the competition.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAMC Networks said the coronavirus pandemic and a substantial impairment charge contributed to a significant decline in second quarter profit, the latest media company to show the signs of grappling with conditions that have scuttled TV production and slowed the flow of advertising.The New York owner of the AMC, IFC and Sundance cable networks said net income fell to $15 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with $128.7 million, or $2.25 a share, in the

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAn interview between Axios reporter Jonathan Swan and President Donald Trump that aired Monday on HBO has drawn the kind of social-media huzzahs accorded to a heartwarming meme or the drop of a Taylor Swift album.In a conversation taped Tuesday, July 28, Swan questions Trump’s use of statistics to describe how the nation is grappling with coronavirus, suggesting U.S. efforts are working better than those of other countries.