MRC Names Former Paramount Executive Jenna Santoianni as President of Television

Thania Garcia Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist protest music and performance art group, will be accepting the 2023 Woody Guthrie Prize on May 6 in Tulsa at Cain’s Ballroom. The evening will conclude with Pussy Riot’s first-ever U.S. performance of “Riot Days,” a multi-media show that showcases the group’s music with documentary footage and political commentary. Members Maria “Masha” Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova will accept the prize on behalf of Pussy Riot, which also will be represented by founders Olga Borisova and Diana Burkot. Following the presentation by Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie’s daughter, the group will be interviewed by Robert Santelli, executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archive and Center for American Music.

Tom Cruise is the hunkiest movie star, according to the world's biggest experts… mums. The Top Gun actor pipped funnyman Robin Williams to the No 1 spot in a poll for Mothering Sunday.

The first “Big Brother Canada” season 11 housemate has been evicted.

EXCLUSIVE: Jesús I. Valles’ play Bathhouse.pptx has been awarded the prestigious 2023 Yale Drama Series Prize, with the honor’s judge Jeremy O. Harris calling the new work an exploration of “a queer history that is quickly being erased.”

Jenna Ortega proved she's more than the stone-faced Wednesday Addams while hosting this weekend's .During one hilarious sketch with her co-star and former cast member,Fred Armisen, Ortega gave her best Lindsay Lohan impression, pretending to be one of the twins in the 1998 film In the sketch, she attempts to recreate the cabin scene where the girls find out that they're actually sisters, but is forced to act opposite Armisen, who doesn't exactly follow the script.Ortega does an impressive impression of the part as she attempts to film the recreation in the sketch, and even managed to catch the attention of the film's original star, Lohan.Lohan reposted the video tagging director Nancy Meyers,, Ortega, and Armisen.

Jenna Ortega could have starred in a remake of The Parent Trap.

The Price Is Right is on the move. The popular CBS daytime game show, produced by Fremantle, will leave Television City, where it has taped since its 1972 launch, and relocate to a new facility in Glendale, Haven Studios, in which Fremantle is the investor with a long-term lease.

Larry Jackson left Apple Music in September after seven years as the company’s global creative director, he kept quiet about his next move. But as an industry veteran with a deep rolodex and longstanding relationships with top music stars like Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake, his next venture was bound to be a very big one.    On Wednesday, Jackson announced the launch of Gamma, a multi-platform, multi-faceted business that will see him acquiring or joining forces with major artists and brands, with endeavors in music, films, merchandise, fashion, web3 and other areas. The company was cofounded with former Interscope CFO Ike Youssef; backers include Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries, Apple and indie film studio A24. The company is said to have $1 billion available in equity and debt.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Nexstar is still dark on internet streamer FuboTV on Tuesday, the TV station group giant’s president and chief operating officer explained why. “We are in a dispute with CBS right now over the Fubo situation,” Tom Carter said during a Morgan Stanley-hosted investor conference. “But keep in mind that virtual MVPDs contribute less than 10% of our distribution revenue and our distribution revenue is about half of our total revenue and Fubo is the smallest vMVPD we deal with. So we’re talking about a relatively minor amount of money, quite honestly, to both us and CBS. So it’s kind of easy to pick Fubo as a fight to have.” Nexstar executive vice president and chief financial officer Lee Ann Gliha noted: “We view this as a CBS-only issues and it’s just driven by the specific issues that surround the CBS situation.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer MRC has set Jenna Santoianni as the studio’s new president of television, following the exit of former president Elise Henderson. In her new role, Santoianni will oversee MRC’s current programming, its full slate of development, all joint ventures and production partnerships, as well as all of the television studio’s operational units, including production, business and legal affairs and production finance. Reporting to recently named MRC CEO Scott Tenley, Santoianni is expected to begin this week. She joins the studio amid a restructuring that saw Tenley elevated, while co-founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu assumed the new roles of chairmen. Jonathan Golfman and Brye Adler remain co-presidents of film and Amit Dey as head of non-fiction.

Former Paramount Television Studios executive Jenna Santoianni has joined MRC as President of Television. She will replace Elise Henderson who is leaving the company after a four-year stint. The personnel change comes on the heels of Scott Tenley’s elevation to CEO as part of a new executive structure the studio announced last week, with co-founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu assuming the new roles of Chairmen. (Jonathan Golfman and Brye Adler continue as co-Presidents of Film and Amit Dey as Head of Non-Fiction.)

Carol Vorderman wowed her fans as she rocked a look that Elvis Presley would have been proud of during an outing at Sandown Races Grand Military Gold Cup. The former Countdown presenter attended the event in Esher, in South-East England, with her son.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was named Favorite Movie at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards tonight. Other big winners include Wednesday as Favorite Family TV Show, and its star Jenna Ortega as Favorite Female TV Star (Family), along with kid-fave SpongeBob Squarepants as Favorite Animated Show and Stranger Things alum Millie Brown Brown, who scored the Favorite Movie Actress award for Enola Holmes, and Enola Holmes 2. The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder landed the top Favorite Kids TV Show honor. See the full list below.

EXCLUSIVE: MRC has made a deal to develop Pornsak Pichetshote’s Eisner Award-winning graphic novel bestseller The Good Asian into a series. James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett are producing for Atomic Monster. Will Rowbotham and Luke Maxwell are producing for 3 Arts. 

Michael P. O’Leary will be appointed the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners beginning May 1.

Independent entertainment studio MRC has promoted longtime exec Scott Tenley to CEO.

The National Association of Theatre Owners has appointed Michael P. O’Leary as President and CEO of the Association beginning May 1, 2023. He takes over for outgoing NATO Boss John Fithian, who announced his retirement back in October after working with the exhibitor trade org for three decades.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Michael P. O’Leary, an executive who has straddled the worlds of government, lobbying and media, has been named as president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. He will take over from John Fithian, whose retirement after decades at the exhibition industry advocacy group was announced last year. O’Leary will begin the transition into his new role at NATO in April. He officially takes the reins from Fithian in May. NATO said that O’Leary has served in senior positions at The Entertainment Software Association, 21st Century Fox, the Motion Picture Association, on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Justice.

Jordan Moreau Scott Tenley, chief business officer at entertainment studio MRC, has been promoted to CEO, the company announced Thursday. As part of the new executive structure, MRC founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu will become chairmen. Tenley’s elevation comes seven months after he successfully negotiated MRC’s separation from Valence Media, reconstituting the company as a premier independent film and television studio. In his new role, Tenley will oversee the studio’s film, TV and non-fiction divisions, strategic partnerships, as well as all shared service functions of the company, including finance, legal, and HR.

MRC has promoted veteran leader and current chief business officer Scott Tenley to chief executive officer, the company announced on Thursday.Tenley’s elevation comes seven months after he successfully negotiated the company’s separation from Valence Media, reconstituting MRC as the premier independent film and television studio. In his new role, Tenley will oversee the studio’s film, TV and non-fiction divisions, strategic partnerships, as well as all shared service functions of the company, including finance, legal, and HR.