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A year after Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Rust, the producers, still facing civil litigation and under a cloud of potential criminal liability, are looking to finish the film in the next few months. Key to this gambit is a private settlement with Hutchins’ estate, announced Oct. 5, which is pending court approval. The plan both ends the wrongful death action brought by Hutchins’ family on Feb. 15 and makes her widower, Matthew, an executive producer on the movie.
The settlement marks a public about-face for Matthew Hutchins. After filing suit, he told Hoda Kotb on NBC’s Today show that “there were a number of industry standards that were not practiced, and there’s multiple responsible parties,” adding pointedly of Baldwin, “The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge...
A year after Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Rust, the producers, still facing civil litigation and under a cloud of potential criminal liability, are looking to finish the film in the next few months. Key to this gambit is a private settlement with Hutchins’ estate, announced Oct. 5, which is pending court approval. The plan both ends the wrongful death action brought by Hutchins’ family on Feb. 15 and makes her widower, Matthew, an executive producer on the movie.
The settlement marks a public about-face for Matthew Hutchins. After filing suit, he told Hoda Kotb on NBC’s Today show that “there were a number of industry standards that were not practiced, and there’s multiple responsible parties,” adding pointedly of Baldwin, “The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge...
- 10/25/2022
- by Gary Baum and Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While MGM top film exec Michael De Luca and TV chief Mark Burnett are for now part of the interim leadership structure at Amazon Studios, insiders say they face an uphill battle to adapt to the tech giant’s corporate culture and retain a role at the streaming-oriented company in the future. “This is not a merger, this is a straight up acquisition,” Bryan Sullivan, a partner at Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae who focuses on entertainment and investment, told TheWrap. “Amazon is in the driver’s seat. And MGM just goes along for the ride.” And executives at the studio being acquired have good reason to feel anxious. “When studios acquire other studios, it eventually creates a great degree of upheaval for people and content despite the buyers’ clichéd statements that it intends to leave the acquired company alone,” Gene Del Vecchio, an adjunct professor of marketing at...
- 3/23/2022
- by Brian Welk and Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Fox Networks Group has promoted Brian Sullivan to president and chief operating officer, a role that had been held by Randy Freer, who left in October to take the CEO job at Hulu. Sullivan, the former CEO of Sky Deutschland, has been president and COO of Fox Networks' Digital Consumer Group since 2015. Freer had been president and COO at Fng since 2013 before the news came that he was exiting for Hulu, where he replaced another former Fng exec, Mike Hopkins. Hopkins now…...
- 12/7/2017
- Deadline TV
Fox Networks Group (Fng) has promoted Brian Sullivan to president and chief operating officer. He replaces Randy Freer — who left last month to lead Hulu — in the top role. In his new gig, Sullivan will directly oversee revenue and distribution for the Fox Television Group, FX, Fox Sports and National Geographic Partners, per a company statement on Thursday. He’ll also continue to lead Fng’s Digital Consumer Group, which is responsible for its streaming apps. Fng Distribution president Michael Biard and Ad Revenue president Joe Marchese will now report to Sullivan. Fng’s advertising revenue group is currently undergoing its own reorg.
- 12/7/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
California Pizza Kitchen, the restaurant chain known for its inventive pies, will have a healthy new option in early 2018.
The restaurant’s is unveiling a pizza crust made primarily of cauliflower—which home cooks have been doing for years, but is a first from any national restaurant brand.
The crust is a lower-carb alternative to their hand-tossed dough and made with gluten-free ingredients. In 2018, customers will be able to order the new crust on any Cpk pizza for $2.50 extra.
“Cauliflower has proven itself to be this amazing powerhouse ingredient – it’s healthful, it’s extremely versatile, and best of all,...
The restaurant’s is unveiling a pizza crust made primarily of cauliflower—which home cooks have been doing for years, but is a first from any national restaurant brand.
The crust is a lower-carb alternative to their hand-tossed dough and made with gluten-free ingredients. In 2018, customers will be able to order the new crust on any Cpk pizza for $2.50 extra.
“Cauliflower has proven itself to be this amazing powerhouse ingredient – it’s healthful, it’s extremely versatile, and best of all,...
- 11/20/2017
- by Collier Sutter
- PEOPLE.com
Dana Walden, Chairman & CEO of Fox Television Group, has joined Hulu’s Board of Directors. She succeeds Randy Freer, former president and COO of Fox Networks Group, who was named Hulu CEO following Mike Hopkins departure last month. The makeup of the board of Hulu, which is co-owned by 21st Century Fox, Disney, Comcast and Time Warner, consists of three seats for Fox, held by Peter Rice, Walden and Brian Sullivan, and three for Disney, Kevin Mayer, Ben Sherwood. Bruce…...
- 11/17/2017
- Deadline TV
Nine years after confessing to the murders of four people, a 23-year-old Detroit man will soon be freed after his convictions were vacated, People confirms. During court proceedings held on Tuesday, Judge Brian Sullivan approved a request from the Wayne County prosecutor's office to vacate Davontae Sanford's convictions. In 2007, when he was only 14, Sanford, now 23, pleaded guilty to killing four people. But prosecution sources tell People the case has been scrutinized in recent years, after an admitted professional hit man named Vincent Smothers came forward claiming responsibility for the drug den slayings. Sanford remained a resident of the Marquette Branch Prison in Marquette,...
- 6/8/2016
- by Chris Harris, @chrisharrisment
- PEOPLE.com
Nine years after confessing to the murders of four people, a 23-year-old Detroit man will soon be freed after his convictions were vacated, People confirms. During court proceedings held on Tuesday, Judge Brian Sullivan approved a request from the Wayne County prosecutor's office to vacate Davontae Sanford's convictions. In 2007, when he was only 14, Sanford, now 23, pleaded guilty to killing four people. But prosecution sources tell People the case has been scrutinized in recent years, after an admitted professional hit man named Vincent Smothers came forward claiming responsibility for the drug den slayings. Sanford remained a resident of the Marquette Branch Prison in Marquette,...
- 6/8/2016
- by Chris Harris, @chrisharrisment
- PEOPLE.com
A missing Appalachian Trail hiker whose remains were discovered last year kept a journal of her ordeal and left behind a series of haunting messages to her husband. Geraldine Largay survived at least 26 days in the wilderness after getting lost on the trail in July 2013. Text messages sent to her husband went undelivered and the 66-year-old woman accepted the fact that she was going to die, according to newly released investigatory documents obtained by the Associated Press. "When you find my body, please call my husband George … and my daughter Kerry," Largay wrote in the journal. "It will be the...
- 5/26/2016
- by Char Adams, @CiCiAdams_
- PEOPLE.com
21st Century Fox has tapped company veteran Brian Sullivan, who has been CEO of Sky Deutschland since 2010, as President of Digital for Fox Networks Group. He will oversee strategy in the direct-to-consumer digital video category, tasked with driving growth across FoxNow, FXNow, Fox Sports Go and Fng's international Fox Play products, among others. He also will work with other senior Fox execs to “help develop a single global commercial platform to further empower the…...
- 6/25/2015
- Deadline TV
Brian Sullivan has been named president of Digital at Fox Networks Group (Fng). The former Sky Deutschland chief executive officer will be based in Los Angeles, where he’ll assume the role on July 27. Sullivan will report directly to Fng Chairman and CEO Peter Rice. In the newly created role, Sullivan will be responsible for both coordinating strategy in the direct-to-consumer digital video category, and driving growth across FoxNow, FXNow, Fox Sports Go and the group’s international Fox Play products, among other products. He will also help high-ranking Fox execs develop a single global commercial platform to further empower the businesses to harness digital.
- 6/25/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Joan Didion’s seminal essay Goodbye To All That was just optioned for the big screen by producers Megan Carlson and Brian Sullivan who have set up the project as the first in their new shingle, Carlson Sullivan Pictures LLC. This is yet another Didion work to be optioned as her novel A Book of Common Prayer has also been picked up for a feature treatment by Campbell Scott. Carlson and Sullivan are currently focusing in on female writer/directors to bring the…...
- 3/13/2015
- Deadline
BSkyB has been renamed as Sky after it completed its £7bn acquisition of Sky Italia and purchase of a majority stake in Sky Deutschland.
The newly-formed group has a total programming spend of £4.6bn and will serve 20 million customers across five countries – Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland.
Sky is eying subscriber gains it can make from the 60m homes yet to subscribe to pay-tv services across its markets, while it also believes there is an opportunity to launch new products and services.
Sky paid £2.45bn in cash for Sky Italia and £4.4bn for almost 90% of Sky Deutschland.
Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch becomes group chief executive and will oversee the enlarged group as well as continuing to head the UK and Ireland operations. Andrea Zappia and Brian Sullivan remain in charge of Sky Italia and Deutschland respectively.
Darroch said the businesses would perform “better together”.
“Customers will benefit as we launch exciting new services, bring...
The newly-formed group has a total programming spend of £4.6bn and will serve 20 million customers across five countries – Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland.
Sky is eying subscriber gains it can make from the 60m homes yet to subscribe to pay-tv services across its markets, while it also believes there is an opportunity to launch new products and services.
Sky paid £2.45bn in cash for Sky Italia and £4.4bn for almost 90% of Sky Deutschland.
Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch becomes group chief executive and will oversee the enlarged group as well as continuing to head the UK and Ireland operations. Andrea Zappia and Brian Sullivan remain in charge of Sky Italia and Deutschland respectively.
Darroch said the businesses would perform “better together”.
“Customers will benefit as we launch exciting new services, bring...
- 11/13/2014
- ScreenDaily
Sky Deutschland, the German pay-tv operator controlled by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, is still in the red but the slowly, slowly approach by Sky Deutschland CEO Brian Sullivan continues to pay dividends in the form of increasing revenues, shrinking losses and a growing subscriber base. In full year figures released Friday, Sky reported total revenues of $2.12 billion (€1.546 billion) for 2013 - a 16 percent year-on-year jump - and a net loss of $182 million (€133 million). That compares to a $264 million (€193 million) loss a year earlier. Sky Deutschland did, however, achieve one
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- 2/28/2014
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CNBC looked like a sore loser this week when it told YouTube to take down on “copyright grounds” videos from a Squawk Box interview with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). She was on to defend the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, which would tighten regulations on banks, that she’s co-sponsoring with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others. She forcefully, and gleefully, swatted away challenges from CNBC’s Brian Sullivan, Joe Kernan, and Amanda Drury. A clip went viral — with more than 700,000 views — after it was posted by video aggregator Upworthy as well as on Warren’s YouTube site. “It’s maybe the best example of the sort of matter-anti-matter reaction that happens when someone who actually knows some history and policy makes first contact with a gaggle of ignorant CNBC yakkers,” Talking Point Memo‘s Josh Marshall wrote. Columbia Journalism Review‘s Ryan Chittum called it “a Tko for Warren.” No...
- 7/21/2013
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Financial Editor
- Deadline TV
Today (Tuesday, May 21) is a mighty day for Arizona natives who love soggy pizza and verbal abuse: Today is the day that Amy's Baking Co. indulges us in its grand reopening.
Fans of "Kitchen Nightmares" already know this restaurant well, featured like it was in the show's season finale. Within minutes of co-owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo first appearing on screen, it became obvious that they're a pair of bullies and thieves who deserve any negative publicity they may get. (They pocket waiters' tips. They verbally abuse customers and employees. They can't cook pizza, and they won't admit it. The Amy's Baking Co. episode also will go down in history as the only time that "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon Ramsay essentially fled his own show.)
Of course, being thieves and bullies, the Bouzaglos have been on the attack ever since the Fox show aired, promising to tell "our...
Fans of "Kitchen Nightmares" already know this restaurant well, featured like it was in the show's season finale. Within minutes of co-owners Amy and Samy Bouzaglo first appearing on screen, it became obvious that they're a pair of bullies and thieves who deserve any negative publicity they may get. (They pocket waiters' tips. They verbally abuse customers and employees. They can't cook pizza, and they won't admit it. The Amy's Baking Co. episode also will go down in history as the only time that "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon Ramsay essentially fled his own show.)
Of course, being thieves and bullies, the Bouzaglos have been on the attack ever since the Fox show aired, promising to tell "our...
- 5/21/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Cologne, Germany – News Corp.'s loss-making Sky Deutschland is not out of the red just yet, but the German pay-tv group under CEO Brian Sullivan continues to boost sales and trim losses. Full-year figures, announced Thursday, show Sky increased revenues in 2012 by an impressive 17.1 percent to $1.74 billion (€1.33 billion) while net losses were cut by a third to $255 million (€195.2 million). Sky continues to – slowly – add subscribers, finishing the year with just under 3.4 million direct customers, a net growth of 351,000. More importantly,
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- 2/28/2013
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles — A judge has granted Miley Cyrus a three-year civil restraining order against a man convicted of trespassing at her home in Los Angeles.
The stay-away order was granted Friday against Jason Luis Rivera by Superior Court Judge William D. Stewart.
The 40-year-old Rivera was convicted in October of trespassing at the singer's home and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
He is scheduled to be released in May. Authorities said at the time of Rivera's arrest in September that he was carrying scissors and ran into the wall of Cyrus' home as if trying to break in.
Rivera did not respond to Cyrus' petition.
The 20-year-old former star of "Hannah Montana" did not attend the hearing. Her attorney Bryan Sullivan declined comment.
The stay-away order was granted Friday against Jason Luis Rivera by Superior Court Judge William D. Stewart.
The 40-year-old Rivera was convicted in October of trespassing at the singer's home and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
He is scheduled to be released in May. Authorities said at the time of Rivera's arrest in September that he was carrying scissors and ran into the wall of Cyrus' home as if trying to break in.
Rivera did not respond to Cyrus' petition.
The 20-year-old former star of "Hannah Montana" did not attend the hearing. Her attorney Bryan Sullivan declined comment.
- 11/16/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
With all this Lindsay Lohan family drama, gotta wonder: Is she going to face a Britney Spears-style conservatorship? —Flute Player, Wisconsin, via Facebook Lindsay's ever-charming father, Michael Lohan, has indicated that he wants to establish a conservatorship that would affect Lindsay's life in the same way that Britney Spears's father and fiance have essentially taken over hers. And I wish him good luck with that. Because, according to people who would know, Michael's bid isn't likely to stick. Look, a personal conservatorship, if that is indeed what Michael wants, is not an easy thing to get, attorneys tell me. "It takes a lot," says Bryan Sullivan,...
- 10/23/2012
- E! Online
Coming up on MSNBC: guests/topics Thursday, August 23, 2012 .Morning Joe. (Live, 6-9 A.M. Et) Guests: Mike Barnicle, MSNBC Contributor; Harold Ford Jr., NBC News Political Analyst; Jim VandeHei, Politico; Mark McKinnon, Republican Strategist; Jill Abramson, The New York Times; Mallory Factor, Author, .Shadowbosses: Government Unions Control America and Rob Taxpayers Blind;. Rick Stengel, Time; Boone Pickens, Oil Tycoon & Bp Capital; Richard Belzer, Actor and Comedian; Brian Sullivan, CNBC; James Fallows, The Atlantic For videos and additional information: www.joe.msnbc.com .The Daily Rundown. (Live, 9-10 A.M. Et) Guests: Paul Kane, Washington Post; Susan David, USA Today; Jackie Kucinich, USA Today; Patti Solis Doyle, Fmr. Chief of Staff, Obama for America; Robert Costa, National Review For videos and additional information: www.rundown.msnbc.com...
- 8/23/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
The saga of why parts of New York remained inescapably covered in snow days after this weekend's blizzard got a strange twist this morning when The New York Post reported City Councilman Dan Halloran's claims that sanitation workers had admitted to him that the slow clean up was part of an intentional protest by the unions over budget cuts. On Your World today, Brian Sullivan (in for Neil Cavuto) brought on Halloran to discuss his story as well as the Wall Street Journal's Steve Moore who warned that these kind of union pseudo-strikes could pop up all over the country in the coming year.
- 12/30/2010
- by Jon Bershad
- Mediaite - TV
Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hosted a private party celebrating the accomplishments of the 111th United States Congress, which has raised many eyebrows and wonderment among right-of-center media outlets. This came up today on Your World with Neil Cavuto and guest host Brian Sullivan had producer report from outside the absurd visual of a temporary curtain that separates the party from the media. Hmmm.
- 11/10/2010
- by Colby Hall
- Mediaite - TV
Berlin -- Sky Deutschland, News Corp's struggling German pay platform, will launch Germany's first 3-D channel in October. The move, which Sky announced Thursday (Sept. 2) is the latest in a series of high-tech enticements which company CEO Brian Sullivan hopes will lure in German subscribers, notoriously suspicious of pay TV.
Sky launched a bouquet of HD channels last month and, just before the soccer World Cup, an iPad application allowing subscribers to watch sports on Sky on-the-go.
To finance the tech upgrades, Sullivan got the go-ahead from News Corp. last month to raise around $450 million in fresh capital. What Sky can't get from the market it will borrow directly from News Corp.
Sky is still deep in the red and has shown little progress so far in boosting subscriber figures. The company has fewer than 2.5 million Germans subscribers, a fraction of the pay market News Corp.'s BskyB commands in Britain.
Sky launched a bouquet of HD channels last month and, just before the soccer World Cup, an iPad application allowing subscribers to watch sports on Sky on-the-go.
To finance the tech upgrades, Sullivan got the go-ahead from News Corp. last month to raise around $450 million in fresh capital. What Sky can't get from the market it will borrow directly from News Corp.
Sky is still deep in the red and has shown little progress so far in boosting subscriber figures. The company has fewer than 2.5 million Germans subscribers, a fraction of the pay market News Corp.'s BskyB commands in Britain.
- 9/2/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- Shares in News Corp's German pay TV operation Sky Deutschland took a nosedive Tuesday after the company announced it would not break even next year as planned and that it needs $450 million (€340 million) in new cash to keep the lights on.
Sky shares lost nearly a quarter of the value Tuesday, falling nearly 25% in the first hour of trading, before recovering slightly. By mid-morning, Sky Deutschland stock was still down more than 20% at €1.11 ($1.47).
The drop followed news that Sky lost $63 million (€47.4 million) in the second quarter of this year while revenue, at $312 million (€236.1 million) barely moved. CEO Brian Sullivan said full year figures would be worse than expected and Sky would still be printing red ink next year, missing its target of an operating break even by 2011.
The German pay TV service added a mere 6,000 subscribers in Q2, despite launching a catalogue of new services -- including...
Sky shares lost nearly a quarter of the value Tuesday, falling nearly 25% in the first hour of trading, before recovering slightly. By mid-morning, Sky Deutschland stock was still down more than 20% at €1.11 ($1.47).
The drop followed news that Sky lost $63 million (€47.4 million) in the second quarter of this year while revenue, at $312 million (€236.1 million) barely moved. CEO Brian Sullivan said full year figures would be worse than expected and Sky would still be printing red ink next year, missing its target of an operating break even by 2011.
The German pay TV service added a mere 6,000 subscribers in Q2, despite launching a catalogue of new services -- including...
- 8/3/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- Pay TV outlet Sky Deutschland has hooked up Kabel Bw, signing a cooperation deal with the western German cable TV provider.
The deal will let Sky bundle its pay TV offerings together with Kabel Bw's popular triple-play packages, which give customers a one-stop shop for telephone, cable and broadband Internet services. Kabel Bw serves around 3.6 million subscribers. Sky Deutschland has about 2.5 million subscribers.
Sky has already signed similar deals with regional cabler Tele Columbus, NetCologne, Versatel Telekabel.
New CEO Brian Sullivan has made these cable hookups a core part of his strategy for expanding Sky's slim subscriber base and hitting the still-ambitious target of a break-even by year's end.
German consumers have traditionally been hesitant to pay more for premium television but they are rushing to sign up to triple-play offerings.
Sky's cable deals are also a strike at telco giant Deutsche Telekom an its Iptv service Entertain.
The deal will let Sky bundle its pay TV offerings together with Kabel Bw's popular triple-play packages, which give customers a one-stop shop for telephone, cable and broadband Internet services. Kabel Bw serves around 3.6 million subscribers. Sky Deutschland has about 2.5 million subscribers.
Sky has already signed similar deals with regional cabler Tele Columbus, NetCologne, Versatel Telekabel.
New CEO Brian Sullivan has made these cable hookups a core part of his strategy for expanding Sky's slim subscriber base and hitting the still-ambitious target of a break-even by year's end.
German consumers have traditionally been hesitant to pay more for premium television but they are rushing to sign up to triple-play offerings.
Sky's cable deals are also a strike at telco giant Deutsche Telekom an its Iptv service Entertain.
- 6/24/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- Sky Deutschland is hooking up the cable in order to win over customers. The German pay TV group, in which News Corp. holds a 45.4% stake, this week signed co-distribution deals with two German cable network companies: Tele Columbus and Versatel Telekabel.
The deals will see Sky and the cablers jointly market and distribute Sky's bouquet of pay channels directly to cable subscribers. Sky can also be bundled as part of the cable companies' triple play (TV, telephone, broadband Internet) offerings. That is key in the German market, where consumers have been wary of pay TV but eager to upgrade their Internet and cable services.
Brian Sullivan, Sky Deutschland's new CEO, signed the first such cable hook-up deal last month with regional provider NetCologne (THR 5/5). Sky is making a major push for new customers ahead of the soccer World Cup, which kicks off next Friday. Sullivan is under...
The deals will see Sky and the cablers jointly market and distribute Sky's bouquet of pay channels directly to cable subscribers. Sky can also be bundled as part of the cable companies' triple play (TV, telephone, broadband Internet) offerings. That is key in the German market, where consumers have been wary of pay TV but eager to upgrade their Internet and cable services.
Brian Sullivan, Sky Deutschland's new CEO, signed the first such cable hook-up deal last month with regional provider NetCologne (THR 5/5). Sky is making a major push for new customers ahead of the soccer World Cup, which kicks off next Friday. Sullivan is under...
- 6/2/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany – Sky Deutschland has launched a multi-pronged attack to draw in more subscribers for its pay platform, including a dedicated iPad application and investment in original, German content.
Speaking to delegates at cable TV trade fair Anga Cable in Cologne, new Sky Deutschland boss Brian Sullivan said the company would launch a German iPad app by the end of the month, to coincide with Apple's roll out of the device here. The iPad service, which will initially focus on Sky's sports content, will come just in time for the soccer world cup, which kicks off June 11.
Separately, Sullivan said Sky would follow the lead of every successful pay TV operation worldwide and begin to invest in "original, local content." With Sky still bleeding red ink in Germany, Sullivan said there would be no action on that front this year but he expects in-house produced drama to be on the...
Speaking to delegates at cable TV trade fair Anga Cable in Cologne, new Sky Deutschland boss Brian Sullivan said the company would launch a German iPad app by the end of the month, to coincide with Apple's roll out of the device here. The iPad service, which will initially focus on Sky's sports content, will come just in time for the soccer world cup, which kicks off June 11.
Separately, Sullivan said Sky would follow the lead of every successful pay TV operation worldwide and begin to invest in "original, local content." With Sky still bleeding red ink in Germany, Sullivan said there would be no action on that front this year but he expects in-house produced drama to be on the...
- 5/5/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- News Corp. deputy chairman Chase Carey has joined the supervisory board of Sky Deutschland in what analysts are taking to be a sign Rupert Murdoch intends to strengthen his influence over the German pay TV group.
Sky Deutschland shareholders approved Carey's appointment Friday. They also gave management the green light to for future bond and share issues which could raise up to €500 million ($680 million) for Sky. Sky pushed through its latest capital issue in January, which brought in €110 million ($150 million) and raised News Corp.'s stake in the company to 45.42%.
Sky could use the extra cash. The company booked a $920 million (€676 million) loss last year as revenues slipped slightly to $1.2 billion ($902 million) and subscriber figures barely moved.
New CEO Brian Sullivan, who took over running Sky from Mark Williams this month, is still sticking to his target of a break even by 2011.
Sky Deutschland shareholders approved Carey's appointment Friday. They also gave management the green light to for future bond and share issues which could raise up to €500 million ($680 million) for Sky. Sky pushed through its latest capital issue in January, which brought in €110 million ($150 million) and raised News Corp.'s stake in the company to 45.42%.
Sky could use the extra cash. The company booked a $920 million (€676 million) loss last year as revenues slipped slightly to $1.2 billion ($902 million) and subscriber figures barely moved.
New CEO Brian Sullivan, who took over running Sky from Mark Williams this month, is still sticking to his target of a break even by 2011.
- 4/26/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- Pity Brian Sullivan. As the new CEO of Sky Deutschland, Sullivan, who took over Thursday, has to do what no one in 20 years has managed: Make pay TV work in Germany.
Sullivan's bosses at News Corp. have a lot at stake. Analysts estimate that the company has sunk as much as $1 billion into German pay TV, buying a 45.4% stake in market leader Premiere, which they rebranded Sky, and investing in a costly marketing campaign to win subscribers.
Half of the deal has worked. News Corp. parachuted top executive Mark Williams into Munich two years ago, and he shook up Premiere, saving the pay group from imminent bankruptcy, restructuring its debt and cleansing its books of "ghost subscribers," people who were counted as viewers but didn't pay for the privilege.
But while Sky has exorcised the "ghosts," it hasn't replaced them with living, breathing, paying consumers. The German...
Sullivan's bosses at News Corp. have a lot at stake. Analysts estimate that the company has sunk as much as $1 billion into German pay TV, buying a 45.4% stake in market leader Premiere, which they rebranded Sky, and investing in a costly marketing campaign to win subscribers.
Half of the deal has worked. News Corp. parachuted top executive Mark Williams into Munich two years ago, and he shook up Premiere, saving the pay group from imminent bankruptcy, restructuring its debt and cleansing its books of "ghost subscribers," people who were counted as viewers but didn't pay for the privilege.
But while Sky has exorcised the "ghosts," it hasn't replaced them with living, breathing, paying consumers. The German...
- 4/1/2010
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cologne, Germany -- BSkyB exec Brian Sullivan will replace Mark Williams as head of leading German pay TV group Sky Deutschland, taking over March 31, Sky announced Wednesday.
Sullivan, currently managing director of BSkyB's customer group, will join Williams Jan. 1 as Sky's deputy CEO to learn the ropes for three months before taking over.
Williams, a longtime News Corp. veteran, joined Sky in September last year after News Corp. acquired a large minority stake in the troubled pay player, then called Premiere.
News Corp. has since upped its share to nearly 40% and Williams has pushed through a major rebranding and restructuring effort.
But turnaround for Sky is still a long way off. The German group booked a $175 million net loss in Q3 as revenues slipped 13% to around $315 million. Subscriber figures remain stubbornly low, at just 2.4 million, far behind Sky's BSkyB or Sky Italia, despite Germany's potential as a larger market.
Sullivan's...
Sullivan, currently managing director of BSkyB's customer group, will join Williams Jan. 1 as Sky's deputy CEO to learn the ropes for three months before taking over.
Williams, a longtime News Corp. veteran, joined Sky in September last year after News Corp. acquired a large minority stake in the troubled pay player, then called Premiere.
News Corp. has since upped its share to nearly 40% and Williams has pushed through a major rebranding and restructuring effort.
But turnaround for Sky is still a long way off. The German group booked a $175 million net loss in Q3 as revenues slipped 13% to around $315 million. Subscriber figures remain stubbornly low, at just 2.4 million, far behind Sky's BSkyB or Sky Italia, despite Germany's potential as a larger market.
Sullivan's...
- 12/2/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York -- Fox Business Network announced Tuesday that Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walter Mossberg would appear weekly on the channel.
Mossberg's technology segment, that will not be branded as the Wall Street Journal, will appear Thursday mornings on the hour co-anchored by Dagen McDowell and Brian Sullivan. This is one of several appearances by Wall Street Journal staff on Fox Business Network, which had been thought to be prevented in the beginning from having regular appearances by Journal staffers due to an agreement between archrival Cnbc and Dow Jones before the latter was acquired by News Corp.
While that's still in effect, there have been multiple reports that News Corp. executives have said that the agreement doesn't preclude everything. That was confirmed Tuesday by a Fox Business Network executive.
"The Cnbc agreement covers only branded business news segments. Breaking news, non-business news and things like the personal technology reviews that Walt does are not covered by it," Fox News executive vp Kevin Magee said Tuesday.
Also appearing on Fbn have been Monica Langley, Wall Street Journal deputy Washington bureau chief; Teri Ains, senior fashion writer; Washington regular senior editor Joseph White; Gerald Seib, executive Washington editor; and Greg Ip, Robert Frank and John Bussey.
Mossberg's technology segment, that will not be branded as the Wall Street Journal, will appear Thursday mornings on the hour co-anchored by Dagen McDowell and Brian Sullivan. This is one of several appearances by Wall Street Journal staff on Fox Business Network, which had been thought to be prevented in the beginning from having regular appearances by Journal staffers due to an agreement between archrival Cnbc and Dow Jones before the latter was acquired by News Corp.
While that's still in effect, there have been multiple reports that News Corp. executives have said that the agreement doesn't preclude everything. That was confirmed Tuesday by a Fox Business Network executive.
"The Cnbc agreement covers only branded business news segments. Breaking news, non-business news and things like the personal technology reviews that Walt does are not covered by it," Fox News executive vp Kevin Magee said Tuesday.
Also appearing on Fbn have been Monica Langley, Wall Street Journal deputy Washington bureau chief; Teri Ains, senior fashion writer; Washington regular senior editor Joseph White; Gerald Seib, executive Washington editor; and Greg Ip, Robert Frank and John Bussey.
- 7/9/2008
- by By Paul J. Gough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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