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| Craig Ferguson to leave CBS 'The Late Late Show' in December 2014 Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:48 PM PDT  Late night host Craig Ferguson will be leaving CBS' "The Late Late Show" in December, the host and the network said on Monday, the latest movement in the shuffling of late-night television to draw a younger audience. Scottish-born Ferguson, 51, told the studio audience during the taping of his Monday show that he will be stepping down from the show after nine years. Ferguson took the hosting helm on "The Late Late Show" in 2005, picking up the reins from Craig Kilborn and lending his eccentric, irreverent humor with his trademark Scottish brogue. His decision to step down comes after major changes in broadcast television's late night schedule, as CBS announced earlier this month that Comedy Central's satirist Stephen Colbert will take over from David Letterman on CBS's "The Late Show" next year. Full Story | Top |
| Univision says Comcast buy of TWC could be 'bad for Hispanic audiences' Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:11 PM PDT  The head of the Spanish-language television network Univision [UVN.UL] said on Monday that Comcast Corp's plan to buy rival Time Warner Cable Inc could be "bad for Hispanic audiences." Univision President Randy Falco said on a conference call with media analysts that the proposed $45 billion deal, which would bring together the No. 1 and No. 2 U.S. cable providers, was a "cause for concern." "We are hoping at the very least there is that scrutiny and potentially much tougher restrictions added to the existing consent decree (prompted by a 2011 deal) that will protect Comcast competitors such as Univision who are serving minority communities in particular," said Falco. Falco stopped short of asking the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission, which are reviewing the deal to ensure it is legal, to block it outright. On the call, Falco said a primary worry was that Comcast, with its range of movies, television shows and sports shows, would be reluctant to carry networks that it did not own, such as Univision. Full Story | Top |
| Kickstarter, rappers De La Soul headline Webby Award winners Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:49 PM PDT  (Reuters) - Crowdfunding website Kickstarter, veteran hip-hop group De La Soul and a Harvard University professor on Monday won Webby Awards, the annual honors for Internet excellence. They were joined by the likes of R&B singer Beyonce, vacation rental site Airbnb and Twitter Inc's video app Vine as headlining winners of the awards, which will be celebrated next month in New York. The Webby Awards recognize websites, online video, social media, apps and interactive advertising. This year's judges include Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, producers of Netflix's Emmy-winning online drama "House of Cards." Every category in the Webbys has a "People's Voice" award selected by a public vote. Full Story | Top |
| 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author agrees to e-book release Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:43 PM PDT By Verna Gates BIRMINGHAM Ala. (Reuters) - Harper Lee, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "To Kill a Mockingbird," has agreed to release the novel - one of the few literary classics available only in print - as an e-book, her publisher said on Monday. The announcement coincided with the 88th birthday of the reclusive author, who described the digital version set to be released on July 8 as "Mockingbird for a new generation." "I'm still old-fashioned. I love dusty old books and libraries," Lee said in a rare public statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Actor George Clooney withdraws from U.N. peacekeeping role Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:50 PM PDT  Academy Award winner George Clooney has stepped down as a U.N. "Messenger of Peace," the United Nations said on Monday, suggesting the newly engaged actor did not have enough time for the role promoting the world body's peacekeeping efforts. "After six years in this role, Mr. Clooney feels it is time to retire his official role as Messenger of Peace," said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, wishing Clooney well on his engagement to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. TV network Fox to air live 'Grease' musical in 2015 Monday, Apr 28, 2014 12:58 PM PDT "Grease," the Broadway musical and hit film, will be made into a live television production, U.S. broadcaster Fox said on Monday, in the latest network television attempt to woo viewers with live performances. Actors have not been announced, but Fox said it would feature a "young ensemble cast." Fox, the broadcast unit of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc, follows the lead of NBC, which attracted 19 million viewers to watch its live performance of "The Sound of Music" last year, which starred country music singer Carrie Underwood. Comcast Corp-owned NBC will air a live performance of "Peter Pan" in December in the hopes of replicating the success of "The Sound of Music." "Grease" debuted on stage in 1971 and was adapted into a film by distributor Paramount Pictures starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978. Full Story | Top |
| Singer Paul Simon and wife in court after shoving spat Monday, Apr 28, 2014 11:41 AM PDT  By Richard Weizel NORWALK, Connecticut (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning singer Paul Simon, appeared in a court on Monday with his wife, singer Edie Brickell, after a pushing match at their Connecticut home ended in charges for the pair. Both singers faced a judge in Norwalk Superior Court after their weekend arrest by New Canaan police on disorderly conduct charges stemming from the family dispute. Brickell, 48, agreed, telling the judge, "He is no threat to me at all." The altercation occurred at a cottage on their New Canaan property, the couple's attorney, Allan Cramer, said. Full Story | Top |
| Beyonce, Jay Z will tour together this summer Monday, Apr 28, 2014 10:27 AM PDT  Beyonce and Jay Z, pop music's first couple, will tour together for the first time this summer, the R&B singer and rapper announced on Monday. Beyonce, 32, and Jay Z, 44, who have collaborated on several songs together, will begin their 16-date North American "On the Run" tour on June 25 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The tour promoted by Live Nation Entertainment Inc will finish on Aug. 5 at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Full Story | Top |
| Singer Paul Simon and wife arrested after domestic dispute Monday, Apr 28, 2014 09:53 AM PDT  Grammy Award-winning singer Paul Simon and his wife, singer-songwriter Edie Brickell, have been arrested in Connecticut on domestic violence charges, local police said on Monday. New Canaan police officers responded to a family dispute around 8:20 p.m. on Saturday, and both Simon and his wife were charged with disorderly conduct, the police department said in a news release. The two were released on a promise to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Monday. New Canaan Chief of Police Leon Krolikowski told reporters that the incident resulted in some minor injuries, but both Simon and Brickell were cooperative when police arrived. Full Story | Top |
| Cannes has majority female jury, first time since 2009 Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:12 AM PDT  New Zealand director Jane Campion will head a jury of five women and four men for this year's Cannes international film festival - its first majority female judging panel since 2009. The world's most prestigious international film festival, which made the announcement on Monday, has often been criticized for giving short shrift to women in cinema. Joining her will be American director Sofia Coppola and actresses Carole Bouquet from France, Leila Hatami of Iran and South Korea's Jeon Do-yeon, the festival said. Also on the panel will be American actor Willem Dafoe, Mexican actor and director Garcia Bernal, Chinese director Jia Zhanke and Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. Full Story | Top |
| George Clooney, UK human rights lawyer are engaged - law firm Monday, Apr 28, 2014 05:03 AM PDT  A London law firm confirmed the worst-kept secret in show business on Monday by sending congratulations to one of its lawyers and Hollywood leading man George Clooney on their engagement. Media speculation that Clooney had gone back on his vow never to remarry grew at the weekend after his girlfriend, human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, was spotted wearing a large ring on her wedding finger at a Los Angeles restaurant. The couple have said nothing and Clooney's representative declined to comment on the actor's personal life, but on Monday Alamuddin's law firm released a statement. "The barristers and staff of Doughty Street Chambers offer their best wishes and congratulations to Ms Amal Alamuddin, a member of Chambers, and Mr George Clooney on their engagement to be married," the firm said. Full Story | Top |
| WPP thumps forecasts with strong Q1 organic growth Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:37 AM PDT WPP, the world's largest advertising group, reported a much better than expected 7 percent rise in first quarter like-for-like revenue growth and said it had seen a surge in new client wins due to changes in the industry. Martin Sorrell's group, which shocked the market in February when it lowered its 2014 profit guidance due to fierce competition, said it had enjoyed strong trading in North America and Britain and from its advertising and digital media divisions. Profits, revenue margin and gross margin were all above budget, it said, and it reiterated its margin targets for the full-year. The bullish trading update follows similarly upbeat statements from rivals Publicis and Omnicom, which are in the process of merging to overtake the British group as the world's largest ad firm, and IPG. Full Story | Top |
| Publicis, Omnicom seek to resolve leadership spat over CFO job - sources Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:37 AM PDT By Leila Abboud and Tom Bergin PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - The chief executives of advertising companies Publicis and Omnicom Group are working together to resolve a seven-month-old struggle over who will be chief financial officer of their combined group if the $35 billion merger is completed, three people close to the deal said on Sunday. John Wren, the head of New York-based Omnicom, and Maurice Levy, his opposite number at Paris-based Publicis, are in regular contact to try to settle the CFO choice, which has fuelled tensions between the two sides since September as they seek to secure regulatory approvals for the blockbuster deal, the people said. Full Story | Top |
| Mediaset confirms foreign interest for its pay TV business Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:35 AM PDT Italian broadcaster Mediaset confirmed it had received expressions of interest from foreign players for its pay-TV business - though it gave no names - as media speculation grows a tie-up could be on the horizon. In a statement late on Saturday, the company said the strategic value of Mediaset Premium had drawn interest from "various international operators for a possible partnership." Last Thursday Mediaset denied it had sealed any deal after a press report said Qatari-owned Al Jazeera and Vivendi's Canal+ had reached an agreement to take a stake in Premium. Italy's biggest TV broadcaster, controlled by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, makes most of its turnover by selling advertising space. In its statement on Saturday Mediaset said recent reports regarding the value of the pay-TV unit were groundless. Full Story | Top |
| Courteney Cox finds dark humor in suicide in 'Just Before I Go' Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:06 AM PDT  By Chris Michaud NEW YORK (Reuters) - Movies such as "It's a Wonderful Life," have explored the subject of a life re-examined when contemplating suicide, but Courteney Cox takes a darkly comic approach to that life-or-death question in her feature film directorial debut. The story of a vacant, aimless pet store worker named Ted who decides he is "done" with life, "Just Before I Go" begins with the dejected 40-year-old bobbing underwater while narrating his tale of woe on the soundtrack. Ted, played by "American Pie" veteran Seann William Scott, embarks on an odyssey back to his Massachusetts hometown to confront childhood tormenters who range via flashback from an extortionist jock bully to a nasty math teacher who relishes cruelly humiliating the boy in front his classmates. And the math teacher lies in a stupor in an institution as Ted unleashes a volley of pent-up rage, only to be interrupted by the woman's granddaughter, (Olivia Thirlby), who decides to film Ted's suicidal saga. Full Story | Top |
| 'Other Woman' seizes box office crown from 'Captain America' Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:05 AM PDT  LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The Other Woman," a female-centered comedy about marital infidelity, elbowed aside three-time box office champion "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" to win the race at U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend. "The Other Woman" had ticket sales of $24.7 million (14.71 million pounds), while "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" took in $16 million, bringing its total domestic sales since its April 4 release to $225 million. The PG-rated faith-based drama "Heaven Is for Real" came in third with $13.8 million for the period of Friday through Sunday, according to estimates from box office tracking firm Rentrak. "The Other Woman", starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton as women dating the same married man, overcame largely negative reviews to far surpass industry expectations of an opening weekend in the region of $17 million. Full Story | Top |
| 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' wins big at 'Bollywood Oscars' in Florida Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:04 AM PDT  REUTERS - The film "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" led winners of the "Bollywood Oscars" on Saturday night, nabbing five of the top honours including best picture and best director as the awards made their first-ever U.S. stop in Tampa, Florida. Celebrities including Kevin Spacey and John Travolta and dignitaries from India and the United States descended on the Gulf Coast city this week for the International Indian Film Academy's awards, which had been likened to the Super Bowl in terms of its security needs, traffic management and planning. "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag," a biographical sports drama based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete who was a national champion runner and an Olympian, led the winners at the awards which capped four days of events and celebrations aimed at creating deeper ties between India and the United States. Full Story | Top |
| 'Captain America,' 'Rio' bring early summer heat to Hollywood Monday, Apr 28, 2014 04:03 AM PDT  By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is remaking one of its most cherished traditions: the summer blockbuster. Walt Disney Co's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has collected $225 million so far. "Divergent" from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp has earned $139 million, and Fox's "Rio 2" has grossed $96 million. This year's early start to summer has pushed the 2014 box office to $3.1 billion, a 9.4 percent hike from last year, according to Rentrak. Full Story | Top |
| Bearded Austrian drag queen to take on Eurovision Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:54 AM PDT  By Derek Brooks VIENNA (Reuters) - Drag queen Conchita Wurst will take to the European stage as Austria's contender for Eurovision, the song contest that pits nation versus nation and launched the global careers of ABBA and Celine Dion, Wurst's idol. Sporting high-heels, butterfly eyelashes and a full beard, Wurst - real name: Tom Neuwirth - is an unlikely contestant for conservative Austria, which has triumphed just once before, in 1966, with Udo Juergens' gentle chanson "Merci, Cherie". The annual Eurovision Song Contest, which has a huge gay following, could be the perfect platform for the singer to launch an international career. Israeli transgender singer Dana International won the contest in 1998 with "Diva". Full Story | Top |
| Dutch singer Mr Probz tops British music charts Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:51 AM PDT  Dutch hip hop artist turned singer Mr Probz went straight in at the top of the British singles chart on Sunday with his track "Waves", the Official Charts Company said. In the album chart, Paolo Nutini spends a second week at number one with his third album "Caustic Love", the fastest selling album of the year so far. John Legend's "Love in the Future" climbed two spots to claim second place in the album chart, the Official Charts Company said, while The Vamps dropped one place to third with their debut album "Meet The Vamps". Full Story | Top |
| Justin Bieber allegedly celebrates egg pelting in security video Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:50 AM PDT  Home surveillance footage appears to show pop singer Justin Bieber celebrating and laughing with friends after allegedly pelting a neighbor's home with eggs in January, according to an affidavit filed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff. Bieber, 20, has not been charged with a crime in the case, but if he were, it could complicate the pop star's other current legal proceedings in Miami and Toronto. Bieber's residence in Calabasas, California, north of Los Angeles was searched by authorities on Jan. 14 in the vandalism case and the affidavit was filed last month to obtain a search warrant for the singer's Instagram photo-sharing account. The affidavit, released on Friday, said Bieber is observed to be "high-fiving" with a group of males and "Bieber and the other males appeared to be laughing and celebrating," the affidavit said. Full Story | Top |
| Longtime bachelor George Clooney engaged to British lawyer - reports Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:49 AM PDT  REUTERS - Hollywood leading man George Clooney, who has said he was not suited for marriage, is engaged to British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, according to media reports on Saturday. Alamuddin, 36, was spotted last week wearing a large ring at a Los Angeles restaurant where she and Clooney, 52, were apparently celebrating their engagement with friends, People magazine reported, citing anonymous sources. Clooney's representative, Stan Rosenfield, did not respond to an email from Reuters seeking confirmation. Clooney and Alamuddin have been dating since October, according to media reports. Full Story | Top |
| Stephen Colbert pays visit to new 'Late Show' home Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:37 AM PDT Stephen Colbert dropped in on David Letterman's late night CBS talk show, the "Late Show" on Tuesday, to get a glimpse of the rigors of the high-profile job he will take over in 2015. "He just stopped by to sign the lease," Letterman said of his successor in his opening monologue. Continuing the passing-of-the-torch theme, the host quipped, "You look right at home," as Colbert took his seat. In a nod to Letterman's successful, 20-year run on the show, Colbert said, "I'm going to do whatever you have done," to which the often self-deprecating Letterman replied, "Oh no, no, no, you don't want to do that." The lovefest continued with the pair later taking a picture, or "selfie," of themselves, using Colbert's phone. Full Story | Top |
| Contestant of ABC TV's 'The Bachelorette' dies in Utah accident Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:33 AM PDT A contestant on the upcoming season of ABC's reality TV show "The Bachelorette" has died, the program's producers said on Wednesday. Eric Hill had been in a coma after suffering injuries in a paragliding accident in Utah on Sunday, according to People magazine, citing Hill's family. "We are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of our friend, Eric Hill," Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show for Walt Disney's ABC network, said in a statement. The upcoming season of "The Bachelorette," in which a woman chooses a possible husband from a group of 25 men, is set to air next month. Full Story | Top |
| AOL, Microsoft lure advertisers with TV-style shows Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:31 AM PDT  By Jennifer Saba and Lisa Richwine NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Technology powerhouses like Microsoft Corp and AOL Inc are flexing their muscles as storytellers, parading TV network-style shows before advertisers at an annual digital content showcase in New York next week. With an eye on the big bucks such shows can command, Microsoft will trot out a soccer reality show called "Every Street United." Sony Corp's digital network Crackle will serve up Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" and AOL is presenting a documentary drama about five New Yorkers called "Connected." This is a big shift from the short Web episodes many tech companies have presented for the last two years at the week-long "NewFronts" event - modeled after the annual "upfronts" where broadcast and cable TV channels show their wares to Madison Avenue. Yahoo Inc is also looking for longer original programming it can unveil at the showcase, three people familiar with those efforts said on condition on of anonymity because the deals have yet to be finalized. Full Story | Top |
| 'Scandal' actor Columbus Short leaving hit ABC show Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:25 AM PDT  "Scandal" actor Columbus Short said on Friday he would not be returning to the hit ABC drama for its next season, a month after the actor was arrested on a felony battery charge. Short, 31, who plays Harrison Wright opposite actress Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope character, said in a statement that he "must confirm my exit from a show I've called home for 3 years." "Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas," he added, without providing details on the reason for his departure. ABC, owned by Walt Disney Co., did not comment on Short's exit from the salacious political drama from hit show creator Shonda Rhimes, which ended its third season last week. Full Story | Top |
| 'House of Cards' producers reach tax deal, will stay in Maryland Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:22 AM PDT  The producers of the Netflix series "House of Cards", who had threatened to stop filming in Maryland unless they received enough in tax breaks, have reached an agreement with the state. The show's producers, Media Rights Capital, will receive $11.5 million in tax credits this year to keep filming the series in Maryland, Governor Martin O'Malley and the company said in a joint statement issued late on Friday. "House of Cards", a Washington political thriller that stars Kevin Spacey, received $26 million in tax credits for filming its first two seasons in Maryland. Full Story | Top |
| 'X Factor' musical booted off stage at London's West End Monday, Apr 28, 2014 03:14 AM PDT  By Michael Roddy LONDON (Reuters) - "X Factor" guru Simon Cowell has become the latest big name in showbusiness to suffer an expensive pratfall in London's West End with the announcement on Monday that the musical "I Can't Sing!" which he co-produced will close after a six-week run. The demise of the musical parody of the TV talent contest, which reportedly cost 6 million pounds ($10 million) to produce, comes hard on the heels of the closures of musicals by long-time West End and Broadway hotshots Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Stage Entertainment and Syco Entertainment, the producers of 'I Can't Sing!' at the London Palladium, have announced the closure of the production on Saturday 10th May 2014," the statement on the website said. "The show received a series of rave reviews and standing ovations from thousands of theatre-goers following its opening earlier this year." Despite reviews praising the show's irreverence, it struggled to fill one of the West End's largest theaters, and on some nights a hoarding outside advertised the availability of choice seats for only 20 pounds just before curtain time. Full Story | Top |
| Singer James DeBarge, ex-husband to Janet Jackson, arrested for drug possession Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:56 AM PDT R&B singer James DeBarge, who was briefly married to Janet Jackson in the 1980s, was arrested for drug possession in Los Angeles, police said on Friday. Police took DeBarge, 50, into custody on Thursday on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine, said Los Angeles police spokeswoman Officer Norma Eisenman. Eisenman could release no further details on his arrest, but DeBarge was listed as being held with no bail at a Los Angeles Police Department jail. In 2011, DeBarge was convicted in Los Angeles County of possession of a controlled substance, according to the local District Attorney's Office. Full Story | Top |
| New Mexico dig uncovers 'E.T.' video games buried after 1980s flop Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:55 AM PDT  By Joseph J. Kolb ALBUQUERQUE N.M. (Reuters) - Documentary filmmakers digging in a New Mexico landfill on Saturday unearthed hundreds of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" cartridges, considered by some the worst video game ever made and blamed for contributing to the downfall of the video game industry in the 1980s. Some gamers speculate that thousands or even millions of the unwanted cartridges made by Atari were buried in a landfill in Alamogordo, about 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Albuquerque. Who dumped the videos, how many they buried and why they did it inspired the dig and a documentary of the event by Microsoft Corp's Xbox Entertainment Studios. The game was a design and marketing failure after it was rushed out to coincide with the release of Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," and it contributed to a collapse of the video game industry in its early years. Full Story | Top |
| Japan Display shares skid to record low after profit estimate cut Monday, Apr 28, 2014 01:40 AM PDT  By Sophie Knight and Reiji Murai TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan Display Inc's shares fell to their lowest in Tokyo trading since their debut just over a month ago, after the world's largest maker of smartphone screens slashed its profit estimate for the past year by nearly 11 percent. That was 23 percent lower than the stock's initial public offering price of 900 yen. Japan Display cut its operating profit expectations to 27.20 billion yen ($266.58 million) from 30.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, citing lower orders than expected. It gives a bad impression with their IPO so recent," said Yasuo Sakuma, a portfolio manager at Bayview Asset Management in Tokyo. Full Story | Top |
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