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| Jennifer Lopez-backed channel nears deal to buy Fuse TV: Bloomberg Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 08:39 PM PDT (Reuters) - Latino-focused channel NuvoTV is nearing a deal to buy Madison Square Garden Co's Fuse TV and may announce the deal on Friday, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. (http://link.reuters.com/kub38v) Cable channel NuvoTV made an offer last month to buy Fuse TV for more than $200 million in cash and stock. Fuse, an American music television network, reaches about 74 million homes through pay-TV systems including DirecTV and Dish Network Corp. NuvoTV and Madison Square Garden were not available for comment, outside regular U.S. business hours. ... Full Story | Top |
| David Letterman to retire from CBS 'Late Show' in 2015 Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 07:35 PM PDT  By Ronald Grover and Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian David Letterman, who brought a sardonic, offbeat wit to late-night television, along with bits such as "Stupid Pet Tricks" and his "Top Ten" list, will retire as host of "The Late Show" on CBS in 2015, he said during the taping of his show in New York. Letterman, 66, whose contract expires next year, began hosting the CBS show in August 1993, after leaving the rival NBC network, where he originated his late-night TV persona and much of his program on the "Late Night with David Letterman" show for many years. There was no immediate word on who might succeed Letterman in the key 11:30 p.m. slot on CBS, opposite NBC's top-rated "The Tonight Show." The Emmy-winning host said he had spoken in the past with CBS Corp President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves, "and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. Full Story | Top |
| Paula Deen closes restaurant at center of harassment lawsuit Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 04:45 PM PDT  By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Celebrity chef Paula Deen's popular Savannah, Georgia, restaurant, which was at the center of a racially charged lawsuit against her, abruptly closed on Thursday after a decade in business. "Thank you for 10 great years," Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, owned by Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, told customers on its website. "Uncle Bubba's is now closed." A white employee of Uncle Bubba's sued Deen and her brother claiming she had been the victim of sexual harassment and that there was a pattern of racial discrimination against black employees at the restaurant. Deen said in a deposition in the case that she had used a racial slur, which prompted Scripps Networks Interactive Inc to drop her cooking show from its cable television channel, the Food Network. Full Story | Top |
| Singer Chris Brown turned over to federal marshals for D.C. trial Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 04:13 PM PDT  R&B singer Chris Brown was taken from his Los Angeles jail cell by the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transported to Washington, D.C. for a hearing in a 2013 misdemeanor assault charge, federal authorities said on Thursday. Brown, 24, was jailed last month after violating his probation when he was dismissed from a facility where he was receiving the court-ordered treatment related to his 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna. He will be taken to Washington, where he is scheduled to stand trial on April 17, U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman Lynzey Donahue said. Brown's lawyer Mark Geragos had asked the court to have Brown released ahead of the trial into his custody so that they could prepare for the trial and travel together to Washington. Full Story | Top |
| Johnny Depp confirms engagement to actress Amber Heard Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 03:56 PM PDT  Actor Johnny Depp is engaged to marry actress Amber Heard, who he calls "a Southern belle and sweet as can be and very good for me" in an interview with NBC's "Today" show to air on Friday. The 50-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor confirmed the news days after he was spotted wearing a woman's engagement ring on his left index hand, which set off speculation that he was to wed Heard. Heard, a 27-year-old Texas native, co-starred with Depp in 2011's "The Rum Diary." The following year, Depp split from his long-time partner, the French actress Vanessa Paridis, with whom he has two children. Full Story | Top |
| 'Cinderella', 'Phantom', 'Mama Mia!' alter Broadway schedules Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 01:55 PM PDT Fans of some of Broadway's top musicals will be able to see their favorite shows on a different day and time as producers introduced Thursday matinees to meet audience demand. "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella," "Mama Mia!" and "The Phantom of the Opera" have begun Thursday matinees in addition to, or instead of, the usual Wednesday afternoon performance. "We banded together and decided to be pioneers on this and to see if we can make it work," said Robyn Goodman, the producer of "Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" and Tony winning musicals "Avenue Q" and "In the Heights." "It will be a trend if it works," she added. "Cinderella," starring Grammy-nominated pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen in the title role, will feature two week-day matinees - Wednesday and Thursday - but there will be no performance on Wednesday evening. Full Story | Top |
| Colombian writer Garcia Marquez hospitalized in Mexico City Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 01:13 PM PDT  Nobel prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez has been hospitalized in Mexico City since March 31 for dehydration and a lung and urinary infection but has responded well to treatment, Mexico's health ministry said on Thursday. The author's discharge from hospital will be evaluated once he completes treatment with antibiotics, the ministry said in a release. Garcia Marquez, 87, whose career has spanned journalism to fantastical novels that defined the genre of magical realism, lives in Mexico City. Speaking outside the hospital, his son Gonzalo Garcia, said the author was never under emergency care, and is with family. Full Story | Top |
| Jamaican music star Vybz Kartel sentenced to life for murder Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 11:20 AM PDT By Horace Helps KINGSTON (Reuters) - A Jamaican judge sentenced an international reggae-dancehall star, Vybz Kartel, to life imprisonment on Thursday after he was found guilty of murder last month. Kartel, 38, who is also known as 'World Boss' had been on trial for the murder of one of his former associates, Clive Williams, popularly known as 'Lizard.' Williams was murdered in August 2011 after a business deal went sour, prosecutors said. Jamaica is known internationally as the birthplace of reggae, with its most famous artist, the legendary Bob Marley considered a national hero. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, will not be eligible for parole for 35 years, according to the sentence handed down by Supreme Court Justice Lennox Campbell. Full Story | Top |
| Discovery teams with Howard, Grazer to form digital studio Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 10:52 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Discovery Communications, parent company of the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and other cable channels, said on Thursday it formed a digital production studio with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the Hollywood team behind TV shows including "24" and "Arrested Development" and movies such as "A Beautiful Mind" and "Apollo 13." The venture, New Form, will produce scripted shows and other programming aimed at digital users. (Reporting By Ronald Grover) Full Story | Top |
| Liberty Media to slash stake in Barnes & Noble Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 10:46 AM PDT  John Malone's Liberty Media Corp said on Thursday it has sold almost all of its stake in Barnes & Noble Inc, ending a nearly three-year bet that the struggling retailer would emerge as a dominant seller of e-books. The sale of Liberty's shares, expected to close April 8, means the departure of one of the bookseller's biggest investors, as well as the exit of Liberty Media Chief Executive Greg Maffei, a respected dealmaker, from Barnes & Noble's board. Barnes & Noble shares were down 14.6 percent to $18.89 in late morning trading even as it and Liberty tried to put the best possible face on the sale, saying it would give the retailer greater flexibility to pursue future deals. The divestment comes after a rally that lifted Barnes & Noble's shares 48 percent in 2014 through Wednesday as its core retail business has shown surprising robustness and it has scaled back the money-losing Nook e-reader business. Full Story | Top |
| Tribune buys TV by the Numbers to expand entertainment data unit Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 10:12 AM PDT (Reuters) - Tribune Digital Ventures, the technology arm of TV station and newspaper owner Tribune Co, said it agreed to buy the TV ratings and news site TV by the Numbers, enabling it to expand its entertainment news and data business. The acquisition price was not disclosed. (Reporting By Ronald Grover) Full Story | Top |
| Britain's Queen, meeting pope, gives him eggs, whiskey, beer Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 10:06 AM PDT  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth met Pope Francis for the first time on Thursday and gave a bemused pontiff culinary delights from the royal estates, including a dozen eggs and a bottle of whisky. "I've also brought something from all our estates, which is for you personally," said the queen, wearing a lavender dress and a purple hat, as she handed Francis a wicker basket full of food at the end of a 17-minute private meeting in the Vatican. The 18 items from Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral also included two types of honey, "Coronation Best Bitter," "Grandad's chutney" and "Sandringham handmade aromatherapy soaps". A Vatican official said the pope would likely share the food with other residents of the guest house where he has lived since his election after renouncing the spacious papal apartments or would donate it. Full Story | Top |
| Record labels bring piracy charges against Russia's VKontakte Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 10:00 AM PDT  By Maria Kiselyova and Anastasia Teterevleva MOSCOW (Reuters) - Three of the world's top record companies are suing Russia's biggest social network VKontakte (VK) for facilitating copyright piracy, a London-based industry federation said on Thursday. Labels Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group and Warner Music UK argue VK, known as Russia's answer to Facebook Inc, offers a service allowing large-scale infringement of the rights of copyright holders, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said. Full Story | Top |
| Mediaset selling 25 percent of EI Towers Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 09:32 AM PDT MILAN (Reuters) - Italian TV company Mediaset said on Thursday it had started a placement of 25 percent of its broadcasting towers unit EI Towers to raise money to help fund growth in its core business. Mediaset, which is controlled by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, currently controls 65 percent of EI Towers through its subsidiary Elettronica Industriale. At current market prices, the stake on sale is worth around 300 million euros ($411.5 million). ... Full Story | Top |
| British TV cook Lawson can reapply for US visa after entry refusal Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 08:46 AM PDT  U.S. officials invited British chef Nigella Lawson on Thursday to reapply for a visa to enter the United States after the television celebrity was barred for boarding a flight last weekend. According to the Daily Mail newspaper, Lawson, dubbed the "Domestic Goddess" after the title of one of her cookery books, was prevented from flying to the United States because she had confessed to taking drugs during a recent court battle with her former assistants. Lawson made headlines globally when she told a London court she had taken cocaine several times and smoked cannabis at the end of her 10-year marriage to art dealer Charles Saatchi. Full Story | Top |
| Nelson Mandela's trusted assistant publishes memoir Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 08:17 AM PDT Nelson Mandela's long-time private assistant, Zelda la Grange, has written a memoir about her life and working for the anti-apartheid hero and former South African president, publisher Viking said on Thursday. It has acquired the North American rights for "Good Morning, Mr. Mandela," which will be published worldwide on June 19. "It's tender, intimate, eye-opening, incredibly moving, and offers a rare portrait of Nelson Mandela and his remarkable life," Viking President Clare Ferraro said in a statement. The life and beliefs of la Grange, a white South African who grew up supporting the segregation rules of the country, were transformed after she started working for Mandela in 1994. Full Story | Top |
| Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams head line-up at Montreux Jazz Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 06:58 AM PDT  By Stephanie Nebehay LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Stevie Wonder will headline the Montreux Jazz Festival, fulfilling a longtime wish of its late founder Claude "Funky" Nobs, in its 48th edition which also brings red-hot Pharrell Williams to its famed stage. The line-up for the July 4-19 festival, unveiled on Thursday, includes former Blur front man Damon Albarn, hip-hop duo Outkast, the veteran Van Morrison, Massive Attack, and R&B Californian newcomer Banks. Nobs, who died after a ski accident in January 2013, tried to bring Wonder to Montreux, one of Europe's most prestigious summer music festivals, but the 1 million Swiss franc ($1.13 million) purse was out of reach at the time. At the presentation, Mauritian pianist Jerry Leonide, who opens for French drummer Manu Katche on July 14, played a few bars of "Superstition" as Wonder's name flashed on an electric board. Full Story | Top |
| British Prince George's first tour stifles Australia/NZ republicans Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 04:37 AM PDT  By Belinda Goldsmith and Thuy Ong LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - He may still be in nappies but Prince George embarks on his first official tour this weekend as Britain's younger royals ride a wave of popularity that is expected to dampen republican movements in Australia and New Zealand. The eight-month-old prince, third-in-line to the British throne, will accompany his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a three-week tour of the two former British colonies. His first official event is expected to be at a parent and baby group on April 9 at Government House in Wellington, the New Zealand capital, the residence where his father, Prince William, crawled for the first time during a royal tour in 1983. Queen Elizabeth, who turns 88 this month, is scaling back her workload and the younger royals - William and his party-loving brother Harry - are taking on more duties as is their father and heir apparent Prince Charles. Full Story | Top |
| Vivendi rebuffs shareholder group ahead of board meeting on SFR Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 04:27 AM PDT By Leila Abboud PARIS (Reuters) - French media and telecoms group Vivendi has rebuffed a new attempt by minority shareholders to get access to documents relating to its sale of French mobile operator SFR as the two rival bidders eye potential last minute changes to their offers. Colette Neuville, who heads a French association representing the rights of minority shareholders, sent a bailiff with the backing of a judge to Vivendi's offices on Wednesday because an earlier request via letter to Vivendi's Chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou for more transparency on the SFR deal was rejected. Vivendi is in exclusive talks with local cable group Numericable since March 14, but rival bidder Bouygues has tried to muscle back in. Full Story | Top |
| Cyrus, Timberlake Finnish gigs under U.S. sanctions' cloud Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 03:54 AM PDT  By Jussi Rosendahl HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish concerts by American pop stars Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake have come under the cloud of U.S. sanctions against Russia because of the venue's Russian owners, the promoter said on Thursday. Timberlake has a sold-out concert scheduled in May at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, which is owned by Gennady Timchenko, co-founder of Russia oil trader Gunvor, and brothers Boris and Arkady Rotenberg. All three were included in a list of visa bans and asset freezes imposed by the United States against close allies of President Vladimir Putin last month following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. Cyrus is due to perform at the arena, Finland's biggest entertainment venue, in June. Full Story | Top |
| Berlin unveils new Ai Weiwei exhibition, but artist can't attend Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 03:13 AM PDT  By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) - Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's biggest solo show, featuring a reproduction of the white cell where Chinese authorities held him for 81 days, was unveiled on Wednesday in Berlin without Ai in attendance because the government still holds his passport. "Ai Weiwei - Evidence", which sprawls across 18 rooms at the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, is a deeply political exhibition of the artist's conceptual art. An outspoken critic of the Chinese government's record on free speech and human rights, Ai did not attend the show's news conference as the government retained his passport after his release. China's Foreign Ministry said Ai was being investigated by law enforcement authorities. Full Story | Top |
| TV's Willard Scott of 'Today' show marries at 80 Thursday, Apr 03, 2014 02:06 AM PDT  Television personality Willard Scott, a former weatherman who has been with NBC's "Today" morning news show for more than 30 years, has wed his longtime girlfriend at the age of 80. Scott and Paris Keena were married in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday, according to Today.com, which posted a picture of the smiling couple. A former disc jockey and weatherman in Washington, D.C., Scott is known for his happy birthday wishes for centenarians on the "Today" show. Scott and Keena first met in 1977. Full Story | Top |
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