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Wanda promises 12% return to investors backing the buyout
China’s Wanda Acquires Dick Clark Productions For $1 Billionby Nellie Andreeva

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Embattled AFI Film School Dean Jan Schuette To Exit

Jan Schuette

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The American Film Institute said today that Jan Schuette will depart as dean of the AFI Conservatory at the end of the academic year after three years in the job. AFI said Schuette he intends to continue his work in academia and resume his professional work as a filmmaker and producer. The move comes after a majority of Los Angeles’ famed film school in August called for Schuette to resign, claiming that "the AFI Conservatory is on the brink of unraveling." That move… Read

Netflix Asks Court To Reject Relativity Media Suit Charging “Trade Libel”

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Netflix fired back today at Relativity Media’s $1.5 billion lawsuit charging that the streaming company breached a contract and committed “trade libel” that contributed to the studio’s decision to sell a big stake to Singapore-based YuuZoo. Netflix asked the California Superior Court in Santa Clara to dismiss the suit: The accusations that Relativity finds disturbing were made as part of a case being heard at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, the filing says. And… Read

Viacom’s Channel 5 Says It’s “Sustainably Profitable” With 2016 Improvement

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Viacom shares are up about 2% this morning after investors received a dollop of encouraging news ahead of the Wednesday release of its September quarter earnings, which analysts expect to be dismal: The company’s UK-based Channel 5 Broadcasting said today that it generated a record profit in the fiscal year ending in September. That enables Channel 5, which Viacom bought in 2014 for £450 million (currently equal to $557.5 million), to “claim the first consecutive years of… Read

Mark Shapiro, Ioris Francini Named Co-Presidents Of WME | IMG

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Mark Shapiro and Ioris Francini have been named Co-Presidents of WME | IMG. Shapiro previously served as Chief Content Officer and Francini had been President of IMG Media. As Co-Presidents, Shapiro and Francini will oversee the company's media, events, fashion (including IMG Models, Art + Commerce, and The Wall Group), licensing, global partnerships, original content, IMG College, IMG Academy, The Miss Universe Organization, Professional Bull Riders, and Frieze… Read

Nylon Media To Launch Studio For Programming And Live Events

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EXCLUSIVE: Fashion and pop culture company Nylon Media — best known for its fashion and pop culture magazine, Nylon — hopes to expand its reach and appeal to advertisers with the creation of Nylon Studios, a unit that will develop live events and video. Kristin Welton will run the operation as VP of Nylon Studios, reporting to company President Jamie Elden. As the magazine’s director of Events & Partnerships, Welton has been responsible for gatherings at Fashion Week… Read

‘Being Mary Jane’ Case: BET Slams Gabrielle Union & SAG-AFTRA For “Playing This Out In The Media” – Update

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UPDATED, 10:50 AM: It took a few hours, but BET has responded to SAG-AFTRA’s vow to move the Gabrielle Union-Being Mary Jane matter to arbitration. “We disagree with SAG-AFTRA's position,” a network spokesperson told Deadline in a statement. “The clear contract language and the bargaining history do not support SAG-AFTRA's theory. We believe SAG-AFTRA and Ms. Union are playing this out in the media as they will not be able to prove in arbitration or court of law.” PREVIOUS… Read

Rick Steiner Dies; ‘Producers’ Producer And Broadway Gambler Was 69

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in 'The Producers' on Broadway.

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Richard Steiner was never interested in sailing smoothly into the Cincinnati toy business his father and two uncles founded and which produced Play-Doh. A free-spirited adventurer, he was nevertheless interested in real dough and made a goodly sum of it on Broadway as a producer of Big River, Hairspray and The Producers, among other box-office hits. As engaging a character as any in the many shows he helped navigate to success in Times Square, Rick Steiner died Thursday… Read

Verve Signs Director Emma Freeman

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Emma Freeman, who directed Netflix’s new drama series Glitch, has signed with Verve. Her credits also include such other Australian shows Secret City, Offspring, Party Tricks, Puberty Blues and Tangle. Season 1 of Glitch, which aired Down Under last year, went live on Netflix threeweeks ago. The streaming service, which distributes the series worldwide outside of Australia, picked a second season on October 14, a day ahead of its international premiere. Glitch is set in… Read

Lionsgate’s Michael Burns Agrees To New Contract That Runs To 2022

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Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns just landed a sweet deal in a contract extension designed to keep him at the studio through October 30, 2022, according to an SEC filing. The extension comes early: His previous contract ran to October 30, 2017. It follows CEO Jon Feltheimer’s agreement last month to stay to May 2023. The execs have been a team since 2000. Burns’ salary will remain $1 million a year, but with a performance bonus targeted at 75% of that amount — up… Read

Rolling Stone & Writer Found Liable For Defamation In Campus Rape Report

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Rolling Stone magazine and writer Sabrina Erdely have been found liable for defamation for the discredited 2014 “A Rape on Campus” story. Financial damages are still to be determined in the $7.5 million lawsuit filed by University of Virginia associate dean Nicole Eramo (pictured, with attorney Libby Locke). The federal jury in Charlottesville, Virginia decided today that Erdely, Rolling Stone and Wenner Media defamed Eramo by presenting her as indifferent to rape… Read

Nielsen Reconfirms Dreary Cable Universe Numbers After ESPN Complaint

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Nielsen has bad news today for cable network owners:  It just reconfirmed the November subscriber universe estimate it released last week that showed big declines for most channels — including a 3.1% drop for ESPN, its biggest-ever monthly loss. The ratings company says it “has verified that November estimates were accurate as originally released and that all the processes that go into the creation of these estimates were done correctly.” The new numbers will go into its… Read

Screen Engine/ASI Names Head Of TV Group

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Screen Engine/ASI has brought Ellen Ryan back into the fold, naming her exec VP-general manger of the TV Group, reporting to president Robert Levin. In joining the senior management team of the data acquisition and analytics company, Ryan will be responsible for the operations and performance of the TV Group and be part of overall strategy for the company. She will be based in CA and join other company execs Beverly Bolotin and Elliot Rosenberg. Ryan comes back into… Read

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