The Morning Fix: Telemundo plays ball with government. China doesn’t with WTO. Vetting reality. Megan Fox! (That ought to make you click the link)
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After the coffee. Before letting it sink in that Bruce Springsteen is 60 today.
Working with government. The Telemundo network’s telenovela ‘Mas Sable el Diablo’ (‘The Devil Knows Best’) will introduce a character who works for the Census Bureau as a means to promote taking part in the census, reports the New York Times. Can’t wait until the soap springs on its viewers a character who works for the IRS on viewers.
China appeal. China is appealing a decision by the World Trade Organization that it broke rules by restricting the importing of movies, music and books. The WTO ruling and the subsequent appeal highlight the growing tension between China and the West, according to the Los Angeles Times. Web TV. It’s been talked about for more than a decade but convergence between the television and the personal computer may finally be approaching, says the Wall Street Journal. Newer television sets are being built to handle the Web. The real challenge once the technology is in place may be figuring out browser issues.
Deal time? Speaking at an advertising industry conference, some private equity firms indicated that they are still in the market for media deals and that there could be a pickup in deals if the economy can show some gains, reports AdWeek. That’s good because those private equity firms have such a good track record in media investments.
Vetting Issues. In the wake of the death of a reality show contestant who became a suspect in his ex-wife’s murder, the Wrap looks at the background checks that reality show participants go through and whether these need to be toughened up. Meanwhile, the entertainment site also reports that the CW has given the green light to a reality series about Virgin America flight attendants.
No Surprise. As it had it would be doing, The Weinstein Co. is slimming down and starting to cut some of its non-film businesses. The New York Post reports that next to go is the company’s foundering book publishing unit. It also recently cut staff at its production house and has already said it would only release about eight movies a year going forward.
In the Los Angeles Times: In a regulatory filing, Disney details the deal between it and Marvel and notes who will make big bucks when it closes. Is Megan Fox too out there?
-- Joe Flint
