The Morning Fix: ‘2012’ destroys! Kirkpatrick’s Boston massacre. Comcast-NBC gets closer. Oprah’s choices.
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After the coffee. Before trying to figure out what Bill Belichick was thinking.
It’s the end of the world as we know it! And Sony Pictures feels fine. ‘2012’ took in $65 million in its opening weekend domestically and another $160 million abroad. Even the Maya probably didn’t see that big a debut coming. Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ had a strong second week, and ‘Precious’ looks destined for bigger things. Box office analysis from the Los Angeles Times, Variety and Deadline. Cable network FX didn’t even wait for ‘2012’s’ second weekend to buy up the basic-cable TV rights, says the Hollywood Reporter.
Comcast getting closer. This could be the day and should be the week that Comcast announces its deal to take majority control of General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal. The Los Angeles Times weighs in with a think piece about Comcast’s long road to Hollywood while the Wall Street Journal takes a look at, wait for it, the regulatory scrutiny the deal will face in Washington. Meanwhile, PaidContent takes a look at how Comcast’s sports networks are building their Web presence in an effort to keep up with Disney’s ESPN.
Boston massacre. The Boston Globe has a devastating investigative piece on former Paramount big shot David Kirkpatrick’s ill-fated efforts to build a studio in Plymouth, Mass. Legal battles, questionable deals and broken promises have become the norm for Plymouth Studios. Just a ‘bump in the road,’ Kirkpatrick tells the paper.
Empire building. With the acquisition of Business Week, Bloomberg L.P. is now looking to expand its reach beyond hardcore business news and to the general public. The New York Times takes a look at how Bloomberg is growing its media news empire when everyone else is shrinking. Oh yeah, and if you work there, you get free sodas and snacks.
Hulu’s hoop jumping. Hulu may be getting more popular, but that doesn’t mean it’s all kittens and puppies at the online video site. Three owners with their own agendas and an audience that isn’t used to paying for programming may make for a bumpy road, says Media Week.
Oprah’s choice. Variety looks at the options for Oprah Winfrey as her daytime-TV contract nears its end. If she stays in daytime, she’ll make less money (it’ll still be millions of dollars, mind you). If she goes to her own cable channel, she’ll lose eyeballs. And if she does stay in syndication, will it be with CBS, or will Sony, which is working a full-court press on her, manage to snag the queen and bring her to their castle?
What a ...The New York Times is shocked, shocked, to discovery some raunchy language on broadcast TV. More shocking is the revelation that the so-called family hour went away about 30 years ago. Even more shocking is that these questionable phrases show up on broadcast TV while cable has much racier content. Most shocking to Variety’s Brian Lowry was that this story ended up on Page 1 in the first place.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: In case you missed it, here’s Sunday story on everything at stake for Jim Cameron’s ‘Avatar.’ It’s not quite time for midterms, but here’s an early look at who is up and who is down in the new TV season. Fox Television Studios wants to reinvent the business behind the show.
-- Joe Flint
