January 21, 2011
French court convicts Warner head, ex-Vivendi boss
By Ingrid Rousseau
PARIS (AP) – A French court, in a surprise ruling, on Friday convicted and fined Warner Music Group chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. for insider trading and former high-flying Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier for misusing company funds and misleading investors.
Bronfman, a former executive vice president of Vivendi Universal, was fined euro5 million ($6.7 million) and given a 15-month suspended sentence for insider trading around the Vivendi media conglomerate when he was a top executive there. Messier was handed a three-year suspended prison sentence and a euro150,000 fine.
The unexpected convictions came despite the prosecutor’s recommendations that the two men and other ex-Vivendi executives be cleared of all charges for lack of evidence that they duped investors.
Both said they would appeal the verdict, which deals a blow to the two men once considered masterminds of massive mergers in the media and telecommunications sectors.
Messier was acquitted of charges that he manipulated Vivendi’s stock price during his leadership of the company. His conviction for misusing company funds related to a euro20 million severance package that he eventually renounced.
Two other former Vivendi executives, Eric Licoys and Guillaume Hannezo, were given suspended prison sentences, with Hanzo also getting a euro850,000 fine. Three others on trial were acquitted.
The conviction came even though the prosecutor had recommended acquittal following the high-profile Vivendi trial last year. She said the executives did not have enough information themselves about the company’s health.
Bronfman’s lawyer Thierry Marembert said he is “disappointed” that the court did not follow the prosecutor’s recommendations and said he would appeal the case and “continue to vogorously defend against this charge.” Bronfman has denied wrongdoing.
The head of a small shareholders’ group that was a party to the case, Didier Cornardeau of APPAC, called the verdict a “huge victory.”
Messier was a star of the French business world during his 1996-2002 reign at Vivendi, when the company expanded from the water utility Generale des Eaux into a major media group.
However, Vivendi’s shares lost more than 80 percent of their value as the company ran up billions of dollars of debt in making acquisitions including the Universal film studios and music label in the United States.
By the time Messier left, Vivendi Universal was swamped under euro35 billion in debt – prompting the company to sell off many of its businesses, including Universal, to right itself.
Messier was sacked by Vivendi’s board of directors in 2002 and the company underwent drastic restructuring.
In a similar trial in New York, the U.S. District Court in Manhattan ruled a year ago against Vivendi SA and in favor of U.S. and European shareholders who said the media group lied to the public about its shaky finances. The court ruled that Messier himself was not liable.
Eastwood and Beyonce discussing ‘A Star Is Born’
By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clint Eastwood and Beyonce may be teaming up to make a musical version of “A Star Is Born.”
Warner Bros. confirms that the two are in negotiations to remake the 1937 classic.
Eastwood is in talks to direct, while Beyonce, who has been attached to the project for some time, would star.
Set to produce are Billy Gerber, Basil Iwanyk and Jon Peters, who made the 1976 version of the film with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.
Corporate spokeswoman Jessica Zacholl notes that the deals have not been finalized and negotiations are ongoing.
Memo: Angela Bromstad to leave NBC Universal
Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) – NBC prime-time entertainment president Angela Bromstad told her staff that she intends to leave NBC Universal, adding to executive turnover at the media giant being acquired by Comcast Corp.
Her decision comes two days after the government cleared the way for Comcast, the country’s largest cable company, to take over NBC Universal, parent company of NBC.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, Bromstad told colleagues Thursday she will leave NBC Universal with “tremendous respect for the company” and those with whom she’s worked, and she wished them well.
Other exiting NBC Universal executives include NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker and NBC Universal TV entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin.
Steve Burke, Comcast’s chief operating officer, is the incoming NBC Universal CEO. Gaspin was replaced by Bob Greenblatt, the programming executive who transformed Showtime into a pay TV powerhouse.
On Tuesday, Comcast gained approval for the $13.8 billion acquisition of NBC Universal from the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department.
Bromstad’s memo did not say when she would NBC Universal or discuss her plans. NBC did not immediately respond to a request for an interview with her.
She was named head of NBC prime-time entertainment and NBC Universal Media Studios in December 2008 and was involved in development of “Parenthood” and “Community.”
Bromstad has a long history with NBC, having first joined the company in 1994 as TV movie and miniseries director before moving on to other jobs, including president of the studio.
In 2007, after Ben Silverman started a two-year stint as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Movie Studios, she became NBC Universal’s President of International Television Production in London.
9 Foreign-language Films Get Closer to Oscar
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Nine foreign-language films are advancing in the Oscar race.
After months of screenings, a committee from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has narrowed the 66 qualifying films down to nine.
The foreign-language films vying for Academy Award nominations are: Algeria’s “Hors la Loi” (“Outside the Law”), Canada’s “Incendies,” Denmark’s “In a Better World,” Greece’s “Dogtooth,” Japan’s “Confessions,” ”Biutiful” from Mexico, South Africa’s “Life, Above All,” Spain’s “Tambien la Lluvia” (“Even the Rain”), and “Simple Simon” from Sweden.
Five will earn Oscar nominations, which will be announced Tuesday.
Police: Hollywood publicist killed by lone gunman
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – Police say evidence shows an ex-con acted alone in gunning down Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen.
Beverly Hills Police Chief David Snowden tells The Associated Press that Harold Martin Smith, a 43-year-old career criminal, was the person who shot Chasen last November as she attempted to make a turn at an intersection.
He adds there was no conspiracy to kill her.
Snowden said late Wednesday the case will be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.
Police had looked at the possibility that Chasen was targeted by a hit man, but a tip to the show “America’s Most Wanted” led detectives to Smith.
Smith killed himself when police tried to question him.
Amazon buys European movie rental service Lovefilm
NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon is buying Lovefilm, a European movie rental service akin to Netflix.
Lovefilm operates in the U.K., Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Much like Netflix Inc., it is a subscription-based service through which people can rent movies by mail or watch them on a computer by streaming them over the Internet. The company also offers TV shows and games.
Amazon.com Inc. already has an on-demand service that lets people rent movies by streaming. However, it does not send movies in the mail, as Lovefilm and Netflix do.
Netflix doesn’t currently operate in Europe. Having a strong rival could make it difficult to expand there.
Netflix’s stock is down $4.96, or 2.6 percent, to $185.91 in morning trading Thursday, when Amazon announced the deal.
Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
New film about Briton who saved Jewish children
PRAGUE (AP) – A new film about a Briton who organized mass evacuations of children to help them avoid being sent to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps is having a world premiere in Prague, the Czech capital.
Sir Nicholas Winton arranged eight trains to carry 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia through Germany to Britain at the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
Nicky’s Family,” a new documentary by Slovak director Matej Minac features details of the operation and about the rescued children.
Winton, who is now 101, in Prague to attend the premiere Thursday.
Minac’s previous film on the issue, “Nicholas Winton – The Power of Good” won an International Emmy Award in 2002.
Ferrera, Groening, Reitman join Sundance juries
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera, “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman are among jurors voting on prizes for entries at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ferrera, whose career took off after she starred in the 2002 Sundance hit “Real Women Have Curves,” is on the jury for the independent film festival’s key competition — U.S. dramas. The five-member jury announced Tuesday also includes Reitman and director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”).
Groening is on the five-member jury for U.S. documentaries, which also includes director Jeffrey Blitz (“Spellbound”).
Robert Redford’s Sundance festival opens Thursday for an 11-day run in the ski resort of Park City.
Online: http://www.sundance.org/festival
Jeff Bridges, Alec Baldwin to appear at SAG Awards
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Dude and “30 Rock” boss Jack Donaghy are coming to the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Producers say SAG Award nominees Jeff Bridges and Alec Baldwin will help present prizes at the 17th annual ceremony, along with LL Cool J, Josh Duhamel, Amy Poehler and “Glee” star Cory Monteith.
They will join previously announced presenters Rosario Dawson, Betty White, Eva Longoria, Angie Harmon, Hilary Swank and guild president Ken Howard.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the year’s best performances in film and television, will be presented Jan. 30 at the Shrine Exhibition Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on TNT and TBS.
‘Glee,’ ’30 Rock,’ ‘Howl’ among GLAAD nominees
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is honoring movies, musicians TV shows and other media properties that offer fair and inclusive representations of the gay community.
GLAAD announced nominees Thursday for its 22nd annual Media Awards, which will be presented during a series of ceremonies in the spring.
Film nominees include the lesbian family drama “The Kids Are All Right,” the musical “Burlesque,” high-school romp “Easy A,” crime thriller “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and the video-game-inspired “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”
TV drama series nominated for telling stories about the gay community are: ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Brothers & Sisters,” HBO’s “True Blood,” ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” and TeenNick’s “Degrassi.”
Comedy series nominees are: Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and “United States of Tara,” Fox’s “Glee,” ABC’s “Modern Family” and ABC Family’s “Greek.”
Individual episodes of “30 Rock,” ”Drop Dead Diva,” ”Bored to Death” and “Law & Order” were also nominated.
Chely Wright and Scissor Sisters are among nominees in the music category.
GLAAD also honors theater performances, comic books, blogs, talk shows, documentaries, newspaper and magazine articles and reality shows.
A complete list of nominees can be found on GLAAD’s website www.glaad.org
Fletcher Hosts Arriflex ALEXA Workshop at Studio Center
Farmington Hills, MI — Fletcher Camera & Lenses recently hosted an Arri “ALEXA for Producers” workshop for local production and post-production professionals. The workshop was held on January 6, 2011 on Grace & Wild’s B Stage on the Studio Center campus in Farmington Hills. Fletcher also hosted a hands-on training session for Local 600 members in their facility in the morning.
“ALEXA for Producers” featured Arriflex’s Guenter Noesner and a panel of representatives from Fletcher and local Detroit post facilities including Megan Donnelly of Fletcher, Keith Neff of Grace & Wild, Inc., and Tom Phillips of Kinetic Post. The non-technical overview event covered Arri’s latest digital camera, the ALEXA, and explored the various recording and workflow options. Topics for the panel included comparisons to 35mm film and the RED One cameras, recording and output options for film or broadcast, and the ALEXA’s impact on production and post production budgets. The event was attended by a crowd of approximately fifty local producers, directors of photography, video engineers, editors and colorists.
Phony Hollywood producer gets 4 years in prison
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A judge has ordered a nearly four-year prison term for a man who posed as a Hollywood producer and fleeced investors out of $3.4 million for a phony show about the Department of Homeland Security.
Joseph Medawar pleaded guilty in May 2006 to tax evasion and conspiracy for the TV show investment scam. He was sentenced to jail for a year and community service.
But the Los Angeles Times reports Medawar padded his community service hours to go to movies and the gym.
On Tuesday, a Los Angeles federal judge sentenced Joseph Medawar to 45 months in prison for violating probation.
Sting meets dolphin advocate, hopes for debateTOKYO (AP) – Sting wants to help save dolphins still being brutally slaughtered in Japan, but he believes the best way is by starting a debate, not by forcing foreign opinion.
Sting met backstage at a Tokyo concert hall Wednesday with Ric O’Barry, the star of the “The Cove,” the Academy Award-winning documentary that depicts the dolphin hunt in the town of Taiji in southwestern Japan.
The two have been friends since the Sundance Film Festival two years ago, where “The Cove” had its first major showing.
The 59-year-old British music star, in Tokyo for his “Symphonicity” tour, said he was sympathetic to the save-the-dolphins view in “The Cove,” but that the best approach was “through dialogue.”
Discovery announces new fitness and health channelNEW YORK (AP) – Discovery Communications says it’s combining the fitness programming of its FitTV channel with the real-life stories aired by the recently defunct Discovery Health.
The company announced Monday that Discovery Fit & Health cable network will launch on Feb. 1. It will be found on the channel currently occupied by FitTV, which is available in approximately 50 million homes.
The network says Discovery Fit & Health’s program slate will include forensic mysteries, medical stories, baby and pregnancy programming, and stories of extreme life conditions.
The former Discovery Health network was scrapped to make room for the new Oprah Winfrey Network, which claimed that channel when it signed on Jan. 1.
Golden Globes broadcast seen by 17 million viewersNEW YORK (AP) – The Nielsen Co. says Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony was seen by almost 17 million TV viewers. It beat all network competition in its time period, slightly exceeding last year’s audience for the film and TV awards show.
According to time zone-adjusted Nielsen “fast national” figures released Monday, it was NBC’s most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast in the 18-to-49 demographic since last year’s Golden Globes.
Carried by NBC from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, the program aired live in every time zone for the second year in a row.
British comedian-actor Ricky Gervais returned as host, irreverently lampooning many of the nominees, presenters and even the sponsoring Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
