TVBizwire

Founding Member of Legendary L.A.-Based Rock Band Dies

2013-05-21T03:07:35Z

One of the founders of a rock band that played a big role in shaping popular music in the 1960s has died. The Washington Post reports that Ray Manzarek, the keyboardist for the Doors, died today, Monday, May 20, 2013, at 74. Manzarek reportedly died at a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, of complications from bile duct cancer. Besides his accomplishments as a member of the Los Angeles-based Doors, Manzarek, born and raised in Chicago, was a producer, writer and film director. Manzarek studied economics in college but his heart was in music, and a fateful meeting with Jim Morrison on a California beach in 1965 led to the creation of the Doors. “Led by the charismatic Morrison, with his mystical wildness and commanding physical presence, and driven by the power of Mr. Manzarek on the organ, the band worked its way into the soul of the 1960s counterculture,” The Post reports. “Much of what the Doors became known for was owed to Mr. Manzarek, with his penchant for blending musical streams and currents, old and new, from blues to classical, with spoken poetry and an overlay of the psychedelic.” The group released a string of hits including “Light My Fire,” “L.A. Woman” and “Break On Through.” Besides Morrison and Manzarek, the band consisted of guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The report notes: “Morrison’s death in 1971 broke the spell. Mr. Manzarek, a considerable talent in his own right, struck out for himself. He continued to make music, alone or in bands, through this year, and he exerted great influence on other keyboard artists.” The band was known for not having a bass player, which was made possible by Manzarek playing bass parts on keyboard. “He also mastered the combo organ,” the story notes. “He played guitar and percussion instruments as well as the keyboards, and he sometimes sang. He was heard in a half-dozen subgenres of rock, including acid rock, blues rock, hard rock and jazz rock. When the punk movement began to flourish in Los Angeles, Mr. Manzarek worked in production with the band known as X on the punk landmark album ‘Los Angeles.’” Here’s a clip of Manzarek performing “Light My Fire” with fellow Doors alum Robby Krieger in Providence, R.I., in November 2011:

For the First Time, a Woman Is Running the FCC -- at Least for Now

2013-05-20T19:24:44Z

For the first time ever, the Federal Communications Commission is being headed by a woman. Deadline.com reports that the agency on Saturday named Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as Acting Chair, taking over the position vacated by Julius Genachowski.The appointment is designed to fill the post until President Obama’s choice for the permanent job, Tom Wheeler, can be confirmed by the Senate.Clyburn talked about the appointment today, telling staffers: “I see myself as a member of a relay team, running one of the middle legs. My job is to build on forward momentum, give the next teammate a running start, an improved position, and no matter what, my goal is not to drop the baton.”Deadline adds: “It could take months before she can pass that baton to Wheeler. The Senate likely will confirm him in tandem with a Republican to replace former Commissioner Robert McDowell, who left the FCC on Friday. Presidents typically appoint someone recommended by the opposition leadership when there’s an FCC opening for the out party. But the Senate GOP has yet to make its pick.”Among those being considered, according to the piece, are Duke University’s Michelle Connolly, a former FCC chief economist; former Scripps Networks Chief Legal Officer A.B. Cruz; and Hill staff veterans Ray Baum and Neil Fried.The report notes: “Last week the U.S. Office of Government Ethics disclosed that Wheeler -- a former lobbyist who’s now an investor with Core Capital Partners -- said that if confirmed he would divest holdings in 78 companies including AMC Networks, Apple, Cablevision, CBS, Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, Gannett, Google, Liberty Media, News Corp., Scripps Networks, Time Warner, Time Warner Cable and Disney.”Mignon Clyburn

Unscripted Boldly Goes Into ... Scripted: NBC Adds 'Siberia' to the Lineup

2013-05-20T19:21:59Z

In a bold step forward for unscripted programming, it has found its way into ... scripted programming. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that NBC has announced plans for “Siberia,” a scripted drama about contestants in a reality show.The network plans to launch the summer series July 1 at 10 p.m.Said Jeff Bader, president of program planning, strategy and research for NBC Entertainment: “The concept of survival, when mysterious elements are at play, makes for a compelling show. We believe a scripted series that offers an insightful behind-the-scenes view of how a reality concept comes together -- especially when things don’t go according to plan -- will connect with our audience in a very satisfying way.”THR adds: “’Siberia’ takes place more than 100 years after a meteor hits the remote Siberian territory of Tunguska in 1908. Sixteen contestants descend on Tunguska not knowing the land's mysterious past. When a contestant is badly injured and no help arrives, the contestants realize that strange occurrences are not part of the reality show. With their safety threatened, contestants [are] forced to work together to survive.”The program comes from Infinity Films with Sierra/Engine Television and Welldone Productions. Matthew Arnold is the show creator, and Michael Ohove, Slava Jakovleff and Chris Philip are executive producers.The report notes: “’Siberia’ marks the latest scripted push for summer as the Big Four broadcast networks look to keep the lights on following last year's disappointing unscripted slate. NBC has ‘Camp’ and drama ‘Crossing Lines,’ while CBS is going big with ‘Under the Dome’ and the second run of ‘Unforgettable.’”

New 'Star Wars' Series Coming to TV

2013-05-20T19:17:49Z

A new “Star Wars” series is coming to television. Disney announced plans today for the new show, set to arrive in fall 2014 -- before the scheduled 2015 date for the next “Star Wars” movie, Reuters reports.The new series, “Star Wars Rebels,” is animated and “will be set in the two decades between the events of the third and fourth films, where the Empire becomes a dominant force in the galaxy, Disney said,” Reuters reports.In a statement, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said: "I think 'Star Wars Rebels' will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about 'Star Wars.'"The series is set to premiere on the Disney Channel, with additional airings on Disney XD channels around the world, the report notes.The piece adds: "’Star Wars: Episode VII,’ to be directed by J.J. Abrams, is the first of three new ‘Star Wars’ films announced by Disney in October 2012, when it purchased George Lucas' Lucasfilm company for $4.05 billion.”

ABC Finds a Winning Formula in Sunday Ratings; Finales Fizzle on Fox, NBC

2013-05-20T19:11:55Z

ABC dominated the broadcast ratings Sunday night, based on Nielsen overnights for the key 18-49 demo. Its formula for success was a simple one: “The 2013 Billboard Music Awards.”TVbytheNumbers.com reports that the three-hour awards program surged 33% from last year’s telecast, delivering a 3.6 average rating in viewers 18-49. The network opened prime time with the season finale of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which rose 29% from a week ago to a 1.8.Fox, meanwhile, had lackluster results for its season finale of “Family Guy” -- a 2.5 average rating in 18-49, down 4% from last year’s finale (but up 8% from last week) -- and its season finale of “The Simpsons” -- flat with last year with a 2.1. The series finale of “The Cleveland Show” managed a 1.1, ticking up one-tenth from a week ago.Additional episodes of the Fox series -- all of them leading in to the finales -- had mixed results: “Cleveland” pulled a 0.9 in adults 18-49, even with last week; “The Simpsons” was down 10% to a 1.8; and “Family Guy” rose 8% to a 2.6. Fox came in second behind ABC for the night.CBS failed to get much mileage out of its two-hour special “ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night,” which settled for a 1.2 average rating in the 18-49 demo as CBS finished a distant third in prime time. Back-to-back episodes of “60 Minutes” produced a 1.4 and a 1.3.NBC’s two-hour season finale of “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice” managed a 1.5 average rating in 18-49, losing a hefty 32% from last year’s season finale but 15% better than last week’s season low for the series. NBC opened prime time with a two-hour repeat of “The Voice,” which mustered only a 0.7 average.For prime time overall, ABC was comfortably ahead in the 18-49 demo with a 3.1 average, topping Fox (1.8 average), CBS (1.3) and NBC (1.1). ABC also took the win in total viewers with 8.9 million to CBS’s 7.8 million, NBC’s 3.9 million and Fox’s 3.9 million.

'Hardest-Working Man in Television' Is Finally Ready for Prime Time

2013-05-20T18:52:35Z

A familiar TV host who has been called "the hardest-working man in television" will soon extend his talents to prime time. Elizabeth Jensen reports in The New York Times that Charlie Rose is getting a new PBS show.Rose, who already hosts a late-night PBS interview show and co-hosts on "CBS This Morning," will also host a half-hour program called "Charlie Rose Weekend" that will air on Friday nights, the story reports.The show will cull the best from Rose’s late-night show, which has aired on PBS for two decades, and will also feature original interviews. The network will start airing it in July at 8:30 p.m. Fridays, replacing the newsmagazine "Need to Know."Jensen adds, "Where Mr. Rose, who is 71, will find the time to put together yet another program is unclear. Through PBS, which plans to announce the program [today], he said the new project is 'distinctly different in nature' from the late-night show, and will make 'full use of technology and social media.'"

One New Trend for Next Season: The 'Limited Series'

2013-05-20T18:47:13Z

One new trend for next season is the "limited series," or shows that are planned with fewer than the traditional 22 episodes, reports B&C.All four of the top broadcasters ordered limited series for the 2013-14 television season, such as ABC's "Betrayal" and NBC's 10-episode order of "Dracula.""Of course, limited series -- also known as miniseries -- are nothing new, but until now they've mostly been confined to cable," the story says. "Years ago, miniseries were common. They included such popular event programming as 'Roots'; 'Shogun,' which Fox is in the process of remaking; and 'The Thorn Birds.” In recent years, however, they had become far too expensive for broadcast networks because they don't repeat and there were only limited ways to make money on the completed production."The story adds, "The arrival of well-financed subscription video on demand (SVOD) services has changed all of that."

Well-Known Comedian Files for Bankruptcy, Saying He Owes $8.3 Million to the IRS

2013-05-20T15:40:35Z

A popular comedian and actor has filed for bankruptcy, claiming he owes almost $11 million in debt, including $8.3 million to the IRS, reports TMZ.com.It's the second bankruptcy filing for Sinbad since 2009, although the first case was dismissed because he didn't file the right documents, the story says.Sinbad said he owes the IRS for taxes from 1998-2006, and also said he owes both state and federal taxes from 2009-2012. The actor starred on several TV projects, including "The Sinbad Show" on Fox from 1993-1994, and appeared in films and specials ranging from stand-up comedy specials to films such as "Jingle All the Way."The 56-year-old comedian claims he owes about $375,000 to American Express, and $2.3 million to the California Franchise Tax Board. He also claimed he earns $16,000 per month and can't afford to pay his bills.Sinbad

Today's Must-Read: TVWeek's Media Buyer of the Year

2013-05-20T15:30:16Z

Today we honor our TVWeek Media Buyer of the Year. This is the 12th year we've given out this prestigious award.This year's honoree is a 26-year veteran of the media business. And he'll be involved in placing about $4 billion worth of TV advertising this year.Guess who it is and click here to find out if you're right, and to read our engaging, insightful interview with him.

NBC News Names New President

2013-05-20T15:22:27Z

NBCUniversal News Group announced today the appointment of a new president of NBC News. In an announcement by Group Chairman Pat Fili-Krushel, the company revealed that Deborah Turness will get the job.Turness is the former editor of ITV News, the most-watched commercial network news service in the U.K., the company noted.“Turness joins CNBC President Mark Hoffman and MSNBC President Phil Griffin as part of the NBCUniversal News Group leadership team reporting to Fili-Krushel. She will be based at the NBC News headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and begin her new role on August 5,” the company announced.Said Fili-Krushel: “Deborah has built an outstanding reputation as both a journalist and business executive with a proven track record for innovation and collaboration. She is a leader with a global perspective, who is also very familiar with NBC News, having worked closely with us through our partnership with ITN. Her passion for the news business, combined with her creativity and vision, will be a tremendous asset to NBC News, and I’m very pleased to welcome her to the team.”One of Turness’ first challenges will be facing a downtrend in ad sales for the network news division, as we reported separately today.Please click here to read additional details about Turness’ background in the full press release from NBCUniversal News Group.Deborah Turness

*****PLEASE NOTE--THIS ITEM IS A PAID TEXT ADVERTISEMENT* American Legion Announces 2013 Recipients of Top Journalism Award

2013-05-20T15:20:23Z

***PLEASE NOTE--THIS ITEM IS A PAID TEXT ADVERTISEMENT***INDIANAPOLIS (May 10, 2013) – A Hawaii television station, America’s newspaper and a war correspondent’s video on the website of the nation’s “newspaper of record,” will receive The American Legion’s Fourth Estate Award during the organization’s 95th National Convention in Houston, Texas, on August 29The Fourth Estate Award has been presented annually by The American Legion since 1958 for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism. Nominations were considered in three categories: print, broadcast, and new media (Internet).Taking top honor in the print category for a second time was USA TODAY. A fourteen-month investigation of more than 460 forgotten lead factory sites, including tests of more than 1,000 samples of soil in 21 neighborhoods by reporters Alison Young and Peter Eisler, found significant lead poisoning risks. Failures by the EPA and state regulators had left thousands of families across the country in harm’s way for more than a decade. The series, Ghost Factories, drew calls for action from seven U.S. senators and has led the EPA to re-examine health risks at all 464 sites nationwide. More than a dozen states have launched their own investigations and several sites have already been targeted for cleanup.Hawaii’s KITV-TV brought closure to a long and dark phase of history with the production of a one hour documentary on the life of Marianne Cope, just canonized by the Vatican for her work on the Kalaupapa peninsula in the mid-1800s. Of the more than 8,000 people torn from families and left to die in the leprosy settlement of Kalawao and Kalaupapa, only 18 remain today. With the disease no longer a threat, these elderly and frail patients traveled to Rome for the canonization. For them, her sainthood validated that their suffering and sacrifice have not been in vain. KITV’s Pamela Young, Rex Von Arnswaldt and Gary Sprinkle poignantly closed out a dark phase of history with a story of hope, faith and courage.In the Internet (new media) category, freelance war correspondent Alex Quade won her second consecutive Fourth Estate Award for her video report, “Chinook Down,” for the New York Times website. Her short documentary revealed the full story and human toll behind a WikiLeaks headline of a Chinook helicopter shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Afghanistan, killing all onboard. Quade was supposed to be on that helicopter. She survived to report firsthand on the firefight and recovery. For five years, she gathered material on the attack, interviewing pilots who provided air support to rescue teams on the ground, obtaining previously unreleased Pentagon documents via Freedom of Information Act appeals, and video. The result of Alex Quade’s investigation was a 10-minute video for the New York Times that brought closure to the families; as one soldier who had long suffered from PTSD told her, “You helped me come home from the war.”“These outstanding journalists have gone above and beyond the works of their peers; Each of them has exhibited the highest commitment to excellence in the research, writing and production of masterful reports that have truly made a difference for the better in our world,” said James E. Koutz, national commander of the 2.4 million member American Legion.“These journalists are among the best of the best,” he said. “I will be honored to present each of them with our highest recognition of journalistic accomplishment, The American Legion Fourth Estate Award.”Previous winners of the award include Dateline NBC, C-SPAN, United Press International, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Indianapolis Star, the Detroit News, Fortune Magazine, ABC News, and Life Magazine, among others.The nation’s largest wartime veterans organization, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and patriotic youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through nearly 14,000 posts across the nation.

Why Viewers Might Not See as Many Bare-Chested Women on 'Game of Thrones'

2013-05-20T15:19:41Z

HBO's "Game of Thrones" is known for its nudity, although that might be changing, according to a report in the U.K.'s Telegraph.A star of the series, Oona Chaplin, says one of the actresses has refused to appear in any more topless shots. While Chaplin, who plays the noblewoman Talisa Maegyr, refused to name the actress, the newspaper notes that there's been a lot of comment about Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen. Clarke hasn't appeared in topless scenes recently, the story adds."One of the girls in the show who got her kit off the most in the first couple of seasons now doesn’t at all because she said, 'I want to be known for my acting, not for my breasts,’ ” Chaplin said.Chaplin said she has no problem herself in being naked on screen."The objectification lies in the eye of the beholder, just like beauty. I’m really comfortable getting my kit off, so, if they want to, I’m like, 'yeah, bring it, I’m naked, no problem,’ ” she said.Oona Chaplin

Former 'Good Morning America' Executive Producer Says She Had a Double Mastectomy

2013-05-20T15:11:27Z

A former "Good Morning America" executive producer has revealed that she, like Angelina Jolie, has undergone a double mastectomy after learning she carried the BRCA gene. TVNewser reports that Shelley Ross made the revelation.Ross said that Jolie's Op Ed piece in The New York Times convinced her to go public on her blog about her own experience."I thought what she did was so smart. It’s an opportunity to expand the dialogue. Like her, I was able to write down all the details. Nobody can interpret this as if I’m dying," Ross said. (To read her blog post, click here.)Ross had only told a small group of friends, concerned that if the news spread, it would have included "false, libelous, damaging, actionable reports, regardless of what I tried to correct," she said.“If it [the mastectomy] got out to what is certainly a small handful of detractors, I would have read about some anonymous person ‘hearing a death rattle.’ I’m not dying and I’m not dead," she told the publication.Ross is juggling several projects at the moment, including Nik Wallenda's live Discovery special on June 23, which will show the tightrope artist traversing the Grand Canyon. Another project is a film project about Johnny Carson, which is based on a memoir by his attorney, Henry Bushkin, the story notes.

Broadcast Nets Up the Ante From Last Year at Upfronts, Order More Series -- Which Studios Sold the Most?

2013-05-20T15:00:17Z

The broadcast networks spent heavily on scripted series during this year’s upfronts. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports that the nets ordered 45 scripted pilots to series, almost 10 more than a year ago.“Factor into that the off-cycle straight-to-series orders and event series set for 2014 and that number grows to a whopping 52,” the story reports.Leading the way was Warner Bros. TV with 12 orders, up from nine last year, followed by 20th Television with 11, orders, way up from five last year.Here are the shows sold, by studio:Warner Bros. Television (12 series sold): “Surviving Jack” (Fox), “Almost Humanæ (Fox), “Believe” (NBC), “Hostages” (CBS), “Mom” (CBS), “Undateable” (NBC), “The 100” (CW), “Super Fun Night” (ABC), “The Originals” (CW) (co-production with CBS Television Studios), “The Tomorrow People” (CW), “Reign” (CW) (co-production with CBS Television Studios), “Star-Crossed” (CW) (co-production with CBS Television Studios).20th Television (11 series sold): “Enlisted” (Fox), “Dads” (Fox), “Gang Related” (Fox), “Sleepy Hollow” (Fox), “Crisis” (NBC), “Crazy Ones” (CBS), “Back in the Game” (ABC), “Mind Games” (ABC), “Friends With Better Lives” (CBS), “24: Live Another Day” (limited series) (Fox), “Murder Police” (animated series) (Fox).ABC Studios (nine series sold): “Intelligence” (CBS) (co-production with CBS Television Studios), “Trophy Wife” (ABC), “Mixology” (ABC), “Killer Women” (ABC), “Resurrection” (ABC), “Lucky 7” (ABC), “Betrayal” (ABC), “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” (ABC), “Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC) (with Marvel TV).CBS Television Studios: (nine series sold): “Intelligence” (CBS) (co-production with ABC Studios), “We Are Men (CBS), “The Millers” (CBS), “Reckless” (CBS), “The Tomorrow People” (CW) (co-production with Warner Bros. TV), “Star-Crossed” (CW) (co-production with Warner Bros. TV), “Reign” (CW) (co-production with Warner Bros. TV), “The 100 (CW) (co-production with Warner Bros. TV), “Under the Dome (summer series) (CBS).Universal Television: (eight series sold): “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox), “About a Boy” (NBC), “Sean Saves the World” (NBC), “The Family Guide” (NBC), “Chicago PD” (NBC), “Ironside” (NBC), “Dracula” (NBC), “Crossbones” (NBC).Sony Pictures Television (seven series sold): “Us & Them” (Fox), “Rake” (Fox), “The Goldbergs” (ABC), “The Michael J. Fox Show” (NBC), “Welcome to the Family” (NBC), “The Blacklist” (NBC), “The Night Shift” (NBC).

Former 'Ugly Betty' Star Headed Back to ABC?

2013-05-20T14:48:17Z

Former "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrara may be poised to return to ABC in a modern-day twist on "Romeo and Juliet," reports EW.com's Inside TV.The project is called "Pedro & Maria" and is in development as a potential limited series at the network. It was originally developed at MTV three years ago, and is from executive producer Ben Silverman of "The Office," through his Electus studio.The project is based on a Spanish-language telenovela.America Ferrara