• CBS combined its news division and TV stations group and named Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon as presidents and co-heads of the new department. CBS News President Susan Zirinsky will remain in her role until early May, when Khemlani, a former Hearst newspaper and cable executive, and McMahon, a former ABC Owned Television Stations president, take over. (Los Angeles Times)
• The Video Advertising Bureau has asked Nielsen to participate in an independent, third party audit from Ernst and Young Global Limited to determine if the ratings giant has been undercounting audiences during the pandemic as a result of not sending field agents to take home measurements, according to a letter from VAB Chief Executive and President Sean Cunningham, who asked Nielsen to respond by April 19. In a statement, Nielsen said it is considering next steps but that it is “committed to providing reliable and accurate data to the media industry.” (The Wrap)
• Amazon.com Inc. spent $11 billion last year on licensing and production costs for TV series, movies and music for Amazon Prime, as well as costs associated with digital subscriptions and content sold or rented by Amazon, a 41 percent year-over-year increase, per the company’s annual report. (Variety)

WMC Investigation 2021: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations
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Why COVID-19 Safety Protocols Are Here to Stay – For Now – on Hollywood Sets

Jeremy Fuster, The Wrap Pro 

While COVID-19 vaccines are becoming widely available and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has set a goal to end most COVID-19 business regulations by mid-June, Hollywood’s guilds and studios aren’t expected to start phasing out industry safety protocols.

Fyre Fest Attendees to Receive $7,200 Each After Class Action Settlement

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone 

Almost four years after the organizers of the disastrous Fyre Festival were hit with class action lawsuits, a settlement has been reached between organizers and 277 attendees of the instantly infamous fest.

Disneyland tickets are on sale, and people are already waiting hours in virtual lines to get back in

Christopher Zara, Fast Company 

Tickets for Disneyland theme parks in California went on sale today, and fans are clearly eager to revisit the magic after more than a year. Some may have to wait a little longer than expected, however.

Asian Americans in Media: “You Can’t Extricate the Humanity of Yourself From the Journalist”

Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter 

Elaine Quijano was on call for CBSN the night of March 16 when word of the shootings in Atlanta broke. Coincidentally, she was in the middle of a pre-interview for an update to the streaming news network’s Asian Americans: Battling Bias, a 30-minute special that first aired last October and was expanded to an hourlong version March 31.

AMC Theaters CEO Says Stock Is ‘Under Attack’ From Short Sellers

Rob Golum and Kelly Gilblom, Bloomberg 

The chief executive officer of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. said the movie-theater chain is once again “under attack” from short sellers after skirting bankruptcy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘Save the Cinerama Dome’ Petition Draws Nearly 10,000 Signatures in 3 Days

Jeremy Fuster, The Wrap 

The impact of the Cinerama Dome on Hollywood film culture can be seen in a new Change.org petition asking studios to bring the 1960s cinema back to life after its closure — along with the entirety of ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theaters — was announced on Monday. Launched three days ago, the petition is approaching 10,000 signatures as of Thursday morning.

Neither #OscarsSoWhite Nor #OscarsSoMale — What A Difference A Pandemic Makes

Bob Mondello, NPR News

This past year of masks, lockdowns, and capacity restrictions has been the most catastrophic 12 months in the history of movie theaters. It has also been a banner year for diversity at the Oscars.

Nomadland Is Stirring Up Controversy. Does the Academy Care?

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair

This week the Los Angeles Times ran a thorough article by Josh Rottenberg detailing a particular controversy faced by Oscar best-picture front-runner “Nomadland:” the film’s complicated relationship with Amazon.

Cinema advertising post-pandemic: what does the future hold for the silver screen?

Chris Sutcliffe, The Drum

Cinema’s appeal is so much broader than the film being projected on to the screen. The communal experience of shared viewing – regardless of the quality of the movie – is something that’s hard to replicate, for studios and brands alike.

Steven Spielberg Leads $2 Million in Funding to Support Films Telling Diverse Jewish Stories

Brian Welk, The Wrap 

A new L.A.-based film foundation called Jewish Story Partners launched Thursday with the goal of expanding the range of stories reflecting Jewish lives, with Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw backing the organization.

The CW Will Sit Out May’s Upfronts Week, Skipping an Event for the Second Year

Jason Lynch, Adweek

Just moments after the first traditional presenter during May’s upfront week, NBCUniversal, said that it would be returning to its regular slot this year, the usual concluding presenter, The CW, said it will be sitting out the annual event for marketers.

Oscars May Have Trouble Overcoming TV’s Awards Show Ratings Problems

Michael Schneider, Variety 

Live events like awards shows were supposed to be what saves broadcast TV. But even while they’re stuck at home in the middle of a pandemic, viewers have lost interest in kudocasts — and the ratings declines this year don’t bode well for the future of the form.

Michael Corn is out as senior executive producer of ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’

Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times

Michael Corn, the longtime senior executive producer of ABC’s top rated “Good Morning America,” has abruptly departed the network.

‘NCIS’, ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘Bull’ ‘Magnum P.I.’ & ‘S.W.A.T.’ Renewed By CBS, Mark Harmon Expected To Return

Nellie Andreeva, Deadline Hollywood 

CBS has renewed its flagship drama series, “NCIS,” for a nineteenth season. The series’ leading man and executive producer, Mark Harmon, is expected to be back after lengthy negotiations, which has been the case every year for the past few years.

Don Lemon Refutes Brooke Baldwin’s Claim of Gender Disparity at CNN

Lindsey Ellefson, The Wrap 

Don Lemon refuted former colleague Brooke Baldwin’s assertion that CNN is male-dominated, saying the network has “plenty of women in positions of power” and maybe the issue for Baldwin was that she didn’t take enough initiative with CNN president Jeff Zucker.

The BBC covered Prince Philip’s death for hours. Cue the complaints.

Eshe Nelson, The New York Times

Shortly after Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, died last Friday, the BBC cut away from its schedule to broadcast special coverage across its TV channels and radio stations for the entire afternoon and night.

Streaming’s Side Hustle: 40% of Subscription Passwords Are Resold

Sean Burch, The Wrap Pro 

Americans are spending more than ever on streaming services, and many of them have found a way to subsidize their binge habit — by reselling their login information.

‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ soars to become the biggest Disney+ debut yet

Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly 

The hype around “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” was — and still is — very real. Nielsen released new metrics for the Disney+ show this week and the series, starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, now stands as the streaming platform’s biggest debut since the service launched in 2019.

WGA West Reaches $3.4 Million Residuals Settlement With CBS Over Reuse Of Its Shows For Streaming Service

David Robb, Deadline Hollywood 

The WGA West and CBS have reached a $3.4 million settlement of a residuals dispute arising from the reuse of 62 of the network’s shows on its now-rebranded CBS All Access subscription streaming service.

Netflix To Open Bogota Office, Reveals $175M Local Spend Since 2014

Andreas Wiseman, Deadline Hollywood 

Netflix is to open an office in Bogota, Colombia, this year, the streamer has announced.

How the Pandemic Accelerated a Transformation Across Connected TV

Mollie Cahillane, Adweek 

While linear TV got pummeled by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, connected TV and direct-to-consumer players have been thriving over the past year.

Discovery Plus Ad-Free Tier Now Available Amazon Prime Video Channels

Todd Spangler, Variety 

Discovery Plus, the cable programmer’s fledgling nonfiction streaming service, is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels in the U.S. — although for now, Prime members are able to sign up only for the higher-priced version with no ads.

Pearpop raises from The Chainsmokers, Alexis Ohanian, Amy Schumer, Kevin Hart, Mark Cuban, Marshmello, and Snoop Dogg

Jonathan Shieber, TechCrunch 

Pearpop, the marketplace for social collaborations between the teeming hordes of musicians, craftspeople, chefs, clowns, diarists, dancers, artists, actors, acrobats, aspiring celebrities and actual celebrities, has raised $16 million in funding that includes what seems like half of Hollywood, along with Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six venture firm and Bessemer Venture Partners.

Game Studio Layoffs Mean A Hellish Race Against The Clock For Immigrant Developers

Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge 

The layoffs happened suddenly. One day, Jose Abalos was employed, working on Disney Infinity 4. 

Cable Companies Emerge as Force in Cellphone Business

Lillian Rizzo and Drew FitzGerald, The Wall Street Journal 

The fastest-growing mobile-phone carriers in the U.S. aren’t phone companies. More than five million Americans now pay for mobile-phone service through their cable-TV providers, enticed by low prices and the ability to easily adjust their phone plans, a flexibility that proved particularly useful during the pandemic.

Warner Music, Spotify Partner Up for Original Podcasts

Tatiana Cirisano, Billboard 

Warner Music Group (WMG) and Spotify have struck a deal to develop original podcasts centered around the record company’s artists, songwriters and music catalog, the new partners announced today (April 15).