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Ann Curry to Leave NBC News (New York Post / Page Six)
Ann Curry is finally leaving NBC more than two and a half years after her excruciating departure from Today. TVNewser It’s unclear of the timing, but we hear she will be walking with a substantial amount of money. The Post reports Curry had been earning upwards of $12 million per year. THR / The Live Feed The veteran broadcast journalist and anchor, who’s seen her screen time on the network dwindle since being publicly forced out of the morning flagship in 2012, is not cutting ties altogether. While she pursues reporting on other platforms and networks, including NBC News, she’s also developing a media startup backed by NBCUniversal. HuffPost Last year, sources at NBC News predicted that Curry would leave the network at the conclusion of her current contract. Capital New York In a statement, Curry said that her startup would produce both scripted and unscripted content, in addition to reports she may produce for NBC or other outlets.
Ohio-Oregon Game Dominates on Facebook, Twitter, Ratings (LostRemote)
The National College Football Playoff Championship was the overall winner Monday night on social media. The game had fans talking on both Twitter and Facebook. In a blog post, Twitter says that the game garnered 4.4 million tweets over the entire ESPN broadcast. Adweek College football’s inaugural playoff championship game on Monday night is now in the books as the highest-rated cable television program of all time, drawing a staggering 18.5 overnight rating, according to Nielsen. The Oregon-Ohio State game peaked between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. ET on ESPN, with a 20.5 metered market rating, said the New York-based research company. Capital New York The game, between the Oregon Ducks and The Ohio State University Buckeyes, averaged 33.39 million viewers, surpassing both of the college football semifinals earlier this month, which each averaged just over 28 million viewers, and last year’s BCS championship game, which averaged 25.5 million viewers. THR / The Live Feed It’s an incredibly auspicious start to ESPN’s landmark 12-year, $7.3 billion deal to air the playoffs and the championship game. And it comes after an especially good 2014 for the Worldwide Leader. The year marked its first atop all other cable channels, besting every other network in primetime viewership and adults 18-49.
Woody Allen to Write Original Amazon Series (LostRemote)
After taking a Golden Globe Sunday for Transparent, Amazon has more big news this week: Woody Allen is going to write and direct an original series. GalleyCat This will be the director’s first foray into TV and is part of Amazon’s recent push into the creation of original TV content, a move that puts the company in direct competition with Netflix. FishbowlNY The release elaborated, "Untitled Woody Allen Project, a half-hour series, has received a full season order and episodes will be written and directed by Allen.” THR Episodes will be available next year on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video service in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.
So, Charlie Hebdo Put Mohammed on The Cover Again, But Will Networks Show It? (TVNewser)
Charlie Hebdo’s newest edition comes out Wednesday and features a cover cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed holding a sign that says "Je suis Charlie," which has become a slogan of support for the satirical magazine. If you want to see the cover on TV news, you’ll have to stick with Fox News or CBS News, who have both already shown the image numerous times. Mediaite CNN, ABC News and NBC News announced that they would not be showing the new cover; both described the cover instead. THR The new Charlie Hebdo cartoon was also shown on television on the BBC, Germany’s ARD and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and printed in several newspapers, including France’s Liberation, The Guardian in Britain, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. NPR, Britain’s Daily Mail, The New York Times and the Associated Press chose not to show the cartoon, choosing instead to describe its content to their audience. At issue is whether the news value of the image outweighs its potential to offend. Variety The new edition will come out in 3 million copies across 25 countries. Charlie Hebdo was previously selling about 60,000 copies per week. CNN Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility Wednesday for last week’s deadly rampage at Charlie Hebdo — and said the attack was years in the making. AQAP commander Nasr Ibn Ali al-Ansi made the claim in a video, with pictures of the two gunmen — Said and Cherif Kouachi — in the background.
Jason Zengerle Named GQ Political Correspondent (FishbowlDC)
Jason Zengerle, former senior editor of The New Republic, has apparently found a new home with GQ as the magazine’s political correspondent. FishbowlNY Zengerle — who previously contributed to GQ — was a senior staff writer at Politico before joining TNR. Politico / Dylan Byers on Media Zengerle, who is known for his deep dive profiles into political themes like tensions within the Cheney family and Sen. Ted Cruz’s swift rise, also announced on Twitter that he will be a contributing editor for New York Magazine.
Adweek Adds Mediabistro’s News Websites to Create Blog Network (THR)
Adweek has bolstered its online presence with the addition of Mediabistro’s nine news websites — including TVNewser, AgencySpy and FishbowlNY — as part of the newly formed Adweek Blog Network, it was announced Tuesday. Adweek Purchased by Adweek‘s parent company in 2014, the sites largely will remain the same in content and structure. Most visibly, their Web addresses will now begin with Adweek.com rather than Mediabistro.com, and each blog has a consistent, updated design. In 2014, Adweek.com generated more than 121 million pageviews, up 81 percent from the previous year’s total of 67 million pageviews.
Sony Attack Likely to Be Part of State of The Union Speech (Deadline)
President Barack Obama met with congressional leaders Tuesday in Washington, D.C. and told them that cyber-security will make up a portion of his State of The Union speech set for Jan. 20. That likely means the hack attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Variety The White House on Tuesday also unveiled details of legislation designed to address problems of cybersecurity, an issue that has taken on new urgency in light of the Sony hack. The legislation, which revises a 2011 proposal sidelined in Congress, encourages private sector companies to share cyber-threat information with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.
A New Season of Community Starts March 17 on Yahoo! (GigaOM)
Cult TV comedy Community is returning in March, but not on NBC. Instead, Yahoo! is going to release the show exclusively on its Yahoo! Screen website, starting with two new episodes on March 17. THR / The Live Feed The season premiere will be followed by 11 additional episodes weekly. NBC canceled ratings-challenged Community in May, but Yahoo! Screen revived the Sony Pictures Television series one month later, bringing back creator Dan Harmon and stars Joel McHale, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, Gillian Jacobs, Allison Brie and Dani Pudi.
Audrey Cooper Named EIC of San Francisco Chronicle (FishbowlNY)
Hearst Newspapers has promoted Audrey Cooper to editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle. Cooper is the first female editor-in-chief in the Chronicle’s 150-year history. Politico / Dylan Byers on Media Cooper, who joined the Chronicle in 2006 as an assistant metro editor, has put a heavy emphasis on investigative journalism, said Jeff Johnson, the publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle.
New Harry Potter Illustrations Unveiled (GalleyCat)
Scholastic and Bloomsbury U.K. have unveiled four new images from the upcoming release of a fully illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone.
More Than 17 Million Watched Pot Segment on 60 Minutes (TVNewser)
CNBC, MSNBC and CNN all have pot-based shows, and now 60 Minutes joined the party. More than 17 million people watched as 60 Minutes featured a lengthy pot-based segment during Sunday’s episode.
Steven Komarow Appointed CQ Roll Call’s News Director, VP (FishbowlDC)
CQ Roll Call announced in a press release Tuesday morning that Steven Komarow has been named its news director and VP. Coming from Bloomberg, he most recently led its coverage of the White House, the Justice Department and Homeland Security Department.
GMA Ups Two (TVNewser)
Good Morning America has promoted two long-time ABC Newsers to senior positions. Angela Ellis has been named senior broadcast producer for the 7 a.m. hour while Christine Brouwer joins the senior team producing for both hours and leading special projects.
Local Outlets Barred From Christie Press Meeting (Politico / Dylan Byers on Media)
Gov. Chris Christie did not invite New Jersey press to an off-the-record meeting just hours ahead of his annual speech, several local reporters tweeted on Tuesday. But he did invite outlets such as ABC, NBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press, according to WNYC reporter Matt Katz.
Aereo Employees Denied Bonuses Tied to Bankruptcy Sale (WSJ)
A bankruptcy judge Tuesday denied a proposal by defunct TV-streaming service Aereo Inc. to pay its remaining employees bonuses if the company is able to strum up at least $4 million from a sale of its technology.
Adweek Blog Network
TVNewser Ann Curry to Leave NBC News
TVSpy Baltimore Sun: ‘Kill A Cop’ Story May Hurt WBFF Future Plans
Lost Remote Woody Allen to Write Original Amazon Series
SocialTimes Facebook to Warn Users About Potentially Disturbing Videos
FishbowlNY Audrey Cooper Named EIC of San Francisco Chronicle
FishbowlDC Celebrating 10 Years of FishbowlDC: Catching Up with Former FBDCers
GalleyCat New Harry Potter Illustrations Unveiled
PRNewser Lessons Learned From CES 2015: Q&A with Ed Zitron
AgencySpy Ken Erke to Lead Cramer-Krasselt Chicago Creative
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