TCA: CW Orders Second Season of ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday July 29, 2013 @ 12:45pm
 
 
 

CW has ordered a second season, 24 episodes, of Whose Line Is It Anyway?  Today’s announcement was a no-brainer — its launch this summer clocked an average of nearly 3 million viewers – CW’s most watched unscripted series premiere in six years. The second-season premiere date and timeslot were not announced. Ryan Styles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie star in, and Aisha Taylor hosts the update of the ABC improv show that ran eight seasons – based on a UK format. CW put out the announcement one day before it is scheduled to put on its dog-and-pony show at TCA Summer TV Press Tour 2013.

Cumulus planning to drop Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity

Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are shown. | AP Photos

AP Photos

By DYLAN BYERS |

7/28/13 7:59 PM EDT

In a major shakeup for the radio industry, Cumulus Media, the second-biggest broadcaster in the country, is planning to drop both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from its stations at the end of the year, an industry source told POLITICO on Sunday.

Cumulus has decided that it will not renew its contracts with either host, the source said, a move that would remove the two most highly rated conservative talk personalities from more than 40 Cumulus channels in major markets. 

The decision comes after negotiations between Cumulus and Premiere Networks, the division of Clear Channel that distributes Limbaugh and Hannity’s shows, broke down due to disagreements over the cost of the distribution rights, the source said. Cumulus is known to drive a hard bargain on costs, and Clear Channel is known to seek top dollar for big names.

As industry insiders caution, Cumulus and Clear Channel have come to the brink before during contract negotiations only to resume talks. But the source told POLITICO that Clear Channel was unlikely to reduce the cost for distribution rights to a level that would satisfy Cumulus.

(Also on POLITICO: 15 little-known Limbaugh facts)

Cumulus declined to comment for this story: “Cumulus is not in a position to comment about negotiations with talent under contract, no matter what the rumor of the day might be,” a spokesperson told POLITICO.

But in recent weeks, Cumulus has been quietly reaching out to radio talent agents and political insiders about new local and regional station hosts to fill some of the airtime that will be left vacant by Limbaugh and Hannity, industry sources said. Cumulus is also expected to move some of its existing talent — which includes Mike Huckabee, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage — into one of the slots.

(WATCH: Rush Limbaugh tells caller not to watch Fox News)

Premiere, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday night, is expected to carry Limbaugh and Hannity on stations in many of the markets where they are currently signed with Cumulus, should the negotiations not go through. A spokesperson for Limbaugh was not immediately available for comment; Hannity did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Back in May, a source close to Limbaugh told POLITICO that the host was considering ending his affiliation agreement with Cumulus because CEO Lew Dickey was blaming the company’s advertising losses on Limbaugh’s controversial remarks about Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student. On an earnings call two days later, Dickey reported a $2.4 million first-quarter decline in revenue related to talk programming, which he attributed, indirectly, to Limbaugh’s remarks about Fluke. 

Dickey is expected to hold another earnings call this week, though it is unclear if he will address the contract negotiations.

(WATCH latest edition of “On Media” – Scaborough vs. Hannity)

UPDATE (Jul. 29, 12:12 p.m.): Premiere spokesperson Rachel Nelson emails:

It’s our policy not to comment on rumor or speculation.

TCA: Les Moonves Latest Exec To Try To Explain CW To TV Critics

By LISA DE MORAES, TV Columnist | Monday July 29, 2013 @ 10:43am PDTTags: Leslie Moonves, TCA, the CW

No matter how many times execs at the CW, and at its co-owner CBS, explain to TV critics that the model for CW is different than for a traditional broadcast network, and no matter how many times they describe that CW is just one of many platforms for the network’s programming, the media continues to mull how can the lights possibly stay on at CW given its itty-bitty ratings. Itty bitty as in: Were CW a cable network, no one would think twice over — especially if one of the shows was written by Lena Dunham. Anyway, this morning it was CBS Corp CEO Leslie Moonves’ turn to take the question, appearing at TCA Summer TV Press Tour 2013 to fill in for CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, who had to bow out for personal reasons. Appearing onstage at the tour for the first time since 2005, Moonves showed he hadn’t lost his touch — first nicking the TV critic who asked the question for having prefaced it with a beauty-pageant question about CBS network’s great season.  “So, one softball, and one pitch thrown straight at my head?” Moonves snarked jovially. He then explained patiently that while CW may run in the red, the two companies that own the network, CBS and Warner Bros, also produce virtually all the shows and CW is just one play for those programs,  and the shows go on to make money for those two companies — enough to more than offset CW’s losses. “It’s still valuable,” Moonves said.

Related: TCA: Moonves Says Talks With Time Warner Cable Continue, “I Hope We Don’t Go Dark”

‘Wolverine’ Whimpers Weak $55M Domestic Weekend But Roars Big $141.1M Worldwide

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Sunday July 28, 2013 @ 7:06am PDTTags: Box Office, Hugh Jackson, Wolverine
 

SUNDAY 8:30 AM, 4TH UPDATE (worldwide #s below): More disappointment at the domestic box office even though it’s the biggest international opening for an X-Men film ever. Hugh Jackman. The Wolverine. ‘A-’ CinemaScore. No fresh competition. What better is there to say? Twentieth Century Fox seemed as if it couldn’t go wrong with this domestic weekend’s #1 tentpole. Or could it? Fox says this 6th X-Men opened with only $55M for its domestic weekend in 3,924 theaters (3,063 in 3D). That’s way less than the $85.1M which 2009?s X-Men Origin: Wolverine made in its debut. But the older pic opened the first week of summer while this installment is releasing in the crowded 2013 midsummer where in the past 5 weeks no live-action movie has opened over $45M. “We didn’t expect this, either. But there have been times before when audience fatigue from the summer sets in,” a Fox exec explained to me. Important to note that, internationally, The Wolverine as expected killed – i.e. did very very well – for $86.1M. “Global number is a huge $141.1m,” Fox said this morning. Pic on 15,152 screens was in #1 in all but one of the 101 countries releasing day and date including all major markets except Japan and China. The 3D version generated 50% of the box office total.  Film will continue to roll out in August in another 25 countries, with Japan on September 13.

Studio has breathing room because of that and claim The Wolverine‘s cost is under $120M after Australian tax credits even though pic is set in modern-day Japan. And Fox has a $32.3M partnership campaign and $11.3M above the line media advertising with 11 national partners including DirecTV, Adidas, Audi, Coors Light, Movietickets.com, Red Robin, Amazon, Kroger/Sprite, Aaron Bros., Visa. In North America, The Wolverine made $21.0M Friday and $18.4M Saturday after that strong $4M from Thursday late shows beginning at 10 PM. But Fox throughout Friday began downsizing The Wolverine weekend. ”It’s an odd one because off the late shows Thursday and probably into mid-day yesterday we thought we were headed to $65M or thereabouts – and it just kept slipping downward as the day wore on into the evening,” a Fox exec told me. Rival majors Friday night estimated an even lower $53M-$56M – and they were right: “Softer than many people thought it might be,” as a rival exec told me.

It’s a shame to see Jackman’s version of the Marvel Wolverine played out in the U.S./Canada even though international performed well. (Hugh obviously loves the role a lot.) Big question I have is whether it confused audiences to have X-Men reboots releasing alongside standalone Wolverine pics. In 2009, X-Men Origins: Wolverine did well despite being leaked online and receiving 38% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes vs 68% for this new one. The Wolverine is directed by James Mangold, scripted by credited screenwriters Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, Hutch Parker, and Jackman’s ex-partner John Palermo.

In other domestic box office news, Sony/Happy Madison’s The Grown-Ups passed the $100M mark and Universal/Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 2 marked $300M. Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 is currently the 2nd highest grossing film of the year worldwide with the studio’s 3D toon right behind it at #3. With a three day estimated gross of $24M, Fast 6 is China’s 2nd highest opening of the year for a Hollywood film behind only Iron Man 3. Pic’s current international total is $503.5M and worldwide total is now $741.1M.

Total moviegoing is around $168M, up a nice +25% from last year when The Dark Knight Rises held as #1. Here’s the Top Ten based on weekend estimates:

1. The Wolverine 3D (20th Century Fox) NEW [Runs 3,924] PG13
Friday $21.0M, Saturday $18.4M, Weekend $55.0M
International Cume $86.1M, Worldwide Total $140.1M

2. The Conjuring (New Line/Warner Bros) Week 2 [Runs 3,022] R
Friday $7.3M, Saturday $8.4M, Weekend $22.1M (-47%), Cume $83.8M
International Cume $12.1M, Worldwide Total $95.9M

3. Despicable Me 2 3D (Illumination/Universal) Week 4 [Runs 3,476] PG
Friday $4.8M, Saturday $6.4M, Weekend $16.0M, Cume $306.4M
International Cume $354.5M, Worldwide Total $660.9M

4. Turbo 3D (DreamWorks Animation/Fox) Week 2 [Runs 3,809]
Friday $4.0M, Saturday $5.3M, Weekend $13.3M (-37%), Cume $55.7M
International Cume $42.8M, Worldwide Total $98.5M

5. Grown Ups 2 (Columbia/Sony) Week 3 [Runs 3,258] PG13
Friday $3.6M, Saturday $4.5M, Weekend $11.4M, Cume $101.6M
International Cume $15.1M, Worldwide Total $116.7M

6. Red 2 (Summit/Lionsgate) Week 2 [Runs 3,016] PG13
Friday $2.7M, Saturday $3.8M, Weekend $9.1M (-44%), Cume $34.8M
International Cume $17.5M, Worldwide Total $52.5M

7. Pacific Rim 3D (Legendary/Warner Bros) Week 3 [Runs 2,602] PG13
Friday $2.2M, Saturday $3.0M, Weekend $7.5M, Cume $84.0M
International Cume $140M, Worldwide Total $224.0M

8. The Heat (Twentieth Century Fox) Week 5 [Runs 2,384] R
Friday $2.0M, Saturday $2.8M, Weekend $6.8M, Cume $141.21M
International Cume $29.1M, Worldwide Total $170.3M

9. R.I.P.D. 3D (Universal) Week 2 [Runs 2,850] PG13
Friday $1.8M, Saturday $2.3M, Weekend $5.8M (-54%), Cume $24.3M
International Cume $12.7M, Worldwide Total $37.0M

10. Fruitvale Station (Weinstein) Week 3 [Runs 1,064] R
Friday $1.4M, Saturday $1.8M, Weekend $4.8M, Cume $6.2M

For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here…

UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh Tells Listeners That “Everything’s Cool” But Won’t Say Whether Cumulus May Drop His Show

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday July 29, 2013 @ 10:40am PDTTags: Cumulus Media, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity
 
 
 

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UPDATE, 10:40 AM: “Suffice it to say, nothing is going to happen that you will notice,” Rush Limbaugh said today in response to a Politico story that says Cumulus plans to drop his syndicated show, as well as one from Sean Hannity. Limbaugh assured listeners that “you will be able to get this radio program on as many, if not more radio stations down the road than it is on now.” He says he “must use proper business restraint” in discussing his talks even though “negotiations have been taken public by one side.” One day “I am looking forward to detailing all of this for you,” he says. But however things play out, he told fans, “I want to assure you: everything’s cool.”

PREVIOUS, SUNDAY PM: Cumulus Media may beat Rush Limbaugh to the punch. A source tells Politico the broadcaster is planning not to renew its contracts with Limbaugh and conservative host Sean Hannity following negotiation breakdowns with Clear Channel’s Premiere Networks, which distributes both shows. In May Limbaugh reportedly mulled leaving Cumulus after receiving blame for advertiser decline in the wake of his controversial Sandra Fluke comments. Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey told Bloomberg TV at the time that “we have the premier talk distribution platform in the business and if you want to be on a big stage in this game, you need to be on our stations in the largest markets. They’re the biggest signals, the heritage brands and everybody knows that.”