Subject: Inside Zuckerberg's meeting; Charter in charge; Trump-Kelly ratings; NYT names new public editor; theme of the TV upfronts; Viacom stops paying Sumner
From: CNN's Reliable Sources <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 02:14:44 +0000
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By Brian Stelter and the CNNMoney Media team - [email-masked] (mailto:[email-masked])

** The word at this year's TV upfronts: Stability
------------------------------------------------------------
While watching all of this week's upfront presentations by the major TV networks, Brian Lowry noticed something: All of them looked like CBS.

Lowry writes: (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/cbs-spinoffs-upfronts-network-model/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "All the networks touted the merits of stability. They added more procedurals -- programs that offer self-contained mysteries or murders, as opposed to serialized storylines. And they introduced relatively few new shows in the fall (NBC scheduled just three), recognizing the challenge of promoting multiple series in today's crowded media environment."

It is a sound strategy: Be what you are, broadcasters, don't try to be cable or Netflix. Les Moonves took a couple whacks at cable and digital at Carnegie Hall this afternoon. "Digital advertising sometimes lacks accuracy and credibility," he said, summing up the biz message of the whole week. "As a result, there is a clear shift in advertising BACK to network television..."
Live like you are dyin'
He's right. And yet, as he talked, I thought about Billy Eichner's joke at Turner's upfront earlier in the day. He said he asked to address the question, "Is television dead?"

"They told me to tell you no," he quipped. Then he went on: "I agree with them. It isn't. It has about three years to live. That’s not dead. But dying people don't like to be treated like they're dying." The trick right now is to assume you're dying and invest in many possible cures...

Keep scrolling for full coverage of the upfronts >>>
Today's big Facebook meeting
Kristen Soltis Anderson says today's meeting between Mark Zuckerberg and 16 conservative leaders was "civil but frank..." SE Cupp says Zuckerberg seemed to take it very seriously... Brent Bozell says it was "very productive." The meeting started at 5:30pm ET and lasted about 75 minutes. Other participants included Tucker Carlson, Dana Perino, Mary Katherine Ham, Jim DeMint, Barry Bennett. They were also invited to talk with Facebook product specialists about the "Trending" topics feature, and they were offered a demo of Oculus (which I encouraged Cupp to do). Here's my full story... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/facebook-conservative-leaders-meeting/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

-- Anderson emails: "Most assumed Facebook is not operating in bad faith but wanted to raise the issue of unconscious bias..."

-- Programming note: I'll be talking about the meeting on "Early Start" bright and early, 5:40am ET...
Charter in charge
No one had a better day today than Tom Rutledge. As of this morning, (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/time-warner-cable-charter/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Charter officially owns Time Warner Cable and another operator, Bright House, and Rutledge is now the CEO of an almost-Comcast-sized cable company.

In the coming months, Charter will retire the Time Warner Cable name andintroduce its own branding in markets like NYC and L.A. (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/time-warner-cable-charter/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Call me a romantic, but I think it's a bittersweet moment... TWC's roots date back to the dawn of the cable age in the late 1960s. However, I'm glad I won't have to explain the difference between Time Warner and Time Warner Cable anymore. Here's my story about today's change-over... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/time-warner-cable-charter/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

— It's also bittersweet for TWC CEO Rob Marcus, who is leaving at the end of May. He's out of a job, but a "payout of roughly $90 million" will cushion the blow, the WSJ notes... (http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-time-warner-cable-went-from-loser-to-60-billion-1463605137?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

— Big talking point by Charter today: Overseas TWC call center workers will be replaced by American workers...

-- Something I care about: Rutledge told (http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2016/05/18/charter-ceo-tom-rutledge---we-want-to-improve-service--for-twc-customers.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Pat Kiernan "we would like to invest in news channels" like NY1...
Modest #'s for Megyn Kelly special
How many people tuned in for the Megyn Kelly-Donald Trump interview? Ten million? Fifteen? Try five. Maybe the marketing missed the mark, maybe the interview was "old news," maybe Kelly went too easy on him, maybe the Fox network was simply the wrong home for it. There was lots of buzz about this in TV land today.

Brian Lowry emails: The reviews of her Trump interview were mostly negative, and the broadcast wasn't exactly a ratings blockbuster. Up against Michael Weatherly's final episode on CBS' "NCIS" (which drew more than 17 million viewers), "Megyn Kelly Presents" posted a modest 4.8 million, per Nielsen estimates. On the plus side for Fox, that was slightly better than the network usually does in the time period, and a whole lot better than the dating show that followed, "Coupled," which had 1.76 million...
Mixed reviews for Megyn
"Kelly kept the conversation personal, not political," Lowry said, (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/17/media/megyn-kelly-presents-review-donald-trump/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])  leaving many people focused on the Q's she didn't ask... Amy Davidson called it a (http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/megyn-kellys-guide-to-surrendering-to-donald-trump?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "script for how to surrender to Donald..." Hank Stueverthought it was (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/05/17/megyn-kellys-awkward-primetime-debut-was-a-little-too-focused-on-megyn-kelly/?tid=pm_pop_b&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "awkward" and too focused on Kelly instead of the guests... While Joe Concha thought other reviewers were off-base (http://www.mediaite.com/online/megyn-kelly-passes-the-network-interview-test-as-anti-trump-critics-predictably-pounce/?dg&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) and said Kelly "passed the network interview test." Kelly defended herself on tonight's "Kelly File"
(http://www.mediaite.com/tv/megyn-kelly-goes-on-a-tear-against-critics-of-her-trump-interview-all-clearly-biased/?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) and said her critics are anti-Trump and anti-Fox...

-- At least Trump approved, tweeting afterwards: "Well, that is it. Well done Megyn --- and they all lived happily ever after!"

-- Thought bubble: The next time Kelly interviews Trump, presumably for the "Kelly File," she'll be confrontational, won't she?
Wait for the book...
Erik Wemple says this is "downright scandalous:" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/05/17/megyn-kellys-bankrupt-interview-with-donald-trump/?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Kelly plugged her forthcoming book at the end of her special, announcing the title, "Settle for More," and saying, "For the first time, I'll speak openly about my year with Donald Trump."

Wemple: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/05/17/megyn-kellys-bankrupt-interview-with-donald-trump/?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "If the book comes out in a couple of months, readers can get the full story detailing the impact of Trump’s sexism on the life of one of American journalism’s biggest names. They can then use the information to assist them at the voting booth! Oh, wait: The election is Nov. 8, and the publication date is Nov. 15..."
For the record
-- MacArthur is making "nearly $25 million in completely unrestricted, five-year general operating grants to a core group of journalism grantees," including CIR, CPI, Frontline, NPR, and others... (MacArthur (https://www.macfound.org/press/press-releases/macarthur-expands-its-commitment-journalism-and-media/?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) )

-- Brian Lowryhttp://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/empire-season-finale/index.htmlfiled this -- spoiler alert! -- about (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/empire-season-finale/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) the "Empire" season finale... (CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/empire-season-finale/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) )

-- "Sutton Foster, who has spent the past five years in leading roles on Broadway (“Violet”) and TV (“Younger”), is heading Off Broadway to star in a revival of “Sweet Charity” for the New Group this fall..." (NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/theater/sutton-foster-to-star-in-new-group-revival-of-sweet-charity.html?smid=tw-nytimestheater&smtyp=cur&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) )

-- Via Lisa France: Elton John has some strong words for North Carolina lawmakers in an essay he wrote about the state's controversial "bathroom law..." (CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/entertainment/elton-john-bathroom-bill-essay/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) )

-- Lisa also sends this along: Britney Spears has put out a video game. But the question is... Can you dance to it?! (Billboard (http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7377388/britney-spears-american-dream-mobile-video-game?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) )
NYT's new public editor
Columbia Journalism Review editor/publisher Elizabeth Spayd is the next public editor of the NYT... She'll start work sometime this summer. (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/elizabeth-spayd-new-york-times-public-editor/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])  An NYT spokeswoman says the paper plans to continue dedicating space in print for the public editor column, but that online extensions will be a priority. Spayd will help shape and evolve the job once she arrives. Here's my full story... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/elizabeth-spayd-new-york-times-public-editor/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

-- Margaret Sullivan tweeted her congrats and said "Bring your body armor..."
Viacom stops paying Sumner
"Viacom's board has voted to stop paying Sumner Redstone," Dylan Byers reports (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/sumner-redstone-viacom-pay/index.html?iid=Lead&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) . The decision was first reported by Dow Jones. Redstone received $2 million last year. His title is chairman emeritus, and Joe Bel Bruno thinks (https://twitter.com/JoeBelBruno/status/733037521613918208?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "this would be Step 1 before Dauman tries to shove him entirely off the board..."

-- Will CBS's board do the same thing? The company declined to comment tonight...
Robin Wright's equal pay move
Today's most interesting Hollywood story: In a move worthy of her character Claire Underwood, actress Robin Wright says she threatened to go public unless her "House of Cards" bosses gave her equal pay to co-star Kevin Spacey. And the bosses did pay up. Lisa has the full story here... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/robin-wright-equal-pay/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])
The TV upfronts!
#CBSSoWhite?
Via Lowry, some of the news from today's CBS upfront: (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/cbs-spinoffs-upfronts-network-model/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Kevin James (a longtime staple on CBS in "The King of Queens") is back on the network with a new multi-cam comedy called "Kevin Can Wait," and Matt LeBlanc is starring in another new sitcom, "Man With a Plan."

When the CBS lineup was announced, there was immediate criticism about a relative lack of diversity. Glenn Geller, however, said "our new series are more diverse this year than last year." Lisa wrote about the comments and CBS's response here... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/cbs-lineup-diversity/index.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])
All of this week's best jokes
Frank Pallotta emails: Turner's upfront this morning began with a faux CNN-style town hall about the state of TV between TBS late night host Conan O'Brien and TNT's "Inside the NBA" analyst Charles Barkley. CNN's Anderson Cooper "moderated" the debate.

"I love standing next to Anderson because it's the only time in my life where I get to feel ethnic," O'Brien said. "I thought I was pale. Anderson, you look like a fashion conscious White Walker."

Barkley was asked when he knew he had the potential to be a TV host. "Well, they gave him a TV show," Barkley said gesturing towards O'Brien.

Cooper to Barkley: "Turner has really put its stake in the ground to reimagine television. What does that mean to you?" Barkley: "I have no earthly idea."

Frank collected all the best jokes from upfront week right here... (http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/media/upfront-jimmy-kimmel-seth-meyers-conan-obrien/index.html?iid=SF_LN&mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])

-- Some CNN news at the upfront: "The Nineties," "Soundtracks: Songs That Made History," and "The History of Comedy" are in production for 2017. Variety has details... (http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/cnn-greenlights-the-nineties-documentaries-1201777468/?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])
"The Business of Too Much TV"
Vulture's cover story, "The Business of Too Much TV," is a must-read. (http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/peak-tv-business-c-v-r.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]#comments) Joe Adalian and Maria Elena Fernandez worked on this for four months. Toward the end, they say "there are hints of a coming retrenchment — or, worse, a bubble" in TV production. Cable budgets are "tapped out," the head of a major studio tells them, and "even Netflix may not be immune: There are already some signs — at least on a micro level — that it's starting to tighten its pursestrings after a half-decade of expansion." Check this out... (http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/peak-tv-business-c-v-r.html?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]#comments)
Road to 2016
Sanders says yes to Fox debate
Like we mentioned yesterday, another #DemDebate is not going to happen because it is not in Hillary Clinton's interests. But Fox is  (http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/05/bernie-sanders-fox-news-democratic-debate-223337?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) continuing (http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/05/bernie-sanders-fox-news-democratic-debate-223337?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])  to lobby (http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/05/bernie-sanders-fox-news-democratic-debate-223337?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) for the chance to host a debate in early June before the California primary. This afternoon (http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/05/bernie-sanders-fox-news-democratic-debate-223337?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) Bernie Sanders agreed to participate -- surely knowing full well that Clinton will not agree...
Taking Trump's insults seriously
The Committee to Protect Journalists' Alexandra Ellerbeck says Trump's media attacks should be taken seriously: (https://www.cpj.org/blog/2016/05/why-trumps-insults-of-journalists-must-be-taken-se.php?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) "Around the globe, public figures and political leaders who lob insults at the media and vilify journalists may score political points, but they also create a divisive environment ripe for attacks on press freedom." Read more... (https://www.cpj.org/blog/2016/05/why-trumps-insults-of-journalists-must-be-taken-se.php?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID])
Quote of the day
"We've historically made a relatively large amount of money per reader, on a relatively small number of readers. And we need instead to make a relatively small amount of money per reader on a much larger number of readers."

-- WashPost owner Jeff Bezos, explaining his vision for the news organizations while being interviewed on stage by its editor, Marty Baron, at a conference in DC today...
Headline of the day
Colin Jones says (https://twitter.com/colinjones/status/733044021325496320?mc_cid=983e132a36&mc_eid=[UNIQID]) this sums up "the state of journalism in one headline:"

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