Filed under: Media

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Oct. 15, 2010 at 4:03 p.m.
35 comments
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, TV, Video

Lee Abrams resigns from Tribune Co.

By Phil Rosenthal

Lee Abrams. (Handout)

Tribune Co. Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams, who began the work week by sending a companywide e-mail that contained content deemed inappropriate, resigned Friday.

The e-mail, the latest in a weekly series of free-form observations and exhortations Abrams sent to all Tribune Co. employees in hopes of inspiring them to reconsider print and broadcast conventions, included links to video newscast parodies. One, which contained profanity and nudity, he labeled “Sluts.” Get the full story »

Oct. 14, 2010 at 4:08 p.m.
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Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Personnel moves, TV

Jen Patterson out at Comcast SportsNet Chicago

By Phil Rosenthal

Jen Patterson, a contributor to Comcast SportsNet Chicago and its Web site, is out at the local cable sports channel.

Oct. 13, 2010 at 11:00 p.m.
43 comments
Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Work culture

Tribune executive suspended over e-mail

By Phil Rosenthal and Michael Oneal

Tribune Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams. (Tribune file photo)

By Phil Rosenthal and Michael Oneal | Tribune Co. Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams on Wednesday was placed on indefinite suspension without pay because of a company-wide memo he sent this week with links to off-color satirical videos, which spurred a rash of employee complaints.

“Lee recognizes that the video was in extremely bad taste and that it offended employees,” Randy Michaels, chief executive of the Chicago Tribune’s parent company, said in an e-mail announcing the suspension. “But, this is the kind of serious mistake that can’t be tolerated; we intend to address it promptly and forcefully.” Get the full story »

Oct. 13, 2010 at 5:33 p.m.
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Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Video

Tribune bankruptcy judge extends filing deadlines

By Michael Oneal

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey extended the filing deadlines in Tribune Co.’s bankruptcy case Wednesday to give rival creditor groups more time to propose alternative restructuring plans for the Chicago-based media company.

The move will push the first disclosure hearing on those plans into late November and guarantees that the all-important confirmation hearings in the case won’t be held until sometime next year.

Carey had earlier given Tribune Co. and its various creditor constituencies until this Friday to file any restructuring plans. But junior creditors asked that a company-sponsored plan negotiated earlier this week be filed first and that they be given two extra weeks to decide whether to file competing plans. Get the full story »

Oct. 12, 2010 at 9:04 p.m.
82 comments
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, Newspapers, TV, Updated

Tribune Co. exec apologizes for ‘offensive’ memo

By Phil Rosenthal

Days after Tribune Co.’s corporate management was characterized in a newspaper article as fostering a sexist “frat house” atmosphere, one of its top executives sent a company-wide e-mail with links to off-color satirical videos.

Among the videos was one the executive, Lee Abrams, labeled “Sluts” in which a gyrating woman appeared to pour liquor on her bare breasts.

Abrams, chief innovation officer of Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Tribune, apologized “to everyone who was offended” in another company-wide e-mail Tuesday. Get the full story »

Oct. 12, 2010 at 11:05 a.m.
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Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, TV

Tribune Co. makes progress with several creditors

By Michael Oneal

Tribune Co. and several of its most important creditor groups announced a broad new settlement Tuesday that brings the company closer to resolving its nearly two-year-old bankruptcy case.

The new pact includes a group of senior lenders who had been holding out on a compromise, the company said, as well as the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the case, which represents junior creditors.

Still absent from the settlement, however, are several key junior creditor groups including major bondholder Aurelius Capital Management, a litigious New York hedge fund known for disrupting large bankruptcy cases. Sources close to Aurelius have said the fund plans to file its own plan by the court imposed Oct. 15 deadline. Get the full story »

Oct. 8, 2010 at 1:57 p.m.
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Filed under: Entertainment, Media, Movies, Technology

3-D won’t be part of latest ‘Harry Potter’ wizardry

By Dow Jones Newswires

Warner Bros. Pictures has canceled its planned 3-D release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” saying it’s run out of time to do the job right.

Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at the studio, a unit of Time Warner Inc., told Dow Jones that it ran out of time to deliver the quality 2-D to 3-D conversion that “Harry Potter deserves.” The film was scheduled for release Nov. 19 in digital 3-D and Imax 3-D. Get the full story »

Oct. 7, 2010 at 3:20 p.m.
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Filed under: Entertainment, Media, Sports

Stan Lee, NHL develop new style superhero

By Reuters

Pow! Wap! Goal!

The National Hockey League is teaming up with Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men and other iconic comic book heroes, to create a series of superheroes representing each of the 30 league cities and incorporating hockey elements as a way to market the sport. Get the full story »

Oct. 7, 2010 at 6:09 a.m.
7 comments
Filed under: Media

Donnelley gets contract for Lego instructions

By Associated Press

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. said Thursday that it received a contract to print the building instructions that come with toymaker Lego Group’s products. Get the full story »

Oct. 6, 2010 at 10:17 a.m.
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Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Updated, Work culture

Tribune Co. CEO: ‘Ignore noise’ of NY Times story

By Phil Rosenthal

Randy Michaels, second from left, with other Tribune Co. executives at a press conference held by Sam Zell in 2007. (Jose More/Chicago Tribune)

Randy Michaels, Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.’s chief executive, on Tuesday night sent an e-mail urging employees to “ignore the noise” in anticipation of a New York Times story he expected to “apparently paint the work environment at Tribune as hostile, sexist and otherwise inappropriate.” Get the full story »

Oct. 5, 2010 at 10:20 a.m.
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Filed under: Bankruptcy, Management, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Updated

Eisner says he’d advise, not run, Tribune Co.

By Tribune staff report

Former Disney Co. chief Michael Eisner denied rumors Tuesday morning that he will become chairman of a post-bankruptcy Tribune Co.

In an interview with WGN-720 AM host Greg Jarrett, Eisner acknowledged that he had bought Tribune debt as an investment and knew some of the principals involved, but said a journalist “put 2 and 2 together and got 11″ in speculating that Eisner would move into the top job at Tribune. Get the full story »

Oct. 4, 2010 at 5:28 p.m.
1 comment
Filed under: Government, M&A, Media, TV

FCC seeks more information on NBC, Comcast deal

By Associated Press

The Federal Communications Commission is requesting more information from Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal. Regulators are reviewing the cable operator’s plan to acquire a controlling stake in the media company. Get the full story »

Oct. 4, 2010 at 2:48 p.m.
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Filed under: Media, TV

Comcast SportsNet picks up ‘The Dan Patrick Show’

By Phil Rosenthal

Comcast SportsNet Chicago said Monday it is picking up DirecTV’s newly syndicated video simulcast of Fox Sports Radio’s “The Dan Patrick Show.” Patrick’s show will run live, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. weekdays, beginning Oct. 25.

Oct. 4, 2010 at 11:45 a.m.
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Filed under: Media, Sports, TV

Bears’ loss scores big with Ch. 5

By Phil Rosenthal

Tower Ticker | Even in loss, the Bears are big winners with Chicago  views with more than half the local TVs tuned to WMAQ-Ch.5 during the game Sunday night.

Oct. 4, 2010 at 11:16 a.m.
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Filed under: Advertising/Marketing, Media, Sports, TV

Chevy, Busch lead World Series advertisers

By Reuters

Fox Broadcasting has sold about 90 percent of the commercial time for Major League Baseball’s World Series, with automakers, phone companies and financial services firms buying advertising for postseason games. Get the full story »

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