Daily Marauder

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Jon Stewart is paying the salaries of writers for the Daily Show and the Colbert Report through Busboy, his production company for the next two weeks in a show of solidarity and support during the writers’ strike. (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/245590/Jon_Stewart_s_Production_Co_To_Pay_Writers_for_Two_Weeks 11/5)

Syndicated Network Television Association (SNTA) issued its own statement regarding the writers’ ‘strike – “Syndicated programming will not be disrupted by the TV writers’ strike … first-run shows will continue to air as originally scheduled.” Despite that statement, Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t at work yesterday, rather she was out in support of her writing staff. A previously produced show ran yesterday, and another will run today. Tomorrow? That’s unclear.

The Hollywood writers strike may prompt television advertisers to cancel purchases or demand additional spots to compensate for declining ratings, says Standard & Poor’s. A prolonged strike is likely to damage ratings as networks substitute reruns and reality programs for popular shows. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aR3Tdc38LJOs 11/6)

Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner’s CEO-elect, says he will consider all options for restructuring the media conglomerate, and acknowledges that the company is unlikely to look the same in two years. “Everything is on the table,” he says. Bewkes is expected to take his time cutting costs. (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119427569543482535.html 11/6)

Time Warner’s management change is stirring rumors again of a possible spin-off of magazine unit Time Inc. Analysts say the chances of seeing Time Inc. sold off are far more likely now. Unit CEO Ann Moore says that if Time Inc. was put on the block, “we would be highly sought after.” (http://wwd.com/memopad/article/120067?page=2 11/6)

Time Warner CFO Wayne Pace will retire at the end of 2007, the company says, as Jeff Bewkes assumes the position of CEO. Pace, who has been Warner’s CFO for the past six years, will be replaced by John Martin, the CFO of Time Warner Cable. (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/time-warner-cfo-retire-end/story.aspx?guid=%7BF31BF7CD%2DFF57%2D4B50%2D91D9%2D59DAF25F4989%7D 11/6)

David Geffen describes the sale of DreamWorks to Viacom’s Paramount “a poor choice,” says a report in the new issue of Vanity Fair. Geffen accuses Viacom chief Sumner Redstone of “bullying.” Geffen continues: “These people are a nightmare. I’ve never seen behavior like this.” (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/vf-geffen-hits-back-at-redstone 11/5, http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/12/paramount200712 )

The plan to break up Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp into five separate companies raises a new question: What will happen to IAC’s new $100 million headquarters, designed by “starchitect” Frank Gehry? For now, all the companies will remain in the building, says IAC. (http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/as-iac-splits-who-gets-the-gehry 11/5)

Rosie O’Donnell, who abruptly left ABC’s “The View” last spring after drawing attention and ratings for her outspoken opinions, is in serious talks to return to television as host of a prime-time show on MSNBC. Execs at NBC have been courting O’Donnell for several jobs. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05cnd-msnbc.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 11/5)

Atlantic Broadband entered into a new long-term agreement with Gemstar-TV Guide. The MSO will carry TV Guide Network and TVG, deploy Gemstar-TV Guide’s i-Guide IPG, launch TV Guide’s Spot On Demand service and add TV Guide’s online Listings2Go service to its company website atlanticbb.com.

Twentieth Century Fox film and TV studios lifted its ban on using music controlled by Universal Music Group in its movies and TV shows, reports the Wall Street Journal. The ban was put in place after Universal Music sued MySpace in Nov. of 2006, accusing the site of encouraging piracy. (The lawsuit remains unsettled). The article suggests the ban was more harmful to Fox producers than to Universal Music, handcuffing their ability to choose suitable songs.

Middle Eastern investors are looking to spend billions of dollars on Hollywood brands, as the appetite for entertainment “explodes” in the Arab world. (http://www.newsweek.com/id/62258 11/5)

Thanks to 13 carriage deals with distributors including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Bright House Networks and Insight Communications, female-skewing channel Oxygen’s video-on-demand offering now counts 25 million homes. The channel’s lineup includes shows such as “The Bad Girls Club,” “Tori & Dean: Inn Love,” “Snapped” and “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.” (Multichannel News 11/5)