Sans persona, new kind of Colbert steps up to CBS 'Late Show'
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A new kind of Stephen Colbert will be coming to late-night network television as he succeeds CBS's "Late Show" host David Letterman next year, capping the generational shift in late-night TV's landscape across U.S. networks eager to attract younger viewers and online followings. Colbert, 49, who made his mark satirizing political conservatives on his Comedy Central weeknight cable show "The Colbert Report," said on Thursday he would drop his known persona of a dim-witted, big-egoed conservative pundit.
Canada's CBC cuts 650 jobs, retreats from sports to trim costs
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's public broadcaster will no longer bid for professional sporting rights and will slash more than 650 jobs in the next two years as it tightens its belt following a slump in ad sales and previous cuts to its funding from the federal government. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said Thursday it would cut C$130 million ($119 million) from its budget immediately and halt planned regional expansion, but still look for ways to cover events of national importance such as the Olympics, to which it remains committed.
Murdoch editor 'a man I would trust', ex-archbishop tells UK hacking trial
LONDON (Reuters) - A former Archbishop of Canterbury took to the witness stand in Britain's phone-hacking trial on Thursday to tell a jury the ex-managing editor of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid was "a man I would trust". George Carey, the head of the Anglican church for 11 years until 2002, appeared as a character witness at London's Old Bailey court and said Stuart Kuttner was a man of integrity.
Rupert Murdoch can see all-digital N.Y. Post in 10 years: report
(Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch can envision his tabloid newspaper the New York Post as an all-digital publication in 10 years, he said during an interview with Fortune magazine published on Thursday. Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp and 21st Century Fox, acknowledged that the paper lost $40 million in 2012, hit by declines in advertising revenue.
Telecom Italia inks content deal with 21st Century Fox unit
MILAN (Reuters) - Telecom Italia has signed a deal with Sky Italia to sell pay-TV content for the unit of Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox to its clients from 2015, the companies said on Thursday. The deal could make Telecom Italia's broadband offerings more attractive at a time when the phone group is carrying out costly network upgrades to boost Internet speeds and help it win customers in a recovering domestic market.
U.S. lawmakers press Comcast on Time Warner Cable merger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc executives sought to reassure lawmakers on Wednesday that their planned merger would not send cable TV prices skyrocketing but found a fair amount of congressional skepticism. The Senate Judiciary Committee held the first public hearing on the proposed $45.2 billion merger between the two largest U.S. cable companies, a deal that has raised eyebrows among public interest groups and some lawmakers. Comcast promises that it will benefit consumers without eliminating any choices.
ABC News names James Goldston president
(Reuters) - ABC News on Thursday appointed James Goldston as president, succeeding Ben Sherwood, who was named co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group. Goldston is currently the senior vice president responsible for content and development at ABC News and has worked closely with Sherwood over the past three years.
Kristin Dolan promoted to Cablevision chief operating officer
(Reuters) - Kristin Dolan, a Cablevision executive who is also married to Chief Executive Officer James Dolan, will become chief operating officer, the cable TV provider said on Wednesday. The company added that James Dolan will hand his title as president to veteran company executive Brian Sweeney, while Dolan will remain CEO.
Dish, Hearst TV reach agreement to restore programming
(Reuters) - Hearst TV said on Wednesday it signed an agreement with Dish Network Corp ending a blackout that affected Dish subscribers who could not see programs from ABC, NBC and CBS broadcast affiliate stations in 25 markets. "We appreciate the support and patience of our viewers, advertisers and local communities served by our stations," Hearst said in a statement.
TI Media and L'Espresso sign broadcasting tie-up deal
MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Telecom Italia Media and L'Espresso said on Wednesday they had signed a deal to merge their digital broadcasting activities, creating a company with solid cash flow and annual revenues of 100 million euros. Under the terms of the agreement, TI Media, a unit of phone company Telecom Italia, will owns 70 percent of the new entity and L'Espresso the remaining 30 percent, they said in a joint statement.
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