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UPDATED with executive comments on earnings call. Univision executives said the Hispanic media giant is seeing steady improvement during the current third quarter as it looks to recover from spring’s COVID-19 doldrums. Speaking to Wall Street analysts on the company’s second-quarter earnings call, CFO Peter Lori said…

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar shook up the top ranks at the AT&T-owned media company today, consolidating all film, TV and streaming content under Warner Bros.’ Ann Sarnoff. The sweeping restructuring includes expanded responsibilities for HBO Max’s Andy Forssell and HBO's Casey Bloys and the exit of top WarnerMedia/HBO…

EXCLUSIVE: VIX, a leading free Latino streaming service, has launched linear versions of two of its owned-and-operated channels on a range of distribution platforms. The channels being added to Roku Channel, Xumo, Redbox, Vizio and Tivo are telenovela specialist Pongalo NovelaClub and Mexican movie outlet Moovimex…

Susan Rice, the former national security advisor who is considered a strong contender to be Joe Biden’s running mate in the presidential election, has sold shares in Netflix worth $305,323. Her exercising of options was completed on Wednesday, according to an SEC filing late Thursday. Rice has been on the Netflix…

Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen still believes a merger of his company’s satellite operations with those of AT&T-owned DirecTV is “inevitable.” The timing, though, is unclear in his view. “Is it one month from now or two years from now? I don't know,” he said during a conference call with analysts and reporters to…

A federal judge has given the green light to Justice Department to terminate the 71-year-old consent decrees that have restricted major studio control over the exhibition process. The lifting of the decrees will clear the way for studios to once again take significant ownership of theater chains, now in dire straits…

Lionsgate film chief Joe Drake said the decision to skip theaters and make horror movie Antebellum a premium video-on-demand release does not mean exhibitors are fading from the scene. “I would love to see every one of our movies released theatrically,” the motion picture group chairman said during Lionsgate’s…

Coming off windfall global licensing sales of Mad Men last month, Lionsgate is now digging a little deeper into its library to bring Weeds to market later this year. "We're readying our next big property Weeds for syndication in the fall," Jon Feltheimer said Thursday after the company's latest earnings report was…

No movie theaters? No problem. Lionsgate shrugged off a 16% downturn in revenue in its fiscal first quarter to beat Wall Street estimates during the first period entirely defined by COVID-19, which has shuttered theaters, production and much else. The financial performance was driven by lower expenses, stronger home…

Condé Nast lifestyle unit Bon Appétit has hired Vox Media veteran Sonia Chopra as executive editor as it continues an overhaul. The food media brand has been in a state of upheaval following charges of racial inequality and pay inequity, particularly in its video operations. Chopra, who steered strategy and…

Paul Telegdy is exiting his post as NBC Entertainment chairman as NBCUniversal today unveiled the new centralized structure under Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. It includes a larger role for Lifestyle Networks president Frances Berwick. As expected, the reorganization is consolidating…

ViacomCBS absorbed a blow to its advertising business from COVID-19 in the second quarter, but managed to beat Wall Street analysts’ forecasts for adjusted earnings and clear the bar for total revenue. Earnings of 77 cents a share came up short of the consensus expectation of analysts for 93 cents, but on an adjusted…