New York and Los Angeles – The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) today announced a joint call for submissions for the second annual WGA New Media Writing Awards. Submissions will be accepted beginning September 19, 2011, through November 18, 2011. WGA New Media Writing…

Entertainment news reporter Matt Mitovich, a TV Guide veteran who is currently Executive Editor of TV News at Fancast.com, is the first major hire to join Michael Ausiello in launching a new consumer TV-focused property with media and publishing company MMC. The new consumer TV website will debut in January 2011…

EXCLUSIVE: Baby Cow, Coogan's TV production company, tells me it's re-cutting the series of internet shorts that it made for Australian beer company Fosters as a new TV series. Until now Coogan's cringingly-embarrassing TV chat show host and disc jockey Alan Partridge character has always aired on the BBC. The new…

Twitter may be amazingly popular, but it’s had major trouble turning a profit. So that’s why it has a new CEO. Co-founder Evan Williams has stepped down after 2 years running the company and will be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Dick Costolo. Costolo, 47, may be a better fit within the tech…

The WGA is now accepting submissions for the first annual Writers Guild of America New Media Writing Awards. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM PT on Tuesday, November 23rd for the 2011 award. To be eligible for entry, an original stand-alone new media program or an original episode written for a new media series…

Time Warner's chairman and CEO says he asks what TV aggregators can do for his channels rather than the other way round. "New entrants such as Google , Amazon and Apple must support or improve programming going into the marketplace," said Bewkes, speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in London this…

Burbank, California – July 27, 2010—The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Playdom Inc., one of the leading companies in the fast-growing business of online social gaming. Playdom shareholders will receive total consideration of $563.2 million, subject to certain conditions, and a performance-linked earn-out of…

Watching TV shows online has become the norm for young viewers, and most networks have embraced that. (The CW even started selling spots in full episodes of its shows streamed online this past upfront as part of “convergence packages”). But there have been two notable holdouts, Fox’s American Idol and So You Think You…

Hulu's long-rumored paid service is now a reality as the online content hub has just launched Hulu Plus. A monthly fee of $9.99 allows subscribers to get season passes to more than 40 current series, including Glee, Modern Family, House, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and The Office, as well as access to over 120…

UPDATE: In connection with the summary judgment ruling today in its litigation against Google and YouTube, Viacom Inc made the following statement: “We believe that this ruling by the lower court is fundamentally flawed and contrary to the language of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the intent of Congress, and…

NEW YORK / BURBANK, Calif., June 23, 2010 – DC Comics, publisher of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Fables, is partnering with comiXology and PlayStation®Network for two separate digital comics distribution deals launching today, Wednesday, June 23. In addition, a DC Comics App for the iPhone®, iPad® and iPod®…

Video-on-demand/online service FearNet is planning to go linear October 1. The multi-platform service, owned by Lions Gate, Sony Pictures TV and Comcast, said it will launch as a high-definition ad-supported movie channel. No carriage agreements have been announced though having No.1 cable operator Comcast as a parent…