| | | | | Exec summary: Condé Nast is reportedly looking to sell three of its titles... CNN is sharing its plan for the final season of "Parts Unknown..." Spotify is taking action against Alex Jones... | | CBS board hires two law firms | | The CBS board of directors met again on Wednesday... And agreed to hire two law firms, Covington & Burling and Debevoise & Plimpton, "to conduct a full investigation of the allegations in recent press reports about Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves, CBS News and cultural issues at all levels of CBS."
Translation: This is going to take a while.
The board said a special committee will "help facilitate the investigation," and "Moonves will have no role in the investigation."
Moonves remains CEO, but note this language in the press release: "The Board took no further action at this meeting pending discussion with counsel as to appropriate next steps. The Board noted that it takes these allegations seriously and is committed to acting in the best interest of the Company and all of its shareholders, and is confident that the employees of CBS will continue to perform at a high level as this process unfolds."
| | Before the board announcement, Fox's Charlie Gasparino wrote: "CBS executives and employees remain on edge as their CEO, Les Moonves, prepares for one of the most important days during his long, and mostly illustrious career: Thursday's earnings conference call with Wall Street analysts..."
The call is at 4:30pm ET. Moonves WILL speak on the call. Per Dylan Byers, he is "prepared to address questions regarding the recent allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as the ongoing legal battle with Shari Redstone over the future of the company, a source with knowledge of the matter says..."
| | Ronan Farrow's bombshell story about alleged harassment at CBS came out while "60 Minutes" staffers were enjoying their annual summer break. But now the vacation is over... The staffers are starting to come back to work... And they are wondering who's in charge.
"60" executive producer Jeff Fager firmly denied the allegations that he made unwanted advances and enabled harassment by others in positions of power at the newsmag. But the accusations of misconduct came as no surprise to "60 Minutes" vets, who had long suspected that stories might be coming. Now CBS staffers are wondering if Fager will be replaced.
Here are the key details from my new story:
-- Multiple staffers told me that they don't see how Fager can remain in the job. The speculation ramped up on Wednesday when some, though not all, "60" staffers returned to work.
-- In response to Q's, Fager told me, "I am handling everything and today was our first day back but I'm not in the office until Monday."
-- The law firm Proskauer Rose is conducting a review for CBS News. The Fager allegations are part of the review. It's possible that Fager will be sidelined until the law firm's work is complete, a source familiar with the matter said, but no decision has been shared with staffers yet.
| | Fager has both supporters and detractors within CBS News. One thing I picked up from sources: There's a lot of uncertainty about who would replace him at the helm of the program. AND the situation is exceedingly delicate because Moonves' future at CBS is also up in the air. In a way, the fates of Moonves and Fager are intertwined. Because both men have been publicly accused of wrongdoing, several sources suggested it would be strange to see action taken against one, but not the other...
| | -- On Wednesday came word that USC's Annenberg School will drop Moonves' name from its media center while the CBS investigation is underway... Plus, he was suspended from the USC School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors... and he recused himself from the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace...
-- Shares in CBS had a relatively calm day... The stock closed down 0.23% on Wednesday...
-- Read Kim Masters' latest for the mood in Hollywood...
| | | Julia Waldow emails: The Time's Up initiative addressed the Moonves allegations via Twitter on Wednesday: "Six women have courageously shared their stories and accused CBS CEO Les Moonves of sexual harassment and assault. We believe you. We are with you. @CBS We are watching. We expect a full, transparent and expedient investigation. Now. #TIMESUP..." | | Want to buy Brides, Golf Digest or W? | | | This might be your chance. Condé Nast "lost more than $120 million last year," Edmund Lee and Sapna Maheshwari reveal in this story for Thursday's NYT. Now Condé is planning to "put three of its 14 magazines — Brides, Golf Digest and W — up for sale." The publisher declined to comment... | | -- First Variety reported this on Wednesday: "Nicole Kidman is in talks to play former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson in Annapurna's upcoming drama about disgraced former Fox News chief Roger Ailes and the women who brought him down..." (Variety)
-- Later in the day, THR indicated that Kidman is in, and now "Margot Robbie is in talks" to join Kidman and Charlize Theron (who's playing Megyn Kelly)... (THR)
-- "Alex Stamos, Facebook's chief security officer, is joining Stanford to teach and to examine the role of security and technology in society..." (NYT) | | Two things are happening at the same time. And they are related. President Trump is lashing out at the press more often, in more extreme ways, AND he is bending the truth more often, relying more and more on falsehoods and other nonsense.
The WashPost came out with a fresh fact-checking count on Wednesday. The headline: "Trump has made 4,229 false or misleading claims in 558 days."
>> Chris Cillizza's reaction: "The President of the United States is saying more than seven things that aren't true a day. SEVEN."
| | The angry anti-media sentiments at Tuesday's Trump rally had a lot of people talking on Wednesday. This topic is likely to remain in the news since the president is holding another rally on Thursday. AND again on Saturday.
More and more, "hate movement" seems like the proper term for what's going on. This is a term that NYU's Jay Rosen has been using for a while. I brought it up on CNNI on Wednesday,. Trump and some of his allies are promoting a "hate movement" against the American press.
>> More: On HLN, S.E. Cupp cut to the chase too, saying, "It's bad enough that the President of the United States fosters this kind of hatred of the media. What's even worse is that he actually celebrates it..."
| | "We are being led down the drain..." | | "President Trump himself has made clear that he thinks that kind of behavior is great," Jake Tapper said on "The Lead" Wednesday afternoon. "His son Eric approvingly retweeted that clip of the crowd heckling CNN, and the president retweeted it to his more than 53 million followers."
Tapper's big point: "The erosion of basic standards of civility and human decency continues. It's not just a Republican phenomenon, but we are being led down the drain by President Trump. To Trump supporters out there: Imagine liberals shouting down a reporter from an outlet that they didn't like, and a Democratic president giving that mob an atta-boy, would that be acceptable?" | | Chuck Todd's question on "MTP Daily:" Are we "being conditioned to not be outraged by outrageousness by this president anymore?"
Todd was reacting to Trump's "Jeff Sessions should stop this rigged witch hunt" tweet, specifically, and a litany of Trump offenses more broadly. After citing the Post's new stat, he said:
"Remember, this is not normal and we shouldn't be in the business of just shrugging our shoulders and normalizing it." | | Oliver Darcy emails: The White House loves to scold the media for the mistakes of journalists, while simultaneously refusing to take any responsibility for the errors it makes. Wednesday offered an excellent example of this.
As CNN's Jeff Zeleny pointed out, Sarah Sanders used a false story -- debunked more than a decade ago -- to rake the media over the coals and lecture reporters. About what you might ask? About the need to be more responsible... 🤔
Jeremy Diamond wrote a full story about the error here. Hey, on the bright side, at least Sanders held a briefing... There were only three of 'em last month...
| | WHCA "hopeful" for more briefings | | Jason Schwartz spoke with WHCA president Olivier Knox about the "relative scarcity and brevity" of press briefings... It's an issue "that I raised with Sarah Sanders in our most recent meeting," Knox said. "Obviously, the White House press corps values formal opportunities in which we can ask questions of senior officials. I conveyed that my members were hopeful that we'd get back to a more normal schedule..."
| | Trump calls into Rush's 30th anniversary show | | | Oliver Darcy emails: POTUS called into Rush Limbaugh's radio show on Wednesday to congratulate the host for his 30th anniversary on the radio. "Just do it for another 30 years, after that you can take it easy, OK?" Trump said, to which Limbaugh replied, "I will stay around just as long as you do." Here's the transcript... | | By Emily Kohlman:
-- Three Russian journalists were killed while investigating a Kremlin-linked security firm in the Central African Republic... (CNN)
-- Journos who are used to covering regular gatherings of the EU leaders will now have to pay an unprecedented $58 press credential fee to the Belgian government for access to the meetings... (NYT)
-- Quartz just launched a new, "faster" version of QZ.com -- its fifth full version in six years... (QZ) | | CNN's plan for the final season of "Parts Unknown" | | What will CNN do with the unaired episodes of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown?" Now there's an answer.
"CNN has enough material to create a final season of 'Parts Unknown,' which will premiere this fall," the LAT's Stephen Battaglio reported Wednesday. "Only one episode — a trip to Kenya with W. Kamau Bell, the host of CNN's 'United Shades of America' — was completed before Bourdain's death. It will be the last to have Bourdain's written narration, which gives the series its personal tone. Four others set in Manhattan's Lower East Side — in addition to the Big Bend area of Texas along the border of Mexico, the Asturias region of Spain and Indonesia — will be completed by the directors who filmed them for the show's production company Zero Point Zero."
There will be two other episodes... One "will have cast and crew talking about the making of the series, utilizing outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage..." And CNN EVP Amy Entelis said the last hour will be devoted to "how Tony affected the world." | | Spotify takes action against Alex Jones | | Oliver Darcy emails: Spotify on Wednesday, facing a storm of outrage, removed certain episodes of "The Alex Jones Show." A spokesperson told media outlets that the streaming company takes "reports of hate content seriously." The spokesperson said that it could confirm it "removed specific episodes" of the InfoWars founder's show for "violating our hate content policy..."
>> Context: Spotify is just the latest tech company to take action against InfoWars in recent weeks. Facebook and YouTube have also both removed some of Jones' most incendiary content... | | | For the record, part three | | | By Julia Waldow:
-- A dark, but fascinating, read: "'We are Q': A deranged conspiracy cult leaps from the Internet to the crowd at Trump's 'MAGA' tour..." (WashPost)
-- Jennifer Rubin reflects on Trump's rally in Tampa: "We should stop marveling at his 'success' in holding his base as if this were a reflection of his political skill, let alone the efficacy of his policies. Rather, the unbreakable and unblinking devotion of his unhinged base is confirmation that he now must rely on support from people oblivious to reality..." (WashPost)
-- Facebook and Instagram are rolling out tools to help users better manage their time on the apps, the companies revealed Wednesday. Users can see how long they've spent on the platforms on average, and set reminders to take a break... (Facebook)
-- The FT's aiming for increased advertising, thanks to a new audience mapping tool that breaks down reach by platform, region, and more... (Digiday) | | Three DC hires by the LA Times | | An LAT staffer emails: "We're building again."
Norm Pearlstine's Wednesday afternoon memo to the newsroom: "We are delighted to announce the addition of three talented, experienced and deeply knowledgeable reporters to our growing Washington bureau – Del Wilber, Jennifer Haberkorn and Eli Stokols. They come on the strong recommendation of David Lauter, Washington Bureau Chief, to whom they will report..." | | The Ringer has been on a tear this week | | | Frank Pallotta emails: First, the Bill Simmons-led site broke down the 100 best TV episodes of this century, and then followed it up with two must read pieces on Wednesday: An oral history of "Breaking Bad's" best episode, "Ozymandias," and a look at how Tom Cruise's infamous 2005 Oprah interview changed how we react to celebrities... | | An "ALF" reboot is in the works | | Frank Pallotta emails: Yes, "ALF," the 80s sitcom starring the alien puppet that liked to eat cats, may be returning to TV. I could go on and on about why anyone would want this, but at this point, sure, go for it. Reboot everything!
The "ALF" news comes just a few days after the news of a "24" reboot, which followed murmurs of "Frasier" coming back to the airwaves. Hey, reboot "Cheers" while you're at it because everything old is new again on TV! (But, no, seriously, reboot "Cheers." I'd watch that.) | | | For the record, part four | | | -- Frank Pallotta emails: Heads up, cinephiles! Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is heading to IMAX -- a format that is perfect for one of the biggest and trippiest films ever made...
-- Lisa Respers France emails: I spoke with Denzel's son, John David Washington, about his starring role in Spike Lee's new film "BlacKkKlansman..." and why he dislikes the talk about black people speaking with their "white voice..."
-- One more from Lisa: Here's everything we know so far about Demi Lovato's apparent overdose... | | JJ Abrams tweets from a galaxy far, far away | | | Frank Pallotta emails: JJ Abrams sent out his first tweet from the set of the next chapter in the "Star Wars" saga on Wednesday. "Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie [Fisher], but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go," Abrams, the director of next December's "Episode IX," tweeted alongside a blurry photo from the first day of production. The tweet sent fans into a flurry because, well, it's "Star Wars," and kicked off the long journey back to the galaxy far, far away... | | | Thanks for reading! Email me your feedback... We'll be back tomorrow... | | | | | | |
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