David Ellison will take full control of Paramount Global when it merges with his company, Skydance Media, according to a new regulatory filing.
According to a Federal Communications Commission filing on Tuesday, Ellison’s role will be chairman and CEO of the new Paramount, combining the assets of Hollywood production company Skydance and Paramount, home of CBS, Showtime and MTV, after the deal closes in the first half of 2025. .
The filing said Ellison will retain 100% of his family’s voting interest — a clarification that comes amid potential concerns over the control that resides with his father, billionaire Oracle co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison.
According to a new filing, David Ellison will fully control Skydance and Paramount when the companies close the deal. The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
An earlier version of the filing, which deals with the transfer of broadcast licenses for nine television stations, showed Larry Ellison at the top of a chart detailing Paramount’s ownership structure after the transaction.
Skydance, with partner RedBird Capital, secured a merger agreement with Shari Redstone in August.
Larry Ellison is the main backer of Skydance and investor in the acquisition of Paramount. As a result, the family will control the majority – 77% – of the combined company.
The revised FCC filing clarifies how the Ellison family will exercise control over the so-called “New Paramount” and the voting interests of the Redstone family’s holding company, National Amusements, which controls the media firm.
The filing said that after the deal closes, David Ellison will take the reins as Paramount’s chairman and chief executive.
He will also become the “sole manager” of the Ellison family entities (Hikouki, LLC, Furaito, LLC and Aozora, LLC), through which the Ellison family will own and control NAI and New Paramount.
As the sole manager of these entities, “David Ellison will retain 100% of the Ellison Family’s voting interests in NAI and New Paramount, in addition to serving as Chairman and CEO of New Paramount,” the filing said.
Paramount Global, which owns Paramount Pictures, is expected to merge with Hollywood studio Skydance early next year. AP
Redstone began shopping Paramount last year and entertained a handful of potential suitors in what became a long and drawn-out process that culminated in late summer with Skydance coming out on top.
Ellison is expected to work closely with his father and his company, Oracle, to help shape his vision for an entertainment company that is a hybrid of media technology.
New Jersey’s largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger, said Wednesday it will stop publishing its print edition in February amid rising costs and declining print demand.
The owner of the 85-year-old Advance Local publication said it is also closing its Montville, N.J., production facility and ending print editions of The Times of Trenton and South Jersey Times newspapers, as well as the weekly Hunterdon County Democrat.
“Today’s announcement represents the next step toward the digital future of journalism in New Jersey,” said Steve Alessi, president of NJ Advance Media. “It’s important to note that this is a forward-looking decision that allows us to invest more deeply than ever in our journalism and in serving our communities.”
New Jersey’s largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger, will cease its print edition in February 2025. Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The paper has a storied history in the Garden State. In 1939, SI Newhouse purchased Newark’s first daily newspaper, the Star-Eagle, and merged it with the Newark Ledger to become the Newark Star-Ledger.
Newark was stripped of the title in the seventies.
Alessi said there will be layoffs as a result.
The company did not respond to requests for information on how many employees will be let go.
The final print editions of the Star-Ledger, Times of Trenton and South Jersey Times will be published on February 2, 2025.
The final weekly print edition of the Hunterdon County Democrat will be published on January 30, 2025, and its subscribers will have access to the Star-Ledger online newspaper.
Online newspapers for The Star-Ledger, The Times of Trenton and South Jersey Times will continue to be produced seven days a week for subscribers.
According to Alessi, the discontinuation of the print publication will allow NJ Advance Media to reallocate resources to strengthen its core newsroom and that it has plans to grow the newsroom in 2025 in order to strengthen its reporting in new areas.
The executive applauded strong journalism this year that helped the paper win awards, including the Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year Award for reporter Adam Clark from the Poynter Journalism Awards and two Sigma Delta Chi Awards for Spencer Kent’s feature story “The Stranger in the Mirror.” ” and a portfolio of sports columns by Steve Politi.
As part of the changes, the company said it will close its manufacturing facility and lay off staff. Felix Bryant
Alessi also highlighted the newspaper’s investigative reporting on the financial mismanagement of New Jersey charter schools, as well as a series of true crime podcasts and newspapers.
Despite the powerful work, readers have steadily shifted their reading habits from print to digital over the years.
In 2024, the Star-Ledger’s print circulation is down 21% in the past year, the company said.
In recent years, newspaper production and distribution costs have risen as print readership has shrunk and migrated to digital platforms, the paper said.
Despite winning a string of Pulitzer Prizes in the early-mid 2000s, the paper’s parent company Advance Media began a broader consolidation of its New Jersey-based properties.
The Star-Ledger saw its circulation drop 21% last year. Getty Images
Under her NJ Advance Media group, an umbrella organization that included the Times of Trenton, the South Jersey Times and other properties, she consolidated the Ledger and NJ.com into one operation.
As a result, the Ledger closed its Newark newsroom where it had operated for decades and sold it to a New York developer.
Over the years, the paper has seen more consolidation and changes, including ending publication of its Saturday edition in 2023.
Wes Turner, an executive who works with The Star-Ledger, said the decision to stop printing the paper was a difficult one.
“This decision was not taken lightly, but the reality is that the print news model cannot be sustained,” he said.
Executives at the Star-Ledger’s parent company said there would be layoffs, but they declined to give the number. Felix Bryant
Turner added that the company will provide affected employees with layoff and transition assistance packages prior to the closing.
Despite the grim reality of print publishing, Alessi emphasized that the future of journalism is still bright.
“Our journalists are on the ground, in our communities, turning over stones and shining a light on essential topics,” he said. “We consider the future of journalism in New Jersey and our newsroom to be very healthy.”
An ABC station sparked a flurry of conspiracy theories after airing what appeared to be official election results for Pennsylvania that showed Kamala Harris easily winning the key state — more than a week before Election Day.
The shocking result was shown at the bottom of the screen during Sunday’s broadcast of the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix by local ABC affiliate WNEP-TV, which serves the northern Keystone State.
It showed the vice president taking 52% of the vote, compared to 47% for Republican challenger Donald Trump, with 100% of precincts reporting.
ABC aired a Pennsylvania election results headline showing Harris beating Trump, sparking conspiracy theories. X
The graphic caused a stir on social networks, fueling allegations of electoral manipulation.
One user posted on X: “The cheat is on.”
WNEP-TV said the results were displayed “in error” and that they were “randomly generated” as part of a test before the Nov. 5 election.
“These numbers should not have been shown on the screen and it was a mistake by WNEP that they did,” the station told the Daily Mail, which first reported the story.
“The first numbers on the screen are randomly generated test results sent to help news organizations make sure their equipment is working properly before election night.”
The broadcaster continued: “The numbers did not reflect any actual vote count. Pennsylvania law does not allow mail-in ballots to be removed from their envelopes until 7:00 a.m. on Election Day, and no votes of any kind will be counted in Pennsylvania until the polls close at 8 p.m. :00. WNEP regrets the error and apologizes for any confusion. We have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again.”
According to data from Real Clear Politics, Trump is up by a slim 0.7% margin in Pennsylvania, garnering 48.2% to Harris’ 47.5%.
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by the narrowest of margins, defeating Trump by 80,555 votes, or 1.17% — and capturing the state’s 20 electoral votes to win the presidency.
WNEP-TV said the results were just a test, but critics called it out ABC-owned station for bias. Reuters
Trump supporters began circulating footage from the WNEP-TV broadcast and weighing in on the error.
“ABC is lying to the Democratic machine. Their license should be revoked”, wrote one user.
Another person added: “If the same charts show up after November 5th, with the same percentages and the same vote count, it will be VERY suspicious. And the media wonders why no one believes them?”
Trump and his allies have suggested that Democrats are cheating and that voters should head to the polls instead of sending in ballots. AFP via Getty Images
Disney-owned ABC has come under fire during the election season, following the network’s broadcast of the Sept. 10 presidential debate. Critics accused ABC News and moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of bias in favor of Harris.
Conservative commentators claimed the moderators continued to fact-check Trump while leaving Harris alone.
Critics have claimed that ABC showed bias during the presidential debate, which was moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis. Getty Images
There have also been profiles of the duel by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times detailing the close friendship between Harris and Disney executive Dana Walden, who is in the running to become the company’s CEO, which has raised eyebrows.
For her part, Walden has tried to distance herself from the Mouse House news division, despite a history of political donations and fundraising efforts for Harris.
Megan Kelly on Wednesday slammed President Biden for referring to Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage” — calling the remark a sign that he is “suffering from insanity.”
In an exclusive interview with The Post, the popular podcaster said the comment was another sign that the 81-year-old Biden was losing his mental acuity.
“I think Joe Biden is suffering from an insanity that has lowered his inhibitions about saying how he really feels,” the host of SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show” told The Post.
Biden sparked outrage on Tuesday after declaring: “The only garbage I see floating out there is [Donald Trump’s] supporter.”
Megyn Kelly slammed President Joe Biden’s reference to Donald Trump supporters as “garbage.” The Megyn Kelly Show
Kelly compared the comment to other infamous Democratic attacks on Republican voters, noting Barack Obama’s 2008 “bitter-ass” jab and Hillary Clinton’s infamous 2016 reference to Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables “.
“It was just the latest in a long line of insults that Democrats have had for Republican voters,” said Kelly, who will cover the election during a live broadcast of her show on SiriusXM and YouTube beginning Tuesday at 20.00.
“They’ve called Trump a fascist, a Nazi, and a white supremacist, and now we’re down to trash. We’re all trash — anyone who voted for Donald Trump.”
President Biden referred to supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage” on Tuesday. via REUTERS
Biden’s surrogates at CNN defended the president, saying the remark was due to his stutter and that his reference to “garbage” was aimed at comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who joked about Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.” during a rally for Trump. at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Kelly scoffed at that notion, saying that even mainstream news outlets like Axios and the Associated Press didn’t buy into the claim.
Biden supporters claimed the president was referring to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. AFP via Getty Images“It was just the latest in a long line of insults Democrats have had for Republican voters,” Kelly told The Post. AP
“I don’t believe for a second that it was a slip [or] unintentionally,” Kelly said.
“This is a bridge too far for us. We will not make such coverage for it. We all heard what he said.”
Biden did the Trump campaign a favor by shifting the narrative away from Hinchcliffe’s joke and focusing on his comment about Trump voters, according to the former Fox News and NBC “Today” show host.
“They were saved by Joe Biden,” Kelly said.
She added that “what’s so beautiful about the controversy is the same media and Democrats who spent 48 hours telling us how deeply wrong it is to refer to any group as garbage… now we have a very difficult pivot to done”.
According to a report, the Washington Post — hit by a mass exodus of subscribers over its refusal to endorse Kamala Harris — “aggressively stepped up its paid advertising campaign” on social media platforms that promote stories critical of Donald Trump, according to a report. , according to a report.
Owner Jeff Bezos has faced backlash over his decision last week to kill the endorsement for the vice president, which has led to the resignation of several top employees and the loss of more than 250,000 digital subscribers.
On Thursday, the Semafor news site reported that the publication had run an ad earlier in the week on social media sites like Facebook boosting its anti-Trump coverage.
The newspaper has been in turmoil in recent days over owner Jeff Bezos’ decision not to endorse a candidate. AP
Promoted stories centered around the former president’s campaign rhetoric, misstatements, supporters leaving his rallies early and Trump’s controversial comments about immigrants in Ohio eating dogs, Semaphore reported.
In contrast, stories promoted about his Democratic challenger were neutral in tone and informative, Semafor found.
Before Monday, the paper had run about a dozen Facebook ads for the month of October, mostly promoting the Washington Post brand and avoiding any mention of Trump.
The New York Post reached out to WaPo for comment.
A source close to the situation told the New York Post that the Washington Post’s promoted stories on social media reflect high-performing content.
The content of the advertising posts is taken directly from the relevant reporting, according to the source.
“This is not new,” the source insisted.
The Washington Post’s promoted posts include a mix of its content across all its verticals, including climate, style and other sections, the source added.
The Beltway newspaper’s increase in paid advertising this week may also be a reflection of parent company Facebook Meta’s policy of banning new ads during election week, which is set for Tuesday.
The Washington Post is running social media ads promoting stories critical of former President Donald Trump. Reuters
A source said the Washington Post is likely to run some new ads before the tech giant freezes new ad buys.
As of Thursday, at least 250,000 readers — or 10% — canceled their digital subscriptions to the Washington Post in apparent protest of Bezos’ move to end the paper’s decades-long practice of endorsing a presidential candidate, according to National Public Radio.
Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, published a guest essay on Monday saying the decision to drop endorsements was a matter of “principle” aimed at dispelling the notion that his paper was biased.
But the move sparked howls of protest from readers on social media, as well as journalists who are either current or former Washington Post employees, such as Watergate sleuths Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
At least three editorial staff resigned from the paper.
After Bezos’ decision was announced last Friday, some of the paper’s top editors and columnists met to discuss the controversy.
Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, said blocking an approval was a matter of “principle.” Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
David Shipley, the paper’s opinion editor, listened as his colleagues attacked Bezos for damaging the publication’s reputation as an “independent journalistic organization,” according to the Washington Free Beacon, which obtained audio of the meeting.
One staffer reportedly told Shipley that “the one thing that cannot happen in this country is that Trump has four more years.”
Shipley responded by telling staff that they were welcome to express their frustration, but that they would then have to accept Bezos’ decision and move on — or resign.
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“Whatever you decide, I’m fine with it,” Shipley said.
“What I really want to give is that you don’t get stuck in the middle. Don’t be here if you don’t want to.”
Shipley told his colleagues that he spent an hour on the phone with Bezos in an attempt to get him to change his mind and allow the editorial board to issue its endorsement to Harris — but the tycoon refused to budge.
The Washington Post editorial board reportedly had an endorsement of Harris drafted and ready for publication. Getty Images
He said that while he agreed with “the principle that you shouldn’t do presidential endorsements,” he took issue with “Bezos’ timing and the way the timing could be read.”
A similar dynamic has played out at the Los Angeles Times, where billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong blocked the editorial board from publishing an endorsement of Harris.
Soon-Shiong said she wanted the editorial board to present a side-by-side comparative analysis of the two candidates and their positions so readers could decide for themselves who to support.
At least three LA Times employees resigned in protest, and between 10,000 and 18,000 readers canceled their subscriptions to the paper, according to reports.
NBC parent Comcast is exploring developing its struggling cable network business, including left-leaning MSNBC, President Mike Cavanagh said Thursday.
Cavanagh revealed during the third-quarter earnings call that the media giant is considering creating a “new, well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks.”
Cable networks include MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Syfy, USA Network and Oxygen True Crime.
Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said the company is exploring a spin off of its struggling cable networks.
The potential split would not include the NBC broadcast network or the Peacock streaming service, Cavanaugh said.
“We chose not to participate in the M&A process around Paramount earlier this year. But we would consider broadcasting partnerships,” he added.
Shares of Comcast rose more than 3% in midday trading on Thursday, after the company also reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on the back of box office hits and an increase in ad sales fueled by the Olympics .
The executive’s comments come as cable customers continue to cut their traditional TV packages in favor of streaming.
In recent years, Comcast has focused on building its Peacock streaming service, which received a shock during the third quarter when it exclusively broadcast the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Earlier this year, Paramount Global — which owns cable TV networks Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV — agreed to merge with Hollywood production company Skydance Media in a deal that signaled a changing of the guard in the industry.
“We are now exploring whether the creation of a new well-capitalized company owned by our shareholders and comprised of our strong portfolio of cable networks would position them to take advantage of opportunities in the changing media landscape,” Cavanagh said. .
The company said it may spin off from MSNBC, CNBC and a host of other networks such as Bravo and E!. ymgerman – stock.adobe.com
During the quarter, Comcast’s media business saw a $1.9 billion increase in revenue from the Paris Games — the highest ever for an Olympics — largely due to increased brand advertising.
Meanwhile, Peacock added 3 million paid subscribers in the quarter, bringing its total to 36 million.
Comcast’s total revenue was $32.07 billion, above estimates of $31.66 billion.
However, Comcast also lost 365,000 cable TV subscribers, compared with expectations for 420,300, according to FactSet, as consumers switched from traditional TV to streaming services.
Parent NBCUniversal-Comcast continues to get squeezed as customers cut their cable packages and opt for streaming. Getty Images
In August, Warner Bros. Discovery booked a large $9.1 billion write-down of its television networks, caused by the revaluation of the segment’s book value.
Analyst firm MoffettNathanson estimated there were 4 million traditional pay-TV subscriber losses in the first six months of the year, calling it “a staggering total.”
That includes 2.4 million losses in the first quarter, considered the worst quarter ever for package departures.
“Like many of our peers in media, we are experiencing the effects of the transition in our video businesses and have been studying the best path forward for these assets,” Cavanagh said. “We’re not ready to talk about any specifics yet, but we’ll get back to you as and when we come to certain conclusions.”
A beloved Texas news anchor who was described as a kind, funny and warm presence has died suddenly at the age of 51, his news station announced Wednesday.
NBC affiliate KCEN 6 News — a local Texas television station where Kris Radcliffe worked for 22 years — revealed his sudden death during the evening newscast.
“Chris sat in the chair next to me, and he was the best, he was just the best,” said Radcliffe’s co-star Lindsay Liepman, holding back tears during an emotional tribute.
The popular news broadcaster died suddenly on Wednesday at the age of 51. Youtube/KCENNnews
“Funny, true and smart. I looked forward to working with Chris every night and I think you could all tell at home. We had fun here. Chris loved this community and never took his role for granted.”
“If I had known that yesterday would be our last news show together, I would have ignored the cues from our producers to rap and laughed a little longer at all his jokes,” Liepman said between of tears
“I would have thanked him for everything he taught me and gave to all of you, the viewers, but that’s how life goes now.”
Radcliffe worked at NBC Texas affiliate KCEN 6 News for 22 years. Youtube/KCENNnews
The station paid tribute to their fallen colleague before a sister station in Austin took over the remainder of the broadcast.
“I just can’t get through the newscast tonight, and I hope you understand,” Liepman concluded.
The cause of his death was not disclosed.
Radcliffe’s co-host Lindsay Liepman announced the news during an emotional on-air tribute. Youtube/KCENNnews
Radcliffe, a California native, joined KCEN in 2002 as a sports anchor and went on to become the morning anchor for “Texas Today,” a daily morning show covering local news, entertainment, sports and weather, for nine years, according to KCEN.
The well-known newscaster then became an evening news anchor, covering the latest headlines and breaking news for his central Texas audience.
Radcliffe was named the Waco Tribune-Herald On-Air Television Personality of the Year six years in a row. Youtube/KCENNnews
During his two decades at the station, he notably covered the Baylor men’s basketball scandal, Columbia’s upset over Texas, the Lady Bears’ three national championships, two Fort Hood shootings, the West Fertilizer plant explosion and the exchange of bike fires in Twin Peaks, outlet reported.
Radcliffe also hosted and produced 200 episodes of “Money Talks” — a weekly segment focused on educating viewers about their finances — for the station and for six consecutive years was named the Waco Tribune-Herald On-Air Personality of the Year.
Prior to his time at KCEN, the veteran journalist worked in broadcasting in Nebraska and California and was a graduate of California State University, Long Beach.
He also directed and produced 200 episodes of Money Talks, a weekly segment on finance. Youtube/KCENNnews
“KCEN and the Central Texas community lost a truly wonderful person,” said Rob Dwyer, president and general manager of KCEN/KAGS.
“Kris Radcliffe, husband, father, grandfather and anchor to KCEN and the community will be missed. Kris was a kind and generous person who lifted up everyone around him. It’s hard to say goodbye.”
Radcliffe is survived by his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren, who asked for privacy as they mourn the sudden loss.
Radcliffe is survived by his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren. Youtube/KCENNnews
His sister, Libby, posted a statement on Facebook on behalf of Radcliffe’s grieving wife, Kris.
“On behalf of my sister, she wanted me to pass on our deepest thanks for the incredible outpouring of love and support for her, her daughters and their families,” she wrote.
“She’s getting and reading your texts and posts, but it’s just too hard to respond right now.”
Details about memorial and funeral arrangements have not yet been made public.
An anti-Donald Trump website has slammed a statement from the former president that appeared to condemn the death of internet celebrity squirrel Peanut — only for those close to the Republican candidate to confirm that the inflammatory post was actually fake.
The liberal news site Mediaite published a now-deleted article on Saturday based on the strangely fake press release that appeared to be from the Trump campaign that was first posted on X by Gentry Genvers.
“It’s a false statement,” Karoline Leavitt, of the Trump team, told The Post on Saturday afternoon.
Mediaite published a now-deleted article on Saturday based on the fake press release about Peanut. mediaite.com/The fake press release that appeared to be from the Trump campaign was first posted on X by Gentry Genvers. gentrywevers/X
“He didn’t actually say that,” Leavitt clarified of the statement in question, which described Peanut – who was euthanized after being captured by his owners in New York this week – as “innocent on all counts” and compared the creature to a migrant.
“Mediaite is fake news,” Leavitt scoffed.
Mediaite did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the misprint.
Gevers’ original X post was shared as a response to Elon Musk, who wrote that, as president, Trump will “save the squirrels.”
Mark Longo’s beloved pet Peanut was seized by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation and euthanized. AP
In the fake comment, Trump apparently complained that Peanut and Fred Raccoon were taken from their owner, Mark Longo, and “executed by New York State” thanks to their “terrible governor,” Democrat Kathy Hochul.
“If Peanut had told them he was from Mexico, they would have sent him on his way and given him a hotel room and a $500 gift card to Buddy Squirrel,” the gossip added.
Trump, 78, is known for his tough stance against illegal immigration — and has repeatedly publicly blamed the influx of new arrivals for violent crime in the US.
Peanut, 7, was a gray squirrel rescue who amassed a devoted following on social media.
He and Fred Rakun were put to death so they could be tested for rabies, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC alleged that Peanut, who was known to be very docile, bit one of the investigators on the hand when he was confiscated from Longo’s Elmira home on Wednesday.
Investigators were reportedly responding to anonymous complaints about wild animals living in the home.
Longo memorialized the squirrel in a moving online tribute.
“Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us,” a tearful Longo said in the video, with his girlfriend by his side.
“RIP BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you, but thank you for everything,” he wrote in the caption of the post.
Longo rescued Peanut after seeing the squirrel’s mother get hit and killed by a car.
The couple’s close bond inspired Longo to move to New York, where he founded P’Nut’s Freedom Farm, an animal shelter and rescue operation.
NBC “Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt may retire next year — and his potential successor, Tom Llamas, is “looking forward” to his exit in what looks like a “slow-motion coup” at 30 Rock, according to a report.
Holt, who is reportedly earning a hefty salary of about $10 million a year, has anchored “Nightly News” since 2015, when he replaced Brian Williams, who was removed from his position and reassigned to MSNBC for making up stories of getting under the enemy. fire while reporting from Afghanistan.
In 2021, Llamas was named senior national correspondent for NBC News, as well as the prime-time anchor of a newscast that airs on NBC News Now. Since then, rumors have run rampant that Llamas was hired to replace Holt, sources told The Post.
Tom Llamas is said to be preparing to succeed Lester Holt. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty ImagesHolt, 65, may retire in the new year, according to a report. Getty Images for Town & Country
According to The Ankler newspaper, top executives at NBC parent Comcast would be happy to see Holt hang up his microphone given that Llamas, his potential eventual replacement, earns a relatively modest salary of about $2.5 million in year.
In 2021, Holt, 65, signed a four-year deal to stay at NBC News. At the time, Page Six reported that Holt insisted on taking the title of managing editor in order to avoid a perceived threat from Llamas, who had just joined the network after a stint as the weekend anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight.”
Llamas, 45, is said to be close to Cesar Conde, who heads NBC’s news division. A source told Page Six in 2021 that Llamas “is gearing up for a big role” and that Holt “negotiated a bigger title to avoid the threat.”
The Post has sought comment from NBC.
Earlier this week, Comcast said it was considering spinning off its cable networks that include CNBC and MSNBC into a separate company.
The potential spin-off would exclude the NBC broadcast network and the Peacock streaming service.
The company, however, is interested in finding a partner for Peacock to help grow that business, Comcast President Mike Cavanagh said Thursday.
Llamas, a former ABC News anchor, is said to be “looking forward” to Holt’s retirement. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Shares of Comcast have been flat year-to-date, although the stock is up more than 14% in the past six months.
Media companies are eager to cut the salaries of top TV news stars as audiences shrink in the age of cord-cutting and podcasts.
Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of NBC’s “TODAY” show, announced that she would retire rather than accept management’s offer of a pay cut from her current salary.
Variety reported that her annual salary ranges from $10 million to $15 million, though a source told The Post it was significantly lower.
Holt has anchored NBC Nightly News since 2015. He reportedly earns $10 million a year. Reuters
Comcast has also cut costs at NBC’s entertainment division. He got rid of the band on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” and reduced the frequency of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” from five nights a week to four nights.
NBC’s rival, CBS, is also cutting costs. Norah O’Donnell, whose pay has been cut in recent years from about $8 million a year in 2021, will step down as anchor of the CBS Evening News after Tuesday’s election in favor of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois .
Last month, The Ankler reported that CNN denied raises to veteran anchors Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer.
Chris Wallace, former Fox News anchor, has reportedly been asked to take a pay cut by new CNN chief Mark Thompson.
Sources say Tapper’s salary is around $7 million, though the Puck newspaper said the anchor earns “millions more” than that. Meanwhile, Blitzer’s salary is said to be in the amount of $3 million.
Season’s Greetings! The end of the World Series ushers in a somewhat new but already well-known season: the NFL Tank Season.
This is when mindless, repeat-nothing fans are encouraged by the mindless, repeat-nothing media to believe that four-to-eight loss teams should seriously consider “tanking” the rest of this season to secure improved playoff status. draft-choice.
How such a “tank” would work remains unexplained, so unexplained, yet its advocates annually call for a reality that is based more on fantasy than Aaron Boone’s scripted game plans.
A Browns fan holds a paper bag over his head during the second quarter of an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field on October 20, 2024. Getty Images
Head Coaches: How Do They Work? Choose to diminish their reputation and future employment opportunities by conspiring to lose the remainder of their games on behalf of team owners who will fire them for losing?
Or maybe the coach could make a deal like in Mel Brooks’ “Producers,” when the profit was tied to a deliberately bad product.
How does a GM tank work? Ensure his exit and rotten legacy by eliminating or diminishing his team’s best active players?
How do front office guys convey the tanking objective to their players? Yeah, get out there and give it your all, you piles of wasted flesh. We’ll be busy in our air-conditioned suites trying to make sure we don’t miss.
Do suits that project tanking cheer when their team drops passes? Would they prefer someone to be deliberately confused? Would they reward someone with a huge bonus in their next contract if they take penalties on purpose, get a flag for their team?
Additionally, tanking—as a deliberate and planned way to keep losing—is often no longer necessary in the “modern” NFL as players who are ready to score in style deliver the ball inches from the goal line. or seek misconduct penalties after the game. as if they were invested in losses.
A New York Jets fan wears a paper bag over his face at MetLife Stadium, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In fact, what rookie Jets WR Malachi Corley did Thursday night — releasing the ball before crossing the goal line in a premature celebration — should have been the first and last episode of its kind, instead of the last one.
Corley must have lost it, but something similar almost happened to Kyle Pitts last weekend. As Pitts was running for a long TD, he gave up approaching the end zone, not realizing — or caring — that Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. was in hot pursuit. Winfield slipped the ball from Pitts’ weak hand as they reached the goal line.
The play was reviewed, but there was no end camera to show whether the ball went before or after it crossed the plane of the end zone, so the field goal call stood. But a lesson had been taught, for anyone who was paying attention. Apparently this did not include Korlin.
Aviation wide receiver Malachi Corley (14) crosses the goal line without the ball. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Just par for the course in a league partnered with television networks that mindlessly reward and inculcate dangerously immodest behavior over winning ability. The NFL often runs backwards.
Of course, tank! Have the players gather at midfield to read aloud highlights from their exit interviews and wish the team well next season when they are cut but the team has an improved draft position.
Kostas wasn’t perfect, but his approach will be missed
All those sleazy childish “social” media and sports radio artists bashing Bob Kostas after his departure as a play-by-play national baseball player still don’t realize that in Kostas they had an honest voice, the kind that , when push comes to shove, it will be sorely missed.
At great personal and professional risk, and a sense of noble duty, Costas defied his network bosses to provide accurate first-round times, becoming among the first to publicly suggest that there is something rotten with drugs going on. occurs among MLB’s surprise hitters and even. refused to confess to gambling ads after turning down the chance to participate in an industry dependent on young fools losing their dough to fake come-ons.
Bob Costas will no longer be doing play-by-play baseball. AP
Did he always get it right? No. But I sense that he hated being a “too much alive” of the NBC Olympics and that NBC Sports, under Dick Ebersol, had become a distribution center for Vince McMahon’s twisted plans and products, both leading to Costas’ phasing out from NBC.
He wanted – and still wants – to be thought of as a thoughtful and now concerned observer of what sports are, were and are becoming.
And his metronome-measured delivery, which could have created an intellectual wall between him and the audience, was ill-advised but served him as a naturally formed defense mechanism—as he was susceptible to ad hominem criticism from those that he tried to serve them the best, so he can never overcome his human condition or ours.
Despite everything and everyone, Costa was on your side. It still is.
The only thing worse than a guy on TV claiming we just saw something that clearly didn’t happen is when, during a replay, he claims we’re re-watching something that never happened.
Although he was never a fan of the way Juan Soto plays baseball, he drove home a run to score in the sixth inning in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday to make it 6-5, Yankees. However, John Smoltz took a reckless swing at it.
Fox MLB broadcast team Joe Davis and John Smoltz Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup for Fox Sports/Shutterstock
After Soto scored on a sacrifice fly to center, Fox’s easily overlooked Smoltz chimed in when he said Soto was lucky the runner on second wasn’t thrown out at third before Soto scored. as Soto didn’t hit him. home from the third.
A replay was then shown showing Soto running hard the entire way. However Smoltz then said that we could see him first taking his time. This is called bad faith, similar to a lie, a first cousin to a lie.
Steelers honor ‘dirty’ Porter
Monday night’s Giants-Steelers on ABC/ESPN began with a high-profile homecoming tribute to former Steelers LB Joey Porter, despite his extensive arrest record, league-wide status as “dirtiest player of all time ” and the “Joey Porter Rule.” named in his honor. As a Pittsburgh assistant coach, he took the field to aggravate a fight in the prison yard of a playoff in January 2016.
Among his NFL infractions was an ejection for spitting on an opponent. After he retired, he was also kicked out, with the help of the police, from his son’s high school football game for misconduct.
So how much of the above was heard Monday by ESPN’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman when Porter was waved off? Not a glance. Naturally.
Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter (55) leads the wave of terrible towels against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sunday night Cowboys-49ers on NBC had an interesting, NFL-level pitch:
As Mike Tirico explained, the skill shortages forced the Cowboys to start cutting RBs Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook. Tirico did not say that Elliott and Cook have been police magnets since college, with allegations of physical abuse against women and suspensions during their NFL careers.
However, as the late TV player Billy Mays said, “But wait, there’s more!” Tiricio completed a trifecta on Sunday night. Long before joining NBC as its primary sports host, Tirico was suspended by ESPN for sexually harassing and stalking a female colleague.
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Tiricio was hired by NBC at the same time that NBC fired news anchor Matt Lauer for sexually inappropriate behavior.
Very disappointing to see and hear a fellow as likable and attractive as former Devils and Islanders goaltender Cory Schneider on the set of the NHL Network promoting bets for an NHL partnered gambling site based on losing of fan money.
The NFL’s new “dynamic starts” are as dynamic as MLB’s automatic intentional passes. But the NFL always makes it as it goes along.
Bad teams continue to get prime times: Commanders at Giants, 1 p.m., Fox. Chris Myers, Mark Sanchez and photos of fans clapping in the lower deck near the end zones.
