Entertainment Industry News - Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Eagle Eye" bumped longtime champion "Mamma Mia!" from the top spot at the weekend box office overseas, in a transitional period before the major studios unleash their holiday-season wares.

(Reuters) - Software maker Macrovision Solutions Corp said it agreed to sell its TV Guide Magazine to private-equity firm OpenGate Capital.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fate of the Federal Communications Commission chief's proposal to require cable companies to carry more TV stations that focus on minority programing is in doubt days before a commission vote.

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has launched a regional multimedia center to train, develop and promote Arab talent in journalism, broadcasting, film-making and publishing.

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - State-owned Abu Dhabi Media Co (ADMC) said on Saturday it has tied up with National Geographic to produce up to 15 films focusing on human being's relationship with the world and environment.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC Universal booked a loss on the Beijing Olympics in the third quarter, but will make a profit on the event once all is said and done, executives said Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc and CBS Corp warned that quickly deteriorating advertising sales would slash their profits, signaling that the financial crisis is hitting the media industry harder than previously thought.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The Barack Obama presidential campaign will pay NBC and CBS almost $1 million each for the campaign's half-hour ad buy in primetime on October 29, according to documents made available by the respective networks.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - National Amusements Inc, a privately held company controlled by Sumner Redstone, will sell more than 20 percent of its stake in Viacom Inc and CBS Inc to pay down debt to comply with its credit agreement covenants.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on Friday sued Arbitron Inc, the largest ratings company for radio in the United States, accusing it of false advertising and deceptive business practices.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A battle between tech companies like Google Inc and broadcasters over use of soon-to-be vacant airwaves will heat up soon as U.S. regulators release an anticipated report on the issue.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new terrorism thriller "Body of Lies" failed to take the top spot at the weekend box office in North America, an apparent victim of moviegoers' preference for escapist fare amid global financial turmoil.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Atlanta rapper T.I. broke his own recently set record for the largest leap to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on Thursday, as "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna leaped 79 places.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cameras are rolling and money is flowing, despite a few fears in Hollywood that the current global economic turmoil could cut TV advertising and dry up some film financing.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - For the first time since the Oscars moved to TV in the early 1950s, studios will be able to advertise movies during the telecast of the Academy Awards next year.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Representatives of the new DreamWorks film studio will delay pitching Wall Street on a bank loan package for about one month to give the banking market time to stabilize.

(Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge temporarily halted sales of RealNetworks Inc's RealDVD software, which allows users to copy DVDs, after Hollywood studios sued the company over copyright issues, court documents showed.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The second nationally televised presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama drew 63.2 million viewers, over 10 million more than their first, Nielsen Media Research said on Wednesday.

(Reuters) - Gaming company Netplay TV Plc said on Friday it had extended a television airtime deal with Turner Media, a division of Time Warner Inc, and plans to launch its Live TV Bingo show.