As the head of Capital Cities Communications, he engineered the acquisition of the TV giant. He later sold the company to Disney, at a huge profit.
Tag Archives: ABC Inc
‘Abbott Elementary’ Is Gifted and Talented
When it comes to the dynamics of public school in 2022, the season’s best new network comedy has done its homework.
Oscars Producer Did Not Want Will Smith Physically Removed After Slap
Will Packer, the producer of the telecast, said that Smith had been asked to leave after slapping Chris Rock, and then there were discussions of having him physically removed.
Oscars Audience Jumped After Will Smith’s Slap of Chris Rock
But the largest audience of the night was tuned in earlier, during Troy Kotsur’s win for best supporting actor.
The Oscars’ Popularity Crisis
Why academy efforts like trimming awards from the telecast won’t help. People watch because it’s a show about elite work, not in spite of it.
Broken Lights, No Glue: ‘Abbott Elementary’ Has Teachers Talking
A new sitcom by Quinta Brunson about a Philadelphia public school is a relatable balm during a period of intense stress for educators.
John Madden, Football Enthusiast, Was Peerless in the Booth
He woke up each season hungry for the game, and shared his enthusiasm for it as if hosting a feast.
In 2021, Black Boyhood Got More Complex on TV
Shows like “The Wonder Years,” “Swagger” and “Colin in Black and White” offered Black coming-of-age narratives that challenged longstanding TV stereotypes.
The Oscars Are Broken. Here’s How to Fix Them.
The ratings flop that was the last ceremony provided useful lessons in what not to do. But there are steps the academy can take for an actually enjoyable evening.
Michael Strahan to Join Next Blue Origin Space Flight
Mr. Strahan, a “Good Morning America” co-host, is one of six people set to join the next spaceflight with Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos.
When a Cyclist Led the New York City Marathon
Reporting a freewheeling march through five boroughs could be a challenge. In 1986, I grabbed my bike and helped change the way television broadcasts 26.2 miles.
Brandy Scored Her ‘Dream Role’ in ‘Queens’
In an interview, the singer and actor discusses her new ABC musical drama, her biggest rap inspirations and the possibility of a “Moesha” reunion.
The Fall TV Season Is Back, Smaller Than Ever
The broadcast networks’ premiere week returns after a pandemic hiatus. Here’s what there is to see, from a new version of “The Wonder Years” to the latest addition to the “NCIS”verse.
The Mannings Give TV Sports Yet Another Alternate Viewing Option
ESPN has the quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. CBS has the slime and SpongeBob allure of Nickelodeon. A boxing upstart even got Trump. For viewers, it’s ever more options beyond just watching the game.
In ‘The Wonder Years,’ Dulé Hill Looks Forward, and Back
This reboot of the 1980s hit is still nostalgic, but it pushes Hill to confront themes that his previous TV parts have rarely allowed.
How Covid-19 Changed the 2021 Oscars
A stripped-down ceremony stripped out too much of what makes the show, for better or worse, worth watching.
N.H.L. Returns to ESPN in a 7-Year Deal With an Emphasis on Streaming
The agreement assures hockey a higher profile on SportsCenter and gives ESPN the perfect sport for its streaming ambitions
Emmanuel Acho to Host ‘The Bachelor’ Television Special
Mr. Acho, author of “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man,” will host “After the Final Rose” after the show’s longtime host went on hiatus over comments dismissive of racism.
Chris Harrison to Step Away From ‘The Bachelor’ After ‘Harmful’ Comments
The reality television show’s longtime host will be absent for an unspecified amount of time. He has come under fire after making remarks he now acknowledges were dismissive of racism.
How the Pandemic Is Coming to Prime Time. (Or Not.)
As series roll out after pandemic delays, they’re trying to predict what audiences want: Television that reflects our shared Covid reality? Or that provides a distraction from it?
Jamie Tarses, Executive in a Hollywood Rise-and-Fall Story, Dies at 56
She broke barriers as a woman in the TV industry and turned out hit after hit, only to see it all fizzle under a very public spotlight.
From Trump to Biden, TV Captures a Dramatic Shift
The new president’s speech on unity — “the best inaugural address I ever heard,” says Chris Wallace of Fox News — follows Donald Trump’s “My Way” moment.
How the Networks Will Fill Airtime on a Quiet New Year’s Eve
In a typical year, shots of raucous parties from around the world dominate news programming. This year, the networks had to get more creative.
SEC Reaches $3 Billion Deal With Disney, Drawing CBS Ties Toward an End
The Southeastern Conference is poised to become the richest conference in college football after it struck a television deal with Disney, which owns ABC and ESPN.
CNN Was First With the Call for Joe Biden. Fox News Went Last.
The news networks pledged restraint going into Election Day. They waited until a batch of Philadelphia votes came in on Saturday morning to make the projection.
Major Networks Cut Away From Trump’s Baseless Fraud Claims
Fox News and CNN stuck with the White House news conference, but reported afterward that the president offered no evidence for his accusations of vote fraud.
Major TV Networks Cut Away From Trump’s Baseless Fraud Claims
Fox News and CNN stuck with the White House news conference, but reported afterward that the president offered no evidence for his accusations of vote fraud.
Advertisers Flock to Election Night, When Live TV Is the Main Event Again
In a media environment dominated by streaming and battered by the pandemic, companies see a rare opportunity to catch a huge audience all at once.
The Conners Return to Confront the Coronavirus
This ABC sitcom has dealt with real-world challenges since its earliest days as “Roseanne.” In its new season, those include the pandemic and its fallout.
Biden Town Hall Leads Trump in Ratings Battle
Nielsen figures showed Joseph R. Biden Jr. drawing 15.1 million viewers, against 13.5 million for President Trump, a ratings obsessive.
How the Internet Viewed the Presidential Town Halls
President Trump and Joe Biden answered questions from voters at the same time, on separate networks. The difference between the two events did not escape anyone’s notice.
NBC’s Savannah Guthrie Grills Trump Opposite ABC’s Sober Biden Talk
In place of a canceled debate, a pair of network prime-time town halls made for starkly contrasting telecasts.
11 Reality Shows to Watch With Your Older Kids
A list of series that are exciting, funny, educational and exactly the kind of television that parents should be watching with their preteen and teenage children.
Emmy Awards 2020: What to Watch For
Jimmy Kimmel will host the ceremony as viewers — and the nominees — tune in from home.
The TV Divide: Convention Ratings Surge on MSNBC as Fox News Dips
Live television viewership for the Democratic National Convention fell 17.6 percent from 2016, but many Americans watched online.
TV Audiences Dip for First Night of Democrats’ Virtual Convention
Nielsen ratings were down from 2016, though younger viewers watched online and MSNBC nearly doubled its usual audience.
‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’: Behind the Scenes of the Emotional Series Finale
As they initiate one last time jump, two of the showrunners, Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, discuss bidding a bittersweet farewell to the Marvel secret agency.
Comfort Viewing: Why I Still Love ‘The Goldbergs’
The period sitcom about a Jewish family in the ’80s has for seven seasons been a weekly gift of old-fashioned zingers.
2020 Emmy Nominations: Live Updates
Olivia Colman may be honored for another royal role and “Mrs. America” and “Watchmen” appear to be locks for nominations in the most intriguing category.
Regis Philbin, TV’s Indignant Everyman, Dies at 88
With patience, determination and folksy, spontaneous wit, Mr. Philbin climbed to pre-eminence relatively late in life on talk and game shows.
How Netflix Beat Hollywood to a Generation of Black Content
The company didn’t set out to build a big library of Black programming, but now it’s the envy of its rivals.
From Cosmetics to NASCAR, Calls for Racial Justice Are Spreading
What started as a renewed push for police reform has now touched seemingly every aspect of American life.
First Black ‘Bachelor,’ Matt James, Cast by ABC
He will lead the next season of the show, which has long been criticized for its lack of diversity.
‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice’ Are Test Cases for TV Under Lockdown
“American Idol” and “The Voice,” usually oversized spectacles, have become test cases for TV under lockdown.
N.F.L. Drafting Players, But Will They Play This Season?
“We’ll go anywhere the science takes us and nowhere the science doesn’t,” said the medical director of the players’ union.
Ivanka Trump and George Stephanopoulos Reach the ‘Corona-Shaming’ Phase of the Pandemic
Ivanka Trump, Chris Cuomo and all kinds of private citizens are getting roasted on social media for perceived failures of public hygiene.
As Reality TV Reunions Go Virtual, What About the Fights?
Castmates, prepare to yell into your Zoom.