Jan. 14 at 10:50 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Stock activity,
Video
By Reuters
A Redbox kiosk at Walgreens. (Handout)
Shares of Coinstar Inc. fell 26 percent on Friday morning, a day after the electronic kiosk company said delayed releases of DVD titles hurt sales at its unit Redbox during the crucial holiday season.
“This was Redbox’s first holiday season with 28-day delayed titles, and we underestimated the impact that the delay would have on demand during the fourth quarter,” Chief Executive Paul Davis said.
As part of a settlement last year, Redbox had agreed with News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures owned by General Electric and Time Warner’s Warner Bros, to wait for 28 days after a DVD title is released before offering them for rent. Get the full story »
By Sandra M. Jones
The Kardashian sisters are launching a line of clothing at Sears as the moderate department store chain continues to revamp its women’s apparel business.
The clothing line, called the Kardashian Kollection, is set to arrive in August at 400 Sears stores nationwide. The brand is exclusive to Sears, Roebuck and Co., a unit of Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings Corp. Get the full story »
By Los Angeles Times
Netflix told CES attendees Tuesday that it would soon be available on remote controllers that operate Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and other devices, enabling subcribers to access movies with one click.
Netflix Inc. said consumer electronics companies would begin selling remotes this spring with “Netflix” buttons — including some featuring the red Netflix logo. The companies include Sharp, Sony and Toshiba.
Dec. 27, 2010 at 2:44 p.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
TV,
Technology
By Dow Jones Newswires
Logitech International SA Monday denied Google Inc. had asked the Swiss electronics firm to suspend production of television set-top boxes until the U.S. Internet giant irons out software problems.
“Suggestions that production of the Logitech Revue companion box might need to be halted to address software issues are unfounded. As those familiar with the product know, it is not necessary for Logitech to make changes to the companion box to accommodate future enhancements to Google TV,” Logitech spokeswoman Nancy Morrison said in a statement to Dow Jones Newswires. Logitech was addressing a report in trade publication Digitimes that Logitech is delaying shipments through January. Get the full story »
Dec. 23, 2010 at 10:42 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
Movies,
Technology,
Video
By Dow Jones Newswires
Blu-ray is emerging as a holiday hero for Hollywood as the film industry grapples with the rise of digital video and a persistent slump in its most profitable source of revenue — DVD sales.
A combination of the weak economy, online piracy and low-cost rental and streaming services has driven continued declines in DVD sales this year, but strong growth in Blu-ray, premium-priced discs that offer a higher quality home viewing experience, suggests consumers still have an appetite for physical home movie products. Get the full story »
Dec. 21, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.
Filed under:
Computers,
Entertainment,
TV,
Technology
By Reuters
Apple expects sales of Apple TV to top 1 million units this week, showing that the device is gaining traction in bringing the Web to TV. Get the full story »
Dec. 21, 2010 at 11:04 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
TV
By Reuters
Local affiliate stations from around the country are giving the thumbs-up to a syndicated daily talk show with CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper.
In the past 10 days, some 40 stations have inked for “Anderson” for their schedules this fall, making the New York-based show a firm go for the upcoming season. They come on the heels of launch clearances with Tribune’s WPIX in New York and Fox outlets in L.A., Chicago and Boston. Get the full story »
By Associated Press
The publisher of the popular “The Smurfs’ Village” game for the iPhone and iPad has added a warning that virtual items such as “Smurfberries” cost real money – as much as $100 with just two taps on the screen.
An Associated Press story this month revealed how easy it is for kids to buy such virtual items and have them billed to their parents without their knowledge. Like many other free games, “Smurfs’ Village” makes money by selling the virtual goods to advance play. Get the full story »
Dec. 20, 2010 at 12:37 p.m.
Filed under:
Bankruptcy,
Entertainment,
Media,
Movies,
Retail
By Reuters
Bankrupt video rental chain Blockbuster Inc. plans to close 182 stores by the end of the first quarter as it tries to find a way back on its feet.
The largest U.S. video rental chain plans to close 72 stores by Jan. 1 and 110 more in the first quarter of 2011, according to documents filed Friday in Manhattan’s bankruptcy court. Get the full story »
Dec. 17, 2010 at 9:29 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
Radio
By Phil Rosenthal
Tower Ticker | Christopher “Brotha’ Fred” Frederick, a fast-rising radio and TV star in Charlotte, N.C., is coming to Chicago to take over the morning slot vacated by the abrupt exit this week of Kevin “DreX” Buchar from Clear Channel’s WKSC-FM 103.5.
“Chicago morning radio is a dream,” Frederick said in announcing his move Thursday night on “Fox News Edge,” which he has co-hosted on Charlotte’s WCCB-TV in addition to his “A.M. Mayhem” morning program on Clear Channel’s WIBT-FM.
Kiss FM said Friday that Frederick will start here on Jan. 17.
Dec. 15, 2010 at 11:40 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Litigation,
Media,
Music
Bloomberg News | Psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly has sued Warner Music Group to recover royalties of at least $236,549 from their 1960s anthem “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
Dec. 15, 2010 at 9:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Government
By Kathy Bergen
Navy Pier, like other enterprises, is finding the use of daily deal site Groupon to be a mixed blessing.
The pier sold 7,500 Groupons for the beginning days of its annual Winter WonderFest, an 283 percent increase from its first venture into discounted sales via Groupon last year. Get the full story »
Dec. 14, 2010 at 11:09 a.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
TV
By Phil Rosenthal
Tower Ticker | When “Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies” debuts the weekend of Jan. 21 in 192 markets, Elvis Mitchell of public radio’s KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, Calif., will not be discussing and debating new films with the Associated Press’ Christy Lemire.
Mitchell and Lemire were paired in the weekly public television show’s pilot, taped this year. But Chaz Ebert, vice president of The Ebert Co. and an executive producer of the the new TV venture with her Pulitzer Prize-winning husband, Roger, said by e-mail Tuesday that Mitchell is no longer associated with the program.
The show’s critics will be announced next week, Chaz and Roger indicated in separate notes.
Dec. 13, 2010 at 5:26 p.m.
Filed under:
Entertainment,
Media,
TV
Bloomberg News | NBC will start airing “Voice of America,” a takeoff of a Dutch show, to battle ABC’s “American Idol” early next year.
Dec. 9, 2010 at 5:50 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Entertainment,
Technology
From Bloomberg | Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was the best-selling video-game console in the U.S. for the sixth consecutive month, the company said Thursday. Sales were helped by Microsoft’s Kinect motion-capture controller. The company said separately that Wii sales gained 0.8 percent to 1.27 million units.
