Veteran entertainment exec Peter Liguori has taken the reins of ad tech firm VideoAmp as executive chairman amid the layoffs of 20% of its workforce in a restructuring.
Liguori, who had already been serving as a board member at VideoAmp, was previously CEO of Tribune Media and also held senior exec posts at Fox Entertainment, FX and Discovery. He replaces Ross McCray, who founded VideoAmp in 2014 and is transitioning to a role as “active founder, board member and shareholder,” according to an official announcement.
VideoAmp is among a crop of new challengers to Nielsen, whose decades-long grip on the measurement business — the wonky but all-important glue of the $60 billion TV ad market — has loosened in recent years. Startups like VideoAmp are jockeying for legitimacy while spending heavily on executive talent and technology, against a backdrop of cord-cutting and viewership atomization.
VideoAmp has set deals recently with Amazon, Disney, YouTube, Warner Bros. Discovery,...
Liguori, who had already been serving as a board member at VideoAmp, was previously CEO of Tribune Media and also held senior exec posts at Fox Entertainment, FX and Discovery. He replaces Ross McCray, who founded VideoAmp in 2014 and is transitioning to a role as “active founder, board member and shareholder,” according to an official announcement.
VideoAmp is among a crop of new challengers to Nielsen, whose decades-long grip on the measurement business — the wonky but all-important glue of the $60 billion TV ad market — has loosened in recent years. Startups like VideoAmp are jockeying for legitimacy while spending heavily on executive talent and technology, against a backdrop of cord-cutting and viewership atomization.
VideoAmp has set deals recently with Amazon, Disney, YouTube, Warner Bros. Discovery,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The founder of VideoAmp, a measurement-technology start-up that has been vying with Nielsen and others to create a new means of tabulating video audiences, is stepping down from his CEO role just as the company plans to lay off nearly a fifth of its staff.
Ross McCray, who led VideoAmp as it struck deals with titans such as Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, will remain as a shareholder and board member at VideoAmp. Peter Liguori, an industry veteran who has led Fox Entertainment, FX and Tribune Media, among other companies, will take on the role of executive chairman while Peter Bradbury, a former Nielsen executive, is taking on roles as VideoAmp’s chief commercial and growth officer.
“This was an extremely hard and emotional decision for me. I always knew after starting VideoAmp — if we were successful — this day would come. I have wished and dreaded for this day to come for 10 years.
Ross McCray, who led VideoAmp as it struck deals with titans such as Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, will remain as a shareholder and board member at VideoAmp. Peter Liguori, an industry veteran who has led Fox Entertainment, FX and Tribune Media, among other companies, will take on the role of executive chairman while Peter Bradbury, a former Nielsen executive, is taking on roles as VideoAmp’s chief commercial and growth officer.
“This was an extremely hard and emotional decision for me. I always knew after starting VideoAmp — if we were successful — this day would come. I have wished and dreaded for this day to come for 10 years.
- 1/4/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Every once in a while you will find a show that will become your obsession. You know what I’m talking about, it’s the show that you can’t stop thinking about. The water cooler shows as they say. Game of Thrones, The Wire, and of course, Breaking Bad are the prime examples. Some are mostly perfect, and some we just try not to talk about. But some shows that are equally as good, sometimes just fly under the radar. TV shows that are just as good if not better than the Breaking Bad’s of the world. One of those shows is called The Shield.
This show is something special. To say that The Shield pushes the envelope is an understatement. The series showed the ugly side of crime and law enforcement. Corruption, murder, racism, political machinations, serial killers, and other dark stuff that you would probably would not like to hear about.
This show is something special. To say that The Shield pushes the envelope is an understatement. The series showed the ugly side of crime and law enforcement. Corruption, murder, racism, political machinations, serial killers, and other dark stuff that you would probably would not like to hear about.
- 11/20/2023
- by David Arroyo
- JoBlo.com
When "The Shield" premiered on FX in March 2002, it was entering a prestige-tv landscape that was still relatively young. "The Sopranos" had just begun its HBO run three years earlier, and AMC shows like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" — with protagonists cut from the same antihero cloth as Tony Soprano — had not yet arrived on cable TV. And they might never have done so if "The Shield" hadn't paved the way first. Michael Chiklis won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of corrupt cop Vic Mackey in season 1 of "The Shield," but for series creator Shawn Ryan and company, it took some convincing to even get "The Shield" on the air, and there was a lot riding on its success.
In 2022, for the 20th anniversary of "The Shield," Entertainment Weekly dug into the background of the show with an oral history featuring Chiklis, Ryan, and other cast and crew members.
In 2022, for the 20th anniversary of "The Shield," Entertainment Weekly dug into the background of the show with an oral history featuring Chiklis, Ryan, and other cast and crew members.
- 2/11/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Discovery CEO David Zaslav is, by his own definition, a “fighter.”
He’s poised to record quite a knockout if he pulls off a merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit in a pact that will leave him as the ultimate keeper of the keys to HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., Turner channels and a growing global suite of direct-to-consumer streaming businesses.
News of Discovery’s pursuit of a union with the erstwhile Time Warner assets came on so fast that executives and recent alumni of HBO, Warner Bros. et al were dizzy with surprise as word spread Sunday morning. The notion that yet another new boss was about to enter the picture was stunning to many, after nearly three years of turmoil since AT&T acquired Tw in 2018. Zaslav’s roots in the cable business run deep but he is by no means a Hollywood studio guy, which makes him a scary commodity to some.
He’s poised to record quite a knockout if he pulls off a merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit in a pact that will leave him as the ultimate keeper of the keys to HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., Turner channels and a growing global suite of direct-to-consumer streaming businesses.
News of Discovery’s pursuit of a union with the erstwhile Time Warner assets came on so fast that executives and recent alumni of HBO, Warner Bros. et al were dizzy with surprise as word spread Sunday morning. The notion that yet another new boss was about to enter the picture was stunning to many, after nearly three years of turmoil since AT&T acquired Tw in 2018. Zaslav’s roots in the cable business run deep but he is by no means a Hollywood studio guy, which makes him a scary commodity to some.
- 5/17/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Nexstar Media Group said it has reached a carriage deal with YouTube TV for cable network Wgn America.
The multi-year Wgn America deal with YouTube will take effect on January 19. The addition of 3 million YouTube customers extends the network’s total reach to 75 million pay-tv households, Nexstar said.
The deal was announced the day before another major distribution contract is due to expire with Dish Network. Hanging in the balance with Dish, in addition to Wgn America, is the largest portfolio of local TV stations owned by a single company in the U.S. Tensions between the parties heading toward Wednesday evening deadline bubbled to the surface last week, with the finger-pointing and name-calling that are customary in carriage disputes.
On Tuesday, a Nexstar rep offered Deadline a more upbeat assessment. “Negotiations continue and we remain hopeful of reaching an amicable deal at fair market rates, just as we have...
The multi-year Wgn America deal with YouTube will take effect on January 19. The addition of 3 million YouTube customers extends the network’s total reach to 75 million pay-tv households, Nexstar said.
The deal was announced the day before another major distribution contract is due to expire with Dish Network. Hanging in the balance with Dish, in addition to Wgn America, is the largest portfolio of local TV stations owned by a single company in the U.S. Tensions between the parties heading toward Wednesday evening deadline bubbled to the surface last week, with the finger-pointing and name-calling that are customary in carriage disputes.
On Tuesday, a Nexstar rep offered Deadline a more upbeat assessment. “Negotiations continue and we remain hopeful of reaching an amicable deal at fair market rates, just as we have...
- 12/1/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The shake-out in media and entertainment after a few years of mergers, cost-cutting initiatives and massive restructurings has thrust many experienced executives back onto the job market — but they’re not all landing at mainstream Hollywood companies. A growing number of them are making their way into new roles as partners, advisers or entrepreneurs-in-residence at private equity and venture capital funds.
The burst of available executive talent has coincided with an upsurge of interest among investors in putting money into media and related businesses. Now that the dust is settling on the Disney-Fox, AT&T-Time Warner and Comcast-Sky megamergers, veteran observers see the next wave of industry consolidation coming through transactions greased with private equity capital. Some executives are lining up to be in a good position to help prospective new owners operate TV, film and digital content and distribution acquisitions.
Gary Newman, former co-head of Fox Television Group, is...
The burst of available executive talent has coincided with an upsurge of interest among investors in putting money into media and related businesses. Now that the dust is settling on the Disney-Fox, AT&T-Time Warner and Comcast-Sky megamergers, veteran observers see the next wave of industry consolidation coming through transactions greased with private equity capital. Some executives are lining up to be in a good position to help prospective new owners operate TV, film and digital content and distribution acquisitions.
Gary Newman, former co-head of Fox Television Group, is...
- 12/4/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The acquisition of Tribune Media by Nexstar Media Group has created the largest owner of local TV stations, but it also raises new questions about the future of Wgn America and a nearly one-third stake in the Food Network.
In a conference call Friday with Wall Street analysts to discuss the deal, which closed Thursday, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said status quo would be the near-term plan on both fronts.
“Our game plan is to operate the heck out of it. We think, with television stations that reach 63% of the U.S., we can be helpful in promoting the channel. Obviously, they’ve had some recent success with new original programming. Dog the Bounty Hunter [and his new show, Dog’s Most Wanted] is delivering all kinds of ratings increases for the company.” The network will join the lineup of AT&T TV, an internet-delivered “skinny bundle” in October, Sook added. “We think there’s a lot we can do with Wgna.
In a conference call Friday with Wall Street analysts to discuss the deal, which closed Thursday, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said status quo would be the near-term plan on both fronts.
“Our game plan is to operate the heck out of it. We think, with television stations that reach 63% of the U.S., we can be helpful in promoting the channel. Obviously, they’ve had some recent success with new original programming. Dog the Bounty Hunter [and his new show, Dog’s Most Wanted] is delivering all kinds of ratings increases for the company.” The network will join the lineup of AT&T TV, an internet-delivered “skinny bundle” in October, Sook added. “We think there’s a lot we can do with Wgna.
- 9/20/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Jon Wax, YouTube’s head of Drama, Scripted & Current Programming, is in negotiations to join Amazon Studios. He is expected to take over the head of genre drama post recently vacated by Sharon Tal Yguado.
Wax, a respected development executive, had been on the market for a new job since YouTube late last year paused its scripted development. Some of the new scripted series launched on YouTube Red/Premium while he was there include Cobra Kai, Step Up: High Water, Origin and Impulse.
Before joining YouTube in 2017, Wax was Evp of Scripted Programming at Wgn America and Tribune Studios, a position he held for four years, Wax built Wgna’s scripted programming slate from the ground up with his former mentors at Fox, Peter Liguori and Matt Cherniss, and helped put Wgna on the original programming map with such dramas as Salem, Manhattan, Underground and Outsiders.
Prior to Wgna, Wax...
Wax, a respected development executive, had been on the market for a new job since YouTube late last year paused its scripted development. Some of the new scripted series launched on YouTube Red/Premium while he was there include Cobra Kai, Step Up: High Water, Origin and Impulse.
Before joining YouTube in 2017, Wax was Evp of Scripted Programming at Wgn America and Tribune Studios, a position he held for four years, Wax built Wgna’s scripted programming slate from the ground up with his former mentors at Fox, Peter Liguori and Matt Cherniss, and helped put Wgna on the original programming map with such dramas as Salem, Manhattan, Underground and Outsiders.
Prior to Wgna, Wax...
- 6/26/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
FX is known for its edge and unpredictability. But one of the secrets to the brand’s success over the past 25 years has been management stability.
Under the leadership of FX Networks and FX Prods. chairman John Landgraf, the company has coalesced into a tight-knit group of seasoned pros in programming, marketing, production, research, business affairs, distribution and the myriad other disciplines that drive a linear cable network. Key Landgraf lieutenants — including entertainment president Eric Schrier, original programming president Nick Grad, marketing chief Stephanie Gibbons, program strategy president Chuck Saftler and communications chief John Solberg — have tenures of 15 years or more. All but Gibbons have been with FX since before Landgraf arrived in 2004. When Landgraf was promoted the following year to president, it marked his first experience at the top of a sizable organization.
“I thought I needed to be smart and know everything,” Landgraf recalls. In short order he learned a crucial lesson.
Under the leadership of FX Networks and FX Prods. chairman John Landgraf, the company has coalesced into a tight-knit group of seasoned pros in programming, marketing, production, research, business affairs, distribution and the myriad other disciplines that drive a linear cable network. Key Landgraf lieutenants — including entertainment president Eric Schrier, original programming president Nick Grad, marketing chief Stephanie Gibbons, program strategy president Chuck Saftler and communications chief John Solberg — have tenures of 15 years or more. All but Gibbons have been with FX since before Landgraf arrived in 2004. When Landgraf was promoted the following year to president, it marked his first experience at the top of a sizable organization.
“I thought I needed to be smart and know everything,” Landgraf recalls. In short order he learned a crucial lesson.
- 6/11/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The U.S. economy had a pretty good 2018, and so did many of Hollywood’s top TV, film and media executives.
Making the most coin — by far — was Discovery chief David Zaslav, who saw his executive compensation soar to $129.4 million. That dwarfed the other guys (and we do mean guys) on this list, especially with disgraced CBS boss Leslie Moonves leaving the field in September.
As part of Moonves’ separation agreement from his former employer, the man accused by numerous women of sexual misconduct had to forfeit $34.5 million. For what it’s worth, Moonves still made more money in his abbreviated 2018 than Dish chairman Charlie Ergen did across 12 months — nearly four times more.
Also Read: Hollywood's Highest Paid Executives: Who Made Bank, Who Sank in 2017 (Updating)
Below is TheWrap‘s list of executive compensation details from 2017 corporate SEC filings. To compare it to past years, click through our previous annual...
Making the most coin — by far — was Discovery chief David Zaslav, who saw his executive compensation soar to $129.4 million. That dwarfed the other guys (and we do mean guys) on this list, especially with disgraced CBS boss Leslie Moonves leaving the field in September.
As part of Moonves’ separation agreement from his former employer, the man accused by numerous women of sexual misconduct had to forfeit $34.5 million. For what it’s worth, Moonves still made more money in his abbreviated 2018 than Dish chairman Charlie Ergen did across 12 months — nearly four times more.
Also Read: Hollywood's Highest Paid Executives: Who Made Bank, Who Sank in 2017 (Updating)
Below is TheWrap‘s list of executive compensation details from 2017 corporate SEC filings. To compare it to past years, click through our previous annual...
- 5/5/2019
- by Tony Maglio, Trey Williams, Sean Burch and Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
“Bones” stars and executive producers were awarded $179 million earlier this month in a profit participation lawsuit with Fox that ended up in arbitration — but don’t expect a sudden surge of copycat lawsuits, experts tell TheWrap. At least, not successful ones.
One prominent dealmaker told TheWrap that although this judgement — which ruled in favor of “Bones” stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, executive producer Barry Josephson and Kathy Reichs, the forensic anthropologist whose books inspired the show — may lead other hit shows to hire someone to scrutinize how their studio shared profits, not everyone will have the right situation or the finances to take it to court.
“It’s the confluence of a successful show, where people are underpaid, where there are enough points that reside with one or two or three people such that it’s worth it to take on Fox,” the dealmaker, who requested anonymity due to...
One prominent dealmaker told TheWrap that although this judgement — which ruled in favor of “Bones” stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, executive producer Barry Josephson and Kathy Reichs, the forensic anthropologist whose books inspired the show — may lead other hit shows to hire someone to scrutinize how their studio shared profits, not everyone will have the right situation or the finances to take it to court.
“It’s the confluence of a successful show, where people are underpaid, where there are enough points that reside with one or two or three people such that it’s worth it to take on Fox,” the dealmaker, who requested anonymity due to...
- 3/1/2019
- by Tony Maglio and Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
The $179 million decision in the dispute between Fox and “Bones” stars and producers included a notable observation about former Fox executive Peter Liguori — he received a sweetheart deal from Fox months before he testified on the company’s behalf.
Liguori, who was president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company until his exit in 2009, quietly re-entered the company’s orbit in 2018 with a lucrative producing deal at FX, according to the ruling from arbitrator Peter Lichtman.
“t seems coincidental that Mr. Liguori disappears for 9 years (from Fox’s radar) and then magically reappears with a First Look Agreement 7 months before he is to testify in these proceedings with a deal in hand that most producers in Hollywood have strived to have their entire entertainment career,” Lichtman wrote.
Also Read: Fox Slapped With $179 Million Judgment in Battle Over 'Bones' Profits
According to the 68-page decision, Liguori’s deal came with “fixed episodic...
Liguori, who was president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company until his exit in 2009, quietly re-entered the company’s orbit in 2018 with a lucrative producing deal at FX, according to the ruling from arbitrator Peter Lichtman.
“t seems coincidental that Mr. Liguori disappears for 9 years (from Fox’s radar) and then magically reappears with a First Look Agreement 7 months before he is to testify in these proceedings with a deal in hand that most producers in Hollywood have strived to have their entire entertainment career,” Lichtman wrote.
Also Read: Fox Slapped With $179 Million Judgment in Battle Over 'Bones' Profits
According to the 68-page decision, Liguori’s deal came with “fixed episodic...
- 2/28/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
An arbitrator has ordered Fox to pay $179 million to profit participants in the long-running drama series “Bones,” finding that top executives lowballed revenue from the show and gave false testimony.
In his ruling, arbitrator Peter Lichtman blasted several Fox executives by name, including Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice, saying they gave “false testimony in an attempt to conceal their wrongful acts.” Lichtman held that Fox engaged “intentional acts of fraud and malice,” and showed a “cavalier attitude” toward the company’s wrongdoing.
The case is the latest in a long line of self-dealing lawsuits in which profit participants assert that the network did not pay market rates to license the show because it was produced by a corporate sibling, 20th Century Fox Television.
Lichtman awarded a whopping $128 million in punitive damages, finding the high amount “necessary to punish Fox for its reprehensible conduct and deter it from future wrongful conduct.
In his ruling, arbitrator Peter Lichtman blasted several Fox executives by name, including Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice, saying they gave “false testimony in an attempt to conceal their wrongful acts.” Lichtman held that Fox engaged “intentional acts of fraud and malice,” and showed a “cavalier attitude” toward the company’s wrongdoing.
The case is the latest in a long line of self-dealing lawsuits in which profit participants assert that the network did not pay market rates to license the show because it was produced by a corporate sibling, 20th Century Fox Television.
Lichtman awarded a whopping $128 million in punitive damages, finding the high amount “necessary to punish Fox for its reprehensible conduct and deter it from future wrongful conduct.
- 2/27/2019
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Nexstar has confirmed its $4.1B acquisition of Tribune Media – making it the top local TV station owner in the U.S. and expanding its reach by 50%.
The merger, worth $6.4 billion including the assumption of debt, will see Nexstar acquire all outstanding shares of Tribune Media for $46.50 per share in cash. The transaction reflects a 15.5% premium to Tribune’s share price as of November 30.
Nexstar, which has grown in just 22 years from a single Pennsylvania radio station into a local TV giant, will vault ahead of Sinclair Broadcast Group after the deal closes. The transaction comes after Sinclair’s long-pending deal to acquire Tribune for $3.9 billion unraveled in the face of heightened regulatory scrutiny from the FCC. The official announcement of the deal noted that the price represents a 45% premium to the price on July 16, when the FCC dealt Tribune’s deal with Sinclair a fatal blow.
Chicago-based Tribune has 42 local...
The merger, worth $6.4 billion including the assumption of debt, will see Nexstar acquire all outstanding shares of Tribune Media for $46.50 per share in cash. The transaction reflects a 15.5% premium to Tribune’s share price as of November 30.
Nexstar, which has grown in just 22 years from a single Pennsylvania radio station into a local TV giant, will vault ahead of Sinclair Broadcast Group after the deal closes. The transaction comes after Sinclair’s long-pending deal to acquire Tribune for $3.9 billion unraveled in the face of heightened regulatory scrutiny from the FCC. The official announcement of the deal noted that the price represents a 45% premium to the price on July 16, when the FCC dealt Tribune’s deal with Sinclair a fatal blow.
Chicago-based Tribune has 42 local...
- 12/3/2018
- by Peter White and Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Nexstar Media Group, which has grown in just 22 years from a single Pennsylvania radio station into a local TV giant, has reportedly struck a deal to acquire Tribune Media for about $4.1 billion.
The acquisition, first reported by Reuters, would vault Nexstar ahead of Sinclair Broadcast Group to make it the top local TV station owner in the U.S. A formal announcement is expected Monday.
When contacted by Deadline, a Tribune spokesman declined comment, describing the Reuters report as “speculation.” Nexstar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nextar outbid private equity firm Apollo Global Management with an all-cash offer that values Tribune at around $46.50 per share, according to Reuters. Tribune shares ended trading on Friday at $40.26.
Chicago-based Tribune has 42 local TV stations — notably in major markets like New York, La and Chicago — reaching about 50 million households, or 39% of the country. It also owns Wgn America, a cable network carried in some 77 million homes,...
The acquisition, first reported by Reuters, would vault Nexstar ahead of Sinclair Broadcast Group to make it the top local TV station owner in the U.S. A formal announcement is expected Monday.
When contacted by Deadline, a Tribune spokesman declined comment, describing the Reuters report as “speculation.” Nexstar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nextar outbid private equity firm Apollo Global Management with an all-cash offer that values Tribune at around $46.50 per share, according to Reuters. Tribune shares ended trading on Friday at $40.26.
Chicago-based Tribune has 42 local TV stations — notably in major markets like New York, La and Chicago — reaching about 50 million households, or 39% of the country. It also owns Wgn America, a cable network carried in some 77 million homes,...
- 12/2/2018
- by Dade Hayes and Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Tribune Media, which was left at the altar last summer when the $3.9 billion acquisition of the company by Sinclair Broadcast Group fell through, posted strong third-quarter results.
The aftermath of the failed merger did not take up a lot of the conference call with analysts to discuss the quarterly results, but the company did say it is not considering a settlement of its $1 billion lawsuit against Sinclair.
“We feel really strongly about our breach case against Sinclair,” said Eddie Lazarus, Tribune’s general counsel and Evp of Strategy. “We’re going to pursue it aggressively. We’re moving into the discovery phase now.” He estimated that the case could take about 18 months to reach a resolution. In August, Tribune sued Sinclair for $1 billion, and its former merger partner filed a counter-claim.
Diluted earnings per share in the third quarter came in at 61 cents, compared with a loss in the year-earlier period of 21 cents.
The aftermath of the failed merger did not take up a lot of the conference call with analysts to discuss the quarterly results, but the company did say it is not considering a settlement of its $1 billion lawsuit against Sinclair.
“We feel really strongly about our breach case against Sinclair,” said Eddie Lazarus, Tribune’s general counsel and Evp of Strategy. “We’re going to pursue it aggressively. We’re moving into the discovery phase now.” He estimated that the case could take about 18 months to reach a resolution. In August, Tribune sued Sinclair for $1 billion, and its former merger partner filed a counter-claim.
Diluted earnings per share in the third quarter came in at 61 cents, compared with a loss in the year-earlier period of 21 cents.
- 11/9/2018
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
In a conference call with investors this morning, Tribune Media CEO Peter Kern said the company will continue to look for M&A opportunities despite the demise of its long-gestating merger with Sinclair Broadcast Group.
In the wake of the $3.9 billion deal’s end, which officially came this morning with the company’s filing of a lawsuit against Sinclair, Kern didn’t offer many specifics as to where Tribune goes from here. The sting of the outcome is still being felt inside the company, he conceded.
“There’s a lot of frustration,” he said, “when people invest their blood, sweat and tears trying to do what they were supposed to do, which is close the deal.” Of the deal first proposed in May 2017, he said, “I don’t think we regret that decision. But we’re extremely pleased with the state of the business today. prospects are bright for the future.
In the wake of the $3.9 billion deal’s end, which officially came this morning with the company’s filing of a lawsuit against Sinclair, Kern didn’t offer many specifics as to where Tribune goes from here. The sting of the outcome is still being felt inside the company, he conceded.
“There’s a lot of frustration,” he said, “when people invest their blood, sweat and tears trying to do what they were supposed to do, which is close the deal.” Of the deal first proposed in May 2017, he said, “I don’t think we regret that decision. But we’re extremely pleased with the state of the business today. prospects are bright for the future.
- 8/9/2018
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Tribune Media has officially canceled the critically acclaimed “Underground,” and with that, Wgn America is now out of the quality period drama game.
“Underground,” which depicted the pre-Civil War fight for freedom during an era of slavery, will not be continuing for a third season on Wgn America, although producer Sony Pictures Television is said to be aggressively looking to find a new home for the show (but doesn’t have anything to announce yet).
Read More: With ‘People v. O.J. Simpson’ and ‘Underground,’ Director Anthony Hemingway Is Redefining TV’s Approach to Race
“As Wgn America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape,” Peter Kern, President and CEO, Tribune Media Company, said in a statement. “This move is designed to deliver additional...
“Underground,” which depicted the pre-Civil War fight for freedom during an era of slavery, will not be continuing for a third season on Wgn America, although producer Sony Pictures Television is said to be aggressively looking to find a new home for the show (but doesn’t have anything to announce yet).
Read More: With ‘People v. O.J. Simpson’ and ‘Underground,’ Director Anthony Hemingway Is Redefining TV’s Approach to Race
“As Wgn America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape,” Peter Kern, President and CEO, Tribune Media Company, said in a statement. “This move is designed to deliver additional...
- 5/30/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
The effort to make Wgn America a platform for pricey original programming is over, Sinclair Broadcast CEO Chris Ripley told analysts today in a call to discuss his company’s $3.9 billion deal to buy Tribune Media. Wgna “is already going to be shifting its strategy away from high-cost originals into more cost-effective originals and reruns” now that Peter Kern is interim CEO of Tribune — replacing Peter Liguori, who left the company in March — Ripley says. “We think that…...
- 5/8/2017
- Deadline TV
Television is a fast-paced business, where a show can be written, developed, ordered, cast, produced, and aired all within the course of a year. But sometimes, executives get ahead of themselves and shows are announced prematurely, or circumstances change, forcing delay.
IndieWire combed through some high-profile TV announcements from the past few years that haven’t yet seen the light of day, and asked their status. Some are still in the works; some are still “in development,” which could be code for “we don’t want to admit yet that this show is dead”; and some have quietly faded away.
Read More: M. Night Shyamalan Is Bringing Back ‘Tales From the Crypt’ at TNT
“Tales from the Crypt” (TNT)
TNT announced an ambitious new “Tales from the Crypt”-branded horror block executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan last year, including a 10-episode order of the anthology series, “guided by a newly reinvented Crypt Keeper.
IndieWire combed through some high-profile TV announcements from the past few years that haven’t yet seen the light of day, and asked their status. Some are still in the works; some are still “in development,” which could be code for “we don’t want to admit yet that this show is dead”; and some have quietly faded away.
Read More: M. Night Shyamalan Is Bringing Back ‘Tales From the Crypt’ at TNT
“Tales from the Crypt” (TNT)
TNT announced an ambitious new “Tales from the Crypt”-branded horror block executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan last year, including a 10-episode order of the anthology series, “guided by a newly reinvented Crypt Keeper.
- 4/14/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
The timing of Peter Liguori’s announcement this morning about his plan to leave Tribune Media might be a surprise. But the development shouldn’t be. Tribune has been open for a sale for nearly a year and will find it much easier to secure a buyer with the Trump administration now in charge of communications policy. Some people close to Liguori say that the exec who helped to turn FX into a success for Fox and helped Discovery launch its Own partnership with Oprah Winfrey…...
- 1/25/2017
- Deadline TV
Tribune Media president and chief executive officer Peter Liguori will step down following the company’s 2016 fourth quarter and full-year earnings release, expected to occur during the first week of March, the company announced on Wednesday. “Following the successful completion of several financial, strategic and creative initiatives, culminating in the pending sale of Gracenote, Tribune Media is well advanced in its transformation to a more focused broadcast and cable networks company,” Liguori said in a statement. “I believe that now is the ideal time for a new leader to steer today’s Tribune. As curious and excited as I am about.
- 1/25/2017
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori said this morning that he will step down in March, ending the effort he began four years ago to take a publishing and TV company that had just emerged from bankruptcy protection and turn it into what he initially called a “165-year-old startup” built on TV production and distribution. Liguori will leave his position, and the Tribune board, after it releases its Q4 earnings, expected in the first week of March. The board has hired search…...
- 1/25/2017
- Deadline TV
Tribune Media has agreed to sell its Digital and Data business operations — Gracenote’s video, music and sports — to Nielsen for $560 million in cash. The Peter Liguori-led company will retain its ownership of business-to-consumer websites, Covers.com and ProSportsDaily.com. This deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017. “We are extremely proud to have grown our Digital and Data business into a vibrant global enterprise, with talented and creative people who deliver outstanding service to blue-chip clients around the world,” said Liguori, Tribune Media’s president and chief executive officer. “From a strategic standpoint, however, we are pleased to.
- 12/20/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media’s cash raising efforts won’t include a sale of its 31% stake in Food Network — thought to be worth about $1 billion — to the cable channel’s parent, Scripps Networks Interactive. The companies say this morning that they’ve agreed to a “multi-year extension” of their Food partnership agreement. They didn’t offer financial details. Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori calls Food “the gold standard for cable networks of all kinds," and anticipates “continued success…...
- 10/28/2016
- Deadline TV
Update: Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori told analysts in a conference call that he’s still negotiating to resolve his company’s dispute with Dish Network, and is “hopeful” it can be resolved “soon.” But his company only lost $1 million in Q2 from the dispute. “Naturally we don’t like losing any revenue,” he says. “But the situation is manageable.” Previous, 5:06 Am: Tribune Media assured Wall Street this morning that it’s on track to hit its financial targets for 2016…...
- 8/9/2016
- Deadline TV
The CW Network and Tribune Media Company have reached new long-term affiliation agreements for 12 of Tribune’s currently affiliated CW stations across the country, the companies announced on Monday. “We are extremely pleased to continue our strong relationship with The CW Network,” Peter Liguori, Tribune Media’s president and chief executive officer, said. “The primetime entertainment programming offered by The CW drives a passionate and loyal audience to our stations and we are looking forward to a lot of success.” The markets renewed cover 25 percent of the U.S. and serve more than 28 million households. The stations extending their affiliation agreements with.
- 5/23/2016
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
Wgn America’s new series Outsiders and Underground are ratings successes for Tribune Media — and big contributors to its far lower than expected Q1 profits — CEO Peter Liguori told analysts today in his quarterly conference call to discuss earnings. The company decided to launch the dramas “away from the noise of the summer Olympics and the election campaign,” he said. That helped to boost programming expenses by $12 million and marketing expenses by $16 million vs last…...
- 5/10/2016
- Deadline TV
This isn’t the time to hit Peter Liguori up for a big personal loan. The Tribune Media CEO took a pretty big pay cut last year, losing 65 percent of 2014’s executive compensation. He ended up taking in $8.1 million, far lower than 2014’s $23 million total. That said, the big boss’s 2015 pay was more in line with what he made in 2013 — the in-between year was a big number due to stocks and options. In 2013, Liguori made $8.8 million. Also Read: Wgn America's Not Off the Table in Potential Tribune Media Selling Spree Here’s how the top executive’s compensation breaks.
- 3/24/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media boss Peter Liguori squashed any notion that cable channel Wgn America would be off the table in a potentially coming company fire sale. “We’re just looking at our assets,” Ligouri (pictured above) told media analysts on Monday. “We view them as being incredibly valuable, they’re powerful, they’re performing well.” Unfortunately, no one at his company believes the current stock price is reflecting that. As a result, the board of directors revealed on Monday that it’s looking to possibly sell off certain businesses and assets. Also Read: Tribune Media to Explore Sale of Businesses and...
- 2/29/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media unveiled its fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 financials on Monday, topping Q4 earnings per share by 8 cents. The company also beat on revenue for the three-month period — but that doesn’t mean the morning was all good news. The Peter Liguori-led company announced plans to potentially sell off even more assets than it already had been, and the board of directors has hired Moelis & Co. and Guggenheim Securities as financial advisors. Tribune Media will also explore new partnerships. “The strategic and financial alternatives under consideration include, but are not limited to, the sale or separation of select lines of.
- 2/29/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
The CW and its top affiliate group Tribune are going down to the wire on renewing their affiliate agreement, which is up in the fall. The good news is, the two sides — Tribune and the CW owners CBS and Warner Bros. — are talking. After the low point in the relationship in 2014 when Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori made some pointed comments about being “not pleased” with the CW, things have somewhat normalized, with the two sides keeping it civil, at least in…...
- 1/12/2016
- Deadline TV
Tribune Media’s programming expense is rising at a rapid rate, but CEO Peter Liguori said Tuesday that the trend won’t continue for long. “It kind of had to reach a critical mass, and we’re clearly approaching that,” he told media analysts and journalists on a Tuesday morning conference call. In the third quarter of 2015, Tribune’s programming expenses rose to $116.3 million versus $93.9 million for the comparable 90-day period last year. That’s an increase of nearly 24 percent year over year. Taking into account the entirety of 2015’s fiscal nine months, that line item has jumped about 29 percent.
- 11/10/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
At&T U-verse and DirecTV subscribers will no longer be without their “Manhattan”: At&T and Tribune Media have reached a multiyear retransmission agreement. As such, customers to the cable and satellite company can continue access to cable channel Wgn America, as well as Tribune’s local stations. “At&T and Tribune Media have reached a multiyear agreement covering Tribune Media’s television stations and broad distribution of its cable network, Wgn America, to At&T U-verse and Directv subscribers,” the companies said in a statement. Also Read: Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori Wants Even More Local News Programming:...
- 10/26/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media’s effort to convert Wgn America from a superstation into a basic cable channel is one of CEO Peter Liguori’s top priorities. And he just made some progress in a carriage deal with Cablevision, announced this morning. The Long Island-based cable operator will make the switch in January for its 2.6 million video customers, mostly concentrated in the tri-state area around New York City. That will bring Wgn’s basic cable audience to 76 million homes, about 80%…...
- 9/10/2015
- Deadline TV
Tribune Media reported its second quarter earnings before the stock market opened on Thursday, falling shy of earnings and revenue expectations. The media company reported a loss of $0.04 per share on revenue of $501.5 million. Wall Street analysts forecasted earnings of $0.32 per share on $503.24 million in revenue, according to Yahoo Finance. Also Read: Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori Wants Even More Local News Programming: Here's Why Profit fell 39 percent $19.8 million with higher production costs in the company’s broadcast division affecting the bottomline (shows like “Manhattan” having high production costs). Other higher expenses and a one-time loss on its...
- 8/13/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Approximately 20-25 percent of Tribune Media’s revenue comes from news, Peter Liguori revealed Friday during his company’s first quarter 2015 earnings call, and that statistic puts a smile on the chief executive officer’s face. The company’s top manager touted the importance of the information-spreading programming following the release of mixed, but generally decent, first quarter 2015 earnings. Tribune currently airs roughly 70,000 hours of local news, second only to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Liguori and co. told reporters. One-fifth of Tribune’s total programming is news, and they plan on adding 25 more hours per week across their station group. Last year,...
- 5/8/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media fell shy of revenue expectations in its first quarter 2015, despite growing sales at both its TV and Entertainment and Digital and Data segments. The Peter Liguori-run company did meet Wall Street’s expectations in terms of earnings per share (Eps), however, clocking that profit distribution at $0.37 apiece. Revenue of $472.7 million was up from Q1 2014 — but not enough to hit analyst estimates of $474.91. To be fair to the company, that Yahoo Finance forecast had just four analysts reporting. Net income declined year-over-year to $36.4 million, thanks in large pat to discontinued operations. Operating income was up from...
- 5/8/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Tribune Media said Tuesday that it has received approval to move its stock to the New York Stock Exchange, which is expected to give it more investor and Wall Street attention. The company, led by CEO Peter Liguori, expects trading of its class A common stock on the NYSE to start on Friday under ticker symbol Trco. It currently trades on the Otc Bulletin Board for smaller, less broadly followed stocks. That makes it less widely traded and covered by analysts. Liguori previously said that a move to a major exchange would "open us up to more investors." The
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- 12/2/2014
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With CBS and HBO having announced online-only streaming services and content giants licensing content to online players, Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori on Tuesday discussed his company's take on "over-the-top" offers. "In general, we see over-the-top as a tremendous opportunity," he said on the company's third-quarter earnings conference call. "It's a potential new distribution platform for our broadcast content, and we look forward to discussions with new entrants who are now looking to pay fair-market value for our content." He added that Ott also has potential for Tribune's Wgn America and
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- 11/11/2014
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tribune Media, the entertainment company that was created by the recent split of the Tribune Co., on Tuesday reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings. Tribune Media is led by CEO Peter Liguori who used to hold senior executive roles at Fox and Discovery Communications. He touted the company's outlook on an earnings call Tuesday, including expectations for growing retransmission consent fees, increased original programming at Wgn America and upside in the company's entertainment meta-data business. Discussing what Tribune Media was now, he described it as a "diverse, modern media company." While sometimes people call it a local
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- 11/11/2014
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tribune Media is preparing to file the necessary documents to move its stock to a major stock exchange, CEO Peter Liguori said Thursday. The company is currently publicly traded, but the stock is only listed on the so-called Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board for smaller, less broadly followed stocks. That makes the stock less widely traded and covered by analysts. "It is something that we have to address," Liguori told the Nomura Digital Media Conference in New York. "We do know that there is tremendous investor interest." He said his team was in the process of completing
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- 9/4/2014
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tribune has rebranded itself as Tribune Media Company as it completes the process of spinning off its publishing business, the company said on Monday. The newly rebranded entity combines content with distribution and digital properties that include Tribune Broadcasting, Wgn America, Tribune Studios, Tribune Digital Ventures, Wgn Radio in Chicago and Tribune Real Estate. Also read: Rupert Murdoch Won't Be Buying Chicago Tribune or L.A. Times Tribune Media Company president and CEO Peter Liguori said the company has embraced the changing media environment while announcing the rebrand Monday. “In the last year, we have executed a strategy designed to embrace a rapidly changing media.
- 8/4/2014
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
This little item popped up in the Friday data dump of filings at the SEC. The Tribune CEO told Yahoo that he won’t seek re-election at the next annual meeting, when his term expires. Peter Liguori, formerly a honcho at Fox and Discovery, joined the board in 2012. Yahoo had hoped that the appointment of an independent director would help to derail a planned proxy fight by Third Point’s Daniel Loeb who said, among other things, that the company was underperforming in part because directors were too closely aligned with management. That plan didn’t work, though the company and Loeb finally made peace after it hired Marissa Mayer to be CEO. (Loeb is an investor in Variety with Deadline’s parent company, Pmc.) Last year, Liguori also left the MGM board.
- 4/11/2014
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Financial Editor
- Deadline TV
Chicago, Mar. 17, 2014—Tribune Company today announced the appointment of Keith Bowen to the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer. Bowen will be responsible for maximizing revenue across the company’s growing broadcast and digital media portfolio, including its local television stations and Wgn America. He will lead the company’s effort to drive its revenue streams and identify new opportunities for growth. Bowen will begin his new duties on April 1, and will report to Tribune’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Liguori. “Keith has a track record of success working with and developing solutions for advertisers across a broad array of media platforms,” said Liguori. “He has a terrific ability to target an advertiser’s message to the right audience at the right time using the right combination of media for maximum impact, and he always puts clients first. Keith is driven and creative and he will be...
- 3/17/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Democratic California Rep. Henry Waxman has sent a second letter to Tribune Co. President and CEO Peter Liguori about its proposed spinoff of the L.A. Times and other newspapers it now owns, expressing heightened concerns about the transaction based on paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “It appears that you are putting onerous conditions on the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers that could jeopardize their survival as a separate entity, the Tribune Publishing Company,” Waxman wrote. “At a minimum, you appear to be putting the profits of the Tribune Company ahead of the interests of the public in.
- 1/7/2014
- by L.A. Ross
- The Wrap
Related: FCC Approves Gannett-Belo And Tribune-Local TV Mergers Chicago, Dec. 27, 2013—Tribune Company announced today that it has completed the final steps necessary to close its acquisition of Local TV Holdings, LLC. The transaction creates the largest combined independent broadcast group and content creator in the country. As a result of this acquisition, Tribune now owns 39 television stations across the country. In addition, Tribune will provide certain services to support the operations of three former Local TV stations owned by Dreamcatcher Broadcasting LLC. The combined broadcast portfolios include 14 Fox affiliates, 14 CW affiliates, 5 CBS affiliates, 3 ABC affiliates and 2 NBC affiliates. Tribune owns 14 stations in top-20 markets and the company is now the #1 Fox affiliate group and the #1 CW affiliate group in the country. The transaction added market-leading stations in prime cities such as Denver, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Salt Lake City and Milwaukee to the Tribune lineup. “This is a historic...
- 12/27/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
The TV station deals, both announced over the summer, now are cleared to close. Gannett, which owns 23 stations, will pay $1.5B (not including $715M in debt) to add Belo’s 20 outlets. The owner of USA Today is already the No. 1 owner of NBC affiliates (not including the network-owned group), and will become the No. 1 outside owner of CBS stations and No. 4 with ABC. It also will reach about 30% of all TV owners. Meanwhile, Tribune’s $2.73B acquisition of Local TV gives it an additional 16 stations to the 23 it already owns. The combination will reach about 44% of viewers which Tribune says makes it “the largest combined independent broadcast group and content creator in the country.” Already the top owner of CW stations, it now also has the largest portfolio of Fox affiliates. CEO Peter Liguori says that the deal reflects his view that “in a fragmenting media landscape, there is value in scale,...
- 12/20/2013
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Financial Editor
- Deadline TV
Rep. Henry Waxman is questioning whether the Tribune Co. is unfairly structuring the spinoff of its newspapers — and specifically of the Los Angeles Times — in a way that could make it more difficult for the newspapers to survive. The California Democrat sent a letter Thursday to Tribune president-ceo Peter Liguori expressing concern “that corporate actions the Tribune Company is taking may not be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Times.” “I am writing on behalf of my constituents who rely daily on the Los Angeles Times for their national news and local reporting,” said Waxman. He said those constituents have already.
- 12/19/2013
- by Ira Teinowitz
- The Wrap
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