NBC alum Marc Graboff to join CKX

Marc Graboff is poised to take the reins of CKX, the holding company that owns "American Idol" producer 19 Entertainment and rights to the name and likenesses of Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, among other assets. Graboff, former NBC prexy of West Coast operations, is expected to serve as prexy of CKX, which was bought out for $509 million in June after months on the auction block by Leon Black's private equity giant Apollo Global Management. Graboff is expected to focus on driving Apollo's investments in other media and entertainment firms, and it's understood Apollo is ready to spend to add some heft to CKX's motley assortment of holdings. The company already is said to be eyeing at an investment in at least one indie unscripted TV production company. Graboff announced his exit from NBC in November. He spent the past 11 years overseeing business operations for NBC Entertainment. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

TV Guide Network Orders More Hollywood Moms Night, Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On

Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips Hollywood Moms Night and Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On, which aired as specials on TV Guide Network in November, will now be expanded into weekly series, the network announced Monday.Alison Sweeney on Hollywood Moms Night: "Nothing's off limits"Hollywood Moms Night is an unscripted series in which best friends Alison Sweeney (The Biggest Loser) and Ali Landry (former Miss USA) host dinner parties for their famous mom friends. The five-episode series will premiere in March.Wilson Phillips capitalizes on great year with new TV Guide specialWilson Phillips: Still Holding On will document the journey of the Grammy-winning trio Wilson Phillips (Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson, and Chynna Phillips) as they attempt a comeback after 20 years away from the spotlight. The series, which premieres in April, will have an eight-episode run and will coincide with the release of their new album Dedicated.

Lowering Video Sales Result In Lousy 3Q Results At Biggest Score

Considering just how much the revenue in Hollywood arises from retail salesand electronic products, there’s sure to be some teeth gnashing inside the earnings knows today from Biggest Score for your quarter that brought to November. Shares inside the No. 1 electronics chain are lower greater than 11% noisy . purchasing and selling after it reported internet profits of $154M, lower 29% within the same period a year ago, on revenues of $12.1B, up 1.8%. Invoice discounting out single-time restructuring charge together with an increase by having an investment purchase, earnings showed up at 47 cents a share – underneath the 51 cents that experts expected.Biggest Score qualities many of the net gain drop to lowering purchases of of camera models and game titles, additionally to promotions — including people on Black Friday — to operate a vehicle sales of tablet pc systems, Televisions and flicks. Still, entertainment sales including music and Digital video disks fell 9% at domestic stores open 14 several days or maybe more. They now consider 13% of Biggest Score’s U.S. revenue. Electronic products, whichrepresent 35% of Biggest Score’s domestic sales,were lower 4.8%. The chain must luck with personal computers and mobile phones whichrepresent 40% of sales, and were up 8.8%. Biggest Score’s announcement came since the Commerce Department offered a mixed picture of retail sales in November.Trading elevated .2% with gains for electronics, home home appliances, cars,clothing, and mall items but declines for building materials, gas, and groceries.It’s the sixth consecutive month of growth, nevertheless it’s under forecasters expected — minimizing within the .6% trading rise in October.

LA Filmmaker Charged With Movie Tax Credit Fraud In Massachusetts

News reviews saywriter-director Daniel Adams was arraignedtoday with defrauding Massachusetts around $5 million in inflated tax credits he acquired for your Golden Boys as well as the Lightkeepers.Adams came out today in Boston Municipal Court and bought held on $100,000 bail. He was arrested Thursday andcharged quickly because government physiques desire to keep him from flying to La. His attorney mentioned government bodies had rushed to judgement. Production companies are qualified for just about any 25% tax credit for payroll and filmmaking expenses incurred in Massachusetts. Prosecutors allege La-based Adams deliberately inflated expenses when finishing forms for your tax credit andthe condition overpaaid some $4.7 million to his production companies. Among Adams’ alleged false claims waspaying Richard Dreyfuss $2.5 million for your Lightkeepers when the actor’s actual fee was $400,000. Maximum penalty if billed is five years jail time. Both movies were written and directed by Adams andset at the begining of 20th centuryalong the Cape Cod coast.The Golden Boys (2008) starred David Carradine, Rip Torn and Bruce Dern. The Lightkeepers (2009) starred Dreyfuss, Julie Harris, and Blythe Danner.Adams most recently directed The Big Valley, starring Jessica Lange since the matriarch from the California family using the TV series that starred Barbara Stanwyck.

Comcast Hints That Harry Potter Would Go To Additional Universal Parks

CFO Mike Angelakis states that”The Wizarding Arena Of Harry Potter”was so effective for Universal Orlando’s Islands of risk it increased being “a totally totally reset mechanism” for your theme park.But he stopped missing verifying reviews the organization expects to create Potter to Universal Art galleries Hollywood, whilst he gave experts attending the UBS Annual Global Media and Communications Conference every reason to consider they’re accurate.Indeed, he made an appearance likely to avoid making news, sticking insteadto Comcast’sfamiliar speaking points: He acknowledged that might be “challenges” atNBC but saysit’s also”an opportunty for people” adding that Comcast is “investing where we could have some success.” Hevowed being”disciplined” in investing in an offer for sports programming, callingthe Comcast’s agreement in June to cover $4.4B for U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics from 2014 to 2020 “a smart deal for people.” The business also spoken up its new pactto sell wireless spectrum to Verizon Wireless Carrier Company, while using companies mix-selling each other’s products. “We don’t have to create a wireless network,” Comcast Cable Boss Neil Smit states. “We’re thrilled.” He noted that Comcast will have a way to market Verizon Wireless Carrier Company phone services during areas where the cable company competes with Verizon’s FiOS video and broadband offering.

The completely new TV tipping point

"There's something happening here. How it is ain't exactly apparent." -- Zoysia Springfield Applying a '60s protest song lyric might appear being an overreach -- particularly with actual protests around Wall Street and also over the U.S. -- but something revolutionary does appear to become brewing within the perplexing nexus of Hollywood and Plastic Valley.After a period of fits and (false) starts, of Chicken Littles expected to later eat crow, is 2012 the season when the future for online content will need shape -- or otherwise, begin to coalesce?Among a virtually daily deluge of latest deals and initiatives, it feels as if we're getting closer -- approaching some form of threshold, the one that could launch video content toward a next phase but could also claim high-profile casualties on the way.Clearly, we might not observe that the planet population has moved until following a ground changes, to ensure that of course failures and difficulties may be as essential in identifying what's later on as accomplishments -- beginning while using aborted try emigrate the ABC soaps "One Existence to resideInch and "The KidsInch online. By validating skepticism about this kind of enterprize model, the withdrawal of people plans outlined how rhetoric in this particular discussion can easily race before reality.Nevertheless, the stampede of video content for the web appears to own moved past the "acquiring our bets" stage for the "maybe there is a real business here" phase.So monitor Netflix, which is growing pains Comcast, which is rebuffed expects to succeed in-home home home windows for movies Google, The brand new the new sony and Amazon . com . com, utilizing their distribution ambitions Apple, which is much-spoken about flirtation getting a next-generation TV and Hulu, and when the partners who chosen not to sell end up lamenting that decision or enjoying useful advantages of this.Take notice, too, to how CW shows fare under recently introduced handles Netflix and Hulu. Despite the fact that there's clearly logic in the youthful-skewing network making its programs about with a tech-savvy audience via alternative platforms, one miracles whether online viewing will cannibalize tune-towards the Tv producers delivering the netlet's swaying backbone.Finally, when the smoke clears within the original programming introduced with great fanfare by these internet based entrepreneurs, let us wait watching whether they have been the fortitude to get much more about new production after they have grown to be their noses bloodied by an pricey flop or two.Speaking about flops, nothing offers a more sobering wakeup call in regards to the dangerous character in the current media than Netflix, a company that went overnight from broadly respected for the gang that may not market straight. The business's rash retreat in the intend to separate its service didn't address how they misunderstand the playing area badly.On that score, Netflix is hardly alone. Take Google's admission that Google TV -- something that has so deflated clients that returns lost-pacing sales -- will be a "large mistake," requiring a considerable overhaul.Google's YouTube, meanwhile, has revealed a $100-million persistence for expand its presence in original content, using such stars as Ashton Kutcher and Amy Poehler to register.The same way is working with a couple of online endeavors -- namely, testing whether programs and personas with established fans can transfer a lucrative a part of their fans into another dimension, as former Fox News Funnel host Glenn Beck has looked for to accomplish by tempting his acolytes with a premium site.For talent like Beck, especially, such deals represent a notable tradeoff: Within the right cost and cost structure, subscription models plus an advertisement-supported formula might be viable. The sacrifice will come in how large everyone else showed up at -- and whether an individual's voice is heard beyond a little echo chamber. Just request Howard Stern, who developed a similar wager previously within the jump from terrestrial to satellite radio.As remains true formerly, people attempting to declare individuals who win and nonwinners in this particular rapidly changing game frequently succeed of themselves. In addition, many bulletins appear suspiciously like reruns within the turn-of-the-century boom, among high hopes surrounding services like Icebox and Family room just before the united states us dot-com bubble burst.Nonetheless, something is happening. The question, once again, is if the media world is promoting to the stage where online content's would-be prophets could be they're not only coming smoke -- beginning by really turning an earnings.So when not now, assist you in 2013. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com