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Telecom Trade Group Files Lawsuit Against FCC Over Net Neutrality
1 hour ago
The FCC’s net neutrality order got its first court challenge on Monday. The USTelecom Association filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the FCC’s action was “arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion,” and violates various laws, regulations and rule making procedures. USTelecom is a trade association that represents service providers and suppliers for the telecom industry. Even as it made the filing, the group admitted it was dubious that the trigger point for filing an appeal had yet arrived, but it filed the appeal early just in case. »
- Ira Teinowitz
Fox’s Comedown: The Colossal ‘Empire’ to ‘Idol’ Ratings Drop Revealed
1 hour ago
Fox’s “Empire” has dominated the ratings this broadcast season, but now the party’s over, and the network might be wishing they ordered a few more episodes come Thursday morning, when Nielsen numbers for the prior night trickle out. On Wednesday, the week’s second-hour of “American Idol” will join the first one, taking over the hip-hop soap opera’s 9 p.m. timeslot. (“Bones” premieres on Thursday, grabbing 8 o’clock’s vacated 60 minutes from the singing competition.) As such, Fox’s second Wednesday primetime hour will surely drop per Nielsen numbers — and likely heavily. That’s not a shot »
- Tony Maglio
‘Degrassi’ Star Alex Steele Joins ABC Pilot ‘Original Sin’ (Exclusive)
1 hour ago
Alex Steele has joined the cast of ABC’s drama pilot, “Original Sin,” TheWrap has learned exclusively. From writer Jenna Bans (“Grey’s Anatomy”), “Original Sin” follows the return of a politician’s (Joan Allen) son, Adam Warren (Liam James) presumed dead after disappearing over a decade earlier, sends shockwaves through his tight knit family. But as the mysterious young man is welcomed back into his community, the neighbor sitting in jail for his murder is released and the cop responsible is forced to reexamine what truly happened so many years ago. Steele will play the younger version of Floriana Lima’s Bridey Howard, »
- Jethro Nededog and Jeff Sneider
‘Top Gear’ Puts Live Norway Shows on Hold as Jeremy Clarkson Decision Looms
2 hours ago
Sorry, Norway; no “Top Gear Live” shows for you. At least for now. A quartet of “Top Gear Live” shows that were scheduled to take place in Norway next week have been postponed, as the fate of outspoken “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson hangs in the balance, according to the BBC. The shows will be rescheduled, and the BBC said it would try to contact “all ticket holders directly to inform them of the change of dates.” The hugely popular “Top Gear” series was pulled from the air earlier this month, after Clarkson allegedly got into a fight with a producer. »
- Tim Kenneally
Seth MacFarlane Wins ‘Ted’ Copyright Lawsuit
2 hours ago
Feel free to crack open a beer in celebration, Ted. (Or maybe just pop open a cold one because it’s Monday.) Seth MacFarlane has come out on top in a copyright lawsuit over “Ted,” his 2012 big-screen comedy about a vulgar, suds-sucking bear, with a federal judge in Los Angeles dismissing the case on Monday. MacFarlane, his production company Fuzzy Door Productions, Media Rights Capital, Universal Pictures and others were sued in July by Bengal Mangle Productions, which claimed that the Ted character was derived from its character Charlie, “a teddy bear who lives in a human, adult world with all human. »
- Tim Kenneally
Paramount to Absorb Insurge Label; Amy Powell Stripped Of Film Duties (Exclusive)
2 hours ago
Paramount is set to absorb its microbudget genre label Paramount Insurge into the main studio and strip President Amy Powell of her film responsibilities, TheWrap has learned. The move appears to be part of Paramount’s ongoing consolidation, according to insiders. Powell will continue to focus on Paramount’s TV and digital operations but insiders tell TheWrap that Insurge executives will join Paramount’s feature team and report directly to Marc Evans, the newly-installed president of Paramount Motion Picture Group. Powell will continue to report to Vice Chairman Rob Moore on digital efforts and Paramount Chairman and CEO Brad Grey for TV. »
- Jeff Sneider
Chris Columbus to Produce, Anders Walter to Direct Adaptation of Joe Kelly’s ‘I Kill Giants’
2 hours ago
Treehouse Pictures and Chris Columbus will produce an adaptation of Joe Kelly’s graphic novel “I Kill Giants,” to be directed by Anders Walter, the company announced Monday. The story follows a young girl who battles both real and imaginary monsters. Kelly will adapt his own graphic novel for the screen. Columbus is producing through his 1492 Pictures/Ocean Blue Entertainment, along with Treehouse, Man of Action Entertainment and Xyz Films, which is also handling worldwide sales. Also Read: 23 Best & Worst Oscars Moments of 2015 (Photos) “I am very excited to be working with Chris again,” said Treehouse president Justin Nappi in a. »
- Linda Ge
CBS News President David Rhodes Re-Ups Through 2019
2 hours ago
CBS News President David Rhodes has signed a contract extension to stay with the network through February 2019, CBS President and CEO Les Moonves announced on Monday. Rhodes, who has been in his current role at CBS since 2011, previously headed U.S. television operations at Bloomberg. The news veteran began his career as a production assistant at Fox News when the network launched in 1996, ultimately rising to vice president of news. “I’m delighted that CBS News will remain under the leadership of one of the most accomplished young executives in the television news industry for many years to come,” Moonves. »
- L.A. Ross
Uva Fraternity Considering Legal Options Against Rolling Stone
3 hours ago
The president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at the University of Virginia says the organization is considering legal options against Rolling Stone for the erroneous “A Rape on Campus” story. “These false accusations have been extremely damaging to our entire organization, but we can only begin to imagine the setback this must have dealt to survivors of sexual assault,” Stephen Scipione told ABC News in a story published Monday. Also Read: Rolling Stone Uva Rape Report Discredited by Police He went further saying he hopes Rolling Stone’s story doesn’t permanently harm victims: “We hope that Rolling Stone’s »
- Jordan Chariton
‘Chasing Life’ Stars Italia Ricci, Richard Brancatisano Tease Season 2: ‘More Dramatic, Even Bigger, Even Messier’ (Video)
3 hours ago
It’s déjà vu for fans of “Chasing Life” when April checks back into the hospital during Monday’s finale. Season 2 of the show will be jam-packed with even more drama and a very shirtless Dominic (Richard Brancatisano), the stars of the ABC Family drama told TheWrap during its latest installment of “Drinking With the Stars” at the Sofitel’s Riviera 31 in Los Angeles. April’s life will be turned upside down when her cancer relapses. She also learns that The Post is cleaning house, but despite her determination to keep her job, extenuating circumstances keep her head on the chopping block. »
- Itay Hod
Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to Be Directed By Joe, Anthony Russo
3 hours ago
“Captain America” directors Joe and Anthony Russo have graduated to Marvel’s big leagues and will direct the two-part conclusion to the “Avengers” franchise subtitled “Infinity War,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. Marvel declined to comment. The Russo brothers are taking the reins of the superhero team-up franchise from Joss Whedon, who directed the first two “Avengers” movies including sequel “Age of Ultron,” which hits theaters on May 1. The “Infinity War” movies are expected to shoot back-to-back in 2016. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are poised to write the script after working with the Russos on “Civil War, »
- Jeff Sneider and Linda Ge
FCC Slaps Virginia TV Station With $325,000 Fine for ‘Explicit Sexual Material’
4 hours ago
Wdbj-tv is about to receive some stiff punishment from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is recommending a $325,000 fine for the Roanoke, Virginia, CBS affiliate for broadcasting “extremely graphic and explicit sexual material.” Specifically, the FCC says, the station aired “a video image of a hand stroking an erect penis” during a news report. Also Read: Reddit Bans ‘Involuntary Pornography’ on Heels of Google’s Blogger Crackdown The $325,000 fine is the maximum that the Commission can levy against the station. According to the FCC, the offending image poked onto the screen at approximately 6 p.m. during a news report on July 12, 2012. The. »
- Tim Kenneally
Where Hollywood Hits the Mark on Hacking (Guest Blog)
4 hours ago
The entertainment industry often highlights real life issues, which explains why cybersecurity has become increasingly front and center in popular TV shows and movies. With the rise of large scale hacks from the point-of-sale breaches, to leaked nude photos of celebrities, to attacks using Internet of Things devices in the home, it’s worth a closer look at how Hollywood is covering this emerging national issue — one that was recognized in the president’s State of the Union address earlier this year. And while the entertainment industry tends to use hyperbole to make the issues more salacious than they are in. »
- Gary Davis
James Corden’s ‘Late Late Show’ Debut Breaks Mila Kunis-Ashton Kutcher Marriage Announcement (Video)
4 hours ago
It didn’t take very long for James Corden to lose the spotlight on his own “Late Late Show” debut — guest Mila Kunis was outted by Tom Hanks for being a newly married woman. Apparently, Kunis and longterm beau Ashton Kutcher tied the knot at some point between “That ’70s Show” and Monday afternoon’s taping. Or, “maybe” they did, if you believe the highly reluctant Kunis. (Don’t believe her.) The news came up as Corden asked about Kutcher as a dad. As the actress boasted about his patriarchal abilities, Hanks stepped in to clarify: “You mean your hus-Ashton? »
- Tony Maglio
NFL Suspends TV Blackout Rules for Coming Season
4 hours ago
The NFL is suspending its TV blackout rules for the 2015-2016 season, spokesperson Brian McCarthy announced in a tweet Monday morning. NFL owners voted to suspend the policy for one year, after which the league will evaluate its impact following the coming season. no blackouts in ’15 #nflseason. Clubs voted to suspend policy for 1-year. will evaluate impact of the suspension after season — Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 23, 2015 The blackout rules prohibit home football games from being broadcast within 75 miles of the local market if a certain number of tickets are unsold. Until the policy was loosened in 2012 to lower the sales threshold to 85 percent, »
- L.A. Ross
Rolling Stone Uva Rape Report Discredited by Police
5 hours ago
Charlottesville Police announced Monday they have found no evidence that a gang rape occurred at the University of Virginia in September, 2012; a severe blow to the already flawed Rolling Stone report dedicated to it two years later titled “A Rape on Campus.” “I can’t prove that something didn’t happen, and there may come a point in time in which this survivor, or this complaining party or someone else, may come forward with some information that might help us move this investigation further,” Police Chief Timothy Longo said to reporters. “That doesn’t mean that something terrible did not happen to Jackie on. »
- Jordan Chariton
Alberta Watson, ‘Nikita,’ ’24’ Actress, Dead at 60
6 hours ago
Alberta Watson, who played Madeline in the Canadian series “La Femme Nikita” and Sen. Madeline Pierce on the CW series “Nikita,” died Saturday after “a long and heroic battle with cancer,” a representative for the actress told TheWrap on Monday. She was 60. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of the luminous Alberta Watson. Alberta died in the arms of her beloved Ken on Saturday March 21st at Kensington Hospice in Toronto after a long and incredibly courageous battle with cancer,” Gary Goddard Agency, which represented Watson, said in a statement. A memorial service is currently being planned. »
- Tim Kenneally
Tatiana Maslany Confronts Another Clone in First Scene From ‘Orphan Black’ Season 3 (Video)
7 hours ago
Sarah Manning and her sisters aren’t the only clones in town anymore on Season 3 of “Orphan Black,” and a new clip teases the first confrontation between one set of male and female counterparts. Tatiana Maslany and Ari Millen are seen facing off after the Season 2 finale left off with the revelation that Project Leda, the experiment that produced Sarah, Allison, Cosima, Helena and company, wasn’t the only clone game in town. Enter Project Castor, which produced a set of male clones, all played by Millen. Also Read: 25 of TV’s Most Powerful Leading Ladies (Photos) In the new clip, »
- Linda Ge
Cannes Film Festival Makes Ingrid Bergman Its Poster Girl for 2015
7 hours ago
Actress Ingrid Bergman will grace the official graphics at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, which on Monday revealed this year’s poster. Calling the actress “a modern icon, an emancipated woman, an intrepid actress and a figurehead for the new realism,” the Cannes press release said that the poster was based on a photograph by David Seymour and designed by Herve Chigioni. Bergman, who died in 1982, was born in August 1915, making this year the 100th anniversary of her birth. “My family and I are deeply moved that the Festival de Cannes has chosen to feature our magnificent mother on the official. »
- Steve Pond
Jeremy Renner Drama ‘Knightfall’ Being Developed by History Channel
7 hours ago
Jeremy Renner is teaming up with History to develop the drama “Knightfall.” The project, which is executive produced by Renner, will chronicle the actual events leading up to and following the persecution, downfall and burning at the stake of the Knights Templar on a fateful Friday the 13th in 1307. A+E Studios is producing in association with Renner’s The Combine and Midnight Radio. Don Handfield (“The Founder,” “Kill the Messenger”) and Richard Rayner (“L.A. Without a Map”) created the project, and will executive produce along with Renner for The Combine. Also Read: ‘Kill the Messenger’ Review: Jeremy Renner’s »
- Tim Kenneally
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