Advertisement

Hollywood wins China tax fight. ‘Duck Dynasty’ cast signs new deal.

Share via

After the coffee. Before jumping on the Dodger bandwagon.

The Skinny: I got homesick for New York watching the Democratic mayoral debate Tuesday. I can’t decide who I would vote against more. Wednesday’s headlines include a win for Hollywood in a tax fight with China and the cast of “Duck Dynasty” signing a new deal with A&E.

Daily Dose: Everyone is excited about how hot the Dodgers are, but KCAL-TV Channel 9 has to be bumming a little. Much of the Los Angeles market couldn’t see the boys in blue win Tuesday night because of the fight between Time Warner Cable and CBS. That means smaller ratings for KCAL. The station is owned by CBS and is in what is likely its last season carrying the Dodgers because the team signed a new deal for a channel with -- wait for it -- Time Warner Cable, which is set to go into effect next season.

Advertisement

PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times

Found money. A tax dispute between Hollywood and the China Film Group has been resolved and should put more money in the industry’s pockets. The debate was over a value-added tax studios were paying out of their own take of box office in China. In protest, several studios had not accepted any payments for movies released there. Movies that should see some extra box-office dough from China include “Life of Pi” and “Skyfall.” Details on the resolution from the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Just get this done. The longer CBS and Time Warner Cable go without a distribution deal, the more opportunity it provides for lawmakers and provocateurs to weigh in on the matter. Earlier this week, California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein urged the two companies to end their dispute, and Donald Trump on Tuesday took to Twitter to complain. Well, if Trump is upset, then it is time to get serious about a deal. There’s nothing new of substance in the story, but here’s the latest from the Associated Press, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.

Advertisement

PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments

Stop quacking and start producing. While CBS and Time Warner Cable continue to struggle to get a distribution deal done, cast members of A&E’s hit show “Duck Dynasty” have signed new deals with big raises. The show’s new season starts Wednesday night, and if recent history is any guide, the ratings will be huge. More on the new agreement from Deadline Hollywood. Also, USA Today on what makes this show about the Robertson family and their duck-call business so popular.

All sports all the time. As we mentioned in Monday’s column, this Saturday Fox launches Fox Sports 1, a new national cable network that will try to compete with ESPN. This means lots of preview stories about the network and the sports media landscape. The new issue of Variety looks at Fox Sports 1, ESPN and the marketplace overall.

Advertisement

Pending further review. Airline mergers aren’t the only thing regulators are concerned about. The Federal Trade Commission was expected to sign off on Nielsen’s deal to acquire Arbitron. But the merger of the biggest TV and radio ratings firms is getting a little extra scrutiny, according to the New York Post.

Inside the Los Angeles Times: Fred Melamed, costar of the voice-over comedy “In a World ...” has found success late in life.

Follow me on Twitter and we’ll find a way to a better place. @JBFlint.


Advertisement