CBS’ Lara Logan on leave after botched story. Obama visits Hollywood.
After the coffee. Before making the stuffing and cranberry sauce.
The Skinny: Who are we kidding? No one wants to be here today, and we’re all looking to cut out early. But before you do, here’s your Morning Fix to make you feel informed. Today’s stories include holiday box-office previews, the latest fallout at CBS News as Lara Logan takes a leave of absence, and President Obama’s visit to DreamWorks Animation. The Fix will be off on Thursday and Friday. Have a great Thanksgiving and see you back here Monday morning.
Daily Dose: As potential suitors circle Time Warner Cable (see below), they might want to look at the company’s rather large sports rights obligations with the Lakers and Dodgers before signing anything. A look at Time Warner Cable’s expensive deals with two storied Los Angeles sports teams from yours truly.
PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV
Step right up. Seems like everyone but me is kicking the tires of Time Warner Cable. First, Charter makes an overture. Then Comcast gets invited to the dance, and now the curiosity of Cox Communications is piqued too. Of course, anytime there is an asset that might be on the block, it’s only natural to want to take a look. All this talk is driving Time Warner Cable stock to new highs, which must be annoying Charter, because it was the first to express an interest in the nation’s fourth-largest pay-TV distributor. Anyone want to go in with me on a bid. I’ve got some good ideas on how to make its video-on-demand more user-friendly. The latest on Time Warner Cable from the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.
Bad day at Black Rock. CBS News correspondent Lara Logan and producer Max McClellan have taken leaves of absence from the network -- the latest fallout from a controversial “60 Minutes” story that has now been discredited. The story featured an interview with Dylan Davies, a man who said he witnessed much of the Benghazi attack. However, the version of events he shared on “60 Minutes” differed from what he previously told authorities. CBS and Logan had already apologized for the report but that didn’t reduce the calls for a serious investigation into what went wrong. Anyone remember what Otter said to Flounder in “Animal House” after they totaled Flounder’s car? That scene is what flashed through my mind while reading the CBS internal report on Logan’s story. More on the CBS probe from the New York Times, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.
What, me worry? Sony Corp.’s entertainment unit has been under attack lately. Investor Daniel Loeb was critical of management earlier this year, and more recently the unit said it had retained Bain & Co. to look at possible cuts and restructurings. But in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton said he doesn’t think Sony “is in need of a turnaround.”
ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll
In between football and turkey. While I’ll spend the next few days eating, watching football and napping, others will rush out to see movies. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is expected to continue its domination at the box office, with a take north of $80 million. Also opening is Disney’s “Frozen,” which should snag second place with about $70 million. Box-office previews from Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
Anyone surprised? Alec Baldwin is out as a host on MSNBC. Baldwin, who had been suspended for making anti-gay slurs at a photographer on a New York street, had indicated that he may not return, and apparently the feeling was mutual. Just remember Alec, coffee is for closers. More on Baldwin’s exit from the New York Daily News and the New York Post.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: President Obama came to DreamWorks Animation to praise Hollywood.
Follow me on Twitter but stay out of my way on Black Friday. @JBFlint.
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