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News Corp Invests In 2nd Largest Shareholder's Middle East Media Group

By Nikki Finke | Category: Big Media, Deals, Finance | Tuesday February 23, 2010 @ 12:50pm PST

London, February 23, 2010. News Corporation today announced that it has reached an agreement to buy a 9.09% stake in Rotana Group, the Middle East media group. Under the terms of the agreement, News Corporation will acquire newly-issued shares in Rotana for $70 million. The company has an option to increase its stake to 18.18% in the 18 months following completion. Rotana, which is owned by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, operates one of the largest TV networks and ad sales operations in the region and owns the largest Arabic film library. Additionally, it has built the leading record label in the Middle East, managing many of the most popular artists in the region and controlling the biggest Arabic music catalogue. Rotana also operates an expanding radio network and a wide array of digital services.

James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, said: “A stake in Rotana expands our presence in a region with a young and growing population, where GDP growth is set to outstrip that of more developed economies in the years ahead. Rotana is a leading player in the Middle East and we look forward to working together.”

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal said: “We are delighted to have this partnership with News Corporation. As one of the world’s most global media companies, it has an unrivalled record in developing businesses at scale around the world. This investment will strengthen our existing relationship, building Rotana’s presence across the region and expanding its reach to the

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The Hollywood Reporter Post-Sale, Part 1: Searching For A New Publisher

By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Thursday February 18, 2010 @ 7:14am PST

THR logo2A Hollywood source has slipped me media executive search consultant Mercury Group's highly confidential "Profile for The Hollywood Reporter Publisher Position". (Did I mention it's got "Confidential" printed across every page?) I think what follows is self-explanatory. Check back this morning to read Part 2 about The Hollywood Reporter post-sale:

CLIENT COMPANY – e5 Global Media
POSITION SPECIFICATION – Publisher, The Hollywood Reporter

COMPANY BACKGROUND
e5 Global Media is a newly formed company whose assets include The Hollywood Reporter, AdweekMedia (which includes Adweek, Mediaweek and Brandweek), Billboard, The Clio Awards, The Film Expo Group (comprising of CineExpo, CineAsia, Show East and Show West), International Film, Journal & Backstage.

E5 acquired the brands from Nielsen Business Media on Dec. 31. The company was formed by Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners. It's chaired by Jimmy Finkelstein, CEO of News Communications, parent of Congressional Journal the Hill.

Richard Beckman, formerly of Conde Nast, is the new company’s CEO. He plans to grow e5's assets by extending them to new platforms.

"What we have to do is take these storied brands and create meaningful, multiplatform brands with a global imprint that in aggregate become a very important media and entertainment business," he said. "I want a footprint across multiple platforms. It could be anything from television to broadband to event-based businesses. I see us creating a burgeoning branded-entertainment business."

Beckman didn't rule out forays into consumer-aimed media, where he has spent most of his career.

"These brands like The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard have

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Stan Lee Comics Created For Print & Digital

By Nikki Finke | Category: Comic Books, Digital | Wednesday February 10, 2010 @ 9:14am PST

LOS ANGELES – February 10, 2010 – A Squared Entertainment (A2), a full-service brand entertainment company, and Archie Comics, the leading producer of comic book entertainment, announced today an exciting collaboration with Stan Lee, founder, chairman and chief creative officer (CCO) of POW! Entertainment (PK:POWN), to create a new print and digital comic book line from the most successful comic book entertainment producer of all time. Lee is also known as the co-creator of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, and Iron Man, among many others.

Scheduled for release first is a new, original multimedia series called
“Super Seven” to be distributed in print, online, on air and at retail. It’s the story about seven aliens who find themselves stranded on planet Earth after their spaceship crashes, only to be befriended by none other than Lee himself. Taking them under his care, Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes on earth.

“A2 Entertainment is humbled and honored to be collaborating with such a legendary figure in the entertainment industry,” A2 Entertainment Co-Founder and CEO Andy Heyward says. “Stan Lee has been delivering groundbreaking entertainment to consumers for decades and we couldn’t be more excited to venture into the digital space together and introduce him to a new generation of fans.”

"Stan Lee is a global icon. He has single handedly changed modern entertainment. His legendary creations are timeless," says Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. "Archie Comics is incredibly proud to be working with Stan Lee in publishing
‘Super Seven’.”

“Nothing

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Michael Eisner Hires TV Guide's Ryan O'Hara

By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Tuesday February 9, 2010 @ 12:18pm PST

Broadcasting & Cable reports that Ryan O’Hara, who stepped down as TV Guide Network president on February 5th, has been named CEO of Topps, the trading card and media company owned by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner and Madison Dearborn Partners. O'hara will start there March 1st and be based in New York City.

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And You Read the LA Times Because...?

By Nikki Finke | Category: LA Times | Monday February 1, 2010 @ 2:55pm PST

This email just went out from Los Angeles Times deputy arts & culture editor Sherry Stern. But I'm sure the paper's exhaustive coverage of superstar makeup and celebrity footwear won't suffer:

Hi. I’m writing this time to let you know that as of tomorrow our page size shrinks.. As a result we generally are shortening stories by 10%.

LATimes_LogoMost Sunday stories should run between 1000 and 1200 words. Most daily reviews should be 350 or so words.

These are rules of thumb and we can and should discuss in advance based on the story or event.

Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks all,
Sherry

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Jewish Journal Stirs More Controversy Around 'An Education' And 'A Serious Man'

By Nikki Finke | Category: Journalism | Monday February 1, 2010 @ 2:23pm PST

Back in mid-December, I wrote this in my post Oscar Campaign Badmouthing Has Begun! "This year, the always delicate Jewish issue in Hollywood has taken a new and unexpected turn. Producers, agents, executives, and other major players will complain (privately, of course) that the movies An Education and A Serious Man depict Jews in a contemptible way. A recent article in The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles lashed into An Education saying the film’s depiction of its Jewish character is reminiscent of the parasitical Jew in the infamous Nazi anti-semitic propaganda film of the 1930’s, Der Ewige Juden (The Eternal Jew). Similarly, Hollywood is incensed privately by the Coen brothers' A Serious Man and its Jewish stereotypes. Trust me, this will bubble up to the surface before too long if either film looks to be in serious contention for Best Picture." Well, I was right. Now the Jewish Journal has another expanded look at the controversy surrounding these two pics under the headline: "Realism Or Anti-Semitism?". Worth reading.

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Tracy & Hepburn? More Like Martin & Lewis

By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Monday February 1, 2010 @ 1:02pm PST

pascal lynton NYTAnd while I'm in the mood to bitchslap The New York Times, here's more: In October, Sunday's Business section ran a puff piece on Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal headlined "Sony's Version of Tracy and Hepburn". But Tim Arango failed to report that Lynton's and Pascal's 6-year "leadership display operating in sync" hit a big snag over the summer that's still not entirely smoothed out. As a result, the mogul duo are little like Tracy & Hepburn and a lot more like Martin & Lewis.

In the article, the two moguls tried to portray themselves as "checking their egos" at the door in order to work well together. But the truth is their rift began in mid-July when Peter Bart penned a Variety love letter to Amy Pascal -- headlined "Sony's Free Spirit Shows Steady Hand" -- and mentioned Michael Lynton only in passing. That, and the fact that Pascal gave an interview to Variety that was all "I, I, I" (and not "we, we, we"), did not sit well with Lynton. He accused her of engineering a professional slight. Amy proclaimed her innocence.

Fast forward to later in the summer when it was Pascal's turn to feel hurt. The Hollywood rumor mill was churning about all the top studio execs who might get axed (and ultimately did exit: Dick Cook, Oren Aviv, Marc Shmuger, David Linde, Kevin McCormick) and Amy's name found its way onto the list. When Lynton was asked whether Pascal was in trouble, he was noncommittal. And when he was asked why Pascal had no fresh franchises for ... Read More »

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Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

By NIKKI FINKE AND MIKE FLEMING | Category: DH update, Journalism | Monday February 1, 2010 @ 12:11am PST

UPDATE: The New York Times now says it's linking to our article.

How dishonorable that The New York Times doesn't properly credit us for our scoop last week, Summit Expressing "Very Preliminary" Interest In Miramax Name & Film Library, which was posted 3 full days ahead of the newspaper's story that went online Sunday. We were first to break the news that Disney was entertaining bids for the Miramax name and library, and that Summit was expressing preliminary interest, and that the price is around $800 million (although the feeling is its actual worth is closer to $500M because studio library values have taken a hit as DVD/video has flattened.) And yet the NYT intends to charge for content that's both late and borrowed. Sheesh!

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Movie Racial Stereotyping In Age Of Obama

By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Thursday January 28, 2010 @ 1:04pm PST

There's an interesting article in the Boston Phoenix about Hollywood movie racial stereotyping in the Age Of Obama. Was this a landmark year for films about race? Or in reality the worst?

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Liberty Media's Live Nation Tender Offer

By Nikki Finke | Category: Deals, Distribution | Tuesday January 26, 2010 @ 7:58am PST

diller-malone-sumo.jpgSome are saying this is unexpected. But I suspect it's more fallout from that 2008 legal feud between John Malone and Barry Diller. That's because Malone's Liberty Media today announced plans to begin a partial tender offer to buy up to 34.5 million shares of Diller's Live Nation Entertainment common stock at a cash price of $12 a share. Liberty through its subsidiaries already owns 14.6% of Live Nation because of a previous stake in Ticketmaster, and yesterday Live Nation and Ticketmaster officially closed their merger. Barry Diller will serve as chairman of the board of Live Nation Entertainment. But remember that a Delaware court ruled against Malone in his effort to block Diller from splitting InterActiveCorp into multiple companies. During that trial, Malone whined a lot about Diller's arrogantly self-serving management style. Now I bet Malone wants a do-over to play shareholder activist and scrutinize Diller's every move.

  • Feds OK Ticketmaster/Live Nation Merger
  • It Was A Thriller In Delaware For Diller
  • Diller vs Malone: Sumo Wrestling In Court
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    21st GLAAD Media Awards Nominees

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Awards, Gays | Tuesday January 12, 2010 @ 9:44pm PST

    Los Angeles, Wednesday, January 13, 2010 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced today the nominees for its 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Among the nominees: Tom Ford's film A Single Man, Lee Daniel's film Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Ang Lee's latest film Taking Woodstock, Little Ashes, starring Robert Pattinson, AMC's acclaimed drama Mad Men, Fox's hit show Glee, ABC’s new hit comedy Modern Family, Be Like Others, a documentary about transgender people in Iran, Logo's reality show RuPaul's Drag Race, the daytime drama One Life to Live, HLN's new talk show The Joy Behar Show, The Early Show's interview with Chaz Bono, bisexual singer Lady Gaga, gay singer Adam Lambert and Spanish-language nominees Sábado Gigante, Primer Impacto, Al Rojo Vivo and People en Español.

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    Variety Superstar To Edit Deadline|NewYork

    By Nikki Finke | Category: DH update, Internet | Sunday January 10, 2010 @ 8:15pm PST

    mmc3logo
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    VARIETY'S PREEMINENT JOURNALIST MIKE FLEMING TO EDIT DEADLINE|NEWYORK

    LOS ANGELES – January 10, 2010 – Deadline.com is going bicoastal. Mail.com Media Corporation (MMC)’s Jay Penske and Deadline.com’s Nikki Finke today announced the hiring of Mike Fleming, the 20-year Variety superstar who has been praised as the "top media dog" covering Hollywood because of his wide and deep network of entertainment business sources. Effective immediately, he becomes the Editor of the new Deadline|NewYork which will go live later this month at Deadline.com. Besides covering film and television dealmaking and production and casting, Fleming intends to expand his turf by breaking news and offering analysis about books, media, TV news, theater, and other Gotham-based infotainment arenas.

    With the hiring of top journalism talents Mike Fleming to run Deadline|NewYork, and Tim Adler to run Deadline|London (announced this morning), Deadline.com now enters its next phase of editorial and geographic expansion. Finke will remain Deadline.com's general manager and editor in chief, and editor and founder of Deadline|Hollywood. But Fleming's ability to consistently deliver high-profile scoops and provide on-the-spot analysis will help make Deadline.com a “must-read” for influencers and leaders in the global business of entertainment and media.

    Variety's preeminent reporter also fits perfectly with the Deadline.com tradition of shattering the mold of traditional reporting and creating a new paradigm for delivering news, analysis, and opinion with New Media immediacy. Hiring Variety's "crown jewel" of original content demonstrates MMC's commitment to rapid growth as one of the most dynamic companies to watch in the digital media arena.

    "Deadline.com remains one of our top priorities at MMC, and we think Mike is exactly the right person to take this property to the next level," commented MMC Founder and CEO, Jay Penske. "He's done so much in his career, and in the trades no one has been more prolific at breaking news. With Mike leading New York, our Deadline.com business holds almost limitless potential."

    Said Finke: “I am thrilled and honored that a big brand like Mike Fleming with a huge following is joining Deadline.com. Few people know that Mike and I, while fierce competitors, also have been friends for close to 20 years. I was a devoted reader of his old 'Buzz' column for Weekly Variety, and then addicted to his former 'Dish' column for Daily Variety. I know that Deadline|NewYork will become a great showcase for Mike's expert knowledge of the entertainment business, and even more so for his warm and witty personality. People will now get to experience the real Mike!"

    Said Fleming: “I treasure my 20 years with Variety and my mentor Peter Bart and my editor Tim Gray. It changed my life. But the time has come for this new challenge. I thank my Variety readers for staying with me all this time, and I hope they follow me to Deadline|NewYork.”

    This month marks Mike Fleming's 20th year as a Variety reporter and writer. A native of New York City and now resident of Long Island, he started in journalism as editor of the well-known Media Industry Newsletter (MIN), then joined New York Newsday as a columnist and reviewer and entertainment writer in 1986. He joined Weekly Variety in 2000 to write the "Buzz" column about all things infotainment. Later, he took over Daily Variety's "Dish" column where he regularly broke news and provided analysis about all things Hollywood. After the column was discontinued, Fleming became even more recognized as the trade's No. 1 film reporter whose major talents include working sources and writing with flair and accuracy. That's why his original content receives international attention and acclaim. In summer 2009, he began the "BFD" blog with his longtime mentor Peter Bart.

    Fleming also is an author. In 1999, Doubleday published his non-fiction book about The Three Stooges, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, which ABC turned into a telepic executive produced by Mel Gibson (who wrote a forward to the book) and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Fleming also has freelanced for many national magazines, including Playboy, Details, TV Guide, and Esquire. He turns 50 this April.

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    UK Editor For Deadline|London Announced

    By Nikki Finke | Category: DH update, Foreign | Sunday January 10, 2010 @ 3:19am PST

    mmc3logo 
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    UK JOURNALIST TIM ADLER TO EDIT DEADLINE|LONDON

    LOS ANGELES – January 10, 2010 – Mail.com Media Corporation (MMC)’s Jay Penske and Deadline.com’s Nikki Finke today announced the hiring of Tim Adler, a veteran UK entertainment business journalist, as the editor of the new Deadline|London which will go live later this month at Deadline.com. Previously, Adler was the editor of Screen Finance, the biweekly trade magazine covering film and television funding launched by the Financial Times Group in 1988 and then purchased by Informa in 2000. His distinguished background also includes authoring two non-fiction books about the film industry, and giving evidence to the most recent Parliamentary investigation into the British film industry. He was recently recalled to testify before the House of Lords’ communications committee.
     
    With Adler’s hiring, Deadline.com enters its next phase of editorial and geographic expansion, with future plans to include the hiring of a senior entertainment business journalist to launch Deadline|New York. Finke will remain Deadline.com's general manager and editor in chief, and editor and founder of Deadline|Hollywood, and Adler will assist her in making Deadline.com a “must-read” for influencers and leaders in the global business of entertainment and media. Adler will cover both the UK and Europe in the Deadline.com tradition of shattering the mold of traditional reporting and creating a new paradigm for delivering news, analysis, and opinion with New Media immediacy.

    Adler will also help MMC continue its rapid growth as one of the most dynamic companies to watch in the digital media arena. MMC’s global reach provides the perfect platform to scale the impact of Tim Adler’s and Nikki Finke’s singular editorial voices at Deadline|London and Deadline|Hollywood respectively, and to strengthen the company’s position as an important player in the entertainment space. They embody MMC’s mission: to provide original, authoritative, and conversational content on the web.

    “Tim combines immense editorial talent with critical insights into the European business of media and entertainment,” said Jay Penske, CEO and Founder of Deadline.com’s parent company Mail.com Media Corporation (MMC). He continued, “I know that, in his new role, Tim will make a significant contribution to our growing business, and further accelerate Deadline.com’s leadership position as we expand overseas.”

    Said Finke: “More than half of Hollywood’s revenue now comes from what it calls ‘overseas’. And this percentage is only going to increase over the next years. PriceWaterhouseCoopers predicts that the European film and television market will be worth $30.1 billion by 2013, which is two-thirds of the size of the U.S. and Canadian market. That’s why the entertainment industry pays so much attention to what’s going on internationally, and Deadline.com must, too.”

    She continued: “Years ago, I was a London correspondent for The Associated Press, so I’ve always had a soft spot for the UK. I wanted to ensure that Deadline|London was in excellent hands. Hiring Tim Adler was an easy decision because of his singular expertise and experience in breaking news in the entertainment industry. And I should mention he’s also very funny with a great personality. Tim will ensure Deadline|London is informative and authoritative, conversational and lively.”

    Said Adler: “I’m thrilled that Nikki has picked me to run her Deadline|London bureau. It’s an honor to be working alongside her and Deadline|Hollywood, which is a triumph of old-fashioned hard-nosed reporting in the digital age.”

    Starting in 1996, Adler became Deputy Editor of the influential biweekly trade magazine Screen Finance, covering film and television funding when it was then owned by the Financial Times Group. In 2000, Informa Telecoms & Media purchased all of the Financial Times Group's business-to-business publications, and appointed Adler as Editor of its New Media Markets trade. In 2001, Adler returned to Screen Finance as Editor until he stepped down in mid-December of 2009 to join Deadline.com.

    Adler also has written about the entertainment business for the Financial Times, the Guardian and The Times, among others. Adler was the only business journalist asked to give evidence at the most recent Parliamentary investigation into the British film industry. He was recently recalled to give evidence before the House of Lords’ communications committee. He regularly comments for UK media on film and television, including BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, BBC World Service, and Sky News. Adler has written two non-fiction books about the movie industry and is working on a third. In 2007, Bloomsbury published his exposé, Hollywood and The Mob, named “Book of the Week” by one UK newspaper, and “Critic’s Choice” by another. In 2004, Methuen put out Adler's first book, The Producers: Money, Movies and Who Really Calls the Shots. He is currently writing a biography of Oscar-winning film and theatre director Tony Richardson.

    Adler's hiring comes as Deadline.com’s Deadline|Hollywood now has a larger readership than Variety and The Hollywood Reporter combined after just four years in existence. November 2009 comScore ratings data showed Deadline.com exceeded 1,111,000 unique visitors, 2,397,000 visits, and 4,000,000 page views. That surpassed the combined numbers on both Variety.com (515,000 unique visitors, 881,000 visits, 2,000,000 page views) and HollywoodReporter.com (336,000 unique visitors, 429,000 visits, 1,000,000 page visitors) and their print editions. (comScore is the web’s leading analytics and traffic source.)

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    At Least The Titanic Had Entertainment...

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Internet, LA Times | Monday January 4, 2010 @ 2:52pm PST

    Los Angeles Times is announcing that Scott Sandell, the Calendar morning editor, will become deputy online arts & entertainment editor reporting to Lisa Fung. As if anyone bothers to read that newspaper in print or online.

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    Deadline Hollywood Now Has Larger Readership Than Variety And The Hollywood Reporter Combined

    By Nikki Finke | Category: DH update, Internet | Thursday December 17, 2009 @ 11:42am PST

    mmc3logo

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 17, 2009

    Deadline.com’s Deadline/Hollywood by Nikki Finke now has a larger readership than Variety and The Hollywood Reporter combined.

    November 2009 comScore ratings data released Wednesday show Deadline.com exceeded 1,111,000 unique visitors. That surpassed the combined number of total unique visitors on both Variety.com (515,000) and HollywoodReporter.com (336,000) and their print editions. This has been accomplished in just under four years by Nikki Finke, General Manager and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Deadline.com.

    “I want to be the first to congratulate Nikki on this incredible achievement,” said Jay Penske, CEO and Founder of Deadline.com’s parent company Mail.com Media Corporation (MMC). “She is not only challenging the two existing Hollywood trade papers, she is actually beating them and their combined readership. November’s comScore numbers finally prove it. Nikki continues to embody MMC’s mission online -- to provide original and conversational content on the web.”

    Nikki Finke commented: "I want to thank all Deadline/Hollywood readers for their past, present, and future support."

    The November 2009 comScore ratings data:

    Deadline.com
    1,111,000 Unique Visitors
    2,397,000 Visits
    4,000,000 Page Views

    Variety.com
    515,000 Unique Visitors
    881,000 Visits
    2,000,000 Page Views

    HollywoodReporter.com
    336,000 Unique Visitors
    429,000 Visits
    1,000,000 Page Visitors

    Many online content destinations and websites make exaggerated traffic claims without verifiable third-party sources. comScore remains the web’s leading analytics and traffic source. Deadline/Hollywood’s readers driving traffic are also highly engaged. Open rates for Finke’s email news alerts exceed 50%, well beyond the average. Influential Industry leaders and key decision-makers track the site many times a day. Her posts regularly receive

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    New Variety Editor Is Ex-LA Timesman Who Knows Nothing About Entertainment Biz

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Journalism | Tuesday December 8, 2009 @ 3:36pm PST

    Why in the world ex-Los Angeles Times' errand boy Leo Wolinsky has been named editor of Daily Variety (both the LA and NY editions) is bewildering to say the least. variety-titleThe guy knows nothing about the entertainment biz. He was long considered a joke at the LA Times and infamous for secretly helping wrangle billionaire potential local backers like Eli Broad, Ron Burkle, Richard Riordan and David Geffen when then bigwig editors were fighting with Tribune Co. (Finke/LA Weekly: Baquet's Billionaire Boys Club). He briefly sat atop the LA Times' entertainment and feature sections as a seat-filler until he was let go. Nevertheless, Wolinsky will be responsible for all Variety editorial content for the print edition. He will begin in January, reporting to Variety Group editor Tim Gray. I'm truly surprised at what a bad choice this is. Then again I don't think like the trades, and for them a top editor who likes to suck up to the rich and powerful could be just the godsend Variety needs now that Peter Bart has been put out to pasture.

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    Oh, To Have Been A Fly On The Wall...

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Thursday December 3, 2009 @ 4:00pm PST

    Warren Littlefield last night held his annual NBC refugees dinner at Dan Tana's. This year, there was a long, long, long table of the ex-TV execs. Jeff Zucker's ears must have been burning.

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    Tribune Co's Sam Zell Names Michaels CEO

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Finance, Journalism | Wednesday December 2, 2009 @ 12:30pm PST

    In a surprise move, Tribune Co's Sam Zell has given up the CEO title and handed it to his COO Randy Michaels. Of course, given the fact that the newspaper and broadcast company is going through bankruptcy proceedings and crushed under a $13 billion debt load, that's a little like being given charge of the Titanic. Zell will remain chairman. With the promotion, Michael also joins the board. Before becoming COO of the Chicago-based company in May 2008, Michaels was head of Tribune's interactive and broadcast divisions.

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    IWantMedia's 2009 Media Person?

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Awards | Monday November 30, 2009 @ 11:33am PST

    Once again my pal Patrick Phillip at IWantMedia.com is asking you to vote for the top figure in media for 2009. Previous winners have been Arianna Huffington, writers on strike, Stephen Colbert, Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart, Bonnie Fuller, and Martha Stewart. So who do you think was the leading personality in the media industry this past year? Who left a lasting imprint — for good or ill? You have 10 finalists from which to choose: AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, David Letterman, Rupert Murdoch, Si Newhouse, Redbox, and the Twitter guys. (I was a runner-up along with Brian Roberts and Diane Sawyer...) The voting is open until 12 midnight ET this Sunday, December 6th. Winner announced the following morning.

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    TOLDJA! Oprah Exits Syndication In 2011; Announcement Live On Her Friday Show

    By Nikki Finke | Category: Media | Thursday November 19, 2009 @ 3:56pm PST

    oprah_wideweb__470x3120UPDATE (includes Harpo letter): Both Broadcasting & Cable & Variety, followed by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and every other media outlet just came out today with news headlines reporting what I did first on November 5th: That Oprah Winfrey will end her long-running talk show in 2011. They say she'll air this on her program Friday. Here was my original scoop: THE END OF 'OPRAH' AS WE KNOW HER: Daytime Diva Giving Up Syndie Talk Show & Moving It To Her Cable Network In 2011. Before I recap the news from my story 14 days ago, here is the letter which Harpo Inc President Tim Bennett sent out to affiliates and others today:

    Dear Friends:

    Over the past several weeks, my team and I have had conversations with many of you to help address your questions about the future of "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Of course, the one question we couldn't answer was the one that only Oprah could. And tomorrow, she will do just that.

    But before she speaks to her loyal viewers, we wanted to share her decision first with you­ our valued partners for more than two decades.

    Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential

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