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Latest from The Unruly of Law
Hulu Can't Shake Privacy Suit
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)United States Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler last week denied a summary judgment motion by Hulu, LLC, to dismiss a putative class action invasion of privacy suit brought by users of the on-demand streaming video Web site, according to a Reuters wire service article.The case, In re Hulu Privacy Litigation (Case No. 11-03764I),
Magazine Media Giant Bolsters TV Holdings
Image via CrunchBaseDes Moines-based Meredith Corp. has added to its stable of tv stations by acquiring two stations from Gannett Co. for $407 million, mediabistro.com FishbowlNY reported.Meredith adds Top 25 Market St. Louis’ KMOV-TV and KASW-TV in Phoenix to its holdings of 12 television stations and approximate 30 magazines with the purchase, which is
UPDATE: Love Twibel Case Slated for January Trial
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson last week denied a summary judgment motion by attorneys for Courtney Love, clearing the way for her to become the first celebrity to go through a twibel trial for her alleged defamatory statements against her former attorney, The Hollywood Reporter reported last week.The 49-year-old Love,
UPDATE: FCC Allows Media Mergers
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)The FCC last week approved the mergers of Belo Corp. and Gannett Co. (see “TUOL” post 6/13/13) and the Tribune Co. acquisition of Local TV LLC (see “TUOL” post 7/1/13), Broadcasting & Cable‘s Web site reported.The FCC found that neither consolidation violated its rules and considered both acquisitions in the public
Fla. Appeals Court Rules Judge Wrongly Withheld Release of Docs in Murder Case
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Florida’s First District Court of Appeal last week unanimously boosted the Sunshine State’s Public Records Act, ruling that a trial judge in a murder case wrongly restricted the release of discovery documents, the Florida Times Union reported.Judge Russell Healey, presiding over the murder trial of Michael David Dunn, issued an order delaying
Jury Gives Warhol Portrait of Fawcett to O'Neal
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)After a three-week trial, a Los Angeles jury voted 9-3 to award an Andy Warhol portrait of the late actress Farrah Fawcett to her decades-long companion, actor Ryan O’Neal, rather than her alma mater, the University of Texas, the Associated Press reported.After Fawcett, who gained stardom in tv’s Charlie’s Angels, died
ABC Bars the Door to 'Katie'; No 3rd Season for Gabfest
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)High costs and disappointing ratings combined to sink Katie, Katie Couric’s syndicated daytime yakathon, which will not return for a third season, the show’s distributor, Disney-ABC Domestic TV, announced this week.As reported in Ad Age, Capitalnewyork.com and elsewhere, Katie will cease production in June 2014, and air reruns through next
FCC Looking at Non-Concussion-Related NFL Blackouts
. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)The FCC yesterday released a proposed rule-making that would eliminate sports-blackout rules created in 1975 that prohibit broadcasting NFL games in markets in which the home team doesn’t sell-out the stadium, the Los Angeles Times reported today.Final action on the proposal wouldn’t occur before Spring 2014, at the earliest, the Times
Magazines–Fewer Start-ups, Fewer Closures–Period(ical)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Citing the annual MediaFinder year-end report, Folio magazine (www.foliomag.com) reported 2013 marked five-year lows in the magazine industry for start-ups (185) and closures (56).Industry watchers who see the glass as half-full will note the 3:1 ratio of periodical launches to shutdowns as evidence of a stabilizing of the industry. On the other