Discovery launching network for rich men in Sept. 20ll

The Associated Press, Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 8:04pm (PDT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Discovery Communications Inc. is launching a television network for rich guys and their toys.

Called Velocity, the new network will replace the current network HD Theater in some 40 million homes on Sept. 25, Discovery officials said Thursday. The target audience is men with incomes of $150,000 a year and more.

"We just felt like this was a space missing in the marketplace," said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications.

HD Theater was launched in 2002 with the specific purpose of showing high-definition versions of programs on other Discovery networks. The rapid adoption of high-def by consumers, and the addition of high-def versions of a full network's signal, rendered HD Theater obsolete.

Discovery has tested a series of programs on HD Theater in recent months that will make the switch to Velocity. They include "Chasing Classic Cars," "Cafe Racer" and "Mecum Auto Auctions."

As those titles suggest, cars will be the "bull's-eye" of Velocity programming, Zaslav said.

"Culturally, cars are so important for us guys in America," he said. "We grew up dreaming about what the day would be like when we got our licenses and what cars we would drive."

Velocity will also televise an upscale sailing race that touches on five oceans, travel programming to upscale locations, adventure sports and "real-life adrenaline shows," said Robert Scanlon, senior vice president of Velocity.

If done right, Velocity could be a magnet for advertisers, who generally pay a premium to reach an upscale audience.

There are no plans for a network to appeal to rich women. Discovery also operates the Oprah Winfrey Network, TLC and Animal Planet, networks with strong appeal to women, Zaslav said.

via wonderwall.msn.com

ABC cancels 'One Life to Live' and 'All My Children'

By Anna Chan, TV Editor

Sorry, soap fans. Long running shows "One Life to Live" and "All My Children" will soon be wrapping up their 40-plus-year tales. ABC made the announcement Thursday, saying that "extensive research" into "the changing viewing patterns of the audience" led them to this decision.

The final episode of "AMC" is slated for September, while "OLTL" will wrap up in January 2012. Both shows have won multiple awards during their long runs. "General Hospital" will be the network's only daytime soap remaining.

So what's replacing these two iconic shows? Sounds like it'll be reality programming. ABC said in a statement that one of the new shows, "The Chew," "will focus on food." The one hour live show will have vewers talking about all things food, from trends, to gardening and beyond.

The other show is "The Revolution," a daily program "about health and lifestyle transformations." A team of experts led by Tim Gunn will help viewers change various aspects of their life, from home design, finances, food, relationships and more.

What will you miss most about the two soaps?

via theclicker.today.com

Sony Inks Deal With MGM to Release Next Bond Film

Sony Pictures, which released the last two James Bond movies, has struck a deal with MGM to co-finance and distribute worldwide the next Bond, still known only as Bond 23.

With Bond 23 set for release on Nov. 9, 2012, Sony and MGM also plan to join forces for the next film in the ongoing series, Bond 24, under a similar arrangement.

As part of the deal, announced Wednesday by MGM’s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum and Sony’s Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal, MGM and Sony are also exploring co-financing deals on future movies produced by each of the studios during the next five years.

Although not mentioned in the announcement, MGM is expected to co-finance Sony's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which will be released Dec. 21. There has also been speculation the two companies could join forces for the upcoming Total Recall, although no deal appears to be in place yet on that title.

MGM, which is rebuilding as it emerges from bankruptcy, had sounded out a number of studios about a distribution deal for its upcoming Bond movie, which will be directed by Sam Mendes and once again star Daniel Craig. While talks with Paramount broke down when that studio declined to go below an 8 percent distribution fee and wouldn’t agree to partner on other films, Sony moved to the head of the list to capture the Bond distribution rights.

Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson already had a comfort level with Sony, which played a role in re-launching the Bond franchise with 2006’s Casino Royale, which grossed $599 million worldwide, followed by 2008’s Quantum of Solace, which collected $577 million.

“Sony Pictures is the ideal studio partner for us as MGM re-enters the filmmaking business. We have longstanding relationships with Michael and Amy and look forward to what promises to be a prosperous future together,” Barber and Birnbaum said.

“In addition to working together on Bond, this deal expands our relationship with MGM as we explore co-financing opportunities on other high-profile projects,” Lynton said.

The new Bond movie will join a high-profile 2012 slate at Sony that also includes Men in Black 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man, as well as I Hate You, Dad, starring Adam Sandler; Here Comes the Boom, starring Kevin James; 21 Jump Street; Resident Evil 5; and Total Recall.

via hollywoodreporter.com

 

Eminem, Rihanna Heavily Nominated For Billboard Music Awards

via rapfix.mtv.com

Superstar entertainers Eminem, Rihanna and Lady Gaga have been enjoying loads of success over the last year, with all three being heavily nominated for awards by all of the organizational bodies of music. It would almost appear as if the three were intrinsically linked by their fame and notoriety and deservingly so – their chart domination and ability to appeal to an international audience has been proven time and again.

The stars once again share amongst themselves a heavy amount of nominations for the upcoming 2011 Billboard Music Awards. Bajan pop princess Rihanna leads the way with a whopping 18 nominations which include top female artist, top R&B artist and also top Hot 100 artist. Eminem nips at Rihanna’s heels with a still impressive 16 nominations, adding on to a nomination tally the rapper has never enjoyed before in his long and successful career. Slim Shady is up for the top rap artist, top male artist and top Billboard 200 artist awards to name a few.

Lady GaGa doesn’t have much to be upset about with 12 nominations herself. The eccentric singer is nominated for top dance/electronic album and has three of her releases – The Fame, The Fame Monster and a remix EP – all in contention for an award. Although she’s had a banner year as well, Nicki Minaj doesn’t get much mention although she is nominated for top new artist award battling with the likes of Ke$sha and Taio Cruz.

Catherine Zeta-Jones' Bipolar Disorder: Were There Clues?

Catherine Zeta-Jones' Bipolar Disorder: Were There Clues?

 

By DAVID WEINER

April 14, 2011

Catherine Zeta-Jones reportedly checked into Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut on April 6 for what her rep says was a brief stay to treat Bipolar II Disorder. Were there clues that the Oscar winner has been battling manic depression?

The 41-year-old star had reportedly been suffering sleepless nights and chain-smoking and drinking to cope with the stress of husband Michael Douglas' battle with throat cancer. According to Gabrielle Carlson, M.D., professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York, depression is a primary characteristic of Bipolar II, along with various states of agitation or irritability, punctuated by a mild form of mania in which the person can seem unusually upbeat.

Back in June when Catherine accepted her surprise Tony Award onstage for A Little Night Music at Radio City Music Hall, she delivered an excited but rambling speech until she was played off the stage by music. Was she manic, or just pumped with adrenalin?

 

via etonline.com

 

Aston Martin Develops Phone of the Future - Mobiledia

via mobiledia.com

The phone, developed with phone maker Mobiado, and dubbed the "CPT002," features a transparent sapphire crystal touch screen framed by platinum sides that contain the electronics, battery, and SIM card. When turned on, familiar Android icons hover in the crystal.

The CPT002, which also unlock an owner's Aston Martin -- sold separately -- on approach, integrates with the car's GPS display, and automatically posts pictures to Facebook and Twitter from car-mounted cameras. In addition, the phone relays accelerometer data to the car in the event of a crash, which helps safety systems deploy more effectively.

All this is in addition to the usual Android apps and social networking capabilities.

The most exciting thing about the CPT002 is how it expands the possibilities for materials and form for smartphones, illustrating what designers could soon do if given the freedom. The thin slab form factor that so many smartphone use is great, but aside from incremental decreases in thickness, there isn't a lot of innovation going on.
For the deep-pocketed, there are plenty of ways to spend big bucks on a swanky mobile device, ranging from Gresso's croc-skin phone, which costs $2800, to jeweler Stuart Hughes' T-Rex Tooth and Polished Meteor iPhone, at around $62,700, to Luxor Las Vegas' Egypt-inspired phone, topping $1 million.