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French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal has agreed to buy the entertainment assets of USA Networks Inc. for about $12.4 billion in cash, stock and assumed tax liability, a source familiar with the deal said Sunday. One source said Vivendi’s board approved the deal on Friday, the same day the company said it will buy an 11 percent share of EchoStar Communications Corp., the No. 2 U.S. provider of satellite television. Meanwhile, USA Network approved the deal late Sunday, according to another source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The companies plan to make an annoucement in the near future, probably… Read more »

In a major victory for Hollywood movie studios, a federal appeals court on Wednesday barred a Web site from revealing how to make unauthorized copies of digital video discs (DVDs). The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled that the controversial 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) does not infringe on the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution. There were actions in two other DMCA-related cases on Wednesday. A federal judge in Trenton, New Jersey, dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the DMCA filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). In that case, a group of… Read more »

Top showbiz execs pledged Sunday to step up their contribution to the war effort after a meeting with White House senior advisor Karl Rove. Details of Hollywood’s multifront initiative will be forged over the next few weeks, but industry moguls made clear their desire to pitch in. The campaign will include helping the Bush Administration spread its message regarding the war on terrorism both at home and abroad, support for U.S. troops and buttressing resolve among the American public. “All of us in the industry have an incredible urge to do something,” said Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing. One concrete… Read more »

ABC Radio Networks and Radio One, Inc. have partnered to form a history-making platform that creates the largest radio network reaching the African-American marketplace. The new partnership enables ABC Radio Networks’ Urban Advantage Network (UAN) to be available to more than 93 percent of African-American consumers. The two companies have established an expanded network to create the most wide-reaching radio infrastructure to access the African-American market. Radio One will allocate a portion of its commercial time to ABC Radio Networks’ existing Urban Advantage Network. The alliance bolsters the reach of UAN and provides Radio One with a vehicle to reach… Read more »

Cue ear-splitting shrieks from millions of preteen girls. For Lance Bass, as most adults don’t know, is one-fifth of ‘N Sync, the mega-selling boy-band that has helped keep the music industry afloat in recent years. It’s hard to imagine ‘N Sync winning a Grammy Award for its lightweight pop. So – strange but true – Bass is setting his sights on winning a coveted Academy Award from stuffy Hollywood for his role as a moonlighting movie producer. The 22-year-old Mississippi native set up a movie production company earlier this year, naming it A Happy Place, and is holding meetings like… Read more »

In a move seen as almost inevitable by many in the music business, Nancy Berry has resigned as vice chairman of Virgin Records Group. The move comes just days after her estranged husband Ken Berry was replaced at the helm of Virgin parent EMI Recorded Music by ex-Polygram chief Alain Levy. Nancy Berry’s departure marks Levy’s first visible action to reshape EMI’s embattled U.S. label divisions, which have given up substantial market share over the past few years; EMI is currently in last place among the big five record congloms. Nancy Berry, who has been with Virgin’s U.S. operations for… Read more »

Vans Inc., the leading worldwide brand for Core Sports(TM), today announced that it has been selected by Forbes as one of its “Best 200 Small Companies of 2001” for the second year in a row. Vans ranked number 179 on the Forbes list, which is featured in the Oct. 29 issue and available on newsstands now. Vans is one of just 83 companies to repeat from last year, when the company was ranked number 191. “We are very pleased with our accomplishments throughout the year,” stated Gary H. Schoenfeld, president and chief executive officer of Vans. “In light of the… Read more »

With a career spanning nearly 35 years, Elton John has a simple explanation for his longevity: “I tend not to look back. I look forward.” That said, John doesn’t disagree with the overwhelmingly favorable reviews that refer to his new album, “Songs From the West Coast,” as a vintage work hearkening back to the early 1970s hits that established him as a leading pop music figure. “I’m fine with that,” says John, 54, of comparisons to such early albums as “Tumbleweed Connection” and “Madman Across the Water.” “It’s the same kind of lineup as I had on the old albums,… Read more »

Global media companies Viacom Inc. and News Corp. Ltd. Tuesday tallied up hundreds of millions of dollars in losses as advertising revenues were hurt by a weak economy and an uncertain outlook after the Sept. 11 hijacked jetliner attacks. The attacks led many networks to air commercial-free coverage of the news events for at least five straight days. For the most part, however, U.S. investors shrugged off the news of losses as having already been factored into stock prices and sent Viacom and News Corp. shares, as well as major media players like Walt Disney Co., higher on the day.… Read more »

Paul McCartney, The Who, Macy Gray and a host of other performers are scheduled to stage a concert on Oct. 20 in New York to benefit victims and rescue workers from the attacks on the World Trade Center, organizers said Thursday. “The Concert For New York,” to be held at Madison Square Garden, will also be televised live on VH1. Other confirmed performers include Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge, India.Arie as well as actors like Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow and John Cusack. The money raised will go to the Robin Hood Relief… Read more »