Public affairs reporting

Erin Calhoun , EVP, Communications, Showtime Networks & Paramount Television Studios, has been appointed to a new role as EVP, Communications, Paramount Streaming and Cross-Company Publicity. The promotion comes on the heels of Paramount Global’s announcement yesterday that Showtime is being integrated into Paramount+, with the linear cable network getting renamed as Paramount+ with Showtime. As part of the change, SVP Susan Lundgren is leaving after a decade. Lundgren came through CBS Interactive and later became SVP Communications for ViacomCBS Streaming. The promotion of Calhoun, a seasoned communications executive who brings decades of experience to the role, is the first of what is expected to be a slew of changes in the Showtime executive ranks as a result of the integration with Paramount+, including reassignments, voluntary departures and layoffs. There will be further consolidation of Paramount’s streaming communications teams from Paramount+, Pluto TV … [Read more...] about Showtime’s Erin Calhoun Named Head Of Communications For Paramount Streaming, Susan Lundgren To Exit

Shares in Snap Inc ., the parent of Snapchat beset by a confluence of adverse market forces, fell again in after-hours trading after its latest quarterly financial report. Revenue came in at $1.3 billion, slightly below Wall Street analysts’ consensus forecast for $1.31 billion and flat with the 2021 quarter, while operating losses widened significantly. In the period ending December 31, losses totaled $287.6 million, compared with a $25.1 million loss a year ago. Earnings per share of 14 cents beat analysts’ outlook for 11 cents, but on an adjusted basis they added up to a loss of 18 cents, a big swing from 22 cents of profit per share in the year-earlier quarter. Daily active user levels for Snapchat matched the Street’s expectation, rising to 375 million from 363 million in the third quarter. Growth in the current first quarter of 2023 will slow, putting the total at 382 million to 384 million, the company projected. “We anticipate that the operating environment will … [Read more...] about Snap Inc. Shares Slide Again After Uneven Q4 Results

Backgrid Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka had a night out with her mom in the Big Apple on Monday ... hitting up a Japanese restaurant three weeks after announcing she's preggo with her first child. The 25-year-old and Tamaki Osaka arrived at Nippon in Midtown for dinner ... one of the few times the mother-to-be has been spotted out in public since her big reveal. No baby bump in sight, though -- Osaka rocked a baggy brown and green outfit for the occasion. Getty As we previously reported, Osaka told her fans about the major life update on Jan. 11 ... and TMZ Sports confirmed rapper Cordae is the father. Gallery Launch Gallery Getty "I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure," Osaka said in her announcement. "I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch … [Read more...] about Naomi Osaka Grabs Dinner With Mom After Pregnancy Announcement

The long-running The Phantom of the Opera was once again Broadway’s highest grossing show last week, taking in a mighty $2,483,532 for the week ending Jan. 29, outpacing runners-up Funny Girl ($1,872,862) and Hamilton ($1,871,921) by a noticeable margin. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical at the Majestic has experienced a remarkable resurgence in interest (and box office) since announcing a closing date last year (the final performance, after a 35-year run, is April 16). Earlier this month, Phantom reported its 20 millionth audience member since opening in 1988. Overall, the 23 Broadway shows on the boards last week held steady with the previous week, grossing $25,705,039, with attendance of 206,578 at about 94% of capacity. The average ticket price for all the shows was $124.43, reflecting the discount pricing of some shows during the annual NYC Broadway Week promotion (which continues through Feb. 12). In its final week of performances, August Wilson’s The … [Read more...] about ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Tops Broadway Box Office; ‘The Piano Lesson’ Closes On High Note

Blac Chyna is trying to convince the world her Future tattoo isn't the real deal -- that it's just a Sharpie drawing -- but we have the proof it's 100% authentic. Chyna and her friends posted a video on Snapchat Wednesday night where they all had "Blac Chyna" written on their hands in Sharpie, and then she asked followers to do the same in solidarity. Snapchat But she ain't fooling us. TMZ has obtained a set of photos that show Future's tattoo artist, Steve Wiebe, inking the couple together several weeks ago ... just as we first reported. We're told Chyna is pretending the tattoo never existed because she's hurt after Future publicly humiliated her by tweeting his single status . Chyna was under the impression they'd been dating exclusively for over a month. Gallery Launch Gallery Instagram … [Read more...] about Blac Chyna’s Sharpie Talk Is BS … Future Ink Is Permanent (PHOTO)

Getty The charges against Amar'e Stoudemire stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in December have been dismissed ... after prosecutors say the victim did not cooperate with the investigation. As we previously reported, STAT was accused of striking one of his teen daughters across the face at least twice ... leaving her bloody from the hits. But the 40-year-old adamantly denied the accusations ... saying he would never lay a finger on another human being. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office confirmed to CBS Miami on Tuesday, the charges related to the Dec. 2022 incident have been dropped "due to the failure of the victim to cooperate in the prosecution of the criminal case." Stoudemire tells TMZ Sports ... "A little over a month ago, my family’s world was turned upside down as I faced allegations that we all knew to be untrue – which I instantly and publicly denied." "Today, I’m grateful that after … [Read more...] about Amar’e Stoudemire Domestic Violence Charges Dropped