Now that it looks like the writers strike won't be over anytime soon, you are already hearing the spin by studio and network executives that this may actually be good for the biz. That was the making lemon out of lemonade scenario. Both NBCU chief Jeff Zucker and his CBS counterpart Leslie Moonves were touting at a financial confab in New York last week. Expect to hear more of this talk in the weeks to come.

(more after the break..)  read more »

Now that it looks like the writers strike won't be over anytime soon, you are already hearing the spin by studio and network executives that this may actually be good for the biz. That was the making lemon out of lemonade scenario. Both NBCU chief Jeff Zucker and his CBS counterpart Leslie Moonves were touting at a financial confab in New York last week. Expect to hear more of this talk in the weeks to come.

(more after the break..)

The official story is that a stroke killed Roger King, the syndication legend who sold Oprah nationwide wtih evangelical zeal when she was that talented nobody, who would one day become the most powerful woman in America. But strokes tend to be an old man's way of dying, and King, who headed up the syndication biz for CBS, was only 63. But then, a lot of those years, after he made ridiculous F-U money successfully selling not only Oprah, but Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, were rock n' roll years, filled with well-documented drug, alcohol and gambling abuse. Not everybody has Keith Richard's constitution. (Read the NY Times obit here.)

(and read more after the break..)  read more »

The official story is that a stroke killed Roger King, the syndication legend who sold Oprah nationwide wtih evangelical zeal when she was that talented nobody, who would one day become the most powerful woman in America. But strokes tend to be an old man's way of dying, and King, who headed up the syndication biz for CBS, was only 63. But then, a lot of those years, after he made ridiculous F-U money successfully selling not only Oprah, but Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, were rock n' roll years, filled with well-documented drug, alcohol and gambling abuse. Not everybody has Keith Richard's constitution. (Read the NY Times obit here.)

(and read more after the break..)

By most reports from those who stayed sober enough to remember, NBCU's annual holiday party for the media that cover the media was more wake than fiesta. Who can blame any of the folks toiling at 30 Rock. Reports in the New York Post and elsewhere earlier that day said many heads will soon roll on both coasts at NBCU, with particular attention being paid to the news division. Didn't help that the shindig was held in legendary Studio 8-H, home of Saturday Night LIve, that's been dead, dead, dead since the writers strike got underway. No wonder more than one person was heard to say: "this is no time to quit drinking."

By most reports from those who stayed sober enough to remember, NBCU's annual holiday party for the media that cover the media was more wake than fiesta. Who can blame any of the folks toiling at 30 Rock. Reports in the New York Post and elsewhere earlier that day said many heads will soon roll on both coasts at NBCU, with particular attention being paid to the news division. Didn't help that the shindig was held in legendary Studio 8-H, home of Saturday Night LIve, that's been dead, dead, dead since the writers strike got underway. No wonder more than one person was heard to say: "this is no time to quit drinking."

Get ready, here it comes again.

Want to know if your favorite show is coming back, or if it won't be down for breakfast? Post your questions and comments here and we will give you the real deal.

Listen pal, if you want the inside dope on the Hollywood writer's strike, tune in to "Max Robins Mondays on the Howie Carr Show on WRKO -- AM 680" or listen on line at HowieCarr.com. We kid because we love -- and we can't give answers without your questions.

Get ready, here it comes again.

Want to know if your favorite show is coming back, or if it won't be down for breakfast? Post your questions and comments here and we will give you the real deal.

Listen pal, if you want the inside dope on the Hollywood writer's strike, tune in to "Max Robins Mondays on the Howie Carr Show on WRKO -- AM 680" or listen on line at HowieCarr.com. We kid because we love -- and we can't give answers without your questions.

Like me, did you think after reading Walt Mossberg's review of Amazon's new e-book reader Kindle that you wished you had shorted your Amazon stock. Somebody will get the e-book right one of these days. Smart money has to be on Apple.

Like me, did you think after reading Walt Mossberg's review of Amazon's new e-book reader Kindle that you wished you had shorted your Amazon stock. Somebody will get the e-book right one of these days. Smart money has to be on Apple.