MGM

While the spectrum auction and repack could raise challenges, most multicast network players say they’re bullish on the business, especially with the likely adoption of ATSC 3.0. Diginets keep adding affiliates and expanding coverage and the top ones have begun attracting general market advertising. This is Part 1 of a four-part special report on multicasting. Parts 2 and 3 also appear today. Part 4, running Thursday morning, will focus on the technology of compression and channel sharing. You can read the other stories here.

The new show brings together sets of rival entrepreneurs who competitively pitch their ideas head to head in front of a studio audience. The audience will then vote on which entrepreneur will receive funding for their idea.

Sinclair Broadcast Group is starting a new science fiction network along with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the end of the month. Comet, will air MGM TV programming including The Outer Limits, Dead Like Me and several iterations of the Stargate franchise. It will also have movies from the MGM vault as well, including Moonraker and The Terminator.

The still-unnamed channel is so far cleared on stations reaching 30% of television homes with more expected to be announced.

The new multicast network from MGM and Titan Broadcast Management will include TV and movie content from the MGM library plus news, including three hours of content from Huffington Post, stand-up comedy specials, games and sports.

The MGM syndicated video clip strip’s Monday-Friday clearance is now 65%, which will increase to 85% this fall with the Fox deal.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is kicking off a $75 million stock repurchase program in order to guard against any hostile or unsolicited takeover attempts, the studio said today. The company said it was not making the move because it feared that any efforts were underway to purchase its assets. It also said the repurchase program could increase in size if needed.

Orion TV Productions’ new syndicated entry featuring DNA test results is set to premiere on Sept 23.

Creator David Armour says the MGM conflict-resolution strip with Lauren Lake plans to “bring something … interesting but with a truly positive resolution.” It’s been cleared so far in 75% of the U.S. for a fall 2013 launch.

Legendary film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is exploring a joint venture with another studio in addition to a possible initial public stock offering, according to sources. MGM filed a draft registration statement on Tuesday for an IPO, just 18 months after emerging from bankruptcy protection.

Gunning for content-rich rivals like Netflix, Amazon just reached a major licensing deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Among hundreds of other classic films and TV shows dating back to the ’80s, Amazon can now lure potential video-on-demand subscribers with The Terminator, Rain Man and The Silence of the Lambs.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Google is adding 600 movies from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to the titles it has available for rent on YouTube and also Google Play, its digital content store for Android-powered mobile devices. MGM, whose film library includes classics like “Rocky” and “Rain Man,” joins five other major studios offering movies for rent through Google: […]

Officially ending its bankruptcy, the new management at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has closed a $500 million revolving credit facility that will be used to retire debt and to develop the film and TV businesses.

He joins from Steve Stark Productions, where he was president and executive producer. He led the company to an overall deal with NBC/Universal Television.

A month after she was tapped by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum to run MGM’s TV division post-bankruptcy, Roma Khanna has built up her team with four appointments.

Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum have made a major move in the executive rebuilding of MGM’s TV division post-bankruptcy, hiring former top NBC Universal international TV executive  Roma Khanna to run it.

MGM will handle the national rollout of the channel featuring classic TV including Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Bob Newhart Show.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has emerged from bankruptcy protection, the studio announced on Monday.Its exit from Chapter 11 means that Spyglass chiefs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum will assume leadership immediately as co-chairmen and CEOs.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Troubled studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. says that a federal bankruptcy court has approved its prepackaged bankruptcy plan. In the plan, its lenders will exchange nearly $5 billion in debt for ownership of the company that owns half of “The Hobbit” movies. The two movies are to go into production in February. Co-CEO […]

Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., the home of James Bond, says it has filed for bankruptcy protection as the culmination of a long process to restructure its finances with the support of lenders.