Tonight’s Finales
Fox: Empire at 9p
Nat Geo: Life Below Zero: Port Protection at 9p

IN THE NEWS

NBCUniversal’s Fandango is buying digital movie and TV streaming platform Vudu from Walmart. The move comes ahead of the national launch of NBCU streaming service Peacock in July. On its website, Vudu, which offers upwards of 10,000 movie and TV titles, told customers it “will continue to deliver an amazing experience,” promising “new exciting features, offerings, and other benefits.”

Four senators sent a letter to Senate leadership asking for more local news outlets to be included in future COVID-19 small business assistance legislation. Wrote Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and John Kennedy (R-La.), “Ensuring that local news outlets remain viable at this critical time is not only a matter of fairness, but is essential to public health. Local newspapers, radio, and television stations provide important local content that keeps their communities informed.” Many local news outlets were not included in the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program because aid to companies owned or controlled by larger companies was restricted.

Facebook has released county-by-county maps that show self-reported COVID-19 symptoms. The maps, which will be updated daily, use data from a voluntary survey operated by the Carnegie Mellon University Delphi Research Center. “Overall, since experiencing symptoms is a precursor to going to the hospital or becoming more seriously ill, these maps could be an important tool for governments and public health officials to make decisions on how to allocate scarce resources like ventilators and PPE, and eventually when it’s safe to start re-opening society,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “I think providing aggregate data to governments and health officials is one of the most important tools tech companies can provide.”

Facebook also removed posts created to organize anti-quarantine events in California, Nebraska and New Jersey. While organizers have been using Facebook to drive turnout to protests, the company said states will determine what’s allowed. “Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook,” said a Facebook spokesperson. “For this same reason, events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook.”

Ashleigh Banfield is joining Court TV as a special contributor, appearing nightly on the net’s live primetime show at 8p with anchors Vinnie Politan, Julie Grant and Ted Rowlands. It’s a homecoming for Banfield, who worked at Court TV before hosting shows on CNN, HLN, ABC News and A&E. “Ashleigh’s Court TV reunion appearance with Vinnie during the Harvey Weinstein trial sparked a conversation and mutual interest in working together,” said Scott Tufts, VP of Court TV. “We’re thrilled to have her back on the network on a regular basis.”

Charter Communications said it will not implement layoffs or furloughs for at least the next 60 days, “to reassure our employees during this unprecedented time.” The move follows permanent wage increases and improved health benefits.

Meredith Corp., which includes 17 local TV stations, announced some salary cuts and a hiring freeze as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. While 40% of employees will not see a reduction in pay, 45% will take a 15% cut and the highest-paid employees will take cuts from 25-40%. “The Covid-19 crisis has created an extremely challenging business environment, including significant advertising campaign cancellations and delays,” said Meredith President and CEO Tom Harty. “While our financial position is strong, given the impact on advertising – which represents approximately half of our revenue mix – we are proactively taking aggressive actions to strengthen our liquidity and enhance our financial flexibility in the near term to effectively navigate the current environment.”

AT&T has an end date for its linear and streaming channel Audience Network: May 22. The decision to shutter Audience – launched in 1999 as FreeView – and focus on upcoming streaming service HBO Max was announced in January. HBO Max debuts in May.

NEW SPEAKER ADDED: Vikki Neil, EVP & GM for Discovery’s Digital Studios Group will join our other A-list speakers from the NHL, Twitch and FanAI for the April 30 webinar, Building A Super-Bond with Audiences During the Pandemic. Plus, hook a friend up! Every registrant has the chance to share their login with one friend or colleague. #sharingiscaring

As it considers potential refinancing transactions and market opportunities, Univision Communications announced it has $1.3 billion in available cash, $7.8 billion in debt, and an estimated revenue of $612 million last quarter, up 8% from a year ago. Univision was acquired in February by ForgeLight and Searchlight Capital Partners.

CBS soaps The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful were about a month ahead in episodes when production shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. With originals set to run out, on Monday, April 27 the soaps will air reruns in themed weeks; cast members will provide new commentary. ABC’s General Hospital has about another month of original episodes, while NBC’s Days of Our Lives, which shoots eight months in advance, can rest easy until the fall.

Claim your spot at the industry’s premiere business awards that not only brings together the biggest names from across the sports ecosystem, but honors and showcases the best work in the industry.

REGISTER YOUR TEAM

Facebook is taking on YouTube, Twitch and Microsoft’s Mixer with the Facebook Gaming mobile app, launched Monday on Android (iOS is on the way). Facebook Gaming, which allows users to create and watch live gameplay, has a “Go Live” function that also lets them livestream mobile games directly from their smartphone to Facebook. With gaming hours soaring amid COVID-19 lockdown, Facebook accelerated the launch, originally slated for summer.

Auditor OpenSlate is refusing to sign a contract with Google that would keep it from reporting to clients when ads have run in videos with sensitive subject matter, reports the Wall Street Journal. OpenSlate sent an email to ad agencies that said the proposed contract from Google would “severely limit” its ability to deliver transparency to clients.

Satellite TV service Orby TV has found a niche in the market with a business that’s small yet viable, with under 20 employees and needing just 100,000 subs to break even. CEO Michael Thornton explains the business model for the scrappy upstart in Cynsiders.

VuePlanner announced its verification as a partner in the YouTube Measurement Program, created to offer advertisers on YouTube an array of independent solutions for driving and measuring marketing performance. Focused on a Cost Per Suitable View metric, VuePlanner technology helps brands reach and engage consumers through contextually relevant, data-driven targeting.

STREAMING SCOOP

The number of subscribers for Starz’ streaming service has jumped 142% since the COVID-19 lockdown, with a 44% increase in average time spent viewing the app, CEO Jeff Hirsch told CNBC. Hirsch also said because Starz usually works a year in advance, there shouldn’t be too much interruption with content this year.

AVOD service Tubi expanded the reach of its Tubi Kids library to iOS users. Families can now access over 1,200 age-appropriate movies and television shows free on iOS, building on the library’s current availability on Android, Roku, Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity, Xbox One, Cox Contour, and TiVo.

Spotlight her success in style. The Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards was created to highlight and empower forward-focused women in programming, sports and tech who are elevating the space. Nominate a colleague, friend or yourself before April 30 and join us to celebrate the honorees on September 24 at the awards gala dinner in NYC. The nomination process is simple, click here to get started.

VOD kids net Kabillion is now available on Sling TV. Kabillion’s content is distributed across various other streaming platforms, including Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, Optimum, Amazon, Apple TV, Roku, VUDU, and more.

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

HBO is developing half-hour wrestling series Tre Cnt, from Mohamad El Masri (Here and Now), Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions and Issa Rae and her Issa Rae Productions, reports Variety. The show centers on a working-class family and friends who build a backyard wrestling empire.

Group Nine brands NowThis, The Dodo, Thrillist, Popsugar and Seeker are developing and will distribute shows for Facebook Watch, as part of Facebook’s publisher and creator program. “Group Nine is committed to creating premium video IP that resonates with our massive audience across multiple passion points,” said Group Nine’s President of Network, Mickey Meyer. “As the global industry leader in multi-platform, mobile-first content creation, we’re excited to partner with Facebook on new franchises featuring some of our fans’ favorite creators.” Six new shows include Seeker’s Seeker Baby, Wild Crimes, and Tusks to Tails; NowThis’ Faces and Heels and Wrongful Conviction; and Thrillist’s Wrestling with Wine.

Cactus Tree Entertainment announced a co-production partnership with Toronto-based RMI, along with pre-sales, of a documentary series on the corona virus, Covid-19: The Ripple Effect. The series, exploring the virus from its inception and advance around the world, is executive produced by Kevin Fox, Ellen Douglas, Liz Levenson and Benn Watson.

Natasha Rothwell (Insecure) will star in and exec produce Malltown, a pilot for Comedy Central from Broad City’s Abby Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, reports Deadline. The animated comedy is set in a declining mall.

NEW & RETURNING SERIES

Things get hairy on VH1, with the premiere of new series To Catch a Beautician on Monday, May 25 at 9p. In the 20-episode series, singer/songwriter Tamar Braxton and hairstylist Johnny Wright (Michelle Obama was once a client) help disgruntled customers confront their stylists, then give the beauticians a chance to redeem themselves.

The Queens of HBO’s We’re Here are hosting a digital pre-show with celebrity guests leading into the series premiere on Thursday, April 23 at 9p. Pre-show starts at 8:30p. The series’ debut episode will be made available for free via the YouTube Premieres platform and by participating affiliates, marking the first time that HBO has made content available for free at the same time as its debut.

Love comes to late night with the premiere of TLC’s Find Love Live on Sunday, May 10 at 11p. The relationship show was originally slated to premiere earlier this month with a traditional full production crew, but will now air as a remote production, with all dates virtual.

In more TLC news, the net’s sMothered is back for season two on Sunday, May 24 at 10p. Series follows mother/daughter duos who push the boundaries of bonding.

EstrellaTV talent competition Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento will premiere its 22nd season on Thursday, April 23. Recording artist and reality star Chiquis will sit on the celebrity judge panel, her second consecutive appearance.

CuriosityStream is tackling its first docu-series with 4th and Forever: Muck City, about the football rivalry between two towns in Florida that produce more pro football players per capita than anywhere else. Series kicks off Thursday, May 14.

Season three of HBO Europe’s Romanian crime drama Umbre (Shadows) is available to stream on HBO Now and HBO Go. Based on a format created by Boilermaker Burberry, Umbre follows a man leading a double life.

Snap Original docuseries The Honeybeez of ASU premieres on Snapchat Saturday, April 25, following Alabama State University’s plus-size dance squad, the “Honeybeez.” New episodes of the 10-parter will be available every day on Snapchat’s Discover page.

HOMESCHOOLING ASSISTANCE

History is lending a hand with at-home learning with “History at Home,” a free video series available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11a across the net’s digital and social media platforms. Brief history lessons will be led by presenters including Laurence Fishburne (black-ish), Padma Lakshmi (Love, Loss and What We Ate), Billie Jean King, ABC News’ Dan Abrams, and more.

PBS LearningMedia will now include films from Ken Burns in its “Ken Burns in the Classroom” hub, through June 30. Burns has also launched UNUM, a site where students can “explore the intersection of history and current events” through various playlists of clips from Burns’ work. “We have heard loud and clear that teachers are in need of full films to better engage students and to align with their teaching during this period of distance learning,” Burns said. “We have worked closely with PBS to clear rights and package these films so they can be streamed and made accessible.”

Big Bad Boo is launching a set of PSAs using characters from its original preschool series, 16 Hudson. The videos are aimed at educating and empowering children as homeschooling and staying home are mandated.

COMING UP

BET News, Facebook and CBS News are teaming for news special BET News and Facebook Present: COVID-19: Black America’s Fight, airing commercial-free Wednesday, April 22 at 7p on BET and BET HER. The one-hour special, anchored by CBS News’ Gayle King and a team of CBS News correspondents, will address the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on the African American community and provide information for viewers looking to protect themselves and their families.

Fox News virtual town hall Outnumbered Overtime: America Learns Together airs today, April 21 at 1p. Moderated by Outnumbered Overtime anchor Harris Faulkner, the show highlight the challenges of guiding students through a digital education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HGTV’s Mother’s Day lineup on Sunday, May 10 includes a “Mom-a-Thon” from 7a-8:30p, with episodes from Rock the Block, Food Bones and Hometown, followed at 8:30p by self-shot, half-hour special Renovate Like a Mother, starring expectant mothers Jasmine Roth (Hidden Potential) and Mina Starsiak Hawk (Good Bones).

What do Jack Osbourne’s parents, Sharon (The Talk) and Ozzy, think of his Travel Channel paranormal show, Portals to Hell? The Prince of Darkness and his wife sit down to watch an episode in special event, Portals to Hell – Watching With the Osbournes on Thursday, April 30 at 8p.

HITN will hold a Facebook Live event with Dra. Aliza and experts to answer questions from Spanish-speaking families about the coronavirus pandemic. The event will livestream tomorrow, April 22 on the Vida Salud Facebook platform at 4p.

Josh Gates will host a special Earth Day episode of virtual talk show Josh Gates Tonight, tomorrow, April 22 at 8p on Discovery. Gates will interview a variety of celebrity guests including Joel McHale, Mark Rober, Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott, Dr. Sandra Lee, Jeb Corliss, Jason Hawes, Captain Keith Colburn, as well as environmental experts.

GOING GLOBAL

Fred Media inked a deal with Dabl for 120 hours of The Living Room, CBS Television Distribution’s digital lifestyle network that launched in the US in September.

BBC Two ordered documentary Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy (wt) from Brook Lapping. The film will include interviews with Sellers’ second wife, Britt Ekland, Michael Palin, Steve Coogan and more.

Genius Brands announced the spring 2021 premiere of children’s animated series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten on Amazon Prime, which along with Alibaba will launch the series in China on its video streaming platform for kids, Youku.

From outstanding ad & brand safety solutions to deft achievements in strategy, Cynopsis is shining a well-deserved spotlight on those who are making a difference in the digital media supply chain. Categories include: Best Addressable TV Collaboration, Best Audience-Based Buying Platform, Best Use of Blockchain and Cryptography, Most Innovative Implementation of Addressable, Outstanding Advance in Transparency, Outstanding Attribution Measurement, Outstanding Brand Safety Strategy and more.

Answer to Our Last Trivia Question
Which 1987 film was initially intended as a story for a TV series? Batteries Not Included was originally supposed to be a story in Steven Spielberg-created anthology series Amazing Stories (1985-1987). Kudos to: Gerry Bixenspan-TV Marketing Inc./NYC, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA

Today’s Trivia Question
On which crime drama did Sammy Davis Jr. play different roles on three different episodes? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four per time zone.)