Harrington powerless as USA forge ahead

Padraig Harrington, winner of golf's last two Majors, was unable to prevent America making a flying start to the Ryder Cup at Valhalla today.

'Gone Baby Gone' keeps you guessing

When a little girl vanishes from her bedroom in one of Boston’s poorest neighbourhoods, her distraught mother (Amy Ryan) makes a television appeal for her safe return.

Morning blues for Faldo's Europe

America won the opening session of the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1991 - and it was not just the 3-1 scoreline that made it a bad morning for Nick Faldo’s Europe at Valhalla.

Theron planning protests now she's a US citizen

Charlize Theron is hoping to get active now protesting won't get her deported from America.

Live Earth back with solar aim

INDIA is to host a Live Earth concert later this year, featuring stars from the world of music, film and television, to raise funds for solar energy.

NATAS circles grow

Film News: Donahue, Bergen, Williams honored -- The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Pacific Southwest chapter, has inducted six new members into its prestigious gold and silver circles.

Galicians on parade at San Sebastian

Film News: Region will have strong presence at film fest -- Producers and companies from the region of Galicia will be out in force at the 56th San Sebastian Festival, a crossroads between Spain and Latin America. For the first time, the Galician Audiovisual Consortium will run a stand at San Sebastian's Sales Office film market.

Soderbergh, Douglas do Liberace

Film News: Bob Schieffer celebrates release of 'America' -- STEVEN SODERBERGH, recently announced that he is in talks to cast Michael Douglas, as well as Matt Damon, in a film about the one and only Liberace. Michael would play the man who did his flamboyant piano-best surrounded by candelabras.

TVNZ VOD pacts for ABC shows

Business News: Disney-owned channel pacts with Ondemand -- The Asia Pacific arm of Disney-ABC Intl. Television has inked a deal with Kiwi pubcaster TVNZ to provide its skeins on its fledgling online delivery service TVNZ Ondemand.

Entertainment One gets credit

Business News: Company to receive $150 million -- Despite a global credit squeeze, Canada's Entertainment One has just received a four-year $150 million senior credit facility with a group of financial institutions led by JP Morgan. The facility leaves the Toronto-based distrib and producer poised for further growth. The other banks in the syndicate include Bank of America, Barclays and Toronto Dominion Bank.

Tiger's role will not help Americans, says Seve

Seve Ballesteros has warned America captain Paul Azinger that relying on the help of Tiger Woods at this year's Ryder Cup could do more harm than good.

Canadian unions seek strike mandate

Business News: Current deal expired on June 30 -- After 17 months of negotiations with reps of the ad business, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is seeking a strike mandate from its membership.

Candian unions seek strike mandate

Business News: Current deal expired on June 30 -- After 17 months of negotiations with reps of the ad business, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is seeking a strike mandate from its membership.

ITV's Paul Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

ITV's Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

Ibero-American congress planned

Film News: Antonio Banderas to attend Mexico City event -- Film stars such as Antonio Banderas, orgs, name directors and top producers from Spain, Latin America and Portugal will huddle at a pioneering mega-meet, the first Ibero-American Culture Congress, which runs Oct. 1-5 in Mexico City.

Tiger Wishes Team Well, But Won't Attend Ryder Cup

The closest Tiger Woods will get to the Ryder Cup is in front of his television.

Hansen unhappy with alleged filming incident

New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen has accused an Australian television station of supplying footage to the Wallabies ahead of the Tri-Nations decider last Saturday.

Weather disrupts Ryder preparations

A television tower and a number of trees were sent crashing by 60mph gusts at Valhalla yesterday on the eve of the European and American teams’ arrival for the Ryder Cup starting on Friday.

Football fans 'being turned off by costs'

Premier League clubs may be courting Arab trillionaires but it is a different story for their supporters, the majority of whom are being priced out of watching live football on television, according to a new survey.

Watson: 'I might study in America'

Harry Potter star Emma Watson is considering moving to America to study at university.

Casting directors pact with AMPTP

Business News: Tentative labor deal reached for new contract -- Casting directors have reached a tentative deal for a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The AMPTP made the announcement Friday morning, following three days of negotiations with reps for Intl.  Brotherhood of Teamsters.
 

USGS Coalition to honor Reps. Dicks, Regula with Leadership Award

(Crop Science Society of America) Representatives Norman Dicks (D-WA) and Ralph Regula (R-OH) will be presented with the first USGS Coalition Leadership Award on Monday evening, Sept. 15, 2008. The USGS Coalition is an alliance of 70 organizations united by a commitment to the continued vitality of the unique combination of biological, geological, hydrological and mapping programs of the US Geological Survey.

French TV exports hold steady

Business News: Sales to North America fall 27% -- Gallic TV exports held last year, thanks in part to sales to Europe, and a hike in documentary sales, according to figures revealed Thursday at the 14th TV France Intl. Rendez-Vous in Biarritz.

'Watchmen' fate goes to federal judge

Business News: Fox, WB forego jury trial on legal tussle -- Fox and Warner Bros. have decided to forgo a jury trial in their legal tussle over which studio has distribution rights to "Watchmen" and agreed instead to let a federal judge decide in two weeks whether Fox can block release of the pic.

ATAS pacts with Alan Perris

Business News: COO signs new multi-year deal with org -- Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chief operating officer Alan Perris has sealed a new multi-year deal with the org.

Journalists' woes trickle down to PR

Business News: Economic crisis hits both writers and praisers -- Misery love company, and if journalism plays a significant role in your professional orbit, there’s going to be plenty of it to go around.

Brad Grey stays put at Paramount

Business News: CEO to remain with studio through 2014 -- Despite a bleak economy and an uncertain media landscape, Viacom is very certain that Brad Grey is the man to run Paramount Pictures.

Family fare does well in down market

Business News: In tough economy, original DVD titles chug along -- As the DVD market plateaus and ever more releases vie for space on store shelves, the direct-to-video kidvid sector is proving resilient in tough economic times.

Home Entertainment Leader Report

Business News: The execs who guide the studios' made-for-DVD units -- Home Entertainment Leader Report: The execs who guide the studios' made-for-DVD units

Vidgames enter brave new open world

Business News: Wii, online gaming, sandbox games point to future -- Eight-year-old Rafael Solano can see the future -- or at least his future. Not content with the ease of use of his Nintendo Wii, he imagines a game system that features "controllers you could actually interact with that could go, like, on your knees or something, and on your arms.

RDF USA boosts Gellert to VP

Business News: Executive to report to Chris Coelen -- RDF USA continues to expand its ranks, tapping Lauren Gellert to serve as senior VP.

Homevid biz weathering the storm

Business News: Stability is the new growth in nontheatrical sector -- Contrary to claims made by some pundits back in the downturn of 2001, the homevid business isn't necessarily recession-proof.
But with numerous estimates for 2008 revenues down only 3%-6% from the nearly $23 billion generated in 2007, peddling discs has gone a lot better than, say, selling Detroit-made SUVs or condos in Miami.

Marketing the end of the world

Business News: Creatively marketing 'Day the Earth Stood Still' -- How do you promote the end of the world? That was the question facing 20th Century Fox as the studio pondered the marketing plan for "The Day the Earth Stood Still."