Kent Gibbons

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April Foolery

Media love April Fool’s jokes — heard any good ones? Animal Planet got me with one today, announcing it would air a two-hour documentary about the poisonous cobra that briefly escaped from the Bronx Zoo: With never-before-seen footage, the cobra’s home movies, photography and an exclusive interview with confessionals, the candid special will offer the real story... More

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Herb Scannell's 5-Year Plan at BBC America

Herb Scannell, overseer of BBC America among other BBC properties in the U.S., says the network is ready to spend the coin needed to increase ratings, diversify the program mix and generally capitalize on a moment in which “British culture is it culture.” “I feel we’re in a good place,” Scannell, the former MTV Networks executive named BBC Worldwide... More

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ESPN's Wolff ‘Delivers' For Local Kids

New York — Russell Wolff, the million-mile-a-year head of ESPN International, is being celebrated for charitable work at the world’s biggest locally based philanthropy. Honoree of the year at UJA-Federation of New York’s Sports For Youth Division, Wolff co-chairs an effort raising more than $300,000 yearly for projects helping disadvantaged kids play sports. The March... More

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A Diva Fixing America Targets TV

Lynn Tilton has been good to small-town America, buying and rebuilding failed manufacturing businesses and preserving jobs. The question now is: Will she make good reality TV? Tilton is CEO of Patriarch Partners, which buys distressed companies (150 plus in the last decade), gets them back on their feet and helps retain jobs (250,000 of them by her measure). Its portfolio now has 74... More

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Systems Ready For 'Super' Sunday

Time Warner Cable’s Wisconsin operations have close ties with the local National Football League franchise, the Green Bay Packers. Wide receiver Donald Driver has done ads for the system, and defensive back Charles Woodson has participated in local events, reading to kids, according to local communications director Stacy Zaja. Comcast in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, loves the hometown... More