The King of Content
Page 43
Redstone surname, changed from Rothstein (formerly Rohtstein), 25–26
Redstone Theaters, 90
Regal Cinemas, 172, 174
Reischauer, Edwin, 42
Ren and Stimpy (TV series), 132
Renard, Jacques, 24–25
Reroma, Charmaine, 187
Reuters, 288
Revere Drive-In, 46, 49, 62, 79
Revere Showcase Cinemas, 104
Richards, Ronald, 265–66
Rich Hippie Productions, 256
Riseman, Marilyn Sagansky, 54, 58, 110
Riseman, William, 69–70
Rising Star Media, 176–77, 230–31
RKO, 50
Robbins, Brian, 300
Roberts, Brian, 142–44
Robinson, Carole, 201
Robinson, Lake, Lerer & Montgomery, 133
Rocco, Nikki, 156
Rodrigues, Julio, 100
Roganti, Bob, 116
Rohtstein, Harry (uncle), 15
Rohtstein, Isaac (great grandfather), 15
Rohtstein, Jacob (uncle), 16
Rohtstein, Morris (grandfather), 14–16, 22–23, 53
Rohtstein, Rebecca Bornstein (grandmother), 14–16, 23
Rohtstein, Sara (aunt), 15
Rohtstein, Steven (Harry’s grandson), 15
Rohtstein family, 14–16. See also Rothstein; Redstone
Roku, 7
Rose, Charlie, 205
Rosen, Sam, 108–10
Rosenblatt, Richard, 195
Rosenthal, Mark, 176
Ross, Steve, 116
Rothstein, Arnold, 26, 30
Rothstein, Barnett “Barney” (great uncle; formerly Rohtstein), 15, 26
Rothstein, Edward (cousin), 26
Rothstein, Irving (cousin), 26
Rothstein, Jake (uncle), 26
Rothstein, Max (father). See Redstone, Mickey
Rothstein family, 15. See also Rohtstein; Redstone
Roxy Theatre, 10
Rugrats (TV show), 166
Rule, Charles F., 134
Russia, 170–71, 176–77, 218, 231
Ruth Ann Trust, 81, 108–9, 125
Ryvicker, Marci, 268–69
Sabrina (film), 159
Sack Theaters, 91
Sagansky, Harry “Doc Jasper,” 10–13, 16–19, 21, 23, 27–28, 30–31, 53–54, 69, 97, 110
imprisonment of, 33–41
post-prison career of, 43–46, 61
Sage, Robert, 11, 17, 28
Salerno, Fred, 278, 280–82, 286–89
Salon, Stephen, 105–6
Sanford C. Bernstein company, 232
Santiago multiplex, 173
Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2007), 214
Saturday Night Fever (film), 136
Saving Private Ryan (film), 150
Saxe, Susan, 82
Schleiff, Henry, 127–28, 131
Schmidt, Eric, 207–8
Schorow, Stephanie, 24
Schultz, Dutch, 20
Schumer, Bob, 285
Schwartz, William, 261
Scientology, 202
Scripps Networks Interactive, 301
Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), 199
Seligman, Nicole, 287
Seller, May and Lou, 30
Semel, Terry, 203
Sexton, Anne, 76
S.G. Warren firm, 139
Shady Records, 222
Shapiro, Robert, 252, 257
Shari Trust, 81
Sharon Memorial Park, 243
Shaver, Buster, 30
Shearman & Sterling, 118, 137–38
Sheppard Mullin law firm, 253
Sheraton Boston fire, 100
Shields, Brooke, 202–3
Shortwave (film), 272
Showcase Cinemas, 5, 91
Showcase Live, 222
Showtime, 5, 70, 118, 129, 131, 153, 161–62, 190–91, 221, 271, 276, 292–93
Showtime/The Movie Channel, 113–14
Shub, Mark, 105–6
Siegel, Bugsy, 61
Siegel, Herbert, 89, 136
Simon & Schuster, 5, 136, 150–51, 160, 163, 186, 190
Simpson, O.J., 252
Simpsons, The (TV show), 141, 142
Sinatra, Frank, 45, 228
Singh, Rohini, 221
Sitrick, Mike, 253
Six Million Dollar Man, The (TV show), 185
Skoog, Ralph, 85–87
Sloan, David, 285
Smith, Andy, 65
Smith, Chris, 226
Smith, Phil (formerly Adolph Sandberg), 62, 68–69
Smith, Richard, 51, 68–69
Smith, Shane, 225
Smith Management, 69
Snapchat, 269
Snyder, Gary (grandson of Ethel Redstone), 19, 55, 73, 82, 273
Snyder, Richard, 160
Society Girl Corset Company, 54
Solomon, Charles “King,” 20, 24, 31, 39
SonicNet, 192
Sonnenfeld, Jeffrey, 283
Sony Corp., 134, 137
Sony Entertainment, 287
Sopranos, The (TV show), 197
Soren, Tabitha, 133
South Park (TV show), 8, 14, 207, 224
Space Invaders (video game), 181
Spar, Dr. James, 258, 260
Spears, Britney, 298
Spelling Entertainment Group, 146
Spider-Man, 224
Spielberg, Steven, 198, 223
Spike (later Paramount Network), 299
Spitzer, Eliot, 194
SpongeBob SquarePants (TV show), 8, 224, 231–32, 299
SpringOwl Asset Management, 267
Stahl, Paula, 155
Stallone, Sylvester, 180
Standish Finance, 39–40
Stanfill, Dennis, 88
Stanger, Patti, 227
Start Cheering (film), 9
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV show), 136
Star Trek (TV show), 292
Star Wars (film), 50, 93–94
Stealing MySpace (Angwin), 193
Stephens, Robertson, 159
Sterling, Donald, 265
Sterling, Nancy, 242, 279
Sterling, Shelly, 265
Stern, Howard, 164
Stevens, John Paul, 42
Steward, Jon, 226, 286
Sting, 112
Stone, Matt, 224
Strange World (album), 220
streaming services, 7, 225, 230–35
Streisand, Adam, 253
Suddenlink Communications, 250, 300
Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Trust, 177–78, 242
Sumner Redstone Building, 286
Sunrise Auto Theatre, 10, 13–14, 79
Sunrise Drive-In, 9–14, 27, 42, 53, 62, 104
Survivor (TV show), 14, 185
Swedroe, Jerry, 77
Sweetwood, Ira, 93
Sweetwood, Steven, 179, 251
Swordsman, The (film), 46
Sykes John, 116–17, 151
syndication rights, 113–14
Taco Bell, 163
Taylor, Elizabeth, 95
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 276
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (film), 282
Teen Mom (TV show), 223
Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI), 132, 142, 144–45
Telemeter, 70
television. See also cable television
Big Three networks, 113
FCC and, 165
film licensing and, 64
film slump and, 50
Internet and, 7, 231–33
ratings and, 7, 301
theaters and, 70–71
women owners and, 304
Ten Commandments, The (film), 135
Tennis Channel, 205
Terminator, The (film), 299
Theatre Owners of America (TOA), 64–65, 70–71
Theatre Owners of New England, 71
Third Circuit Court of Appeals, 66
Thomas, Mark, 217
/> Thomas, Marlo, 88
Thompson, Enoch “Nucky,” 20–21
Three Mile Island, 98
Three Stooges, 9
Time, 134
Time Inc., 103, 134–35
Times of London, 135
Time Warner, 139, 159, 166, 233, 301
Timilty, Joseph, 29, 36–37, 39, 41, 44
Tisch brothers, 65
Titanic (film), 14, 150
TMZ, 265
TNT, 233
Tobin, Maurice, 31–33
Today (TV show), 202
Top Gun (film), 202, 299
Total Request Live (TRL) (TV show), 296, 298, 301
Transformers film series, 223, 249, 269–70
Trump, Donald, 45, 132
Tu, Michael, 278–79, 281
Tuanaki, Isileli “Isi,” 260, 263–64, 273
Tufts University, 17, 105
Dental School, 44
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 107, 123
TV Everywhere, 232–33, 234
tvParty, 248
Twentieth Century Fox, 50, 65, 88, 94, 103, 134, 136, 142, 149–50, 185
Twenty-first Century Fox, 225, 301–2
Tyson, Mike, 276
United Artists (UA), 51, 110, 174
United Kingdom, 173–74
United Paramount Network, 183
United Paramount Theatres (UPT), 60
U.S. Army Signal Corps, 42
U.S. Congress, 214
U.S. Open, 126
U.S. Senate, 30, 44, 145
U.S. Supreme Court, 42, 50, 59–61, 66, 134
Universal Pictures, 50–51, 134, 156
Unplugged (TV show), 296, 299
USA Networks, 163
USA Today, 151, 183
Vallee, Rudy, 29
Vanderwerken, Anne (daughter-in-law), 104, 189, 258
Vanity Fair, 20, 54, 125, 136, 171, 179, 203, 253–55, 257
Variety, 54, 65–66, 71
Variety Club of New England, 67, 98
VBS.tv, 225
VCR (variable common rights), 159, 162
Verizon, 145, 278, 302
vertical integration, 50–51, 134–35, 293
VFW Parkway Drive-In, 49, 62
VH1, 5, 7, 112, 151, 192
Viacom Entertainment Group, 150
Viacom Inc. See also National Amusements Inc.; and specific channels; executives; owners; and subsidiaries
Bakish as CEO and, 295–301
Biondi as CEO, 129–32, 158–61
Blockbuster and, 146, 150–51, 159, 181
boardroom battle of 2016, 14, 287, 290–91
Brent on board of, 152, 177, 199
cable packages and, 7, 161, 233, 250, 286
CBS merger and, 163–69, 175, 183
CBS re-merger proposal and, 5, 285, 288, 292–96, 301–2, 302–3, 306
CBS split from, 190–92, 198–99, 204, 212
compensation committee, 212
Dauman as CEO, 1–8, 204–8, 223–25, 231–35, 261–63, 267–71, 276–84
Dauman as Sumner’s successor at, 151, 234–35
Dauman ouster and settlement and, 285–90
debt and, 131–32, 146, 150, 163
digital competition and, 7, 192–94, 204–5, 230–33, 305–6
Elkes and leveraged buyout bid and, 117–22
Facebook and, 196–97, 205
financial crisis of 2008 and, 216–17
Freston and Moonves as co-COOs, 184–86, 190
Freston fired, 201–6
growth of, 113–14, 132
Icahn play for, 117
Karmazin and, 175–78, 183–86, 190
lawsuits and, 6, 153, 209, 212, 288–89
MTV acquired by, 113–17
MySpace and, 194–96
NAI takeover and control of, 14, 117–34, 143, 149–50
Netflix and, 224
Paramount sale proposal and, 1–4, 270–71, 278–79, 281–83, 288
Paramount takeover and, 5, 136–48, 150–51, 174
performance of, post-2010, 7–8, 249–50, 261–63, 279, 281–82, 286, 289–91, 299–300, 302
Shari as vice chair and, 192, 212–16, 218
Shari on board of, 155–56, 174–78, 182–83
Shari’s control of media empire and, 235, 268–69, 272–90, 295–306
Showtime and, 113–14
stock buyback and, 232, 234
stock price, 1, 132, 159, 162–63, 175, 181, 183, 190, 204–6, 212, 223, 243–44, 250, 261, 267–69, 288, 300
Sumner fires Biondi and becomes CEO, 158–63, 175–78
Sumner’s children on board of, 153
Sumner’s compensation and, 213, 243
Sumner’s divorce from Phyllis and, 168–69, 177–79
Sumner’s gifts to Sydney and Manuela and, 229, 241, 253–54
Sumner’s mental capacity and, 253–54, 261, 266–71, 280
Sumner’s succession plan and, 163
Sumner steps down as chairman, 254, 268–69
Sumner’s voting shares and control of, 5
Vice and, 225
YouTube and, 207–8
Viacom Media Networks (formerly MTV Networks), 226
Vice Media, 8, 225–26, 286
Vidal, Gabrielle, 264, 271
video games, 181–82
video-on-demand, 142, 146, 233
Vietnam War, 82, 115
Vincent, Romo, 28
Virginia Quarterly Review, 96
Volk, Steve, 118, 122
Wagner, Paula, 202–3
Wahlberg, Mark, 237
Wall Street Journal, 4, 5, 114, 117, 123, 129, 141, 142, 144, 146, 147, 159, 162, 164–65, 175, 184, 192, 201, 204, 217, 224, 232, 234, 243, 258, 262, 270, 283, 286, 287, 290, 293, 302
Walters, Barbara, 28–29
Walters, Lou, 28–29
Walzer, Stanley, 73–75
Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Corp. (WASEC), 113, 115
Warner Bros., 50, 66, 70, 93–94, 98, 134
Warner Bros. Television, 185
Warner Communications, 103, 113, 116, 120, 134, 139. See also Time Warner
Warner Music, 134
War Production Board, 38
Warren, David, 72
Warsaw Shore (TV show), 299
Washington Post, 142
Washington Post Company, 303
Waste Management, 146
Watergate scandal, 106
Wave (newspaper), 13
WCBS-AM, 164
Weekend at Bernie’s (film), 6
Weiner, Albert, 95–96
Weiner, Harte, 126–27
Weinstein, Harvey, 304
Welansky, Barnett, 31–33
Wells Fargo, 268, 302
West, Denmark, 196
West End Museum (Boston), 18, 20
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 164
West Roxbury drive-ins, 49, 62
West Side Story (musical), 122
Weymouth Drive-In Theatre, 12
Whitehall Company, 21
Whitestone Bridge Drive-In, 62, 79, 104
Wieser, Brian, 301
William Morris Agency, 141
Will Rogers Hospital, 92
Winer, Delsa
affair with Sumner, 94–97, 99–103, 110, 126–27, 201–2, 229
breakup with Sumner, 178–81
writing career of, 101–2
Winer, Louis, 29–30, 78
Winfrey, Oprah, 203, 205, 303
Wings (film), 135
Winsor School, 82
Wired, 159–60, 202
Wittman, Winn, 94–97, 99, 102, 105, 126–27, 180
WMS Industries, 182
WNBC-TV (New York), 115
WNEW-AM and FM, 164
Wolf, Michael, 197
Wolff, Michael, 296
Wonderland Greyhound Park, 39
Wood, Natalie, 70
Woodstock (film), 86
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 303
World Series, 26
World War
II, 13, 28, 34, 37, 42–43
Wynn, Keenan, 70
Yablans, Frank, 88–89, 92
Yapp, Jeff, 225
Yeltsin, Boris, 170
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, 248
YouTube, 207–8, 286, 298–300
Zuckerberg, Mark, 196–97
Zukor, Adolph, 134–36, 286
Zwillman, Abner “Longy,” 20
About the Author
Keach Hagey is a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, covering television and large media companies. Her team’s reporting on the power struggle at Viacom won a “Best in Business” award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Previously, she covered media for Politico, the National, CBSNews.com, and the Village Voice. She lives in Irvington, New York.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Copyright
the king of content. Copyright © 2018 by Keach Hagey. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
first edition
Cover design by James Iacobelli
Cover photography © Christopher Patey/Getty Images (main image); ©moj0j0/Shutterstock (texture)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hagey, Keach, author.
Title: The king of content : Sumner Redstone's battle for Viacom, CBS, and everlasting control of his media empire / Keach Hagey.
Description: First edition. | New York : HarperBusiness, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2018002946 (print) | LCCN 2018009806 (ebook) | ISBN 9780062654113 (ebook) | ISBN 9780062654090 (hardback) | ISBN 9780062848666 (audio)
Subjects: LCSH: Redstone, Sumner. | Mass media—United States—Biography. | Businesspeople—United States—Biography. | Viacom International—History. | Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.—History. | BISAC: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Business. | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Corporate & Business History. | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Media & Communications Industries.
Classification: LCC P92.5.R33 (ebook) | LCC P92.5.R33 H34 2018 (print) | DDC 302.23092 [B] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018002946
Digital Edition JULY 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-265411-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-265409-0
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia