Why ESPN Sat on Explosive Syracuse Molestation Tape for Nearly 10 Years

ESPN sat on a 2002 taped conversation between Laurie Fine, the wife of recently fired Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, and Bobby Davis, the man accusing Fine of molesting him, for nearly a decade. The sports network says it did not broadcast the phone call until this Sunday because it did not have corroboration on the charges.our editor recommendsBob Costas on Jerry Sandusky's Sex Scandal: 'There Will Be More' to Come Out of the Investigation (Video)Howard Stern on Jerry Sandusky: 'They Should Cut His B---- Off' (Video)Penn State Scandal: Bob Costas Lauded for Jerry Sandusky 'Rock Center' Interview Syracuse fired Fine Sunday after ESPN's Outside the Lines played the tape. University Chancellor Nancy Cantor said in a statement addressed to students, faculty and staff on Sunday: "I am writing to let you know that Bernie Fine's employment at the University has been terminated effective immediately. Frankly, the events of the past week have shaken us all. The taped phone call that ESPN revealed today was not provided to the university by Mr. Davis during the 2005 investigation by our legal counsel. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Memorable Mea Culpas Davis is one of three men that has said Fine molested them during his tenure as the Orangemen's coach. Davis was a ball boy for the team for six years and told ESPN that the abuse "occurred at Fine's home, at Syracuse basketball facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four." An excerpt of the conversation between Davis and Mrs. Fine indicated that she was aware of her husband's crimes: Davis: "Do you think I'm the only one that he's ever done that to?" Laurie Fine: "No ... I think there might have been others but it was geared to ... there was something about you." As for why ESPN sat on the tape for so long, reporter Mark Schwarz said on air Sunday: "We didn't have a corroborating second alleged victim and so we kept the tape for eight years not really knowing what to do with it until the second alleged victim, Mike Lang, came forward." Many comments on ESPN's website fault the Disney-owned channel for not doing anything about the alleged abuse earlier. Levans4692 wrote, "Where is ESPN's culpability in this? They held onto that tape for more than six years and didn't act. Isn't this what ESPN just lynched Joe Paterno for doing? Why didn't ESPN take it a step further. They possessed an actual tape of admission of abuse and didn't act??? Where is the morality? This sickens me...hypocrites." Pjrcol wrote, "Wait what ESPN knew someone was potentially molesting kids and sat on it!!???!!?? fuc% that espn that is bullcrap especially given the fact that you had pretty much all your analyst air their displeasure on Paterno and Penn St. when it quite clearly looks like you sat on info yourself." Porch 33 stated, "ESPN should be held just as accountable if all this is true. Why didn't they go to the police??" The Fine case is the second major molestation-related scandal for college sports in the past two months, following similar allegations against Penn St. assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Related Topics ESPN

Skipper promotion expected at ESPN

Disney is handing the reins of ESPN to the veteran programmer who has broadened the cabler's focus into international sports and greatly enhanced its programming across all media platforms. John Skipper, exec veep of content, will succeed George Bodenheimer as prexy of the cable sports behemoth as of Jan. 1. Bodenheimer will become exec chairman and remain on its board of directors but hand day-to-day responsibilities to Skipper, who will also become co-chair of Disney's Media Networks division. Although ESPN has branched out in recent years to numerous ancillary businesses, it remains at its core a content company, which made Skipper the logical candidate to follow Bodenheimer as topper. Bodenheimer has been with ESPN for 31 years, and served as prexy for the past 13. The baton toss from Bodenheimer to Skipper is in keeping with Disney's emphasis on orderly succession planning. The Mouse last month unveiled its long-term plan for Bob Iger's transition out of the CEO slot in 2015. "George has said repeatedly that ESPN's success has been led by its collaborative corporate culture and a deep bench of executive talent," said Iger, who got his start at ABC in the 1970s in its sports wing. "While that remains true, it obviously and intentionally downplays his leadership and many significant contributions." After much discussion with Iger about his future, the 53-year-old Bodenheimer felt the time was right to hand the reins to Skipper, who has spearheaded programming during a time of rapid growth and change at ESPN. The cabler reupped its "Monday Night Football" package through 2021 for $15.2 billion in September. Other deals ESPN has recently closed include an exclusive pact with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, and the Pac-12, contracting with the conference to air its college football and basketball games in a shared deal with Fox Sports. ESPN logged another milestone this year as the first cabler to carry college football's championship game, which brought a record-breaking aud of 27.3 million in January. Skipper joined ESPN in 1997 as senior veep and g.m. of its magazine unit. He was upped to head of programming in 2005. His ascent comes as no surprise to ESPN insiders, according to Mark Shapiro, who preceded Skipper as head of programming and is now a partner and CEO at Dick Clark Prods. "He's extremely popular," said Shapiro. "As a person, in terms of the way he treats people and listens, his curiosity and intellectual capacity, he's very much in line with his predecessor. It's about a seamless transition as you would find." Literally days after Skipper -- a huge proponent of international sports coverage, especially soccer -- took the job as head of content six years ago, he flew to Switzerland where he acquired the rights to the men's and women's World Cup, which has since been a boon for the net, though it lost the 2018 and 2022 men's World Cup rights to Fox. Said Shapiro: "To construct a strategy so highly focused on soccer and then lose the World Cup, that was disappointing. It will serve as a wake-up call to continue spending generously to obtain and keep blue-chip properties." Bodenheimer served 13 years as president of ESPN and, according to insiders, wanted to step away and spend more time with his family as the job was taking a toll. Bodenheimer's history at ESPN was built on the sales and affiliate side of the business before becoming prexy, yet he was always a huge proponent of acquiring content to build the net's portfolio. Under his regime ESPN has grown into a conglom that encompasses eight TV domestic networks, 48 global channels, 18 websites and 7,000 employees, many based at the company's Bristol, Conn., headquarters. "We are in great shape on many fronts," Bodenheimer said. "The people of ESPN have made us the great company we are today. I am very proud of all that we have accomplished together, and excited about our future." ESPN will have to continue to make investments in sports programming to stay ahead of hard-charging competition. Not only has Turner, with its NBA basketball package, and Fox made a major sports push, but with a cash infusion from Comcast, NBCUniversal has vowed to invest megabucks in turning its Versus cabler (soon to be renamed NBC Sports Network) into another formidable rival. "We continue to buy rights, start new businesses and push into new platforms because we believe sports is a driver for all of that," Skipper told Variety in July. "We see our competition in a number of places. I mean there is competition for eyeballs on television, for buying rights, on the Internet from social media companies and on videogames. We still think the way to break through all that competition is to own live rights and then build studio content around those live rights." ESPN also needs to have a plethora of sports programming in order to continue to demand the approximately $4.50 per subscriber fee it currently receives from its affiliates. That's more than any other cable network, and combined with a hefty ad revenue, it makes ESPN a huge profit center for Disney. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

The Ricki Lake Show to Premiere in 2012

Ricki Lake Ricki Lake has returned! The Dwts contestant's approaching daytime talk show, The Ricki Lake Show, will launch in September 2012."I wish to spark ideas and conversations and inspire individuals to take active roles within their towns, associations as well as their well-being," Lake stated inside a statement Thursday. Her original talk show, Ron Lake , went from 1993 to 2004.Dancing's Derek Hough: I do not feel pressure to win"I've certainly grown like a person since i have put lower the mic, and that i could not be more happy to talk about and continue your way with both my existing fans as well as an entirely new generation of ladies,Inch she stated.The Ricki Lake Show is going to be syndicated in NY, La, Chicago, Dallas, along with other major marketplaces across the nation.

Regis Feels Pretty Good As He Prepares To Exit Live

First Published: November 17, 2011 4:15 PM EST Credit: Getty Images NY, N.Y. -- Caption Regis Philbin promotes his new book, How I Got This Way, at the Barnes & Noble in NY City on November 15, 2011 Regis Philbin says his fans tell him he made them happy every morning. But his decades of regular visits with viewers end Friday, when he steps down from the show he co-hosted for 28 years. He told reporters after Thursdays edition of Live! With Regis and Kelly he feels pretty good. But he notes he may not feel that good next week. After Fridays sign-off, the 80-year-old Philbin will embark on a book tour for his new memoir, How I Got This Way. He says thats fortunate: Itll take his mind off how hed feel Monday when Live! With Kelly goes on the air without him. Jerry Seinfeld will join Kelly Ripa on Monday as the first of her series of guest co-hosts. A permanent replacement will be named later. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

'Chuck' Sneak Look: The Changing Face of Jeffster (Exclusive Video)

NBC Costly is askew in the world of NBC's Chuck on Friday's new episode, "Chuck Versus the company Travel," airing at 8 p.m. As Well As The Hollywood Reporter features a consider first the mayhem.our editor recommends'Chuck' Star Joshua Gomez: 5 Stuff You didn't Find Out About Me (Exclusive)'Chuck's' Yvonne Strahovski Talks the best Season: 'We're Pushing It'Top 50 Energy Showrunners 2011 PHOTOS: NBC's New Fall Key Art After realizing the Intersect features a virus that positively changes Morgan's (Joshua Gomez) personality, the crew sets to remove it of his brain round the approaching episode. Concurrently, someone within the CIA didn't have the memo and launched a kill order on Morgan. So, Chuck (Zachary Levi) assumes his best bud's identity to have the ability to smoke the assassin. Meanwhile, rainwater is brewing in the Buy Many it's name is Hurricane Jeffster. Yvonne Strahovsky, who plays Sarah, told THR recently, "Who knows what's happening with Jeffster this season. There's a bit of drama happening there." Plus it seems like this tension starts on Friday's episode. VIDEO: 'Chuck's' Yvonne Strahovski plus much more Women of Fall TV Round the last episode, Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) cured Rob (Scott Krinsky) of his deadly deadly carbon monoxide-triggered haze and he's a completely new guy because of it. But, Lester (Vik Sahay) loved the old one. Watch THR's exclusive sneak look clip at Jeffster's growing tension below. Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com Twitter:@TheRealJethro NBC Chuck

CBS sets bows for 'Rob,' 'Boss'

CBS is giving its Rob Schneider laffer "Rob" the plum post-"Big Bang Theory" slot on Thursdays starting in January. The Eye has also set Jan. 15 as the third-season preem of "Undercover Boss," which will move into the Sunday 8 p.m. slot now occupied by "The Amazing Race." "Rob" stars Schneider as a man who marries into a tight-knit Mexican-American family. It will bow in the Thursday 8:30 p.m. berth on Jan. 12, displacing "Rules of Engagement," which was hauled up earlier this seaon to fill the void left by the quick demise of frosh comedy "How to Be a Gentleman." The Eye said "Rules" and "Amazing Race" will be back on the sked later in the season. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Healthy Hollywood: Get Movin Monday Be Fit Like Jennifer Aniston!

First Launched: November 14, 2011 1:40 PM EST Credit: Getty Images NY., N.Y. -- Caption Jennifer Aniston presents an award onstage at Glamours 2011 Women of year Honours on November 7, 2011 in NY CityThanks to Aniston baby bump audiences, Jennifers may be the item a vast amount of scrutiny. In the future, another rumor about when the celebrity and her boyfriend, Justin Theroux, expect. Most recently, mind lines declared Jennifers breasts are huge, following a star displayed a bustier silhouette within the Glamour Women Of Year Honours. Jennifer shot lower baby gossips, proclaiming shes acquired weight because she quit smoking. We like to the smoke-free Aniston! A Workout magazine survey unveils we love to her body. 65 percent of people questioned mentioned they require Anistons abs. So, what's the answer to her sculpted physique? A thing yoga! The actress can be a major fan of body-firming yoga. Anistons longtime yoga teacher, Mandy Ingber, revealed to FITNESS, her favorite poses. She likes sun salutations. People are ideal for her arms. And he or she loves balancing poses. Shes very focused and stylish. She could stay in tree pose a lot more than I really could! Shes learned the best way to have a obvious mind among lots of other activities happening. If you'd like Anistons abs and stiffened tush, it's important to work hardshe does! Mandy revealed to FITNESS that tummy-firming planks are people of Jennifers must-do routinewhether she would like it or else! I hear her grunt with this certain sometimes. Or obtaining the knee for the temple from downward-facing dogthe moves that really engage the core. Mandy, who recently held a sweat-inducing workshop for people regular professionals at NY Citys Pure Yoga, mixes traditional poses with calisthenicsin a workout she calls yogalosophy. There's a telephone call to produce yoga periods feel a great deal a lot more like workoutssomething that leaves the couch sore after class. Thats nice. You know you really labored the muscles, adds Mandy. Because the LA-based Ingber trains Aniston together with other high-profile stars, she states her celebrity clients are the identical. There's not a secret. Everyone must warm-up and sweat through it. I'm not here to provide spirituality. Im no guru, which i dont see myself as that. Spirituality is very personal. But a few things i use stars is motivate to obtain their working going. Youthful young people need motivation every single day. To learn more about Mandys yogalosophy, mind to internet.mandyingber.com. Plus, theres plenty of workout tips at internet.fitnessmagazine.com. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Netflix And MGM Strike Exclusive Streaming Deal For United kingdom And Ireland Pay TV Window

BEVERLY Hillsides, Calif., November. 7, 2011- Netflix Corporation. (Nasdaq: NFLX) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Galleries Corporation. today introduced a brand new multi-year certification agreement that can make Netflix the exclusive subscription streaming service within the United kingdom and Ireland for many first-run movies from MGM. MGM game titles is going to be readily available for Netflix people within the United kingdom and Ireland to look at instantly within the pay TV window on their own televisions, pills, video games, computer systems and cell phones, for any low monthly cost. Netflix introduced recently it would launch its service within the United kingdom and Ireland at the start of 2012. Showing up solely on Netflix within twelve months of the theatrical release is going to be such films as “The Hobbit: An Unpredicted Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Again,” the highly-anticipated prequels towards the Academy Award-winning “Lord from the Rings” trilogy by Jackson, “Zookeeper” starring Kevin James, “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Predators,” with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, and 󈬅 Jump Street,” featuring Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube. A comprehensive choice of great MGM catalogue game titles may also be on Netflix within the United kingdom and Ireland, including “Capote,” “Fargo,” “The Usual Suspects,” “West Side Story” and “The Amityville Horror.” “We are delighted to become entering the United kingdom and Ireland having a legendary studio like MGM at our side,” stated Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer. “And we're excited to become stretching our relationship with MGM in the U.S. to those important marketplaces and proud to become the exclusive home for his or her films within the traditional Pay TV window.” “We are thrilled to develop our partnership with Netflix because they expand in to the United kingdom and Ireland,” stated MGM Co-Chairmen and Leader Officials Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum. “Developing this relationship further will let us bring our films, both old and new, in to the houses in our loyal audiences using the great ease Netflix offers clients,” stated Roma Khanna, MGM’s Leader Television Group and Digital.

One-Year Anniversary: The Hollywood Reporter Magazine

The Hollywood Reporterweekly magazine celebrates its one-year anniversary today.our editor recommendsThe Hollywood Reporter Cover StoriesThe New Hollywood Reporter Debuts; See First CoverLeonardo DiCaprio Talks J. Edgar Hoover's Homosexuality; Slashed Fee 90 Percent for Clint Eastwood It was on Nov. 3, 2010, that the leading publication covering the entertainment industry transitioned from a daily trade into a weekly. The relaunch of The Hollywood Reporter has received accolades from the NY Times, Elle, the Huffington Post and more, and helped re-establish the 81-year-old brand as the leading publication covering the entertainment industry. PHOTOS: The Hollywood Reporter Cover Stories The first issue served as a kickoff to THR's annual Awards Season Roundtable Series with its cover story featuring a freewheeling and often fun discussion with six leading actresses who were expected to dominate awards season: Amy Adams (The Fighter), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland, The King's Speech), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Hilary Swank (Conviction). (For the record, all six received Oscar nominations, with Portman going on to win best actress at the February ceremony.) The first issue also contained a 4,000-word piece on Marvel, a column by top entertainment lawyer Kenneth Ziffren, a photo essay on historic Hollywood film sites, a look at real estate in Venice, Calif., and, in a change for The Hollywood Reporter, coverage of style, luxury, restaurants and automotive. STORY: The New Hollywood Reporter Debuts; See First Cover From its launch, the weekly has continued to feature exclusive and breaking news but also take a more in-depth look at the newsmakers and leading players in entertainment. The new THR has spotlighted a range of industry heavyweights on its cover, from The Adventures of Tintin collaborators Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, actress breakout Melissa McCarthy, Book of Mormon's Matt Stone and Trey Parker and director David Fincher. Thecurrent issuefeatures J. Edgar star Leonardo DiCaprio and director Clint Eastwood. To see every cover from the past year, clickhere. Related Topics Clint Eastwood Leonardo DiCaprio

Participant taps marketing professional Boettcher

Veteran marketing professional Chad Boettcher will join Participant Media as professional Vice president of social action and advocacy. Jim Berk, Boss, made the announcement Tuesday. Boettcher, who takes the brand new publish on November. 28, will result in leading the creation, development and execution of campaigns for those Participant content. Participant stated the hire is targeted at building on the prosperity of its social action initiatives a year ago using its campaigns for "Awaiting "Superman" and "Contagion." Participant stated the "Awaiting "Superman" campaign has arrived at over $ 30 million people which over two million individuals have visited Participant's online Social Action "hub" for "Contagion." Boettcher founded digital co-creation platform Goodzuma and shows marketing innovation at NYU. He's formerly offered as senior Vice president of social innovation at Weber Shandwick, Global Director of Corporate Responsibility at Nike and Senior Director of Proper Close ties and Public Matters at MTV: Music Television. Boettcher can also be the nation's Co-Chair from the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com