Variety 2/2/2022

When Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify over the audio streamer’s continued support of Joe Rogan, whom he accused of spreading “misinformation and lies” about COVID via his podcast interviews, there were some nasty “who cares?” tweets directed at the folk-rock icon. But the haters should care that this deadly pandemic has been raging for nearly two years and it ain’t over yet. Young has been adamant for some time that artists shouldn’t be touring because of COVID; he even pulled out of a Farm Aid benefit, a charity he co-founded. “He has clearly been thinking about all of this every day, and really has been the foremost artist in the industry advocating for safety over a return to business as usual,” our music aficionado Chris Willman tells me.…

“Question: Why is this guy so damn good-looking and talented?” says Brian Bowen Smith, who photographed Channing Tatum in Los Angeles on Dec. 15 for this week’s cover. “It’s never a dull moment with him. It’s like when we get together, we’re just two friends hanging out and shooting some pictures in between,” says the L.A.-based athlete-turned-lensman, who has been shooting Tatum for more than two decades. Mentored by Herb Ritts, Bowen Smith has also photographed for Vanity Fair, GQ and Esquire.…

Now in the home stretch of unloading WarnerMedia, AT&T chief John Stankey appears to be primarily interested in not destroying any more value for shareholders than the telco giant already has with its ill-fated M&A strategy. This week, AT&T announced that the WarnerMedia divestiture will be structured as a spinoff ahead of its combo with Discovery. That will give telco shareholders prorata shares in the newly created Warner Bros. Discovery, as the new company is to be called. Stankey and the board had been mulling a less conventional exit: a split-off of WarnerMedia, which would have forced AT&T shareholders to choose whether to keep their shares in AT&T or exchange them for stock in Warner Bros. Discovery. The goal with a split would have been to reduce AT&T’s outstanding share…

“Ghosts” may be the unlikeliest comedy hit in recent CBS history. It’s a single-camera half-hour, adapted from a cult U.K. series, and it’s not from Chuck Lorre. Yet the show, which was just renewed for a second season, has already become a breakout for the Eye network, averaging 8.1 million viewers season-to-date, and improving its time period 15% from last year. And that’s just on linear, where “Ghosts” is the No. 2 comedy on broadcast, behind only CBS’ “Young Sheldon.” It is also performing well on Paramount Plus, which reports that it’s the No. 1 comedy on the streamer. “It’s the most pleasant kind of surprise,” says CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl. “We have to take it as a compliment that a lot of people are saying, ‘I can’t believe…

GUEST COLUMN As we enter Black History Month, I reflect on the varied meanings it has held for me throughout the many stages of my life. When I was young, it felt like an obligatory time of homework and essays about Black historical figures. As I matured, it began to hold a great sense of pride for what my ancestors not only endured but survived. Today, for me, it represents celebration. A beautiful time to rejoice and show deep gratitude for all the accomplishments, discoveries and steadfast determination of the African diaspora. One cannot begin to celebrate the meaning and importance of Black History Month without acknowledging the significance of its founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Woodson, known to many as the father of Black history, fervently believed that Black…

Janine Sherman Barrois remembers being one of the only Black people in the writers’ room — or on set — when she began in television more than 20 years ago. At the time, she was grateful to get a seat at the table, given how few opportunities there were for Black women in Hollywood. Fast-forward to 2022, and Sherman Barrois acknowledges there are more powerful Black women on camera and off (like her idols Shonda Rhimes and Oprah Winfrey). But there are still so many diverse creators who haven’t been empowered enough to get their big break. That’s one of the missions behind her new production banner, Folding Chair Prods., which seeks to develop thought-provoking, inclusive series and films with both established and up-and-coming talent. “I want to focus on…