Key dates in history of National Broadcasting Co.

Key dates in history of National Broadcasting Co.

On the Call: Dish Network CEO Charles Ergen has ‘concerns’ about Comcast-NBC Universal tie-up

On the Call: Dish Network CEO Charles Ergen

Visual effects company Pixel Magic to open new Louisiana studio, create 40 jobs over 3 years

Pixel Magic to open studio in Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. — Pixel Magic, which creates digital visual effects for film and television, announced Friday that it will open a Louisiana studio in December.

Head of preservation group Richard Moe to retire after 17 years at National Trust

Preservation group leader to retire after 17 years

Dunia Shive, CEO of television company Belo, named to board of The Associated Press

Shive, CEO of TV company Belo, named to AP board

‘Da Vinci Code’ publisher Stephen Rubin changes jobs, will head Henry Holt and Company

‘Da Vinci Code’ publisher changes jobs

NEW YORK — Dan Brown’s former publisher has a new job.

Character actor Lou Jacobi, who appeared on Broadway, in movies and on television, dies at 95

Character actor Lou Jacobi dies in NYC at 95

Twitter may cut ’suggested users’ list after rolling out feature that lets users make lists

SAN FRANCISCO — If you’re trying to figure out who to follow on Twitter, you might soon be turning to fellow users for help, rather than the company itself.

Oscars tap ex-studio boss Mechanic, director Shankman to produce next awards show

LOS ANGELES — “Hairspray” director Adam Shankman and former 20th Century Fox studio boss Bill Mechanic have been named producers of the Academy Awards, saying they hope to inject more fun and restore TV ratings glory to Hollywood’s biggest party.

Utah Symphony musicians agree to $1.3 million reduction in pay, benefits to help with budget

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Symphony musicians say they’ll give up a pay increase, a few weeks of salary and some benefits to help their employer through difficult economic times.

Acting chief of US Olympic committee leaving amid turmoil in wake of Chicago 2016 vote

Six months of shaky decisions and turmoil came to a head for the U.S. Olympic Committee on Wednesday when its acting CEO said she would step down, bringing more chaos to an organization that was humiliated when Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Games fell flat.

Warner Music Group names Cavallo to newly created role of chief creative officer

NEW YORK — Warner Music Group Corp. said Tuesday that it named music producer Rob Cavallo to the newly created role of chief creative officer.

Man held without bond in death of ex-fiance of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ cast member

ATLANTA — A strip club worker is being held without bond in the death of a “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member’s ex-fiance.

Reinhard Mohn, who helped build up Germany’s Bertelsmann, dies at age 88

BERLIN — Reinhard Mohn, who helped transform media group Bertelsmann AG from a German book publisher to an international media company, has died, the company said Sunday. He was 88.

Comcast looks to the future in bid for NBC Universal, but investors have mixed feelings

PHILADELPHIA — Years ago, Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts was asked at a conference what kept him awake at night. His answer: A new technology that would severely hurt the cable TV business.

Dramatized commercials weave plot lines around product, sometimes at expense of the experience

LOS ANGELES — In television’s latest quest to discourage viewers from skipping ads, actors from NBC and ABC shows are appearing in character in commercials to interact with products in parallel story lines.

Billionaire clown Guy Laliberte, crew mates head for space station aboard Russian Soyuz craft

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Canadian circus tycoon, an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut blasted off in a spacecraft from the Kazakh steppe Wednesday on a journey to the International Space Station.

Billionaire clown Guy Laliberte boards Russian Soyuz capsule for flight to space station

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — The man who plans to become the first circus clown in space, and who may be among the last of the space tourists, was greeted by a raucous crowds of friends and family Wednesday as he prepared to blast off for the International Space Station.

Donald Fisher, co-founder of Gap Inc. dies at age 81 after lengthy battle with cancer

PORTLAND, Ore. — Donald G. Fisher, who co-founded apparel giant Gap Inc., has died at age 81 after a long battle with cancer.

Tribune executive defends proposed bonuses of up to $70 million in bankruptcy hearing

WILMINGTON, Del. — Still mired in Chapter 11 protection, the Tribune Co. said Friday it needs authority to dole out up to $70 million in bonuses as motivation for top managers working in a difficult environment for the media industry.

AEG president says Jackson movie should clear company’s name

LOS ANGELES — As dozens of buoyant Michael Jackson fans queued up in the Nokia Plaza to be among the first to see their idol’s last performance, others watching the scene expressed mixed emotions.

‘Da Vinci Code’ publisher Steve Rubin resigning

NEW YORK — The man who published “The Da Vinci Code” is resigning.

Woman who inspired NC textile union fight and movie ‘Norma Rae’ dies of cancer at 68

RALEIGH, N.C. — Crystal Lee Sutton, whose fight to unionize Southern textile plants with low pay and poor conditions was dramatized in the film “Norma Rae,” has died. She was 68.

Frank Batten Sr., newspaper executive who founded and created The Weather Channel, dies at 82

NORFOLK, Va. — Frank Batten Sr., who built a communications empire that spanned newspapers and cable television and created The Weather Channel, died Thursday. He was 82.

Sun-Times Media to cut pay for nonunion workers as investor group bids for company

NEW YORK — The Sun-Times Media Group told employees Wednesday that nonunion workers will take a steep pay cut as the publisher faces a likely takeover by a group of private investors when it comes out of bankruptcy protection.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs emcees product launch for first time since receiving liver transplant

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs returned to his showman role Wednesday, taking the stage at a product launch event for the first time since his nearly six-month-long medical leave.

Disney’s pursuit of male audience at cable channel presaged its $4 billion deal for Marvel

BURBANK, Calif. — A funny thing happened on the way to remaking the Toon Disney channel into one that catered to “tween” boys: It got a lot more popular with girls.

Orange County Register’s owner files for bankruptcy protection in prepackaged petition

SAN FRANCISCO — The company that owns The Orange County Register in California and dozens of other newspapers on Tuesday became the latest publisher to seek bankruptcy protection, driven into financial despair by a staggering drop in advertising revenue.

Wal-Mart near Civil War’s Wilderness Battlefield wins final approval in central Virginia

ORANGE, Va. — Officials in central Virginia approved a Walmart Supercenter early Tuesday near one of the nation’s most important Civil War battlefields, a proposal that had stirred opposition by preservationists and hundreds of historians.

MySpace retains Media Link, Wenda Harris Millard to improve ad product

NEW YORK — MySpace, a unit of News Corp., has retained consulting firm Media Link and with it online ad maven Wenda Harris Millard to vamp up its advertising business.

DirectTV 2nd-quarter profit falls; higher costs offset revenue jump from subscriber additions

DirecTV Group Inc., the nation’s largest satellite TV operator, on Thursday reported an 11 percent drop in second-quarter profit as higher customer-acquisition costs offset revenue growth.

PBS chief says public broadcasting funding faring better under Obama than Bush

PASADENA, Calif. — PBS chief Paula Kerger (KUR’-gur) says budget numbers tell the tale of how public TV is faring under the Obama administration, compared to that of former President George W. Bush.

Cablevision to spin off Madison Square Garden; reports 8 percent drop in 2Q net

Cablevision Systems Corp. said Thursday that its board has approved a plan to spin off as a separate company its Madison Square Garden business, owner of the New York Knicks, Rangers and the famed sports arena where they play.

Official: Los Angeles coroner’s workers improperly viewed Michael Jackson’s death certificate

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson’s death certificate was improperly viewed by at least a half-dozen employees at the Los Angeles County coroner’s office who had no role in investigating the cause of his death, a coroner’s official said Wednesday.

Adventure-loving guinea pig spies in ‘G-Force’ likely to put the furry rats atop kid pet lists

LOS ANGELES — The Disney movie “G-Force” shows a squad of specially trained, computer-generated guinea pig spies coming to the world’s rescue. After the movie comes out, though, animal activists say it will be real life guinea pigs who need rescuing.