absence of members of U.M.P., and that Sarkozy exerted some power to make sure that his party was represented in the new vote.Themeasure also incited a small scandal involving the termination of the chief of TF1’s Web operations, Jérôme BourreauGuggenheim, who was discovered to have privately criticized the bill in an e-mail to his representative in the National Assembly. The so-called “three strikes” bill is one of the more aggressive legislation initiatives against digital piracy. Similar legislation has been stalled in the U.S. and rejected in the U.K. CBS Buoyant For The Future Despite posting net losses of $55.3 million for the first quarter of 2009, CBS Corp. honcho Les Moonves is optimistic that the TV company is on the brink of an economic recovery, taking cues from the perceived rebound of local advertising. In a statement, Moonves echoed News Corp chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch’s recent comments implying that the worst is behind us, saying: “We are confident that the second half of the year will bring improved results due to a strong slate of syndication releases, the effect of cost reductions that were made last year and early signs of an improving local advertising marketplace.” The rose-hued remarks come on the heels of the network’s recent campaign announcing its new status as the toprated network in the nation. In related news, banks have agreed to extend a grace period of almost two years for Viacom and CBS majority shareholder Sumner Redstone to pay back CBS’s $1.6 billion debt. Under the terms of the new deal, Redstone’s stake in the two media empires will be on the table should he be unable to repay his debt by the new December 31, 2010 deadline. Insiders are speculating that Redstone will come up with a significant portion of the money he owes by selling off a number of the U.S. and U.K. cinemas owned by his holding company, National Amusements. Disney Tries a New Mouse Trap Six months in advance of the theatrical release of its 3D remake of the classic Dickens story A Christmas Carol , Disney is rolling out an unusual U.S. grassroots marketing campaign consisting of a train tour of 40 cities to promote the film. “This is actually the first movie I’ve been involved with that did a grassroots campaign like this,” the film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, told USA Today . “The way the face of the industry is changing, mass marketing isn’t going to be enough.” Indeed, U.S. studios are pouring more and more resources into creating largescale, non-traditional promotional initiatives to woo increasingly hard-toreach consumers. Paramount threw a series of underground parties featuring green-painted go-go dancers in cities across the globe to tout Star Trek, while Fox had towns across the U.S. competing for the chance to host the X-Men Origins : Wolverine premiere. Air Travelers Get Shorted Following a year in which skyrocketing fuel prices were often passed off to air travelers in the form of fuel surcharges and new add-on fees for previously free services such as checked bags, executives traveling to L.A. for the Screenings were surprised to learn that even though fuel prices are finally dropping, TV execs aren’t paying any less. What gives? According to experts, fewer passengers are flying due to the recession, resulting in fewer routes — two realities that have resulted in little reduction in fare prices despite cheaper oil prices. And what about those other extra charges? Like two tickets for each obese passenger? Sources agree that while baggage fees have angered many passengers, they may be here to stay. And that despite the diminishing fuel prices, airlines may simply continue to charge the same fees without clueing passengers in as to what they’re for. In plain English, that means that fares are likely to stay the same, which is bad news for business travelers. Famous Quotes JPMorgan Chase, which received $25 billion in bailout money from the U.S. government, is buying two luxury Gulfstream G-650 jets for about $60 million each and planned an $18 million “lavish renovation” of its corporate jet hangar. — ABC News Prepare your will because the world is going to end in 2012. — Anonymous JU N E 2 0 0 9 (Continued from Page 6) Now 294 episodes available (to be continued)/50‘ each Cops & Companions Hamburg’s kind of law Please contact: cwittich@studio-hamburg.de +49 40 6688 5445
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