ESPN Reporter Forges "Feud" With Take advantage of Lowe

Take advantage of Lowe Twitter was buzzing after Parks and Recreation's Take advantage of Lowe tweeted that Indiana Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was likely to retire - news that came like a huge surprise to fans and particularly to a single reporter since the National football league. Inside a passive-aggressive (although funny) make an effort to zing Lowe for encroaching on his territory with false reviews, ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted, "Growing chatter that Parks and Entertainment gets canceled."Watch full instances of Parks and Entertainment Lowe has yet to fireplace in reaction to Schefter's "rumor," but he did retweet his son's feelings around the matter: "@MatthewELowe @RobLowe It's okay father, Johnny and that i still adore you even when you probably did awaken the twittersphere... even around the blackout. #SOPA #Faceplam"Lowe's repetition didn't immediately react to a request comment.Watch Schefter enter his on-air injections at Lowe and the show:

Up-to-date: Kelsey Grammer & Wife Expecting Twins

First Launched: The month of the month of january 15, 2012 11:15 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Kelsey Grammer and Kayte Walsh cope with towards the 69th Annual Golden Globe Honours locked in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Slopes, Calif. around the month of the month of january 15, 2012 Kelsey Grammer has baby Five and six along the way! In Control star who won a Golden Globe to find the best Actor in the TV Drama series and wife Kayte Walsh Grammer, 32, expect twins. Im really searching toward meeting these new arrivals, the actor told reporters backstage within the Golden Globe Honours after his win. Fatherhoods always different, in line with the level of smoothness which involves your existence. They arrive and let guess what happens you must do, he ongoing. [Kayte is] amazing. Shes most likely probably the most loving, amazing, warm people Ive ever met. Shes funny and high all concurrently. Shes an amazing person but spend blow [the kids] away. The twins will probably be Kaytes first children. She formerly experienced a miscarriage this season. Kelsey, 56, is father to boy Jude, 7, and daughter Mason, 10, while using Real Regular folks of Beverly Slopes star Camille Grammer. He's also father to Greer, 19, with Barrie Buckner, and Spencer, 28, with Doreen Alderman. The longtime TV, film and stage veteran is yet another grandfather to Spencers boy Emmett, who's 3 several days old. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

IATSE, Teamsters focus on health care

With healthcare costs expected to dominate, Hollywood's below-the-line unions have set March 5 as a start date for contract negotiations with the congloms -- less than four months before the current master contract ends July 31. The first round of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers should last for several weeks. The unions -- the West Coast locals of the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees and Local 399 of the Intl. Brotherhood of Teamsters -- are expected to negotiate jointly on healthcare and retirement issues while holding separate bargaining on the remainder of their contracts. Reps for IATSE, the Teamsters and the AMPTP had no comment on the negotiations. Both unions have ramped up their activity to heighten membership awareness on the specifics amid rising healthcare costs with a series of explanatory sessions for members, which have included presentations by healthcare expert and consultant John Garner and David Westcoe, exec administrative director with the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. The Teamsters have scheduled a Jan. 22 town- hall meeting in Burbank, according to a message to members this week from longtime Local 399 secretary-treasurer Leo Reed. "The cost of healthcare benefits has become one of the most important issues facing our members," Reed said. "Costs of care and insurance coverage have been going up at an alarming rate for the last decade or more. Indications are that costs will rise an average of 9% to 10% a year for the next five years." Reed noted that the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health trust, which administers the benefits package paid approximately $500 million in healthcare costs last year for actives and retirees. "If the projections are accurate, next year's costs for just health care will increase by approximately $50 million," Reed said. "The $50 million more a year is just to stay even. There are also the increased pension cost, and the reduced reserves caused by the 2008 market crash." Health and pension have traditionally been among the top priorities for the unions, alongside salaries and working conditions, but the developments underline the uncertainty over health care amid a struggling economy. "Health care costs have increased at a faster rate than anyone was able to predict," Reed said in the missive. "All over the country, people have seen rising costs for medical services, doctor visits, tests, prescription drugs and hospital care." The Teamsters Local 399 covers about 3,200 drivers in 13 Western states and about 1,000 basic craft workers, while the IATSE deal covers 15 locals on the West Coast encompassing more than 20,000 members. The two unions entered into a formal alliance in August 2010 -- two weeks after Teamster Local 399 drivers reached a deal with the AMPTP and synched up its contract expiration with the IATSE deal as IATSE president Matthew Loeb, who replaced the retiring Thomas Short in 2008 as the head of IATSE, has attempted to foster closer ties between the two unions. Additionally, IATSE members are facing tightened eligibility to qualify for the health plan, which is overeseen by reps of the unions and the showbiz companies and funded from residuals and ancillary markets. IATSE agreed in 2009 to a hike in the eligibility threshold during the final year of the pact requiring that members work 400 hours over six months to qualify, up 33% from the previous 300-hour requirement -- a change that stirred an uproar among below-the-line workers when the pact went out for ratification. In the 2010 negotiations, Teamsters sought 3% in annual wage hikes but the companies insisted on a 2% wage gain, which the Teamsters accepted with several sweeteners along with the same 1.66% hike in benefits contained in the earlier IATSE deal. The Teamster deal set the template for negotiations in late 2010 and early 2011 with the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Televison & Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America -- all with 2% hikes in minimums and all with the chief gain being an increase of 1.5 per dollar in employer contributions to the pension and health plans. The Teamsters Local 399 contract is negotiated jointly with four other Basic Crafts unions: Local 40 of the Intl. Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Local 724 of the Studio Utility Employees; Local 755 of Plasterers and Cement Masons; and Local 78 of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Industry. Reed noted in his letter that the plans face the dual impact of rising costs and the aging of the industry's population, leading to greater use of health benefits. "Part of the blame for rising insurance costs is due to escalating costs for medical care, pharmaceuticals, and other health care expenses," he said. "A new mandate in the federal health care overhaul is also a factor in making insurance more expensive, by allowing adult children to remain on their parents' insurance policies until age 26." Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Preston Beckman set for Fox segue

Longtime Fox Broadcasting Co. skedding topper Preston Beckman, the reigning dean of network program planning execs, will transition at the end of the TV season to a new role as senior strategist for Fox Networks Group.The new role calls for Beckman to offer skedding, programming and research insights across all Fox Networks Group outlets, reporting to Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment for Fox Networks Group."Fox has been incredibly fortunate to have Preston guiding our schedule for the past decade and seven consecutive years of No. 1 finishes," Rice said in announcing Beckman's segue. "His strategic mind and love of television make him the Muhammad Ali of scheduling executives, and we all look forward to working closely with him, here at Fox, for many more years."Beckman has been with Fox the past 11 years, serving as exec veep of strategic program planning and research. Before Fox, he spent nearly 20 years at NBC and was a key member of the Peacock's programming team in its 1990s heyday."In my job, you're only as good as the people who bring us their ideas and the executives who nurture and market the shows. I have been very fortunate to work with the best in the business and to have a scheduling team that is second to none," Beckman said. "I also want to thank Peter for persuading me to remain in the FNG family and for giving me the opportunity to transition over the next three years to whatever path I choose to follow."Beckman is known in the biz for his colorful personality and for the candid observations he shares on his Twitter feed, where he's dubbed "The Masked Scheduler." Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Gallic laffers get guffaws

Gaumont comedy 'Intouchables' had notched up an remarkable $116.4 mil within the French box office by 12 ,. 20.At 2008's Unifrance Paris Rendez-Vous, foreign entrepreneurs jeered their heads off watching Pathe's "Thank you for going to the Stays." But nobody considered buying it.That was then. Meanwhile, the world biz has experienced credit and Eurozone crises, entrepreneurs are becoming more risk-averse, arthouse auds happen to be have contracted -- as have TV sales and DVD areas over much around the world.InchGeneral, prices come in freefall since the economic meltdown in 2008, apart from Germany, Russia and China, where they've elevated,Inch states EuropaCorp worldwide sales mind Marie-Laure Montironi.Global Gallic B.O. walked from $549 million in 2008 to $457 million this past year and $442 million a year ago, Unifrance estimations.Knowing by these amounts, France's sales sector should practically maintain mourning, but that's not the problem whatsoever.Whatever their box office, Gallic sales agents' revenues on French film exports rose a muscular 26.1% this season to $225.2 million, the most effective result since French CNC film agency began tallying sales in 2004.Several factors have been in play.Once easily wiped off as local product, comedies are really prime export fare. Some say like auds like feel-good films in feel-bad occasions.Introduced by Dany Boon's "Nothing To Declare," Franois Ozon's "Potiche" and Jean Becker's "My Days With Margueritte," eight laffers, plus two dramedies, figure among France's finest-grossing exports (see chart).Since Boon's 2008 laffer "Stays" received an eyecatching $53.7 million within the B.O. outdoors France, Gallic comedies have attracted more customers, states Pathe Intl.'s co-intl. sales mind Muriel Sauzay.French dramedy "Intouchables," which received $116.4 million in France through 12 ,. 20, looks set to assist goose comedy sales.Repping combined revenues for sales agents of $15.7 million, Belgium and French-speaking Europe, where French comedy stars are huge, ranked together as French films' third greatest export territory this season, trailing only the U.S. and Germany.Frequently more middle-of-the-road than edgy dramas, comedies can also enjoy well on tv, a continuously-more valuable distributor concern, states Other Position prexy Olivier Albou.Other key areas also provide rallied."At Toronto as well as the AFM, Korea and japan were buying a little more in comparison to previous years," states Films Distribution partner Nicolas Brigaud-Robert."The U.S. companies are more dynamic when compared to a couple in the past,In . reviews Gaumont Worldwide mind Cecile Gaget. "New players Open Road and Film District, for instance, have revived industry. The Weinstein Co. and IFC remain very essential for European cinema."Thrillers and actioners now command "high costsInch in Russia, Sauzay adds.The occasions when movie revenues depended on theatrical have remaining. Genre films may hardly register on B.O. charts but pack good ancillary sales, Brigaud-Robert argues. "Particularly for foreign movies in several places that P&A is extremely high, ancillary is strong and flicks aren't cast-driven, cash is not created from theatrical any longer.InchInchInternational TV and DVD sales aren't that disastrous," adds Camille Neel, Le Pacte's worldwide sales mind. "We've been making good catalogue sales on films that labored better in the TV format than theaters."States Gaget: "Small-budget French genre films from emerging company company directors sell well should they have got a effective concept that's original enough (and) a great script -- which is easier if they're backed by producers getting a brief history.InchA completely new generation of French company company directors for instance Fred Cavaye ("Point Blank") and Frederic Jardin ("Sleep deprived Evening") are turning out cost-contained thrillers that, like genre, pack large ancillary potential."Industry has reduced for dark, intimate French dramas, whether there's a cast or else,In . Gaget states. "These films is only able to be employed in theaters, need top reviews and great festival exposure."Nonetheless, on art films generally, customers still buy films they love, which regularly leads to investing in an offer wars simply because they frequently love the identical films, states Pyramide leader Eric Lagesse.But, it's the bigger films have a tendency to punch the big sales amounts: Pathe's $64 million-allotted "Oceans" and $26 million "Declare" drove up agents' sales figures this season, states Sauzay.France's finest-grossing films of 2011 might use be two major worldwide movies, both French minority co-productions: "The Three Musketeers" and Studiocanal co-produced "Unknown," getting an overall total $133.millions of gross.Any $40 million-plus Gallic movie runs the risk of with different U.S. buy for recoupment along with its French backers needing to setup the big Stateside P&A costs.Techniques to sidestep over-reliance upon the U.S. cut different ways. Plus, lots of Gaul's finest films -- for instance, the $33.3 million "Would I Lie, However? 3" -- are juggernaut comedies that largely recoup from France.Also, companies are paring budgets and restricting exposure via co-production. "Budgets come down substantially in the last two to three years," one producer states."Oftentimes, we've handled to pre-finance films without any U.S. deal, most likely through pre-sales or worldwide co-productions," Sauzay adds, stating the $40.5 million toon pic "Why I Did not Eat My Father,Inch pre-funded worldwide with Italian and Chinese companies.Revenues is a factor, profits another. And nowadays everybody has one eye in the base line.RELATED LINKS: Distribs, exhibs flock to Paris Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com