Charting the week’s ups and downs in the business of entertainment.
UP: Ryan Seacrest
The budding mogul’s production outfit scores an investment by Clear Channel, whose backers Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital also have committed as much as $300 million to help Seacrest acquire media companies.
DOWN: Jay Leno
The Tonight Show host draws ire from Catholics and Sikhs for two separate jokes deemed offensive. If only the controversy translated into a ratings boost.
UP: Philippe Dauman
The Viacom CEO’s pay drops to $43.1 million in fiscal 2011 from a bonus-enhanced $84.5 million in 2010, but he’s still among the highest-paid executives in America.
DOWN: Katherine Heigl
One for the Money opens to a weak $11.5 million, Heigl’s worst bow since becoming a rom-com star with 2007’s Knocked Up.
SHOWBIZ STOCKS
UP: Zynga (ZNGA)
$10.45 (+7.6%)
BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield tells clients, “You need to buy Zynga stock now” because,in part, “its batting average has far surpassed its peers’.”
DOWN: Yahoo (YHOO)
$15.47 (-1.4%)
Benchmark Research analyst Clayton Moran tells clients Yahoo’s fourth-quarter financial results “indicate sustained market-share losses, with no sign of a turnaround.”
