Fresh from the success of convincing China's biggest newspaper that Kim Jong Un was, in fact, "the sexiest man alive," The Onion has started a new business news section.

Best of all, the section is led by The Onion's "longtime" advertising columnist, Hammond Morris (sample headline: "Please Click On Our Website's Banner Ads").

The launch sponsor is Adobe, in a campaign that carries the banner, "Onion special report: Kowtowing to the almighty dollar."

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Starbucks is rolling out Costa Rican coffee that costs $7 per cup.

Last night, Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at the extravagant beverage with a fake taste test. Participants thought they were sampling normal and fancy coffee, but in reality it was all the same thing.

“This one has a richer taste… more premium,” on test subject said.

But one man said it all tasted the same.

Check out the fake test test and the reactions:

SEE ALSO: Fast Food Items With Cult Followings  Fast Food Items With Cult Followings

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We already know that three new "Star Wars" films are in the works.  

However, it looks like Disney may be planning on a few more as well.  

Earlier today, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed rumors "The Empire Strikes Back" screenplay writer Lawrence Kasdan and "Sherlock Holmes" writer Simon Kinberg have been hired to work on future Star Wars projects. 

According to THR, Kasdan and Kinberg will be writing separate projects that aren't necessarily Episodes VIII or IX. 

Essentially, in addition to Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, "Star Wars" may be getting "The Avengers" treatment. 

What does this mean?

Disney broke apart the stories of each Avenger separately before combining them together to make one super film. That combined success has led to more than $1.5 billion in worldwide box office sales to date.

It could use a similar approach with "Star Wars" by giving screen time to various characters apart from its three-film plan. 

With the numerous plot points in which the films branch out, it would be a great idea – not only for fans – but, also to get a more complete look at the vast "Star Wars" universe. 

This would also fall in line with Disney CEO Bob Iger's plans to release a new film every two to three years.   

However, all of this doesn't mean Kasdan or Kinberg are working on a film either.  

Iger also hinted on Disney's fourth quarter earnings call earlier this month that the company may be interested in seeing the potential for Lucasfilm projects on its Disney XD channel.

SEE ALSO: How Tom Hardy perfected his Bane voice in 'The Dark Knight Rises' >

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In the midst of Wednesday's reports that Jeff Zucker is set to succeed Jim Walton as head of CNN Worldwide in the new year, Time Warner Chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes sat down with Business Insider's own Henry Blodget to discuss the rumors during Wednesday's Ignition 2012 conference in Manhattan.

Bewkes remained mum on word that Zucker is set to get the coveted CNN gig, simply telling the audience, "We're going to have an announcement soon."

And Bewkes shrugged off the countless reports that CNN currently has its worst ratings since 1982, stating matter of factly that "ratings are not tanking, they're going up."

Bewkes argues that the network's cable ratings, subs, daily watching, earnings, profit, quality of programming and engagement with audience are all up.

"I think a very good example of the strength of CNN was how strong coverage was election night," he argued, adding that globally "Headline News" gets very strong ratings for the network.

"I think it's going to be one of the fastest growing networks in the country in the next few years," Bewkes revealed of his high hopes.

As for the future of CNN, which will have a new leader for the first time in a decade as of Jan.1, Bewkes says it hopes to do "deep analysis coverage on all kinds of subjects."

"Our aim for CNN is more about that mission," Bewkes continued. "It’s not as much about ratings as reporting. Same is for HBO, that’s not how you make money at HBO."

But the Time Warner honcho says that while "ratings matter some," they are not the only factor in deciding which shows get greenlit on his networks.

"We don't pick the shows because we think they’ll get the best ratings," Bewkes said of HBO programming. "That's not the reason you're in subscription TV."

But Bewkes may need a quick refresher on his HBO series, as he did say one of the network's most popular shows is "Newshour" -- we think he meant Aaron Sorkin's "Newsroom."

SEE ALSO: Jeff Zucker reportedly to take the reigns at struggling CNN

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Actors’ relationships with TV jingles are sort of like that old riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon and three at dawn? (Or maybe more like how we start in Pampers and end up in Depends.)

Lots of well-known actors wind up paying the rent at the end of their careers doing commercials (think: Orson Welles “We will sell no wine before it’s time”), but just as many, if not more, get their first big breaks doing them, too.

The good news for us is, whether it’s hawking dish soap or expounding on the wonders of Castrol motor oil, these slightly embarrassing moments are never more than a click away.

Lindsay Lohan

Her career may have fizzled in recent years, but there was a time when Lindsay Lohan appeared in just about every commercial calling for a preteen girl with freckles.

Although she initially had little success landing roles, when it came time for an audition for a Duncan Hines commercial, Lohan told her mother that she would quit acting all together if she did not get the job. Her can-do attitude proved effective, and she was hired. She eventually went on to appear in over 60 commercials, including a Jell-O spot with Bill Cosby.

John Travolta

For a brief period in the early seventies, John Travolta seemingly made a living out of singing with men in the shower.

He starred in a pair of athletic-themed commercials, one for Safeguard and the other for Band Aids, which feature his grinning self enjoying a well-deserved rinse with his teammates. BTW: the famous Band Aid tune was penned by none other than Barry Manilow.

Farrah Fawcett

Like countless other starlets, the late Farrah Fawcett was discovered when a Hollywood publicist saw her photo in a magazine and urged her to move to Los Angeles.

It would be many years before she would receive a similar call from Aaron Spelling, producer of Charlie’s Angels. In the meantime, the only work the Texas native could find was in commercials.

And boy did she do plenty, from Ultra Brite Toothpaste to this now classic Noxzema shaving cream spot with Joe Namath.

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At today's White House CEO summit, Comcast boss Brian Roberts was seated directly across from President Obama.

We don't know what Obama was talking about, but judging from Roberts' death stare, you'd think it had something to do with cable company strangulation.

The full picture on top.  Brian Roberts' Obama Death Stare closeup below.

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Troubled movie star Lindsay Lohan was arrested again last night on assault charges at a Chelsea nightclub, according to NBC New York.

Lohan and her team were at a 10th precinct police station on Thursday morning.

According to NY Post, Lohan's alleged punch caused "bruising and swelling to the victim's face, cops said." Also: "Lohan was actually banned from Avenue years ago, after tweeting about Justin Timberlake's dating blunders, but that ban was later lifted."

The 26-year-old was first placed on probation in 2007 for driving under the influence and again in 2011 for taking a necklace from a jewelry store without permission, along with various other legal incidents.

And here's a video of her being taken into custody from TMZ:

Now check out ALL of the times Lindsay Lohan has gotten in trouble >

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Lindsay Lohan has a long history of trouble with the law.

In light of her most recent arrest stemming from an alleged assault at a Chelsea nightclub, we thought we'd look back at her multiple arrests and court appearances.

• February 2005: A couple filed a personal-injury suit against Lohan claiming they were hurt during a car accident with the actress, MTV reported. Lohan also allegedly crashed her car into a van after a night of drinking later that year.

• July 2007: Lohan was arrested for misdemeanor driving under the influence and felony drug possession, ABC News reported. The arrest stemmed from a car chase Lohan reportedly had with the mother of her personal assistant. She was later charged with seven misdemeanor counts in relation to two DUI arrests, MTV reported. She spent one day in jail, was ordered to go to rehab, and was placed on three years of probation. 

• July 2010: Lohan violated her probation after she missed court-ordered alcohol counseling sessions and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 90 days in rehab, CNN reported. She got out of jail early because of overcrowding.

• September 2010: Lohan's probation was revoked after she failed a court-ordered drug test, MTV reported. The court issued a bench warrant for her arrest.

• February 2011: Lohan was charged with felony grand theft after she allegedly stole a necklace from a Venice, Calif., jewelry store in January, CNN reported. She ultimately pleaded no contest to a lesser charge and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, The Los Angeles Times reported in May 2011.

• November 2011: Lohan was sentenced to 30 days in county jail and extensive community service after she admitted to violating a past court order by failing to complete previously ordered community service.

• September 2012: Lohan was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident when a man claimed she hit his knee while trying to park her Porsche Cayenne near the Dream Hotel. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges, Hello Online reported in October.

• September 2012: She wasn't arrested this time but Lohan found herself in the crosshairs of a legal battle when she claimed Congressional aide Christian LaBella assaulted her. The charges were dropped, according to The Chicago Tribune.

• November 2012: After Lohan's Porsche slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler on the Pacific Coast Highway, authorities told TMZ she would be charged with lying to police after she told them she wasn't the one driving during the accident.

• November 2012: Lohan was arrested on assault charges at a Chelsea nightclub.

DISCLAIMER: Since Lohan has been arrested multiple times, it's entirely possible we missed one or two in this timeline.

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Katherine Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley are selling their home in Los Feliz, Calif.,  for $2.659 million, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Heigl, who has starred in TV's Grey's Anatomy and films such as 27 Dresses and Life As We Know It, bought the house in 2007 for $2.55 million. 

The 3,700-square-foot Southern Colonial-style home has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

SEE ALSO: A 'Real Housewives Of Miami' Star Is Selling Her Guady Miami Beach Mansion

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• The Hollywood Reporter has ranked "Hollywood's 25 Most Powerful Authors" — from the $687 million worldwide take of Suzanne Collins’ (No. 5) "Hunger Games" to the bidding frenzy over EL James’ (No. 4) "Fifty Shades of Grey."
• Meanwhile, "Hunger Games" author Suzanne Collins has just announced she will release her new book "Year of the Jungle" — an autobiographical picture book —next fall.
• Hugh Jackman is in talks to return as Wolverine in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
• Jared Leto is losing tons of weight, shaving his eyebrows, and waxing his legs to play a transsexual woman in "Dallas Buyer's Club" — the same film for which Matthew McConaughey got his now-skeletal figure. "For me, it's not about the most weight I can lose, it's more to represent the character. I'm focused on what it means to be a transsexual woman." 
• Elle Macpherson is rushing to the side of her ex-boyfriend, millionaire Miami mega-developer Jeffrey Soffer, after he narrowly escaped death in a holiday helicopter horror crash that killed his friend Lance Valdez, a tax lawyer and dad of three.
• 50-year-old Demi Moore is reportedly dating 26-year-old art dealerVito Schnabel, son of artist/filmmaker Julian Schnabel. The pair first got together at Naomi Campbell’s 50 birthday party for boyfriend Vladislav Doronin in India earlier this month, according to the New York Post, which says Moore and Schnabel have been “quietly spending time” together since.
• Rihannatweeted a risqué preview pic of her next racy GQ photoshoot.

SEE ALSO: Jeff Zucker officially named president of CNN worldwide >

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After rampant rumors, CNN has just announced that former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Zucker will replace Jim Walton as President of CNN Worldwide.

"Jeff's experience as a news executive is unmatched for its breadth and success," said Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, CNN's parent company. "In a career that has seen significant professional success in both broadcast and cable, Jeff has demonstrated his ability to run multiple lines of business and fiercely defend journalists and journalism."

Zucker, who currently serves as executive producer on Katie Couric's new daytime talk show, will succeed Walton, who has been in the post since 2003, in the new year.

Zucker released a statement of his own, saying "I am thrilled to join the distinguished team of journalists across the worldwide platforms of CNN. The global reach and scale of the CNN brand is unparalleled in all of news. Outside of my family and the Miami Dolphins, there is nothing I am as passionate about as journalism."

As president, Zucker will oversee 23 branded news and information businesses, including the CNN network, CNN International, HLN, CNN Digital and CNN.com that reach more than 2 billion people in some 200 countries around the world..

Zucker began his career at NBC, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become executive producer of the "Today" show at age 26 in 1992, making it the most profitable show on television.

CNN execs hope Zucker can revitalize the struggling news network, as CNN has fallen behind partisan rivals like Fox News and MSNBC as it aspires to remain neutral.

On Wednesday, Time WarnerChairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes told Business Insider's Henry Blodget, "It’s not as much about ratings as reporting ... I think it's going to be one of the fastest growing networks in the country in the next few years."

SEE ALSO: Here's What Jeff Bewkes Has To Say About Rumors That Jeff Zucker Is Replacing Jim Walton At CNN

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New York's local CBS News anchor Robert Morrison accidentally called Prince William a “douche” Wednesday while teasing a segment about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"Also the reason why the latest royal visit was extra special for the Douche—Duke—and Duchess of Cambridge," Morrison said with a bit of a laugh.

Watch his unfortunate slip of the tongue below:

SEE ALSO: Watch Scarlett Johansson deliver the weather on the 'Today' show >

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Yesterday, we looked at how Tom Hardy nailed the voice for Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises."

But how did he end up looking so drastically different from previous incarnations?

We've been going through the Blu-ray combo pack of the film before its release, and last week mentioned there was some great early concept designs for Gotham's reckoning. 

It turns out the great Bane was modelled after a bunch of animals including baboons, gorillas, and snakes along with car parts.

There are a lot more designs on the disc; however, we're going to share a few because they're so drastically different from the final result.

Though some of the drawings bring the "Batman and Robin" Bane– and others– to mind we're glad with how Christopher Nolan's Bane turned out.   

"The Dark Knight Rises" comes out on Blu-ray and DVD December 4.

Early designs had Bane in his familiar full-fledged face mask and hood.

Costume Designer Linda Hemming wanted to make Bane look animalistic with influence from spiders and gorillas.

Here's how he may have looked if he was hooked up to his venom serum.

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Victoria Beckham is about to become a major name in fashion. 

Beckham is most recognized for her gig as The Spice Girls' Posh Spice 15 years ago. She also has a high-profile marriage to soccer star David Beckham. 

But Beckham is on her way to global sartorial success. Her clothing lines are selling out at high-end department stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, reports Rachel Brown at Women's Wear Daily. Beckham sold about $12 million worth of clothing in 2011.  

The former pop star has built clientele by hosting private events in major cities. She doesn't do a lot of press, and limits the number of garments she releases, which can run $1,500 and up.

The main complaint with Beckham's clothing is that it runs out of stock quickly, a Neiman Marcus executive told WWD. 

Beckham, like Stella McCartney, focuses on providing slimming dresses to women in their 30's and 40's. Women at an event called her garments "lipo in a dress" and "almost magic." 

Even though she's popular with women in the U.S., Beckham's true fan base is forming overseas in the Middle East and Asia, according to WWD. 

Many women there haven't heard of her besides as a fashion designer. 

"You assume that everyone is going to think of that side of Victoria. That’s not the case. The Middle East is very much about as her as a designer. People never refer to her as Posh. The same is true in Hong Kong and China," a Neiman executive told WWD. 

Like the Olsen twins, Jessica Simpson and Stella McCartney, Beckham is using her celebrity to build a global fashion brand. 

SEE ALSO:  Why Tory Burch Is Accusing Her Ex-Husband Of Copying Her Style >

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China's film market – already the second biggest in the world – will surpass that of the US by 2020, according to a new report by Ernst & Young.

The report suggests the media and entertainment industry in the world's most populous nation is due to grow by 17% a year until 2015.

China is also building 25,000 cinema screens over the next five years, to cope with demand from an increasingly wealthy population. Many will have the latest 4k digital technology. Growth will also be helped by the government's recent decision to relax the number of foreign movies allowed to screen each year from 20 to 34.

"The challenges for media and entertainment companies to penetrate China are still considerable; however, the vast potential of the market makes it impossible to ignore," said Ernst & Young's John Nendick.

"Companies will need to understand that investing in China is a long-term proposition, and those who can make that commitment will be in a much better position to succeed."

With a potential 1.34 billion cinemagoers, China has already overtaken Japan as the biggest film market for outside of Hollywood, and studios are increasingly looking east in an effort to offset sluggish box-office growth.

Disney subsidiary Marvel recently co-produced forthcoming superhero sequel Iron Man 3 alongside Chinese company DMG Entertainment, while Looper director Rian Johnson agreed to transplant the plot of his sci-fi blockbuster from Paris to Shanghai, in order to gain Chinese funding.

Co-productions are exempt from the strict Chinese quota system, giving them a huge advantage at the local box office, and more are likely after officials announced plans to build a $1.27bn Hollywood co-production film studio in May.

Working in China has its drawbacks, however: Men in Black III, starring Will Smith, had a scene removed from the local cut of the movie after censors objected to the fact that the villains were Chinese.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

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A jury of singer/producer Ryan Leslie's peers found yesterday that he actually has to pay a $1 million reward he promised for a laptop that vanished in Germany, The New York Post reports.

The bigtime producer promised the reward on a Youtube video but balked at actually paying it to Armin Augstein, an auto shop owner who discovered the laptop and external hard drive.

Leslie says his massive reward was contingent on his ability to get back unreleased songs on the hard drive, and that they weren't there when he got it back, the Post reported.

However, a judge told jurors they could assume the data was there when Augstein returned the electronic goods.

Augstein, who's 54, said through an interpreter that he's "very happy" with the American judicial system, noting it's "so totally different from" Germany's, the Post reported.

Here's Leslie's YouTube video:

SEE ALSO: Here Are All Of The Times Lindsay Lohan Has Gotten In Trouble >

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Is Paramount starting to worry over the potential success of its impending adaptation of Lee Child's "Jack Reacher"?

It released a mini-featurette for the December 21 wide release comparing the former U.S. military officer to the likes of franchise greats James Bond and Jason Bourne. 

The film hasn't been receiving great buzz online from fans distressed with the casting choice of Tom Cruise cast as the roughly 6'5" and more than 220 pounds.

The bit about Bond and Bourne can be heard at the start.

Check it out below:  

SEE ALSO: Early design concepts for Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises" >

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When they weren’t frantically throwing together ingredients during Quick Fire challenges, stressing over dishes during Elimination Challenges or sweating it out in the stew room prior to Judges' Table, the contestants of “Top Chef” Season 10 did their best to relax in the penthouse of Olive 8, a condo tower in downtown Seattle.

Finding the right place for 18 contestants, as well as judges and the host to stay in secrecy in Seattle was no easy task, but Olive 8's location as well as its secure penthouse made for the best option.

Click here to jump right to the photos >>

“Olive 8 provided an ideal center-city location, resort-like amenities and wraparound views of the downtown skyline,” said Dean Jones, principal of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, the listing brokerage for the development. “We were thrilled to offer the 38th floor for staff and cheftestants to stay while in residence in Seattle.”

Although producers did their best to keep everything under wraps, stars were spotted — including a few dining in the restaurant of the Hyatt on Olive 8's ground floor — leading some to presume that the contestants were staying in the condos above.

Host Padma Lakshmi, in particular, said it was hard to keep a low profile in the Emerald City.

“I was in this very awkward and undiplomatic position of not being able to talk about why I was there,” she told The Seattle Times.

Located just north of downtown’s Pacific Place shopping center, Olive 8 is the tallest residence tower in Seattle, featuring 229 condo units. The homes range in price from 1-bedroom open floor plans at $460,000 to million-plus 3-bedroom penthouses, all with views of downtown. Additional amenities of the building include hardwood floors, 10-foot-plus ceilings and balconies in each condo, as well as access to 24-hour concierge service, spa services, a dog run and gym.

And of course, fitting with “Top Chef,” the “kitchens are fit for a chef, said Jones, but he continued: “I suspect most ordered room service from the hotel after a long day competing.”

This is the Olive 8 high rise located in downtown Seattle.

It has 39 floors, with the penthouses where the 'Top Chef' staff stayed located at the very top.

Source: Olive 8

The wrap-around balcony provided stunning views of Seattle to the contestants.

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Hollywood TV producer and founder of Team Communications, Drew Levin, has just been sentenced to 66 months in federal prison and $2.2 million restitution after a multimillion-dollar scam to inflate his NASDAQ-traded company’s revenue and stock price. 

In September 2011, Levin pleaded guilty to federal charges of stock fraud and bilking a French investor into a separate Levin-owned company in 2008.

Before Levin created a scheme to falsely overstate Team’s revenues to make the company appear to be profitable when it was actually losing money, Levin's producer credits reportedly included "Future Quest" for PBS, "The World's Most Mysterious Places" for Discovery and "Stephen King's World of Horror" for MTV.

Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in LA made Levin's sentence official, stating in a press release: "Drew Savitch Levin, 59, of Pacific Palisades, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dean D. Pregerson, who also ordered Levin to pay $2,272,588 in restitution to 13 victims in the United States, France, Austria, England and Switzerland."

Levin's illegal shenanigans were discussed in depth in the release:

According to court documents, Team, whose shares were traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange, was in the business of producing and distributing television programming, including made-for-television movies. As part of its distribution business, Team licensed its programming to other companies for distribution fees. Levin perpetrated a scheme to falsely overstate Team’s revenues to make the company appear to be profitable, when in fact it was operating at a substantial loss. For example, when Team licensed television programming for inflated distribution fees and the customers were unable to pay the fees, Levin had Team send them millions of dollars of Team’s own money, which the customers then used to make payments to Team. These “circular payments” were disguised by routing them through third parties and by ostensibly using them to buy television programming.

Levin personally profited from the revenue-inflation scheme in several ways, including by taking a $335,000 bonus based on Team’s reportedly profitable 1999 performance, and by pledging more than 500,000 shares of Team as collateral for a loan to buy a $1.5 million luxury vacation home in Big Sky, Montana.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Pregerson described statements submitted by Levin's victims:

It is a picture of Mr. Levin being essentially completely out of control and using his charm and sizable intellect to lie to people and take their money, and continue to feed that engine of whatever it was that he thought he was going to be able to accomplish. And maybe in his mind he felt that it would all come out fine in the end, but it was a scorched earth strategy, and that’s clear. And when you read the letters about the promises that were made once notes were due…those are lies, clearly. And you see that time and time again.

To read the full release, click here.

SEE ALSO: Lindsay Lohan arrested for assault at a Chelsea nightclub >

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At our IGNITION conference yesterday, I asked Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes what he thought about Netflix, which it seems is following HBO's playbook.

Bewkes built HBO into the powerhouse it is today. The service started by licensing movies. Then, later, it moved into original content like The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, et al.

Netflix is now doing the same thing.

Bewkes seems favorably disposed toward Netflix, and also as yet unconcerned by the competitive threat.

But Bewkes's most salient remark about original content was a reference to YouTube, which is now investing $100 million a year in original content.

When Google announced that number, the tech industry gawped: $100 million! On content!

And tech industry pundits heralded the announcement as the latest nail in the coffin of TV.

Bewkes, however, put this number into perspective.

This year alone, he pointed out, Time Warner will spend $5 billion on content.

In other words, YouTube, welcome toi the kiddie table.

Here's the video. The YouTube remark comes at the end:

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