Disney-Fox approach a deal; Fox LA's Steve Edwards, THE CHEW's Mario Batali out; winter awards season TV nominations roundup

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Welcome to another edition of Pat Loves TV, a newsletter about the business of television.

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Now here's a roundup of recent industry news...

 Disney + Fox deal imminent?

• Disney and Fox edge toward deal, hiring legal teams and informing staff (Kendra Chamberlain / FierceCable)
• Disney-Fox: What Happens To FBC, Will Disney Become OTT Powerhouse & How Will Teams & Cultures Mesh If Deal Makes (Nellie Andreeva and Mike Fleming / Deadline)
• Disney Nearing Finish Line With 21st Century Fox as Comcast Bows Out of Acquisition Hunt (Cynthia Littleton / Variety)

Hollywood harassment scandals

Steve Edwards out at Fox 11 LA; Mario Batali benched from THE CHEW

• Fox LA Fires Longtime Morning Anchor Steve Edwards (Scott Jones / FTV Live)
• Mario Batali Steps Away From Restaurant Empire Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations (Irene Plagianos and Kitty Greenwald / Eater)
• Chef Mario Batali on Sexual Harassment: There Should Be 'Zero' Tolerance (Tim Chan / Variety)
• Lauer's 'Double Life': Inside NBC, The Network Is Trying To Expunge The Lauer Era (Joe Pompeo & Emily Jane Fox / Vanity Fair)
• Search For New Amazon Studios Boss Underway As Hiring Process Evolves (Nellie Andreeva and Dominic Patten / Deadline)

shiny objects: award season

AFI Awards honorees; Critics' Choice, WGA, SAG nominees

• AFI Awards Honors 10 'Culturally and Artistically Significant' TV Programs (Erik Pedersen / Deadline)
• Critics' Choice TV Nominations (Kristopher Tapley / Variety)
• WGA Awards TV Nominations (Erik Pedersen / Deadline)
• Golden Globes TV Nominations (Matt Webb Mitovich / TVLine)

sausage factory: the business of TV

Sundance indie episodics; Turner casting; late-night music fight

• TV Networks Hope to Offer 'Attribution' Ad Plans in 2018 Upfront Market (Brian Steinberg / Variety)
• Why Sundance Is Showcasing Television Like Never Before With New Indie Episodics Line-Up (Liz Shannon Miller / IndieWire)
• TNT-TBS Mobile-To-Big Screen "Casting" Venture Sees 30% Month-To-Month Growth (Dade Hayes / Deadline)
• Late-Night Bands Demand Residuals For Online Reuse Of Their Work (David Robb / Deadline)

what else is on? KELLY & RYAN; peak TV playwrights; ONE DAY AT A TIME

• Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest Specialize in Small Talk and Big Ratings (John Koblin / NYT)
• Netflix's ONE DAY AT A TIME Reboot Perfectly Recreates the Original's Opening Credits in a New Promo (Jason Lynch / Adweek)
• The peak TV era has sparked a new love affair between playwrights and the small screen (Jessica Gelt / LA Times)

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