Viacom slowly ruining yet another relationship

Lately it seems like Viacom doesn't know how to preserve relationships. If it isn't old man Sumner yapping way over the line about someone, its CEO Phil Dauman. Dauman reportedly may have pissed off director Steven Spielberg by implying that Viacom and Dreamworks would continue to be successful without Spielberg's imput. You would think that a CEO would know how to choose his words more carefully. Now poor little Brad Grey has to step in and play the calmer while trying to avoid calling his boss a dick head. Speaking by telephone on Thursday, Brad Grey, Paramount’s chairman, was eager to calm the waters stirred up by one of his bosses. “I have the greatest respect for the creativity of Steven Spielberg and the entire DreamWorks team, as well as the immense entrepreneurial business skills of David Geffen,” he said. Mr. Grey added, “On behalf of Viacom and Paramount, I hope we’re all in business for a very long time.” Viacom Chief’s Remark on Spielberg Stirs a Furor [NYT]

Not if you work for Sumner Redstone

-Jay Gavrilove So apparently New York Timeser Michael Cieply is naive enough to think that current Paramount Studios topper Brad Grey will be around for the long haul. Ok Ok so he is just wondering out loud. Though his wondering out loud may turn out to be right, we kinda want to stay on the fence with this one. Why you ask? Um, just a hunch, or better yet an old guy by the name of Sumner Redstone who is known for wacking heads of his companies whenever he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. Sure Brad Grey is about to make 3 years as head of Paramount, well maybe he will, but we all know there is no such thing as safe? What does one consider a long haul? 2 years, 3 years, or until the individual dies out of the top spot? Who decides what a long haul is? Michael Cieply breaks down how Studio bosses have gotten safer and safer in their jobs over time. For Studio Chiefs, the End of the Revolving Door? [NYT]

Grandpa Sumner sounds positive when it comes to Paramount, but not so much when it comes to Paramount head Brad Grey

Viacom dictator Sumner Redstone in Germany to oversee the German launch of Comedy Central has great hopes for his movie studio and thinks Brad Grey is doing kind of an OK job. So how long until Sumner hands Grey's job to Stacey Snider? "'Dreamgirls' has been nominated for eight Academy Awards', 'Babel' has been nominated for a lot, including best picture," Redstone said. " Steven Spielberg has a picture coming -- 'Transformers.' I've seen part of it; it is fantastic. 'Norbit' opened to $34 million on its first weekend. We have another Indiana Jones (movie) coming up which will come in 2008. You will see us rising from the bottom to the top or very near the top in the first six months of this year." Redstone said Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Gray is "doing just about all the right things." Viacom chief bullish on struggling studio [Reuters]

And we thought people like Sumner Redstone were "A++"

This weekend's Wall Street Journal's "POWER TABLES" section featured power eatery The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills California. Complete with sightings on who frequents the place and one of those frequent visitors is none other than Viacom grand daddy Sumner Redstone and his wife Paula. Sumner who used to bring his own diet cranberry juice and diet tonic water until they started stocking it specially for him, always sits in booth 127 which according to the power seating chart has him as A+. Now we don't know why we thought someone like Sumner would be seeted in the A++ section. Could it be because he is the bossman of quite a bit of power players in Hollywood? then again the place only seats A A+ and A++ visitors so we guess if you're even allowed to step foot in the door you're A list regardless. After the click, thewho who is who of visitors to the The Grill on the Alley, the seating chart according to grade, and where they like to be seated. Continued>>