1. VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW WILL LEAVE NETWORK TV: The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will no longer air on network television after nearly two decades. In a memo to employees on Friday, Leslie Wexner, chief executive of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, L Brands, said the brand is reexamining its business and looking to evolve. CNBC: “Wexner said network television is no longer the ‘right fit’ for the event, which has been broadcast on ABC and CBS for almost 20 years. He said the company instead will focus on creating a ‘new kind of event.’ Viewership for the fashion show has been dropping. The last show, televised in December, suffered the worst ratings in its broadcast history. That’s as Victoria’s Secret has been facing more criticism from women, its core customers, for trying to sell bedazzled bras and skimpy underwear on slim supermodels.”
2. CANNES ENFORCES FESTIVAL RULES: The Cannes Film Festival is known for its sophisticated, yacht-filled atmosphere and according to festival director Thierry Frémaux, the event has no plans to stop imposing its long-running rules and regulations. The festival, which runs May 14-25, has numerous dos and don’ts, including no selfies on the red carpet, a dress code that enforces high heels for women and black-tie attire for photographers, and a “no spoilers” rule for press if a film hasn’t premiered yet. The New York Times: “If your shoes are deemed unworthy of the Cannes red carpet, you can console yourself with the thought that not only the celebrities must dress up for occasion, but also the press photographers who crowd the adjacent gantries. Yes, they, too, have to wear black tie. Some male photographers have grumbled that their female counterparts can get away with wearing casual tops paired with black skirts or trousers, while the men have to sweat it out in bow ties and dinner jackets. But let’s be honest: This has to be the one and only film industry event at which the dress code is tougher on men than on women.”
3. WOODSTOCK 50 AND FORMER INVESTOR HEAD TO COURT: The organizers of Woodstock 50 and the live events division of Dentsu Aegis Network, the festival’s lone sponsor and investor, are headed toward a legal battle. Marc Kasowitz, an attorney representing the festival and founder Michael Lang, filed a petition for injunction with the New York State Supreme Court last week, demanding that Dentsu return nearly $18 million in “misappropriated” funds from the festival’s bank account after it withdrew support from the event last month. Dentsu is slated to appear in court this week. Adweek: “The status of Woodstock 50, which had been scheduled for August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.—the same town as the 1969 classic—is now in limbo. Much like the Fyre Festival, Woodstock 50 initially boasted an impressive roster of performers, like Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and surviving members of The Grateful Dead. But it is unclear if any of them will end up performing. A letter sent by Lang to Dentsu’s C.E.O. Toshihiro Yamamoto, on Monday accused the company of taking control of the event, announcing that it had been canceled and ‘illegally [sweeping] approximately $17 million’ from its bank account. Lang also wrote that Dentsu spoke to some of the performers, vendors, and producers, recommending they ‘violate their contracts’ and cut ties with the festival despite having already been paid in full, while also suggesting that doing so might earn them spots in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, where Dentsu will play a major role.”
