OWN adds to its executive team

The Wrap reports that Rod Aissa, Michele Dix and Drew Tappon have come on board at OWN. Aissa, most recently with Katalyst Films and MTV, and Dix, previously senior VP of music and talent development for MTV and VH1, are expected to head up primetime programming and development for OWN. Tappon's new role at OWN will focus on building original content for daytime, and was previously senior creative executive at Warner Horizon Television and senior VP of original programming and series at MTV Networks. Jamila Hunter will be taking on a new role at the network, with an as yet unspecified title. She was previously named head of programming for OWN.

Passing up cable TV to watch online

The New York Times discusses the trend of people pulling the plug on their cable. Although some cable non-subscribers claim to see a lot of television programming on their computers, there are still many things they must do without, including premium cable content, social media sites that might reveal spoilers and some content that just never makes its way online.

Documentary maker analyses ethics in edit suite

Utne Reader features an article reprinted from Canadian magazine Geez, written by Andrea Palpant-Dilley. The producer/director recounts her first experiences with doc-making, which caused her to wrestle with the ethics of filmmaking. She analyzes juxtaposition and decontextualization, as well as inclusion and exclusion via her experiences in the edit suite.

Actor and 'Two Coreys' star Corey Haim dies

Actor Corey Haim has passed away in California at the age of 38. The Lost Boys and License to Drive actor was also one of the stars of A&E's reality series The Two Coreys, with fellow '80s actor Corey Feldman. The cause of death has not been determined. A&E has also released a statement about Haim's passing: "We are saddened by the tragic loss of Corey Haim who we had the pleasure to work with on the series The Two Coreys. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

Mayor of Taiji, Japan protests 'The Cove' Oscar win

Kazutaka Sangen, the mayor of the Japanese town whose annual dolphin hunt is the topic of Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove, has stated that the hunt is both legal and a tradition that needs to be respected, according to Reuters. A Japanese distributor will release a slightly modified version of the film in Japanese cities this year.

Oscar nod doesn't guarantee increased audiences for docs

A report by the LA Times says while feature films tend to do better at the box office after an Oscar nomination or win, documentaries and foreign films still struggle.

Huffington Post talks Oscar docs

Regina Weinreich, co-producer/director of Paul Bowles: The Complete Outsider takes to the Huffington Post to discuss whether the nominees for Best Documentary at the upcoming Academy Awards are considered for their subject matter rather than how they were made.

Founder of Babelgum and Fastweb arrested

Silvio Scaglia, founder of Fastweb and Babelgum, has been jailed pending questioning regarding an alleged €2 billion money-laundering scheme. Italian news agencies say the probe has issued warrants for 55 other individuals, examining activities conducted between 2003 and 2007, during which time Scaglia was chairman and CEO of Fastweb. As such, the probe does not relate to Babelgum. "Mr. Scaglia's assets have not been seized and the company's functioning and effectiveness has not been impacted in any way," says Babelgum in a statement issued to realscreen. "Babelgum's business plan is fully funded for 2010 and beyond." Scaglia no longer has a management role with the online content hub but remains its sole investor.

BBC to make major cuts: report

The London Times is reporting that the BBC is planning a substantial series of cuts that will be announced in a strategic review next month. Spending on foreign acquisitions, currently budgeted at £100 million, will be cut by 25% and perhaps as much as 33%, according to some of the Times' BBC Trust sources. Reports say half of the BBC's web pages are set to be closed, and online staff to be reduced by 25%. Digital radio stations 6 Music and Asian Network are reportedly set to be closed, as are teen brands BBC Switch and Blast! Meanwhile, BBC2's budget is expected to be increased by £25 million, according to the Times.

Wildlife filmmaker Chris Palmer says to look, but not touch after SeaWorld death

After the death of SeaWorld Orlando whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, caused by a killer whale, many people are discussing the issue of captivity of wild animals. The latest to speak is wildlife filmmaker and director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University, Chris Palmer, who tells CNN.com that the tragic incident calls for a "hard look at our own understanding of the natural world."

STV threatens legal action against ITV over X Factor spin-offs

Scotland's ITV licensee, STV, is threatening further legal action against ITV for the broadcaster's scheduling of X Factor spin-offs. STV says that it helped build the popularity of the talent show and should also be able to benefit from the spin-off, The Xtra Factor, which is shown on ITV2, a channel in which STV has no economic interest. This would be the third lawsuit launched by STV against the British broadcaster. A spokesman for ITV tells The Guardian that it would "defend any new proceedings vigorously."

BBC to apologize for "distorting some known facts" on Panorama

The BBC Trust's editorial standards committee has found that a BBC Panorama program from November 2007 distorted facts for which the BBC will make an on-air correction and apology. The episode in question was found to have inaccurately reported on the findings of a U.S. study into the treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Louie Psihoyos blogs about creating "The Cove"

Louie Psihoyos, executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society and director of Oscar contender doc The Cove, takes to The Wrap to blog about making the movie and elaborates on ideas he'd discussed at the Realscreen Summit - notably, the concept that movies can be "weapons of mass construction."

Whedon and Spurlock team up for Comic-Con doc

E! online reports Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is teaming up with Morgan Spurlock to develop a documentary on San Diego's Comic-Con.

Nielsen study examines attitudes about paying for online content

A Nielsen study has polled almost 30,000 people from around the world about pay models for the Internet, and no surprise here, the consensus is that free is the preferred model. The "Changing Models: A Global Perspective on Paying for Content Online" study also reveals that almost 80% of people surveyed believe that if they are subscribers to a newspaper, TV or radio service, they should also get its online content for free.

British TV presenter Ray Gosling arrested after televised admission of smothering terminally ill partner

British TV presenter Ray Gosling surprised everyone with a recent admission on air in the BBC's Inside Out documentary that he'd smothered his former partner who was dying of AIDS. Gosling, a gay rights pioneer and documentary maker, is refusing to give any more information about the incident, and was arrested by Nottinghamshire police on suspicion of murder today.

Uzbek doc-maker found guilty of slander

Documentary filmmaker Umida Akhmedova from Uzbekistan was found guilty of slander by an Uzbek court for her doc The Burden of Virginity. The film focuses on the taboo subject of the difficulties Uzbek women face when entering into marriage, including having to show proof of their virginity upon marriage. Government experts deemed her documentary to be "offensive to the Uzbek nation."

MIFF 2010 ends with no stand out short doc

The 11th Mumbai International Film Festival of Documentary, Animation and Short Films wrapped up yesterday with the jury opting not to select a "Golden Conch" winner for the Best Documentary film/video (up to 30 minutes) category. However, the Silver Conch for the category went to I Found a Thread from India and Vagabond - A Nomad In Spirit & In Reality from New Delhi. The Golden Conch for Best Documentary film/video above 30 minutes went to 17 August from Russia.

Simon Fuller's Hulu series is good news for digital content producers

If I Can Dream, the upcoming docusoap from 19 Entertainment that boasts a live stream on Hulu and interactive options, is also being applauded for its integrated partnerships. Both Pepsi and Ford are on board as partners, which could lead to both product placement and branded underwriting, according to an article from Tubefilter.com. Finding revenue for original online content is something that can be encouraging to digital entertainment content producers, since bringing in dollars via the Web is still a major issue.

On 'The Virtual Revolution'

Aleks Krotoski, interactive writer for The Guardian details the challenges that came with working on both the non-linear and linear projects involved with BBC2's documentary series The Virtual Revolution, which included explaining to bewildered crew just what she was doing on her computer.