CBS Launches New Initiative to Provide More TV Roles for Performers With Disabilities

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buoyed by the success of last year’s one-to-one networking sessions, Madrid’s 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria market is launching a new TV forum aimed at fostering co-production and financing pacts between selected producers and potential partners or investors. “We are functioning as an accelerator in a way as the selected projects have at least 40% of their financing in place and just need that final push to see the light,” said Iberseries director Samuel Castro, who adds that these series have budgets ranging from €5 million-€30 million ($ million-$30 million) . The 10 companies, selected out of some 25 submissions, include some heavy hitters led by Spain’s Zebra Prods (Grupo Izen), Gato Grande-MGM, Argentina’s Storylab and El Estudio, founded by former Canana producing partner Pablo Cruz, producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head, Diego Suárez Chialvo. 

launched a website filled with mental health resources.The website, called , is a compendium of links to resources like free therapy, therapists that specialize in helping Black and LGBTQ people, crisis hotlines, and more. According to , a fan posted about the new site on Twitter on Sunday, saying sent out the news to her fans, and sharing what appears to be a from Megan herself: "Hotties! You know how much mental wellness means to me, so I created a hub with resources that can help when you might need a hand. Head to now and check it out.

Global Citizen provided, much like the city that hosted it, a melting pot of artists from as far away as Spain (Rosalia) and Italy (Maneskin) and as local as New Jersey natives, Charlie Puth and the Jonas Brothers, and Long Island’s own Mariah Carey. The crowds were out in force in Central Park, staying late to catch headliner Metallica. It helped that the weather cooperated and made for smooth entry and exit for the tens of thousands in attendance. Backstage, a who’s who of the music industry gathered, including Guy Oseary, Universal Music Group’s Michele Anthony, Arista Records chairman David Massey, Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro, agent Marsha Vlasic, Warner Records’ Eric Wong and Karen Kwak and L.A. Reid, currently working with Carey as executive producer of her next album.

The 2022 Global Citizen Festival is starting soon, so let’s take a look at the lineup!

The “Despicable Me” animation studio Illumination is launching a new label that will help it expand beyond family films and into more adult animated fare, and they’ve tapped Mike Moon, previously the head of Adult Animation at Netflix, to lead the new label.Moon will serve as the president of the label titled Moonlight, and he will also come aboard as a creative advisor to Illumination. His role will at Moonlight will be to augment Illumination’s existing slate and produce animated films that push beyond the family genre.

A woman who has accused celebrity chef Mario Batali of sexual misconduct anonymously has now gone on the record in a newly released Discovery+ documentary. "Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef" premiered on the streaming service on Thursday. In the documentary, a former hostess at one of Batali’s restaurants, Eva DeVirgilis, accuses the chef of sexually assaulting her in 2005.

David Muir couldn't be prouder of his friend Kelly Ripa as she gears up for the release of her first book, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories.MORE: David Muir pays tribute to co-stars and team during royal assignmentThe World News Tonight anchor has frequently shown his excitement for her big achievement, and of course, received a special advance copy of his own.VIDEO: Kelly Ripa and David Muir's friendshipWhile the book officially comes out on 27 September, David was sure to flex his early copy and show it around the world.He took to his Instagram Stories to share a photograph of himself out enjoying dinner, and in his hand was Kelly's book.MORE: Who is David Muir's 'cool' older sister Rebecca? - All we know"Brought you to dinner @kellyripa," he wrote, sporting a cheeky grin, and Kelly returned the favor by sharing it on her own Stories by saying that she was missing him.David has consistently been supportive of his close friend as she makes her debut in the publishing world with her candid release.

Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has reportedly asked his agent to find him a new club after telling people close to him that he 'expects to leave' in 2023.

EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy Steckler is exiting his post as President of Film Production at Imperative Entertainment to focus on producing under his newly launched shingle Enhanced Hammer. In addition to leading his production company, he will act as a consultant to Imperative Entertainment on select projects. Steckler arrived at Imperative in July 2019.

Saudi Arabian media and entertainment giant MBC Group has officially launched its new headquarters in the capital of Riyadh.

EXCLUSIVE: Caitlin Mehner (Dopesick), Darien Sills-Evans (Superior Donuts), and C.S. Lee (Dexter) have joined the cast of CBS’ fall drama East New York in recurring roles.

Metallica guitarist and passionate horror enthusiast Kirk Hammett has launched a new project, in which he soundtracks an eerie story he has penned comprised of fictional journal entries.On September 11, Hammett shared a link on social media to a TikTok video that pairs footage of a winding road with moody, fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Alongside that, he linked to his Kirk Hammett Horrors Reddit page, in which he shares the first chapter of a story he’s called I Have to Get Rid of This Guitar I Found.The recording, Hammett explains, is designed to be looped while reading the story.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Shannon Bream first tried her hand at journalism at the age of 30 after having earned a law degree. Some of the people working with her called her “Grandma Intern.” They won’t be calling her that on Sunday. Bream will this weekend kick off a new era on “Fox News Sunday,” the jewel of the news side at Fox News Channel, which often gets more attention for its opinion programming. She will be the programs’ first permanent female host and will be the first permanent replacement for Chris Wallace, who burnished his reputation for prosecutorial questioning of newsmakers and politicians over a tenure that lasted just under two decades. Wallace raised eyebrows in late 2021, when he announced on air he was leaving the show. He later disclosed he had jumped to CNN, where he is slated to host a new program for both HBO Max and CNN’s Sunday schedule.

Historically underrepresented performers will have increased opportunities on television, beginning in the 2022-2023 broadcast season, thanks to the “CBS Performers with Disabilities Talent Initiative,” announced today.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large CBS is expanding its representation and inclusion programs to launch a new “CBS Performers with Disabilities Talent Initiative.” The plan, which starts with the upcoming 2022-2023 TV season, is to make sure the Eye network’s programming includes “meaningful representation and inclusion for all underrepresented groups, including performers with disabilities in series regular, guest star or co-starring roles in current series and pilots, playing characters specifically written with a disability as well as roles that do not specify one.” The new initiative comes following the 2019 Ruderman Family Foundation campaign to increase the audition opportunities for performers with disabilities and improve the portrayal of disabilities in television. CBS was the first network to sign that pledge, to increase the number of roles that cast actors with disabilities.

Kourtney Kardashian has sent temperatures soaring in the campaign pictures for her new fashion range with BooHoo, which will focus on sustainability.The mum-of-three showed off her gym-honed body as she unveiled some of the gorgeous items of clothing in the collection – ahead of its launch at New York Fashion Week on September 13. The Poosh founder looked stunning as she modelled an array of outfits from the 45-piece collection with a price range of £5 to £75.

Bruce Springsteen and Jon Stewart will hold to tradition by returning for this year’s Stand Up for Heroes in New York City. The 16th annual event, which features music and comedy to benefit the Bob Woodruff Foundation, will kick off the 2022 New York Comedy Festival on November 7 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

London nightclub Fabric has announced the launch of new record label, Fabric Originals, which aims to release “special projects from the artists that form the present and future of boundary pushing club music globally”.The first release on the label with be a split twelve-inch from Eris Drew and Octo Octa. Other records from DJ Bone, Helena Hauff, I Jordan, Sherelle, Lcy and Marcel Dettmann are also on the way.Eris Drew’s contribution, ‘Day After A Night With U’, says Fabric, “draws on elements of the artist’s classic keyboard orchestrations within the context of acid breaks, adding chest-rattling bass notes to anchor the track’s eyes-down 4/4 rhythm”.“The track’s spiritual sensibilities push to the fore further with an infectious soul vocal sample and vintage feeling synths”, it adds, “alongside an almost spiritual mysticism that permeates the song’s skittering production and upbeat melodics”.“A sensual reverberation of shared love breaking the shackles of anxiety, the track’s acid line rips through the centre of the ornamental keyboards, just like the coming together that inspired the night that ripped open Eris’ heart to fill her with love during a personally difficult time”.Meanwhile, Octo Octa’s ‘Stars & Water’ was created in reaction to Drew’s track, and, says the label, “takes on a similarly heartfelt tone.

Octo Octa titled ‘Day After A Night With U / Stars & Water’.The former track boasts a soul vocal sample and vintage-style synthesisers. It’s described as “a sensual reverberation of shared love breaking the shackles of anxiety” that sees Drew channelling “spiritual sensibilities”.On ‘Stars & Water’, Octa takes cues from classic house with the cut building progressively in energy.

EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Kaluuya is “chilling” on acting following the release of Nope, his latest collaboration with Jordan Peele.