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Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios

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Tag: Southern Fried Rock

Posted on March 13, 2013March 28, 2016

Yemen Theme Park – 2013 Update

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Disney, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Jordan, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kanye West, Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, King Abdulah, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Manka Fun Parks, Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Rahm Emanuel, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Saana Nights Hotel, San'a, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Slivovitz, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Sumner Redstone, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, Theme Parks, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Universal Studios, Vicky Adler-Modry, Victor Kaufman, Warner Bros., Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Disney, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Jordan, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kanye West, Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, King Abdulah, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Manka Fun Parks, Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Rahm Emanuel, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Saana Nights Hotel, San'a, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Slivovitz, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Sumner Redstone, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, Theme Parks, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Universal Studios, Vicky Adler-Modry, Victor Kaufman, Warner Bros., Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur HadiGood morning.

I am back from the hellhole that was Austin, Texas and the that waste of time known as SXSW.

If there was any positive that came out of my keynote address it was that my security guard kicked the Foo Fighters’ asses. Truly the only enjoyable moment of my trip.

This morning, I received an urgent phone call from the new President of Yemen – Adb Rabbuh Mansur Hadi (spell check didn’t get any one of those right). He said things were going very badly at the Manka Fun Park Yemen site.

In fact, he said he believed that several parts of the park which are still under construction are being used as Al-Qaeda training facilities.

My response to him was “Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!”

This park has been a disaster ever since we broke ground five years ago.

(My updates over the years  – here and here – give further details to this mess.)

March 13, 2008 was a glorious day in our quest to expand the Manka Bros. brand to the Middle East.

On the advice of Ethan Rubidoux (President of Consumer Products, Manka Sports, Broadway Manka, Theme Parks and Digital Distribution), we decided NOT to pursue a golden opportunity in Abu Dhabi in which we would have receive full funding for the Manka Fun Park ($1 billion) as well as a generous license fee for our IP going forward.

Mr. Rubidoux explained to me that every studio was building a park in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai and if we were to go it alone in a undeveloped country like Yemen, we would own the market.

While it is true that there isn’t another theme park in Yemen, there is also such negatives as terrorist breeding grounds, a brewing civil war, not many paved roads, a bombed out shell of an airport, etc. etc.

After my phone call with President blah blah blah, I looked back on the file of the project at the beginning and found this fax (below) that I sent from my room at the San’a Nights Hotel.

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Disney, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Jordan, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kanye West, Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, King Abdulah, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Manka Fun Parks, Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Rahm Emanuel, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Saana Nights Hotel, San'a, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Slivovitz, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Sumner Redstone, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, Theme Parks, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Universal Studios, Vicky Adler-Modry, Victor Kaufman, Warner Bros., Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi

If there was ever a red flag at the beginning of a project, this was it.

Building a Manka Fun Park in Yemen has been a nightmare from the very beginning.

But we are already $1 billion dollars into construction and can only hope that things improve over the next few months.

President Abd Rubbuh Mansur Hadi has assured me that construction will continue once U.S. drones bomb the terrorist training grounds (near what was supposed to be the Camel Hump Roller Terror in 3D).

He has also assured me that road construction to the park will start eventually.

That’s where it stands. A total horrific failure.

Next time, no one is allowed to change my mind.

But I am not going to fire Ethan Rubidoux. I am just going to give him another awful division to run – he is now also President of our Anti-Piracy Group.

Good luck with that one, Ethan!

For further background on how this fucking project ever received a greenlight, here is a portion of a presentation Lloyd Grohl gave to the Merrill Lynch Mediatainment Conference a few years back.

Why no one under me was smart enough to stop this Titanic of a disaster from happening, I’ll never know.

Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Brian Roberts, Bryan Lourd, Chase Carey, Craig Smith, David Geffen, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Ezra Kucharz, fairy tale movies, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, Harry Sloan, Hey Diddle Diddle, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jeff Sagansky, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, Michael Eisner, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Chernin, Phillippe Dauman, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ron Meyer, Rupert Murdoch, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Stacey Snider, Steve Burke, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sumner Redstone, Terry Semel, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, Tony DiSanto, Victor KaufmanKhan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

Posted on December 6, 2012December 6, 2012

Manka Bros. Holiday Party Canceled

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Eminem, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, L.A. Live, Lady Antebellum, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Nokia Theater, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Seamus, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor Kaufman

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Eminem, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, L.A. Live, Lady Antebellum, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Nokia Theater, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Seamus, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor KaufmanDue to the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff, the fact that my taxes are going up, the shitty year Manka Bros. has had at the box office, the crappy television shows that were produced for our horrible television networks, declining music sales and the frightening losses in our Publishing Group, I have decided to cancel the 2012 Manka Bros. Employee Holiday Party that was to be held at the Nokia Theater and the other surrounding L.A. Live venues and restaurants.

I have requested L.A. Live management to return our substantial deposit.

I know many of you were looking forward to seeing One Direction, Lady Antebellum and Seamus (who also must return their deposits).  Too bad.

If you are better at your jobs next year, maybe we’ll try something like this again. (However, if one of the overpaid executives at the studio would like to pay for it out of his or her own pocket, then I won’t stop you – in fact, I’ll even come and drink all the $100 shots of tequila I can handle).

But this being the season of giving,  I don’t want you to get absolutely nothing from your employer for the Holidays – so for the next week, the Cafeteria is offering 10% off one slice of pizza.

Have a drunk but safe Holiday season and let’s make 2013 a year that doesn’t suck.

Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Brian Roberts, Bryan Lourd, Chase Carey, Craig Smith, David Geffen, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Ezra Kucharz, fairy tale movies, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, Harry Sloan, Hey Diddle Diddle, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jeff Sagansky, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, Michael Eisner, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Chernin, Phillippe Dauman, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ron Meyer, Rupert Murdoch, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Stacey Snider, Steve Burke, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sumner Redstone, Terry Semel, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, Tony DiSanto, Victor KaufmanKhan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

Posted on April 27, 2011July 8, 2021

Fishing With Barry Diller

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor Kaufman

Good afternoon.

I hope you are all enjoying your vacations. I mean, you can’t possibly be working because if you were MANKA BROS. WOULDN’T BE HAVING SUCH A HORRIBLE YEAR! If you are working, then you obviously suck at your job and should immediately quit for the good of the company!

Anyway…

Last weekend, I went fishing with Barry Diller up at Pyramid Lake (it’s a man-made lake about 60 miles up from Los Angeles off the I-5 freeway). It turns out, Barry likes to go there a lot.  He has a little boat parked there in a shed.

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor Kaufman

I knew he was a wild man (from his Burning Mogul antics at the Herb Allen Mogul Retreat this year) but I had no idea he was such an outdoors man.

He picked me up on Saturday in his Toyota Tundra which was loaded down with a lot of supplies (fishing gear, cooler of beer [Coors], a little BBQ, a shotgun, some granola bars, etc.).

I don’t know the first thing about fishing. I went one other time in my life – a couple of years ago – at a daddy-daughter weekend in Aspen with some other media moguls. When Connie, my daughter, tried to cast out a fishing line, the hook got caught in my nose and pretty much did a full on Roman Polanski / Jack Nicholson nose rip from “Chinatown“.

I vowed never to fish or camp again.

But Barry Diller is very persuasive. He said he needed to get away from everything before heading back to New York for an IAC earnings call this week.

I suggested the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara. He suggested a little row boat on Pyramid Lake.

Pyramid Lake is not your typical mogul hotspot. It’s mainly a place for drunken jet skiers from the Inland Empire.

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor Kaufman

The first thing I noticed as we drove up the I-5 was Barry’s taste in music. He is a huge Southern Fried Rock guy (Lynyrd Skynrd, the Outlaws, BTO, etc).

I had no idea. Maybe the drunken jet skiers from the Inland Empire were his cup of tea.

It took a while to get to the lake (he insisted on stopping to help a stranded motorist change a tire) but once we were there, it was surprisingly serene. Not too many rednecks. The weather was nice.

His boat – THE VON FURSTENBERG (neatly stenciled on the side)  – is very small. It barely had enough room for two people. Throw in a cooler full of Coors and the fishing supplies and there was very little space to move.

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor Kaufman

Once we finally got out on the lake, Barry attempted to show me what to do but I had no interest at all. He pulled a Nightcrawler out of a can of worms and quickly baited his hook like a pro. He handed me the can and expected me to do the same.

“Fuck that,” I said. “Look, Barry, I just want to sit here, talk and drink beer. I’ll never go fishing again after today.”

Barry looked a little hurt, sighed, and deftly cast his own line into the lake. “I like to imagine different people when I stick the hook through the worm”, Barry said. You know, John Malone, Ben Silverman, Michael Eisner… it’s kind of like a fun game, you know?”

I immediately wanted to grab that can of worms and start sticking hooks into them – Jay McBee [stick], Robin Rafe, Ethan Rubidoux… all those in Manka Bros. senior management who suck at their jobs and deserve a sharp hook.

Suddenly, Barry’s line tensed and his rod started to bend – “Got one!  Grab the net!”

I won’t go into any of the actual fishing details (there are people out there better than me to describe what happens when one fishes) other than to say we bagged that fish and eight more.

The rest of day we spent out on THE VON FURSTENBERG drinking the entire cooler of beer and talking about the digital transition and how it is affecting our companies. It was a nice day with an old friend.  (Perhaps one day I’ll write about our digital transition conversation – it was really interesting and I think we solved the problem – or I’ll just have Jill Kennedy at OnMedea write about it.)

I don’t remember much about the rest of the trip but I would like to thank the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club for bringing me back home. I’m not sure how Barry got home – but he obviously made it back for his earnings call.

Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

Posted on April 21, 2011

Yemen Theme Park – Update

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Disney, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Jordan, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kanye West, Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, King Abdulah, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Manka Fun Parks, Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Rahm Emanuel, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Saana Nights Hotel, San'a, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Slivovitz, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Sumner Redstone, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, Theme Parks, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Universal Studios, Vicky Adler-Modry, Victor Kaufman, Warner Bros., Yemen

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Disney, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Jordan, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kanye West, Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, King Abdulah, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Manka Fun Parks, Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Rahm Emanuel, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Saana Nights Hotel, San'a, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Slivovitz, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Sumner Redstone, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, Theme Parks, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Universal Studios, Vicky Adler-Modry, Victor Kaufman, Warner Bros., YemenGood morning.

Many of you have no doubt been reading in the press about the attempted overthrow of the Yemeni President and wonder how that will affect the construction of the Manka Fun Park – Yemen – which is scheduled to open later this year.

I think as long as the protesters don’t destroy any Manka Bros. property (especially the new $5 million Camel Hump Roller Terror in 3D), I’m OK with it.

Getting this theme park built has been a nightmare and over the past few months we’ve really hit a lot of brick walls with the current regime and had to pay out way too many cartons of cigarettes in order to keep construction going.  Perhaps new leadership on the side of the people will help expedite theme park construction.

So… after much thought and despite the imploring of other studio moguls, I have made my decision:  EVEN DURING THIS TIME OF REVOLUTION, THE THEME PARK CONSTRUCTION WILL CONTINUE.

The people of Yemen have lived under a dictatorship for too long and deserve roller coasters and the All-New Broadway Re-Zoo starring Joey Levitch!

And, this is the right decision for Manka Bros. and its shareholders – because Yemen is a completely untapped market for Western-style entertainment.  Bob Iger at Disney has been too busy concentrating on China and Disney Junior to realize where the real money is.  Loser.  We will have the Yemen market to ourselves.

Now if we can only get a fucking movie that makes money we’ll really be on a roll.

Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Brian Roberts, Bryan Lourd, Chase Carey, Craig Smith, David Geffen, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Ezra Kucharz, fairy tale movies, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, Harry Sloan, Hey Diddle Diddle, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jeff Sagansky, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, Michael Eisner, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Chernin, Phillippe Dauman, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ron Meyer, Rupert Murdoch, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Stacey Snider, Steve Burke, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sumner Redstone, Terry Semel, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, Tony DiSanto, Victor KaufmanKhan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

Posted on December 3, 2010April 26, 2011

Manka Bros. Holiday Party Canceled

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Eminem, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, L.A. Live, Lady Antebellum, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Nokia Theater, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Seamus, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor KaufmanDue to the shitty year Manka Bros. has had at the box office, the crappy television shows that were produced for our horrible television networks, declining music sales and the frightening losses in our Publishing Group, I have decided to cancel the 2010 Manka Bros. Employee Holiday Party that was to be held at the Nokia Theater and the other surrounding L.A. Live venues and restaurants.

I have requested L.A. Live management to return our substantial deposit.  I know many of you were looking forward to seeing Eminem, Lady Antebellum and Seamus (who also must return their deposits).  Too bad.  If you’re better at your jobs next year, maybe we’ll try something like this again.

But I don’t want you to get absolutely nothing from your employer for the Holidays – so for the next week, the Cafeteria is offering 10% off one slice of pizza.

Have a safe Holiday season and let’s make 2011 a year that doesn’t suck.

Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Brian Roberts, Bryan Lourd, Chase Carey, Craig Smith, David Geffen, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Ezra Kucharz, fairy tale movies, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, Harry Sloan, Hey Diddle Diddle, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jeff Sagansky, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, Michael Eisner, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Chernin, Phillippe Dauman, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ron Meyer, Rupert Murdoch, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Stacey Snider, Steve Burke, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sumner Redstone, Terry Semel, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, Tony DiSanto, Victor KaufmanKhan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

Posted on November 10, 2010April 26, 2011

Manka Bros. Awards $1,001 Bonus and 10.1% Raise To Senior Management

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Apple iPad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Avatar, Bacara, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jack Nicholson, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Eisner, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Pyramid Lake, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Roman Polanski, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Southern Fried Rock, Steve Jobs, Super Bowl 44, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor KaufmanGood morning.

In response to my friend Eric Schmidt’s announcement that every employee of Google will receive a $1,000 bonus and a 10% raise, I am announcing a $1,001 bonus and 10.1% raise to the Senior Management team at Manka Bros.

Unfortunately, because of the horrible year we are having at the box office and in our Television Group, we are forced to reduce the salaries of everyone below Senior Vice President in order to pay for this salary increase.

The salary reduction and bonus elimination (effective immediately) for VPs and below and support staff will range from 10.1% to 25%.

[Please note:  Jay McBee (President of the Manka Bros. Television Group) and Robin Rafe (President of the Manka Bros. Theatrical Group) will not be receiving these bonuses because they really REALLY suck at their jobs.]

If you happen to see any senior management around the studio lot today, be sure and give them a nice congratulations wave (but try not to make eye contact).

Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Brian Roberts, Bryan Lourd, Chase Carey, Craig Smith, David Geffen, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Ezra Kucharz, fairy tale movies, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, Harry Sloan, Hey Diddle Diddle, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jeff Sagansky, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, John Malone, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, Michael Eisner, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Chernin, Phillippe Dauman, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ron Meyer, Rupert Murdoch, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Stacey Snider, Steve Burke, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Sumner Redstone, Terry Semel, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, Tony DiSanto, Victor KaufmanKhan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

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About Khan Manka, Jr.

Khan Manka, Jr. assumed the title of Chairman & CEO of Manka Bros. Studios following his father Harry Manka's death in 1976.

Before that he was the member of several Southern California rock bands.

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