Vice Expands Deal With HBO, Adds Newscast

Vice Media is expanding its partnership with HBO over the next four years to include more programming and a daily news show. Vice, which currently has a documentary series on HBO, said it will add a daily newscast, which will consist of five half-hour shows a week, 48 weeks a year. The company said it would tap its network of more than 30 global bureaus to help churn out content for the daily news report. The weekly series on HBO has been extended for four more years, and it has increased from 14 episodes to 35 episodes a year. As part of the deal, Vice will produce 32 specials for HBO through 2018. One example of such is its “Killing Cancer” special, which debuted last month. All of this will soon be able to be viewed on a Vice-branded channel on the HBO NOW streaming service for HBO subscribers. Vice chief executive Shane Smith said: “This deal, simply put, allows Vice the freedom to go after any story, anywhere we find it – and to do so with complete independence. This deal is a tremendous gift and a tremendous opportunity, and we at VICE realize this.” Smith expounded on the perils of rapid expansion — something

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