By KEACH HAGEY Paula Deen's future with the Food Network was in doubt even before a controversy over her use of racial slurs erupted, say people familiar with the situation, a reflection of changing tastes in food television. For several weeks before the controversy blew up last week, Ms. Deen's agent had been negotiating with the Food Network to extend her contract, which ends June 30, the people said. One issue complicating the negotiations: her ratings had slid substantially over the past season. "Things were not going as planned," said one person familiar with the negotiations, noting that an unresolved contract extension so late in the game was unusual. Ms. Deen's 11-year run with the...
↧