Category: media

Last week’s Apple announcement aside, it looks like digital rights management isn’t going anywhere. “The computer and consumer electronics industry–not least of all, Apple–continues to build restrictive copy-protection into hardware and software. … But there is an obvious downside to DRM as it’s been implemented–by inconveniencing law-abiding users, copy protection increases the allure of illegal trading.”

“People use television more than any other medium by vast margins. Then again, the fall television season stunk. People stayed away. The November sweeps saw the five broadcast networks down about 12 percent compared to a year ago in the key 18-49 demographic that is sold to advertisers. Time to panic? Not really.”

“You could now literally count on one hand (using two fingers) the number of black directors who can get their projects made and distributed at a steady rate.”

“Since this past September’s economic meltdown, moviegoers have continued to support challenging films. Yet the studios and distributors can turn this slowdown into a rare opportunity, provided they follow the safest policy, which is not playing it safe at all — not settling for musty formulas when audacious ideas are at hand.”

At the moment, “buyers just aren’t in the mood to take a gamble on a picture that doesn’t have obvious broad appeal. So much of the success of this industry is generated by taking risks, and if you’re not willing to take risks, then what are you left with?”

Video games are prospering as interest in almost every other category of entertainment declines. Social gaming, more interactivity and better technology will help gaming dominate the entertainment landscape in future.

CPB, NPR and PBS wrote a joint letter, sent Jan. 2, and “suggests federal aid for six projects involving public radio and TV that will create jobs and ‘produce sustainable improvements to the nation’s communications infrastructure’.”

“While TV remains the top medium for most consumers, others are rapidly on the rise, particularly among the 14- to 25-year-olds surveyed. In that group of “millennials,” a full 75% consider the PC a more important entertainment device than the TV, and 53% use their phones for entertainment.”

“There’s a growing sense in the industry that the 18-to-49 category’s importance to marketers may be wildly overblown. Moreover, in an age of DVRs, multichannel systems and increasingly tiny ratings, the demo obsession may itself be pushing down ratings, exacerbating the industry’s problems and excluding from consideration too many programs that could have broad appeal.”

“Pushing the 50-year-old Beijing native past the monetary milestone were hot ticket sales for the “If You Are the One,” which features his longtime comic collaborator Ge You and actress Hsu Chi in a return to the romantic comedy genre for which Feng is best known.”