Category: media

“A new Jupiter Research report found that 32% of online adults say they’re cutting back on going to the movies. That’s fewer than people who say they’re doing less driving (63%), shopping (60%) and vacationing (44%), but nonetheless should sound some alarms in Hollywood.”

“Twitter wants [according to its founders] to have both a sustainable product and business plan before it starts to capitalize on its community… [But] there may be a deeper, psychological reason that Twitter can’t follow the dollar. It may have a Peter Pan complex-it just doesn’t want to grow up.”

A British MP is launching an inquiry into whether the commercial arm of the UK’s public broadcaster has become too aggressive and is unfairly competing with private enterprise.

“The Writers Guild of America has instructed its members not to work on a new television variety show featuring Ozzy Osbourne and his family that is being prepared by the producers of ‘American Idol’ for the Fox television network.” The move came after talks between the guild and producers fell apart.

The intense interest in the 2008 presidential election – not to mention Tina Fey’s channeling of Sarah Palin – has brought younger viewers flocking to late-night comedy. “I think the gods smiled on us with the Palin thing,” says Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. “Like if he’d chosen Romney, I think it would be completely different.”

“Now there is a new form of the practice, put to use in a new Webisode series. Instead of inserting the brand into the production, these new series essentially insert the production into the brand.”

A new thriller starring John Travolta is shooting scenes in one of the impoverished Paris suburbs at the epicenter of the 2005 riots – thanks to a drive by filmmaker Luc Besson. But what happens when the film crews leave?

“The Daily Beast, Tina Brown’s culture and news website, went up Monday, and in case any puzzlement remains about what she’s up to, there’s a long Q&A with Brown herself laying it out. The site, she says, is not an ‘aggregator,’ […] but will ‘sift, sort and curate’ the Web every day.” (So why should we visit? “Sensibility, darling.”)

“The average consumer couldn’t help but be scared in the month of September, with all that’s going on. Even though Netflix is a very low-cost way to watch movies, it’s still hard to commit (to a monthly subscription) if you’re not absolutely secure you’re going to have an income, have a job.”

“Media stocks are doing poorly, experts said, because with the economy hurting, businesses will rein in advertising spending. With digital video recorders and so much new media vying for attention, some worry that businesses that cut back on TV and radio ads might make their decisions permanent.”