Category: media

Philippe Starck is to front a new BBC2 series in which he will attempt to discover the next generation of British design talent.

“If (when) the AFTRA deal is approved, SAG seems likely to be left as the lone holdout. At some point, it seems clear that SAG will have to sue for peace. Perhaps the studios will give SAG a fig leaf–allow the union to say it improved on AFTRA’s terms in a couple of respects. But entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, who keeps a watchful eye on Hollywood’s labor turmoil, puts it this way: SAG has overplayed a weak hand.”

“Last month there was a 19 per cent drop in cinema admissions. Uninspiring movie releases and the economic downturn are being blamed by cinemas for a fall in admissions which, they say, could be down by 11 million this year.”

“The existing three-year contract covering 120,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild runs through June 30 and officially expires July 1, a date widely seen as likely to pass without a settlement or a work stoppage, plunging the world’s entertainment capital into labor limbo.”

“A house subcommittee approved legislation Thursday requiring AM-FM radio broadcasters to pay royalties to singers, musicians and their labels, a proposal moving to the House Judiciary Committee and possibly soon to the U.S. House.”

“The site boasts more than one million titles and at least 2.6 million names. Most every movie and TV show is listed with the complete cast and crew. It’s a reservoir of information including box office numbers, reviews, trivia, trailers, quotes, soundtrack listings, mistakes, and much more.”

“The standing committee on Canadian heritage heard, over the past month, from representatives of all interested parties: from the CBC managers who have decided to eliminate classical music from the most popular listening periods in the day and evening; they heard from classical singers and composers who object to that decision; and they heard from commercial music producers who are thrilled by it. The committee has just released its report, and a rather pusillanimous document it is.”

Still, “while the union has yet to seek a strike authorization vote from its members, the industry is already in a “de facto” strike, with the studios winding down all but a few film productions by Monday. Hollywood is still recovering from a 14-week writers strike that ended in February.”

“A protracted period of uncertainty is casting a pall over future film production. Just the threat of a strike has put a crimp on local production, which was cited Friday as a factor in the state’s highest unemployment rate for May in five years. Employment in the motion picture and sound recording sectors was down 4.4% from May 2007.”

“Radio stations are extorting money from artistes to play their music on radio – artistes have confessed. Whereas artistes seem comfortable with the system, they have no choice but to pay some money to get air play on radio. Usually the money is paid to the music schedulers and the DJs so that they speak well of an artiste while playing his or her songs.”