Category: media

Hardest hit: latenight leader “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” The show’s audience is down “a stunning 40% decline among adults 18-49 vs. the same frame a year ago.”

“Ask anyone in the broadcasting industry and they will agree: On-demand viewing is where television is headed. How the industry will get there, however, is another question.” For one, where’s the money going to come from?

“Chinese film industry officials denied on Thursday a news report that China is banning Hollywood movies for three months to protect local films.”

“Chinese authorities have banned the release of American pics for at least three months. Key factors in the decision are said to be disagreements with U.S. trade policy and the recent success of American pics at the expense of local films.”

Canada has a proud tradition of producing great actors for Hollywood. But lately the Oscars have been a dry well for the Northerners…

Documentaries were a hot commodity at last winter’s Sundance. But “only three of the 83 documentary features released over the last year surpassed the $1 million B.O. mark, making the genre’s collective total a dismal $39 million.”

“Given all the cultural influences coming from other countries, Canadians must be able to count on a strong and independent national public broadcaster which reflects their reality and their identity.”

Miramax is not the behemoth studio it once was under the Weinstein brothers, but somehow, it has remained in the thick of the Hollywood awards race. Much of the credit for the smooth sailing at Miramax is going to its new, soft-spoken chief, Daniel Battsek.

Video on demand is supposed to represent the great, wide-open future of television, and broadcasters worldwide are looking for ways to incorporate it into their existing product. But so far, no one seems to be making any money off it. So how to get TV from point A (status quo) to point B (a profitable on-demand model)?

“A majority of Canadians oppose foreign ownership of the media, telephone and cable firms, and believe the government should play a role in preserving Canada’s cultural identity.”