Category: media

At first glance, it seems like NBC is beginning to pull itself out of the primetime ratings hole it’s dug over the last several seasons. But not so fast: those high ratings for certain shows are a direct result of complicated rules changes announced this summer by Nielsen, the company that collects TV ratings information. Essentially, NBC has found a way to make some shows count more than once per week…

“The number of gay characters depicted on TV is falling on network series but rising on cable, a study by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found.” In particular, cable leads the broadcast networks when it comes to placing gay characters in leading roles.

“A dispute between an atheist group and a creationist group over some postings on YouTube has critics of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act crying foul. They say it’s a new and inappropriate use of DMCA, which is becoming a frequent weapon in nasty political and cultural battles.”

“It started with a trickle, but television news operations are now awash in video and pictures submitted by ordinary folks. The much-buzzed-about phenomenon of citizen journalism is firmly entrenched, thanks to the spread of digital and cellphone cameras and the rise of an interactive culture. It is one sweet deal for the networks: small armies of tech-savvy volunteers in places where reporters aren’t, offering their services free of charge.”

But you can only see it on a satellite service. “Several groups objected to the contract because the Smithsonian signed over to Showtime semi-exclusive rights to produce films built around the national institution’s resources. Since the deal was made public 20 months ago, Smithsonian officials have defended it as a way to make the museums accessible to more people and as a new source of needed money for the museums.”

There are a total of seven series regular non-heterosexual characters, or 1.1%, on the five broadcast networks this season, down from 9 last season. ABC continues by a mile to be the most inclusive of non-het representation.

“Promotional content on what the industry calls the ‘lower third’ of the television screen is “the way of the world these days. Viewers say that snipes and bugs are degrading their experience of watching television.”

“It’s a rich television age and a demanding one. The selection is now so plentiful and fragmented and good. And deciding among hundreds of channels, on-demand options, DVR, Internet streaming and iPhones requires so much research, planning and commitment that viewers have become proprietary about their choices.”

Some 55 million people listen to internet radio each week, a 26 percent jump from 2006. “For those who remember the heyday of the D.J. as a cultural curator, it’s a return to a past where the airwaves were filled with personalities who mattered as much as the tunes they were spinning. But there is a shadow looming over this renaissance.”

“Less than two years after director Steven Spielberg and his partners sold DreamWorks SKG to Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures for $1.6 billion, a divorce seems inevitable.”