Category: media

A federal US court has ruled that the FCC’s new rules on indecency were “arbitrary and capricious.” “The 2-1 decision by a panel of judges from the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York found that the FCC’s decisions last year that isolated uses of expletives had violated broadcast indecency standards ‘represents a significant departure’ from previous commission rulings.”

“A year has passed since Web video became the mantra of network television, but time has done little to advance negotiations between the Canadian and U.S. players to secure the digital rights. Several complications are muddying the process – and money is the biggest. The U.S. firms want to fetch a premium to give up the Web rights to the highest-rated shows, but Canadian networks aren’t sure they can make the money back through online ads.”

“As if to acknowledge how tough it’s becoming to drag people out of their houses for a night at the movies, with home-theater technology getting better and traffic getting worse, the Landmark includes a number of domestic architectural touches. The most striking are three “Living Room” theaters on the top floor that hold between 30 and 50 people each. They include sofas and side tables as well as overstuffed love seats and ottomans by the high-end French furniture company Ligne Roset.”

We’re about to see a new wave of movies about musicians. “In America, when you talk about films about musicians, we have reached a point where there’s almost a formula you plug in. Somebody who came from humble beginnings, who is innovative, who’s a visionary, who has exceptional talent. They succeed against the odds, then once they succeed, oftentimes the pathology and dysfunction from their childhood comes back and takes over their life.”

An irreverent and urbane new radio show hosted by a 36-year-old Hollywood actress is getting the attention of public radio execs nationwide with its decidedly different approach to the medium. And by “different,” we mean “holding some appeal for listeners under 50 years of age.”

TV watching in America is way down this spring, and Nielsen has an explanation – DVRs.

“Interest in entertainment statistics has exploded as the number of celebrity news outlets has mushroomed, but most observers say it started in earnest in 1993 when “Jurassic Park” opened with a then-record $50 million weekend. Information that once languished deep inside fusty business news has become headline worthy. Whether driven by a simple fascination with big money or the sense that anyone can be a Hollywood insider, the expanding obsession with movie statistics acts as a lens on the national psyche, magnifying America’s innate love of competition and crowning a winner.”

As TV viewers become increasingly innoculated against ads (and more inclined to skip them with DVRs,) advertisers and the entertainment giants they support have been slipping ever more promotional content into the shows themselves. Most viewers will put up with a bit of product placement, but when the sponsor appears to have had a hand in writing the actual script to suit its product, has Hollywood crossed a line?

“Warner Music, the world’s fourth largest music group, is putting its archive of music video online and making it available free to fans… Revenue will be driven by advertising, but music fans will be able to download the videos for an additional fee and Warner will also examine syndicating the content to a third party. The deal includes plans to develop subscription-based services and a version to be used on mobile platforms.”

“The Internet, of course, is already filled with cheap laughs — YouTube alone offers a lifetime’s supply of home videos (some funny, most not). But now many experienced comedians, talent agents and financiers are seeing the Web as a way to showcase talent while trying to turn a profit.”