Category: media

Soon after cutting its books editor, the newspaper gives theboot to its movie critic. “This job, movie reviewing, is going away as a career option. It’ll all be online hobbyists, ethically suspect bloggers who take money from studios to support their “unbiased” sites and freelancers paid a pittance by papers who like having a cheap, no benefits local byline. It’ll be like that in the very near future.”

The Iraq War, and all of its attending conflict and drama, will soon be heading to a movie theater near you. “With little fanfare, Hollywood has begun chronicling and critiquing the Iraq war even before it has ended… Almost all [of the] upcoming projects reflect the zeitgeist of a nation increasingly opposed to a conflict that has already cost tens of thousands of lives and shows no signs of abating.”

Even before Cannes officially opens later this week, there is considerable buzz surrounding five films competing for the coveted Palme d’Or…

The two New York shock jocks suspended last month for a racially charged on-air stunt involving a call to a Chinese restaurant have been fired by CBS Radio. CBS has been at the center of controversy involving envelope-pushing DJs ever since Don Imus slurred a group of African-American women’s basketball players earlier in the spring.

It’s too early to say for sure, but this spring’s TV ratings books indicate that viewership is on the verge of falling off a cliff. “Everyone has a theory to explain the plummeting ratings: early daylight saving time, more reruns, bad shows, more shows being recorded or downloaded or streamed. Scariest of all for the networks, however, is the idea that many people are now making their own TV schedules. The industry isn’t equipped to keep track of them.”

“Filmmaker Ken Burns reached an agreement yesterday with two advocacy organizations that have pressured him to amend his World War II documentary to include more material about Latinos’ contribution to the American war effort… Burns had faced mounting pressure from activist groups, elected officials and several corporate underwriters over the lack of Latino representation in the film, which focuses on the wartime experiences of people in four U.S. towns.”

Canada’s broadcast regulator says that it is prepared to take a more hands-off approach, so long as the country’s broadcasters respect the rules in place. “Observers said the regulator appears to be avoiding a complete deregulation of the TV sector, which critics of the industry have feared would lead to less support for Canadian programming.”

“A war of words has erupted between the American producer and the Canadian distributor of Karla after the controversial feature film about [infamous Canadian torturer/murderer] Karla Homolka failed to turn a profit at the box office and had its DVD release delayed by more than a year because of resistance from video distributors.”

Piracy in Canada has “exploded in the two years since Congress made it a crime to use video recording devices to copy movies in U.S. theaters, according to industry officials. But with piracy laws more relaxed in Canada, bootleggers can operate there almost risk free.”

“Two months after its main rival switched dial positions, [Los Angeles] classical radio station KUSC-FM (91.5) has attracted the most donors in its history, reflecting a substantial jump in listeners… New members came from 34 states besides California, thanks to the station’s Internet transmissions. KUSC, based at USC, is the nation’s largest nonprofit classical music station.”