Category: media

A new report documents the public harm of radio consolidation in the US. “The Telecom Act unleashed an unprecedented wave of radio mergers that left a highly consolidated national radio market and extremely consolidated local radio markets. Radio programming from the largest station groups remains focused on just a few formats–many of which overlap with each other, enhancing the homogenization of the airwaves.”

“Once upon a time not very long ago, it seemed as if the studios’ specialty divisions might take independent film to another level, like the rich uncle who plucks you out of the weeds and makes you a star. One day you’re working in a video store; the next day you’re Quentin Tarantino.” Alas, with success, it hasn’t turned out that way…

Hollywood’s movie ratings board is making some funamental changes in the way it rates movies. “The most substantive change for directors would be in the appeals process, allowing filmmakers to cite similar objectionable scenes in past movies when trying to overturn what they think is an overly harsh rating that restricts the ages of movie-goers.”

“International gross now accounts for 50% to 60% of the total box office take and is expected to grow in the next few years as multiplexes continue to rise in such cinematically underserved environs as China and Russia. While Hollywood continues to churn out blockbusters, there’s increasing interest at all the studios in catering to the local tastes in the different markets around the globe.”

This is a golden age of global filmmaking, according to nearly any critical standard. But American moviegoers don’t appear to have any interest. “The movies are out there, more numerous and various than ever before, but the audience — and therefore the box-office returns, and the willingness of distributors to risk even relatively small sums on North American distribution rights — seems to be dwindling and scattering.”

“Low-budget film Little Miss Sunshine has won a key movie award that is one of the main pointers to Oscars success. In a surprise decision, the quirky family comedy was named best picture by the Producers Guild of America. Little Miss Sunshine had been seen as an Oscars outsider – but beat fancied contenders Babel, The Departed, The Queen and Dreamgirls to the PGA award. The winner of best picture at the Oscars has matched the PGA’s choice in 11 of the last 17 years.”

Much of Hollywood’s stranglehold on American culture is built around Oscar hype and hoopla. But as anyone who regularly watches the Oscars can tell you, the best films are hardly guaranteed to take home the gold. “The theme is a familiar one: the academy often goes for less edgy material.” Controversial or edgy films might get nominated, but their odds of winning are slim.

Fox’s debut of American Idol draws 37 million viewers. “It was Fox’s most-watched series or season premiere ever, climbing 5 percent compared with last season’s already stratospheric figure. The final half-hour logged a stunning 40 percent share of 18- to 49-year-olds watching TV at that time, the kind of statistic virtually never seen in an era of rampant media fragmentation.”

Once it was an outsider. Now it is establishment. “With visitors now close to 40,000 each year, Sundance can no longer claim to be the brash young upstart on the film festival calendar. Moreover, while it can hardly rival the glamour – or indeed weather – of Cannes or Venice, it has no trouble attracting a similar calibre of celebrities.”

The Chinse government distributor has rejected Martin Scorcese’s “The Departed” for showing in China. “After they watched it, they thought it wasn’t suited for the mainland Chinese market. They didn’t give concrete reasons.”