Category: media

Sex used to be the ultimate taboo in American film – movies featuring explicit sex were considered far more socially dangerous than those showing brutal violence and gore. But recently, audiences (and the industry) have appeared to be loosening up on the issue of on-screen sex. “It would be tempting to think that this was because America was finally getting a bit more grown up about sex, or because the nation at war with itself was ready for some frank hedonism.”

“Richard Stursberg took over as the CBC’s executive vice-president of English TV a little more than two years ago. It has been a fractious time, at best. Year one left him with a $100-million budget shortfall due to the season-long lockout in NHL hockey, the CBC’s single-richest source of revenue… Stursberg is now in the midst of perhaps the most radical retooling of CBC television in its history. Most would agree that it’s sorely needed. But whether he’s presiding over its rebirth or its death rattle depends on whom you ask.”

“This weekend marks the start of a new year in the movie business, with American Thanksgiving considered the start of the next year’s film crop. As movie studios tallied the take for 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was the clear winner, taking in $422,543,393.”

Canada’s major broadcasters are proposing they be allowed to charge cable and satellite companies for their signals. “Only specialty cable channels — those higher up on the dial such as Showcase, MuchMusic and HGTV — are allowed to charge carriers for their signals. That structure was designed to compensate those channels for the smaller audiences they have because they aren’t afforded prime placement on the dial, and not all are carried by every satellite or cable company in Canada.”

Hollywood is taking a greater interest in Bollywood. “Stepping up from offering Indian actors small roles in Hollywood and sourcing animation and special effects from Indian studios, foreign studios are now signing co-production deals and buying stakes in Indian media firms.”

CBS says its ratings have gone up since it agreed to have clips from its shows uploaded on YouTube. “In the month since CBS signed a deal with the video website, it has uploaded over 300 clips which have been viewed a total of 29.2m times. At the same time, CBS says ratings for David Letterman’s talk show rose by 200,000 viewers, a five per cent rise.”

“Fox is challenging what it calls an unprecedented campaign by federal regulators to punish broadcasters for airing ‘unintentional and isolated expletives’ during broadcasts. ‘The result is the end of truly live television and a gross expansion of the FCC’s intrusion into the creative and editorial process,’ Fox argued in its court filing.”

The network is contesting a $500,000 fine for Janet Jackson’s over-exposure suring the SuperBowl two years ago. In its filing, CBS described the flashing as an “unscripted, unauthorized and unintended long-distance shot of Ms. Jackson’s breast for nine-sixteenths of one second.”

The Sundance Film Festival is showcasing movies made for cell phones this winter. “The six participating filmmakers, who will create 3- to 5-minute films, have all screened films at the institute’s Sundance Film Festival.”

There has been an uproar in the UK about plans to change programming on Radio 3. But Norman Lebrecht defends the impulse to change: “It seems to me that Radio 3 is attempting honestly to refresh its look while staying true to principle. If nothing else, the upsurge of protest will give it a welcome boost in the long-running struggle with Classic FM, which will never arouse the same passions.”