Category: media

Ten years ago the Chicago International Film Festival was in trouble. “What’s certain is that at a time of increased competition among film festivals and entertainment options in general, the Chicago International Film Festival has survived, which is no small feat.”

The announcement of the winning movie at the San Sebastian Film Festival irked critics. “Several of them shouted ‘No, no’ and made thumbs-down gestures when it was announced that Mon Fils a Moi, or My Son, had won a Golden Shell.”

In the wake of ongoing controversy over what a public broadcaster’s role should be, Canada’s CBC is seeking a regular “mandate review” in order to better connect it with what Canadians want from them. The review, which would occur every ten years, would spell out exactly what the CBC would be expected to deliver, and more importantly, would assure adequate funding through the next review.

The Boston Film Festival had a rough year in 2006. “Panels never materialized. Real stars were scarce. Marketing was terrible. Festival creative director John Michael Williams said they sold enough tickets to cover the cost of the theater rental, but not much more. So what happened?”

Nearly $30 million has been raised for a new public broadcasting and arts education center in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square district, most from private donations. The new center will house studios for the local public radio and TV stations, as well as space for educational events programmed by the city’s theaters.

The NAACP and the major American TV networks are talking about minority representation on TV. “This fall marks the first time in ‘recent memory’ in which there is not a comedy on ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox with an African American lead and that the major networks had failed to honor their commitment to diversity.”

“The ritual of shooting a three-minute masterpiece on your Super 8 camera, sending off the film in a little yellow envelope and waiting with barely contained excitement for the ready-to-project reel to drop on to the doormat is over.”

“Scenes of war on PBS in which soldiers use profanity have been cut or elaborately avoided in two upcoming Frontline documentaries. According to the journalists and PBS executives responsible, these edits have been made for one reason: fear of the Federal Communications Commission.”

The FCC is planning a study to see if there’s a relationship between TV commercials and overeating in children. “Judging by the sheer volume of media and advertising that children consume on a daily basis, and given alarming trends in childhood obesity, we’re facing a public health problem that will only get worse unless we take action.”

As the internet continues to overtake television as the dominant entertainment medium of the era, technology to measure online viewership is becoming ever more sophisticated. “With TV, you know who went in your front door, what they bought and how long they stayed. On the Web, tools that monitor your site can tell you not only who visited and what they bought, but which aisles they visited, what they touched there, how long they lingered, where they came from before the store and where they went after.”