Category: media

The network becomes the latest to offer its shows online. “The episodes will run on the network’s video player, called NBC 24/7, the network said Wednesday. The episodes will be accompanied by blogs from the shows producers, writers or stars.”

“The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday set a road map for making vacant television airwaves available for other services by early 2009, when broadcasters are due to switch to digital signals. The airwaves at issue, frequencies below 900 megahertz, are a desirable slice because the signals can easily penetrate walls, trees and other obstructions unlike the higher frequencies.”

Apple introduces a newmovie download service. Apple CEO Steve “Jobs also showed off a compact gadget, dubbed iTV, that will allow consumers to watch movies purchased online — as well as other digital content stored on a computer — on a connected television set. It will sell for $299 and be available early next year.”

“It was the first time all year that the number one film didn’t clear $10 million and the cumulative gross of the weekend was $70 million, making it the worst box office total of the year.”

Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke’s film “Sanxia Haoren” (Still Life) has won the Venice Film Festival’s top prize. “The film was a last-minute addition in competition, its name withheld until Sept. 5 because of sensitivities related to acquiring the proper permissions from Chinese censors. It only screened twice on the Lido, and in a poll of 14 leading Italian critics taken on the eve of the closing ceremony, not one listed the film among their top three choices.”

“Media conglomerate NBC Universal aims to more than double revenue from its digital businesses to about $1 billion by 2009 from an estimated $400 million this year.”

So now there is a TV network for babies. But some experts are protesting. ” ‘In essence, we’re conducting a big experiment on this generation of kids before we know what the impact of these media are’. That’s one reason the American Academy of Pediatrics has no plans to modify its recommendation that children under 2 engage in no “screen time” and that toddlers watch no more than two hours of quality programming each day.”

Last year Disneyland opened in Hong Kong. The park “has struggled a bit in its debut year in Hong Kong. Its park hasn’t quite reached its first-year attendance goal of 5.6 million, and its had some hiccups along the way.” By contrast another Hong Kong park is thriving. “In the past year, Ocean Park has experienced its largest attendance boom ever, luring customers with its cheaper ticket prices and diverse attractions like dolphin shows and a cable car ride with stunning views of the South China Sea.”

The Rome Film Festival aims to compete with its higher-profile cousin in Venice. “As the Lido wrapped up an 11-day movie marathon with a controversial top prize for China’s “Still Life,” organizers of the world’s oldest international film festival looked nervously to the Eternal City.”

“With no disrespect meant to Jon Stewart or Chris Rock, the last two Oscar hosts who garnered mixed reviews for their efforts, the announcement that Ellen DeGeneres will emcee the 79th Academy Awards appears designed to boost the ratings of the show by presenting a comedian who has a broader appeal with the public than her two predecessors.”