Category: media

The way to get famous in the podcasting world is to get a spot on iTunes new podcast subscription lists. But “the switch came suddenly and without warning, turning a long list of mom-and-pop online audiocasters into overnight sensations, crashing servers across the nation and minting new internet stars in a way not seen since the early days of blogging.”

After all the bluster and argument, is PBS still worth the money the government puts into it? After all, many have argued that niche cable channels do most of what PBS does without the need for public subsidy. Robert Lloyd disagrees, but points out that the very nature of PBS’s existence makes it an easy target: “Though often described by its critics as elitist — a combined Google search of the terms ‘PBS’ and ‘elitist’ gets 33,500 hits — quite the opposite is true: PBS is a generalist network. It tries, often to its peril, to provide something for everybody. (Which means there is something for everyone not to like.)”

Even as box office receipts continue to fall, Hollywood has been able to take some solace in the continuing strong sales of DVDs. But now, there are indications that even the DVD boom may be starting to fade…

By now, nearly every major market in the U.S. has a radio station sporting the newfangled “Jack” format, in which blocks of hit music selected for its familiarity to an “average” national audience is interspersed with prerecorded voice tracks. “When a new Jack or Bob or Mike station enters a market, there tends to be a spike in ratings. But according to a new study… Jack and Bob face two problematic trends. At many such stations the audience size has diminished as the novelty of the format wears off, and the time each person spends listening to the station – an important statistic for advertisers – is fairly low, suggesting that people tune in for the fun of the songs but tune out in a short time for what other stations offer: on-air personalities and local news, perhaps.”

The streets of Los Angeles have become a battleground for paparazzi and the Hollywood stars they hunt. “Emboldened by the sudden willingness of law-enforcement officials to take their complaints seriously, celebrities and their lawyers have painted a picture of paparazzi as criminals, stalkers and provocateurs-at-the-wheel, using their vehicles as weapons if necessary to catch a celebrity looking ugly, angry or upset. To the paparazzi, however, this portrayal is utter nonsense, at best the result of stars seeing something happening in their rear-view mirrors but failing to understand it.” Moreover, the real battle may be not between stars and photogs, but between the paparazzi themselves.

Making a film can sometimes seem easy compared to the monumental task of financing it. Lining up investors, pitching your project to seemingly everyone, scraping together enough cash for the cameras – it’s all just a bit overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just win your financing at a poker table?

“A leading Republican donor who once suggested that public broadcasting journalists should be penalized for biased programs is the top candidate to succeed the controversial chairman at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to people at CPB and others in public broadcasting.”

It might be the ultimate low-budget film, but Jonathan Caouette’s new documentary, Tarnation, cobbled together from footage Caouette shot over 21 years and edited on the filmmaker’s computer at a cost of only $218, has become the hit of this year’s festival circuit. “He describes the film as a ‘love letter’ to his mother, who developed a host of mental illnesses after being given electric shock therapy from the age of 16 to 25… As much as it is a record of that catastrophic decision made by his grandparents, Tarnation is about an astonishingly creative boy growing up gay in Houston, dealing with the legacy of that pain.”

“The ABC series, competing in the comedy category, received 15 nominations, sharing status as series front-runner with the rowdy NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” which also got 15 bids. Premium cable channel HBO once again dominated the made-for-TV category with two of its films, “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” and “Warm Springs,” each garnering 16 bids to top all nominees.”

Corporate funding for PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre ended last year, but try as they might, PBS has been unable to find a new sponsor. “Since Masterpiece debuted in 1971, ExxonMobil had been its sole underwriter. PBS is picking up the tab for two more seasons, but at half the previous budget. That translates to about seven titles over 20 Sundays this season – half the output of previous years. A co-production with the BBC, Masterpiece has a core audience of “highly educated, higher-income” women over 50, says a rep for the program. Though that’s not the most prized demographic, PBS president Pat Mitchell can’t understand why the network’s crown jewel is such a tough sell.”