Category: media

An Israeli film distribution company has decided to show a controversial movie about Hitler after polling viewers. “The debate over whether to screen in Israel a movie, which has been criticised for its human portrayal of Hitler, led Lev Cinemas and Shani films, who had purchased the local rights, to conduct test screenings on members of the Lev Cinema subscribers’ club. The decision to poll moviegoers was taken in order not to offend Holocaust survivors and others who might find the film distasteful.”

Proposed indecency legislation that includes heavy fines against performers might pass in Congress. “No one wants to be in a position of being in favor of indecency. But very few [in Congress] want to risk trying to state their position in 30-second TV ads — trying to explain the First Amendment and self-censorship and that there are better ways of protecting kids with V-chips and software. It would take a lot of money to reply.”

It seems that there really is a point at which audiences don’t want all the lurid details. They’re turning off salacious coverage of the Michael Jackson trial. “As the trial in Santa Maria, Calif., has become more graphic — particularly in the last week, when a former security guard testified in detail about a sexual act he claimed to have seen Jackson perform on a naked 10-year-old boy more than a decade ago — what some have called the story’s ‘ick factor’ has lowered the appetite of listeners, viewers and readers nationwide.”

The music and movie industries are suing hundreds of college students who have been using the Internet 2 to download movies and music. “The i2hub software is a peer-to-peer, file-sharing application developed for “student collaboration” on Internet2, according to the software’s website. “I2hub is the conduit in which students across the globe connect to share ideas, collaborate and form social networks in a real-time environment never before achieved,” the site says.”

Movie ticket sales have been down the last few years, and theatre owners are trying to figure out ways to lure people back. One idea? Luxury seating and pampering. “Some of its theaters offer first-class seats that are sectioned off and reserved inside the traditional theater and allow those customers to order snacks from their seats. The more exclusive Loews Club at a theater in West Homestead, Pa., offers free coat check, lounge chairs to watch the show and a restaurant.”

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is the world’s most popular TV show, seen in 106 countries. “The trend in format TV – programmes bought and copied wholesale for different countries – is now worth £1.6bn each year, a report shows. The Weakest Link is the second most popular show, selling to 98 countries, followed by Pop Idol in 30 markets.”

We’re watching more TV worldwide, except in Asia. “The annual Eurodata TV Worldwide study found that average world TV viewing figures rose slightly, to three hours and three minutes per day. Regionally, Asia-Pacific fell to last spot from third, with an average of two hours 33 minutes, down by six minutes. Japan leads the way with an average of five hours per day, trailed by the US on four hours 46 minutes.”

Sony has patented an idea for smelling movies. “The Japanese electronics giant hopes to develop a device that will bombard viewers with pulses of ultrasound that will stimulate neural activity in our brains and have us smell something we’re seeing on the screen. Not only that, but we’ll be able taste on cue and, possibly, have the sensation of being touched.”

Trying to save money, the CBC has laid off much of its public relations staff. The corporation says it will outsource much of the publicity for both radio and TV to independent public-relations firms.

“For the past decade or so, watching television in America has been defined by the families recruited by Nielsen Media Research who have agreed to have an electronic meter attached to their televisions or to record in a diary what shows they watch. This setup may not last much longer. Just as programmers and advertisers are clamoring for a better understanding of the television audience, a wave of new consumer products has made it increasingly difficult to satisfy them.”