Category: media

According to one congressman, the FCC crackdown on “indecency” hasn’t worked, not because it was wrongheaded and infantile, but because it simply didn’t go far enough. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is proposing to scrap the current system, under which offending TV and radio stations are fined for airing objectionable material, and replace it with criminal prosecution of offenders.

A new Indian film focusing on homosexuality, family, and the AIDS virus is testing traditional social boundaries in the socially conservative country. But remarkably, My Brother Nikhil hasn’t met with much opposition. “Commercially, it is no runaway Bollywood blockbuster; nor is it meant to be. Rather, its impact lies in having served up a story about love and loss – sentimental staples of contemporary Indian cinema – with a gay man at its center, and having done so without kicking up the slightest fuss from India’s cultural conservatives.”

Kevin Martin, new chairman of the FCC, used the opportunity of his first major speech to tell cable TV execs to clean up their programming. “I think what you’re seeing is an environment in which consumers and parents are increasingly concerned. I think this is an opportunity for the cable industry to try to address it, not just speak to me but to speak to the consumers and parents.”

“Over the past decade, consumers have purchased well over 10 billion CDs and DVDs. And if you believe the electronics makers, optical discs are now entering their golden age. In the coming months, you’re going to hear a lot about two new disc technologies, Blu-ray and HD-DVD, and the powerful coalitions that aim to bring them to market.” But guess what? Neither format is going to be a hit. Why? It’s all online, baby…

What will Al Gore’s new TV network look like when it launches this summer? “At first called INdTV, the network now named Current plans to air short- form, fast-paced segments and snippets called “pods” rather than shows. Tailored for the short attention span, they will be anywhere from 15 seconds to five minutes long.”

America’s TV networks think there’s money in religion. So get ready for a string of religious-themed programming. “A miniseries about the Book of Revelation airs next week, while shows about a Catholic priest probing the supernatural and an Episcopalian minister who converses with God are on the drawing board. Traditionally soft-focused spirituality, exemplified by “Touched by an Angel” and “Joan of Arcadia,” is giving way to programs rooted in specific religions and their elements.”

Satellite radio is gaining traction. And as it gains credibility, it i changing the programming landscape. “Total subscribers at XM and its competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio, will probably surpass eight million by the end of year, making satellite radio one of the fastest-growing technologies ever – faster, for example, than cellphones. To keep that growth soaring, XM and Sirius are furiously signing up carmakers to offer satellite radio as a factory-installed option and are paying tens of millions of dollars for exclusive programming.”

“The summer movie release schedules show around 25 “major” productions poised for release – most on a near-simultaneous global rollout, to foil the pirates – at an average cost, we’ve worked out, of $85m. It must be remembered that actual box-office takings are now a minor part of a film’s income-generating potential: it’s taken as read that individual movies now act as a brand, developing ancillary products from soundtracks to video games to DVDs that – if all goes according to the business plan – will far dwarf what cinemagoers themselves fork out. The pressures to get it right are now so huge that one thing is clear: Hollywood is deeply reluctant to get involved with anything that hasn’t already proved itself.”

Al Gore announces the launch of a new cable TV network. “The former vice president and longtime Internet champion joined investors Monday to announce the creation of Current, a cable TV channel that will target younger viewers with a blend of news, culture and viewer-produced video. Gore will serve as chairman of the board of the new venture, which will be based in San Francisco.”

Does National Public Radio have a diversity problem? ” ‘Public radio news and information audiences tend to be curious about their world, enjoy learning and are heavier consumers of information than the general population. . . . Our own research finds that these characteristics are present in both groups of listeners, black and white.’ But doesn’t that let public radio off the hook by pretending its focus on white culture is really just a focus on a transcendent culture – blaming the lack of minority listenership on the fact that not enough minorities go to college?”