Category: media

Even if a majority of Americans claim to agree with the government’s recent crackdown on supposed indecency on the national airwaves, their viewing choices make it fairly clear that risk-taking television isn’t going away anytime soon. “The cold truth is, what viewers say they want — in polls, through organizations and elsewhere — rarely jibes with what the majority of us actually sit down to watch.”

American TV networks are becoming more timid about about what they’re shown. Or at least more timid about standing up for their programming decisions. “It is easy to conclude that corporations like the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, are so nervous about how the re-election of George W. Bush may empower the Federal Communications Commission that they are falling over themselves to please and appease Washington. And the victors are enjoying the moment.”

By March, one of Tivo’s top features – the ability to skip ads – will be circumvented. Viewers will see ads if they try to skip commercials. “For viewers, TiVo’s new strategy means the technology famously christened “God’s machine” by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell is rapidly becoming a marketer’s best friend, proving that try as they might, consumers cannot hide from marketing.”

Having learned from the recording industry in their fight against piracy, the American film industry has filed its first lawsuits, targeting hundreds of movie downloaders. “The future of our industry, and of the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports, must be protected from this kind of outright theft using all available means. ‘The lawsuits were filed in federal courts across the country by Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, Universal, Fox, Paramount and Sony.”

There are signs that “reality” TV is losing its appeal with American audiences. “Inspired by the success of such blue-chip franchises as Survivor and American Idol, the networks have increasingly loaded up on unscripted knockoffs as cheap prime-time alternatives. With quantity comes failure. It becomes a combination of mediocre shows or shows that are so similar to other shows, they don’t stick.”

“Noel,” a Christmas movie starring Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz and Robin Williamshasn’t attracts interest from mainstream distribution companies. So the film’s distributor is staging a “trimultaneous” rollout, releasing the movie in a few dozen theatres around the US, making it available in the disposable EZ-D format for $4.99 on Amazon.com. On cable, it will air once, on TNT, during Thanksgiving weekend.

Movies used to spend weeks and months in theatres building audiences. No more. That all important opening weekend box office pretty much defines whether or not a movie is a hit. “Over the years, America’s dream factory has sent thousands of different stories out into the world, but every weekend Hollywood itself endures exactly the same tale: One movie is crowned the box-office champ, another is tagged a big loser, and some of the city’s biggest actors and producers, watching years of work end in crashing commercial disappointment, reach for the Maalox.”

The BBC’s new The Culture Show debuted to a million viewers last week. So what do the arts professionals think of the show?

Disposable DVDs haven’t taken off with the public as many thought they wold. “Each disc contains a chemical time-bomb that begins ticking once it’s exposed to air. Typically, after 48 hours, the disc turns darker, becoming so opaque that a DVD player’s laser can no longer can read it. (Discs can live as little as one hour or as long as 60 hours.) The format has been around for a few years but hasn’t generated much interest from movie studios, video rental companies — or customers — despite experiments to deliver movies direct to consumers and eliminate late fees.”

Movie studios are jockeying for position in this year’s Oscar race. “In a year when no live-action movie has emerged to overshadow the competition, some animated films may have a shot at best picture nominations. Their prospects would be considered unlikely, except for the perception among academy members, if not the public, that there is a dearth of Oscar-worthy live-action films this year.”