Category: media

“While Johnny Depp topped our list last year with $75 million, Leonardo DiCaprio jumps from fifth to first place to beat Depp for the first time. Over the past year Depp earned $50 million to DiCaprio’s $77 million.”

“After years of grumbling about steadily rising ticket prices, consumers achieved the nearly unthinkable earlier this year: they forced a momentary drop in the average cost of a movie ticket, to $7.86 in the first quarter, down from $8.01 in the fourth quarter of last year, partly by opting out of costly 3-D tickets for movies like “Mars Needs Moms,” and watching films in cheaper 2-D.”

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone had the previous best global takings with $974.8m (£593m) in 2001. The 2009 epic Avatar holds the current record for the biggest worldwide box office haul with $2.8bn (£1.7m).”

“We’ve had the same structure for 40 years. It’s worth asking, ‘Is this the best way to present programming?’ “

“Channels that were supposed to replace PBS by offering history, drama and arts programming have increasingly turned to reality television, and the trend is only accelerating. If the rest of the media continues on its current trajectory, PBS and our stations will be the only enterprise whose sole purpose is to provide content of consequence both nationally and locally to all Americans.”

“The trouble facing the movie industry right now is the same one the music industry had to confront 10 years ago. The easiest and most convenient way to see the movies or TV shows you want is to get them illegally.”

It’s $8.06. “That means the price of a ticket in the second quarter was up 2.15% over the average for 2010, which was $7.89.”

“Windfalls from DVD sales powered explosive Hollywood growth during the 2000s, but the industry has realized — as difficult as it might be — that it must turn its back on the dying format if it aims to compete in a digital world.”

“Of the 20 most-subscribed-to channels on YouTube, which include series like College Humor Originals and Annoying Orange, three belong to Asian-Americans. Ryan Higa, 21, a Japanese-American comic who lives in Las Vegas, has 4.1 million subscribers to his channel, in which he melds sketch comedy and personal musings.”

“A few scrappy Davids have held on. And now, in the face the latest assault on their base — in the form of Netflix’s online streaming service — they are struggling to stay afloat by rethinking their business models. They are tapping into new revenue streams in ways that may seem quaint and old-fashioned, but that are proving to be culturally astute and financially viable.”