The technology to transmit color television signals was first developed in the 1920s, and all three of the major U.S. networks had switched to color in the 1960s. But in the mid-1970s, nearly half of American households still had black-and-white sets, which didn’t disappear completely from store shelves until the 1990s. What took so long, and how was the public persuaded to make the switch? – Public Books
Category: media
Racially-Tinged Strife At America’s Largest All-Jazz Radio Station
At WBGO in Newark, NJ, accusations that a largely white and elitist station leadership had lost touch with, and stopped paying respect to, the largely nonwhite people of its city led to rancor among the staff and, this week, the resignation of station CEO Amy Niles. But the roots of the station’s difficulties lie in the changing media landscape and in the tension between openness to WBGO’s local community and serving a listener and membership base that’s almost entirely outside Newark. – The New York Times
Sundance’s Focus On Issue Films Suggests A New Wave Of Cause-Driven Stories
At a festival that thrives on the spirit of niche filmmaking, the prevalence of stories and programming about ripped-from-the-headlines causes made for an energizing change of pace. Given the annual event’s reputation as a dependable bellwether for the year in independent cinema, such films could signify a potential wave of policy-driven, urgent stories to come. – The Atlantic
#MeToo Is Starting To Make A Real Difference In Hollywood
“No matter how Harvey Weinstein’s criminal trial in Manhattan turns out, the revelations about the way he used his power over women have altered Hollywood in ways big and small. … Activists and industry professionals say that the steps being taken represent sustained attention to the issue, some improvement in day-to-day working conditions and perhaps signs of bona fide change.” – The New York Times
SAG-AFTRA Releases Standardized Guidelines For Employing Intimacy Coordinators
The union for film, television, and radio performers spent six months preparing the document, which gives thorough standards for actors’ contracts, communication between actors and directors/producers, modesty garments, rehearsals and shoots, and so on. – Variety
It’s Official: MoviePass Files Bankruptcy To Go Out Of Business
Unlike Chapter 11, where companies can be reorganized and survive, this gang is dissolving, shutting its doors and everyone has resigned. Four months after the MoviePass service closed down it’s clear it’s not coming back. – Deadline
BBC To Cut 450 Jobs From Its New Operation And Reduce Number Of Stories It Reports
“Never in my career have I felt this organisation is quite under the threat that it currently is. There are many that believe that how we are funded is no longer appropriate when consumers seem to prefer to pay just for what they use.” – The Guardian
China Closes Down All Its Movie Theatres In Coronavirus Scare
In the wake of a coronavirus outbreak that has infected thousands and claimed more than 100 lives in China, the movie industry is grappling with the unthinkable: Nearly every cinema in the country, totaling about 70,000 screens, has shut down. – The Hollywood Reporter
The Rise And Collapse Of CollegeHumor.com
“For two decades, CollegeHumor rode a number of online trends and movements. The company started as the brainchild of literal teenagers, and it outlived many competitors because of this precocity about the social web. Until, all of a sudden, the social web helped render its business model obsolete.” – Wired
It’s True: ‘Cats’ Is Becoming The Next ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’
The movie was set to be one of Hollywood’s epic disasters, on track to lose $100 million. “But a funny thing happened on the way to the cinematic scratching post. Word-of-mouth buzz began to build that Cats‘ numerous and not-inconsiderable quirks were, in fact, more fun than the sum of its filmmaker- and studio-intended entertainment value.” Viewers, many assisted by cannabis, “seemed to relish the collective joy of discovering a movie this bizarre in an era when Hollywood has never been more allergic to creative risk-taking. Repeat viewings became de rigueur.” – Vulture