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VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW
PROGRAMMING
Missed the last Law & Order? Forgot to set the digital video
recorder to record Late Night with Conan O'Brien? Have no
fear, all you need to watch your favorite NBC Universal-owned shows
is an iPod and a little under 2 bucks. NBC Universal has begun selling
11 downloadable television shows via the iTunes Web store. The shows
comprise of NBC, USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel series, and include
current and older programming. Current shows will be available the
morning after they air on television, and will cost $1.99. [The
New York Times]
The
New York Times
After an unpromising
start that consisted of throwing up on herself while skydiving,
Carol Thatcher -- daughter of former British prime minister Margaret
Thatcher -- has gone on to win the popular ITV reality competition,
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Thatcher's daughter,
who is also a journalist, entered the Australian jungle claiming
that she was no "Iron Lady," like her mother. [Sify.com]
Sify.com
Seems that
in the case of the Gibson family, the apple does indeed fall far
from the tree. Mel Gibson, whose father has publicly denied the
Holocaust, will produce a four-hour miniseries for ABC, based on
the self-published memoir of Flory A. Van Beek -- a Dutch Jew whose
gentile neighbors hid her from the Nazis -- who lost several relatives
in concentration camps. [The New York Times]
The
New York Times
BUSINESS
Today, TV viewers have more control of what they watch than ever
before. Video-on-demand has became a reality (whether in terms of
video iPods or traditional television), allowing viewers to pay
for the shows they want to watch. But these new opportunities, while
great for consumers, are providing hurdles for the entertainment
industry in terms of who owns what and what money belongs to whom.
A major power struggle is unfolding among a wide group of stakeholders
-- from studios to satellite operators to manufacturers of consumer
products -- as new ventures are being devised for the digital age.
[The New York Times]
The
New York Times
TECHNOLOGY
Filipino viewers who are looking to post messages on interactive
cable TV channels better keep things clean. In the Philippines,
cable television channels with chatroom formats will now be regulated
by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), to ensure that
text messages sent via SMS (short message service) for reception
by the viewing public are kept "wholesome." [The Philippine Star]
The
Philippine Star
ADVERTISING
It seems modest predictions are where it's at when it comes to advertiser
spending -- except when it comes to the Internet, where ad spending
is set to fly over the next year. During the UBS Global Media Conference
in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, Robert J. Coen, forecasting director
at Universal McCann, said ad spending in 2005 "stalled, despite
a pretty good economy." Coen was slightly more optimistic about
next year, leaving intact a prediction he made last June that U.S.
ad spending in 2006 would rise 5.8 percent from 2005. He attributed
the outlook to campaigns tied to the 2006 Winter Olympics. [The
New York Times]
The
New York Times
CONTROVERSY
Cartoon licensors are caught in a food fight of sorts. The Institute
of Medicine published a report, which called for a dramatic change
in the marketing of food products to kids. The report called for
Disney princess characters and Nickelodeon's SpongeBob to be used
to promote only nutritious foods. [USA Today]
USA
Today
OBITUARY
Canada lost a true broadcasting legend on Saturday. Allan Waters,
owner of the CHUM broadcasting empire, died in a Toronto hospital
at 84. Waters began his career in 1954 with the purchase of a local
Toronto radio station (1050 CHUM) -- Canada's first rock radio station.
The company has since blossomed into 33 radio stations, 12 television
stations and 21 specialty channels, including MuchMusic, Bravo and
Space. Waters is survived by his wife, three children and seven
grandchildren. [CBC Toronto]
CBS
Toronto
EXECUTIVE
SHUFFLE
ABC is relying on some of its news heavyweights to fill the World
News Tonight hosting seat, left vacant by Peter Jennings, months
before his death in August. 20/20's Elizabeth Vargas and World
News Tonight's Saturday anchor Bob Woodruff will co-anchor the
show beginning January 3. The two will helm four editions of the
evening newscast, including an online version. [The Los Angeles
Times]
The
Los Angeles Times
FILM
As The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
has its world premiere at the Albert Hall in London on Wednesday,
Disney is looking to compete with the millions of Harry Potter
fans out there. The film, which is the first of up to six more films,
has been marketed extensively, with the studio sparing no expense
(there was an estimated production and marketing budget of $250
million). [Reuters U.K.]
Reuters
U.K.
Leonardo DiCaprio
is trading in his traditional blockbuster movie roles for something
a little smaller, and greener. The actor is producing, co-writing
and narrating documentary film 11th Hour, with an assist
from Tree Media Group, a Santa Monica-based production outfit specializing
in green-oriented programming. The documentary explores the effects
of global warming. [E! Online]
E!
Online
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