PROGRAMMING
Last night, U.S. television viewers bid adieu to “NYPD Blue.” The series
finale culminated a 12-season run for the police drama, which, according to
co-creator, Steven Bochco, “pushed at the bindings of what the medium had been
allowed to do up until that point." [E! Online]
E!

“Old School” and “Animal House” certainly provide a funny take of college
life, but Canadian audiences are being treated to a more true-to-life view of
campus co-eds with three-part documentary, “College Days, College Nights,”
which aired for the first time yesterday on the Documentary Channel. [The Globe
and Mail]
The Globe and Mail

Poor Tony Blair. First he gets criticized by English citizens for his close
relationship with George W. Bush and now, he can’t even appear on campy BBC
comedy “Little Britain.” Comics Matt Lucas and David Walliams decided against
including a cameo with the Prime Minister, citing the general election looming
ahead. They feared that Blair’s appearance on the hit show could be seen as a
bid to win over voters. [The Guardian]
The Guardian

Leaving no stone unturned for the exploitation of reality TV, a new show will
search for the next biggest star in (drum roll, please…) the art world.
“Artstar” will search for a creative person who seeks to turn his/her fame into a
lucrative career. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

It’s all about the ladies on reality sensation “American Idol.” Monday
night’s male-dominated episode dropped “Idol” to its worst outing of the season.
Tuesday’s installment, featuring the female vocalists, did much better. [E!
Online]
E!

BUSINESS
The BBC has published a Green Paper, which points out future changes in how
the company does its business. BBC governors, who have assumed a dual role as
regulators and cheerleaders for 78 years, are to be abolished; a new trust
will be established to "speak up" for the license fee payer. TV license fees will
remain, but a review will examine other funding methods. The BBC was told not
to "play copycat" or "chase ratings for ratings sake.” Finally, the Green
Paper also promised that more BBC programs will be produced by independent
companies.
BBC

ADVERTISING
Advertisements during Sunday’s Academy Awards were the priciest in history —
ABC demanded $1.6 million for 30 seconds of air time— but they may not have
been the cleverest. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

CONTROVERSY
Meera, the popular Pakistani actress who was fined by her government for
appearing in a kissing scene in a soon-to-be-released Bollywood film, is facing
even more trouble. The woman, who was the first Pakistani actress to appear in
an Indian movie, said she and her family have received threatening phone calls
from unidentified Islamic groups. [Express India]
Express India

Though the trilogy is officially over, the saga continues. “Lord of the
Rings” director Peter Jackson’s production company, Wingnut Films, has filed a suit
against distributor New Line Cinema and subsidiary Katja Motion Pictures,
charging them with cooking books when it came to accounting for DVD sales. The
director also believes New Line gave sweetheart deals to its affiliates when it
came to licensing agreements. [E! Online]
E!

FILM
Brrr…It is undoubtedly getting a little chilly for attendants of The NSI
FilmExchange. The largest film festival to showcase only Canadian features and
short films is underway in snowy Winnipeg, but there’s a catch. Films are
screened on the SnowScreen — an outdoor screen carved out of snow. [Google News]
Google News

It’s a big day down under, as the first Australian feature film of 2005 opens
today. “The Illustrated Family Doctor” is a dark and comic tale of life,
death and condensed books, in which questions of identity, the body, health,
sickness, grief and human connection are explored in a myriad of ways. [The Age]
The Age

PRESS RELEASE CLIPS
The sales keep coming at Bavaria Film International. The company has sold
“Sophie Scholl — The Final Days” to Italy and Benelux, as well as to Hungary,
Poland and Brazil. “Mongolian Ping Pong” has been sold to France and CIS
states. Finnish drama “For the Living and the Dead,” went to Japan.
Bavaria Film International

Roger Smith has been named special advisor to the newly-formed BFC Berliner
Film Companie Home Entertainment Division. The veteran industry executive will
advise BFC’s expansion into the video and DVD markets.
BFC Berliner

Cambium Catalyst International has commissioned 26 episodes of its “G.M.I.:
Ghost Masters Investigates,” series to YTV. The show is a live-action reality
show where kids compete to become the ultimate ghost masters while
investigating a variety of spooky places.
CCI Entertainment

E! Entertainment is seeing high ratings for its “Live from the Red Carpet”
series, hosted by Star Jones Reynolds. Last Sunday’s Oscar coverage was up 67
percent from its Golden Globes coverage. In other company news, E!
International expanded its presence in Asia with the launch of E! International Network,
the only 24-hour English language global entertainment channel in Hong Kong and
Thailand.
E! Entertainment

Globecast HOT BIRD Satellite Television Platform in Europe will now carry
Armenian Public Television and Radio on its direct-to-home TV platform. GlobeCast
is a subsidiary of France Telecom.
GlobeCast

Netherlands Public Broadcasting has announced a company restructuring. For
each channel, there will be two acquisitions execs who will be supported by a
central office. For Nederland 1, the execs will be Mignon Huisman and Paul van
der Niet; for Nederland 2, they will be John van der Klauw and Frank Mulder;
for Nederland 3, they will be Caro van der Heide and Frank Peijnenburgl for
Z@pplin, they will be Jean-Loeck Van Kollenburg and Els Kuiper.
NPB

Independent production and distribution company Off the Fence will represent
over 20 hours of Ottonia Media’s catalog of high definition programming.
Off the Fence

Promax/BDA members in the New York area can enjoy a slew of events in March.
On Tuesday, March 8, Promax/BDA will host an informal discussion on the state
of the broadcast design industry. On Thursday, March 10, Promax/BDA will,
along with Showtime, host a screening of the fist two episodes of Kirstie Alley’s
“Fat Actress.” On Friday, March 11, svp of Promax/BDA, Brett Ashy, and Carol
Eisenrauch will present a 3-hour seminar entitled, “Strategize, Energize,
Maximize.”
Promax

Viewers of Telefonica’s Imagenio VoD serice in Spain will soon be able to
enjoy a bunch of Walt Disney, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax films. Buena Vista
Television International has licensed “Finding Neverland,” “The Village,”
and “National Treasure,” among others to the Spanish VoD service.
Telefonica

Currently, TV France International is holding the 8th annual Tokyo Showcase
and the 5th annual Seoul Showcase. Japan and Korea are the two most important
Asian markets for French television production. The event began on February 28
and will end on March 4.
TV France International

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