VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW

PROGRAMMING
In the days before the Internet (imagine the horror!), a TV station that couldn't garner advertisers' support would be out of luck and off the air. But, as NBC Universal's Trio channel proves, there may be life for cable channels after TV. The struggling pop culture-oriented cabler is being yanked off the air but will be resurrected as a broadband channel, through another NBC Uni channel website: www.bravoTV.com. [MSNBC]
MSNBC

In the U.K, increasingly, "family time" is becoming synonymous with "TV time." Communal TV viewing by families and groups of friends is on the rise after years of decline. Shared viewing now accounts for 56 percent of total country-wide viewing, according to research from media buying agency Starcom. Now, watching TV is Britain's most popular social activity. [The Guardian]
The Guardian

Things may start to get pretty catty over in Canada. Canadian broadcaster Citytv has announced that it will carry its own version of model search/reality show America's Next Top Model. The Canadian version, aptly titled Canada's Next Top Model, will feature 10 women vying for the eponymous title. [Channel Canada]
Channel Canada

It's all about convergence at new cable and Web offering Lime. The media company, which is devoted to new-age lifestyle issues, will be at the forefront of the convergence movement, replacing TV series' traditional half-hour format with shorter segments that can be converted easily for broadcast on the Web and on mobile phones [The New York Times]
The New York Times

BUSINESS
In an effort to move people away from analog transmission and into the new, more modernized world of digital transmission, Israel's joint cable company HOT has announced that it will terminate its Home Cinema (pay-per-view) service for analog subscribers. The company is presenting analog subscribers with an alternative, offering them the ability to switch to digital services for the same monthly fee. [Globes Newsletters Israel]
Globes Newsletters Israel

ADVERTISING
Cliff Freeman & Partners, an advertising agency known best for its TV ads (including a Little Caesar's gnome who screams "Pizza Pizza"), is, for the first time, hiring a chief executive to attract additional clients that go beyond the realm of traditional media. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

TECHNOLOGY
It is becoming less and less important to be at home in order to enjoy your TiVo-ed shows. The digital video recorder (DVR) maker has announced a new feature: users can now download shows they've recorded and replay them on Apple video iPods and Sony handheld PSP game machines. This announcement comes several months after TiVo made the recorded shows transferable to personal computers. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

Fans who cannot get enough Lost should worry no more. The Walt Disney Company has signed a deal with Verizon Wireless to make brand new short-form episodes available for its mobile phone users. The shows, called Lost Video Diaries, are produced by Buena Vista Home Entertainment and revolve around the lives of the other passengers of the doomed flight who are not featured on the TV series. [Reuters]
Reuters

CONTROVERSY
British tabloid The Daily Mirror is causing quite a stir, claiming that U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair had to dissuade President Bush from bombing Al Jazeera headquarters in Qatar. The Arab satellite news channel has responded to the report by urging Britain and the U.S. to investigate the claims. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

According to a new report compiled by U.K. media regulator OFCOM, entitled "Language and Sexual Imagery in Broadcasting: A Contextual Investigation," offensive language is not only becoming more common on TV in Britain, it is also beginning to seep into shows that air earlier in the evening (while it used to be reserved fully for primetime programming). The report accused soaps and reality programs of having the strongest effect on this increase. [The Guardian]
The Guardian

FILM
Montreal kids are bringing new meaning to the expression "stealing the show." According to Warner Bros. and the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, Montreal has become a center for pirated films, with 40 percent of the world's pirated films originating from there. The most common form of piracy takes the form of viewers who record movies in the theater. And because kids are increasingly becoming pirates, security was high during Montreal screenings of the new Harry Potter film this past opening weekend. [The Gazette] The Gazette

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