VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW

PROGRAMMING
One former American Idol contestant is singing Kelsey Grammer's praises. Constantine Maroulis has signed on to play the lead role in an upcoming NBC sitcom to be produced by Grammer's production company, Grammnet Productions. [E! Online]
E! Online

The Queen of England is coming to U.S. network television. In an effort to boost England's tourism after the London Underground attacks this summer, the Queen has allowed ABC's Good Morning America to air its program live from Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Edinburgh's Holyrood house. [Xinhua]
Xinhua

Last year, the big water cooler programs were Lost and Desperate Housewives and this year they are...Lost and Desperate Housewives. Despite the U.S. networks' hope that they could present blockbuster shows that rivaled last year's hits, this year shows no signs of homeruns. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

BUSINESS
Paramount Pictures is taking Switzerland's lead and staying neutral in the battle between the two new high def DVD formats. Rather than take sides, the studio has announced plans to make DVD movies in the Blu-ray format as well as in the HD DVD standard. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

He managed to succeed in the ever-difficult telecommunications world and now Howard Jonas, chairman and controlling shareholder of IDT Corporation, is committed to entertainment. IDT has recently hired media industry talent and begun buying up small entertainment companies. So far, many of its offerings are horror movies, straight-to-video fare for children, or compilations of old TV shows. Next year, though, the company will release its first major computer-animated film, called Yankee Irving, based on a bedtime story Jonas made up to amuse his nine children. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

ADVERTISING
There is a controversy beginning to sweep the European continent. Product placement, though acceptable in the U.S., is being shunned in Europe, especially when it comes to public broadcasters. ARD, Germany's public broadcaster was recently involved in a scandal, and the BBC has been criticized for allowing companies to integrate their products into programming. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

For Muslims it is the holiest time of the year, but for marketers it could be the most profitable. Marketers in predominantly Muslim countries see Ramadan as the perfect opportunity to reach a wide audience of viewers. During the month, many Muslims only work half days and often gather around the television set. This activity provides advertisers with a real opportunity, especially in countries like Egypt, with high TV penetration. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

Product placement is no longer about a box of cereal hiding out in the background of a set or a brand of shampoo resting on a bathtub somewhere in the distance. Advertisers and their representatives are increasingly working with a show's writers, producers and the network's ad sales staff to incorporate products into the story lines of scripted show. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

TECHNOLOGY
TV viewers may never need to channel surf again. A handful of new Internet companies have introduced websites that aim to sift through millions of online video clips and instantly splice them together according to the viewer's stated or implied tastes. More network-quality shows are coming online, and webcasting technology is fast improving. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

CONTROVERSY
After seven weeks of fierce debate, the CBC, Canada's public broadcaster, has reached a rapprochement with striking employees. CBC had locked out journalists, producers and technicians seven weeks ago, in a dispute over the hiring of contract workers. While details need to be ironed out, officials are seeing the recent announcement is very promising. [BBC News]
BBC News

James Bond is not exactly an advocate for safe sex, and a group of Australian doctors is not too happy about that. An article published in British publication the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, and written by a team of health experts led by Dr. Hasantha Gunasekera from the University of Sydney, presented an examination of 87 of the most popular films of the past 20 years aimed at an adult audience and found that many of them promoted unsafe sex and drug use. [News 24]
News 24

LEGAL
The show may have ended, but the controversy is just beginning. Two agencies representing the co-creators and producer of the now-defunct hit comedy series Frasier are suing Paramount Pictures, alleging the studio bilked them out of their fair share of syndication and licensing royalties for the show. [E! Online]
E! Online

FILM
Animated U.K. buddies Wallace and Gromit are heading across the Atlantic with their first major motion picture, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. But a research firm estimates that the DreamWorks film will do better overseas than in the States The film is expected to ultimately gross $65 million domestically and $110 million internationally. [Forbes]
Forbes

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Asia TV Forum -- Singapore
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Spain TV Expo -- Miami
World Congress of History Producers -- Rome
iEmmys -- New York
MEB '05 -- Beirut

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