VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW

PROGRAMMING
It seems Jumpin' Jack Flash could be headed to primetime. Mick Jagger, the still-active lead singer of The Rolling Stones, may become an unlikely sitcom star come this fall if a new ABC pilot is picked up. Jagger has signed on to a pilot about a down-on-his-luck janitor who enlists a crew to rob a celebrity's New York City penthouse.
The New York Times

Japan seems to be devoid of an ego as big as Donald Trump's or Alan Sugar's. After yearlong attempts by FremantleMedia to bring The Apprentice format to Japan, the series has been turned down. One of the reasons is that despite decades of exposure to Western free market practices, the Japanese concept of success differs markedly from that of the West, where humility is valued above all other qualitites. Most executives asked to lead the series showed deep reluctance to draw attention to themselves.
Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS
British public broadcaster the BBC is shaking up its business model. Out of fear of being becoming irrelevant to younger audiences, director general Mark Thompson has announced a change in the delivery of the corporation's services. The familiar portfolio of BBC radio and television channels could ultimately be phased out as content is delivered "on-demand" to the license-fee payer through handheld devices, computers and mobile phones as well as digital television sets.
The London Times

ADVERTISING
In an effort to nip government censorship in the bud, the U.S. TV industry (including broadcasters, networks, MSOs, satellite television and consumer electronics companies) will launch an ad campaign in June that urges parents to control their children's TV choices. The ad campaign is expected to cost $300 million.
Reuters

Before the feature film and the trailers, Canadian moviegoers are increasingly becoming subject to the bane of TV viewers' existences: advertisements. Cinema advertising is being seen as a way to reach younger audiences who have moved away from traditional television, and thanks to new digital technology, industry observers say the silver screen ads are cheaper to make.
The Globe and Mail

EXECUTIVE SHUFFLE
Talk about a tough job. At a time when U.S. president Bush's ratings are at an all-time low, Fox News Channel's conservative anchor and analyst Tony Snow has been named White House press secretary. Most recently, Snow was a weekend news anchor and political analyst for Fox News, which he joined in 1996. He also has hosted "The Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio.
CNN

CONTROVERSY
Three unions that have been very vocal of late were given a bit of good news this week. The Screen Actors Guild, The Writers Guild of America, west, and the Directors Guild of America inked contracts that will compensate actors, writers and directors and others involved theLost mobile phone snippets. The deals guarantee union health and pension benefits and minimum payments, and could be a blueprint for future agreements involving TV content for the growing mobile phone entertainment market.
San Jose Mercury News/Associated Press

It's hard to imagine that yet-to-be-released film The Da Vinci Code could elicit more controversy, but, alas, it has. Scotland's Catholic Church is sending out hundreds of DVDs criticizing the film to schools and parishes throughout the country. The church has said the DVD is meant to debunk messages contained in the book and film.
The Herald

TECHNOLOGY
Mobile phone users who want their Prison Break fix on-the-go can rejoice -- Fox has announced plans to produce a series of two-minute "mobisodes" to complement the hit series. The 26-installment serial, Prison Break: Proof of Innocence, which was shot in the same location where the TV series is filmed, introduces a new character into the mix.
E! Online

FILM
Opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday was very possibly the most emotional night the New York-based festival has seen before. The opening night feature United 93, which chronicles the final moments of the hijacked plane that went down on September 11th, 2001. As many of the victims' families attended the screening, it was a raw and emotional event.
The Scotsman

The hoopla surrounding Ice Age 2: The Meltdown hasn't melted yet. The animated sequel continued to warm the hearts of British moviegoers and stayed top of the U.K. box office charts for the third week running. The movie has raked in 24.6 million pounds so far.
Express India/Reuters

L.A. Screenings Breakfast Invitation

Distributors attending the L.A. Screenings are invited to participate at the annual "VideoAge" L.A. Screenings breakfast.

This event is co-sponsored with Neal Lloyd, CEO Meeting and Conference and the Park Hyatt Hotels, and will take place on Saturday, May 20 at 9:15 a.m. at the Park Hyatt Hotel Mezzanine Level.

The topics of conversation will be:
- How the L.A. Screenings can avoid being squeezed out by other events in L.A.
- How to attract buyers. Presentation by a major buyer (name tba).
- DISCOP's new ownership: What does it mean for us?

Please RSVP: Dom Serafini at dsvideoag@aol.com or Neal Lloyd at nlloyd_ceo@yahoo.com

This newsletter is also available at www.videoage.org

This free service is directed to international television executives.

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