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VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW PROGRAMMING
Male
models Tyler Denk and James Branaman took home the million-dollar prize at
the conclusion of this year's 10th season of The Amazing Race. After 40,000
miles and several months, the twosome became the first to reach the final destination
in Garrison, New York. The winners seemed to attain that status by simple dumb
luck. Their cabdriver whizzed through a tollbooth with his E-Z pass, while
the cabbie who picked up competitors Rob Diaz and Kimberly Chabolla was forced
to drive through the much-longer cash-only line.
E! Online
BUSINESS
In an effort to increase its number of original productions, Telemundo has
acquired two companies that produce and distribute telenovelas. The Hialeah,
Florida-based network now owns production company Telemundo-RTI Productions,
which it will rename Telemundo Studios Miami. It also purchased its foreign
distributor Tepuy International (to be called Tepuy Internacional) in order
to create an in-house international division. This move to acquire these
firms further cements Telemundo's strategy of producing its own content.
Miami Herald
CONTROVERSY
A new rule change means that Oscar hopefuls Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro
and George Clooney cannot be entered for the 2007 BAFTA Film Awards, Britain's
answer to the Oscars. BAFTA has decided that only movies released in the
U.K. before its ceremony on February 11 are eligible, instead of in March,
as in previous years. As a result, some major titles expected to win at the
ceremony, will have to wait until 2008 to compete for a BAFTA. Eastwood's
Letters From Iwo Jima, De Niro's The Good Shepherd and Clooney's The Good
German will all be affected by the new ruling.
BBC News
TECHNOLOGY
Samsung has unveiled its newest creation, the SGH-P910, the Middle East's first
Digital Video Broadcasting phone. The phone is comprised of many different
features, including TV capabilities, a 1.3-megapixel camera and an MP3 player.
To receive TV signals, users simply need flip the LCD screen to a horizontal
position for optimal viewing. The image will appear on a high resolution
screen with 262,144 colors. It also includes a 20MB user memory that lets
the phone play, record and save TV broadcasts.
Mena Report
ADVERTISING
After five and a half seasons of The Sopranos on HBO, the family is as familiar
to many Americans as their own (except the body count is different). This
was the challenge faced by A&E executives as they launch a campaign to
get viewers interested in watching reruns of the Mafia drama. So they decided
to launch a game for would-be viewers. The Sopranos A&E Connection Game
depends on action in the series for viewers to win points and rankings online.
Players must download virtual tokens that represent characters and objects
central to the game. They can be collected by clicking on online ads for
the series or by taking digital photos of ads on billboards or in magazines.
A&E will begin airing the first season of the series on January 10.
The New York Times
PIRACY
Sellers of pirated DVDs and CDs in Dubai are not being deterred by a crackdown
by the authorities in the region, who have sent in sniffing dogs to hunt
out merchandise. Retailers of illegal DVDs have actually formed their own
association and meet once a month to discuss sales targets and strategies.
Most conduct their business on street corners to avoid detection by police.
AME Info
FILM
A company with a license to import otherwise illegal weapons for use in the
movie industry has been charged with distributing hundreds of guns to gangs
across Western Canada. The Royal Sportsman in Burnaby is one of three businesses
being charged with illegally distributing more than 2,000 handguns in the
region. Police have already seized 505 weapons during the course of their
investigation. The remaining 1,913 guns, which remain missing, are a source
of concern to local police.
Vancouver Sun
Actor Nicolas Cage announced
his semi-retirement at the third annual Bahamas International Film Festival
over the weekend. The actor, who's appeared in such gems as Captain Corelli's
Mandolin, The Rock and National Treasure, said he'd like to take a break
from the Hollywood grind to pursue other interests, including writing or "other interests that may develop." His
latest film, Ghost Rider, based on the Marvel comic of the same name, is
due out in February.
E! Online
Mel Gibson might have lost some of his star luster earlier this year, but
his movies still rule at the U.S. box office. The R-rated Mayan drama Apocalypto
opened at number one this past weekend, earning $14.1 million from Friday to
Sunday, topping the Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz chick fest The Holiday, which
checked in with $13.5 million. The weekend's other big new release, Blood Diamond
opened in fifth place taking in $8.5 million.
E! Online
VIDEOAGE AT NATPE '07 FOR YOU
VideoAge's NATPE editorial vehicles:
Issue: Sección en Español
Monday Daily: Latin America Edition
Tuesday Daily: U.S. Syndication Special (with SNTA)
Wednesday Daily (second market day): Focus on Canada, U.K.
So, for NATPE 2007, leverage VideoAge's editorial strength to get your message
across to your buyers.
LINKS NOT TO BE MISSED
VideoAge's Streaming Media
VideoAge's Water Cooler
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