VIDEOAGE "PAPER CLIPS": A WEEKLY PRESS REVIEW

PROGRAMMING
Unlike its competitors, CBS (which will announce its 2006-2007 series Wednesday) has decided that most of its current series should stay put, opting for only four new fall series. The series include three dramas and one comedy -- Shark, Smith, Jericho and The Class.
USA Today

Street Smartz is headed to the Middle East. The popular reality TV show will air on Dubai-based television channel, Infinity TV. The show will feature young male and female Arab participants competing for a cash prize. The production crew will use conspicuous, portable UP4 diversity receiver with a bodypack transmitter and lavalier microphone, thus eliminating the use of bulky portable microphone systems.
AME INFO

While the broadcast networks are unveiling a diverse mix of new season series, one quality is running rampant throughout the different nets' schedules: high production value. Many of the series that will begin airing this coming fall and winter have movie-style production quality, complicated storylines, large casts and, of course, even bigger budgets.
The New York Times

BUSINESS
Despite first quarter profit slips, Alliance Atlantis Communications is investing in new channels. The Canada-based company will spend about $8 million to launch four high-definition channels over the next two years.
Broadcaster Magazine

ADVERTISING
Digital video recorder company TiVo has often been criticized for catering to commercial haters, but now the company is offering a service for those who adore advertisements. TiVo Product Watch allows customers to search for and watch extended commercials.
Toronto Star

To kick off the Hispanic upfront on Tuesday, Adrian Steckel, chairman of TV Azteca offshoot Azteca America, laid out his plans for the coming year, which include competing with U.S. Spanish-language behemoths Telemundo and Univision. Azteca America, which has 45 stations and covers 83 percent of the U.S. market, is looking to achieve a 10 percent share in the coming year. Azteca America will use original programming to help reach its goal.
Advertising Age

CONTROVERSY
One Montreal-based company is looking to irritate North American TV news stations, and really shouldn't have a problem at all doing that. Mediascrape, a free TV news website launched last week, will provide news clips from around the world with English subtitles, so that viewers can get a more unbiased view of world happenings.
Montreal Gazette

In India last week, cable TV operators in Srinagar halted several entertainment and news channels from broadcasting following a threat from the Al Madina Regiment militant group that warned them to stop operations in the Kashmir Valley. All cable TV services across the city were disrupted for almost two hours. When services resumed, selected entertainment channels and all news channels were blacked out. In the past, several cable operators have been killed and their establishments attacked by militants.
Hindustan Times

With the Cannes Film Festival premiere of The Da Vinci Code looming, protests are taking place across the globe. In fact, one Catholic leader in India is starting a hunger strike and encouraging others to follow suit to protest the film's upcoming premiere in his country.
E! Online

FILM
The Czech Republic may be next to jump on the tax relief bandwagon. A recent study presented by the Culture Ministry and the Audiovisual Producers Association (APA) recommended a 12.5 percent tax rebate for foreign film producers to shoot their movies in the Czech Republic. In the last few years, other countries in Central and Eastern Europe have begun to take some film projects from the often-poplar Czech locale.
Prague Daily Monitor

Invitation for L.A. Screenings Breakfast

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's CEO Meeting and Conference, and the Park Hyatt Hotels. It will take place on Saturday, May 20 at 9:15 AM 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.
* How to attract buyers. Presentation by buyer Dermot Horan from RTE Ireland.
*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.

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