BizofShowBiz: May 2006 Archives

« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »

May31	Fox offering repeat of '24' over the summer Gary Bourgeault May 31, 2006 Know More: Actor, Actress, Business, Celebrities, Show Business Deals, Show business creations, TV, TV Studios, Television 2.0, Show business creations Fox Broadcasting Co. 2006 - Kim Raver a With its fifth season just finishing, Fox has announced an encore for the summer season beginning on June 16th. It's offering the series in a back-to-back format on Friday nights. The move is to keep its interest and brand in the mind of viewers as it prepares for the next season to start in January 2007. This is also an attempt to get more viewers to view the series on TV, rather than its other online channels. Episodes are currently available from iTunes and MySpace.com. The show saw a 12 percent increase in ratings in the 18-to-49 demographic over last season, which is unusual for a series in its fifth season. Posted at 6:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May30	Louisiana in Danger of being dropped by Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 30, 2006 While some have put Louisiana as the third largest filmmaking marketing in America, the risk of filming there is making film production extremely risky and expensive. Not only is this happening in Louisiana, but also on the Gulf Coast and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Illinois joins growing list of states offering Hollywood incentives Gary Bourgeault May 30, 2006 Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a bill Monday giving film and television production companies tax credits if they film in Illinois, according to the Sun-Times. He signed the bill at the premiere of "The Break Up," a movied filmed last year... Continue Reading Posted at 1:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May29	What does Hollywood's transition to the Internet mean? Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 In response to the first good overall weekend in a long time, Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said "I think this puts to bed the notion that people don't want to go to movies anymore." While this... Continue Reading Posted at 7:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Memorial Day gives Hollywood a little Juice Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 With a strong start, "X-men: The Last Stand" finished the Memorial Day weekend with a solid $120.1 million, which has become the number one opening for Memorial Day in history. If estimates are correct, it'll also be the fourth largest three-day... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Digital is changing everything in Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 With the increasing importance of the Internet in connection with the motion picture industry, it is causing some strains and breaks with old allies. Many movies are now being offered without passing them by the critics or promoting them in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cineplex no longer relying on Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 Canada's largest cinema operator, Cineplex Entertainment LP is not relying upon Hollywood to pull it out of the continuous declining box office sales. They are instead operating their own marketing campaign to ensure that consumers keep the thought of the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May28	Paul Simon Blasts MTV Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 Paul Simon hit out at MTV, saying that their focus on image, rather than talent, has hindered many quality musicians from having great careers. According to Simon he also said that he would have never been able to make it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	X-Men: The Last Stand explodes to $107 million opening Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 The X-Men: The Last Stand expoded to an estimated $107 million three-day opening, which makes it the largest Memorial Day opening, and the fourth-largest in history. The film, made by 20th Century Fox was distributed to 3,690 theaters and took... Continue Reading Posted at 7:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Industries created from show business - Foley Artist Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 Foley Artist John Roesch has been one of Hollywood's top Foley Artists for over two decades. Photo credit: American Public Media a I am beginning a new addition to bizofshowbiz with this post. I'm going to talkoff and on about... Continue Reading Posted at 3:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Inspiration of New Things Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 With the steady decline at the box office, it's easy to talk about the reasons and to look at the failed business model and arrogance that many in Hollywood represent. Even with a few films doing well, things aren't going... Continue Reading Posted at 1:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May27	John Lasseter: Pixar's biggest weapon Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 With a string of unprecedented hits, Pixar is set for its next success with the soon release of "Cars." It all started with Toy Story, then A Bug's Life, and continued with Toy Story 2, all of which Lasseter directed.... Continue Reading Posted at 9:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Robert McDowell confirmed for FCC Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 On Friday the U.S. Senate confirmed telecommunications lawyer Robert McDowell to fill the remaining Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission, whic will break the 2-2 deadlock at the agency. The seat he's filling will expire in 2009. The FCC,... Continue Reading Posted at 4:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Overseas market saving Hollywood: For now! Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 While there are a lot of reasons for the broadcast media's slow erosion, one of those we really haven't talked about much here is the increasing purpose of Hollywood to make movies for an international audience, instead of a domestic... Continue Reading Posted at 3:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood produces Muhammad, The Last Prophet Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 The full title of this animated film is called Muhammad, The Last Prophet - Peace Be Upon Him. It is the first animated film that has ever been produced about Muhammad. It has just been released in movie theaters.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May26	Cable Companies fighting the inevitable Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has evidently introduced a bill that will push cable companies to provide a la carte service to its customers. McCain has been floating the idea the bill for months. The McCain bill is just one of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The New Temporary Entertainment Network Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 In the new network, everybody is always coming or going With the demise of the broadcast networks (it's already happened, the practical reality just has to catch up), the question arises of what a network really is. What is an... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NBC starting to broadcast through Apple itunes Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 With the news that NBC is going to start broadcasting through Apple Computer's (AAPL) iTunes, becoming the first broadcast news organization to do so, it made me realize how fast changes are happening in the entertainment world. What is it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Martha Stewart continues to fight to take back her Position Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 I don't know about you, but I don't like this. Stewart has already been convicted and served time, there is nothing more to clear. Other than adversely affecting the company and the shareholders in the company, there is nothing that... Continue Reading Posted at 7:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is the MPAA getting desperate? Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 Valence Media, the company which operates TorrentSpy, the file-sharing portal, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the Motion Picture Association of America hired a computer hacker to illegally collect information to use in the copyright suit against the site. If... Continue Reading Posted at 4:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	You're failed business model is not our problem! Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 This shirt in the image says it all: "Your failed business model is not our problem." The entertainment industry still doesn't get it. Just last week they were at it again, suing XM Satellite Radio because of the Pioneer Inno... Continue Reading Posted at 3:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May25	Interactivity to be a big part of Indy 500 Gary Bourgeault May 25, 2006 The Indianapolis 500 race which will be run this weekend is going to be geared up for interactivity through ABC Sports and ESPN. Both of these Walt Disney Co. (DIS) subsidiaries will have a plethora of multimedia coverage of the race... Continue Reading Posted at 1:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May24	CBS Radio and Howard Stern reach a settlement Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 A New York state court clerk said on Wednesday that CBS Radio and Howard Stern had reached an agreement on the breach of contract lawsuit, both sides saying that the agreement has yet to be signed. The hearing which was... Continue Reading Posted at 9:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Peppers are still Red Hot Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 E! Online Photo It was a long road to the top of the charts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, taking 23 years to get there. Now that they're there, they aren't ready to give it up yet. For the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Permission TV ad network Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 With close to 2000 TV shows to have to choose from, along with many more irrelevant ads, it is becoming more of a demand by consumers to get the content they want, when they want it and with the ads... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Harvey Weinstein expanding his empire Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 Harvey Weinstein a Harvey Weinstein, who says that his goal is to create a multi-media empire, purchased online community site aSmallWorld through his business - Weinstein Co., the major investor in the WEb site that caters to upscale clients. I... Continue Reading Posted at 2:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May23	The Pussycat Dolls are creating a Virtual Nightclub Gary Bourgeault May 23, 2006 Interscope records has teamed up with web community startup Doppelganger to create a virtual nightclub which will be called the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. Those who want to visit can create their own avatars (customized digital images of yourself) to be... Continue Reading Posted at 6:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May22	Vegas Hilton land Brooks and Dunn in two year Deal Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 Country music team Brooks & Dunn announced a two-year contract Monday with the Las Vegas Hilton. For the next couple of years they won't be just coming to Vegas for rodeo week. Kix Brooks said at a news conference that... Continue Reading Posted at 11:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Theater owners need to jump at Big-screen concerts Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 National CineMedia, a distributor of digital concerts for movie theaters has scored nonexclusive content agreements with the two leaders of the concert business, Live Nation and Network Live. This aligns them with the two largest promoters of digital music dedicated... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Warner Music, Johncom create S.African partnership Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 Members of the South African choir the Ladysmith Black Mambazo Reuters Photo a A recent report says that Warner Music International (WMI) and South Africa's Johnnic Communications are partnering to promote South African musicians abroad and increase sales of global... Continue Reading Posted at 9:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wisconsin passes film industry incentives bill Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 The Dunn County News reported that the Wisconsin state legislature passes Senate Bill 563, also known as the Film Wisconsin Incentives Bill. Sponsored by a bipartisan list of legislators, the bill provides new tax incentives for the film, television, commercial... Continue Reading Posted at 2:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May21	The Da Vinci Code takes in $77 million in North America opening Gary Bourgeault May 21, 2006 With all the hype, protest and poor reviews, The Da Vinci Code still managed to take in a respectable $77 million in its first weekend. That along with the debut of Over the Hedge, propelled the two together to $114... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New movie "Home of the Brave" about Iraq war veterans' return home Gary Bourgeault May 21, 2006 Irwin Winkler In a press release Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) announced it has acquired all rights, including theatrical, home video and television, to the Irwin Winkler-directed Home of The Brave from Nu Image/Millennium Films, which will be produced in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May20	Rachael Ray grand marshal of the IPL 500 Festival Parade Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 The popular and well-liked Rachael Ray, the Food Network kitchen guru, has been picked to be grand marshall of the IPL 500 Festival parade. Kirk Hendrix, 500 Festival president and CEO said "Rachael has really got a lot cooking right... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	J.Lo. will produce new MTV Reality show, 'Moves' Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 With a network that has become popular through being a leader in pop culture, MTV sure took a long time to enter into the competitive reality show genre. Now they are finally responding with a new show called 'Moves'. Jennifer... Continue Reading Posted at 7:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Canada hurting itself in Movie Industry Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 With huge amounts of money going north to Canada in recent years, Hollywood north of the border is starting to falter by the fighting between two unions over who is going to represent the technicians. This has kept numerous major... Continue Reading Posted at 5:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Flowers encourages young actors to flourish at her talent school Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 Owner Kim Flowers talks with entertainer Tommy Davidson at Flowers' John Robert Powers school. Davidson recently visited the school and talked with staff and students. Photo by Steve Marcus a Kim Flowers who has been part of the entertainment... Continue Reading Posted at 3:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May19	Paramount and Technorati announce Marketing agreement Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Under the agreement between Technorati and Paramount, Technorati will "aggregate blog posts about films and related subject matter to post on the film Web sites. Technorati will also run ads for the films on its own site, as well as... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood Counting on 'Da Vinci' Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Ron Howard concerned, "frustrated" over poor reviews for "The Da Vinci Code." a You know that the movie industry is in trouble when you hear statements like 'Hollywood is counting on _____ fill in the blank.' A couple of weeks ago... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Social Networking Advertising Emerging? Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Bolt Media recently conducted a survey which confirmed what most of us know already that TV viewing among young people is not their choice of media for entertainment. TV viewing is only fourth on the list for what those in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	CBS creates Gold Rush to bust Tivo Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Mark Burnett a Mark Burnett who is responsible for creating hit reality shows Survivor and The Apprentice, has gotten together with CBS to launch a Web-based treasure hunt called Gold Rush! The premise of the show will be that people... Continue Reading Posted at 3:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Top shows score big on ABC TV on-demand offerings Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 The experiment by ABC TV shows begun just a short two weeks ago to offer on-demand TV shows online, has already received around 3 million viewers according to Disney CEO Bob Iger. The shows offered by Disney appear approximately 12... Continue Reading Posted at 2:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Winstar Launches New Online Video Network Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 With the explosion of broadband usage and the growth of online video content, it has created great need for those who can offer advertising strategies that span across various platforms and branded Web sites. In response to that Winstar... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May18	Arbitron study shows startling Video-on-Demand preference growth Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 Arbitron just released a study showing that the desire by consumers to interact and use video-on-demand has exploded over the last year! For 2005 the preference for on-demand consumption was at 27 million. This year it has surged to 51... Continue Reading Posted at 3:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 - Part Three Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 What is the popularity of shows like "Lost" doing to change the way entertainment is viewed? I don't mean viewed as in watching, but viewed as in how we look at it and what we want out of it. What... Continue Reading Posted at 1:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 - Part Two Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 We are discussing how "Lost" is one of a small number of TV offerings that are revealing where things in entertainment will be going for years ahead. One thing we need to understand concerning "Lost" is that the true fans... Continue Reading Posted at 12:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 One thing that is slowly unveiling itself in the entertainment industry is ability of certain TV shows to break from the traditional idea of watching passively to the new idea of being engaged interactively. What has offered this opportunity far... Continue Reading Posted at 12:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May17	Will Broadcast Television be saved by Online streaming of its shows? Gary Bourgeault May 17, 2006 Chartreuse has a great insight into that issue of whether broadcast television will be saved by putting shows on the Internet here: "Putting shows on the internet won't save typical broadcast TV. "Here's why. "Broadcast television (btv) has a history... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hispanic TV broadcaster Telemundo increasing Internet presence Gary Bourgeault May 17, 2006 The Hispanic TV broadcaster Telemundo, as with most broadcasters, is enlarging its Internet strategy. Telemundo's senior vice president Steve Mandala promoted the network's new relationship with Internet giant Yahoo recently at its upfront presentation. Mandala also included presentations on Telemundo's... Continue Reading Posted at 4:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May16	Johnson and Johnson shocks TV world - no ad money upfront! Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 The Wall Street Journal reported that Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), one of the countries largest advertisers, is not going to commit any of its ad dollars to this year's upfront, while the Coca-Cola (KO) Co. is also considering the same... Continue Reading Posted at 11:17 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood is shrinking and the Video Game Industry is rising Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 Video game revenues for 2005 were approximately $30 billion, and are predicted to explode to $65.9 billion by 2011. In comparison, total box office receipts worldwide were only $23 billion, down close to 8 percent from the year before, according... Continue Reading Posted at 9:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is MTV too late for the Dance? Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 MTV Networks Inc. has sat on the sidelines for years as it has watched numerous companies offer music download services that are gradually growing into profitable business models. For a company that is supposed to be edgy and on the... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Screwtape on The DaVinci Code Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 My dear Wormwood, here is a book (and soon, a movie!) filled with such a precariously towering heap of our very best non-thinking that it is quite dizzying! It has the potential to mislead, confuse, and vex millions! Its name?... Continue Reading Posted at 7:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May15	Some of the successes of the American Idol participants Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 Kelly Clarkson a Kelly Clarkson Kelly being the first Idol winner has a head start over all the other Idol winners and participants. Not only did she win the first American Idol but was came in second in the World... Continue Reading Posted at 11:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What makes American Idol so popular Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 American Idol not only creates great opportunities for the eventual winners, but also for many of the participants throughout the process. The great service the show offers for those involved is of course a launching pad for their careers. This... Continue Reading Posted at 10:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	DreamWorks Animation needs a new business model Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 Dreamworks Animation (DWA) has really been struggling after being one of the media darlings via its Shrek franchise. But with poorer DVD sales from "Shrek 2" and slow box office returns from "Madagascar," they really need their next release to... Continue Reading Posted at 6:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May14	Pure Rush throwing huge gala at Indy 500 Gary Bourgeault May 14, 2006 Pure Rush, a major player at the major sporting events for the last 3 years, is making their initial appearance in Indy during the 500 weekend. They are setting up one of their legendary party evenings on Friday, May 26th... Continue Reading Posted at 6:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May13	Tommy Hilfiger says he's back! Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 American Fashion master Tommy Hilfiger sold his clothing empire last year to Apax Partners after a slow down in sales. Now, according to Hilfiger, he intends to make a comeback. Hilfiger was the first to take his fashion empire to the stock... Continue Reading Posted at 8:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Friday Night Television? Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Joe Flint was examining the growing attention that the networks are paying to Friday night TV programming. An interesting insight by Preston Beckman of the Fox Network was this: "The less... Continue Reading Posted at 1:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Terry Semel, Yahoo (YHOO) CEO, reveals networks' biggest downfall Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 Terry Semel Photo Credit: Yahoo a In a breakfast series sponsored by the Newhouse School and The New Yorker, Terry Semel, Yahoo (YHOO) CEO, forecasted that TV broadcasters' only source of ad revenue - 'CPM-based buys' against specific shows will... Continue Reading Posted at 1:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May12	Local radio advertising slowing down Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) Ad Sales Index revealed that in the 1st quarter of 2006, nationwide dollars lead the Radio ad revenue totals with a 1% increase for March of 2006 in comparison to March 2005. The revenue for... Continue Reading Posted at 7:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Movie Gallery attempting to woo Blockbuster Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 Movie Gallery (MOVI), parent company of Hollywood Entertainment, reported that its first-quarter income more than doubled from the same period last year. At the same time the company is putting out feelers hinting that they would like to participate in... Continue Reading Posted at 3:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bollywood trying to make a splash at Cannes Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 Popular Bollywood actress Preity Zinta a The Indian entertainment industry is making a big push this year to showcase its product at the Cannes film festival next week. Deccanherald.com reports: "Renowned Indian filmmakers like Ronnie Screwvala, Bobby Bedi, Karan... Continue Reading Posted at 2:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May11	Comcast Video on Demand testing ad-supported platform Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) is teaming up with CBS (CBS) and General Motors (GM) to test out whether ad-supported VOD will work. Recent studies seem to imply that viewers are willing to accept ads if the shows are free. This is... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The music industry's hypocrisy Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 With the rampage against illegal downloads and music piracy by the music industry, you'd think that they were good corporate citizens. Wrong! Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, confirmed on Thursday that Universal Music Group agreed to a $12... Continue Reading Posted at 10:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marvel and entertainment convergence Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 The world of entertainment is continually pressing the bounds of its industry as it goes far beyond television borders. At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo the Marvel Super Hero stable is taking over the center of the action. Marvel Entertainment,... Continue Reading Posted at 3:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May10	Tom Cruise, His opinion and the response Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 Hollywood stars are starting to find out that many people tire of their endless escapades and are losing interest in their political and the occasional religious opinion as it Tom Cruise's case. Just last week everyone was touting the blockbuster... Continue Reading Posted at 9:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Shadowfax starting a new career Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 (JOE BRIER PHOTO) a Blanco, the white andalusian horse, a Spanish breed of horse known for athleticism, intelligence and ability to work with people, made famous as Gandalf's ride Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings and the Hercules series, is... Continue Reading Posted at 5:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Consumers will accept advertising if content is free Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 The advertising world is breathing a sigh of relief as recent research has shown that consumers don't mind advertising if the pay-off is free content. People love to get something for free, and the online culture has forever changed the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jackie Chan named among top 10 most generous celebrities Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 Jackie Chan was named one of the top 10 most generous celebrities recently by Forbes.com. This placed the the film star in the ranks with Bono and Oprah. Dailynews.com reported: "In a report Tuesday, the Web site said that Chan,... Continue Reading Posted at 3:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Does buzz create results in higher box office sales? Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 While creating buzz about a movie or project is obviously desirable, in the area of online search, it holds limited value in predicting trends. As mediapost.com reports: "Blog search sites IceRocket and BlogPulse both offer free trend monitoring tools, and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 9	IMAX looking for new partners/owners Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 With the company doing far worse than expected, Imax is looking for suitors to shore up its business. Last quarter the company lost $5.8 million, or 14 cents per share. Last year they lost $1.2 million or 3 cents a... Continue Reading Posted at 11:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood suddenly trying to grab hold of the Internet Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 In our continuous conversation about the changing show business scene, I came across another good article by Dan Farber on zdnet.com about the quick shift in emphasis by Hollywood that has suddenly exploded out this week. He says that: "In some... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Time Warner turns to old enemy BitTorrent for help Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 With the partnership between Time Warner (TWX) and BitTorrent, we see the extraordinary change that has happened to Hollywood. Are they finally finding out that they can't sue their way to innovation and profitability? BitTorrent for those of you who... Continue Reading Posted at 8:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	TiVo Strikes with a Product-Search Ad Offering Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 TiVo has just launched a new service called TiVo Product Watch for advertisers and consumers. It offers a way for advertisers to permission-market to a highly valued segment of the market that they have lost - well, to TiVo. A... Continue Reading Posted at 5:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The continuous fall of the mass media Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 In this recent article on the BBC online site, Dan Gillmor comments on the status of the declining mass media industry. He tries to make some type of case for us suffering because of it. He talks about mass media... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Younger and Mature TV viewers and Internet Strategy Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 One of the main differences between a younger TV viewer and and older one is their perception of time. With a younger viewer they want things now and their view of time is more short term. MTV is trying out... Continue Reading Posted at 1:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 8	Why "24" is so popular Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 With ratings at the highest level they've ever been, "24" should be a laboratory for anyone that is interested in creating a hit show. One of the most unique aspects of the show is that there are even people who... Continue Reading Posted at 9:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Television and let's pretend... Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 Let's pretend that young people are tuning into watch television, whether it's the major networks or cable. I find the demographics of television interesting. Young people by a great majority have rejected it in favor of other means of entertainment... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Daryl Hannah using alternative media to get her message out! Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 In an interesting interview with SF Gate's Green, Daryl Hannah talks about going around and outside of traditional media outlets to proclaim her message. She feels that it is a necessary thing as in her view the mainstream media is... Continue Reading Posted at 5:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 7	Mission Impossible III performs below expectations Gary Bourgeault May 7, 2006 Being hyped as the beginning of a huge box office summer, Mission Impossible III opened far below what it was expected to take in. This is in spite of opening at over 4,000 theaters and a large publicity push involving... Continue Reading Posted at 2:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 6	Undefeated Barbaro surges to huge victory at Kentucky Derby Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 AP Photo/ Amy Sancetta a Undefeated Barbaro surged into the lead at the top of the stretch and won in a big way by 6 1-2 lengths. The length of the victory was the greatest since Assault won by... Continue Reading Posted at 11:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Want a movie career? Shoot yourself in the thigh in a room full of children! Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 I suppose most of you have seen this, but if you haven't you've got to take a look here. A Drug Enforcement Agency officer, while demonstrating gun safety to a class of grammar school children, discharges a gun in the... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Celine Dion Set for 500th Vegas Show Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 It doesn't seem that long ago that Celine Dion signed on in Vegas for a three year stint. On Sunday, May 7 she will be performing her 500th show. She recently extended her contract for another three years for a... Continue Reading Posted at 9:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will old media become citizen enablers? Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 Mark Thompson of the BBC recently commented that the emergence of citizen journalists, bloggers and various other forms of media demand that traditional media companies must change the way they operate drastically if they want to survive. He said: “The... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 5	Pixar votes to be bought by Walt Disney Co. Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 It was announced Friday that the shareholders of Pixar (PIXR) Animation Studios Inc. approved an offer from The Walt Disney (DIS) Co. for $7.4 billion in stock. One thing to keep in mind is that Steve Jobs holds 40% of Pixar's... Continue Reading Posted at 10:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Movie Tie-in sales are a big gamble Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 Even though last year was a banner year for toy sales connected to movies, almost all of that was related to "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." It brought in close to $500 million in toy sales.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	007 to ride in Aston Martin's DBS Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 The new car for the upcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale has been chosen and it's the Aston Martin DBS, based on DB9 and DBR9 race cars. Aston Martin's design director Marek Reichman said “This car encapsulates a link between... Continue Reading Posted at 6:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Microsoft following in Gawker Stalker footsteps? Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 Microsoft is taking a page from the book of Gawker Stalker as they have rolled out a new beta site called Celebfavorites.com. This site will be a little different as it is working with celebrities with more safety measures in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 4	Another reason Hollywood is falling Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 Hollywood continues to make decisions that reveal a total inability to grasp what consumers want and how to handle their customers. One such area is concerning the rules and regulations concerning obscene and indecent material from being aired during hours... Continue Reading Posted at 8:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Star's salaries starting to come down in Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 With movie sales declining, so are the outrageous prices that are being paid for big name stars. While we've talked here before that the first casualty of the declining market would be the stars that flirt in the $20 million... Continue Reading Posted at 6:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rihanna's "SOS" number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 R&B entertainer Rihanna's "SOS" moved up a whopping 33 places to take the number one position on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart on Thursday, which moved Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," to No. 2 after being first for five weeks in... Continue Reading Posted at 6:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Motion Picture Association of America Inc. keeps making excuses Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 In yet another attempt to win public opinion the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. hired LEK Consulting to conduct a study on what DVD and Internet piracy is allegedly costing the industry. According to their study it costs the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 3	Microsoft attempting another online show business venture Gary Bourgeault May 3, 2006 Ben Silverman Microsoft (MSFT) is entering anew into this field by going with some proven Hollywood writers and producers, rather than going with the unknown. This from the beginning is hard to tell if it is a good move, as... Continue Reading Posted at 10:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Time Warner (TWX) grows but the future looks tough Gary Bourgeault May 3, 2006 Time Warner (TWX) announced that its first-quarter profits exploded to 59 percent, primarily because of its cable television and from selling it book division. The down side is that AOL continues to struggle and the film side of the business... Continue Reading Posted at 5:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 2	The Theater industry better get it quick! Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 We talk alot here about Hollywood and the entertainment industry needing to embrace the new realities of consumers' preferences as quickly as possible. This post let's talk a little about the theaters. First of all, very slowly Hollywood is getting... Continue Reading Posted at 9:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	AOL: The new TV Channel? Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 Is AOL actually starting to get where the entertainment industry is going? They took such a long time to respond to the diminishing dial-up business, that I was starting to wonder if they were going to survive. Tobi Elkin writing... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NHL Hockey could benefit from the 'new' Media Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 Posting about Hockey and its drive to embrace celebrities and invite them to attend games for opportunities to get photos of them and promote the game, it made me think of other opportunities that are there for the grabbing. With... Continue Reading Posted at 4:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 1	Hockey looking to Woo Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 Elisha Cuthbert and Hockey boyfriend - Sean Avery a After the disastrous labor dispute and losing last year's entire season, the NHL has intensified its efforts get celebrities to attend its games; the hope is to raise the awareness... Continue Reading Posted at 9:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jewel has come a long way Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 Jewel has come a long way. She scored her first record deal while she was homeless and living in her volkswagen bus. Before whe was 21 years old, with only a guitar and voice she asked the world the question... Continue Reading Posted at 5:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GM's Betsy Lazar warns Cable Leaders to embrace Digital Strategies Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 In a clear warning to Cabletelevision, GM's Betsy Lazar, executive director of advertising & marketing operations, said that “If we stay where we are, buying spots and billboards alone, our business with you will shrink,” Lazar said. "The move to... Continue Reading Posted at 5:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood and Starbucks (SBUX) - a match made in heaven? Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 With the aid of the William Morris agency, Starbucks (SBUX) is continuing its foray into music, film and book projects to expand its brand. Their strategy is to market them in their stores. Sandra Lim posts on this: "As we... Continue Reading Posted at 2:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »

May31	Fox offering repeat of '24' over the summer Gary Bourgeault May 31, 2006 Know More: Actor, Actress, Business, Celebrities, Show Business Deals, Show business creations, TV, TV Studios, Television 2.0, Show business creations Fox Broadcasting Co. 2006 - Kim Raver a With its fifth season just finishing, Fox has announced an encore for the summer season beginning on June 16th. It's offering the series in a back-to-back format on Friday nights. The move is to keep its interest and brand in the mind of viewers as it prepares for the next season to start in January 2007. This is also an attempt to get more viewers to view the series on TV, rather than its other online channels. Episodes are currently available from iTunes and MySpace.com. The show saw a 12 percent increase in ratings in the 18-to-49 demographic over last season, which is unusual for a series in its fifth season. Posted at 6:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May30	Louisiana in Danger of being dropped by Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 30, 2006 While some have put Louisiana as the third largest filmmaking marketing in America, the risk of filming there is making film production extremely risky and expensive. Not only is this happening in Louisiana, but also on the Gulf Coast and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Illinois joins growing list of states offering Hollywood incentives Gary Bourgeault May 30, 2006 Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a bill Monday giving film and television production companies tax credits if they film in Illinois, according to the Sun-Times. He signed the bill at the premiere of "The Break Up," a movied filmed last year... Continue Reading Posted at 1:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May29	What does Hollywood's transition to the Internet mean? Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 In response to the first good overall weekend in a long time, Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said "I think this puts to bed the notion that people don't want to go to movies anymore." While this... Continue Reading Posted at 7:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Memorial Day gives Hollywood a little Juice Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 With a strong start, "X-men: The Last Stand" finished the Memorial Day weekend with a solid $120.1 million, which has become the number one opening for Memorial Day in history. If estimates are correct, it'll also be the fourth largest three-day... Continue Reading Posted at 7:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Digital is changing everything in Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 With the increasing importance of the Internet in connection with the motion picture industry, it is causing some strains and breaks with old allies. Many movies are now being offered without passing them by the critics or promoting them in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cineplex no longer relying on Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 29, 2006 Canada's largest cinema operator, Cineplex Entertainment LP is not relying upon Hollywood to pull it out of the continuous declining box office sales. They are instead operating their own marketing campaign to ensure that consumers keep the thought of the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May28	Paul Simon Blasts MTV Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 Paul Simon hit out at MTV, saying that their focus on image, rather than talent, has hindered many quality musicians from having great careers. According to Simon he also said that he would have never been able to make it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	X-Men: The Last Stand explodes to $107 million opening Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 The X-Men: The Last Stand expoded to an estimated $107 million three-day opening, which makes it the largest Memorial Day opening, and the fourth-largest in history. The film, made by 20th Century Fox was distributed to 3,690 theaters and took... Continue Reading Posted at 7:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Industries created from show business - Foley Artist Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 Foley Artist John Roesch has been one of Hollywood's top Foley Artists for over two decades. Photo credit: American Public Media a I am beginning a new addition to bizofshowbiz with this post. I'm going to talkoff and on about... Continue Reading Posted at 3:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Inspiration of New Things Gary Bourgeault May 28, 2006 With the steady decline at the box office, it's easy to talk about the reasons and to look at the failed business model and arrogance that many in Hollywood represent. Even with a few films doing well, things aren't going... Continue Reading Posted at 1:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May27	John Lasseter: Pixar's biggest weapon Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 With a string of unprecedented hits, Pixar is set for its next success with the soon release of "Cars." It all started with Toy Story, then A Bug's Life, and continued with Toy Story 2, all of which Lasseter directed.... Continue Reading Posted at 9:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Robert McDowell confirmed for FCC Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 On Friday the U.S. Senate confirmed telecommunications lawyer Robert McDowell to fill the remaining Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission, whic will break the 2-2 deadlock at the agency. The seat he's filling will expire in 2009. The FCC,... Continue Reading Posted at 4:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Overseas market saving Hollywood: For now! Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 While there are a lot of reasons for the broadcast media's slow erosion, one of those we really haven't talked about much here is the increasing purpose of Hollywood to make movies for an international audience, instead of a domestic... Continue Reading Posted at 3:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood produces Muhammad, The Last Prophet Gary Bourgeault May 27, 2006 The full title of this animated film is called Muhammad, The Last Prophet - Peace Be Upon Him. It is the first animated film that has ever been produced about Muhammad. It has just been released in movie theaters.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May26	Cable Companies fighting the inevitable Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has evidently introduced a bill that will push cable companies to provide a la carte service to its customers. McCain has been floating the idea the bill for months. The McCain bill is just one of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The New Temporary Entertainment Network Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 In the new network, everybody is always coming or going With the demise of the broadcast networks (it's already happened, the practical reality just has to catch up), the question arises of what a network really is. What is an... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NBC starting to broadcast through Apple itunes Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 With the news that NBC is going to start broadcasting through Apple Computer's (AAPL) iTunes, becoming the first broadcast news organization to do so, it made me realize how fast changes are happening in the entertainment world. What is it... Continue Reading Posted at 8:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Martha Stewart continues to fight to take back her Position Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 I don't know about you, but I don't like this. Stewart has already been convicted and served time, there is nothing more to clear. Other than adversely affecting the company and the shareholders in the company, there is nothing that... Continue Reading Posted at 7:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is the MPAA getting desperate? Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 Valence Media, the company which operates TorrentSpy, the file-sharing portal, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the Motion Picture Association of America hired a computer hacker to illegally collect information to use in the copyright suit against the site. If... Continue Reading Posted at 4:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	You're failed business model is not our problem! Gary Bourgeault May 26, 2006 This shirt in the image says it all: "Your failed business model is not our problem." The entertainment industry still doesn't get it. Just last week they were at it again, suing XM Satellite Radio because of the Pioneer Inno... Continue Reading Posted at 3:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May25	Interactivity to be a big part of Indy 500 Gary Bourgeault May 25, 2006 The Indianapolis 500 race which will be run this weekend is going to be geared up for interactivity through ABC Sports and ESPN. Both of these Walt Disney Co. (DIS) subsidiaries will have a plethora of multimedia coverage of the race... Continue Reading Posted at 1:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May24	CBS Radio and Howard Stern reach a settlement Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 A New York state court clerk said on Wednesday that CBS Radio and Howard Stern had reached an agreement on the breach of contract lawsuit, both sides saying that the agreement has yet to be signed. The hearing which was... Continue Reading Posted at 9:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Peppers are still Red Hot Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 E! Online Photo It was a long road to the top of the charts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, taking 23 years to get there. Now that they're there, they aren't ready to give it up yet. For the... Continue Reading Posted at 9:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New Permission TV ad network Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 With close to 2000 TV shows to have to choose from, along with many more irrelevant ads, it is becoming more of a demand by consumers to get the content they want, when they want it and with the ads... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Harvey Weinstein expanding his empire Gary Bourgeault May 24, 2006 Harvey Weinstein a Harvey Weinstein, who says that his goal is to create a multi-media empire, purchased online community site aSmallWorld through his business - Weinstein Co., the major investor in the WEb site that caters to upscale clients. I... Continue Reading Posted at 2:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May23	The Pussycat Dolls are creating a Virtual Nightclub Gary Bourgeault May 23, 2006 Interscope records has teamed up with web community startup Doppelganger to create a virtual nightclub which will be called the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. Those who want to visit can create their own avatars (customized digital images of yourself) to be... Continue Reading Posted at 6:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May22	Vegas Hilton land Brooks and Dunn in two year Deal Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 Country music team Brooks & Dunn announced a two-year contract Monday with the Las Vegas Hilton. For the next couple of years they won't be just coming to Vegas for rodeo week. Kix Brooks said at a news conference that... Continue Reading Posted at 11:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Theater owners need to jump at Big-screen concerts Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 National CineMedia, a distributor of digital concerts for movie theaters has scored nonexclusive content agreements with the two leaders of the concert business, Live Nation and Network Live. This aligns them with the two largest promoters of digital music dedicated... Continue Reading Posted at 10:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Warner Music, Johncom create S.African partnership Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 Members of the South African choir the Ladysmith Black Mambazo Reuters Photo a A recent report says that Warner Music International (WMI) and South Africa's Johnnic Communications are partnering to promote South African musicians abroad and increase sales of global... Continue Reading Posted at 9:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wisconsin passes film industry incentives bill Gary Bourgeault May 22, 2006 The Dunn County News reported that the Wisconsin state legislature passes Senate Bill 563, also known as the Film Wisconsin Incentives Bill. Sponsored by a bipartisan list of legislators, the bill provides new tax incentives for the film, television, commercial... Continue Reading Posted at 2:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May21	The Da Vinci Code takes in $77 million in North America opening Gary Bourgeault May 21, 2006 With all the hype, protest and poor reviews, The Da Vinci Code still managed to take in a respectable $77 million in its first weekend. That along with the debut of Over the Hedge, propelled the two together to $114... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	New movie "Home of the Brave" about Iraq war veterans' return home Gary Bourgeault May 21, 2006 Irwin Winkler In a press release Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) announced it has acquired all rights, including theatrical, home video and television, to the Irwin Winkler-directed Home of The Brave from Nu Image/Millennium Films, which will be produced in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:35 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May20	Rachael Ray grand marshal of the IPL 500 Festival Parade Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 The popular and well-liked Rachael Ray, the Food Network kitchen guru, has been picked to be grand marshall of the IPL 500 Festival parade. Kirk Hendrix, 500 Festival president and CEO said "Rachael has really got a lot cooking right... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	J.Lo. will produce new MTV Reality show, 'Moves' Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 With a network that has become popular through being a leader in pop culture, MTV sure took a long time to enter into the competitive reality show genre. Now they are finally responding with a new show called 'Moves'. Jennifer... Continue Reading Posted at 7:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Canada hurting itself in Movie Industry Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 With huge amounts of money going north to Canada in recent years, Hollywood north of the border is starting to falter by the fighting between two unions over who is going to represent the technicians. This has kept numerous major... Continue Reading Posted at 5:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Flowers encourages young actors to flourish at her talent school Gary Bourgeault May 20, 2006 Owner Kim Flowers talks with entertainer Tommy Davidson at Flowers' John Robert Powers school. Davidson recently visited the school and talked with staff and students. Photo by Steve Marcus a Kim Flowers who has been part of the entertainment... Continue Reading Posted at 3:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May19	Paramount and Technorati announce Marketing agreement Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Under the agreement between Technorati and Paramount, Technorati will "aggregate blog posts about films and related subject matter to post on the film Web sites. Technorati will also run ads for the films on its own site, as well as... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood Counting on 'Da Vinci' Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Ron Howard concerned, "frustrated" over poor reviews for "The Da Vinci Code." a You know that the movie industry is in trouble when you hear statements like 'Hollywood is counting on _____ fill in the blank.' A couple of weeks ago... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Social Networking Advertising Emerging? Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Bolt Media recently conducted a survey which confirmed what most of us know already that TV viewing among young people is not their choice of media for entertainment. TV viewing is only fourth on the list for what those in... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	CBS creates Gold Rush to bust Tivo Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 Mark Burnett a Mark Burnett who is responsible for creating hit reality shows Survivor and The Apprentice, has gotten together with CBS to launch a Web-based treasure hunt called Gold Rush! The premise of the show will be that people... Continue Reading Posted at 3:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Top shows score big on ABC TV on-demand offerings Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 The experiment by ABC TV shows begun just a short two weeks ago to offer on-demand TV shows online, has already received around 3 million viewers according to Disney CEO Bob Iger. The shows offered by Disney appear approximately 12... Continue Reading Posted at 2:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Winstar Launches New Online Video Network Gary Bourgeault May 19, 2006 With the explosion of broadband usage and the growth of online video content, it has created great need for those who can offer advertising strategies that span across various platforms and branded Web sites. In response to that Winstar... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May18	Arbitron study shows startling Video-on-Demand preference growth Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 Arbitron just released a study showing that the desire by consumers to interact and use video-on-demand has exploded over the last year! For 2005 the preference for on-demand consumption was at 27 million. This year it has surged to 51... Continue Reading Posted at 3:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 - Part Three Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 What is the popularity of shows like "Lost" doing to change the way entertainment is viewed? I don't mean viewed as in watching, but viewed as in how we look at it and what we want out of it. What... Continue Reading Posted at 1:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 - Part Two Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 We are discussing how "Lost" is one of a small number of TV offerings that are revealing where things in entertainment will be going for years ahead. One thing we need to understand concerning "Lost" is that the true fans... Continue Reading Posted at 12:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Lost" is already engaged in TV 2.0 Gary Bourgeault May 18, 2006 One thing that is slowly unveiling itself in the entertainment industry is ability of certain TV shows to break from the traditional idea of watching passively to the new idea of being engaged interactively. What has offered this opportunity far... Continue Reading Posted at 12:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May17	Will Broadcast Television be saved by Online streaming of its shows? Gary Bourgeault May 17, 2006 Chartreuse has a great insight into that issue of whether broadcast television will be saved by putting shows on the Internet here: "Putting shows on the internet won't save typical broadcast TV. "Here's why. "Broadcast television (btv) has a history... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hispanic TV broadcaster Telemundo increasing Internet presence Gary Bourgeault May 17, 2006 The Hispanic TV broadcaster Telemundo, as with most broadcasters, is enlarging its Internet strategy. Telemundo's senior vice president Steve Mandala promoted the network's new relationship with Internet giant Yahoo recently at its upfront presentation. Mandala also included presentations on Telemundo's... Continue Reading Posted at 4:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May16	Johnson and Johnson shocks TV world - no ad money upfront! Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 The Wall Street Journal reported that Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), one of the countries largest advertisers, is not going to commit any of its ad dollars to this year's upfront, while the Coca-Cola (KO) Co. is also considering the same... Continue Reading Posted at 11:17 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood is shrinking and the Video Game Industry is rising Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 Video game revenues for 2005 were approximately $30 billion, and are predicted to explode to $65.9 billion by 2011. In comparison, total box office receipts worldwide were only $23 billion, down close to 8 percent from the year before, according... Continue Reading Posted at 9:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Is MTV too late for the Dance? Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 MTV Networks Inc. has sat on the sidelines for years as it has watched numerous companies offer music download services that are gradually growing into profitable business models. For a company that is supposed to be edgy and on the... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Screwtape on The DaVinci Code Gary Bourgeault May 16, 2006 My dear Wormwood, here is a book (and soon, a movie!) filled with such a precariously towering heap of our very best non-thinking that it is quite dizzying! It has the potential to mislead, confuse, and vex millions! Its name?... Continue Reading Posted at 7:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May15	Some of the successes of the American Idol participants Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 Kelly Clarkson a Kelly Clarkson Kelly being the first Idol winner has a head start over all the other Idol winners and participants. Not only did she win the first American Idol but was came in second in the World... Continue Reading Posted at 11:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What makes American Idol so popular Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 American Idol not only creates great opportunities for the eventual winners, but also for many of the participants throughout the process. The great service the show offers for those involved is of course a launching pad for their careers. This... Continue Reading Posted at 10:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	DreamWorks Animation needs a new business model Gary Bourgeault May 15, 2006 Dreamworks Animation (DWA) has really been struggling after being one of the media darlings via its Shrek franchise. But with poorer DVD sales from "Shrek 2" and slow box office returns from "Madagascar," they really need their next release to... Continue Reading Posted at 6:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May14	Pure Rush throwing huge gala at Indy 500 Gary Bourgeault May 14, 2006 Pure Rush, a major player at the major sporting events for the last 3 years, is making their initial appearance in Indy during the 500 weekend. They are setting up one of their legendary party evenings on Friday, May 26th... Continue Reading Posted at 6:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May13	Tommy Hilfiger says he's back! Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 American Fashion master Tommy Hilfiger sold his clothing empire last year to Apax Partners after a slow down in sales. Now, according to Hilfiger, he intends to make a comeback. Hilfiger was the first to take his fashion empire to the stock... Continue Reading Posted at 8:09 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Friday Night Television? Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Joe Flint was examining the growing attention that the networks are paying to Friday night TV programming. An interesting insight by Preston Beckman of the Fox Network was this: "The less... Continue Reading Posted at 1:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Terry Semel, Yahoo (YHOO) CEO, reveals networks' biggest downfall Gary Bourgeault May 13, 2006 Terry Semel Photo Credit: Yahoo a In a breakfast series sponsored by the Newhouse School and The New Yorker, Terry Semel, Yahoo (YHOO) CEO, forecasted that TV broadcasters' only source of ad revenue - 'CPM-based buys' against specific shows will... Continue Reading Posted at 1:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May12	Local radio advertising slowing down Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) Ad Sales Index revealed that in the 1st quarter of 2006, nationwide dollars lead the Radio ad revenue totals with a 1% increase for March of 2006 in comparison to March 2005. The revenue for... Continue Reading Posted at 7:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Movie Gallery attempting to woo Blockbuster Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 Movie Gallery (MOVI), parent company of Hollywood Entertainment, reported that its first-quarter income more than doubled from the same period last year. At the same time the company is putting out feelers hinting that they would like to participate in... Continue Reading Posted at 3:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bollywood trying to make a splash at Cannes Gary Bourgeault May 12, 2006 Popular Bollywood actress Preity Zinta a The Indian entertainment industry is making a big push this year to showcase its product at the Cannes film festival next week. Deccanherald.com reports: "Renowned Indian filmmakers like Ronnie Screwvala, Bobby Bedi, Karan... Continue Reading Posted at 2:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May11	Comcast Video on Demand testing ad-supported platform Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) is teaming up with CBS (CBS) and General Motors (GM) to test out whether ad-supported VOD will work. Recent studies seem to imply that viewers are willing to accept ads if the shows are free. This is... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The music industry's hypocrisy Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 With the rampage against illegal downloads and music piracy by the music industry, you'd think that they were good corporate citizens. Wrong! Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, confirmed on Thursday that Universal Music Group agreed to a $12... Continue Reading Posted at 10:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Marvel and entertainment convergence Gary Bourgeault May 11, 2006 The world of entertainment is continually pressing the bounds of its industry as it goes far beyond television borders. At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo the Marvel Super Hero stable is taking over the center of the action. Marvel Entertainment,... Continue Reading Posted at 3:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May10	Tom Cruise, His opinion and the response Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 Hollywood stars are starting to find out that many people tire of their endless escapades and are losing interest in their political and the occasional religious opinion as it Tom Cruise's case. Just last week everyone was touting the blockbuster... Continue Reading Posted at 9:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Shadowfax starting a new career Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 (JOE BRIER PHOTO) a Blanco, the white andalusian horse, a Spanish breed of horse known for athleticism, intelligence and ability to work with people, made famous as Gandalf's ride Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings and the Hercules series, is... Continue Reading Posted at 5:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Consumers will accept advertising if content is free Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 The advertising world is breathing a sigh of relief as recent research has shown that consumers don't mind advertising if the pay-off is free content. People love to get something for free, and the online culture has forever changed the... Continue Reading Posted at 4:40 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jackie Chan named among top 10 most generous celebrities Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 Jackie Chan was named one of the top 10 most generous celebrities recently by Forbes.com. This placed the the film star in the ranks with Bono and Oprah. Dailynews.com reported: "In a report Tuesday, the Web site said that Chan,... Continue Reading Posted at 3:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Does buzz create results in higher box office sales? Gary Bourgeault May 10, 2006 While creating buzz about a movie or project is obviously desirable, in the area of online search, it holds limited value in predicting trends. As mediapost.com reports: "Blog search sites IceRocket and BlogPulse both offer free trend monitoring tools, and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 9	IMAX looking for new partners/owners Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 With the company doing far worse than expected, Imax is looking for suitors to shore up its business. Last quarter the company lost $5.8 million, or 14 cents per share. Last year they lost $1.2 million or 3 cents a... Continue Reading Posted at 11:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood suddenly trying to grab hold of the Internet Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 In our continuous conversation about the changing show business scene, I came across another good article by Dan Farber on zdnet.com about the quick shift in emphasis by Hollywood that has suddenly exploded out this week. He says that: "In some... Continue Reading Posted at 9:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Time Warner turns to old enemy BitTorrent for help Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 With the partnership between Time Warner (TWX) and BitTorrent, we see the extraordinary change that has happened to Hollywood. Are they finally finding out that they can't sue their way to innovation and profitability? BitTorrent for those of you who... Continue Reading Posted at 8:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	TiVo Strikes with a Product-Search Ad Offering Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 TiVo has just launched a new service called TiVo Product Watch for advertisers and consumers. It offers a way for advertisers to permission-market to a highly valued segment of the market that they have lost - well, to TiVo. A... Continue Reading Posted at 5:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The continuous fall of the mass media Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 In this recent article on the BBC online site, Dan Gillmor comments on the status of the declining mass media industry. He tries to make some type of case for us suffering because of it. He talks about mass media... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Younger and Mature TV viewers and Internet Strategy Gary Bourgeault May 9, 2006 One of the main differences between a younger TV viewer and and older one is their perception of time. With a younger viewer they want things now and their view of time is more short term. MTV is trying out... Continue Reading Posted at 1:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 8	Why "24" is so popular Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 With ratings at the highest level they've ever been, "24" should be a laboratory for anyone that is interested in creating a hit show. One of the most unique aspects of the show is that there are even people who... Continue Reading Posted at 9:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Television and let's pretend... Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 Let's pretend that young people are tuning into watch television, whether it's the major networks or cable. I find the demographics of television interesting. Young people by a great majority have rejected it in favor of other means of entertainment... Continue Reading Posted at 7:58 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Daryl Hannah using alternative media to get her message out! Gary Bourgeault May 8, 2006 In an interesting interview with SF Gate's Green, Daryl Hannah talks about going around and outside of traditional media outlets to proclaim her message. She feels that it is a necessary thing as in her view the mainstream media is... Continue Reading Posted at 5:54 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 7	Mission Impossible III performs below expectations Gary Bourgeault May 7, 2006 Being hyped as the beginning of a huge box office summer, Mission Impossible III opened far below what it was expected to take in. This is in spite of opening at over 4,000 theaters and a large publicity push involving... Continue Reading Posted at 2:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 6	Undefeated Barbaro surges to huge victory at Kentucky Derby Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 AP Photo/ Amy Sancetta a Undefeated Barbaro surged into the lead at the top of the stretch and won in a big way by 6 1-2 lengths. The length of the victory was the greatest since Assault won by... Continue Reading Posted at 11:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Want a movie career? Shoot yourself in the thigh in a room full of children! Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 I suppose most of you have seen this, but if you haven't you've got to take a look here. A Drug Enforcement Agency officer, while demonstrating gun safety to a class of grammar school children, discharges a gun in the... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Celine Dion Set for 500th Vegas Show Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 It doesn't seem that long ago that Celine Dion signed on in Vegas for a three year stint. On Sunday, May 7 she will be performing her 500th show. She recently extended her contract for another three years for a... Continue Reading Posted at 9:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Will old media become citizen enablers? Gary Bourgeault May 6, 2006 Mark Thompson of the BBC recently commented that the emergence of citizen journalists, bloggers and various other forms of media demand that traditional media companies must change the way they operate drastically if they want to survive. He said: “The... Continue Reading Posted at 6:43 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 5	Pixar votes to be bought by Walt Disney Co. Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 It was announced Friday that the shareholders of Pixar (PIXR) Animation Studios Inc. approved an offer from The Walt Disney (DIS) Co. for $7.4 billion in stock. One thing to keep in mind is that Steve Jobs holds 40% of Pixar's... Continue Reading Posted at 10:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Movie Tie-in sales are a big gamble Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 Even though last year was a banner year for toy sales connected to movies, almost all of that was related to "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." It brought in close to $500 million in toy sales.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	007 to ride in Aston Martin's DBS Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 The new car for the upcoming James Bond movie Casino Royale has been chosen and it's the Aston Martin DBS, based on DB9 and DBR9 race cars. Aston Martin's design director Marek Reichman said “This car encapsulates a link between... Continue Reading Posted at 6:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Microsoft following in Gawker Stalker footsteps? Gary Bourgeault May 5, 2006 Microsoft is taking a page from the book of Gawker Stalker as they have rolled out a new beta site called Celebfavorites.com. This site will be a little different as it is working with celebrities with more safety measures in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 4	Another reason Hollywood is falling Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 Hollywood continues to make decisions that reveal a total inability to grasp what consumers want and how to handle their customers. One such area is concerning the rules and regulations concerning obscene and indecent material from being aired during hours... Continue Reading Posted at 8:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Star's salaries starting to come down in Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 With movie sales declining, so are the outrageous prices that are being paid for big name stars. While we've talked here before that the first casualty of the declining market would be the stars that flirt in the $20 million... Continue Reading Posted at 6:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rihanna's "SOS" number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 R&B entertainer Rihanna's "SOS" moved up a whopping 33 places to take the number one position on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart on Thursday, which moved Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," to No. 2 after being first for five weeks in... Continue Reading Posted at 6:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Motion Picture Association of America Inc. keeps making excuses Gary Bourgeault May 4, 2006 In yet another attempt to win public opinion the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. hired LEK Consulting to conduct a study on what DVD and Internet piracy is allegedly costing the industry. According to their study it costs the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 3	Microsoft attempting another online show business venture Gary Bourgeault May 3, 2006 Ben Silverman Microsoft (MSFT) is entering anew into this field by going with some proven Hollywood writers and producers, rather than going with the unknown. This from the beginning is hard to tell if it is a good move, as... Continue Reading Posted at 10:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Time Warner (TWX) grows but the future looks tough Gary Bourgeault May 3, 2006 Time Warner (TWX) announced that its first-quarter profits exploded to 59 percent, primarily because of its cable television and from selling it book division. The down side is that AOL continues to struggle and the film side of the business... Continue Reading Posted at 5:24 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 2	The Theater industry better get it quick! Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 We talk alot here about Hollywood and the entertainment industry needing to embrace the new realities of consumers' preferences as quickly as possible. This post let's talk a little about the theaters. First of all, very slowly Hollywood is getting... Continue Reading Posted at 9:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	AOL: The new TV Channel? Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 Is AOL actually starting to get where the entertainment industry is going? They took such a long time to respond to the diminishing dial-up business, that I was starting to wonder if they were going to survive. Tobi Elkin writing... Continue Reading Posted at 7:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	NHL Hockey could benefit from the 'new' Media Gary Bourgeault May 2, 2006 Posting about Hockey and its drive to embrace celebrities and invite them to attend games for opportunities to get photos of them and promote the game, it made me think of other opportunities that are there for the grabbing. With... Continue Reading Posted at 4:04 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
May 1	Hockey looking to Woo Hollywood Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 Elisha Cuthbert and Hockey boyfriend - Sean Avery a After the disastrous labor dispute and losing last year's entire season, the NHL has intensified its efforts get celebrities to attend its games; the hope is to raise the awareness... Continue Reading Posted at 9:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jewel has come a long way Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 Jewel has come a long way. She scored her first record deal while she was homeless and living in her volkswagen bus. Before whe was 21 years old, with only a guitar and voice she asked the world the question... Continue Reading Posted at 5:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GM's Betsy Lazar warns Cable Leaders to embrace Digital Strategies Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 In a clear warning to Cabletelevision, GM's Betsy Lazar, executive director of advertising & marketing operations, said that “If we stay where we are, buying spots and billboards alone, our business with you will shrink,” Lazar said. "The move to... Continue Reading Posted at 5:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hollywood and Starbucks (SBUX) - a match made in heaven? Gary Bourgeault May 1, 2006 With the aid of the William Morris agency, Starbucks (SBUX) is continuing its foray into music, film and book projects to expand its brand. Their strategy is to market them in their stores. Sandra Lim posts on this: "As we... Continue Reading Posted at 2:32 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

Devoted to show business and the entertainment industry

Advertise

Related Resources

recent comments

sponsored ads

topics

subscribe

Current News

resources

Support This Blog

archives

blogroll

business social media

Know More Media - Media / Entertainment

know more media network

we support unitus

PRWeb

Influencer

ProductivityGoal

CallCenterScript

AdHurl

TheBizofKnowledge

LandingTheDeal

CustomersAreAlways

HealthCareVox

BrainBasedBusiness

TheInsurancePolicy

MarketingBlurb