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Cynopsis:
Weekender 03/22/07 Good afternoon. It's Thursday, March 22, 2007, and this is your Cynopsis: Weekender edition. Below are a handful of industry stories - with which you may agree or disagree. If you'd like to be heard - put together your own 350 word submission! Details below. Calling all college students! Cynopsis Weekender College Edition sponsored by ABC Family is coming back on April 26, 2007, and if your essay is one of the four published, you'll be paid $350! We're looking for 350 word editorials from current college students all around the country and the world. The four most insightful, original, humorous and/or well-written pieces will be included in this special College Edition of Weekender . College Professors, moms and dads - encourage your students to participate! All entries should be emailed no later than midnight on Friday, April 20th to me at , SUBJECT: Weekender College Edition. Students - be sure to include your name, age, college, college year, and major (if you know it), and how you can be contacted. Good luck! Can We Serve You? by Hank Bordowitz The March 14th issue of Cynopsis reported FCC Chairman Kevin Martin proposing a 30% limit on the number of pay TV subscribers a cable company could serve. Needless to say, some wanted the limits to go away altogether, especially Comcast, as they're already creeping up on that 30% cap. Since they were set up in the 20s to rule the (radio) waves, the FCC and commercial broadcasters have had this uneasy, student/principal relationship. As use of the radio frequency spectrum has increased, so did to power of the FCC to determine the use of that spectrum. This created no end of hassles for both the FCC and the broadcasting industry, especially when it came to maintaining the public's airwaves in the public's interest. That all changed in the 80s and 90s, starting with Ronald Regan and climaxing with Bill Clinton. As the FCC stated at the time, "Given the status of broadcasting today, the marketplace and competitive forces are more likely to obtain these public interest objectives than are regulatory guidelines." Now let's look at what happened in the radio industry since the deregulation process began:
By the time Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act into law in 1996, one entity could own up to eight radio stations in any given market. The deregulation set loose a broadcast version of Monopoly, with Clear Channel becoming the clear winner as things stand now, owning more stations than the next 20 chains combined. And what has this done to radio? On the one hand, it has blanded out the airwaves, made radio less of an adventure, with cookie cutter stations McBroadcasting McProgramming across the McNation. It also sharpened the competition, with both satellite and the internet gaining toeholds among listeners, as radio ratings slip. Can the cable industry learn from this, or do these lessons even apply? And should these limitations even trouble the cable industry with the direction television is headed (YouTube anyone?)? Is this a fight worth picking, and can Comcast realistically win? The 24 Clock: Keeps On Ticking While the Bad Guys Take a Licking By Louis Chunovic With the fate of America again riding on steely-eyed Jack Bauer's feats of daring-do, it might be an opportune moment to review last year's extraordinary Heritage Foundation-sponsored panel discussion on 24, the hit Fox secret-agent series that debuted just weeks after 9-11. A recent New Yorker essay ignited debate over the example of 24's agents, who, when faced with the clock ticking down to some apocalyptic attack, will employ torture to extract vital information from bad guys. The essay suggested that fictional TV torture might be emulated by real-world American troops, who even on the warfront often have access to the show's DVDs. The panelists did address the issue, though the Washington, DC, discussion took place before the essay appeared, and the venue was a conservative–oriented think tank. "I've never found anyone yet who's confronted the ticking clock scenario," said homeland-security expert James Carafano. "Jack Bauer succeeds by breaking the law, by torturing people, by circumventing the chain of command," said David Heyman, also a homeland-security expert. Still, "we're all Jack Bauer in our hearts." In wartime, decision makers often have to pick among bad choices, said co-creator Joel Surnow, calling the show an "exaggerated expression" of that dilemma. When Bauer tortures, said executive producer Howard Gordon, "he pays a price for it." Xenophobia, he added, is "really not our intention." The only time News Corporation ever nixed a plot point, according to Surnow, was when the series shot down Air Force One. "We couldn't kill the president," he said. Not surprisingly, the actors on the panel tended to shrug off larger issues. "It's just an acting job," said Gregory Itzin ("President Logan"). As for the violence, "I've done Shakespeare and killed people with a sword." Asked how the show had changed her life, Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Chloe") quipped, "Strangers touch me now," while Carlos Bernard ("Tony") opined that he might be the highest paid actor on TV – on a per-word basis. A season's 24-hour arc means heroic Jack Bauer seemingly has no time to eat (and that Rajskub may have to wear the same clothes for every episode), but the actor who plays Jack, Kiefer Sutherland, did find time to do a satirical TV commercial in Japan: In the ad, Jack pauses during a chase to gobble down the sponsoring energy bar. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who moderated the panel, pronounced himself a big fan and said Vice President Cheney is one as well. "Everybody from Rush to Barbara Streisand likes the show," Surnow declared. The event also drew Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, among others. 24, Chertoff said, poses the question, "What would you do if faced with this set of unpalatable alternatives?" A video of the full discussion is available online at cspan.org. Acceptable.TV - An Internet-TV Hybrid Show By E. Maya What do you get when you blend user-created and professional video, a funny host, an interactive experience and revenue sharing? Acceptable.TV The people behind Channel101.com are joining forces with VH1 and Jack Black for a new internet-TV hybrid video show called Acceptable.TV. Just like Channel101, users can upload their own 2.5 minute video short in an on-going web-based competition. Each week on the TV show, the number one web show will be shown, alongside professional sketch video shorts created by the Acceptable.TV team. What is unique about this program is that viewers are in control of what they see. They can create their own video or vote for what is acceptable. If you don't like what you see, then the power is in your hands to change it. The number one videos "will be broadcast on VH1 and available for free on the internet, and, of course, the audience will get to choose which shows keep running and which are cancelled," according to co-creator Dan Harmon. "Our show is made up of little tiny TV shows. We have to shoot like one a day. And when we start airing, and you start asking to see another episode of this or that, we have to make them to order." As for those interested in submitting a video, Dan says to "keep it simple; make it something you could churn out in less than a week, because if it's successful, it's going to be the same as having your own TV show, with millions of viewers, and ad revenue flowing into your pocket." Yes, ad revenue. Users will share in the profit of their videos viewed online. "We'll be using Revver as our site's player. It counts views and charges advertisers for a single frame ad at the end of your video." The more popular the clip, the more money the user stands to make. Even cooler, the user keeps all rights to their video short. The web site went live on March 7th and is slowly gaining an audience. In order to submit a video or vote for your favorite ones, you must register (it's free) and create your own profile. Viewers can see which shorts make it to air, starting with the premiere show on Friday, March 23rd. New Study Suggests TV is Hurtling Towards On-Demand, All the Time By Daisy Whitney If there are any television executives who aren't drinking the digital cool-aid yet, then a new research report should make converts of those final holdouts. And the executives who have already taken the new media plunge should take heart that they made the right jump. That's the conclusion of a new report from Solutions Research Group in Canada, which issued "Digital Life America" earlier this month. "The networks have to think about a future where everything is non-linear more or less," said Kaan Yigit, analyst with SRG. After all, today's younger viewers in the 18-to-39 age group will consume 80 percent of their TV on-demand via broadband, DVR, iPod or VOD within seven years, he predicted. Each new viewing venue on its own does not equate to radical changes in viewership, but when combined, they'll lead to a massive shift in viewing patterns. "It's not just that linear will co-exist with non-linear. The younger generation as these numbers suggests is used to an on-demand paradigm and whether we like it or not they will carry that into their family years," he said. Consider the following findings. Already, 50 percent of adults 18 to 39 have watched TV shows on-demand online, on VOD or on a DVR or iPod on a monthly basis. In addition, 52 percent of the study's respondents say they always skip ads when watching shows on DVR. Another 29 percent frequently skip ads. In fact, skipping ads and saving time appears to add to their TV viewing enjoyment, another reason VOD and DVR usage will continue to rise, the study reported. About 76 percent of respondents said VOD increased their viewing enjoyment and 86 percent said DVR viewing did. That's why product integration and "brought to you by" sponsorships will rise, Yigit said. Consumers also are taking quickly to online viewing. Already one-quarter of online Americans over the age of 12 -- or about 45 million people -- have streamed full TV shows at some point. What's more, 10 percent of Americans have a TV show stored on their computer and 24 percent have a show stored on a mobile device. These findings also suggest that with the exception of perhaps 10 major TV events, such as the Super Bowl and the finale of a show like "American Idol," the new generation of TV viewers will be watching shows on-demand, with a remote or keyboard in hand. What Next???? by Circlewipe (on Content) Is there any such thing as an original idea? It comes as no surprise to us in the business that television programming is a cloning game. It runs in cycles, like with the Westerns of the 50's (Cheyenne, Hopalong Cassidy, Sugarfoot, The Virginian), the doctor dramas of the 60's-70's (Kildare, Casey, Welby), and the prime time soaps of the 80's (Dallas, Falcon Crest, Dynasty). Sitcom genres also surge forward for awhile (Workplace sitcoms, Single Adults sitcoms, Dumb Fat Dad/Smart Pretty Mom sitcoms), and then ebb when they saturate the market or the writing dies. We've seen it before … and we'll see it again, and again, and again. Currently we're enduring a mini-surge of Big-Set Game Shows, launched by Millionaire, now wagering on bucks-in-a-briefcase or the knowledge of 10-year-olds. But two big bubbles in programming now are summed up by two key words: Vying & Dying. VYING: The elimination reality show. Survivor was the genesis, but the more abundant are "The Next" Shows. About 3 years ago, some network producers kicked around how far the form might go, what arenas were even then left for everyday folk to compete in. We had singing (Idol), filmmaking (Project Greenlight) dating (Bachelor /Bachelorette), modeling (America's Top), design (Project Runway), cookery (Next Food Network Star, Hell's Kitchen), moguling (Apprentice), plus iceskating, law enforcement and boxing. What's left? Next season's "Nexts" will include more inventing (American Inventor), more hairstyling (Shear Genius), more cookery (America's Best Recipe), bartenders (Coyote Ugly), and the lowest of the low: America's Next Producer! DYING: Another form of elimination show where people really get eliminated, for good. A flourishing field, primarily dramas, that deal with death, the dead, and all the hi-jinks that go with them. While Dr. Quincy gave us early exposure to post-death detective work, CSI and its offspring brought the latest surge in our fascination with all the deadies. We have shows new and established where the Art of Autopsy is central, vivid, and we've all become amateur medical examiners. Then along came Six Feet Under, which has spawned new series for next year dealing with the funereal career track. And then, there are the Talking Dead ... from Medium, to Ghost Whisperer, to Raines, and soon … a sitcom: I'm In Hell on CBS. Cheerful stuff. So, what's next? Will we be dying to watch America's Next Top Corpse?
* WEEK'S RECAP
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Friday, March 16, 2007
SUBMISSIONS / AD SALES/ SUBSCRIBE & UNSUBSCRIBE Cynopsis Ad Sales - Mark Bohn - 203-583-1224 / Article submissions for Cynopsis: Weekender are welcome, provided they are no longer than a maximum of 350 words. News articles used are paid at the rate of $1/word. Not all submissions are used. Editorials (also 350 word max) may be submitted but are not paid, and not all are used. Send submissions to Cynopsis at . The Weekender edition is published every Thursday and includes a few items to ponder over the weekend, as well as the highlights from the week. It is delivered to the entire Cynopsis subscriber list, unless you specifically request to be unsubscribed. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your email subscription, go to the Cynopsis website, www.cynopsis.com and click on the subscribe tab. Emails to the Editor: subject E-Mails to the Editor Copyright Cynthia Turner 2006 Later -- Cyn 03/22/07 What's On This Weekend: Saturday: 8-11p, March 24, 2007 ABC: Celebrity Debut, Movie: Coyote Ugly CBS: NCAA Basketball Championship Regional Semifinal FOX: Cops, Cops, America's Most Wanted ION: Movie: Klute, Best of the Best MNT: IFL Battleground NBC: Dateline, Law & Order [r], Law & Order: CI [r] PBS: Antiques Roadshow[r], Austin City Limits[r] TELE: Vas o No Vas [7], Seguro Y Urgente, RBD en Concierto UNIV: Sabado Gigante Sunday: 7-11p, March 25, 2007 ABC: AFC, EM: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters CBS: 60 Minutes, Amazing Race 11, Cold Case, Without a Trace CW: Pussy Cat Dolls, 7th Heaven, America's Next Top Model [r] FOX: The War at Home, The War at Home, The Simpson’s, King of the Hill, Family Guy, American Dad ION: Kung Fu, Movie: The Cowboys NBC: Dateline, Grease: You're the One That I Want, Deal or No Deal PBS: Local Programming, Nature[r] TELE: Cine Beethoven 5, Cine Scary Movie UNIV: La Hora Pico, Bailando por la Boda de mis Sueños |
