CBC program boss optimistic about future
TORONTO (CP) - Canada's private TV broadcasters may be enjoying a cash cow right now by importing top-rated U.S. series like Desperate Housewives and Lost and substituting their own commercials.
But all that could end within five years as technology allows consumers to download episodes directly through the Internet or via podcasts, says CBC Television's new top programming executive.
And that's when a public broadcaster, with a prime-time grid packed with attractive domestic content, will become much more important, says Kirstine Layfield.
"This has happened overseas," she says. "Those technologies are so much more advanced there, there's much more globalization of programming (and) the public broadcasters got stronger."
Layfield concedes CTV has done very well for itself while the CBC has suffered ratings and budgetary shortfalls. But the former executive in charge of content for the Alliance Atlantis suite of specialty channels seems determined to put the most optimistic face on her decision to move from the private to the public sector.
She insists that, despite being told by some that she must be crazy, to be the executive director of English programming at the CBC is a "dream come true" because there are no shareholders to take money out of the company.
"Every dollar of revenue that comes in here will be put to a purpose that will show up on the screen," she says. "This is not a margin business here."
And with evidence that U.S sources may some day soon be selling a lot more of their content directly to the public through new technology platforms, Layfield heads up a whole new team of programming executives at the CBC who plan to ramp up production on homegrown fare starting this fall. With some 150 hours of prime-time domestic entertainment on the air this past season, the plan calls for 175 hours in the 2006-2007 season and 250 hours by 2008.
"In the end, people want to hear about themselves, and they want to hear indigenous stories and they want to see themselves. So it can be an opportunity to turn it around."
And Layfield, ever the optimist, dismisses the reality that the CBC's ratings are in the dumpster after such disasters as a lost hockey season and last fall's morale-destroying employee lockout, to say nothing of the continued absence of a strong, long-term financial commitment from a minority federal government.
To that end, Layfield and her team have already dumped the keystone strategy of her predecessor Slawko Klymkiw, who believed in a strong emphasis on so-called "high impact" programming, that is, movies of the week and miniseries, not regular series. But with the dismal ratings performance of Trudeau 2, and with the cancellation of highly respected but little-watched series like Da Vinci's City Hall and This Is Wonderland, it's natural to wonder about the source of Layfield's optimism and just what kind of programming is coming down the pipe that will work for a change.
But she seems to agree with the unions that represent TV actors and crews that it's series, not one-shot dramas, that will draw in and hold the viewers.
"I think that kind of tentpole strategy of big events is a great strategy to have. It worked at the time when it was being implemented. But eventually when you have such tight resources as we have here you have to populate the rest of the schedule."
The CBC will unveil its new season at a media event June 15 and, apart from a new series from Da Vinci creator Chris Haddock called Intelligence, and Marc Starowicz' much-talked-about epic history of hockey, Layfield is revealing little of her programming plans till then.
She won't indicate whether three potential series, Cheap Draft, Rabbittown and This Space For Rent, will make the cut, but she is clear that a previous practice of airing pilot episodes of such shows to test the public's pulse is out the window. The trio of pilots aired in January.
Layfield also believes the CBC has been getting a bum rap in the media for the way it handled recent cancellations.
"West Wing in the States is sent off with a fond farewell," she notes. "Here it's "CBC AXES Da Vinci!"
Meanwhile, how will the CBC produce and finance so many promised hours of Cancon?
Part of the strategy involved Layfield and company embarking on a recent 2 1/2-week, 10-city tour of the country during which they talked not only to regional staff but private sector producers. Although one prominent producer dismissed the endeavour as a 'dog and pony show', Layfield says meeting with 1,600 potential production partners was a great reaching-out experience.
"We're saying we're a new team, we have a different attitude. It's a different time," she explains.
"I think producers, although skeptical because I think they always will be, in the end have told us 'We'll give it a shot'."
Joining Layfield on the new program executive team are Fred Fuchs in charge of A&E content, Sally Cato as creative head of drama and Starowicz as head of documentary programming.
XM says suspending some radio sales
NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said on Tuesday that it is suspending the sale of two products and reviewing others after a U.S. regulator said the devices exceeded limits for wireless signal strength.
XM said the suspensions applied to Audiovox Corp. and Delphi Corp. radios that let consumers play XM's satellite radio service on regular radios but declined to say if it stopped the sale of other products.
The satellite radio service said it was keeping its latest subscriber growth target for 2006 but said in a filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it could provide no assurances that the issue would "not have a material impact" on its operating results or financial position.
"We're working to expedite this issue and minimize the extent of any interruption at retail. We're continuing to target 8.5 million year-end subscribers," spokesman Chance Patterson said.
XM, which cut its forecast from 9 million on Friday, said that the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the signal strength of wireless transmissions from the Delphi and Audiovox products exceeded FCC limits, potentially interfering with nearby FM radios using similar frequencies.
XM leads the U.S. satellite radio service with more than 6.5 million subscribers, compared with 4.1 million at its rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.. The sector is one of the world's fasting growing new technologies, and analysts have forecast total users may top 40 million in a few years.
But XM has been battered this year with bad news, including probes by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission, concerns about its relationship with beleaguered auto maker General Motors Corp, and charges that it is spending too much in its quest to gain new users.
The company said in its filing that the FCC sent it a letter stating that Delphi's XM SKYFi2 radios, which it started selling more than a year ago, was not in compliance with emission limits.
Audiovox also received a similar letter about its Audiovox Express radio, which started selling in late 2005, XM said.
XM said it was also taking a series of actions involving various radios it did not name to bring them into compliance with guidelines.
Its actions include requests to manufacturers to stop shipping radios or accessories that might need hardware or software changes or changes to operating or installation instructions, XM said.
For example changes could include the addition of small attachments that reduce emissions, it said. Patterson declined to say if XM was stopping the sale of other products besides the ones named in the filing.
He said that factory installed satellite radios for cars were not affected and that it did not suspend sales of its digital music players from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Pioneer Corp.
XM said in the filing that it would look for new equipment authorizations where appropriate and that it expects to give the FCC new information shortly, including the results of modified radios that comply with in-car test criteria.
The company said that the sale suspensions do not involve any health and safety issues. Patterson said that no product recalls were planned.
MGM revamps DVD, TV distribution
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on Tuesday unveiled new plans to revitalize the movie studio by ending video and DVD distribution pacts with Sony Pictures Entertainment and reestablishing a TV sales division.
MGM said it signed a new worldwide video and DVD distribution pact with 20th Century Fox to consolidate sales efforts under one company. Previously MGM split video and DVD distribution between Fox overseas and Sony in domestic arenas.
For Sony, MGM's decision cuts both ways. Sony's home video business will lose lucrative distribution fees it would have earned for releasing titles from MGM's library of 4,000 movies and 10,000 TV episodes. However, Sony will benefit if MGM makes more money because Sony owns 20 percent of the company.
Sony also secured a deal to extend a film co-production and distribution pact with MGM for one more James Bond film beyond November's release of "Casino Royale." Sony and MGM further agreed to co-produce and distribute a new "Pink Panther" comedy and other yet-to-be determined films.
Finally, MGM will continue supporting Sony's blu-ray DVD technology by releasing DVDs in the new video format.
"We have identified another important opportunity to build out our business by returning our worldwide television sales operations in-house and by consolidating our home entertainment releases with a single distributor," MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan said.
Sony has a seat on MGM's board, meaning it had a say in the decision.
The moves follow MGM's March announcement to again begin distributing movies to theaters on its own, and it comes about seven months after Sloan took the reins of the company.
Venerable MGM, known for producing movies like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" during Hollywood's Golden Age, was acquired last year by the Sony-led consortium for roughly $3 billion in cash, plus assumed debt.
Private equity investors Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners together own roughly 50 percent of MGM, Sony and cable TV company Comcast Corp. each own about 20 percent. Other major investors include DLJ Merchant Banking, Quadrangle Group and Sloan.
Sony Pictures is part of Japanese electronics company Sony Corp, and Fox is part of News Corp.
Farina turns in badge at "Law & Order"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Dennis Farina is leaving "Law & Order" after two years, and will be replaced by Milena Govich, who played one of the assistant district attorneys on series creator Dick Wolf's short-lived drama "Conviction."
The moves are part of a major talent overhaul on NBC's 16-year-old crime drama. Also exiting, after a similarly short stint, is Annie Parisse, who played Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia.
The show, which lost 1.8 million viewers last season, is being moved from its longtime Wednesday berth to Fridays in the fall, to Wolf's chagrin.
Farina played the snappy dresser Detective Joe Fontana, who investigated crimes and apprehended suspects with partner Edward Green ( Jesse L. Martin).
"Dennis is the consummate professional, and I respect his decision to pursue other opportunities, and he will be sorely missed," Wolf said. "I genuinely hope we work together again."
Farina had succeeded longtime "L&O" star Jerry Orbach, whose character on the show, Detective Lennie Briscoe, transitioned to Wolf's short-lived "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" until Orbach's death in late 2004.
Govich, a 29-year-old Oklahoma native who guest-starred on "L&O" in 2005, also had a recurring role on FX's "Rescue Me."
Myers touting self-help with comedy
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Mike Myers is in final negotiations to write, produce and star in an untitled self-help comedy.
The Paramount Pictures centers on a self-help guru named Pitka who is called upon to solve a couple's romantic problems. Like Myers' groovy Austin Powers incarnation, Pitka was created and workshopped by Myers at several theaters in Manhattan. Myers will co-write with longtime associate Graham Gordy.
In April, Myers signed on to star in Paramount's "How to Survive a Robot Uprising."
Myers, whose credits include the "Austin Powers" trilogy and "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat," will again voice the title character in the third installment of DreamWorks' animated "Shrek" franchise.
Beyonce Knowles celebrating "B'Day" in September
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Destiny's Child principal Beyonce Knowles will release her second solo album, "B'Day," on September 5 in the United States, and a day earlier internationally, which will be her 25th birthday.
Knowles co-produced, wrote and arranged all the tracks on the Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia set. Co-producers include Rich Harrison, the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz. The first single is "Deja vu" featuring Jay-Z and co-produced by Rodney Jerkins.
She completed the album after wrapping her role in the film "Dreamgirls," which recently premiered to much Oscar buzz at the Cannes Film Festival and is set for a December 22 release. Loosely based on Motown's Supremes, the movie co-stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover.
"B'Day" will be the follow-up to Knowles' 2003 solo debut "Dangerously In Love," which topped the Billboard 200 and has sold 4.3 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The disc won five Grammy Awards.
Destiny's Child issued its final album "Destiny Fulfilled" last year. It sold 3 million copies and spawned the hit single "Check On It," which held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for five straight weeks.
Group member Kelly Rowland's own sophomore project, "My Story: Kelly Rowland," was recently bumped from July to the first quarter of 2007, reportedly to allow more time to work out a marketing strategy. Both are managed by Mathew Knowles, Beyonce's father.
Warner to Proceed Straight to Video
The studio is launching a direct-to-DVD business with plans to release 10 to 15 movies a year.
Looking for new, less risky ways to boost profit, Warner Bros. is launching a direct-to-DVD business that will release 10 to 15 low-budget movies a year.
First up will be a sequel to the studio's 2005 hit "The Dukes of Hazzard," scheduled to go on sale at the end of this year or in early 2007.
Movies made exclusively for DVD typically are done on the cheap without the costly stars and lavish production expenses associated with theatrical films.
Adhering to that model, Warner aims to keep each direct-to-DVD movie's production budget to $5 million or less, although some films may cost slightly more. The "Dukes" sequel, for example, won't reunite cast members Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott.
The new venture, a partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, aims to cash in on what has been a lucrative, relatively inexpensive business for such rivals as Walt Disney Studios and Universal Pictures.
"We recognize that the made-for-video business is a place we need to put emphasis and devote considerable resources," Warner President Alan Horn said. "Discipline is the key to the ultimate success of the new venture for us."
Still, the direct-to-DVD business is no sure bet. It faces increased competition from boxed sets of popular television shows such as "Lost," "24" and "Desperate Housewives," one of the hottest areas in home video.
"The made-for-home entertainment business can be very profitable if you select the right projects, control your development and production costs and time your releases to minimize your marketing expenditures and maximize your exposure," said Louis Feola, Universal Pictures' former home video president who oversaw such popular direct-to-video franchises as "The Land Before Time."
Jeff Robinov, Warner's production president, and Kevin Tsujihara, president of the studio's home entertainment group, will oversee the new division, which is expected to be operating within three months. The two are looking to hire an executive to run the day-to-day operations of the unit, which is expected to have 10 staff members, including its own creative, business and marketing personnel.
Robinov said the division would produce live-action DVD prequels and sequels to existing Warner Bros. movies such as "Dukes," which grossed $80.3 million domestically but was not the kind of hit that would justify spending the large sums required to make and market a theatrical release.
Still, Robinov said, "That doesn't mean they don't have audience interest and built-in awareness."
Robinov added that although profit margins in the direct-to-video business could be thinner than in theatrical releases, such built-in awareness along with creative marketing could mitigate the financial risks.
Tsujihara said a "Dukes" sequel allowed Warner to repackage on DVD the original film and episodes of the popular 1980s TV series it was based on.
Warner's new division also will produce and acquire original made-for-DVD movies running the gamut of genres including horror, comedy and action films. Last month, Warner, a unit of media giant Time Warner Inc., announced it would finance three, under-$5-million DVD-only horror films to be directed by Daniel Myrick ("The Blair Witch Project"), producer Tony Krantz ("24") and TV writer John Shiban ("The X-Files").
Until now, Warner has released direct-to-video titles on a scattershot basis, mostly animated family fare from the studio's "Scooby-Doo," "Tom & Jerry" and "Looney Toons" franchises. The studio plans to continue releasing family-oriented DVDs, including films culled from its DC Comics library of characters, among them Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
"We've had an existing slate of four to five of these evergreen titles a year, and they are fairly profitable," Tsujihara said. "We'd like to put together slates that have a mixture of genres."