12/14/2007

Stop Big Media Before Christmas



Freepress.net announces:

[Yesterday] in the Congress, powerful US Senators from both parties berated FCC Chairman Kevin Martin about his plans to open the floodgates of media consolidation across America on December 18th. ... Free Press launched a 3-minute "Junk Media" video to sound the alarm, and rally opposition to the December 18th vote. www.stopbigmedia.com.

12 comments:

Jake Hollywood said...

Posted this elsewhere, but...

And yet the AMPTP says they know nothing 'bout no internet...

I knew the LA Times was good for something other than shilling for the AMPTP.

In today's Calendar section, page E8, comes this nugget of interesting info:

New 'Jackass' film to premier online
New York -- The next batch of painful "Jackass" stunts is coming to a computer screen near you.

The first two --spun off from the former MTV series--costarred Johnny knoxville and his gang of gross-out pranksters as they performed stunts to the delight of their youthful fans. But for the sequel "Jackass 2.5," the dirty daredevils pull a new stunt: bypassing the movie theater entirely.

"Jackass 2.5" will instead be raleased to the Internet. the feature--which combines unreleased footage from "Jackass Number Two" and new content--was announced Thursday as a joint venture between Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures and MTV Networks.

"It's the first broadband movie ever distributed by a major studio," said Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment.

Blockbuster Inc. will present "Jackass 2.5" free of charge at www.blockbuster.jackassworld.com beginning Wednesday through December 31; on Dec. 26, DVDs of the film will be available for purchase on the site and at major retailers, as well as for rent at Blockbuster stores and the company's website. The film will also be available for download at iTunes, Amazon.com and other sites--at a price.

I lieu of box-office sales, the venture expects to make money from DVD sales, downloads and embedded ads online--the later being exactly the kind of new media revenue stream that Hollywood writers are striking to get a piece of.

Although that wouldn't necessarily apply to "Jackass 2.5" because it didn't require writers, the marketing strategy is an example of what writers expect to see more of in the future. Lesinski said the movie's on-line distribution had potential to be "a game-changing model for Hollywood."


I guess they're trying to make a few bucks since they're not obligated to the WGA without a contract...

And once the AMPTP figures out what a moneymaker the internet can be (as if they haven't already), how soon will it be before they're rushing shows and movies onto this gizmo and deny the writer his/her rightful share?

Quicker than it took you to read this I bet.

December 14, 2007 7:43 PM

Captain Obvious said...

Stop big media!


Wait, forget that, if the AMPTP keeps playing games we'll be saying something to the effect of:


"RIP AMPTP: 1982-2008"

Unknown said...

I couldn't find any way to contacts the writers...of this blog and the writers who are on strike so I'll just put it here. I am a member of the International Socialist Organization and I live in Madison WI. We publish a weekly alternative newspaper which is also available online at www.socialistworker.org
We have been covering the WGA strike for awhile now I wish to express my total solidarity with what you are doing. We have been talking to the other activists we know about what you are doing. You are showing American proletariat the power that workers really do have. This fight may be one of the most important ever.

Andy C said...

I don't have a problem with companies getting together and merging, that should be allowed in a free market.

What I DO have a problem with is when these companies lobby congress to pass legislation that makes it more difficult for new firms to enter the arena, thereby bringing about government created monopolies. That is corporatism and it is pure evil. This is why I argue the federal government shouldn't even have these kind of powers.

Keep up the strike though. Fight for your f'ing rights because that is what true capitalism is all about, mutual agreements.

Go Ron Paul?

Captain Obvious said...

Andy, your name sounds familiar... ;)

Andy C said...

Captain Obvious,

Do we know each other in real life or something?

Warrior Ant Press Worldwide Anthill Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. said...

re: jackass v.0 to v.2.5. Everyone knows you'd have to be an ass or a jackoff to watch those films much less download them. Sorta tells you how much Paramount and MTV care about content in the first place.

Captain Obvious said...

Nah. Have you run for public office before or anything like that?

Andy C said...

Nope, just a college kid from Miami.

Jake Hollywood said...

Gosh, I hope this isn't the big plan...

Looks like the WGA leadership has adopted the Craig Mazin Plan of Attack...

the new plan???

and my comment on it (which maybe I'm missing the point, but....)

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of this idea...

Ilike2think said...

Something is very fishy here. I want to see something official from the WGA. This is not a good move.

Ilike2think said...

Nevermind. I just saw the letter. I hope we get more information soon. I wonder how this will all shake out???