Archive for January, 2011

TV & Entertainment have taken a turn for the worst since it began many years ago. Many people do not keep up with what their children are watching and are using TV & Entertainment as a sort of babysitter for their children. This is not healthy or a good idea. Many children are watching programming that is not good for them to see especially at young and impressionable ages. It is important for parents to take control of the remote and limit how much and what their children are watching. 

When TV & Entertainment first began it was filled with programing that taught morals and decency. Shows like Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith filled the screen with warm and happy thoughts of real family values. In previous years the families only had to deal with a little mischief here and there from their children. The fear of pedophiles, kidnappers, or robbers were not a big worry for the folks back then. 

Children are now playing video games that are filled with violence and nudity. Some children are not able to differentiate between pretend and reality. Some have actually attempted to act out what they have seen on their video games, on TV & Entertainment programming, or in movies. It is the parents responsibility to let their children know what is and is not reality. We will probably never return to the days of purity and morality only being shown on television so we have to make adjustments for the well-being of the future generations.

The Battle Over Internet Television

Guest Post by Adrian Jilikian of Signal Television

As the internet has evolved has come the evolution of just what can be created with it. With the faster speeds and more accessibility to that faster speed has come the ability to watch television over the internet. All of the major internet companies are jumping into internet television industry and with this has ensued a huge battle between them.

The big battle has been between Fox and Cablevision as Fox has demanded some kind of compensation for their ability to be able to show their programs. Google has also gotten into the battle as networks have put a block on their ability to show their programs through Google TV. It is all become fodder for the big broadcasting networks as more and more of them are starting to have agreements with web based sites in order to be able to broadcast their programming online.

In a recent edition of the Washington Post, Marvin Ammori, a professor of law at the University of Nebraska said that ‘the future of television will hang in the balance in the next year.’ He went on to say that internet television is going to be like iTunes where consumers will be able to pick the songs that they want to hear. Internet television companies are going to be able to have the ability to allow users to have unfilitered and unblocked access to content. Ammori went on to say that the FCC is going to have to come up with ‘net neutrality’ and rules to prevent companies from blocking access to shows.

The Role of Streaming Radio

Radio has always been an integral part of our lives whether this was way back in the 70s or even now. Of course, the content that we listened to at that time has changed as well. Take for example, talk radio, which has obviously changed ‘content’ due to either restrictions or changing tastes of a new generation.

And there will be some things that never change due to the timelessness of its content, and in this instance, the reference is to gospel music (especially in the form of black spirituals that have been immortalized) which is loved by one and all, regardless of color, age or nationality especially if you are a Christian and understand English.

Since radio continues to be one of the major forms of entertainment today, most of the stations were only accessible within the United States, but with the advent of the internet, one can access several stations spanning jazz, rock and pop among a slew of other genres through the form of streaming radio. And for those of us who still love music from the eighties or the nineties, one can still find several stations over the internet that offer the best hits during those times as well.

The truth is that despite the onslaught of MTV, radio has survived and is thriving in several forms these days, and perhaps will never die because of its ability to evolve yet cater to people who still enjoy aural pleasures.

Growing Up in Character

Youth entertainment, like The Chronicles of Narnia, Twilight, and Hannah Montana depend less on one-off actors and instead rely heavily on huge multi-year contracts. The cast is a crucial factor and can or break a movie or TV show. They have to commit a good part of their childhood to the characters they are playing. These, in turn, are the embodiment of the brand created for the production and are the life and soul of it. For instance, the Harry Potter series would not survive the loss of its star, Daniel Radcliffe.

Disney and Nickelodeon, in terms of children’s TV tend to follow more organized production schedules, aimed at minimizing work stress.
Paula Kaplan, Nickelodeon’s executive VP for talent says, “We respect the balance between work life and personal life. In our adult world, nobody accommodates us for down time. But in a child’s life on a set, we do take that seriously. At our studios on Sunset Boulevard, where we shoot ‘iCarly’ and ‘Victorious,’ the greenrooms are filled with games and Rock Band. We create an environment where they can have fun with their colleagues and take it easy.”

There is quite a bit of legal framework in place in terms of children’s workdays if you would like to call it that. Labor laws restrict their number of workdays, outline relaxation periods and breaks that must be built into production schedules, and a certain amount of breaks are also called for between dismissal and call-back. On top of all these regulations, children’s schooling ‘must’ take place during the week.

Disney Takes Mickey Back to His Roots

“Epic Mickey” is a video game that could see the return of Mickey Mouse to life. Not that Mickey was ever dead, but as Warren Spector put it “He’s an image, and he’s an icon, but he’s not a character anymore”. Spector is the VP and creative director of Junction Point Studios, the Disney division in charge of making the game. He is also known as the creator of vidgame franchises such as “Deus Ex,” “Thief: Deadly Shadows” and “System Shock.” His creativity in the field as well being a huge fan of the mouse were the reasons he was handed the project.

In the story line, Mickey is Kidnapped and Taken to Cartoon Wasteland, a place where all of Disney’s rejected creativity lives. Mickey is equipped with a paintbrush and thinner which he uses to interact with the environment. As he goes along creating and destroying environments and items Mickey ends up unleashing an enemy. The game also features long forgotten characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt Disney lost the rights to this character in 1928, long before Mickey was born, but Disney CEO Bob Iger’s personal efforts have seen him reappear in this game. Oswald is portrayed as an antagonist who hates the success Mickey has achieved and also the love Walt had for him. One of the main goals in the game is the redemption of Oswald.

Mickey’s portrayal as someone who’s not afraid to start a fight in this game has lead to doubts of acceptance by all, especially children. In reply to that Graham Hopper, exec VP-general manager of Disney Interactive Studios said he didn’t believe there was risk, he added “We designed the game for a certain demographic, this game won’t be easily played by a 4- to 5-year-old”.