Politics
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DOJ Files Motion to End Paramount Consent Decrees
As expected, the Department of Justice formally filed a motion in the District Court for the Southern District of New York to terminate the Paramount Consent Decrees, which for more than 70 years regulated how certain movie studios distribute films to movie theatres. As part of the DOJ’s review of nearly 1,300 legacy antitrust judgments, … Continue reading “DOJ Files Motion to End Paramount Consent Decrees”
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Disney Dealing With Alleged Hacked Streaming Accounts
Disney is reportedly dealing with complaints from consumers alleging their Disney+ accounts have been hacked. The Disney+ SVOD service launched eight days ago with more than 10 million new registered accounts in the first 24+ hours of operation. As previously disclosed, the service encountered myriad technical issues at launch, with those issues now replaced by … Continue reading “Disney Dealing With Alleged Hacked Streaming Accounts”
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DOJ Looking to End 1940s-Era Theatrical Movie Distribution Rules
The Department of Justice’s antitrust division is considering ending 1940s-era legislation that prohibits studios from owning movie theaters and controlling the exhibitor release slate, among other provisions. Known as the Paramount decrees, antitrust efforts at the time led to the 1948 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Paramount Pictures and other major studios that ended studio … Continue reading “DOJ Looking to End 1940s-Era Theatrical Movie Distribution Rules”
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Poland Seeks Correction to Netflix Nazi Death Camp Guard Documentary
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has asked Netflix to make changes to a documentary that features a map showing Nazi death camps inside the borders of modern day Poland. At issue are World War II concentration camps built on Polish soil used to intern and kill millions of Polish Jews and depicted in the miniseries … Continue reading “Poland Seeks Correction to Netflix Nazi Death Camp Guard Documentary”
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Reed Hastings Defends Netflix Censoring Content in Saudi Arabia
Netflix is the biggest subscription streaming video service in the world with more than 158 million subscribers, including about 1 million in Saudi Arabia. Speaking Nov. 6 at The New York Times DealBook confab in New York, co-founder/CEO Reed Hastings was asked about the streamer’s decision earlier this year to delete an episode of “Patriot … Continue reading “Reed Hastings Defends Netflix Censoring Content in Saudi Arabia”
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Netflix’s Seth Meyers Comedy Special Lets Viewers Skip Trump Jokes
Netflix introduced binge-streaming, content recommendation software and fast-tracking credits and intros on original series. Now the subscription streaming pioneer is letting users skip jokes in a comedy special. The concept reportedly originated from former SNL writer/comic Seth Meyers, whose comedy special, “Lobby Baby,” bows Nov. 5 on Netflix. The comic suggested viewers have the option … Continue reading “Netflix’s Seth Meyers Comedy Special Lets Viewers Skip Trump Jokes”
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Delta Restoring Same-Sex Love Scenes to ‘Booksmart,’ ‘Rocketman’ In-Flight Movies
Bowing to social media pressure, Delta Air Lines said it would restore same-sex love scenes edited out of two feature-length movies, Booksmart and Rocketman, available on its flights. “We are immediately putting a new process in place for managing content available through Delta’s in-flight entertainment,” Delta said in a media statement. Delta’s hub city Atlanta … Continue reading “Delta Restoring Same-Sex Love Scenes to ‘Booksmart,’ ‘Rocketman’ In-Flight Movies”
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Delta Air Lines Accused of Censoring In-Flight Movies
Delta Air Lines is denying it censors pay-per-view movies made available aboard its flights. The issue emerged on social media this week when actress Olivia Wilde questioned on Twitter why a lesbian sex scene and the words “vagina” and “genitals” had been cut from her directorial debut, Booksmart. The coming-of-age comedy about two high-school girls … Continue reading “Delta Air Lines Accused of Censoring In-Flight Movies”
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Report: India Considering Censorship of Netflix, Amazon, Disney Streaming Video Content
With India and its second-largest population in the world, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney have aggressively sought an over-the-top video presence in the nascent market. The influx of foreign SVOD services has reportedly prompted some government officials to ask for increased monitoring of content on the platforms — above existing regulations. Reuters reports that … Continue reading “Report: India Considering Censorship of Netflix, Amazon, Disney Streaming Video Content”
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Amazon Studios Partners with Howard University to Promote Racial Diversity in Hollywood
Amazon Studios and Howard University Oct. 10 announced a partnership designed to diversify the entertainment industry by creating a pipeline for African-American students and other marginalized groups to train and study alongside Hollywood executives. The Howard Entertainment program is an immersive two semester class located in Los Angeles that offers Washington, D.C.-based Howard University students the opportunity to … Continue reading “Amazon Studios Partners with Howard University to Promote Racial Diversity in Hollywood”
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FCC’s Pai Says Streaming Video Competition Negates Need for Pay-TV Rate Regulation
Ongoing proliferation of over-the-top video services has created an effective argument against continuing basic rate regulation on pay-TV operators, says FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. In an Oct. 3 in blog post, Pai said increased availability of subscription streaming video services has established credible competition to pay-TV; and thereby negates the need to further regulate basic cable … Continue reading “FCC’s Pai Says Streaming Video Competition Negates Need for Pay-TV Rate Regulation”
