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Were You One Of The Few Not Watching The Obama Inauguration? --- Philip Stone January 21, 2009 It was the most watched event in TV history – Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. And there were very few places in this world where you would not have been able to watch that live on TV, high definition TV in some places! And of course if you didn’t have a TV nearby then you could have watched it on any number of Web sites or on your mobile phone. |
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Diversity becomes hot media topic --- Michael Hedges November 24, 2008 All things financial have permeated airwaves and headlines for weeks, usually in funeral tones. Pirates, from bankers bungling to Somalis hijacking boats, have grabbed lots of attention. Bubbling to the surface, perhaps as relief from the nastiness, is a topic a bit more tangible. Diversity in society and media, societies mirror, is getting attention. |
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Southeast heat wave coming --- Michael Hedges September 29, 2008 Southeast Europe is vitamin-rich and may have the nourishment big media companies need. RTL Group just bought a majority of a Greek radio and TV company. Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and the Balkans are enticing strategic and financial media investors as other markets brace for winters’ chill. |
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Eurovision Is, Was And Will Be --- Michael Hedges May 26, 2008 A nice tune performed by a Russian singer, written and produced by Americans, swept the Eurovision Song Contest voting. Commentators from countries that got few votes pulled no punches, calling the most watched single pan-European live television event doomed. The Contest’s eastward trajectory cannot be denied, nor can the phenomenon of the people’s vote. |
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The Artists Take Note Of Bad Actors --- Michael Hedges May 21, 2018 Follow on Twitter The movie industry did what they always do at the Cannes International Film Festival. For the 71st time the red carpet was rolled out for the famous and fabulous, all looking good and well cared for. Films from all over the world were screened and awards given. The French Riviera weather was good. The vibe was compassion and concern. |
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Not Getting Better But Not Getting Worse --- Michael Hedges May 12, 2014 - Follow on Twitter Ten years ago the European Union expanded exponentially, adding ten new Member States at one moment. For the media sectors in those countries the decade of EU membership has been brilliant for some, batty for others and baffling for the rest. General media health benefited almost immediately from cross border influence and investment. But euphoria turned, as it often does, to the daily grind of economics, politics and the digital dividend. |
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TV Dreams and Reality --- Michael Hedges June 3, 2009 Follow on Twitter Reality TV – and certainly the talent contest variety – are proven popular programs with audiences worldwide. Broadcasters, originally attracted by comparatively low cost, push producers for bigger stunts. The genre has matured, something producers fight. Even in fair fights somebody gets bruised. |
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If Satire Fails To Cock The Eye, A Farce Will Soon Arrive --- Michael Hedges March 21, 2016 - Follow on Twitter Satire, of course, can bite. That makes this comedic form perfect for television; quick, witty and to the point. Farce is theatrical, blending exaggerated characters with seemingly random nutty events. The human mind benefits from humor, noted Sigmund Freud, to 'outwit the internal censor'. External censors, having no sense of humor, are relegated to tragedy. |
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Court Chases Anonymous Trolls Back Under Bridge --- Michael Hedges June 22, 2015 - Follow on Twitter The internet is a wonderful thing. Online news portals, and others, have discovered a certain bonus from a free and open digital pipeline. Unlike ancient letters to the editor very simple and inexpensive software solutions afford the public at large access points for sharing their views and opinions. Most are thoughtful, some irritating, a few repulsive. Web traffic certainly doesn't suffer from trolls. |
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State Media Unhappy About International Attention --- Michael Hedges December 2, 2019 Follow on Twitter As a concept, public broadcasting of the European variety has vast support. Its radio and television channels, now including online platforms, have offered local entertainment, expansive cultural coverage and reliable information shielded by public funding and statutory independence. This mandate for public service media, as it is collectively identified, sets it apart from commercial, profit-oriented media that relies entirely on popular fare suited for advertising. Audiences for public and commercial channels reflect, generally, the strength of a nations social compact. It has become a bigger battle. |
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Nice Logo Fools Nobody --- Michael Hedges May 5, 2014 Follow on Twitter Sour economics of the last decade, digital transitions and political shifting have put the media sphere on the back foot. Uncertainty and insecurity are, in many places, part of the landscape. Change for the better seems illusive as strategic investment is just postponed, short-term benefit all that matters. Meanwhile the carousel keeps spinning. |
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Attention Span And Return On Investment --- Michael Hedges March 28, 2022 - Follow on Twitter Editors weigh carefully the allocation of resources. There is a pattern to sports and election coverage, even the Eurovision Song Contest. Well-established formulas, monitored by clever accountants, dictate personnel requirements to the minute. Every other cost is detailed. Executives weigh all of this against return; advertising, subscriptions, even reputation. Wars change the calculation only somewhat. |
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Who Are We But To Tame Hate With Truth --- Michael Hedges June 15, 2022 - Follow on Twitter Bickering over points of view is necessary for intellectual health. What makes for trusted sources of information is part of the same debate. Diplomats will often agree to disagree, maintaining trust in dialogue a key part of their work. When that dialogue breaks down, war commences and the adversaries seek every advantage. Speaking to the ages, the father of tragedy, Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote: "In war, the first casualty is truth." He long feared being killed by a falling object. He was. |
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Media In High Contrast, Very Black And White, No Grain Or Gain --- Michael Hedges April 25, 2016 - Follow on Twitter Armed only with their digital devices, pens long ago disappearing, media workers seem less equipped to fend off the onslaught of paranoia, polarization and propaganda. Complicit authorities keep inventing new and creative ways to sideline even basic news, lest the public know too much. Where media freedom is respected, however, folks seem to get along quite well, even happier. Perhaps that's the point. |
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