2016 Olympics logo unveiled New Year's Eve in Rio
(AP) – 3 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The logo for the 2016 Olympics will be unveiled for the first time at Rio's traditional New Year's celebrations.
It will be shown just moments before the fireworks at Copacabana beach are set to go off at midnight on Friday. The logo will be projected on a huge screen on the sand.
Local officials and members of the International Olympic Committee will be at Copacabana to witness the event, along with nearly two million tourists and Rio residents expected for the New Year's Eve party at the famous beach, according to authorities.
Rio won the right in 2009 to host the 2016 Olympics, beating Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago. The Rio Games will be the first in South America.
Olympic organizers have said the Rio 2016 brand was created to reflect the city's culture and represent its natural wonders and joyful residents. They said the logo was designed based on four pillars: contagious energy, harmonious diversity, exuberant nature and Olympic spirit.
Nearly 140 agencies participated in the process to design the logo and only eight made it into the final phase. A multidisciplinary team of 15 national and international members of Rio 2016's organizing committee made the final decision a few months ago.
IOC President Jacques Rogge made his first visit to Rio since the Pan American Games in 2007. He's taking a close look at how the city has been preparing for the games.
He was expected to visit a local slum and construction sites of a tunnel and a subway line on Thursday. He helped lay the cornerstone for the future Olympic and Paralympic Village on Wednesday. He also was present at the signing of an agreement for the construction of the Olympic Park, where 19 facilities will be located.
Rogge said he's liked what he has seen so far. Local authorities and members of the IOC coordination commission have had planning sessions throughout the week.
"I see the preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is going extremely well," he said.
Rio Gov. Sergio Cabral said the lack of airport infrastructure remains the greatest obstacle in preparations for the games, but downplayed concerns it will remain a problem when the event begins in six years.
Rogge called for local authorities to avoid building venues that may not be of use after the games.
"The Olympic Games are an opportunity for a city, and even a continent, to think of its future," Rogge said.
Associated Writer Tales Azzoni in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
In NBC’s Shadow, Comcast Must Ponder Taking Olympic Plunge
In NBC’s Shadow, Comcast Must Ponder Taking Olympic Plunge
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Does Comcast cherish the Olympics with the same fervor as did General Electric, which has paid billions to make NBC the network of the Summer and Winter Games for a generation?
The question arises because Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, is close to regulatory approval to buy control of NBC Universal from G.E. in a deal valued at $30 billion — and because the Olympics are near-certain guarantees of prime-time dominance for 17 nights every two years.
As early as next spring, Comcast will face ESPN, Fox and a possible CBS-Turner Sports bid at the International Olympic Committee’s auction for the media rights to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“I don’t think Comcast wants its first move with its new partner to be a negative one and to lose something NBC has had for years,” said Barry Frank, an executive vice president of IMG who has negotiated Olympic deals in the past.
Comcast, which serves 22.9 million of the nation’s 100 million pay-television subscribers, according to SNL Kagan, has done little to tip its Olympic intentions. But it understands the impact of sports through its ownership of Versus, the Golf Channel, 11 regional sports networks, the Philadelphia Flyers and the 76ers.
And its chairman, Brian Roberts, who has won four silver medals and one gold in team squash at the Maccabiah Games, attended the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
But Comcast has reason to be cautious about plunging into Olympic economics, where the cost of buying media rights in the United States has soared almost without a dip since CBS paid $50,000 for the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif.
NBC lost $223 million on the Vancouver Games because of the recession and the steep price it paid to carry them; the network could lose more on the 2012 Summer Games in London on its highest-ever $1.18 billion rights fee.
“They’re eager to show they can make money running NBC, and the Olympics may not be a way of doing it,” said Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
The I.O.C.’s auction for the 2014 and ’16 rights, which has been delayed to avoid the worst of the recession, will test the networks’ desires to demonstrate financial prudence.
Jacques Rogge, the I.O.C. president, said recently that he wanted more than $2.2 billion, which G.E. paid for the 2010 and ’12 rights and for a global sponsorship — the latter an extra that Comcast, without international interests like G.E.’s, has no reason to buy. G.E. said in 2008 that its sponsorship was paying off with $700 million in contracts for 400 Olympic projects in and around Beijing.
Privately, the I.O.C. believes the Sochi-Rio media rights could be worth as much as $2.7 billion.
But, Moffett said, “It’s a stretch to imagine making money at $2 billion.”
Network executives say they believe that Sochi is less valuable than Vancouver (cost: $820 million) because of its relatively warm winter climate and that Rio should not bring as large a rights fee as a domestic Olympics would have in Chicago, one of the losing bidders in the election to host the 2016 Summer Games.
But Richard Carrion, the I.O.C. member handling the auction, said in an interview, “I think there are plenty of things to make Sochi an exciting place and Rio is a good summer site.”
Last month, Leslie Moonves, the president of CBS, mindful of NBC’s losses and what the I.O.C. is seeking, seemed to indicate he would bow out of the auction if he could not get a bargain.
“We don’t need to invest in something to lose money,” Moonves told an industry conference, “or just to help the prestige of the network. I think we’re already there.”
Despite its ability to acquire much of what it wants, ESPN has signaled that it will not be profligate in its Olympic bidding, which acts as a pre-auction brake on the I.O.C.’s optimism.
Last April, ESPN was outbid for the rights to the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament by the combined forces of CBS and Turner, which are paying $10.8 billion over 14 years. ESPN offered 10 percent less than CBS and Turner.
“The N.C.A.A. is instructive,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president for content. “We felt we had the best plan. I’m confident we’ll have an excellent Olympic plan, but, like the N.C.A.A., we expect to be aggressive and prudent.”
NBC and Comcast officials declined to comment.
Acquiring the rights to the Olympics is often a case of want, not need.
They provide 17 days of highly rated programming and blanket the Internet. But they lack the week-to-week power of N.F.L. games like those that NBC carries on Sunday nights, which is the network’s highest-rated program.
Dick Ebersol, who has run NBC’s sports division since 1989, adores the Olympics, produces them and would probably have left if another network had acquired them. He is part of the Olympic movement, was a close friend of the I.O.C.’s late president Juan Antonio Samaranch and is a recipient of the committee’s highest honor, the Olympic Order.
In two stealthy moves in 1995 — one of which came shortly after Fox Sports believed it had pre-empted NBC on the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia — Ebersol acquired the rights to the Olympics from 2000 to 2008. Then he outbid Fox by $700 million at the auction for the 2010 and ’12 rights, where ESPN offered only a plan to share revenues with the I.O.C.
Now, Ebersol’s sealed bids at the coming auction will be made with Comcast’s financial analysis and approval. The purse strings will be held by Roberts, not by Olympic-friendly G.E. chairmen like Jack Welch or Jeffrey Immelt. Instead of working for top NBC executives like Bob Wright or Jeff Zucker, Ebersol will report to Stephen B. Burke.
Wright, who as chairman and chief executive of NBC Universal was part of a small group that plotted the network’s extended era of Olympic domination, said that the economic projections that justify a bid can be undone by a bad economy years later, which occurred in Vancouver.
“I don’t think anybody at this stage thinks they have to have the Olympics to survive, or that the Olympics will change their business model in a significant way to take a big business risk,” said Wright, now an adviser to Lee Capital Partners. “So Comcast certainly doesn’t have to have the Olympics to make NBC Universal successful.”
But a rationale can be made for cash-rich Comcast to follow G.E.’s aggressive example. Analysts say that Comcast can help to monetize its rights fees by selling Olympic video-on-demand packages to its millions of broadband customers and that Olympic advertisers might flock to reach its millions of cable and broadband subscribers.
Comcast could raise Versus’s low profile by packing it with Olympic events like those that have been on NBC Universal-owned networks like USA, CNBC and MSNBC. With golf returning as an Olympic sport in 2016, the Golf Channel would carry the sport.
Putting the Olympics on Versus could also be a major step toward becoming a stronger rival to ESPN, especially if Comcast stocks it with cable rights to the N.F.L. (the league could create a new package out of expanding to an 18-game schedule), extends its N.H.L. deal and pursues a Major League Baseball contract.
“Comcast is buying NBC in large part to go out and beat up ESPN,” said Susan Crawford, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, who is writing a book about the Comcast-NBC Universal deal.
Skipper, of ESPN, said, “It’s not hard to see how Versus could be helpful to their bid.”
With the Olympics — and more — Versus could expand beyond its 75 million subscribers and raise the average 30-cents-a-subscriber fee it charges pay-TV operators . ESPN charges an industrywide high fee of about $4.50 but is not planning on trying to persuade operators to pay more if it buys the Olympic rights. ESPN intends to show everything live, even at Sochi time, an alteration to a policy begun at ABC and continued at NBC.
Crawford said that if Comcast made a strong challenge to ESPN, then “the foreclosure value of keeping ESPN out of the Olympics is higher than the market value of the Olympics.”
But if Comcast does not follow G.E. in making a blowout bid, it could cajole the I.O.C. to sell it the rights to four Olympics, not just Sochi and Rio, Crawford said.
At least one network has already asked to buy the four Games through 2020, according to two sports industry executives with different roles in the coming auction who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Carrion, of the I.O.C., said the organization would prefer not to let one company make a pre-emptive bid but that he would consider asking if the networks want to buy the rights to four Olympics through 2020 “because this is a long-term investment.”
Until the auction, the I.O.C. and the networks will joust publicly about what the next Olympic Games are worth. As G.E. proved by underwriting NBC’s ambitions, all it takes is one network to show the greatest desire for the Olympics to satisfy the I.O.C.
“Don’t underestimate them,” Wright said of the I.O.C. “They’re a very smart, savvy crowd.”
RubinMedia Consulting
Henry Jason Rubin
editing.production.engineering
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA
520.360-9181 Mobile
www.linkedin.com/pub/0/141/2a5
http://henryrubin.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html
From: Henry Rubin [mailto:HJ.Rubin@att.net]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 8:42 PM
Subject: Comcast /NBC News
Maybe you all have seen this article, I thought I would pass it along.
Henry
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia720786bb43ba0b0dc456828d113f06d?pn=2
RubinMedia Consulting
Henry Jason Rubin
editing.production.engineering
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA
520.360-9181 Mobile
www.linkedin.com/pub/0/141/2a5
http://henryrubin.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Does Comcast cherish the Olympics with the same fervor as did General Electric, which has paid billions to make NBC the network of the Summer and Winter Games for a generation?
The question arises because Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, is close to regulatory approval to buy control of NBC Universal from G.E. in a deal valued at $30 billion — and because the Olympics are near-certain guarantees of prime-time dominance for 17 nights every two years.
As early as next spring, Comcast will face ESPN, Fox and a possible CBS-Turner Sports bid at the International Olympic Committee’s auction for the media rights to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“I don’t think Comcast wants its first move with its new partner to be a negative one and to lose something NBC has had for years,” said Barry Frank, an executive vice president of IMG who has negotiated Olympic deals in the past.
Comcast, which serves 22.9 million of the nation’s 100 million pay-television subscribers, according to SNL Kagan, has done little to tip its Olympic intentions. But it understands the impact of sports through its ownership of Versus, the Golf Channel, 11 regional sports networks, the Philadelphia Flyers and the 76ers.
And its chairman, Brian Roberts, who has won four silver medals and one gold in team squash at the Maccabiah Games, attended the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
But Comcast has reason to be cautious about plunging into Olympic economics, where the cost of buying media rights in the United States has soared almost without a dip since CBS paid $50,000 for the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif.
NBC lost $223 million on the Vancouver Games because of the recession and the steep price it paid to carry them; the network could lose more on the 2012 Summer Games in London on its highest-ever $1.18 billion rights fee.
“They’re eager to show they can make money running NBC, and the Olympics may not be a way of doing it,” said Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
The I.O.C.’s auction for the 2014 and ’16 rights, which has been delayed to avoid the worst of the recession, will test the networks’ desires to demonstrate financial prudence.
Jacques Rogge, the I.O.C. president, said recently that he wanted more than $2.2 billion, which G.E. paid for the 2010 and ’12 rights and for a global sponsorship — the latter an extra that Comcast, without international interests like G.E.’s, has no reason to buy. G.E. said in 2008 that its sponsorship was paying off with $700 million in contracts for 400 Olympic projects in and around Beijing.
Privately, the I.O.C. believes the Sochi-Rio media rights could be worth as much as $2.7 billion.
But, Moffett said, “It’s a stretch to imagine making money at $2 billion.”
Network executives say they believe that Sochi is less valuable than Vancouver (cost: $820 million) because of its relatively warm winter climate and that Rio should not bring as large a rights fee as a domestic Olympics would have in Chicago, one of the losing bidders in the election to host the 2016 Summer Games.
But Richard Carrion, the I.O.C. member handling the auction, said in an interview, “I think there are plenty of things to make Sochi an exciting place and Rio is a good summer site.”
Last month, Leslie Moonves, the president of CBS, mindful of NBC’s losses and what the I.O.C. is seeking, seemed to indicate he would bow out of the auction if he could not get a bargain.
“We don’t need to invest in something to lose money,” Moonves told an industry conference, “or just to help the prestige of the network. I think we’re already there.”
Despite its ability to acquire much of what it wants, ESPN has signaled that it will not be profligate in its Olympic bidding, which acts as a pre-auction brake on the I.O.C.’s optimism.
Last April, ESPN was outbid for the rights to the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament by the combined forces of CBS and Turner, which are paying $10.8 billion over 14 years. ESPN offered 10 percent less than CBS and Turner.
“The N.C.A.A. is instructive,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president for content. “We felt we had the best plan. I’m confident we’ll have an excellent Olympic plan, but, like the N.C.A.A., we expect to be aggressive and prudent.”
NBC and Comcast officials declined to comment.
Acquiring the rights to the Olympics is often a case of want, not need.
They provide 17 days of highly rated programming and blanket the Internet. But they lack the week-to-week power of N.F.L. games like those that NBC carries on Sunday nights, which is the network’s highest-rated program.
Dick Ebersol, who has run NBC’s sports division since 1989, adores the Olympics, produces them and would probably have left if another network had acquired them. He is part of the Olympic movement, was a close friend of the I.O.C.’s late president Juan Antonio Samaranch and is a recipient of the committee’s highest honor, the Olympic Order.
In two stealthy moves in 1995 — one of which came shortly after Fox Sports believed it had pre-empted NBC on the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia — Ebersol acquired the rights to the Olympics from 2000 to 2008. Then he outbid Fox by $700 million at the auction for the 2010 and ’12 rights, where ESPN offered only a plan to share revenues with the I.O.C.
Now, Ebersol’s sealed bids at the coming auction will be made with Comcast’s financial analysis and approval. The purse strings will be held by Roberts, not by Olympic-friendly G.E. chairmen like Jack Welch or Jeffrey Immelt. Instead of working for top NBC executives like Bob Wright or Jeff Zucker, Ebersol will report to Stephen B. Burke.
Wright, who as chairman and chief executive of NBC Universal was part of a small group that plotted the network’s extended era of Olympic domination, said that the economic projections that justify a bid can be undone by a bad economy years later, which occurred in Vancouver.
“I don’t think anybody at this stage thinks they have to have the Olympics to survive, or that the Olympics will change their business model in a significant way to take a big business risk,” said Wright, now an adviser to Lee Capital Partners. “So Comcast certainly doesn’t have to have the Olympics to make NBC Universal successful.”
But a rationale can be made for cash-rich Comcast to follow G.E.’s aggressive example. Analysts say that Comcast can help to monetize its rights fees by selling Olympic video-on-demand packages to its millions of broadband customers and that Olympic advertisers might flock to reach its millions of cable and broadband subscribers.
Comcast could raise Versus’s low profile by packing it with Olympic events like those that have been on NBC Universal-owned networks like USA, CNBC and MSNBC. With golf returning as an Olympic sport in 2016, the Golf Channel would carry the sport.
Putting the Olympics on Versus could also be a major step toward becoming a stronger rival to ESPN, especially if Comcast stocks it with cable rights to the N.F.L. (the league could create a new package out of expanding to an 18-game schedule), extends its N.H.L. deal and pursues a Major League Baseball contract.
“Comcast is buying NBC in large part to go out and beat up ESPN,” said Susan Crawford, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, who is writing a book about the Comcast-NBC Universal deal.
Skipper, of ESPN, said, “It’s not hard to see how Versus could be helpful to their bid.”
With the Olympics — and more — Versus could expand beyond its 75 million subscribers and raise the average 30-cents-a-subscriber fee it charges pay-TV operators . ESPN charges an industrywide high fee of about $4.50 but is not planning on trying to persuade operators to pay more if it buys the Olympic rights. ESPN intends to show everything live, even at Sochi time, an alteration to a policy begun at ABC and continued at NBC.
Crawford said that if Comcast made a strong challenge to ESPN, then “the foreclosure value of keeping ESPN out of the Olympics is higher than the market value of the Olympics.”
But if Comcast does not follow G.E. in making a blowout bid, it could cajole the I.O.C. to sell it the rights to four Olympics, not just Sochi and Rio, Crawford said.
At least one network has already asked to buy the four Games through 2020, according to two sports industry executives with different roles in the coming auction who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Carrion, of the I.O.C., said the organization would prefer not to let one company make a pre-emptive bid but that he would consider asking if the networks want to buy the rights to four Olympics through 2020 “because this is a long-term investment.”
Until the auction, the I.O.C. and the networks will joust publicly about what the next Olympic Games are worth. As G.E. proved by underwriting NBC’s ambitions, all it takes is one network to show the greatest desire for the Olympics to satisfy the I.O.C.
“Don’t underestimate them,” Wright said of the I.O.C. “They’re a very smart, savvy crowd.”
RubinMedia Consulting
Henry Jason Rubin
editing.production.engineering
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA
520.360-9181 Mobile
www.linkedin.com/pub/0/141/2a5
http://henryrubin.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html
From: Henry Rubin [mailto:HJ.Rubin@att.net]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 8:42 PM
Subject: Comcast /NBC News
Maybe you all have seen this article, I thought I would pass it along.
Henry
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia720786bb43ba0b0dc456828d113f06d?pn=2
RubinMedia Consulting
Henry Jason Rubin
editing.production.engineering
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA
520.360-9181 Mobile
www.linkedin.com/pub/0/141/2a5
http://henryrubin.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html
Monday, December 27, 2010
Comcast-NBC merger could hinge on future of Internet video Dec 20, 2010 8:00 AM, By Michael Grotticelli
Comcast-NBC merger could hinge on future of Internet video
Dec 20, 2010 8:00 AM, By Michael Grotticelli
Regulators are considering a requirement that Comcast must make NBC’s broadcast and cable channels available to rival online providers at reasonable prices.
The future of Internet video has now become the dominant issue in whether the federal government approves the merger application of Comcast and NBC Universal.
Federal regulators, according to a report from the Associated Press, are now pushing for tough conditions to ensure that Comcast can’t hold back the growth of online video. The cable giant could do this by withholding content or pushing up prices for NBC programs at a time viewers are starting to turn to the Internet for viewing television programming.
The government is trying to extract concessions from Comcast in its bid for NBC that could determine whether customers can someday realistically drop their cable subscriptions and go online-only for their TV, the AP reported.
So far broadcasters and cable providers have moved online with caution, attempting not to hurt their current business models. Many television shows and movies have been blocked from the Internet. Others have been part of walled gardens that limit where and when viewers can watch online television.
Comcast has been resisting the efforts of federal regulators to ensure a choice of Internet access providers. The cable operator has argued that the efforts are unnecessary because NBC Universal only accounts for about 10 percent of television viewing and less than 10 percent of box office revenue in the United States.
Even so, Comcast is participating in an industry-wide program to limit online viewing of many popular shows to cable subscribers. NBC has joined other broadcast networks in blocking access to full episodes of its shows through Google TV software, which delivers Internet content to TV sets.
Until recently, online viewing had largely been limited to personal computers. Now, a variety of new devices are available that bring Internet video to television sets. The Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes, for example, serve as bridges to deliver online programs to the TV. Some high-end sets — among the best sellers this holiday season — connect directly to the Internet.
Cable companies worry that easy viewing of Internet video on TVs could lead customers to drop their monthly subscriptions in favor of low-cost online alternatives. Comcast’s 22.9 million cable subscribers pay an average of $71 per month for cable television.
Broadcasters are also afraid that Internet video will cannibalize revenue from television commercials, which are far more lucrative than online ads. They fear cable cancellations, too, because cable companies increasingly pay them per subscriber for the rights to carry stations on their lineups.
One rule regulators are considering would require Comcast to make NBC’s broadcast and cable channels available to rival online providers at reasonable prices. Under current rules, cable TV companies have to share programming they own with rivals such as satellite companies, but not Internet distributors.
Regulators could also prohibit Comcast from requiring a cable subscription to get online access to NBC Universal’s shows and movies. They are also considering whether to force Comcast to sell NBC’s 32 percent stake in the Internet video service Hulu.
Whatever is decided, the AP report said, the two sides are close to an agreement, which could pave the way for the FCC and the Justice Department to approve the deal imminently.
Comcast’s proposed $13.75 billion purchase of a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal would give the nation’s largest cable television company control over a major movie studio, Universal Studios, and some of the most-watched channels on television. The programming properties include the NBC network and Telemundo on broadcast TV and CNBC, Bravo and Oxygen channels on cable.
Dec 20, 2010 8:00 AM, By Michael Grotticelli
Regulators are considering a requirement that Comcast must make NBC’s broadcast and cable channels available to rival online providers at reasonable prices.
The future of Internet video has now become the dominant issue in whether the federal government approves the merger application of Comcast and NBC Universal.
Federal regulators, according to a report from the Associated Press, are now pushing for tough conditions to ensure that Comcast can’t hold back the growth of online video. The cable giant could do this by withholding content or pushing up prices for NBC programs at a time viewers are starting to turn to the Internet for viewing television programming.
The government is trying to extract concessions from Comcast in its bid for NBC that could determine whether customers can someday realistically drop their cable subscriptions and go online-only for their TV, the AP reported.
So far broadcasters and cable providers have moved online with caution, attempting not to hurt their current business models. Many television shows and movies have been blocked from the Internet. Others have been part of walled gardens that limit where and when viewers can watch online television.
Comcast has been resisting the efforts of federal regulators to ensure a choice of Internet access providers. The cable operator has argued that the efforts are unnecessary because NBC Universal only accounts for about 10 percent of television viewing and less than 10 percent of box office revenue in the United States.
Even so, Comcast is participating in an industry-wide program to limit online viewing of many popular shows to cable subscribers. NBC has joined other broadcast networks in blocking access to full episodes of its shows through Google TV software, which delivers Internet content to TV sets.
Until recently, online viewing had largely been limited to personal computers. Now, a variety of new devices are available that bring Internet video to television sets. The Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes, for example, serve as bridges to deliver online programs to the TV. Some high-end sets — among the best sellers this holiday season — connect directly to the Internet.
Cable companies worry that easy viewing of Internet video on TVs could lead customers to drop their monthly subscriptions in favor of low-cost online alternatives. Comcast’s 22.9 million cable subscribers pay an average of $71 per month for cable television.
Broadcasters are also afraid that Internet video will cannibalize revenue from television commercials, which are far more lucrative than online ads. They fear cable cancellations, too, because cable companies increasingly pay them per subscriber for the rights to carry stations on their lineups.
One rule regulators are considering would require Comcast to make NBC’s broadcast and cable channels available to rival online providers at reasonable prices. Under current rules, cable TV companies have to share programming they own with rivals such as satellite companies, but not Internet distributors.
Regulators could also prohibit Comcast from requiring a cable subscription to get online access to NBC Universal’s shows and movies. They are also considering whether to force Comcast to sell NBC’s 32 percent stake in the Internet video service Hulu.
Whatever is decided, the AP report said, the two sides are close to an agreement, which could pave the way for the FCC and the Justice Department to approve the deal imminently.
Comcast’s proposed $13.75 billion purchase of a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal would give the nation’s largest cable television company control over a major movie studio, Universal Studios, and some of the most-watched channels on television. The programming properties include the NBC network and Telemundo on broadcast TV and CNBC, Bravo and Oxygen channels on cable.
2012 Summer Olympics London
Two million people have signed up for tickets to the Olympics, the Standard has learned.
The milestone approached as Olympics chiefs finalised their strategy for selling £500 million of tickets for London 2012.
Organisers say they have been encouraged by the huge demand —and the fact that people are registering their interest across all 26 sports.
Some 1.95 million people have signed up for tickets which go on sale in March. On average, people have signed up for seven sports and half say they also want tickets for the Paralympics. About two thirds of ticketholders are expected to come from London and the South-East.
The Standard understands that organising committee Locog will cap the number of applications for high-demand events between four and eight per person per session in the majority of sports to boost the individual's chances of getting a ticket for prime events through the ballot.
However for lower-demand events such as the football tournament, for which there are one million tickets, it will be possible to make a group application so members of a club can travel and sit together.
Tickets will go on sale on 15 March — 500 days before the Games — for an initial 40 days.
Data gathered so far by Games chiefs suggests there will not be enough demand next year for all the tickets so there is likely to be a second and third wave of sales later in the year or early in 2012. By not releasing tickets too early, Locog hopes to minimise the chances of tickets falling into the hands of touts.
Organisers aim to raise £500 million, excluding VAT, from the sale of 8.8 million Olympic tickets. A poster campaign to register is running on buses and Tubes.
Locog commercial director Chris Townsend said: “When we launch the ticket application in March that window will be open for several weeks. It will give people time to download the application and plan their Games. We urge people to sign up because it takes time to look at all the 650 sessions of sport and the pricing options and take it all in.
“Logistically it takes time to get from one event to another and we need people to understand that.”
Games chiefs were today battling icy conditions before this evening's illumination of the Olympic stadium. Up to 2,000 people, including local schoolchildren, will witness the Prime Minister switching on the floodlights for the first time.
The milestone approached as Olympics chiefs finalised their strategy for selling £500 million of tickets for London 2012.
Organisers say they have been encouraged by the huge demand —and the fact that people are registering their interest across all 26 sports.
Some 1.95 million people have signed up for tickets which go on sale in March. On average, people have signed up for seven sports and half say they also want tickets for the Paralympics. About two thirds of ticketholders are expected to come from London and the South-East.
The Standard understands that organising committee Locog will cap the number of applications for high-demand events between four and eight per person per session in the majority of sports to boost the individual's chances of getting a ticket for prime events through the ballot.
However for lower-demand events such as the football tournament, for which there are one million tickets, it will be possible to make a group application so members of a club can travel and sit together.
Tickets will go on sale on 15 March — 500 days before the Games — for an initial 40 days.
Data gathered so far by Games chiefs suggests there will not be enough demand next year for all the tickets so there is likely to be a second and third wave of sales later in the year or early in 2012. By not releasing tickets too early, Locog hopes to minimise the chances of tickets falling into the hands of touts.
Organisers aim to raise £500 million, excluding VAT, from the sale of 8.8 million Olympic tickets. A poster campaign to register is running on buses and Tubes.
Locog commercial director Chris Townsend said: “When we launch the ticket application in March that window will be open for several weeks. It will give people time to download the application and plan their Games. We urge people to sign up because it takes time to look at all the 650 sessions of sport and the pricing options and take it all in.
“Logistically it takes time to get from one event to another and we need people to understand that.”
Games chiefs were today battling icy conditions before this evening's illumination of the Olympic stadium. Up to 2,000 people, including local schoolchildren, will witness the Prime Minister switching on the floodlights for the first time.
MultiCam Edit Avid Media Composer
Just completed a Jazz trio program, four cameras, Edited with multicam mode with Avid Media Composer. Very easy to use, lot of different options for selecting cameras in or out of sync.
Henry
Henry
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Avid Media Composer 5
Avid Media Composer 5 is a big hit for Avid. The download center is reaching critical mass.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
BIO RESUME CV 4 TELEVISION
Henry Rubin has been consulting in the broadcast industry for ten years. Some of Henry’s clients have included: NBC Olympics, Sony Electronics, Fox Broadcasting Company, Warner Brothers and CBS. Projects have ranged from high definition control room upgrades and master control station automation systems. Henry is also a Sony certified trainer and Avid ACSR engineer. Mr. Rubin also has a great deal of experience in training, editing, integration and installation on Avid and Final Cut Pro editing systems.
NBC Olympics
Henry has been an editor, edit supervisor and consultant for NBC Olympics since the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Henry’s areas of responsibility are Avid edit systems, Sony video switchers, Sony and EVS networked video servers and MPEG high definition video tape machines. Mr. Rubin has earned four national Emmy awards for his work for the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
SONY Electronics
Henry is a Senior trainer, NAB demonstrator and instructor for SONY Electronics. Some of the products Henry has experience with are, XDCAM HD, XDCAM Meta transfer stations, HDCAM video tape machines, high definition video switchers, servers, editors and audio mixers.
RubinMedia Consulting
As a consultant, Henry has guided a number of television stations through there mandatory digital transition. Which has included implementing Avid edit and Unity storage systems, Sony high definition video switchers, Avid/Deko character generators, digital audio mixers, Sony cameras, Flip Factory and Niagra streaming video systems.
In addition, Henry has integrated Omneon and Harris video servers and Sundance/Avid master control automation systems. In 2005, Channel 12 in Tucson, digital transition was so successful it was awarded the coveted 2005 NATOA Station of the Year award.
Post-Production
Henry is an accomplished Avid and Online editor. Some of Henry’s clients have been:
The Discovery Channel, IBM, NBC Sports, PBS, Raytheon Missile Systems, Sony Corporation, U.S. Postal Service and Kenwood Communications.
Awards
National EMMY Awards, ADDY Awards, Telly Award, National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Paragon Award, National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Medallion Awards, IABC Gold Quill, Society of Technical Communications Award, International Film and TV Festival of New York Award, National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors Award, PBS Promotion Awards
Education
Currently, Mr. Rubin is a graduate student at The New School of Social Research, in New York City.
Henry Jason Rubin
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719, (520) 360-9189 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (520) 360-9189 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (520) 360-9189 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
(520) 322-8140, Business
HJ.Rubin@att.net
Professional Positions Broadcast Operations Manager
Edit Supervisor
Technical Manager
Senior Trainer
Employment History
2003-Present Center for Learning Technology
Broadcast Operation, Content Manager
Pima Community College Television
Tucson, Arizona
2002-2004 Edit Support
• 2004 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
• 2003 NCAA National Basketball Championship, New Orleans, Louisiana
• 2003 Super Bowl XXVII, San Diego, California
• 2003 BCS Fiesta Bowl, Phoenix, Arizona
• 2003 Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii
• 2002 FIFA World Cup, Korea/Japan
2002 to Present Channel 12
Editor/Producer/Consultant
Tucson, Arizona
2000 to Present NBC Olympics, Editor/ Edit Supervisor
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia
• 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah
• 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
• 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin, Italy
• 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China
• 2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver, Canada
1992 to Present Sony Corporation of America
Consultant/Instructor/Demonstrator
Education San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
Bachelors of Arts, Broadcast Communication Arts
The New School
Media Studies
Graduate Student Expected Graduation 2012
License
FCC General Class License
Certifications
Avid Certified Support Technician (ACSR)
Conference Presentations,
National Association of Broadcasters
2010 Sony Corporation, High Definition Video Switchers
2009 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2008 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2007 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2006 Sony Corporation, High Definition Switchers and Editors
2005 Sony Corporation, High Definition Switchers
2004 Sony Corporation, XPRI Non-Linear Editor, XDCAM Meta Station
2003 Sony Corporation,XPRI Non-Linear Editor, Gigabit LAN
2002 Sony Corporation, XPRI Non-Linear Editor, HD, 24P
2001 Sony Corporation, MAV 555 / 777 Live Sports Application
2000 Sony Corporation, MAV 555 / Live Graphic Application
1999 Sony Corporation, Clip Edit University, Presenter
1998 Sony Corporation, Betacam SX Editing Systems,
1997 Sony Corporation, ES 7 Editing Systems
1993 Abekas Corporation, A-51 DVE
1993 Sony Corporation, D2 Demonstration
1992 Sony Corporation, BVE 9100 Editing Systems,
Professional Awards
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXIX Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
Paragon Award
Bronze Paragon Award
Pima Community College
College Video Program
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
NATOA Station of the Year Award
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA) named Tucson 12 as government station of the year. The award honors the station’s year-round variety of programming quality.
Tucson 12, The City Channel
Henry J. Rubin, Consultant, Editor and Producer
National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
The Medallion Awards
Bronze Medallion of Merit
Pima Community College
Video Advertisement
Henry J. Rubin, Editor and Producer
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“XIX Olympic Winter Games”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXVII Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Tucson ADDY Awards
The ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative
excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from
Media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.
Awarded for Excellence in Advertising.
Gold, Silver & Bronze Awards
KUAT –TV
PBS Television Self Promotion
Video Workshop, Production Company
Local and regional television commercials
Henry J. Rubin, Editor and Producer
IABC Gold Quill
Gold Quill Awards. Rewarding excellence. Recognizing the best. The Gold Quill Awards are the mark of global distinction and represent the highest level of professional acknowledgment within business communication today.
Video Workshop, Production Company
Promotional and Training Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Society of Technical Communications Awards
STC advances the theory and practice of technical communication across all user abilities and media so that both businesses and customers benefit from safe, appropriate, and effective use of products, information,
and services.
Video Workshop, Production Company
Marketing and Training Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Telly Awards
The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television programs, as well as the finest video and film productions.
Long Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau
Litter Films
Video Workshop, Production Company
Promotional and Marketing Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
International Film and TV Festival of New York Award
Finalist Award KUAT-TV
“Song for China”
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
PBS Promotion Awards
KUAT-TV
“Geronimo: The Final Campaign”
Television Self Promotion Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
NBC Olympics
Henry has been an editor, edit supervisor and consultant for NBC Olympics since the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Henry’s areas of responsibility are Avid edit systems, Sony video switchers, Sony and EVS networked video servers and MPEG high definition video tape machines. Mr. Rubin has earned four national Emmy awards for his work for the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
SONY Electronics
Henry is a Senior trainer, NAB demonstrator and instructor for SONY Electronics. Some of the products Henry has experience with are, XDCAM HD, XDCAM Meta transfer stations, HDCAM video tape machines, high definition video switchers, servers, editors and audio mixers.
RubinMedia Consulting
As a consultant, Henry has guided a number of television stations through there mandatory digital transition. Which has included implementing Avid edit and Unity storage systems, Sony high definition video switchers, Avid/Deko character generators, digital audio mixers, Sony cameras, Flip Factory and Niagra streaming video systems.
In addition, Henry has integrated Omneon and Harris video servers and Sundance/Avid master control automation systems. In 2005, Channel 12 in Tucson, digital transition was so successful it was awarded the coveted 2005 NATOA Station of the Year award.
Post-Production
Henry is an accomplished Avid and Online editor. Some of Henry’s clients have been:
The Discovery Channel, IBM, NBC Sports, PBS, Raytheon Missile Systems, Sony Corporation, U.S. Postal Service and Kenwood Communications.
Awards
National EMMY Awards, ADDY Awards, Telly Award, National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Paragon Award, National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Medallion Awards, IABC Gold Quill, Society of Technical Communications Award, International Film and TV Festival of New York Award, National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors Award, PBS Promotion Awards
Education
Currently, Mr. Rubin is a graduate student at The New School of Social Research, in New York City.
Henry Jason Rubin
2320 East Hampton Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719, (520) 360-9189 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (520) 360-9189 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (520) 360-9189 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
(520) 322-8140, Business
HJ.Rubin@att.net
Professional Positions Broadcast Operations Manager
Edit Supervisor
Technical Manager
Senior Trainer
Employment History
2003-Present Center for Learning Technology
Broadcast Operation, Content Manager
Pima Community College Television
Tucson, Arizona
2002-2004 Edit Support
• 2004 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
• 2003 NCAA National Basketball Championship, New Orleans, Louisiana
• 2003 Super Bowl XXVII, San Diego, California
• 2003 BCS Fiesta Bowl, Phoenix, Arizona
• 2003 Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii
• 2002 FIFA World Cup, Korea/Japan
2002 to Present Channel 12
Editor/Producer/Consultant
Tucson, Arizona
2000 to Present NBC Olympics, Editor/ Edit Supervisor
• 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia
• 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah
• 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
• 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin, Italy
• 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China
• 2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver, Canada
1992 to Present Sony Corporation of America
Consultant/Instructor/Demonstrator
Education San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
Bachelors of Arts, Broadcast Communication Arts
The New School
Media Studies
Graduate Student Expected Graduation 2012
License
FCC General Class License
Certifications
Avid Certified Support Technician (ACSR)
Conference Presentations,
National Association of Broadcasters
2010 Sony Corporation, High Definition Video Switchers
2009 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2008 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2007 Sony Corporation, High Definition Edit Systems
2006 Sony Corporation, High Definition Switchers and Editors
2005 Sony Corporation, High Definition Switchers
2004 Sony Corporation, XPRI Non-Linear Editor, XDCAM Meta Station
2003 Sony Corporation,XPRI Non-Linear Editor, Gigabit LAN
2002 Sony Corporation, XPRI Non-Linear Editor, HD, 24P
2001 Sony Corporation, MAV 555 / 777 Live Sports Application
2000 Sony Corporation, MAV 555 / Live Graphic Application
1999 Sony Corporation, Clip Edit University, Presenter
1998 Sony Corporation, Betacam SX Editing Systems,
1997 Sony Corporation, ES 7 Editing Systems
1993 Abekas Corporation, A-51 DVE
1993 Sony Corporation, D2 Demonstration
1992 Sony Corporation, BVE 9100 Editing Systems,
Professional Awards
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXIX Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
Paragon Award
Bronze Paragon Award
Pima Community College
College Video Program
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
NATOA Station of the Year Award
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA) named Tucson 12 as government station of the year. The award honors the station’s year-round variety of programming quality.
Tucson 12, The City Channel
Henry J. Rubin, Consultant, Editor and Producer
National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
The Medallion Awards
Bronze Medallion of Merit
Pima Community College
Video Advertisement
Henry J. Rubin, Editor and Producer
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“XIX Olympic Winter Games”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Edit Supervisor
Emmy Award
Outstanding Technical Team-Studio
“The Games of the XXVII Olympiad”
NBC
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Tucson ADDY Awards
The ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative
excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from
Media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.
Awarded for Excellence in Advertising.
Gold, Silver & Bronze Awards
KUAT –TV
PBS Television Self Promotion
Video Workshop, Production Company
Local and regional television commercials
Henry J. Rubin, Editor and Producer
IABC Gold Quill
Gold Quill Awards. Rewarding excellence. Recognizing the best. The Gold Quill Awards are the mark of global distinction and represent the highest level of professional acknowledgment within business communication today.
Video Workshop, Production Company
Promotional and Training Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Society of Technical Communications Awards
STC advances the theory and practice of technical communication across all user abilities and media so that both businesses and customers benefit from safe, appropriate, and effective use of products, information,
and services.
Video Workshop, Production Company
Marketing and Training Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Telly Awards
The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television programs, as well as the finest video and film productions.
Long Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau
Litter Films
Video Workshop, Production Company
Promotional and Marketing Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
International Film and TV Festival of New York Award
Finalist Award KUAT-TV
“Song for China”
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
PBS Promotion Awards
KUAT-TV
“Geronimo: The Final Campaign”
Television Self Promotion Videos
Henry J. Rubin, Editor
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Always Compete
In, Steve Bisheff non fiction work on Pete Carroll
Always Compete, points out Pete Carroll's Face Book Page, and other social networks he ascribes to. Carroll has a personal web/blogger. The first
for a NCAA Winning PAC-10 Football Coach.
Always Compete, points out Pete Carroll's Face Book Page, and other social networks he ascribes to. Carroll has a personal web/blogger. The first
for a NCAA Winning PAC-10 Football Coach.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Monk and the Portrayal of Mental Disorders in Television and Film
Monk and the Portrayal of Mental Disorders in Television and Film
The USA Network aired Monk, the television detective series based in San Francisco for eight seasons. Created by David Hoberman, Adrian Monk is a detective who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) and is loosely based on Hoberman’s own battle with OCD (Behavioral Health). The goal of this work is to synthesize the context of the many social dimensions, concerning mental illness and psychological disorders that are representative in today’s television and film industry.
Adrian Monk is a fictional character since most patients who suffer from psychological disorders can’t function in society as well as he. Monk lives in an upper middle class Victorian flat in San Francisco. He has a private secretary who dotes over him and a therapist, who seems remarkably available considering Monk’s unreliable payment history. He is appreciated by the San Francisco Police Department for his Sherlock Holmes ability to solve murder cases.
In keeping with his OCD, his dress is always the same: sports coat, shirt starched and the top shirt button fastened. Monk is not like the men and women with physiological disorders who are untreated by today’s health system and who wonder the streets of San Francisco, looking like zombies from a George A. Romero film; dirty, smelly, unshaven, disoriented and uninsured (Romero).
Monk was very popular when it premiered on the USA Network on July 12, 2002. The series currently holds the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history. It also set the record with Mr. Monk and the End – Part II, its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers; 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic (Kung).
Mental Illness and Psychological Disorders have become an integral part of the media mainstream, including popular films as Rain Man (1988), The Fisher King (1991) and Forrest Gump (1994) (Smith).
There is also a precedent for films about mental illness and genius. Ron Howard’s film, A Beautiful Mind chronicles the life of John Forbes Nash Jr., a brilliant mathematician from Princeton who suffered from delusions, hallucinations and paranoid schizophrenia. Nash was saved from homelessness by his ex-wife and a small number of mathematical associates. At age 66 Nash had a remission from his mental illness and was nominated for a Noble prize in economics (Levinson). Similarly, Monk’s psychological issues do not hinder his crime solving abilities. His OCD flares up when he is shopping, dining and house cleaning. Clearly, this is not an honest view of mental illness, turning off and on your psychosis at will as is portrayed in Monk.
In Steve Lopez’s novel and major motion picture The Soloist: A Lost Dream, and Unlikely Friendship, Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless but once gifted Julliard cellist finds his home in a shopping cart, fighting off demons in downtown Los Angeles tunnels. Ayers lives in Skid Row and travels to Persian Square to pay homage to a statue of Ludwig van Beethoven. Ayer’s does not have a personal secretary and is a real life victim of schizophrenia (Lopez). But he does have a champion in Steve Lopez, a newspaper columnist who chronicles Ayer’s life in the Los Angeles Times.
According to Alicia Marie Oostdyk of Kent State University, mental illness is represented in today’s media as negative and violent (Oostdyk). This fits with Lopez’s portrayal of Ayers who does suffer from a severe case of mental illness. But Monk departs from the stereotype again since he’s clean, brilliant and dysfunctional in a non- threatening productive manner.
Current and past television programs have sent mixed messages concerning mental illness issues. Jamie Farr’s character in MASH, Max Klinger is a cross dresses with a fake case of mental illness. Klinger goes about his business in a number of stylish dresses so he can be discharged from the military on a Section 8. Section 8 referrers to a category of discharge from the United States military for reason of being mentally unfit for service. But the ongoing joke is that because he is able to fake his mental illness, than clearly he is not.
Law & Order, the NBC legal drama produced by Dick Wolf has produced a of number mental illness episodes in its 20 seasons. The story lines are “ripped from the headlines” and represent cases that may seem believable (Sassone). Kimberly Tyler of AnxietyConnection.com applauds Law & Order frankness in addressing the national debate on the treatment of mentally ill criminals in today’s criminal justice system. Should mentally ill patients be responsible for their actions and be sentenced to prisons to serve hard time or be rehabilitated in mental institutions (Tyler)? Tyler also suffers from depression and lists the medication she is prescribed on her website. Monk’s treatment for his mental afflictions does not include medication. If Monk was treated with Lorazepam or Prozac, his personality maybe more believable, but his character development may suffer under medication.
As an educational tool, episodic television maybe very helpful in explaining mental illness treatment. Glenn Gabbard, MD of Baylor College of Medicine and author of The Sopranos, believe Tony Soprano treatment for panic attacks in the Sopranos provided one of the best depictions of psychotherapy to ever appear on television (Kaplan). In someone ways Tony Soprano’s psychotherapy educated the public and desensitized the stereotypes of mental illness treatment. Dr. Charles Kroger, Monk’s psychiatrist for six season treats Monk in a causal style, talking, listening, offering advice and engaging in Adrian’s’ frustrating banter concerning the progress his is making in his therapy session. Monk’s sessions can be tiresome and rarely fit the realism that you find in Law & Order or the Sopranos.
The popularity of Monk maybe warranted by the acceptance of psychological disorders in today’s society. According to the Institute of Health a whopping 19 percent of the adult U.S. population has a mental disorder (NIH). This may have given Monk a bump in ratings, as the affected relate to the OCD detective. As David Hoberman the executive show producer explains it, “The idea was that a brilliant detective has severe OCD and phobias. That was the pitch. Without Monk’s OCD, there would be no show (Brink).
Citing
Brink, Susan. "Mental illness sans clichés". Los Angeles Times November 13, 2006:
"Epidemiology of Mental Illness". National Institute of Health. May, 15, 2010
"Filming locations for "Monk"". IMDb. 5/12/2101 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312172/locations
"George A. Romero". IMDb. May, 15, 2010
Gould, Jonathan. Can’t Buy Me Love, The Beatles, Britain, And America. New York: Harmony Books, 2007.
Kaplan, Arline. "Mental Illness on the Screen: No More Snake Pit". Psychiatric Times April 1, 2007: p1
Kung, Michelle. "“Monk” Finale Breaks Basic Cable Ratings Record". 2009-12-07. Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/07/monk-finale-breaks-basic-cable-ratings-record. May 6, 2010.
Levinson, Martin. "Reviews the book `A Beautiful Mind,' by Sylvia Nasar.". ETC: A Review of General Semantics; Fall98: p358-p359.
Lopez, Steve. The Soloist: A Lost Dream, and Unlikely Friendship. Putnam Adult, April 17, 2008.
"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: On-Screen and Off". Behavioral Health. May, 13, 2010
Osstdyk, Alica. Portrayal of Mental Illness on Television A Review of the Literature. Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh, 2008.
Smith, Claude J., Jr.. "Finding a Warm Place for Someone We Know: The Cultural Appeal of Recent Mental Patient and Asylum Films". Journal of Popular Film and Television Spring 1999: p40-p46.
Sossone, Bob. "Tonight's Law and Order: ripped from the headlines". AOL Inc.. May 20, 2010
Tyler, Kimberly. "Law & Order: SVU" Addresses the Stigma of Mental Illness". The HealthCentral Network, Inc.. May, 5, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Jumbotron
Abstract
At the 1985 World Science Expo in Tsukuba Science City, Japan, Sony Corporation exhibited the world’s largest television screen, the Jumbotron: Jumbo for big and tron for Sony’s Trinitron television line. This massive vacuum fluorescent display reached a height of 92 feet and could be seen as far as the surrounding country side (McGill). The introduction of the Jumbotron and other big screen displays has dramatically changed the way live events are watched including events as diverse as sporting events, presidential inaugural speeches and papal sermons. Does this oversized cathode ray tube enhance or hinder audience’s experiences at large gatherings? Does the gazing spectator expect to see every image magnified so their myopic lens can absorb and interpret the stream of real time imagery?
Description
Jerry Jones, the Texas Billionaire and owner of the Dallas Cowboys built a $1.2 billion dollar stadium (Lacayo). Included in this coliseum has been a 600-ton colossus Jumbotron. Why would Jerry Jones invest millions of dollars on a 160 ft. television screen, when the Dallas Cowboys has a franchise player like Tony Romo who every season as quarterback dazzles the spectators with sensational scrimmages? The fans want to see the real Tony Romo, not a blown up digitized image of Tony on the playing field. Some diehard fans go to football games to see football, not orchestrated, commercials, sponsors logos and public service announcements, they want to see the grid iron action, not marketing efforts by the national advertising agencies.
At St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City Pope Benedict XVI’s spoke to thousands of parishioners. As the Pope addressed the papal flock, two massive Jumbotrons beamed colorful images of the Pope from his summer residency 17 miles away (Kuhner). Does this modern day electronic technology beaming papal telecasts seem rather out of place and garish amongst the beautiful colonnades and 4000-year old obelisk at St. Peter’s Basilica? Is the Pope’s spiritual message being conveyed properly and with dignity at the holy shrine in Vatican City?
January 21, 2009 an historic event took place at our nation’s Capitol. Thousands of men and women from all races and creeds jammed the Mall to see the 44th President of the United States sworn into office. And like all huge public events, the Jumbotrons were present, beaming there LED glow across a sea of humanity, echoing “Yes We Can”. This Orwellian sensation was overwhelming. Is this the image the Obama administration wanted to convey -- Big Brother imagery of Barak Obama casting the newly elected presidential shadow over thousands of onlookers?
Rationale
This undertaking is to explain influences and ramifications that are behind large screen projection systems. What aspiring political figure or recording artist would not want their image plastered on a two story visual aid, with fans and political devotes swooning at every word and lyric amplified and enlarged to gigantic proportions?
Why is there an intrinsic need for audiences at public gatherings to be inundated by large television screens? Demophobia, the fear of crowds may be one reason. The reassuring projected images of presidents, rock stars and sports figures at public venues may calm the afflicted thru colorful two-dimensional visuals.
In general people may be freed from their own general anxiety, when exposed to gigantic glaring images of overpowering television screens. In the1939 version of the Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland’s character, Dorothy travels the yellow book road to ask the Wizard for passage back to Kansas. When Dorothy finally meets the Wizard, he is an oversized projection spewing smoke and steam. Suggesting that such a large and powerful image would grant Dorothy passage back to Kansas.
Other assumptions for large video displays are not deeply rooted in the psyche, but are purely monetary. The NHL and NBA charge between $25,000 to $75,000 a season for media packages (Catto).
Media professionals have a responsibility at these large events. What images does the director choose? Close-ups of people smiling? Women in low cut outfits? Two guys fighting over a beer? The kiss Cam? Media accountability is required to sustain crowd control and to pacify the audience into an alpha state of calm.
Sony Corporation has installed several Jumbotron systems around the country at universities and sport arenas. I have been hired as a consultant to help plan and execute training at these institutions and it was apparent at each installation there were power struggles and creative disagreements within the departments that were managing these venues.
Literature Review
In existing work, research is not available for in-depth documentation on audience’s perceptions, feelings, behaviors and expectations on Jumbotron viewing at sporting events and public places. Opinions were expressed concerning stadium experiences with and without the Jumbotrons, but there was an absence of concrete information and quantifiable research on the subject matter of the big screens influence on audiences and pedestrians.
Jumbotron At Wrigley? Don’t Bother.
In this jewel of an article, the Chicagoist spells out exactly why high-definition screens are not needed. Wrigley field has been host to baseball since 1916 and has done quite well without the behemoth video-screen. The fans don’t miss the Kiss Cam, instant replays and marriage proposals (Zaslow). The Jumbotron in this historic stadium would feel gaudy and out of place. Babe Ruth’s memory would be stained with the shadow of this LED behemoth lurking over right field. Baseball at Wrigley field is different since it regards the sport as more than an entrainment experience, but as a living history of an American pastime.
Communicating Love: Friendship in the Technological Age
DeSales University sponsored a writing contest promoting new technologies, relationships and respect. Matthew Kuhner, an honors student and philosophy major, won the “best student essay” of 2009. Kuhner’s article emphasizes the Vatican’s understanding of technology in evangelism and finding fresh ways to fulfill Christ’s mission (Kuhner). Kuhner understands to help spread the gospel and the Pope’s message at St. Peter’s Basilica they needed two gigantic Jumbotrons to accomplish that. The church accepts that they are not a perfect aesthetic fit at St. Peter Square, but the Jumbotrons communicate the Pope’s message in a grand visual style, which brings comfort to his flock.
Troops Bid Bush Farwell at Andrews Air Force Base
The Jumbotron was strategically placed in the hanger at Andrews Air Force base where 4,000 service man and women watched the inaugural ceremonies of President Barak Obama being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Then through the lens of network news cameras, George W. Bush lifted of the Capitol grounds aboard the Marine Corps VH-60 helicopter (Agency Group 9). The crowd cheered as the former president entered the hanger at Andrews Air Force base. Children climbed on parents’ shoulders to catch a better glimpse of the outgoing president (Agency Group 9). In this article by the Regulatory Intelligence Database, the crowd was not entirely enthusiastic when President Obama was sworn into office, but when Mr. Bush arrived the mood of the audience drastically changed to yips and yelps. The Jumbotron impact at this event was a reflection of the crowd’s mood and temperament toward the incoming president and the author’s bias for the Bush Administration.
George W. Bush’s Sci-Fi Disaster
14 blocks from the Nations Capitol Robert Parry and his son Jeff watched the inaugural proceedings on one of the many Jumbotrons set up around the white marble buildings surrounding the Capitol. The mood at this big screen viewing was festive and mocking of the Bush Administration, one group started singing, “Hit the road, Jack” when Dick Cheney was wheeled into the television cameras view (Parry). Parry felt at this viewing there was more joy and cheering when President Obama was sworn into office than the January 20th 2001 swearing in of President Bush.
1.8 million people braved the cold that wintery morning, without a single inaugural police-related arrest. There were cheers of yips and yelps, at the Jumbotron, but this time for the incoming president, not the outgoing one.
Robert Parry is an award winning recipient of the George Polk Award, of the Iran-Contra affair. Parry has also written several books criticizing the George W. Bush administration.
Jumbo Dreams
Jack Jones a writer for Sports Illustrated examines the history and popularity of the Jumbotron (The Jumbotron is a generic term for large video screen installations).
According to Jones, the first giant glittering scoreboard can be traced to the Diamond Vision system by Mitsubishi installed at Dodger Stadium in 1980. Now virtually every pro and college athletic venue has bowed to the consumer demand for the big screen (Jones). Jones feels the Jumbotron is made for football, with its hail Mary passes, high fives, cheer leaders and Roman pageantry. Even the players use the giant screen to their advantage, checking where potential opponents are located on the playing field. The players also use the Jumbotron as the 13th man says New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara, pumping us up during the game.
There are rules using the Jumbotron, for instance “the home team must use discretion in showing replays that could cause strong fan reaction” as stated in the NFL game operations manual. The video director of the large screen television feed cannot show the referees missed the penalty of the opposing team over and over again.
Jones recognizes Jumbotron viewing is a technology in flux, the new video apparatus may be 3-D LED screens or portable hand held devices that allow the spectator to choose the video feeds from the stadium (Anadpura). As the former Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm as quoted as saying, “We are not selling football games, we are selling events, we have to have pageantry, excitement and crowds.”
From Tiles to Pixels: Media and the City
Roy Stickland writes a Blade Runneresque narrative of public spaces blitzkrieg by PC screens to Jumbotrons and a never ending stream of words, images and sounds challenges of place (Strickland). Shinjuku, Japan or Times Square in New York City are examples of artificial environments that distract from the natural order. Strickland believes the cacophony and collision of media in Times Square are just options for creative expressions, learning and commercialism. The “cool media” environment helps to shape the Jumbotron experience, but Times Square may overwhelm the messages from the latest Jumbotron commercial, drowning out the video at the New York Times Building. In the ancient port city of Ostia, near Rome, mosaics lined the city walls and floors. These mosaics were forms of advertisements, advertising services, merchants and local restaurants. With hundreds of pedestrians strolling the ancient streets of Ostia, those Romans probably felt the discord and tension staring at the garish mosaic advertisements, similar to the feelings that arise from tourist from Kansas, who are visiting Time Square for the first time.
Methodology / Research
The consortium of research will focus on extensive interviews, examining cost benefit analysis, return on investment and quantifiable objectives of the social impact of the big screen. Extensive phone and in person interviews with associated research and analysis will focus on the impact of the Jumbotron, on the game, the players and the fans. In public spaces interviews will be conducted with pedestrians, social and public art activists, city officials, advertisers and marketing officials.
Informal conversational interviews and general interview guide approach will be used to collect data on Jumbotron viewing. Types of questions to be asked will need to be analyzed for effectiveness. Behaviors, opinions, feelings and knowledge need to be taken into account before samples questions are used. Standardized, open-ended interview and closed, fixed-response interview techniques will be used to assure accuracy in sampling (Shrivastava/Valenzuela).
Interviews with respondents will be audio taped to insure accuracy. Questions will be asked one at a time, interviewers will remain neutral. (Shrivastava/Valenzuela).
These are some examples of questions to be asked.
Do you see the benefit of the Jumbotron screen in this stadium?
Do you find the Jumbotron screen a distraction watching this event?
Do you find you watch the Jumbotron screen more than the playing field?
Do you pay attention to the commercials on the Jumbotron screen?
When you do watch the Jumbotron screen, what do you find yourself watching?
Do you always watch the replays on the Jumbotron screen?
As a player do you watch the Jumbotron screen?
As a player, do you think about doing something fancy on the playing field to be shown later on a highlight reel on the Jumbotron?
As a coach do you watch in Jumbotron screen?
The interview process would include the following subjects and locations:
1. Location: University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona. Wildcats (Football)
Respondents: Athletic Director, Marketing Managers, Advertising Agencies, University President, Ticket Holders, Television Production Crew, Team Clubs, Advertisers, Team Sponsors, Coaches and Players.
2. Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona Diamondbacks (Baseball)
Respondents: General Manager, Marketing Managers, Advertising Agencies, Ticket Holders, Television Production Crew, Advertisers, Team Sponsors, Coaches and Players.
3. Location: The Northern Liberties Jumbotron, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Respondents: Advertising Agencies, Pedestrians, Commerce Partners, Merchants,
4. Location: Daktronics, Brookings, South Dakota, Manufacture.
Respondents: President, Marketing Manager.
After the interview process is completed interpreting the data will become an important factor in the accuracy of the information received. Respondent’s answers will need to be transcribed from previous audio recordings. The information will be codified and collated and arguments will be explored and researched against existing material.
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