KEY POINTS:
Hollywood is biting back against SkyCity. Hollywood film distributors say they are "getting a little bit sick of SkyCity Entertainment bagging Hollywood" after comments this week.
SkyCity acting chief executive Elmar Toime slashed $60 million off the valuation for SkyCity Cinemas and blamed under-performing Hollywood movies and the hot weather for the chain's not meeting expectations.
But distributors say that the big concern is not about the box office. It is that SkyCity does not sell but keeps the chain that dominates the Auckland market, and "continues to starve it of capital".
Motion Picture Distributors Association New Zealand president Andrew Cornwell said Sky was contributing to this idea that the cinema industry was in bad shape - but that was just not the case.
Cornwell, who is general manager of Hollywood distributor Sony Pictures in this country, said movie hits went up and down and attendances were flat in 2007, but a price rise on tickets meant box office takings last year were up by 3 per cent.
"It's a stretch to blame Hollywood and they can't keep running that flag up the pole," Cornwell said.
SkyCity bought a a good asset in the cinema chain but it was avoiding the elephant in the room. It paid too much for it and that had affected their outcome, he said.
Prime's got talent
I'm tipping a local version of America's Got Talent for TV screens this year.
That is on top of Wheel of Fortune which has been resurrected for 5.30pm daily for TV One - the lead up to One News - on April 7.
With TV viewing habits more volatile all the television networks have turned to the old staple of big format gameshows and quiz formats which aim at secure and loyal audiences.
Big format quiz and talent shows will also help them to cover a shortage of drama shows in the aftermath of the US writers' strike.
Prime TV has smothered its schedule with these format shows also planning to develop a local version of the popular variety talent programme America's Got Talent.
Prime declined to comment but we hear that planning for the show with a local "New Zealand Has Talent" is advanced.
Prime continues to enjoy a good run out of the Australian Channel 9 version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, so on first glance you would wonder why it is not spending money there.
I understand that the New Zealand rights to the the show have been picked up by local production company Great Southern Television, the same company that makes Lion Man and Eating Media Lunch for TVNZ.
Great Southern Television bosses could not be reached for comment at print time when we asked about its plans for rights.
In the past TVNZ has considered a local version of Millionaire but baulked at the cost.
One Australian industry source familiar with the show suggested two options for reducing costs, including flying contestants to Australia to rent the set.
In other countries Millionaire producers have also taken insurance against there being too many $1 million and $500,000 winners, and the insurance company gets to to see questions aren't too easy.
Nats offer fewer Sky limits
A quick chat with National's broadcasting spokesman Jonathan Coleman indicates that Sky would be more comfortable if a National led government is elected later this year.
National is still being secret squirrel about broadcasting - as it is with all its policies - but Coleman said this week that in general terms the party was concerned about the potential for more broadcasting regulation under the current review.
In particular he said that National did not support the idea floated in the review of anti-syphoning rules which ensures that free-to-air TV had first bite of key sports events - as occurs in Australia or Britain. Such a rule would be a big hit for Sky.
He said that consumers had benefited from having Sky unencumbered by regulations. Labour has been kind to Sky and avoided any regulation - even in the face of heavy lobbying from the free to airs after it was able to buy Prime TV.
Darkness after dawn
There could be trouble ahead for TV3's morning show which last week delivered days where the audience was too small to even register on the AGB Nielsen people meter ratings. Advertisers aren't too worried - they only pay based on how much shows rate. But Total Media managing director Martin Gillman believes the show has big problems and urgently needs surgery.
"The days must be numbered for Sunrise which just does not stand out from the competition, Gillman said. I hope they don't can it because morning television is an important growth area for free-to-air TV," Gillman said. Certainly the beauty and beast line up of Pippa Wetzell and Paul Henry has settled in. TVNZ was not available to sing its own praises but TV3's news chief, Mark Jennings, insists the TV One show is down as well and breakfast radio is the big winner.
Jennings did not se any major problems with Sunrise and said there were no plans for major changes and it had been tweaked over the summer break. Watch this space.
Taut, tanned and terrific
In this glorious summer, early evening shows are facing a struggle attracting TV viewers away from Shortland Street and inside from the barbecue and back yards. Certainly host John Campbell appears to have been enjoying the outdoor life on his extended holiday looking "taut, tanned and terrific" with a new image on screen. Campbell has also dropped his trademark expensive ties. Mark Jennings acknowledged the open necked look was no coincidence and the plan was to keep the tie in the top drawer. He said the new look was tracking well with viewers.
The downside for TV3 though is that Campbell will be looking to amend his famously extravagant on air wardrobe with more open neck fare.
Adman on Tryphena
Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide interactive creative director Tom Eslinger works on the cutting edge of new media but he is not always wired for the web. When at his home on Great Barrier Island near Auckland he relies on old technology - riding his bike to the top of a hill behind Tryphena to use his phone.
Eslinger spends around nine months of each year overseas such as the US where he has been weaving digital arms into Saatchi agencies around the world. He spends part of his time at a home in the Auckland CBD but says island isolation has never been a problem.
Eslinger has a dream job. An art-focused adman, he moved to New Zealand from Minnesota nine years ago to launch the design school at Wanganui Polytechnic, then moved to Saatchi & Saatchi developing its interactive arm into New Zealand's most advanced. Then he was picked for the global role.
It was tempting to think that all advertising messages had to have an interactive element such as a game, but Eslinger says a straight ad is sometimes all you need. "Personally I don't want to play with every single advertisement or communication." he said. Eslinger says his biggest joy in recent times has been Saatchi's winning the ad account for the 250th anniversary of Guinness Beer noting that interactive communications were important in reaching the 25-year-old man to convince him to buy a beer. Which must be harder than it sounds.
