Golden Globes deliver second-worst ratings since '95 (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

Los Angeles Times ^ | January 12, 2009 | Scott Collins

[abb]

Fancy gowns and teary speeches made a comeback at Sunday's Golden Globes on NBC, but all that couldn't rescue the ceremony's ratings, with the telecast delivering its second-worst numbers since 1995.

The three-hour Globes averaged 14.6 million total viewers, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research. That was a big improvement over last year, when the writers strike led to a stripped-down, one-hour telecast seen by a total of only 6 million viewers.

But the Sunday telecast marked a steep dive from 2007, when the Globes averaged 20 million total viewers -- not to mention as recently as 2004, when the award show was encroaching on Oscar territory with an audience of 26.8 million.

It's possible that last year's interruption may have hurt the Globes. Limited constituencies for the movies nominated this year -- including "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionaire" -- probably didn't help, either.

On the bright side, the Globes ranked first in every half-hour the program aired except for the 8:00-8:30 p.m. block, when CBS' "60 Minutes" was artificially inflated due to the runover in some markets from the San Diego Chargers-Pittsburgh Steelers football game.

On Fox, a two-hour special season opener of "24" averaged 12.6 million total viewers, which was slightly higher than the numbers for the series' "Redemption" TV movie that aired back in November and roughly in line with "24's" season averages across its run.

[Tublecane]

“Isn’t what they make in the theaters or even here in the USA unimportant compared to what they make in foreign distribution and DVD sales and later cable TV?”

I believe that’s true. “Titanic” made only 600 mill in domestic box office. The foreign market and VHS/DVD launched it into the billions.

[abb]

Isn’t what they make in the theaters or even here in the USA unimportant compared to what they make in foreign distribution and DVD sales and later cable TV?

Somewhat accurate. Over the past few years, foreign distribution revenues and DVD sales have been the "gravy" for movie makers. In other words, if domestic box office were the only source of revenue a lot of studios would be toes up. And I suspect foreign box office and DVD sales wouldn't be enough by themselves, either. They have to hit on all three to make a lot of money.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Good points, I just think we need more family programing like Marley and Me and when there is little money to go around in Hollywood I don’t like to think they pull away from the feel good movies for the “artsy” movies. I agree we need both, but frankly I’ve seen some movies that my husband and I have asked “who in the world agreed to finance that thing” and one was the movie Tom Cruise was nominated for... that was one of the worst movies I’ve seen in years and we didn’t even watch to the end, it was that bad.

[RetiredArmy]

14.6 million people wasted their time watching this garbage??????????????? GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Idiots.

[trisham]

I don't see the point of televising this phony event.

[abb]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/business/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003929494
‘Honolulu Advertiser’ Drops, Consolidates Sections

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117998381.html?categoryid=18&cs=1
SAG leaders in emergency meeting

[x]

Barring a complete collapse of the economy or some global catastrophe, there will probably always be an entertainment industry.

Newspapers may be replaced by the Internet, but the market for audiovisual entertainment still looks solid, whether it's on film or DVD or streamed.

If it turns out it's too easy to steal it, there may be a problem.

Anyway it's impressive and inspiring that a high school fattie like Kate Winslet or a down-and-out bum like Mickey Rourke can rise to the top of a demanding profession.

Good for them.

[TheConservativeParty]

OMG. Last night, my husband turned on that show just as Kate Winslet was gushing on and on. I asked him “Is she kidding, trying to be funny?”. Nope she really was that worked up over HERSELF. The camera panned to the audience of admiring self-worshippers, who beamed back at Kate. Enough to make you hurl!!! I had to leave the room.

[GeronL]

why wade through that mess when its so simple to find the winners at Yahoo

[abb]

http://charlotte.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=3210
Dead Media Walking

[utahagen]

I agree. I suspect Zellwegger’s awful look was intentional (for attention).

[stuartcr]

I guess the people that watch those shows consider all of the event entertaining, whether some may see it as propaganda or not.

[DoughtyOne]

Or they just put up with it, because they want to see the show. That’s my wife’s take on it. She ignores the pinhead comments and watches anyway.

[doug from upland]

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Ciexyz]

Cool links. Thanks for posting.

[Ciexyz]

Am enjoying all your links on Death of the Press. "The key to survival is reinventing all we do." Yes!

[stuartcr]

That’s what we do, just ignore or mock them.

[Deb]

I thought “Button” was long and tedious. Cate Blanchette was affected and the thought that her character as a little girl would be intrigued with wrinkled, old man in his eighties was ridiculous. Also, the “Button” character doesn't do anything except get younger. He has no personality, no achievements, no passions. But maybe I was expecting something different. I'm glad your friends liked it. That's a good sign.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s because you have more than half a brain. Think of all the TMZ and Entertainment Tonight people, who think of these people as gods, and take every word dropping from their lips, as the brightest thing every said.