Video Age International April 2016

6 World April 2016 V I D E O A G E Super Bowl Show: Myth, Reality T he Super Bowl, the annual game between the winners of the two American Football Leagues (NFC and AFC), is usually watched by over 110 million viewers in the U.S. Overseas, the audience is estimated at over 35 million. At times, more popular than the games themselves are the 12-minute live halftime shows (which since 1991, feature famous singers and pop bands), as well as the commercials shown during the games’ broadcasts. Prior to 1991, Super Bowl halftime breaks featured mostly marching bands. Last February’s game was the 50 th of the series, andwas brandedwith Arabic numbers, rather than traditional Roman numerals, which would have been “L.” For the League owners, it was too close to interpretations or mockery such “Loser” or “Lost.” The success of the Super Bowls and the modern halftime shows depends on the branding value of the competing teams (which this year were the winning Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers — 24 to 10), and the popularity of the performing artists. This year’s line-up included Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, and Beyoncé. But it was Texas-born Beyoncé who generated the most buzz with a controversial music and dance performance interpreted as a celebration of the revolutionary Black Panthers and inspirational civil activist Malcolm X. Fortunately for the CBS TV network that broadcasts the event live from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the sound was garbled, making the words unintelligible to most viewers. The networks that broadcast the Super Bowl halftime shows are also protected by a five-second sound delay to bleep out potential controversial words. Since 2003, the halftime shows are mostly pre-recorded, with the exception of the singing of the National Anthem, which Lady Gaga performed excellently this year. For the halftime show, organizers have just eight minutes to build the stage in the middle of the stadium and only three-and-a-half minutes to get the sound system set up (and seven minutes to clear the field for the second half of the game). Plus, the echo in the stadium can create further problems. (Continued on Page 8) (Continued from Page 4) V ittorio Argento has replaced RAI veteran Paolo Morawski as Prix Italia’s Secretary General. Organized by RAI, Italy’s state broadcaster, the Prix Italia radio, TV and Web festival is now in its 68th year. Argento (pictured at right) is the 13th Secretary General to head the annual event. Born in Milan, the 58-year-old Argento has spent his career working in radio and daily newspapers. He is a RAI veteran, and joined the organization in 1990. He was responsible for the early morning news bulletins when he became deputy managing director of RAI Radio1 and RAI Radio News in 2007. Argento entered the field in 1976 with a private station. He is an expert on air and space flights, and teaches radio journalism at Scuola di Giornalismo Radiotelevisivo in Perugia. RAI’s Prix Italia Has a New Secretary General MARCH.2016 JUNIOR PAGE _ 7.284”x 9.055” VIDEO AGE The Best in Automotive Programming www.grbtv.com • sales @ grbtv.com 13 x 30 Stand R7.K17 9 x 30 11 x 60 1 x 120 41 x 60