Videoage International March-April 2020

I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.V i deoAge.org THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION March/April 2020 - VOL. 40 NO. 2 - $9.75 T he industry’s calendar showed three TV trade shows that were to be held in Europe in the spring: Series Mania in northern France’s Lille, MIP-TV in southern France’s Cannes, and Cartoons on the Bay, set to take place in Pescara, a town in the center of Italy. With north, south, and the center all rep- resented, the geographical balance was to be well respected. But after the completion of NATPE Miami in late January, the TV sector became aware of a threat to more than just the overlapping calendar dates: the coronavirus, a virus that originated in China that’s more virulent than the similar Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that also began in China in January 2003. Then on March 1, the French go- vernment banned indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people (although football matches were held in French stadiums and weren’t shut down be- cause they were held outdoor). According to the Wall Street Journal , so far organizers in Asia, Europe and North America have can- celled or postponed some 440 trade shows and exhibitions in response to Cancelled TV Trade Shows In Europe: It’s An Epidemic (Continued on Page 10) My2¢: Red ink for the red carpet is also used to print scripts NATPE Miami’s vision is almost perfect... If only it weren’t freezing cold Critics make execs spill the beans on the new U.S. TV Season Breaking News: Fake news is not a Trump creation Page 30 Page 16 Page 12 Page 8 M oishe (Moses) Znaimer is a media entrepreneur, media executive, media innovator, TV host, producer, con- tent distributor, actor, historian, museum curator, philosopher, and prophet who has been influencing and polarizing Canadian society since 1965, the year he received a master’s degree in politics from Harvard University. Moses Znaimer: A NewMcLuhan With a Twist (Continued on Page 26) (Continued on Page 22) W ith NATPE and the Lon- don Screenings in the rearview mirror — and this year’s edition of MIP-TV can- celed — TV’s mid-season was more than over. That meant it was time to start thinking about the new season, and thus the L.A. Screenings. Then on March 12 came this state- ment from the major U.S. studios: “Due to the impact and growing concerns around [coronavirus] CO- VID-19, the major U.S. internation- al television distributors (Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony, ViacomCBS, and Warner Bros.) have decided to explore alternative options to host- ing the 2020 L.A. Screenings in Los Angeles.” L.A. Screenings Live Events Go Streaming The Right Opportunity is Priceless Get Your Free Exhibit Pass wi th code CINE2020 APRIL 18–22 LAS VEGAS Discover what the Next Gen is Up To... Get Your Free Exhibit Pass with code CINE2020 APRIL 18–22 LAS VEGAS