The big picture

There's a revolution taking place in Hollywood, according to Edward Jay Epstein in The Big Picture: The New Logic of Money and Power in Hollywood. The major U.S. movie studios lost $11bn in the cinemas in 2003, he said, but more than made up for this on revenue from such things as video games, fast-food tie-ins, soundtracks and other licensing agreements. In the CR, few domestically produced films ever make a profit, but instead of turning to merchandising and other creative solutions, those involved are looking for a handout from television stations in the form of a special tax. Ultimately, of course, it will be paid by advertisers and consumers. One reason Vítězslav Jandák was chosen as culture minister was his willingness to go along with this rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul strategy. It's looking more likely that Premier Jiří Paroubek's recent meeting with the heads of the TV stations also included an undisclosed agreement on this special tax. [Czech Republic TV Nova TV Prima Česká televize]