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CNN Live At Daybreak
Show Business: The Year In Review
Aired December 26, 2003 - 05:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A hot Hollywood couple and their cold movie, a media merger by any other name and a dissident wake-up call for song swappers. The year 2003 proved that there is no business like show business.
CNN's Jen Rogers looks back for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Hollywood, it was a year of hook ups and break ups, and we're not just talking about Bennifer. Vivendi Universal said au revoir to its U.S. entertainment asset, Edgar Bronfman Jr. lost out to top bidder NBC. So Bronfman later regained his mobile status taking Warner Music from Time Warner, parent of CNN. Which, by the way, saw Chairman Steve Case step down and drop the AOL from its name more than three years and tens of billions of dollars in lost market cap after the 2000 merger.
ALEC KLEIN, AUTHOR, "STEALING TIME": For months, Time Warner people have been absolutely furious about the merger and have been asking Dick Parsons, the CEO, to get rid of the AOL name. And he has resisted that until now, because he felt that he didn't want to rock the boat.
ROGERS: The boardroom was rocked at the Walt Disney company. Two board members resigned, including Walt Disney's nephew, Roy, citing mismanagement by Chairman Michael Eisner.
ROY DISNEY, FORMER DISNEY BOARD MEMBER: What the company needs is new, fresh blood that's excited about the company and excited about the future.
ROGERS: The problem for the dissenters, Disney's present has been pretty good. The Mouse House delivered at the box office in 2003, becoming the first studio to top $3 billion in worldwide box office grosses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm from the ocean.
ROGERS: "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" were the two highest grossing films of the year in the U.S., both raking in more than $300 million.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Satisfied.
ROGERS: Back on the small screen, ratings overall were less than stellar, but romance put Fox to its highest rated non-sports night ever with the finally of "Joe Millionaire." And while Evan and Zora didn't last, Trista and Ryan walked down the aisle, wooing 17 million viewers for ABC. "American Idol" worship continued, crowning a new champ. And cable or Bravo became appointment viewing with "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That didn't hurt at all.
ROGERS: The media business most in need of a Fab Five makeover, music. Sales continued to slump. But 2003 became the year the industry decided to fight back, slamming individual song swappers with hundreds of lawsuits.
CARY SHERMAN, PRESIDENT, RIAA: We're really serious. We've come to the conclusion that the only way that you deter illegal behavior is by taking actions that make it clear that there can be consequences.
ROGERS: Overall, 2003 was a pretty prosperous year for the entertainment industry, despite a few low moments.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Larry Gigli, right? I saw it on the mailbox.
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: Yes, it's pronounced Gigli but rhymes with really.
ROGERS: They must be really, really happy that this year is almost over.
Jen Rogers, CNN Financial News, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 26, 2003 - 05:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A hot Hollywood couple and their cold movie, a media merger by any other name and a dissident wake-up call for song swappers. The year 2003 proved that there is no business like show business.
CNN's Jen Rogers looks back for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Hollywood, it was a year of hook ups and break ups, and we're not just talking about Bennifer. Vivendi Universal said au revoir to its U.S. entertainment asset, Edgar Bronfman Jr. lost out to top bidder NBC. So Bronfman later regained his mobile status taking Warner Music from Time Warner, parent of CNN. Which, by the way, saw Chairman Steve Case step down and drop the AOL from its name more than three years and tens of billions of dollars in lost market cap after the 2000 merger.
ALEC KLEIN, AUTHOR, "STEALING TIME": For months, Time Warner people have been absolutely furious about the merger and have been asking Dick Parsons, the CEO, to get rid of the AOL name. And he has resisted that until now, because he felt that he didn't want to rock the boat.
ROGERS: The boardroom was rocked at the Walt Disney company. Two board members resigned, including Walt Disney's nephew, Roy, citing mismanagement by Chairman Michael Eisner.
ROY DISNEY, FORMER DISNEY BOARD MEMBER: What the company needs is new, fresh blood that's excited about the company and excited about the future.
ROGERS: The problem for the dissenters, Disney's present has been pretty good. The Mouse House delivered at the box office in 2003, becoming the first studio to top $3 billion in worldwide box office grosses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm from the ocean.
ROGERS: "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" were the two highest grossing films of the year in the U.S., both raking in more than $300 million.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Satisfied.
ROGERS: Back on the small screen, ratings overall were less than stellar, but romance put Fox to its highest rated non-sports night ever with the finally of "Joe Millionaire." And while Evan and Zora didn't last, Trista and Ryan walked down the aisle, wooing 17 million viewers for ABC. "American Idol" worship continued, crowning a new champ. And cable or Bravo became appointment viewing with "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That didn't hurt at all.
ROGERS: The media business most in need of a Fab Five makeover, music. Sales continued to slump. But 2003 became the year the industry decided to fight back, slamming individual song swappers with hundreds of lawsuits.
CARY SHERMAN, PRESIDENT, RIAA: We're really serious. We've come to the conclusion that the only way that you deter illegal behavior is by taking actions that make it clear that there can be consequences.
ROGERS: Overall, 2003 was a pretty prosperous year for the entertainment industry, despite a few low moments.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Larry Gigli, right? I saw it on the mailbox.
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: Yes, it's pronounced Gigli but rhymes with really.
ROGERS: They must be really, really happy that this year is almost over.
Jen Rogers, CNN Financial News, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
