BUSINESS NOTES UNIVERSAL TICKETS BRING IN $1 BILLION.UNIVERSAL CITY - Universal Pictures' domestic ticket sales topped the $1 billion mark for the first time during 2000, the company said Wednesday. And it is the second consecutive box office record year. As of Monday, the Universal City-based unit of Canal +, the television and film unit of Vivendi Universal, had grossed $1,000,541,255 in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Canada. The company grossed $935 million last year. This year, the company released four films that grossed more than $100 million each. ``Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' has raked in $214.8 million to date. It is the studio's fifth-highest grossing film ever and the 26th in motion picture history. - Daily News Blacks, Latinos get more roles The Screen Actors Guild found that more roles were available to African- American and Latino performers in 1999, but the total number of roles to minorities decreased. ``The American portrayal in films and television is moving slowly but steadily toward the reality of our American scene,'' SAG President William Daniels For other persons named William Daniels, see William Daniels (disambiguation). William Daniels (born March 29, 1927) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor whose distinctive, nasal voice and penchant for portraying critical yet competent characters has landed him a number said Wednesday. For 1999, 49,662 roles were signed to Guild contracts, a decrease of 12.4 percent from the 56,715 in 1998, said SAG's Greg Krizman. An ethnic breakdown of the SAG casting data indicated that 21 percent of the roles - or 10,365 - went to actors of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color last year, surpassing the 1998 total of 19 percent. - City News Service Rocket firm fends off tax collector MOJAVE - Rotary Rocket, a company that launched its bid to build a reusable spaceship with much fanfare in 1999, is struggling to meet its property tax payments and is negotiating with Kern County to hold off an asset seizure. Kern County initiated an asset seizure to recoup nearly $19,000 owed in taxes on the company's Mojave Airport plant, but put that on hold while negotiations for payment go on with the company. The tax payment was due in August. Calls to the company were not returned. - Daily News Spanish-language station wins OK The FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. gave final approval for a new Spanish-language TV station in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Azteca America Inc. announced Wednesday. KIDN-TV, Channel 54, will cover the Los Angeles Designated Market Area, the No. 1 Latino market in the United States, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the company. ``We look forward to the opportunity to serve the Hispanic population of Los Angeles with the addition of KIDN as Azteca America's flagship station In broadcasting, a flagship station is the station which originates a broadcast network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and syndication, but generally not backhauls. ,'' said Harry J. Pappas, chairman and chief executive officer of Azteca America. Azteca America is a joint venture between Pappas Telecasting Cos. and TV Azteca TV Azteca is the second largest Mexican television network. It was established in 1968 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión ("Imevisión"), and was privatized under its current name in 1993. Its flagship program is the newscast Hechos. . - City News Service |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion