News Digest - August 24, 2004

Academy to house DCI test material

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the seven-studio coalition on digital cinema known as Digital Cinema Initiatives agreed Monday to store DCI's digital cinema testing material at the Academy's film archive. The Standardized Evaluation Material (StEM), which provides a baseline to test digital cinema technologies, was developed by DCI and the American Society of Cinematographers last summer. StEM will be stored in the Academy's vaults at the Pickford Center in Hollywood.



Eubanks hosting L.A. Emmys

The 56th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards are set for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. An edited, one-hour special of the ceremony, which will be hosted by game show veteran Bob Eubanks, will air at 10 p.m. Sept. 17 on KCET in Los Angeles. Presenters will include Linda Alvarez of KCBS in Los Angeles and Ana Garcia of KNBC in Los Angeles.



NYFCC chair peeks into crystal ball

The New York Film Critics Circle will conduct voting for its 70th annual awards Dec. 13 at the Muse Hotel in Manhattan. The awards will be given out at the organization's annual dinner Jan. 9. NYFCC chairman Jonathan Foreman on Monday provided insight into what the organization might find vote-worthy this year. "Though it has not been an especially good year for film so far, with some obvious exceptions like 'Eternal Sunshine (of the Spotless Mind),' I have high hopes for many of the fall releases," he said. Last year, the NYFCC gave New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" its best feature honor.



'Dr. Phil' bumps bows; Kilborn exits Friday

CBS has postponed the fall premieres of "60 Minutes," "The King of Queens" and new comedy series "Center of the Universe" by a week to make room for "A Dr. Phil Primetime Special: Family First." The two-hour "Dr. Phil" special will air at 8 p.m. Sept. 22, followed by the series premiere of "CSI: NY" at 10 p.m. "60 Minutes," "King of Queens" and "Universe" will now premiere the following Wednesday, Sept. 29, starting at 8 p.m. Separately, CBS has confirmed that Craig Kilborn's last day as host of "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" will be Friday. Repeats will air until the show's new season starts Sept. 20, when guest hosts will fill in until a new permanent host is selected, at least until the end of October, the network said.



'Oprah' nabs postpartum Paltrow talk

While syndicated talker "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is in repeats until its season premiere Sept. 13, a special, brand-new episode will air Thursday that features Gwyneth Paltrow's first interview since giving birth to a daughter with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Paltrow will talk about being a newlywed and first-time mom and life without her father, Bruce Paltrow, who died in October 2002.



Tennis Channel serves up movie campaign

The Tennis Channel, the 24-hour cable television network devoted exclusively to tennis and other racquet sports, has partnered with Universal Pictures to market the film "Wimbledon" with an on-air sweepstakes and a co-branded advertising campaign. The Tennis Channel also will telecast behind-the-scenes programming about the film, host "Wimbledon" screenings and promote the movie at several tennis tournaments this summer. "Wimbledon," a Working Title film, opens nationwide Sept. 17.