Did you know that television changed the course of the Academy Awards? No, it wasn't Joan dishin' on the red carpet!
It was six weeks to showtime and four of the major sponsors had reneged on their agreement to fund the 25th Academy Awards. Back in 1953, the Oscar Awards were financed by the eight major film studios. With the lights about to go out, the Academy had to quickly find $100,000 or the show would not go on.
Television networks had been courting the Academy for broadcast rights to air the Award show for sometime. It may seem now like a no brainer for the Academy to explore that option. But keep in mind in 1953, TV was quickly becoming hot competition for film makers. Did the prestigious Academy want to align with the scalawags of the new media who were stealing their customers?
A crisis can make for strange bedfellows. The Academy signed an exclusive deal with NBC/RCA for TV and radio rights.
RCA Victor had the honor of being the first TV award show sponsor. For $100,000 (which by the way, just covered production costs) they got six commercial breaks and two station ID breaks on the 90-minute program.
To borrow a line from Casablanca. "Looks like this was the start of a beautiful friendship." And it was indeed! Jump to Oscar Awards 2005. 25 different sponsors. $1.5 million per 30-second spot. Any votes on how long the show will be this year?
Heard it from Media Life
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Toby,
Launched this on the world - or at least the part of the world that scours Advance.net for the (family-friendly) cream of the BC Web log.
Here's the link. Sorry here.
- Thanks. Temple