Mystical as anything, the Boo commercials showed people blowing the tides around. I never twigged what Boo did.The dot-com approach was the one the agencies should have been applying to their real-world clients. Familiar, frumpy brands need a bit of destabilisation now and again. You don’t need to tell everyone what they do, you just need to whip up a talking-point with a bit of attitude.But what the dot coms needed was a bunch of stylish infomercials.peter sru.co.uk. Television companies will be forced by law to show more British feature films as part of strict new public service broadcasting rules.
BBC1 showed six, including Mansfield Park and Chicken Run, and BBC2 screened three, including Born Romantic and The Clandestine Marriage.ITV1 managed only to show Rogue Trader, while Channel 5 showed only Stanley Kubrick’s last film, Eyes Wide Shut.Yet across the European Union, investment by broadcasters plays a key role in sustaining indigenous film industries, notably in France, Italy, Spain and Poland. It is also a major contributor to film in Scandinavia.The British Government, following intervention by Kim Howells, the Culture minister, is likely to back legislation to help bring Britain into line, albeit four years after the Government’s Film Policy Review recommended that in order to develop a sustainable industry there must be a steady stream of investment from UK broadcasters. It is also a key plank of the Film Council’s strategy for the industry, first outlined late last year by its chairman, the film director Sir Alan Parker.But research shows that the BBC invests less than 1 per cent of its entire budget in UK feature film production, while ITV and Channel 5 invest even less. Even FilmFour, the production arm of Channel 4, has shut down with huge job losses and Granada hasclosed its dedicated film arm.The amendment to the Bill would mean that films will for the first time be measured as part of a station’s commitment to its public service broadcasting obligations.Parmjit Dhanda, the Labour MP who put down the amendment, said: “This should help ensure that more high-quality British films are made and seen on both large and small screens.”John Woodward, chief executive of the Film Council, said: “The involvement of broadcasters is essential to the development of a sustainable UK film industry and this change will open up more opportunities to talented film-makers and give viewers access to more high-quality, distinctively British films.”.
On the one hand, the British Prime Minister conveys to readers of this newspaper his deeply held belief that the threat of war against Iraq is both morally right and necessary. On the other hand, the Iraqi tyrant plays a wily game, offering, partially, to disarm It is a compelling contrast. It is a compelling contrast.
This weekend the conviction Prime Minister is juxtaposed with the pragmatic dictator. In his exchanges with readers of The Independent on Sunday, Mr Blair puts a powerful case for his course of action There is no question that he is sincere in his beliefs. There is also no doubt that Saddam is making devious gestures, testing the water, seeing how far he can go. Yet on the eve of war we’ll settle for Saddam’s game-playing, and urge the conviction Prime Minister to be more pragmatic.Whatever the motives of Saddam, the UN weapons inspectors are making some progress. Here is a moment to build on, a hint of an alternative course to war.
