All the major television networks are preparing their dog-and-pony shows for advertisers at this year’s upfront presentations as they look to sell $9 billion worth of commercial time for the upcoming season. However with viewership continuing to become more fractured, the industry has grown concerned that falling ratings over the past year will lead to lower ad sales. Which raises the question about just how accurate audience measurement is these days.
Networks have begun taking measures to shore up potentially weaker ad sales by demanding harder bargains from production companies, owning more of their own series and making untold fortunes internationally with certain shows. They’re also dabbling more and more with live television specials including musicals such as “A Christmas Story”.
The 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will also begin this week, though not without some controversy over two Netflix titles screening in competition, but not in French movie theaters. This has led Cannes to create a new rule beginning in 2018 that any film selected for the festival must have a theatrical release in France.
Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why Spotify might abandon plans for its IPO in lieu of a direct list o the stock market, Cheryl Boone Isaacs decides not to run for another term as head of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Kelly Clarkson joins “The Voice” just as ABC announces the return of “American Idol.”

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of May 14, 2017
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-may-14-2017-300457247.html
Watch Renée Fleming Take Her Final Bow in ‘Der Rosenkavalier’
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/arts/music/renee-fleming-final-bow-der-rosenkavalier.html?_r=0
Netflix CEO Rips Cannes Theater Policy: “Closing Ranks Against Us”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-festival-keeps-netflix-titles-lineup-requires-theatrical-releases-all-films-future-1002103
Cannes Purists Decry Netflix Inclusion as “Dangerous” Precedent
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-purists-decry-netflix-inclusion-as-dangerous-precedent-1001663
Cannes Keeps Netflix Movies in Competition but Says Future Films Must Have Theatrical Release
http://variety.com/2017/film/global/cannes-film-festival-maintains-netflixs-movies-in-competition-sets-new-rule-amid-turmoil-1202420874/
Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/10/11/apollo-8/
Irish Police Investigate (but Don’t Charge) Stephen Fry for Blasphemy
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/world/europe/irish-police-investigate-but-dont-charge-stephen-fry-for-blasphemy.html
A Ripped Col. Sanders Stars in KFC’s First Romance Novel