Thomas K. Arnold is considered one of the leading home entertainment journalists in the country. He is publisher and editorial director of Home Media Magazine, the home entertainment industry’s weekly trade publication. He also is home entertainment editor for The Hollywood Reporter and frequently writes about home entertainment and theatrical for USA Today. He has talked about home entertainment issues on CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight,” “Entertainment Tonight,” Starz, The Hollywood Reporter and the G4 network’s “Attack of the Show,” where he has been a frequent guest. Arnold also is the executive producer of The Home Entertainment Summit, a key annual gathering of studio executives and other industry leaders, and has given speeches and presentations at a variety of other events, including Home Media Expo and the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy.
CDs Lose Ground to Digital
Just read the new report from The NPD Group that found there were nearly 17 million fewer CD buyers in 2008 compared to the prior year. The decline in CD buyers cut across all demos, but was particularly focused on teens and consumers ages 50 and up. The number of Internet users paying for digital music increased by about 8 million in 2008 to 36 million, according to the report. Purchases of online digital music downloads increased 29% since last year and now account for 33% of all music tracks purchased in the United States.
The press released quoted Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group and an old friend of Home Media Magazine, as saying, "Rising incidence of paid downloads is a positive development for the industry, but not all lost CD buyers are turning to digital music." Interesting — this underscores the importance of keeping packaged media alive and healthy, because you're not going to make up for it on the digital side.
To view additional postings, visit the homepage for TK’s Take.
By: Thomas K. Arnold
Bishop Tells It Like It Is
By: Thomas K. Arnold
Box Office Bodes Well
I just finished covering the weekend's box office for USA Today.
Interesting — the box office is up 12% in revenue and 15% in attendance this year, and distributors are saying the audience for movies is broadening beyond their core demographic. Hopefully this will begin translating to our business.
You can read my story :
To view additional postings, visit the homepage for TK’s Take.
By: Thomas K. Arnold
I’ve Finally Joined the Blogosphere
Thomas K. Arnold
Our new digital marketing guru, Amy Coronato, told me it’s high time I hit the blogosphere. So at the end of this week, from what I’m told, we’ll be live and you can read my brand-new blog at www.homemediamagazine.com/blog/tks-take.
I’ll admit I haven’t been looking forward to being tied to the computer even more than I already am, what with story commitments, budgeting, e-mailing and IMing. And that’s just on the business side of my life. On the personal side I am an avid photographer, videographer and chronicler of the Arnold family’s various activities, not to mention my newfound affinity with Twitter and Facebook — both of which I’ve embraced with gusto, to the point where my Twitter followers now know just about everything I’m doing every minute of the day — within reason, of course.
But back to the blog. In essence, I am committing to being online virtually around the clock simply because there’s so much happening in our home entertainment business that I can’t begin to write it all in lengthy, well-researched news stories and thoughtful, analytical commentaries.
As I state in my first blog entry: “Much of what happens I want to tell you about NOW. I have opinions of things that need to come out NOW. And quite honestly, thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I have become quite accustomed to living much of my life on the computer, communicating to folks in blog fashion.
“You might not always like what you read, you might disagree with some of my opinions, and you might have tidbits or suggestions you’d like to pass along. More power to you — and please let me know at tarnold@questex.com.
“I plan on updating my blog once, twice a day, whenever the spirit moves me, so please check back often. Consider this my own running commentary on the $22 billion home entertainment industry, from DVDs and Blu-ray Discs to digital copies, digital downloads and however else someone will think of to bring entertainment to you.”
There you have it. Now, please tune in.
Thomas K. Arnold’s blog can be found at www.homemediamagazine.com/blog/tks-take.
By: Thomas K. Arnold