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A popular news item making the rounds: How TV shows on DVD suffer from music licensing.
With the popularity of TV shows (both new and old) being released on DVD, studios are finding that it is too expensive to license music appearing in TV shows for their release on DVD. This means the tracks in question must be removed completely and replaced, or it will keep the TV series from appearing on home video altogether.
"The cost of clearing the music often doubles the amount of units you've got to sell. Sometimes, it becomes impossible. The projections don't match what is currently happening on the charts."
This problem is most apparent for one particular television series: WKRP in Cincinnati
The 1970s sitcom used so much classic rock that it would cost 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment a mint to clear the tracks. Fox has suggested that it still is considering releasing "WKRP," but others are not optimistic that the comedy and similar shows of its kind will ever make it into the market.
"'WKRP' will always be in limbo," says Paul Brownstein, a DVD producer of classic CBS shows such as the "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Gunsmoke" and "The Twilight Zone."
The issue of music licensing isn't limited to classic TV shows of the past. From recent hits like NBC's Las Vegas to MTV's long-running series The Real World, shows appearing on DVD will use songs (and in the case of The Real World, very bland stock music) different than you remember. (via Waxy.org)
With the popularity of TV shows (both new and old) being released on DVD, studios are finding that it is too expensive to license music appearing in TV shows for their release on DVD. This means the tracks in question must be removed completely and replaced, or it will keep the TV series from appearing on home video altogether.
"The cost of clearing the music often doubles the amount of units you've got to sell. Sometimes, it becomes impossible. The projections don't match what is currently happening on the charts."
This problem is most apparent for one particular television series: WKRP in Cincinnati
The 1970s sitcom used so much classic rock that it would cost 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment a mint to clear the tracks. Fox has suggested that it still is considering releasing "WKRP," but others are not optimistic that the comedy and similar shows of its kind will ever make it into the market.
"'WKRP' will always be in limbo," says Paul Brownstein, a DVD producer of classic CBS shows such as the "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Gunsmoke" and "The Twilight Zone."
The issue of music licensing isn't limited to classic TV shows of the past. From recent hits like NBC's Las Vegas to MTV's long-running series The Real World, shows appearing on DVD will use songs (and in the case of The Real World, very bland stock music) different than you remember. (via Waxy.org)