Many years ago in this column I extolled the virtues of a local cable access channel in Los Angeles, an endorsement which on the surface seemed a bit strange.
After all, it was a channel providing a forum for local oddballs, some of whom were spouting vitriol. And it was a channel that served as a haven for ads promoting such essential products as balding remedies, suspect weight-loss programs and get rich quick schemes.
Yet the station’s saving grace was it being the only outlet on which I was able to consistently view some of that era’s outstanding public service spots. That in and of itself was a sad commentary in that it was work deserving of much more exposure–not only for its creative merits but also because it helped to advance worthwhile causes of benefit to society at large.
Fast forward to today and that sad commentary is still the case as evidenced by a Kaiser Family Foundation study released last month (see POV column below). The research concluded that much of today’s public service fare runs during dawn-of-the-dead insomniac hours. So much for public interest obligations mandated by the Federal Communications Commission for stations to earn their licenses.
The main difference today from the time my original column ran is that we now have the Internet through which it’s possible to at least access notable PSAs. But the public has to seek out this work–and that’s not enough to get much needed messages to the masses, including spots that carry inspired, moving calls to action.
A prime case in point is the entry in this week’s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust’s ‘Remember” a spot directed and conceived by Allen Weiss.
Among those starring in the spot is Weiss’ father Harry, a 78-year-old man who introduces himself as “89444,” the number the Nazis tattooed on him 65 years ago. Harry Weiss still has that tattoo on his arm, a reminder of his time spent at Nazi death camps in Landsberg, Dachau and Auschwitz.
Harry Weiss is one of three Holocaust survivors featured in this :30. One man was at a concentration camp in Bergen Belsen, another recalls the haunting sight of the crematory smokestacks “going twenty-four hours a day.”
Descendants of Nazi death camp survivors–including Harry Weiss’ two granddaughters (and Allen Weiss’ daughters)–urge us to “remember,” a word which then appears by itself on screen to finally be joined by a more complete message, which reads, “Remember 6,000,000” and then encourages us to attend a “Holocaust Commemoration” on Sunday, May 4, at the Jones Auditorium at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.
The PSA is being distributed to stations in such markets as Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, with the hope that it will be aired to promote the May 4 event.
But it remains to be seen how much meaningful exposure “Remember” will receive. If the Kaiser Family Foundation study is correct in this case, there’s sadly the distinct possibility that stations won’t pick up the spot–or if they do, don’t count on primetime placement.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More