Showbiz Sandbox 186: Bill Carter of the NY Times on Cable Ratings, Jay Leno and the Shifting Television Landscape

Summary: Bill Carter (https://twitter.com/wjcarter) of the New York Times has been reporting on the television industry for over 30 years. Who better to ask about why nothing seems to make any sense about this year’s television season? For example, cable shows have been pulling in more viewers than any of the networks. Broadcast networks that were topping the ratings just months ago, are now struggling at the back of the pack. As if that wasn’t enough, it looks as if the battle over late night programming is heating up again. In a wide-ranging conversation, Carter touches on everything from the reason networks have been cutting back their original programming to why ratings have become so complicated to tabulate (hint: it has to do with DVRs). He explains all the troubles NBC is having not only in primetime, but also with their morning news programming. Carter literally wrote the book on late night television (actually two of them), so his thoughts about which of the ever growing list of hosts is most dominant, and why, is rather insightful. Meanwhile, the Cannes Film Festival announced the selection of Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” as their opening night film. What stunned many Cannes veterans is that the festival would choose a film which will open theatrically in North America just five days before it premieres on the Croisette this May. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines, including “Django” in China, “Veronica Mars” on Kickstarter and David Bowie’s return to the music sales charts. China Box Office Die Hard Tops http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-die-hard-429333 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-die-hard-429333) China Box Office: ‘Journey to the West’ Nears All-Time Domestic Release Record http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-journey-west-427196 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-journey-west-427196) China Lifts Ban on IMDb http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-lifts-ban-imdb-428534 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-lifts-ban-imdb-428534) Saying 'Gatsby' Will Stay Put, Warners Explains Cannes Strategy http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-great-gatsby-leonardo-dicaprio-baz-luhrmann-cannes-release-date-20130312,0,299050.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-great-gatsby-leonardo-dicaprio-baz-luhrmann-cannes-release-date-20130312,0,299050.story) How Cannes Sacrificed Tradition to Land 'The Great Gatsby' http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-cannes-sacrificed-tradition-land-427857 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-cannes-sacrificed-tradition-land-427857) Winter TV Schedule Brings Shift in Ratings Race http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/fall-season-brings-shift-in-tv-ratings-race/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/fall-season-brings-shift-in-tv-ratings-race/) ‘Big Bang Theory,’ a Broadcast and Cable Juggernaut http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/big-bang-theory-a-broadcast-and-cable-juggernaut/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/big-bang-theory-a-broadcast-and-cable-juggernaut/) NBC Executive and Leno Said to Have Clashed Over Jokes http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/nbc-executive-and-leno-said-to-have-clashed-over-jokes/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/nbc-executive-and-leno-said-to-have-clashed-over-jokes/) Vevo Launches Linear Web Network http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/vevo-launches-linear-web-network-eye-cable-147868 (http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/vevo-launches-linear-web-network-eye-cable-147868) Django Unchained Sets China Release http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/django-unchained-set-china-release-428319 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/django-unchained-set-china-release-428319) ‘Django’ Composer Takes Aim at Tarantino http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.