What's Palin's Alaska? Subsidizing Hollywood

Is Palin's reality worth the risk?
 

"Sarah Palin's Alaska," headed for the TLC network, has been called a reality show about "interesting characters, traditions and attractions in the 49th state," as Variety says. (Discovery Communications, TLC's parent company, is calling it a documentary.) Is the sometimes-unblinking eye of reality TV a good idea for Palin? The Atlantic asks pundits whether someone who may have presidential ambitions might regret this move.

Palin is Valley Trash

 

And is it even a good deal for Discovery? The show is reportedly costing Discovery about $1 million per episode -- there are eight episodes. How much of that will go to Palin is unknown.

 

But as the Anchorage Press points out, Alaska's film subsidy program could save the producers a bundle.

Writes the Press: It's not quite as expensive as it sounds. The state of Alaska's film subsidy program would allow [producer Mark] Burnett, or anyone who hires an Alaska resident as a talking head, to get back 40 percent of those wages, or $400,000. Production companies that shoot between October and March qualify for an additional 2 percent, and there's a 2 percent rural shooting bonus. So if a company pays an Alaska politician - or an Alaska fifth-grader - $1 million to travel to Barrow and chatter in front of cameras about the first sunrise of 2011 next January, the production can qualify for $442,000 in state tax credits. Hedges the bet a just little, eh?

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3/28/10 From the Daily Beast some clarification:

Contrary to popular opinion, cable network TLC is willing to pay her roughly $250,000 per episode, or $2 million in total, to educate them.

Comments

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Want to tell Discovery your feelings about $arah P hosting a show on their channel?

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/21/boycott-the-discovery-channel-networks

In addition, tell the legislature that such a subsidy from Alaska's film subsidy program for such a fiasco is NOT a benefit to the state or it's inhabitants.

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Is the market NOT over saturated with this 'half baked' Alaskan yet?

It's all about money for Sarah and all about money for Hollywood. Together at last!!

From a network head....."They'll do anything they can do to get ratings and it's a short-term fix, but I think it's really hurting many networks in the long term," because such stunts often draw broader audiences, but they don't stay for the long term.

The critics have already pointed out that Palin's track record on the environment, family values, learning doesn't necessarily pair up with that of Discovery Communications,

The advertisers may also have to be convinced whether the new program fits with TLC, a cable channel that is usually centered on family, parenting, home projects, cooking, weddings and fashion.. Instead of polarizing political personae and more of Palin exploitation under the northern lights.

[Madonna]

[this is good] Seriously, is this moron capable of telling the truth, ever?

[sjohnson]

Ok, I'll state the obvious: NOOOOO.