Challenges, Glitches Aside, the Web Nets Oscar Gold

With the explosion over the last year of all things dot-com, you might have thought this year’s Internet coverage of the Oscars would have been more extensive than ever before.

Well, yes and no.

While more Web sites (including unexpected online outlets such as Women.com, Pets.com and Brittanica.com) offered some sort of Oscar-related information--whether a simple poll or complete historical coverage--only 10 sites were granted press credentials to Sunday night’s event. The rest were left to figure out other ways of differentiating their cyber packages by providing such real-time activities as chats, games and Webcasts of Oscar parties.

Live online coverage stopped and started as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prohibited media outlets from presenting live coverage from the red carpet from 5 to 5:30 p.m., giving the ABC pre-Oscar television show a competition-free time slot. And, for the first time, photos and video from the live ceremony were not allowed during the TV broadcast, except by the official academy/ABC site, Oscar.com, which presented live backstage interviews with the winners while the televised event aired.

With all the limitations, some sites that had previously included live on-location coverage--including E! Online and Film.com--decided the effort simply wasn’t worth it this year.

“The academy is interested in one thing: driving people to the broadcast for the ratings,” said Lew Harris, editor in chief of E! Online. “There’s nothing really for us to do live, so what’s the point?”

That wasn’t all. For the first time, Internet outlets applying for press credentials to the awards had to submit examples of their nominations coverage to the academy in order to be considered.

Why the clampdown? According to Leslie Unger, publicity coordinator for the academy, this year’s limited online access had nothing to do with a new-media phobia and everything to do with space limitations. Indeed, a selecting committee had to winnow applications from nearly 600 competing media outlets to nearly 300.

“A letter was sent out to all Internet outlets that applied for credentials requesting samples of nominations announcement coverage so that [we] would have something to compare from site to site,” Unger said.

Although he was concerned about the limited online access, Alex Ben Block, editor in chief of celebrity site eStar.com, who was granted access to the red carpet and backstage press room, said he believes the academy acted appropriately.

“I have sympathy for their logistical problems, and they have the right to make choices,” said the veteran journalist and former editor of show-business trade paper the Hollywood Reporter. “I know there’s a process, and they judged sites’ accomplishments in a fair manner.”

However, Doug Scott, senior vice president of product and technology for the Hollywood Stock Exchange site, which was denied access, had a different take.

“We went through all the motions and sent over coverage as thick as ‘War and Peace,’ ” said Scott, who oversaw the site’s extensive Oscar package. “But we’re dealing with an institution not necessarily open to change, that shows favoritism to traditional media.”

Scott pointed out that, oddly enough, ABC covered the Hollywood Stock Exchange Oscar party and Webcast at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, featuring Moby and Earth, Wind & Fire, after the telecast. Despite the somewhat restricted access and technical difficulties (fuzzy, jerky images and slow page loading) caused by congestion on the Net, the Oscar night experience was undeniably fun online.

Highlights included:

* Oscar.com (https://www.oscar.com): Streamed video of red carpet arrivals was blurry even with a T1 connection, but mostly clear video of backstage interviews more than made up for it. In one, best supporting actress winner Angelina Jolie, renowned for a lack of inhibition, said she’d be sure to “do something” to celebrate her win. “Weird things happen when I’m excited,” she said. The site also featured great still shots from the red carpet and a “Predict the Winners” game that was updated online as the winners were announced.

* Yahoo! (https://www.movies.yahoo.com/oscars): The portal provided complete and instant Oscars coverage, including updates with the latest winners, a huge photo gallery of Reuters shots from the red carpet, a list of live Net events and news as soon as it hit the wires.

* E! Online (https://www.eonline.com): Gossip columnist Ted Casablanca’s chat room was the place to dish. From Ted: “Darling, there is very, very hot gossip on Whitney Houston. Got canned from the show, say my sources.” From a chat participant identified as “alnheidi”: “Ted, who do you think was the best-dressed female?” Back to Ted: “Matt Stone so far.” Casablanca, of course, was referring to the “South Park” writer’s grand entrance in a dress inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink Ralph Lauren confection from last year’s Oscars.

* Hollywood.com (https://www.hollywood.com): The chat area drew a number of foreign participants from France and the Netherlands. People wanted to know, of course, whom Angelina Jolie was kissing before accepting her award. After Phil Collins’ win for original song, one chatter who called himself “dave_oscarhater” said, “Phil’s not an idiot, just a bore,” and another one, Lightyear, declared: “A little bit disappointed about best song results.” The site also posted pictures and winners as they were announced.

* KTLA.com (https://www.ktla.com): The local TV station, which had full access to the red carpet, featured quite clear live streaming video during its on-air broadcast of Mindy Burbano and Sam Rubin interviews and Laurie Pike’s commentary. Unfortunately, the video had to be pulled at 5 p.m. due to the academy/ABC embargo.

* Ain’t It Cool News (https://www.aintitcoolnews.com): Movie buff and prankster Harry Knowles ranted and raved in his own personal chat of sorts. An excerpt: “DOCUMENTARY FEATURE -- Please give it to Wim. ‘ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER’--sigh. Should of figured, but GOD DANG IT!!! ‘BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB.’ Of course, this does mean that this film will be seen. And Wim’s has been seen. Sigh. In the message boards area, ‘South Park’s’ Matt Stone and director Trey Parker won once again for best dressed.”

* Women.com (https://www.women.com): In conjunction with E! Online, the women-oriented network posted an instant trivia contest covering who was wearing what. Winners could qualify for a Hollywood make-over.

In the end, Oscar night revealed the limitations of watching--and participating in--live entertainment online. With the choppiness of streaming video, especially, the Internet has a long way to go before it catches up with TV.

So how long will we have to wait until it will be worth it to present the Oscars ceremony live on the Web?

“I wish I had a crystal ball,” said Brian Bowman, vice president and general manager of ABC.com. “But broadband as a mass medium is many years off.”