LOS ANGELES, March 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Preliminary television viewership figures showed that some 38.8 million Americans tuned into Sunday night's telecast of the annual Academy Awards ceremony,down 8 percent from last year, a report said Tuesday.

However, Gilbert Cates, producer of the Oscars Show at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, said he was not surprised by an 8 percent to 10 percent decline in the ratings due to major Oscar nominees' low popularity with viewers.

"It's about what I figured," Cates was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times report.

"All five of the best picture nominees together, I don't think goes to 250 million dollars" in box office revenues, he added.

There is traditionally a correlation between the box office popularity of the films nominated for best picture and viewership for the Academy Awards.

The critically acclaimed Los Angeles race-relations drama "Crash" upset awards-season favorite "Brokeback Mountain" on Sundaynight to win the Oscar for best picture of 2005.

The most-watched Academy Awards ceremony since viewership figures began being compiled in 1974 was in 1998, when 55.25 million Americans tuned in to see box office record-setter "Titanic" win best picture honors. Enditem

I think, with a few exceptions, that it was a sorry crop of movies this year. Movie ticket sales were off too. These little movies are great, but what happens to the big stars who command 20+ million a movie?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11714540/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11714540/)

Hollywood values out of touch, poll says

MSNBC.com/Zogby survey shows readers think quality of movies in decline

Movie fans believe Hollywood's values are not in line with the rest of America and that the quality of movies has dimished in recent years, according to the results of an MSNBC.com/Zogby International poll.

During the week leading up to the 78th Annual Academy Awards, MSNBC.com and Zogby polled more than 17,000 readers about the Oscars and the movies. The results were released Tuesday.

When asked if they thought Hollywood values were at odds with those of most of America, 60 percent agreed. When asked if they though the success of such gay-themed films such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “Transamerica” and “Capote” (all Oscar nominees) reflected Hollywood's values or the growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles, respondents were fairly evenly split (50 percent thought it reflected Hollywood's values, 44 percent thought it reflected changing attitudes).

When asked if they thought “Brokeback Mountain's” mainstream success was a positive or negative trend, again they were split (43 percent positive, 42 percent negative).

When asked if they would go to see a movie that had been critically praised which had a message or values they did not agree with, 56 percent said they would not go to see it.

Respondents also were overwhelmingly negative about the movies coming out of Hollywood in recent years. Sixty-four percent believe the quality of movies has declined in the past 10 years and 38 percent said their favorite movie of all time was released between 1980-2000.

When it came to picking a movie to go see, word of mouth was the chief deciding factor (49 percent). Trailers (25 percent) and movie reviews (38 percent) had little influence on their decision to see a movie.

Respondents also say they would rather watch a movie on DVD than go to the theater. When given the choice of watching a newly released movie on DVD or at the theater, 44 percent would prefer DVD to the cineplex (30 percent).

As for the Oscars themselves, 51 percent indicated that they would not watch the March 5 show even though most (55 percent) described themselves as regular watchers who paid attention to the nominations (66 percent). The Nielsen ratings for the Oscars reflected a similar downturn with viewership down 8 percent from last year.

I can speak only for myself, of course, but I rarely watch the Oscars anymore.

I used to watch it every year. And I rarely saw many, and usually saw none of the nominated films. I simply have never been a big, big movie goer. I watch them on TV.

What made me watch year in and year out?

Firstly, this is the only program that Los Angeles gets to watch live. Everything else "live" is actually shown as tape-delayed in order to be in prime time.

Secondly, there used to be no competitive programming on the other channels.

And thirdly, the show used to be held on Mondays. I would go to work and hear all the buzz about the movies. People would chat and predict about the results throughout the day. This got me in the mood. So... once I got home, it was only natural that I would tune in.

With the show on Sundays now, I very often forget that they are even coming on. No buzz. No interest. No viewing.

This year I did happen to get into the mood to view, only because my local news radio station was creating their own little buzz about it. So I watched it for the first time in years.

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Paradise Lost

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so many films come out every year, I wish they wouldn't have the same movies in every single category. The same goes for all awards shows. Have different movies nominated and not just ten or so.

I hate award shows.

It's hard getting excited over Hollyowood movies when they're mostly remakes and sitcom-based. ohno:

http://cagle.msnbc.com/working/060309/ramirez.jpg

It's hard getting excited over Hollyowood movies when they're mostly remakes and sitcom-based. ohno:
The Oscar ratings will go through the roof if James Cameron ever does a Raise the Titanic remake! That said, I always watch regardless of the nominees or host etc.