Oscars' Declining Audience - Online Poll

"ASSESSING OSCARS' DECLINING AUDIENCE PROBLEM

Be a Part of the News: VOTE IN THE AD AGE WEEKLY ONLINE POLL

BACKGROUND: Audience ratings have not been going well for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Oscar awards broadcast in recent years. The ratings dropped 21% in 2004, declined further last year and are expected by many to continue that downward slide despite heroic efforts to reconfigure the show to rebuild the audience.

The Academy's fling with Chris Rock last year did not seem to contribute meaningfully to that audience-boosting goal, and this year it's anyone's guess if Jon Stewart of Comedy Central fame is likely to do any better for ABC's March 5 edition of the show.

Some pundits point to the dismal quality of much of what Hollywood is churning out as the problem; others cite the growing gap between the lifestyle and values of Hollywood moviedom and that of much of the rest of the country.

What do you think?

Can you envision a way in which the Oscars can be changed to make them more relevant and a "must see" TV event?

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Is the Oscars award ceremony doomed to have shrinking audiences each year?

VOTE & COMMENT for possible publication in next week's print edition of Advertising Age at http://www.adage.com/poll.cms "

--- I just try to avoid anything that might feature Michael Moore. I'm still ashamed at how well he manipulated my feelings in 'Bowling for Columbine'.

I think fiction masquerading as fact and fraudulent editing is wrong - but you're free to think it's ok!