Showbiz Sandbox 596: The Compact Disc Turns 40 Years Old

October 4, 2022

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It’s hard to believe that the compact disc format was first launched forty years ago this week. Billboard has a great oral history about the launch of the CD format and how it initially faced stiff resistance from record labels before kicking off a boom in music sales that lasted until digital MP3s took over 20 years later. We discuss our own

Meanwhile, the Washington Post has a very lengthy, multi-media feature about the search for the best sound in music, and whether that means lossless audio digital files, a newly remastered album on 180-gram vinyl or maybe, or just maybe, an old LP you find for $10 in a record store.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Netflix plans to license comedy specials rather than own them outright, Trevor Noah steps down as host of “The Daily Show” and why September was the worst month at the domestic box office in 26 years.


‘Smile’ Giddy With $37M Global Bow, China Has $60M Local ‘Home Coming’,
https://deadline.com/2022/10/smile-ponniyin-ticket-to-paradise-home-coming-avatar-dont-worry-darling-china-global-international-box-office-1235133051/

‘Smile’ Slays Box Office With $22 Million Opening but ‘Bros’ Gets Slayed With $4.8 Million
https://deadline.com/2022/10/smile-ponniyin-ticket-to-paradise-home-coming-avatar-dont-worry-darling-china-global-international-box-office-1235133051/

Regal Owner Cineworld: Admissions to Remain Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2023 and 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cineworld-admissions-pandemic-earnings-debt-1235223985/

Cinema Operators Experience A Disconnect Between Profits and Market Valuation
https://celluloidjunkie.com/newsletter/cinema-operators-experience-a-disconnect-between-profits-and-market-valuation/

Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman: Act III’ Audio Series Surprise-Released on Audible
https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/sandman-act-iii-audible-series-neil-gaiman-1235384029/

YouTube Shorts Could Steal TikTok’s Thunder With a Better Deal for Creators
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/17/youtube-shorts-could-steal-tiktoks-thunder-with-a-better-deal-for-creators/

Netflix Reduces Payments for Comedy Specials in Some New Deals
https://www.wsj.com/articles/netflix-reduces-payments-for-comedy-specials-in-some-new-deals-11663891960

Trevor Noah to Exit ‘Daily Show’ After Seven Years
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/trevor-noah-leaving-daily-show-1235388893/

Lionsgate to Focus on Spinoff of Studio Business, Rebrands Starz Outside of U.S.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/lionsgate-to-focus-on-spinoff-of-studio-business-rebrands-starz-outside-of-u-s-1235228985/

Why Is Opening a New Vinyl Pressing Plant So Hard?
https://www.billboard.com/pro/new-vinyl-record-pressing-factory-plants-demand/

The CD Turns 40: How the ‘Shiny, Tiny’ Discs Took Over
https://www.billboard.com/pro/cd-history-music-business-format-40-years/

Washington Post: The Search For The Perfect Sound
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/interactive/2022/perfect-sound-quality-vinyl-records/

Sacheen Littlefeather, Activist Who Took the Stage to Decline Marlon Brando’s Oscar, Dies at 75
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/sacheen-littlefeather-dead-marlon-brando-oscar-1235390968/

Coolio, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Rapper, Dead at 59
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/coolio-dead-obit-1234602038/

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