The Oscars are looming, and for film fans clutching a bottomless popcorn bucket, that
means yet another TV marathon. Last year's ceremony was a whopping three hours and
23 minutes and was watched by 29.6 million people in the US - a 12% boost from 2018's
viewing figures. But it was still the second-smallest audience recorded for an Academy
Awards broadcast - part of a general fall in award ceremonies ratings as more people
prefer to discover the highlights online rather than sit through the whole thing. In
contrast, when Titanic swept the board at the Oscars back in 1998, the ceremony was
watched by a record 57 million viewers. Matthew Belloni, the Hollywood Reporter's
editorial director, thinks the ceremony needs a fresh approach. "I believe the Oscars
telecast would be improved if there was exclusive movie content that viewers had to tune
in to see,: he tells BBC News. Belloni went further on the Media Masters podcast in 2018,
saying: "The fact that the Oscars are so boring is a colossal failure on the Academy's
part. Yet Wolf is sympathetic to the ceremony's organizers. "The Oscars have become a
very pliable punching bag; people can use it to vent their frustrations from all
quarters. If they do A people want B; if they do Q people want Z." The Oscars have become
a very pliable punching bag; people can use it to vent their frustrations from all
aspects of the garish dress on the red carpet as much as you want someone stunning and
stellar. We need the package, warts and all." "People love to complain about the Oscars,
it's sort of a cultural sport, but the imperfections are what make them so glorious."