The Television Transcript Project

TVTP 3000: U.S. "The Entertainer of the World"

Time magazine (19 July '93) wrote that the U.S. dominates world trade in movies, television programs, and sound recordings.

• U.S. movies made up 67% of Europe's movie market.
• U.S. movies made up 49.7% of Japan's movie market.
• Said the figures for sound recordings were even higher.

The Economist, 25 Sept '93, pg. 61:

• "American films now account for nearly 60% of cinema entries in France, double the proportion a decade ago."
• "Europe's imports of American films, video and television programmes were worth $3.7 billion last year. .. The EC's audiovisual exports to America last year were a minuscule $300 m ..".

The Economist, 16 Oct '93, pg. 78:

• "In 1991, by the Europeans' calculations, American films captured 81% of cinema screenings and made up 54% of all dramas and comedies broadcast on television."

• A note: by the time American movies get to Europe, they are at cut-rate prices as they've just about cleared a profit at home.

  "Audience ratings show that French viewers usually prefer French films to comparable American ones, but they cost ten times as much." (The Economist, 25 Sept '93, pg. 61)

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Automobiles our old claim to fame?
Sorry to say: I didn't do any successful research about if we were ever the primary country producing the world's automobiles. It's really just a sense I have. Please let me know if you have information.

Last Updated: 1 Jan 1999