US News

Former Sen. Dodd appointed chairman of Motion Picture Association of America

WASHINGTON — Former Sen. Chris Dodd was named chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Tuesday.

The five-term Connecticut Democrat, who was chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, will represent the organization as the film industry continues to struggle to convince fatigued moviegoers to pay ever-steeper prices for tickets while waging war against online piracy.

He will follow former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, who led the MPAA after longtime chairman Jack Valenti stepped down in 2004. Screen Actors Guild CEO Bob Pisano also served a stint as interim head.

Dodd edged out several other high profile politicians, including former Republican Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia and former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The trouble in finding someone, people close to the search process said recently, was that the MPAA, while still the industry’s chief lobbying group, has had its power diluted by individual media and film companies, and no longer is the leading, or even dominant, voice of the business.

“The major motion picture studios consistently produce and distribute the most sought after and enjoyable entertainment on earth,” Dodd said in a statement. “Protecting this great American export will be my highest priority.”

Dodd did not run for re-election last year after backing an unpopular bank bailout and failed presidential run. He was replaced by Richard Blumenthal, a fellow Democrat.

Meanwhile, the MPAA admitted last week that movie attendance was down last year in virtually every category besides 3D films. Despite flat box office growth overall in the US and Canada, total tickets sold fell five percent to 1.3 billion, essentially erasing all the progress made in 2009 by movies like “Avatar.”

But thanks to easily-translatable flicks like “Toy Story 3” and “Alice in Wonderland,” the worldwide box office total tallied $31.8 billion last year, up eight percent.