Consumer entertainment pricing continues to be in flux, much to the chagrin of content providers. Two news stories point to more changes, including possible savings for consumers:

Wouldn't you like to know who's behind those still-running, anti-Obamacare ads on your local stations? The FCC, under "Disclose Act" rules adopted last year, has instructed stations to identify -- on special website areas -- who is paying for ads and for what fee.

Like a TV show? I mean really like it, so much you'd like to invest in it? There should be a way of making this kind of investment -- some would say, wager. This wouldn't be about buying CBS, Time Warner, or 21st Century Fox. It would be about investing in specific programming. Think fantasy football, baseball, or other sports -- on a somewhat bigger scale. Pick your own shows and create your own network team.

Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's says more than $24 billion dropped out of the U.S. economy during the 16 days of government shutdown. In TV ratings parlance, what's the make-good situation on that? Answer: There isn't any (though some pent-up demand might dribble back).

Popcorn makes theatergoers ignore in-theater ads, according to a new study. (In a related story, overpriced Milk Duds and bottled water make you want to buy a BMW!) Seems that when people chew, they subconsciously try to sound out new brand names. Popcorn interferes with this.

Decades ago, media agencies separated television into neat compartments. For example, some agencies had separate media buying positions for broadcast networks, syndication and cable -- sometimes called "new media." There were glaring differences between the three when it came to coverage of U.S. TV homes, time periods of shows, and, of course, how ratings were derived for each. Back then (and even today), you could also find production companies that made shows specifically with cable, network, or syndication in mind. Did viewers know the difference? Did they know they were watching a cable show or a syndicated show?

Credit CBS for continuing its effort to get viewers involved in building a prime-time show episode. For the second straight season, it will allow viewers to vote on key elements of a "Hawaii Five-O" episode. My suggestion: Expand the effort and have viewers choose some of the advertising as w

John Malone, chairman/CEO of Liberty Media and legendary cable TV operating executive, sees cable operators missing the boat on new digital businesses -- everything from TV Everywhere efforts to competing against the likes of Netflix. Some of these efforts would work better if more multiple system operators merged.

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says "Bad" -- or at least its concluding episodes -- could have yielded a different sort of TV financial model.Katzenberg had offered a massive $25 million to the producer for each of the series' last three episodes. The aim was to sell them to consumers online in lucrative six-minute installments.

If you're a media executive, you're always worried about what young users are doing -- right now. But you might be guessing wrong. Are they using Facebook? Maybe not so much. Twitter? You could be behind the times.