“Despite all the optimism surrounding the potential for free, advertising-supported online video, some analysts see a far more lucrative market for selling video content online–one that will materialize this year in fact, despite the rocky economic picture.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
22 Philly-Area Groups Split $5M From New Grant Initiative
“The first 22 recipients of the $5 million PNC Arts Alive grant initiative will be announced today, providing funding for the expansion of audiences, programming and technology in the region’s cultural arena, according to PNC Foundation officials. Announced in March, Arts Alive is a five-year pilot for PNC Financial Services’ charitable arm. If it is deemed a success in and around Philadelphia, the bank intends to start it up elsewhere.”
Money Troubles May Keep Museum Out Of Grant Park
The Chicago Children’s Museum might not be headed to Grant Park after all. “A moribund economy now may have a better chance of blocking the project than lawsuits by parks activists and neighborhood opponents. Fundraising has foundered while projected costs have climbed by tens of millions to $150 million or more, Crain’s has learned.”
Publisher: E-Book Can Wait ‘Til After Hardcover Release
“Sourcebooks, a leading independent publisher, will not release a big upcoming title in e-book format until six months after its hardcover debut, The WSJ reports. In the past, Sourcebooks has released digital formats of its books along with the print copies,” but the publishing house’s CEO says cheap e-books cannibalize the hardcover audience.
In Emotional Resonance, Physical Formats Trump Digital
“Fan response to [Michael] Jackson’s death has illuminated the distinct needs that physical and digital formats serve. The immediacy and near-universal accessibility of digital music has made it the form of choice for millions today. But physical media still offer an emotional connection that digital music has yet to replace.”
Hair Cancels Matinee So Cast Can March For Gay Rights
“In an unusual move for a Broadway show, the producers of the musical ‘Hair’ announced on Monday that they were canceling the Sunday matinee on Oct. 11 so that the cast could join the National Equality March that day in Washington in support of gay-marriage rights. Oskar Eustis, the artistic director of the Public Theater, a producer of ‘Hair,’ said that the decision reflected the spirit of the musical.”
Conductor Edward Downes, Wife End Lives At Swiss Clinic
“The distinguished British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Lady Joan have ended their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich, their children revealed today. The 85-year-old maestro had become virtually blind and had lost some of his hearing, while his 74-year-old wife had been suffering from cancer, according to a statement released by their son and daughter, Caractacus and Boudicca.”
For $1,000, You Get A Book With An Electronic Signature
“At a time when publishers are scrambling to keep customers willing to pay $26 for a hardcover book instead of $9.99 for an electronic version, the publisher of Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s forthcoming memoir is going in the opposite direction – issuing a limited edition it plans to sell for $1,000 a copy. Twelve, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, is planning to issue 1,000 copies of a leather-bound, electronically signed edition” of the ailing senator’s book.
Bolshoi’s Music Director Resigns, Saying Art Comes First
“The music director of Moscow’s renowned Bolshoi Theater resigned suddenly on Monday, throwing the future of the institution’s grand $1 billion rebuild into chaos. Alexander Vedernikov, who had struggled for eight years to raise standards and inject new life into Russia’s best-known international music theater, announced his decision on the opening day of the Bolshoi’s summer tour of Italy.”
Zaha Hadid’s Ideal Space For Listening To Bach
“Sitting in the enclosure was like hearing music from inside a supersize conical seashell. Between the gaps in the ribbon you could see the black gallery walls, so the effect was to create a sort of safe listening enclave within a much larger room. … All I know is that the space was a delight to be in and that the music sounded up-close and exceptionally vibrant.”