Reading, Pennsylvania is getting a makeover. “This once-gritty city is morphing into an arts hub, where a Keith Haring exhibit is drawing thousands at the local museum, blues and jazz acts tour through and a downtown coffeehouse features poetry readings and acoustic music. Not bad for a city better known for factories than high art.”
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Wanted: A Billionaire Who Loves Orchestras
Peter Dobrin wants to know: “So where is the billionaire so in love with orchestral music that he or she wants to make all the difference in the life of an orchestra? Where is that hybrid philanthropist-music lover who wants to add $100 million or $200 million to the endowment of the Philadelphia Orchestra so it can stop fearing deficits; activate a range of education programs that can really inculcate children with classical music; and take a chance once in a while on edgy repertoire or the cultivation of a young unknown guest artist without fear of box-office repercussions?”
Will New Borders Chief Reinvent Bookseller’s Brand?
George L. Jones has been appointed new head of Borders. Jones helped turn Target develop its “bargain upscale aesthetic” and revived the Scooby-Doo character for Warner Brothers. And for Borders? Jones isn’t saying yet, except to say he wants to better distinguish the chain from cmpetitor Barnes & Noble…
Canadian Portrait Gallery Stalls
Work on the Portrait Gallery of Canada has been suspended and the government is reviewing the project. Said review will take until November. “Sources say the gallery is in limbo partly because of competing priorities within Library and Archives Canada (created in 2004 out of the former National Library of Canada and National Archives of Canada, it’s the institution responsible for the Portrait Gallery), and partly because the Stephen Harper government wants to fulfill its promise to increase accountability.”
Disney Makes Big Cuts
Disney is cutting 650 jobs, reducing the jumber of movies it makes, and putting a new production team in place. “The restructuring will cut Disney’s output from about 18 films a year to about a dozen. Of those, about 10 will be released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, a proven family-friendly brand that includes the successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.”
Hollywood Studios To Offer Downloadable Burnable Movies
Hollywood movie studios have made a deal to allow downloading and burning of DVDs of their movies. “Four major studios struck a deal with online movie service CinemaNow Inc. to offer more than 100 mainstream titles that can be copied to a disc and played on almost any DVD player or television set. Prices will start at about $9 a movie.”
The New TV Scrutiny
“TV is being filtered, analyzed and debated on the Internet like never before, resulting in savvier viewers who feel fully invested in even the smallest of programming decisions. In an attempt to keep up, networks and studios are developing new levels of fan interaction using a variety of digital platforms.”
The New Multi-Platform BBC
The BBC is reorganizing. “The way the BBC makes programmes will be streamlined, with a show’s output across TV, radio, internet and mobiles all considered at the same stage. The changes are part of BBC plans to ensure it survives in the digital age.”
A Conservative, Thinker
“There are plenty of conservative publicists in America now. There are not many conservative thinkers, proper, worthy of the name. Philip Rieff, for all his crotchety obliqueness, was one of them.(By the way, the ratio of philosophers to propagandists is hardly any better n the left.)”
Merrill: Art’s Not A Great Investment
As art prices soar, buying art might look like a great investment. But Merrill Lynch reports oterwise. “While stocks or bonds are almost certain to make investors a profit over five years, art has a high chance of declining in value, the world’s biggest brokerage company said. The probability of losses on small-cap stocks, corporate bonds and long-term treasury bonds is 3 percent or less if they’re held for five years. Art investors have a 17 percent chance of losing money over five years, Merrill said.”