“In recent years intellectual property has received a lot more attention because ideas and innovations have become the most important resource, replacing land, energy and raw materials. As much as three-quarters of the value of publicly traded companies in America comes from intangible assets, up from around 40% in the early 1980s. In information technology and telecoms in particular, the role of intellectual property has changed radically. What used to be the preserve of corporate lawyers and engineers in R&D labs has been speedily embraced by the boardroom…”
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Tiny Seattle Radio Station Becomes National Indie Force
Seattle radio station KEXP has a puny transmitter. But the station is becoming a force in the indie music world through its popularity on the web. “In spring 2004, about 26,000 people listened to KEXP online every week — more than any other radio station in the country, according to Arbitron’s now-defunct Internet broadcasting service. This year, that number has jumped to 50,000, with large clusters of listeners in New York, where KEXP broadcasts live twice a year; Chicago; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C. Listeners are giving the non-profit station a projected $1.7 million this year, nearly $1 million more than they gave in 2003.”
Hollywood’s Great Divide
“In a town full of dirty little secrets, the composition of writers in Hollywood rises to the level of scandal. Though Tinseltown pays lip service to liberalism and equality, women and minority film and television writers get work and get paid with a disparity that is striking. The 2005 Hollywood Writers Report found that among film writers, women represented just 18% of employment while minorities combined stood at 6%. The median earnings gap between men and women, and minorities and white men in film work widened from $12,500 to $19,000 since the WGA’s last report was released in 1998.”
Video Games, Movies Blur The Lines
“Video games are among the fastest-growing, most-profitable businesses in the entertainment world. In the United States, domestic sales of video games and consoles generated $10 billion in revenue last year, compared with movie ticket sales of $9.4 billion. But with the exception of a few well-known directors – like George Lucas, who created a series of Star Wars video games, and Andy and Larry Wachowski, who wrote and directed “The Matrix” movies and helped create Matrix games – few in Hollywood have been able to successfully operate in both worlds. But that seems to be changing.”
Claim: Tate Bought Ofili Work After Plea From Agent
The Tate Gallery spent £700,000 on buying Chris Ofili’s “The Upper Room” after the artist’s agent told the museum that Ofili was getting married and needed the money. Ofili is one of the Tate’s trustees.
TV’s Voodoo Accounting
Two Hollywood talent agencies are suing Paramount, contesting the studio’s claims that although the popular TV show “Frasier” has earned $1.5 billion dollars, it has lost $200 million. “Complaints about the way studios divvy up the profits are rampant within the industry. And it’s not just the little guys doing the complaining.”
Publisher Settles Over Jung Bio
“Random House has ended a literary dispute over a biography of Carl Gustav Jung by publishing a new version this month in Germany without special annotations and material from the Swiss heirs who had complained about ‘factual errors’ and ‘misleading’ information about the psychiatrist.”
TV Broadcasters Hit Big With Viewer Phone Participation
Traditional TV ad revenue is down in Europe. But broadcasters are finding a great new stream of revenue from cell phones. “The tide of calls, televotes and text messages billed at premium rates of more than 1 euro a message are building a market that could top 750 million, or more than $900 million, in Europe by the end of the year. To hook viewers on their handsets, producers are focusing on universal topics like love and money, and eclectic ones like cosmetic surgery.”
Pole Wins Chopin Competition
Rafal Blechacz, 20, is the first Pole in 30 years to win the Chopin International Piano Competition. “The last time a Pole won the 78-year-old competition was 1975, when Krystian Zimerman captured first place and went on to a brilliant musical career.” Eighty pianists from 18 countries entered this year’s competition.
Bloomberg’s Arts Support (Not Universal Praise?)
Sunday, the New York Times ran a story about NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg’s generous personal support of the arts. But “oddly omitted from the article are any comments from the major arts advocates in the city, including those from the Alliance for the Arts and the New York City Arts Coalition, who have not been shy about expressing their disappointment with the Bloomberg administration for having an arts expense budget lower than it was during the final fiscal year that began under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.”