Blog

The Slush Pile Rediscovered?

“Publishers are increasingly alert to sources of undiscovered gems that in the past might have slipped through the net. The slush pile is one, word of mouth another, as well as books being launched by risk-taking small or independent publishers. Some of these titles are successful in their own right, while others are taken up by mainstream publishers.”

Massachusetts Considers Culture Stimulus Plan

The Massachusetts legislature is considering a big injection of money for the arts. “The new Cultural Facilities Fund, part of a $296 million economic stimulus package proposed for fiscal 2006, would be among the first of its kind in the nation. Aimed at enriching the lives of Massachusetts residents, the fund is also supposed to bolster the state’s economy by shoring up attractions that bring tourists and their dollars to the Bay State.”

Payola Rules The Airwaves? Yeah, Right!

“Critics of today’s pop music falsely equate the corporate admission that millions were spent trying to alter radio station playlists as a sign that the sounds now dominating radio are being forced on us. It’s as if big, bad Sony BMG used its vast resources to keep “real” music (rock ‘n’ roll, adult pop, jazz, what have you) off the air. Trust me, Sony and other major labels aren’t interested in keeping anything off the air. They are interested in selling records. They’d release an album of dog howls if they thought it would go platinum. To think otherwise is as misguided as believing that all those heavy metal albums years ago really had satanic messages woven into the music.”

Tomlinson Says He’ll Fight For Public Broadcasting Balance

Ken Tomlinson, head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, visits editors of the Washington Times to make his case about political balance in public broadcasting. “This is something the public broadcasting community is going to have to come to grips with,” said Mr. Tomlinson, a Republican. “In the future, [in order to get] the kind of Republican support they need to have a future, they are going to have to demonstrate that public broadcasting is for people across the spectrum.”

Retiring Sterritt: Lots Of New Talent Out There

David Sterritt is retiring after 35 years as movie critic for the Christian Science Monitor. He reckons he’s seen an average of a movie a day during that time. “Different critics have different views about this, but anyone who sees the profession in mainly cynical terms is probably not a very reliable reviewer. And something everyone can agree on is the flood of new talent flowing into the field. While newspapers are on the wane in many areas, the dwindling number of first-rate print critics is more than compensated for by the growth in Internet reviewers writing for established websites or their own blogs.”

Report: 26 Million Attended NY Arts Events In 2004

A new study reports that nearly 26 million attended non-profit arts events in New York City in 2004. “For New York City’s legitimate theatre industry, one of the report’s central conclusions — that the total audience for nonprofit cultural organizations is ‘more than twice that of the Broadway theatre’ — is doubtless going to be subject to spin and interpretation. For example, it might be seen as representing Broadway’s relative strength both as a cultural and tourist destination and as a universally recognized brand.”

Needed – An Orphange For Forgotten Copyrights?

There are thousands of copyrighted works whose copyright holders cannot be found. “Orphan works have led to complications not only in publishing but also in digitizing projects, preservation efforts, and the creation of works like film and video documentaries. This week, at the urging of prominent legal scholars, academic-library organizations, technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, and many other interested parties, the U.S. Copyright Office is holding a series of hearings to determine whether copyright law should change to allow for more liberal use of orphan works.”