“The Public Broadcasting Service is unfixable. Never mind the laughably utopian notion that member stations drive the bus. The real woe rests with the highly charged, artistically stifling politicizing that is destroying PBS. When PBS was founded in 1969, there was a brilliant idea to have an endowment that would fund it in perpetuity. PBS would be a trust fund raconteur, enlightening the masses on all kinds of topics. For a number of reasons — taxation, the power of the National Association of Broadcasters – – that went nowhere, and Big Bird, lo these 36 years, has been begging for scraps from Uncle Sam. Inaction led to chaos. It’s been a mess ever since.”
Blog
Philadelphia Theatre’s Boffo Year
This past season was a terrific one for Philadelphia theatre, with artistic success and strong box office. “Great,” “phenomenal,” “pretty fabulous” were among the adjectives employed by management of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Walnut Street Theatre and Arden Theatre Company respectively, the organizations that are finishing the season with grand slams.
New Jersey Symphony Climbs Out Of Hole
The troubled Jersey Symphony Orchestra, which recorded a $900,000 defict last season announced yesterday it has finished its 2004-05 season “within $100,000 of break even” on a budget of about $14 million. The orchestra also announced two major grants.
Tharp: Dance In Popular Form
How do you bring dance to a wider audience? You make it a hit in the popular venues, says Twyla Tharp. Her Billy Joel musical has been a breakout hit: “The musical passed the thousand-performance mark in June and still grosses nearly a half million dollars weekly on Broadway. The national tour that arrives at the Dallas Summer Musicals Wednesday has been on the road for 18 months.”
It’s Official – Hollywood’s In Trouble
Even though Hollywood snapped its 19-week losing streak last weekend, it’s clear the movie business has a big problem, as even well-reviewed movies are failing to find audiences. “Theater admissions for 2005 are down about 10.4% from a year ago and almost 8% from 2003. Summer admissions are off almost 14% from 2004 and about 9.5% from 2003. What’s also striking about this summer’s multiplex news is the way in which the moviegoing malaise appears to be spreading to films considered to be good, rather than just tired remakes, sequels and TV show adaptations.”
Satellite Radio – Music Sure, But Baseball!
Baseball has become a big hit on satellite radio, where you can get live broadcasts of every major league game. “Satellite radio was initially conceived in part so music aficionados could skip between dozens of commercial-free stations playing classic rock, hip-hop and assorted other tunes as well as talk shows. But when XM included 16 channels devoted to baseball games this season, the company learned that its customers were as interested in hearing Vin Scully and Bob Uecker as Kid Rock and Eminem. The reaction was incredibly emotional and incredibly personal.”
Senior Senators Oppose Public Broadcasting Budget Cuts
Two senators endorsed overturning cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting proposed by the House of Representatives. “Last month, the House of Representatives voted to restore some cuts to the public broadcasting system’s budget when it approved a measure to keep the corporation’s budget at $400 million. But it also cut the $23 million “Ready to Learn” program, which contributes to some children’s shows on public television, and also rejected proposals to provide an additional $50 million for upgrading public broadcasting’s aging satellite technology and $39 million for converting to digital television.”
Ads Flood The Movie Theatre
Why are people staying away from the movie theatre? Perhaps it’s the deluge of ads that now hit us before the show. “I’ve seen TV show ads in theaters before. But somehow the sheer absurdity of the idea didn’t really register until watching the “Loser” spot. Imagine being a studio executive sitting in a movie theater — the once-sacred palace where we saw glorious dreams in the dark — being exhorted to stay home next Tuesday night to watch “The Biggest Loser.” Wouldn’t you fear for your future?”
Author: Should I Promote My Novel About A London Terrorist Attack?
Chris Cleave’s first novel Incendiary was supposed to launch last week in Britain. But the book is about a terrorist attack on London, and the book’s cover art depicts the attack. The book was hastily withdrawn from shelved after the real attack. Now Cleave is appealing to readers to tell him whether to continue to promote the book or not.
The Story Reading Machine
Tired of reading to your kid? Now there’s a website that will do it for you. “One More Story is a new online library where children can choose a book – complete with narration, highlighted text, and the book’s original illustrations – and listen as they read along on the computer.”