Global, which owns Capital FM and talk station LBC, said online radio listening had risen by 15%. The BBC said streaming of its radio stations had risen 18% since last week. Meanwhile, data from two US analytics companies suggested use of music-streaming apps such as Spotify had dipped by about 8%. – BBC
Category: AUDIENCE
Major League Baseball Announces A Virtual Opening Day
The ball parks are closed, but baseball will move online. It will happen Thursday, on what would have been opening day across baseball. The virtual event will feature a classic game for all 30 teams, a game they win. The schedule includes classic postseason games, no-hitters and walk-offs. – Yahoo!
Will Movie Theatres Survive The Apocalypse?
Even during past recessions, consumers still flocked to theaters to forget their troubles. With ticketing and concession sales now evaporated, many analysts fret that some cinemas will not be able to survive without government assistance. – Los Angeles Times
Maybe Figuring Out How To Get Your Work To An Audience Is Part Of The Creative Challenge
Playwright Nick Green created the Social Distancing Festival website to host rehearsal videos, designs, photos, excerpts and other pieces of work that have been cancelled or postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He put out a call for submissions on Saturday, March 14. By the next day he had 23,000 page views and, as of Thursday, 270,000 unique visitors. – Toronto Star
Librarians: If We Can’t Lend Books During Lockdown, Let’s Make Our Buildings And Bookmobiles Wi-Fi Hotspots
“The [American Library Association] urged the FCC to waive E-rate restrictions so libraries could not only offer [free] Wi-Fi access via local libraries, but could also provide broadband service to disconnected communities via bookmobiles and mobile hotspots without running afoul of FCC rules.” – Vice
Thanks To Social Distancing, Drive-In Movie Theaters Are Having A Comeback
“Drive-in movie theaters may seem like a blast from the past, something out of the 1950s or ’60s. Numerous baby boomers haven’t gone for decades; Gen Xers and millennials, perhaps never. But there are still 305 of them in the United States” — and they’re seeing increased demand from stir-crazy customers. – The New York Times
Actors And Others Read Us Sonnets Online
What Theatre Can Do For Humanity In The Midst Of This Unprecedented Crisis
First of all, theatre can acknowledge the uncertainty, anxiety, grief, and pain of this time – and the resilience that so many people are bringing right now. “Some theatres … have recorded performances, and many others are doing or considering live streaming. That is a good start. After this crisis passes, we will also need to equip education and community engagement departments with the funds and technology tools needed to make our work more accessible to our communities—the future of our field and our future audiences depend on it. I remain hopeful we can do it. Theatre people are nothing if not resourceful and adaptable.” – American Theatre
Movie Box Office Falls 97 Percent As Theatres Shut
Box office revenue limped to a historic low of $300,000 or less on Wednesday as the vast majority of cinemas in North America closed their doors indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis. That compares to $10.7 million in revenue on the same Wednesday a year ago, resulting in a year-over-year decline of 97 percent. – The Hollywood Reporter
“Sweet Land” Opera Was A Hit. Then It Had To Close For The Virus. So One Performance For Just The Cameras
“I think of it a little bit like if a house was burning, and you had the opportunity to run in and save a piece of humanity,” says Industry founder Yuval Sharon. “That’s what we’re doing.” – Los Angeles Times