Neighbors of the Barnes Collection outside of Philadelphia are mounting a campaign to stop the Collection’s art for being relocated to Philadelphia. “In a quiet, passionate – but probably futile – campaign, neighbors of the Barnes Foundation soldier on in their battle to keep the world-famous art collection in Merion.”
Tag: 02.08.07
Warner Rejects Jobs’ Call To End Copy Protection
“Warner Music has rejected a suggestion from Apple boss Steve Jobs that record companies should remove copy protection software from digital music downloads.”
Warner Music Sales Down
Warner music says its profits are down 74 percent. “While Warner’s digital music sales jumped 45% to $100m, this still only accounted for 11% of total revenues. Sales of physical music products such as CDs declined 13% to $800m following poor sales in the US and Europe.”
D.C. Ballet Company Loses Yet Another Exec
The executive director of Washington Ballet, who presided over a bitter labor dispute with the company’s dancers that saw the 2005 run of The Nutcracker canceled, has resigned unexpectedly to become the chief executive at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Jason Palmquist becomes the fourth executive to quit Washington Ballet since 1999.
TV On-Demand To Get An Amazonian Boost
“Amazon.com Inc. and TiVo Inc. have jumped into the digital download wars — with a twist. The new partners will send movies and TV shows directly to their customers’ living rooms… Unbox on TiVo joins a rash of new digital download services from retailers and entertainment companies, and builds on the Unbox service that Amazon.com launched last year.”
OCPAC Chairman Defends His Prez
The chairman of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s board is standing behind the center’s president, one day after published reports quoted former OCPAC staffers criticizing his leadership and blaming him for a series of high-level departures. “Many of those who have left were fundraisers; besides needing more than $10 million in yearly donations to balance its operating budget, the center is in a difficult campaign, still $75 million short of its goal, to fund the $237.5-million expansion.”
Change Afoot At Penguin Canada
“Canadian publishing veteran Ed Carson, 58, is leaving the presidency of Penguin Canada in May, to be succeeded by his ‘great friend,’ David Davidar, 47, who came to the Toronto-based company in early 2004 as publisher after serving as Penguin India president for several years. Under the new regime, Davidar will function as both president and publisher.”
So, There Are Cockfighting Fans Who Can Read?
Amazon.com isn’t backing down from a fight with the Humane Society, which wants the online retailer to stop selling magazines devoted to the brutal sport of cockfighting. Amazon claims that, since the magazines aren’t illegal, refusing to sell them would amount to censorship.
Canada May Toughen Copyright Laws
Copyright laws have been tightened considerably in the US and UK in recent years, in response to a growing market for illegally copied music and movies. But Canada has left its laws fairly lax, and now, a growing chorus of industry insiders and law enforcement groups is calling on the Canadian Parliament to, among other things, criminalize camcording in movie theaters without requiring proof of the offender’s intent to distribute.
Send In The Clowns
“The installation – and vandalism – of a series of sculptures in Sarasota has raised questions of taste, art, and local identity.” The sculptures are of 6-foot-tall clowns decorated by local artists, and they were controversial before they even went up. “The reasons for the exhibit’s woes remain a subject of fierce debate here. But most people blame some combination of poor planning, clown phobia, and a growing population of affluent retirees with less of a soft spot for the city’s circus past.”