Univision Gains On Big 4

Univision, the American Spanish-language TV network says its earnings are up 21 percent over last year. “Univision has become a tough competitor to ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and regularly beats one of these four English-language networks in prime-time. As the Hispanic population continues to grow in size, we are confident that advertisers will see that reaching Hispanics through Univision Television, radio, music and online assets will be a key to their success.”

Getty Meets With Greeks

The Getty Museum will meet with Greek authorities to discuss antiquities the Greeks say were looted and are now in the Getty collection. “The visit by museum Director Michael Brand, announced Wednesday by the J. Paul Getty Trust, comes as Greek authorities step up a criminal investigation aimed at securing the return of four Getty objects, including a 2,500-year-old solid gold funerary crown considered to be one of the museum’s antiquities masterpieces.”

When A Masterwork Is Decertified (Where Do You Put It?)

In 1985 the LA County Museum acquired a Van Dyck painting with great fanfare. But “these days, ‘Andromeda’ is all but invisible. Although it probably cost about $1 million, it hasn’t been hung in a public area for several years, and the museum has never announced a reason. The answer is there, however, for those who dig into LACMA’s online collection database: In July 1998, the museum decided it wasn’t a Van Dyck after all.”

Gaddafi, The Opera

English national Opera will presnt an opera about Libyan disctator Muammar Gaddafi. “The opera tackles some of Libya’s most controversial moments on the world stage, including U.S. attacks on the country in 1986, the Lockerbie disaster of 1988 and the shooting of police officer Yvonne Fletcher outside Libya’s London embassy in 1984. Little wonder its creators see the project as high risk for one of Britain’s two main opera houses.”

da Vinci Code Losers Late On Legal Fee Payment

The pair who sued Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown for plagiarism and lost, are late on their court-ordered payment of Brown’s legal fees. “Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who sued publishers Random House, were ordered to pay 85% of the company’s legal bill, estimated at £1.3m. Their first instalment of £350,000 had been due on Friday. But they have applied for more time to pay.”