The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the indecent exposure conviction of a public access TV host whose show featured a segment in which his exposed penis appeared to tell jokes to the camera. The host claimed that the segment constituted free expression, but the court disagreed, saying that there is a noticable difference between nudity in serious films and a crass public access show. The host intends to appeal to the State Supreme Court.
Tag: 05.12.05
Innovating Film Channel
“Suppose you run a cable channel dedicated to showing art house films. You wake up one day and realize that the independent film industry isn’t making that many truly independent films anymore. You notice your audience is as fervent about video as it is about film. You sense viewers are no longer satisfied with your selecting the film lineup; they want to do it themselves. If you’re the Independent Film Channel, you’ve clearly got some identity issues. Over the last year, IFC has faced up to the challenge with an overhaul centered on increased original programming, along with aggressive media and educational campaigns catering to its small but avid and digitally hip audience.”
Big City, Little Movies
In so many ways,New York dominates the American cultural landscape, but usually, to make it big there, you’ve got to be pretty big yourself. But a new generation of filmmakers are making a name for themselves in the Big Apple by going small. “Culturally vibrant, if economically still fragile, New York has quietly been emerging as the world’s primary clearinghouse for a fast-expanding pool of very-low-budget movies. A ragtag posse of former college film series promoters, ex-gofers at major studios and chronically underfinanced filmmakers – their way paved by the low costs and relative ease of digital technology – has coalesced here into a commercial brokerage and cinematic salon devoted largely to the ‘little’ film.”
Yahoo! Let’s Compete With Ourselves!
Internet giant Yahoo! acquired online download service MusicMatch last year for $160 million in what was considered something of a coup for the company, which had been battered by the rise of Google. So why has Yahoo! suddenly launched its own online music service in direct competition with MusicMatch?
The “Turner Prize” Of Music?
A new contemporary music award in the UK aims at being the “Turner Prize” of music. But what seems to be competing is an odd collection of sounds rather than music. “I can’t help wondering where the music is in all these projects. And without music per se, it’s hard to see how the New Music Awards can claim to reward work which has “new British music at its heart”. Of course, a list consisting almost entirely of installations and “sound sculptures” neatly evades the ticklish question of what actually constitutes the “heart” of British music.”
In Praise Of Mackerras
Conductor Charles Mackerras has been racking up awards. There’s a reason, writes Rupert Christiansen: “He is the most purposeful of conductors: a Mackerras performance invariably has energy, pace, bounce, clarity, shape. With his unique gift for getting music moving, he puts singers as well as orchestras on their toes – there’s no slacking under his baton, no empty sentimentality or self-indulgence.”
Concessions In Columbus
The musicians of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra have agreed to restructure their contract and take a massive pay cut in an attempt to keep the orgaization afloat financially. Individual musicians would see their salaries drop between $22,261 and $26,713 under the terms of the new agreement, which was reached after the CSO’s board refused to announce the next season without major changes to the contract.
Florida Orchestra Pleads For More Civic Funding
The Florida Orchestra is asking its home city of St. Petersburg to triple its contribution to the orchestra, to $221,000. The request comes as the orchestra prepares to move to a local church for a year as its hall is being renovated. “But the request could be a difficult one for the City Council’s three-member budget committee… The committee also has to weigh requests from at least 10 other agencies, who want a piece of the $797,000 available for fiscal year 2006, which starts Oct. 1. The orchestra is competing with the Festival of States, which wants $100,000; the Pier Aquarium, which wants $92,000; and the Tennis Foundation of St. Petersburg, which wants $60,000.”
SPAC To Grow A New Board From Scratch
As part of its attempt to dig out from under a wave of bad publicity and accusations of fiscal irresponsibility, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is junking its entire board and starting fresh. The board unanimously resigned last week, and the new roster includes only four members with previous SPAC board experience. SPAC came under fire last year after dropping New York City Ballet from its summer schedule, and was subsequently the subject of a scathing audit which accused the board of willful mismanagement.
London Orchestra Captain Steps Down
“Clive Gillinson has run the London Symphony Orchestra for the past 21 years, seen the orchestra establish itself at the Barbican in London, pioneered orchestral own-labels with LSO Live (or “LSO Clive” as the wags prefer) and fashioned a £17m music education centre at what was the crumbling ruin of St Luke’s church, close to the Barbican. It is a formidable achievement, especially at a time when the recording industry has been contracting. Now Gillinson’s long tenure is coming to an end.”