Smiley Leaving NPR

Tavis Smiley is ending his show and leaving National Public Radio. “After all that we’ve accomplished towards our goal of seeking a broader, more diverse and younger audience for public radio. NPR’s own research has confirmed that NPR has simply failed to meaningfully reach out to a broad spectrum of Americans who would benefit from public radio but simply don’t know it exists or what it offers.”

Diana Memorial Closed Again

The Diana memorial fountain in London is being closed again for emergency repairs. “Metal bars will be fitted under the bridges which span the £3.6million fountain because of fears that children could become trapped under them. The fountain has been a source of embarrassment since opening in the summer. Four visitors, including a mother and daughter, required an ambulance after slipping on the wet granite during its first two weeks, and another twisted her ankle slipping on damp grass next to the fountain.”

West End – Where Did The Plays Go?

These days in London’s West End, musicals outnumber straight plays. Where did the plays go? “It’s not that the audience for drama has necessarily declined – just that people now have plenty of other places to see it. In 1954, you went to see a play in the West End or stayed at home. Now, subsidised venues such as the National, the Barbican, the refurbished Royal Court, the Donmar, the Almeida, and Hampstead, as well as the vast number of fringe theatres in pubs and other found locations soak up many of the play-going audience.”

Classical Music Recording In A “Golden” Age

The classical music recording industry is dying, right? Not so fast, writes Anthony Tommasini. “Despite the financial struggles in the industry, it feels as if we are in the midst of a golden age of classical recording. So what’s going on? Several things, no doubt. Being forced to cut back production drastically has made label executives come up with projects that matter, recordings that truly contribute to the discography. “Smaller is better” may be a cliché, but that approach has paid off for the classical recording industry.”

Minnesota Orchestra Signs New Contract With Musicians

Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra have ratified a new three-year contract that begins with a wage freeze. “Extraordinary circumstances in recent years require extraordinary gestures on our part. This will be an unprecedented second consecutive contract with a wage freeze in the first year and containing an overall salary increase significantly below the cost of living.”