New York’s Arts Ed Battle

Arts education in New York City schools is still a spotty thing. The system suffers from “a lack of such facilities as art or dance studios, an inadequate supply of basic material and equipment such as musical instruments, and a shortage of arts teachers. Some 150 public schools –- more than one in ten — still have no full-time arts teachers of any kind.”

Launch Of NPR Podcasts A Big Winner

“It took only six days after launch for NPR’s ‘Story of the Day’ podcast to reach the coveted No. 1 spot on iTunes for most downloaded podcast. On Nov. 21, NPR’s podcasts held down 11 spots on the iTunes Top 100, more than any other media outlet. But NPR has done much more than simply repurpose its own material for podcasts. The radio giant is hosting podcasts for member stations, and selling and splitting underwriting revenues with them.”

FCC Threatening Cable Crackdown

“Sexed-up, profanity-laced shows on cable and satellite TV should be for adult eyes only, and providers must do more to shield children or could find themselves facing indecency fines, the nation’s top communications regulator said yesterday.” The FCC’s decision to threaten cable and satellite broadcasters is bound to be controversial, since the agency has historically been charged with regulating the terrestrial airwaves, but not channels carried over cable lines. But Congress is considering a new package of legislation that would increase indecency fines and give the FCC authority over cable and satellite programming.

Wanna Rescue Your Broadway Show? Make A Lousy Movie.

The movie version of the long-running theatrical hit, Rent, is not pulling much business by Hollywood standards, but the opening appears to have given a boost to the staged original, which last week had its best sales week ever. “The same thing happened last year with The Phantom of the Opera. The movie, which cost about $100 million to make, grossed just $150 million worldwide. But it lifted the fortunes of the Broadway show… As more and more stage shows are being adapted for the silver screen, theater producers are discovering that even if the movie isn’t very good, the stage production benefits. The spike in ticket sales registers as soon as the trailer for the movie starts playing in theaters.”

Nothing Funny About It (Yet)

British comedians and satirists are struggling with the same problem that confronted American entertainers in the months after 9/11: how to acknowledge the terrorist elephant in the room without insulting anyone or bringing the mood down. For comedians, who frequently operate on the razor edge of good taste, anyway, the July train bombings in London are a delicate matter. If those comedians happen to be of Middle Eastern descent, well, then, the pressure is even more intense. Some comics are gingerly beginning to talk about the bombings, but “for all the effort at cheerful revenge, none of the dozens of acts addressing this year’s hot issue know quite what to say about it.”