“Time Inc., the world’s largest magazine publisher, plans to cut 6 percent of its work force – more than 600 positions – and will revamp the organization in a way that could radically alter the culture at the company.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
More Newsroom Bloodletting, This Time At Gannett
“The Gannett Company, the nation’s largest newspaper chain, will lay off about 10 percent of its work force by early December, company executives said on Tuesday, a few days after Gannett disclosed another sharp drop in revenue and earnings.”
Wigmore Hall And King’s Place Locked In Bitter Rivalry? (Naaah.)
“Rumours have been flying around the classical music industry that London’s Wigmore Hall has been refusing to book artists who accept engagements at Kings Place – the brand-new Wigmore-size recital venue, and potential competitor, in King’s Cross.”
Facebook Activism In Egypt
“Although freedom of speech and freedom of religion may be democracy’s headliners, it’s the less sexy-sounding freedom of assembly that, when prohibited, can effectively asphyxiate political organization. Uniting 70,000 people is no easy feat in a country where collective action is so risky. Social networking has changed that.”
Costumes Fit For By A Queen
“Denmark’s Queen Margrethe on Tuesday unveiled costumes she designed for a Christmas ballet based on the classic Russian folk tale [“The Snow Maiden”]… Margrethe, a prolific graphic artist and scenographer, has previously designed costumes and sets for several plays, including adaptations of stories by fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.”
“Russian Sinatra,” Muslim Magomaev, Dies at 66
“Magomaev, who launched his career with an internship in Milan’s famed La Scala opera theater in 1963 and enjoyed great success in Paris’s Olympia theater, abandoned opera in favor of a more pop repertoire, becoming a legend of the Soviet Union’s 1960s generation.”
San Francisco Fiddle Fraudster Sentenced To Prison
Joseph Hokai Tang, 29, a pianist and violinist who was arrested last year for shady doings in his violin dealership (he was apprehended backstage after a concert), has been convicted of international fraud and sentenced to three years’ prison and $436,000 in restitution; he faces almost certain deportation upon release.
Getty Center Undamaged by Brush Fire
Thursday’s fire in Los Angeles’s Sepulveda Pass came within two miles of the Getty Center, but there was no damage from flame or smoke. While the museum was closed as a precaution Thursday, it will be open as usual on Friday.
DJ in Dubai Fired for Impersonating God
“Virgin Radio Dubai fired a South African DJ for impersonating God on air, the show’s management said Wednesday. Revin John, host of Breakfast Xpress, was fired over a mock-telephone conversation with God that he performed on his show Monday.”
You Mean It Has Art Inside?
“The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao… is reported to have paid well over the odds for art to fill Frank Gehry’s swooping titanium masterpiece.” Internal documents reveal that former director Thomas Krens “paid more than the market value for the works, offering whatever price the artists demanded.”