Why are there fewer Canadian dramas on Canadian TV? “It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: Don’t promote the shows, they don’t get watched. No ratings result in no promotion. No ratings and no promotion means no program, except by regulatory fiat. The amount of disrespect that broadcasters such as CTV and Global have for their own Canadian programming extends to how they tend to schedule it — in so-called “shoulder periods” out of the primest primetime or on nights (Fridays and Saturdays) when audiences are smallest. Add to that how the networks bounce the series around to capitalize on simulcasts of their American acquisitions and the Canadian series don’t stand a fighting chance.”
Tag: 03.18.03
Boston Lyric Opera Cuts Season
Boston Lyric Opera cuts its season from four operas to three. “We are operating from a position of strength, and we do not want to lose that in the current difficult economic climate. We can’t do four operas for the price of three, and we do not want to compromise the quality of what we do. Large five- and six-figure gifts are coming in smaller and slower. We wanted to present a world premiere, but we have had to postpone that again because the donors who are helping us with that are not in a position to give what they would like to.”
Protesters Paint Sydney Opera House
Two protesters climbed to the top of the Sydney Opera House and painted “No War” in giant red letters Tuesday. “The graffiti on the highest sail of the ornate building made a mockery of the supposed increase in security at two of Australia’s most readily identifiable landmarks, the opera house and nearby Sydney Harbour Bridge.”
Should Artists’ Estates Be Protected For The World?
The estates of Francis Bacon and Andre Breton are currently in danger of being broken up and sold. “Our instinct cries out to protect the ‘integrity’ of such inheritances by keeping them together. But is that justified? Should the state, as it does in France, have a say? Or should great art have a life of its own when its creator dies, beyond the control of its maker and his loved ones?”
Writers To Get Sheep Permissions
Five notable writers will soon have the right to drive sheep through the city’s main street. Liverpool city council formally votes at a special meeting tomorrow to honour Alan Bleasdale, Carla Lane, Willy Russell, Jimmy McGovern and Dame Beryl Bainbridge as freemen of the city. It’s an honorary title, but it does carry the benefit of the sheep thing. And free rides on ferries…
Of Goalies I Sing…
Any doubt that opera is the high-art form of the moment? “The Czech National Theater said on Monday it was working on an opera to commemorate the surprise gold medal victory of the Czech men’s Olympic ice hockey team in Nagano in 1998. ‘It is a kind of modern Czech legend and operas have always been based on legends. We know it is an unusual motif but it is quite interesting and able to carry some kind of a musical form’.”
Finalists For UK Museum Of The Year
Four English museums have been shortlisted for the first £100,000 Gulbenkian Prize for museum innovation. Finalists include London’s Natural History Museum and The Discovery Point in Dundee, the galleries of Justice in Nottingham and Rotherham’s Clifton Park Museum.
Debate On The Future Of English National Opera
The English Arts Council is meeting to discuss the fate of the troubled English National Opera. How much money will it take to save the company, which has been plagues by cutbacks, strikes and defections? “We are not going to give them any money as long as we think it is going to be bad money after good. What ENO must do is take their own destiny into their own hands.”
Getting It Together To Sell Music
Pretty much everyone agrees that digital copying of music isn’t going to stop any time soon. And there’s a growing consensus that the recording industry needs to “loosen up” if it wants to emerge with a viable business in the “rip, mix, burn” era. Finally tech companies and recording producers are getting together to explore nw ways of distributing and selling content.
Lower Price = More Ticket Buyers For Sydney Theatres
After dropping ticket prices for younger patrons, several Sydney theatre companies report record increases in ticket sales – as much as 400 percent at one theatre.