Live events and entertainment are people-based businesses that rely on the creation of emotional experiences and human interactions. Shedding too many employees, or the wrong employees, may impede the ability to resume operations when the crisis ends. – The Conversation
Tag: 03.31.20
The Drum Dance Group That Isn’t Letting A Little Thing Like Social Distance Get In The Way
The group is called Huqqullaaqatigiit, and the drum dancers have been getting together every week for more than a decade to preserve language, music, and the words of elders in the community. Last week, they decided to try it all over Facebook Live. – CBC
How Podcasting Is Changing
The podcasting business is changing at the speed of sound. There’s a pivot toward profit. And while that’s great in the short run for public podcasting, it also attracts new players and an aggressive new business model. Public podcasts that often started as spinoffs or experiments are becoming lucrative. NPR recently projected that podcasting would account within three years for 20% of its revenues. In public-broadcasting–adjacent venues, The Daily reportedly made millions last year, and Slate draws half its revenue from podcasting. – Current
Public Radio And TV Stations Are Having To Rework Their Underwriting Models — Fast
Cultural institutions and restaurants, whose revenue has been largely wiped out by the coronavirus epidemic, have been among the biggest underwriters of local public media outlets. Reporter Julian Wyllie looks into how several local stations are dealing with the sudden changes in their sponsors’, and their own, fortunes. – Current
Libraries As ‘Second Responders’ In The COVID Crisis
“When libraries closed their doors abruptly, they immediately opened their digital communications, collaborations, and creative activity to reach their public in ways as novel as the virus that forced them into it. You can be sure that this is just the beginning. Today libraries are already acting and improvising.” Deborah Fallows gives some examples of what they’re doing. – The Atlantic
When COVID Shut This Small Museum Down, Its Community Suffered A Big Loss
“In the eight years since it was founded, the Underground Museum has become not only one of the most important destinations for black art in the country but also a crucial gathering place for its working class Arlington Heights neighborhood [in Los Angeles]. … As cultural institutions all over the world wrestle with how to bring art to the public during the pandemic, smaller ones like the Underground Museum are also trying to figure out how to continue serving communities that have come to rely on them in other ways.” – The New York Times
It Took Only Four Days For Berlin To Distribute €500 Million In Emergency Funds For Freelancers
“Imagine you are a small businessperson or freelancer suffering a deep financial loss as a result of your city’s lockdown. You apply for a grant from the government on a Friday, submitting nothing more than your mailing address, a tax number, banking details, and a legal form with your company’s name. On Tuesday, you wake up to find €5,000 has been wired into your account.” – Artnet
Soooo… We Were Trying To Cut Down Our Screen Time Before This Happened. How’s It Going?
Covered in screens these past few weeks, I have noticed some positive changes. I FaceTime my friends so much that I know them better than I did before. I decided to learn what TikTok was, and I love it. I spend hours with my chin tucked into my chest and a weird smile on my face, watching. I’m using Duolingo, an app to learn languages. – The New York Times
Chinese Movie Fans Turned To Piracy Sites As Theatres Shut
China’s 70,000 theaters shut down in January amid coronavirus concerns during the weekend of the Chinese New Year, which is typically the country’s busiest moviegoing time. Piracy data company Muso released a report on Wednesday that shows how piracy has already increased in the region because of the closures. – Business Insider
Major Development In A Landmark Decision About Artists Rights
“At issue is the aspect of copyright law that allows authors to terminate copyright grants to publishers. The putative class action was brought by John Waite and Joe Ely, musicians who alleged that Universal Music Group routinely and systematically refuses to honor termination notices. The judge is allowing a group of plaintiffs to move forward, but not without a pretty huge caveat.” – The Hollywood Reporter