“Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) joined a coalition of two dozen broadcasters, professional organizations and free-speech advocates that filed a petition Monday asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider its aggressive new approach to regulating broadcast decency, calling it unconstitutional and chilling.”
Tag: 04.20.04
Writer McEwan Gets Apology From US Border Officials
“British writer Ian McEwan was ‘erroneously’ prevented from entering the United States on March 30 at the Vancouver, B.C., international airport and has received an ‘extremely rare’ letter of apology from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
NEA Announces New Writing Program For Troops
“The NEA this week is unveiling ‘Operation Homecoming,’ in which troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will attend workshops run by such writers as Tom Clancy, Tobias Wolff and James McBride. The best submissions will be published in an anthology, scheduled to come out at the end of 2005. ‘I’ve always believed that one of the signs of a healthy society is when all aspects of that society communicate with each other,’ NEA chairman Dana Gioia said.”
Vettriano Sells In The Big Leagues
Critics don’t think much of painter Jack Vettriano’s work, but the public likes it. And there’s a market for it. “The Singing Butler, the Jack Vettriano painting – arguably Britain’s most popular art image but loathed by critics – last night entered the financial territory occupied by the world’s great contemporary artists when it sold at auction for £744,800.”
Bellevue Museum Delays Reopening Because Of Money
The Bellevue Art Museum, which surprised the art world when it closed suddenly last fall, has delayed its reopening from July to October. Why? “Six months later, money is still missing in action. BAM has raised $180,000 and can’t reopen until it has at least $2.8 million.” The museum says it has a plan though, and the money to reopen will follow.
Bellevue Museum Plans Artistic Departure
The Bellevue Art Museum’s revival plan “unveiled yesterday marks a significant artistic and financial departure from the museum’s earlier incarnation as an unconventional exhibitor of contemporary art. The plan also hinges on some big unknowns, including whether the museum can raise $2.8 million by the planned opening Oct. 28.”
New Reality – Tough Times For Scripts
Spring is the time TV execs plan their fall schedules, choosing new shows. But this spring is different. “The big reason is that the shows that have provided the lifeblood of the television creative community, all those sitcoms and dramas, have fallen starkly out of favor as viewers gravitate to a different kind of television show. ‘The business is being driven by reality television. It is a very challenging time for people who are proud of and continue to believe in the scripted television show’.”
Recalling A 1934 Balanchine
New York City Ballet returns to the Westchester estate where Balanchine’s “Serenade” was first performed in 1934. The story of that first performance is an oft-told tale in ballet history. “Much has changed. History did not repeat itself, but it was recalled in a startling context.”
How DVD’s Are Transforming The Movie Biz
The success of DVD’s is changing the movie industry. “Not since the advent of the videocassette in the mid-1980’s has the movie industry enjoyed such a windfall from a new product. And just as video caused a seismic shift two decades ago, the success of the DVD is altering priorities and the balance of power in the making of popular culture. And industry players, starting with the Writers Guild, are lining up to claim their share.”
Police Shut Down Rowdy Ragtime Band (And Takes Their Instruments)
Neighbors complained about the noise from a ragtime band practicing. So they called the police, who came and confiscated the band’s instruments. “Acting with the full force of the law, they took an upright piano (white, slightly bashed), two electric pianos, a violin, a trombone, an acoustic guitar, four CD players, two tape decks and a portable stereo. They also loaded a £10,000 viola into the back of their van, but allowed its owner to rescue it when he produced proof that he would need it for an audition in Barcelona the next day.”