Three years after Minnesota’s St. Olaf College, operator of the oldest listener-supported radio station in the US, sold its classical broadcast operation to public radio behemoth Minnesota Public Radio (which promptly converted it to a pop music format,) the school is still feeling the wrath of longtime supporters who claim that the sale was illegal. Now, a lawsuit has been filed, and a judge may rule that WCAL-FM (now KCMP) was a charitable trust that the college had no right to sell without consulting its trustees.
Tag: 06.13.07
More Red Ink Coming To Portland
The Oregon Symphony will finish its 2006-07 season with yet another multi-million dollar deficit, according to sources within the organization. The OSO has hired a consultant to cut costs in hopes that the budget can be balanced by the 2008-09 season, but so far, there don’t seem to be any easy answers.
Producers Get More Oscar Slots
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will now allow more than three producers to be eligible for an Oscar movie credit. “The agreement to consider exceptions to the three-producer rule, though a small change, was welcomed by some of those who had been slighted by the old limitation, which at this year’s Oscar ceremony excluded two producers, Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, from awards consideration for the best-picture nominee ‘Little Miss Sunshine’.”
Portrait Of A Ballerina
Diana Vishneva, 30, is a principal dancer with the Kirov Ballet and American Ballet Theater, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s great ballerinas.
London’s National Theatre Starts A YouTube Channel
“In a blatant endeavor to break away from the stereotypical theatre crowd and capture an alternative audience, the National has created its very own YouTube channel to showcase trailers and vox pops. To my mind, the concept of e-trailers for plays is genius. How brilliant not to be entirely reliant on reviews, which are essentially comprised of one person’s opinion (one very informed person, granted) or a programme. The decision to invest in a theatre ticket is often a difficult one and I feel sure that a short trailer for the production would definitely help a lot of people.”
Rome’s Famous Fountains Go Dry
The cause is an accident with the underground irrigation system. “The 18th century Trevi fountain and Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona are no longer being fed by the 13-mile ‘Virgin’ aqueduct after concrete foundations laid in the city’s exclusive, outlying Parioli district crashed into a buried section of the ancient channel, creating a three-metre gash and blocking it with rubble.”
Kids Aren’t Going To Museums? Who Says?
“It used to be unusual to see packs of schoolchildren in museums and art galleries; it is now unusual not to have them around, sometimes even to the detriment of one’s own quiet enjoyment. Moreover, there is more stimulating art to be seen, in a greater number of good museums, outside of London, than ever before.”
Judge: Banning Bootleg Recordings Is Constitutional
U.S. Congress criminalizing boot-leg recordings of music performers is constitutional and does not conflict with copyright laws, a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday
DVD Sales Stall After Years Of Growth
“DVD sales to consumers are down nearly 8%, as of the first quarter. And no wonder: After years of trying to space out big new releases throughout the year, studios again appear to be focusing on the fourth quarter and cutting back on the rest of the year.”
Off-Broadway Theatre Sets All Seats At $20
Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre will offer tickets to all its performances for $20 a seat. “Relying on corporate support from Time Warner and American Express, along with contributions from Margot Adams, the widow of actor Mason Adams, Signature wants to expand theatre to sections of society that do not necessarily constitute its core audience, including young people, the working class, and minorities.”