Remember all those predictions about a record summer at the movie box office? Not going to happen. “Blame it on the old guys of ‘Ocean’s Thirteen,’ God in ‘Evan Almighty’ or simply the widely hyped sequels like ‘Spider-Man 3’ that opened to huge ticket sales but failed to keep audiences returning the way their predecessors did.”
Tag: 06.26.07
Is LA The Art World’s Hot Spot?
“In L.A., galleries form a kind of cultural underground, operating in the shadow of an entertainment industry that is just beginning to pay them notice. Mainstream museums, on the other hand, are actively engaged in promoting local talent, introducing new work by young artists before it ever appears in a gallery. At the moment, both UCLA’s Hammer Museum and L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art are presenting exhibitions devoted to Los Angeles-based artists.”
Canadian Teens Turning Off Radio
“Teens aged 12 to 17 listened to a mere 7.6 hours a week of radio, according to a survey taken in fall 2006. That’s down from 8.6 hours in 2005 and 11.3 hours in 1996.”
First-Edition Harry Sells For £9,000
“A rare first edition of a Harry Potter book has sold for £9,000. The book, one of only 500 published by Bloomsbury in 1997, had a pre-sale estimate of £5,000-£7,000. Bonhams sold the hardback on behalf of a woman who had bought it originally with book tokens she had been given as a school prize.”
Without Major-Label CDs, Conductors Fly Under Radar
“Time and again, European orchestral conductors roar into America’s side doors, virtually unknown but fully matured and ready to assume major appointments.” Their anonymity — which is not necessarily a bad thing — is due in part to changes in the recording industry, David Patrick Stearns says. “Recordings continue to be made, but coherent electronic calling cards have been replaced by scattershot appearances in a variety of labels, big, small, and so local as to be almost invisible.”
As Controversy Swirls, Rushdie Chooses Silence
“Salman Rushdie, whose British knighthood has led to worldwide protests from Muslims angered by his 1989 novel, The Satanic Verses, is not commenting on the uproar, for now. Rushdie responded Monday to an Associated Press query that asked if he had been urged by British authorities not to say anything because of security concerns or whether he had considered not accepting the honor. ‘The British authorities have not asked me to do or not do anything,’ Rushdie wrote in an e-mail.”
Smithsonian Sec’y Meddled With Museum’s Insurance
“Former Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small had inquired about the institution’s insurance policies with Chubb Group at a time when he collected compensation from the insurer as a member of Chubb’s board of directors, people familiar with the contacts said yesterday. Smithsonian officials previously said Small was never involved in the museum’s insurance policies.”
Online Radio Stations Protest Royalties With Silence
“Across the Internet, the music will die today. It’s a protest staged by online radio stations to preview what they say will happen when substantially higher royalty rates kick in next month, silencing for good stations that can’t afford them. Thousands of webcasters will replace their music streams today with periods of silence and occasional messages about the dispute, urging people to press Congress to reverse the royalty rate and fee increase set by a federal board.”
Why Shielding Kids From Violent TV Isn’t Congress’ Job
“This week, Congress will once again consider what to do about the perceived threat to children from television violence,” Laurence H. Tribe writes. “Even the staunchest critics of TV violence must concede that only certain depictions cause real concern. But letting government decide which depictions threaten children’s welfare (and therefore should be labeled or otherwise restricted or segregated) is both unconstitutional and unwise.”
Pasadena Exec: Musicians’ Grievance Part Of Process
“Responding to a musicians union’s claim of unfair labor practices, Pasadena Symphony executive director Tom O’Connor said Monday that the filing was ‘part of a normal process.’ The union grievance is in response to a proposed merger between the symphony and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra.”