Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has finally spoken up about his veto of $32 million in arts and culture grants from next year’s budget. DeSantis blamed the veto on one grant to the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, which he believed was overly sexual and unworthy of state funds. In response, the Festival, which was only slated to receive $7,500 of the $32 million, offered to give up its grant if the rest of the grant money was restored. It was also noted that the Festival is not sexual in nature, but it does feature drag queens and other forms of artistic expression which have gotten caught up in DeSantis’ “culture wars.”
The State Department has introduced eleven global music ambassadors who are charged with bridging cultural divides. The ambassadors include Herbie Hancock, Denyce Graves, Lainey Wilson, and Jellyroll. This is a revival of a program from the 1950’s where musicians such as Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie were sent around the world to counter anti-American sentiment during the height of the cold war.
The Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival has performed its last concert. The summer festival was started in 1992 by Karen Fuller, Michael Forte, and Michael Ellert. Over 33 summers the festival has performed an eclectic mix of chamber music in northern, central, and southern Palm Beach County.
The AFM-EPF Pension Fund has finally been approved for Special Financial Assistance under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Fund will receive $1.44 billion as well as $87.7 million in interest. The Fund expects to receive the assistance on or around August 12.
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Inside Out has become the first movie of 2024 to earn $1 billion at the box office. After 19 days of release, the Disney/Pixar film had earned $469 million domestically and $545 million internationally. It is one of eleven animated films to earn $1 billion, it is the top-grossing Pixar film of all time, and the third top-grossing of any animated film.
Skydance Media has acquired Paramount. The $8.4 billion transaction will give Skydance control of Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. The deal includes a $1.5 billion cash infusion for debt payment and $4.5 billion to buy Class B shares from shareholders. The entire deal is still subject to regulator approval.
Regal Cinemas has secured $250 million to upgrade its 425 theater locations. The funds will be used for enhancements such as luxury recliners to make movie-going a more premium experience.
The US Copyright Office has reaffirmed termination rights under the Music Modernization Act. The ruling clarifies that songwriters have the right to terminate a grant of a license after 35 years (or 56 years for works written prior to 1978). Reclaiming their rights from other parties such as music publishers allows songwriters to collect mechanical royalties from streaming platforms.
Universal, Sony, and Warner have sued Verizon over copyright infringement. The labels claim they have sent over 340,000 notices to Verizon of subscribers using their network to pirate music on peer-to-peer networks and Verizon has refused to take action, continuing to serve those customers and enabling them to commit piracy. The labels believe Verizon should be liable for $150,000 per work infringed, or a total of over $2.6 billion.
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Dallas Symphony musicians have ratified a three-year agreement. Wages will rise four percent in the first year, 4.2 percent in the second, and 4.5 percent in the third.
Musicians of the Nashville Symphony have ratified a one-year extension to their contract. Wages will rise 5.1 percent and parental leave has been expended from four to six weeks.