Industry News

Local/Club Date

Nicole Yarling's Future of Jazz Youth Orchestra featured 30 college, high school, and middle school students at the Harriet Himmel Theater in West Palm Beach in November. Yarling was assisted by instructors and Local 655 members James Gasior and Ed Maina.

The proposed $389 million Orlando performing arts center has been named the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center, after receiving $25 million from Dr. Phillips Charities. The center has raised nearly half of its goal of $100 million in private support, including $10 million from the Orlando Magic and $7.5 million from Jim and Alexis Pugh. The balance of the funding would come from tourist, sales, and property taxes.

Lauderhill commissioners are reviewing plans for a proposed $100 million cultural mall at Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7. TapTap City would include cultural and educational areas, a museum, a library, a performing arts center, commercial area for artists, and apartments. Developer Randolph Voyard and the Village of Creole Cultures Corporation hope to begin construction next year and finish by 2009.

The New World Symphony unveiled plans for a $200 million home designed by Frank Gehry. The 95,000 square foot building would include practice rooms and a 738-seat concert hall and be wired for Internet2, allowing them to web-cast master classes in DVD quality. NWS plans to break ground in 2007 and to complete the hall by 2010.

Symphonic

The Florida West Coast Symphony has reached a settlement on a new 3-year agreement. Core wages immediately increased from $19,414 to $27,000 and per service rates from $100.32 to $110.35.  Wages will increase 5-6 percent in the second and third years, ending at a $30,000 core salary and a $121.66 per service rate. Musicians will also receive 4 percent AFM-EPF contributions beginning in year 3.

The Florida Orchestra has received a $1 million gift from John and Susan Sykes. The money will be used for day to day operations.

The Pittsburgh Symphony has announced an $80 million fundraising campaign, with $60 million earmarked for the endowment, $10 million toward programming, and $10 million toward improvements at Heinz Hall. $29.5 Million has already been pledged by the R.P. Simmons family.

The Chicago Symphony has created its own label, CSO Resound, and will release 6 CDs in the next 3 years, as well as 3-4 digital-only realeases each year.

The Baltimore Symphony has received a $1 million challenge grant from the Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds. Fund Executive Vice President Terry Meyerhoff Rubinstein has stated that the gift is intended to send a signal to the community that they feel the Orchestra is "finally on the right path." 

Recording

CBS is returning to the record business, relaunching CBS Records as a digital music company. Initially, they will only be selling songs through iTunes. CBS licenses over 2000 songs per year for use in TV shows, and hopes to reduce licensing costs by having their own label.

Viacom's MTV Networks has created Mobile Media Group, which will develop ringtones, games, and videos to be supplied to mobile phone carriers.

Labels such as Sony BMG and Disney's Hollywood Records have begun making some songs available as unrestricted MP3's to gauge demand for tracks that can be played on a wider range of devices. These MP3's would be playable on iPods without having to be purchased from iTunes.

Digital Royalties will be a hot topic when contracts expire for the Writers' Guild in 2007 and the Directors' Guild and SAG in 2008.  The current language covering digital delivery was written prior to development of the latest technologies. Studios hope to treat digital delivery using the same formula as home video, where studios or distributors keep 80 percent of wholesale dollars earned. Writers, directors, and actors say they would be underpaid using that formula.

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