For the first time since its opening, the Kravis Center will begin charging for parking. The parking fees of $5-10 will begin in September and will be handled through the ParkMobile parking app. The Center states that it is implementing the fee so they can better manage parking availability for patrons. As the only free garage in the area, people often park in the garage even if they are not attending a show, making finding a spot more challenging for those who are visiting the Center.
Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava has backed down from her proposal to slash arts funding and eliminate the cultural affairs department due to public opposition. She had originally proposed cutting funding by 52 percent but received a backlash of criticism from arts organizations, artists, and the public. Arts in the County support 32,000 jobs and $2.1 billion in economic activity.
President Trump will be hosting the Kennedy Center Awards this year. This year’s nominees are George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, KISS, and Sylvester Stallone. While in the past nominees were selected by committee, this year Trump was heavily involved in the decision.
The city of Chicago will do what it can to replace cancelled NEA grants. The city has announced an Arts Relief Fund that will offer grants of $10,000 to $25,000.
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Skydance has closed the deal to take over Paramount for $8 billion. The merger includes Paramount properties such as Paramount film, CBS, MTV, and Comedy Central. They intend to merge Paramount+ and Pluto into one platform, along with other cost-saving and streamlining plans.
Sony is suing Napster. Sony is seeking over $9 million in unpaid royalties and over $37 million in copyright infringement. For over a year, Napster has failed to pay license fees. When Sony terminated its agreement with Napster in June, Napster continued to use content owned by Sony, including tracks by artists such as Justin Timberlake, Britany Spears, and Miley Cyrus. Soundexchange is also suing Napster over unpaid copyright royalties.