Hollywood Feels Ripples From Libya (New York Times)

...Mathew Beckerman, the producer who made a splash in Variety last year with word that he had rounded up $100 million in financing for the company from Mr. Qaddafi and others, is suddenly getting a very cold shoulder. ...

Speaking through an intermediary on Monday, Mr. Beckerman declined to discuss his company, or a Qaddafi investment that had been treated as routine here until the uprising against the Qaddafi regime in Libya turned bloody.

In recent days, the pop stars Nelly Furtado, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Usher all said they were giving away money they had received for entertaining at Qaddafi events. Hollywood, meanwhile, has pretty much joined Mr. Beckerman in doing what it does best when trouble crops up — hiding out.

As the article states, "So it goes when Hollywood begins to suspect it has made a mistake."

Read the full article here.

Off Topic / TAKE ACTION TODAY! / 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting

The rapidly changing media environment is making public broadcasting more and more vital as a source of unbiased news, local cultural programming, and non-commercial educational programs designed to enhance the quality of life of our local communities.  Public broadcasting is a source of children’s programming, public affairs, music, and culture information that is often not provided by other sources.

The debate about whether or not to cut funding for Public Broadcasting is happening TODAY!!!!! Please take five minutes and tell your representatives in Congress how you feel about this.

Go to the official PBS site here.

States Weigh Cuts in Subsidies for Hollywood (NY Times)

And then there is California, where Jerry Brown, the newly elected Democratic governor, is confronting a $25 billion budget gap. Mr. Brown is proposing to cut social services and state employee pay while extending tax increases that were supposed to be temporary. He has also provoked howls of protest by insisting that state workers return 48,000 cellphones by June 1 in a bid to save $20 million.

But film and television tax credits passed under his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, remain intact at a cost of $100 million a year.

This article looks at many other states in addition to California, and in some cases, it looks like cutting film subsidies would make sense to help bridge budget deficits. But here, I'd have to guess that keeping runaway production in check adds a whole lot more than $100 million to our state's coffers. Unfortunately, as the article points out, studies done on this topic come to conclusions that are all over the place.

But either way, I'm glad I get to keep my cellphone.

Read the full article here.

What's a Terminated Governor, Faded Action Star to Do? (The Wrap)

Of the two choices open to him -- movies and politics -- neither seems to hold much promise for a man with an ego the size of Schwarzenegger's.

Somehow I think he'll muddle through...

Read the full article here.

Obama to Appear on ‘Daily Show’ TONIGHT (The Daily Show)

This is the first time a sitting president has appeared on The Daily Show. If that's not reason enough to tune in, don't forget the goodness that is Jon Stewart.

If you can't tune in tonight, you'll be able to watch the video here tomorrow.

What the Mid-Term Elections Will Mean for Hollywood (The Wrap)

The FCC is required to re-examine rules that regulate how many stations one company can own in a market, whether a newspaper and TV station can buy each other and a number of other related rules.

In recent years, [media ownership] has been a source of major controversy. Media companies argue that existing rules are antiquated and should be eased to ensure local media thrives; consumer groups argue that easing rules would give consumers fewer choices for content, news and information.

Congress will play a major role in determining how changes play out, and GOP control of the House would likely increase pressure for further easing of the rules.

This article gives a nice little overview of a handful of areas - including piracy, privacy, obscenity, etc. - that will likely be affected by the upcoming Congressional races. So be sure to get out and vote on Tuesday!

Read the full article here.

News Corp. Donates $1 Million to G.O.P. Governors (NY Times)

Some progressives seized on News Corporation’s contribution as evidence of bias. Media Matters for America, the liberal media monitoring organization, claimed that “this large corporate donation to the G.O.P. underscores News Corp.’s role as an appendage of the Republican Party.”

Isn't watching two minutes of Fox News evidence enough of bias? It's hardly a secret! But whatever your political leanings, you certainly can't say Rupe-dog isn't putting his money where his mouth is.
Read the full article here.