For months, Apple-watchers been speculating that a major overhaul of the iTunes music store is imminent — one that could take advantage of advances in so-called cloud computing, as the service Spotify does in the UK. But record labels are putting up some major hurdles. My story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Interstate 95 stretches unbroken for nearly 2,000 miles — except for one mysterious stretch near the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Finally, after 25 years in bureaucratic limbo, work on I-95’s so-called “missing link” is set to begin within weeks. My story aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
If you grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, you may remember Joe Negri as Handyman Negri, the affable guy who solved problems in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. But jazz fans know him as a guitar virtuoso. At the age of 84, Negri has just released a new CD, his first in the stripped-down setting that showcases his finger-work. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Internet giant Google is denying that it’s reached a deal with Verizon on Internet traffic management. Both companies have been part of closed-door negotiations on the future of broadband regulation brokered by the Federal Communications Commission — talks that have now been called off, perhaps in response to the uproar over the reported Google-Verizon deal. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Lollapalooza draws more than 100 bands and thousands of music fans to the shores of Lake Michigan. But Illinois’s Attorney General apparently isn’t one of them. Her office is looking into claims that Lollapalooza’s exclusive contracts make it harder for other Chicago promoters to book bands well beyond the three days of the festival. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
“The Gross Clinic” has been called the finest American painting of the 19th century. But curators at the Philadelphia Museum of Art say the version in art history textbooks isn’t the one Thomas Eakins painted in 1875, so they undertook a meticulous operation of their own to restore it. My story aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
The city of Philadelphia is cracking down on so-called wreck chasers: tow-truck drivers who race to be the first to an accident scene. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
This week, the giant concert promoter Live Nation confirmed what most industry observers already knew: ticket sales in 2010 have been lousy. The company says this could lead to lower ticket prices, but it may not be that simple. My story aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Federal regulators are reviewing the proposed $30 billion merger between NBC Universal and Comcast. The Federal Communications Commission is holding a public hearing on the deal in Chicago today. While few observers expect regulators to block the merger, some hope the FCC will require far-reaching consumer protections. My story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Promoters and artists are blaming the sluggish economy for a 17 percent drop in revenue from concert ticket sales. But some say the industry itself deserves part of the blame for a rash of canceled shows this year. My story aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
