The Live Nation antitrust trial opened this week, with the government arguing the company uses its grip on venues to coerce artists into using its promotion services — a vertical squeeze that’s defined the live music business for years (The New York Times). Also on the question of who controls creative work: the Supreme Court declined to revisit AI copyright, leaving machine-made art without legal protection and the more pressing question — who profits when creativity gets automated — unresolved (Artnet). [see my take on this here (Diacritical)
Funding cuts keep finding their way into local institutions. Buffalo Toronto Public Media is reshuffling programming across two stations after losing $2.2 million in annual federal support (Inside Radio). The cancelled Pompidou Center Jersey City is now slated to become affordable housing — with Kushner Real Estate as the development partner (Gothamist).
In downtown Los Angeles, an artist installed a performance venue disguised as a utility box in the Arts District — police stopped her during installation, suspecting copper wire theft. Inside: a stage for experimental artists who’ve run out of more official options (Los Angeles Times).
All of our stories below.
