I’ve been having this strong feeling of déjà vu lately. Three years ago, the Federal Communications Commission set out to deregulate media ownership and met with the protests of 3 million people. A federal court stopped the FCC in its tracks, just as Congress was voting to halt the commission’s new rules. Now it’s happening […]
Fiona Morgan
Posted inGuides
The 2006 Indies
When you do something you love, you make it look easy. But love can be hard work. In 1990, the Independent decided to honor artists, arts groups and arts educators doing exceptional work in the Triangle with annual Indies Arts Awards. The people we recognize might be volunteers or professionals; the organizations might be nonprofits […]
Posted inUncategorized
A tangle of telco laws
Just as consumers are becoming aware of things like net neutrality and media consolidation, Congress and the North Carolina legislature are acting like nobody’s paying any attention. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down a bill that would have enshrined network neutrality in national Internet policy, but gave the go-ahead to the Communications […]
Posted inArt
ADF Preview 2006: What’s up with that theater?
Once again, the jewel of the Triangle’s arts and culture scene, the nation’s preeminent modern dance festival, will convene in cramped quarters on Duke’s campus. Meanwhile, plans are coming together for a huge performing arts theater in downtown Durham that boosters have said will be the promised land for ADF, though the dance festival’s relocation […]
Posted inNews
We want our #&% TV!
What do you do when the phone goes out? Pick up your cell, maybe, or head down the street to the neighbor’s, or get online. But when cable goes out? Perhaps you keep your cool, gentle reader, but most people lose it when a screen full of snow interrupts American Idol. North Carolinians watch an […]
Posted inGuides
Lemurs, wolves and bears
Kids growing up in the Triangle already know the Museum of Life and Science is the best place to watch butterflies burst from their cocoons, make noise on an outdoor music machine or gobble at a turkey who gobbles back. Durham’s science place has giant bugs and friendly goats–and now, it’s got lemurs. Explore the […]
Posted inNews
Technobarons of the 21st century
John D. Rockefeller realized that the way to control the oil market was to control the transport of oil. So in 1871, he colluded with the railroad industry to form a cartel called the South Improvement Company. The rate to ship oil doubled, but Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company would get rebates for every gallon of […]
Posted inNews
Artists learn to lobby
This year, North Carolina has a surplus of about $2 billion. So it was with optimism that nearly 250 artists and arts administrators from across the state descended on Raleigh last Wednesday to lobby legislators for more funding as part of Arts Day 2006. Arts council staffers and volunteers, museum administrators, dancers, filmmakers and other […]
Posted inNews
Austin: A city in harmony with its music community
What the city of Austin does for its music scene will blow your mind. First, theres Jim Butler, who works for the city as a liaison between the music community and city government. Butlers job is to keep Austins 100-plus live music venues happy. The citys music marketing department also promotes live music venues to […]
Posted inNews
Downtown Durham club: SOS!
Michael Penny put a sign up in the window of his club the other day. It says, No streetlights, no sidewalks for over 20 weeks and no end in sight. FIX THIS! The irresponsible pace of this project is severely impacting my ability to maintain this hard fought for, vital and pioneering downtown business. Enough! […]
