The Memphis Commercial Appeal is preparing to introduce its plan to have readers pay for online content. More at the BruceV Blog.
Month: May 2011
The Commercial Appeal is on the brink of introducing a plan that will require readers to pay for online content. The details have not been formally announced, but the CA’s twitter feed has been all over it today, as has the Memphis Twittersphere — pro and con. The cost for online access will be around $10 a month, but access will be free for those who subscribe to the paper product. Editor Chris Peck announced the change in a January editor’s letter.
It’s a bold plan, one that could play out in a number of directions. The ideal, one would assume, is to garner more subscribers to the paper product with this strategy and keep many online-only readers. At roughly $120 a year, online access is almost double the price of a paper subscription. So, logically, if one wanted to save money, one would subscribe to the paper for $68 a year, save $52, and get both. (Update: My wife informs me we pay $156 a year for the CA, making my math totally wrong. If one went online only, one would save $36 or so over the paper subscription.)
Of course, another scenario could be that thousands of people just say “screw it” and stop visiting the CA website AND continue not subscribing to the paper. That would be ugly.
Or maybe the thinking is, “We’re getting nothing for online content now (except for a few online ads), so why not try to get at least something out of the readers?”
Or — and here’s my theory — they’re just trying anything they can to run off their idiot commentors. It’ll be interesting to watch how it plays out.
A few weeks ago, Crosstown Arts held its second MemFeast event, at which seven artists proposed public art projects for Midtown’s Crosstown neighborhood. At the dinner, guests voted on their favorite, and Robin Salant’s plan to light up the water tower of the abandoned Sears Crosstown building with colored solar lights was victorious.
Salant was awarded $5,000 raised through fees paid by MemFeast diners. But, as Salant stated in her presentation, she would need to raise additional funds to add lights to individual windows in the massive structure.
After the dinner, an anonymous donor pledged $3,000 to another art project that didn’t win — Eli Gold and Colin Kidder’s plan to create a giant disco ball from spinning rims to be installed on the side of the Crosstown building.
Following that, Crosstown Arts has launched a fund-raising campaign to gather more money for Salant’s lights, Gold and Kidder’s disco ball, and musician Sean Murphy’s plan to create audio recordings with various instruments played inside and on top of the Sears building.
To read more or make a donation, go to the Crosstown Arts website.
Categories
“Prom for All” Tickets On Sale Now
If you plan to attend the second annual “Prom for All,” the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center is urging you to buy tickets now. They expect the June 11th event to be a sell-out this year.
Last year’s first “Prom for All” was inspired by Mississippi high school senior Constance McMillen’s fight to attend prom with her girlfriend. Very much unlike the administration at McMillen’s high school, the MGLCC decided to host a prom for people of any sexual orientation. Attendees must be 18 or up though since alcohol will be served.
This year’s event, with the theme “True Colors,” will be held at the Doubletree Hotel downtown. Tickets are $50 per person or $80 per couple. Eight VIP tables are available, and those include 10 prom tickets, a complimentary group photo, a VIP meet-and-greet with the soon-to-be-announced special guests, and goodie bags.
To purchase tickets, call 901-278-6422. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Categories
What’s the Matter With Tennessee?
Jackson Baker sees correlations between the book What’s the Matter With Kansas and what has taken place in the Tennessee legislature.
Categories
Eat a Peach!
Bruce VanWyngarden is an old coot reminiscing about the days before telephones. Sort of.
Categories
Memphis’ Budgetary Bulge
John Branston says Memphis is playing “small ball” with the budget.
Categories
TTT Answer
Last season was the first since the 2001-02 campaign in which no Memphis Tiger scored the 1,000th point of his career. Between 2002-03 and 2009-10 a total of 10 Tigers joined the 1,000-point club.
2002-03: Earl Barron
2003-04: Antonio Burks
2004-05: Rodney Carney, Anthony Rice
2005-06: Darius Washington
2006-07: Jeremy Hunt
2007-08: Chris Douglas-Roberts
2008-09: Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson
2009-10: Doneal Mack
Wesley Witherspoon will enter his senior season this fall with 756 career points.
Categories
after the flood
Categories
Paw Print
For a tug at your heartstrings and to help a great cause, stop by WaterWorks Thursday between 6 and 8 p.m., when FM 100’s Ron Olson will auction work by more than 40 local artists to benefit the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County.
Titled “Paws for Art,” this inaugural event also includes food and wine, but the stars of the evening are the acrylics, oils, and paper collages depicting domesticated pets, such as dogs and cats, along with more untamed animal friends, such as birds and elephants. Each painting was created on an 18- by 24-inch canvas donated by the Art Center in Midtown, and all proceeds from the event will help fund the housing, feeding, and medical treatment of abused animals.
While some of the paintings were inspired by the artists’ own pets, others tell of animals lost, abandoned, or waiting for adoption, explains Peggy Foster, the organization’s assistant development officer. Three Ally Cats Hoping To Be Adopted by Helen Ingoglia was inspired by the artist’s interaction with feral kittens, Foster says. One kitten was beautiful but aloof. The other was mangy but sociable. “The artist spent her time trying to catch the cute cat, even though the mangy one was more friendly,” Foster says. “She always felt bad that she tried to help the cute kitten instead of the ugly one.”
Taking a different tack, Lost in Translation by Jan Hankins looks into the future, imagining how a dog might be hurt by the radioactivity released by Japan’s crippled nuclear reactors. (Clue: The dog has two heads.)
“I can’t stop thinking about all of this artwork,” Foster says. “Quite a few of the pieces are absolutely fabulous, so there will be a bidding war, I’m sure.”
Tickets for the auction and reception are $25 and can be purchased online at memphishumane.org or at the door.
“Paws for Art,” Thursday, May 26th, 6 to 8 p.m., at WaterWorks, 741 S. Cox.