Strictly Business on KSVY

1) What does Kennedy Center debacle suggest about leadership in the arts?2) Renee Fleming (has performed at GMC), among others, cancelled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center - was she right to do so?3) Role of the Board in steering the direction of the Green Music Center?, 4) How you have changed the direction or content of thew Green Music Center since you assumed the ED role?, 5) What are measures of success: audience number, ticket sales, number of performances?, 6) Re: University presenters (GMC has been invited to join ‘major university presenters’ - 23 University presenters around the country - almost entirely research universities) - what is the difference between managing a university-based art center versus one that is independent?7) Composition of performances - breakdown by type? Which attracts biggest audiences?,8) Motivation for performers to appear: reputation of the venue, reputation of leadership, location, size of audience, size of fee?, 9) GMC presenting touring artists - What are the expectations of the university, community re: booking performers?10) Prices range from $65 to $1450 - annual revenue for the Center?11) What does ‘most compelling artists of our time’ mean?12) Over the years - which type of performance sells best?, 13) How do you spend the majority of your time: programming, fundraising, performance, higher education, marketing or nonprofit management?, 14) Potential of a great music center for the region and for the students - different from the past? How will potential be realized in the future?, 15) How do performing art and touring artists interact with an academic environment?, 16) ‘New sense of energy that I get at Sonoma State that is thrilling’ - what is that new sense of energy? How different from other arts venues?, 17) What, arts-related, have you found matters most to people in the North Bay region?, 18) What is the phenomenal power of live performance?, 19) Are philanthropic donations as robust as you would like here in Sonoma County?,20) The Garth Newel music center in Virginia and the University of Iowa Hencher auditorium are both over 50 years old. Does the fact that the green music center is only 14 years old make a difference to you in terms of your ability to influence it and its direction?,21) What mattered most to you about the Green Music Center, which influenced your decision to leave Iowa?,22) What are annual audience attendance numbers?,23) Each year more than half of Sonoma State students engage with GMC programming. Should the number be higher?,24) Was SSU’s being a public, liberal arts and sciences, student-centered, residential campus make a difference to you? Why?,25) ‘We have become one of the leading university presenters in the country through deep engagement with students, ethical support of artists, and engagement with the international presenting arena.’ What does ethical support of artists mean?,26) How do you find your performers - use an artist management company?, Do you negotiate price per performance, 27) How often do you repeat performances-invite artists back?,28) Characterize GNC as multi-disciplinary performing arts center? Which discpline attracts the largest audiences?,29) Other issues which you might wish to discussGuest URL: https://gmc.sonoma.edu/

What we’ll talk about:1. How did you feel when Alden Capital showed itself as a likely buyer of Sonoma Media Investments?,2. How differently was the PD run vs. other newspapers you’d worked with (Omaha World Herald, the Oklahoman, Birmingham News, Arizona Republic)?, 3. Why nonprofit digital news vs. alternative publication like Sonoma Valley Sun?,4. Why go nonprofit instead of a low-cost, for-profit digital startup?,5. 5. How has find raising gone thus far - how have you been received?,6. How does Preas Onward differ from the ‘Patch’ concept?,7. What ‘really’ gets people to subscribe: politics, sports, criminal activity, people news?,8. When was PD peak circulation?, what was it?, what was it when you left in 2025?,9. Print vs. digital - which commands a premium price?,10. Expected frequency of publication?,11. On which topics has media coverage in Sonoma County weakened the most?,12. Effect of political condemnation on print vs. digital- (trust issue)?,13. Greater trust in local media than national sources?, why?,14. Who is more demanding of coverage and results- shareholders or donors?,15. Can you be 'editorially independent' when your largest donors might also be the subjects of your reporting?,16. What are the 'must-have' roles in a nonprofit newsroom?,17. Can AI act as an operating aid to support journalistic efforts?,18. Examples of successful digital newsrooms in Sonoma County?,19. Grants vs. major donors vs. small-dollar membership - which is most preferable?,20. Investment vs. ad buying - how would local businesses respond and handle that?,21. Will you accept advertising?,22. What would major donors want in return for their contribution?,23. How do you measure success for a digital platform: subscribers, impact on policy change, readers’ response?,24. Does the community realize that its issues are less well covered? How?,25. Toughest operating issues you ever faced?, how did you handle them?

What we will talk about:1. Why the book thesis and project?,2. Why is ‘financialization’ a dirty word?,3. Financing vs. financialization - the difference?, 4. Did ‘Hollywood accounting’ draw scrutiny from ‘financial actors?,5. Was operating record of studios, broadcasting companies and labels subpar, on average, drawing attention of activist investors?, 6. What was returns record of studios, broadcasting companies and labels before financialization?,7. From tax shelters, conglomeration in the 1970s - concentration of ownership not new?, 8. 1990s - monetization of libraries and back catalogues - logical operating decision?, 9. Content treated as a capital asset - when?, 10. Effect of Telecommunications Act of 1996 on cultural industries?, 11. Citibank deal for 20th Century Fox - blueprint for future acquisitions?, 12. AOL Time Warner merger considered disastrous - why?, what was learned, by whom?, 13. Effect of 2008 crisis on Wall Street‘behavior’?, 14. Effect of streaming on musicians’ earning potential?, 15. Why musicians sell their catalogues?, 16. Maximization of value of IP assets - reasonable operating decision?, 17. Capitalizing on IP success - reasonable operating decision (i.e. sequels)?,18. Effect of AI on creatives in LA?19. Anticipated impact of Paramount’s takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery?, 20. More than 4,000 Hollywood actors and industry professionals joined the ‘Block the Merger’ campaign - what did they want?, why did WB shareholders apparently not care what they wanted?, 21. Are audiences aware of the impact of financialization on cultural industries?, Should they care about who owns what?, 22. What can/should consumers do to exert influence?, 23. What would it take for lobbyists to support legislative reform to ‘protect’ cultural industries’?https://sites.google.com/view/andrewdewaard