Today on AirTalk we'll discuss high-rise buildings in the heart of Hollywood. We'll also examine changes to programming at NPR and the future of the call-in show. Later, we'll consider the gendarmerie in Mexico, and the upcoming baseball season. On FilmWeek, Larry and the critics review this week's releases, and Tom Folsom joins us to discuss the works of Dennis Hooper.
Planning Commission approves 55-story Hollywood high-rise
The Los Angeles city Planning Commission yesterday approved two 55-story high-rises in Hollywood. These new skyscrapers, which occupies one million square feet for apartments, offices, and retailers, would be next to the Capitol Records building.
However, City Councilmen Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge oppose this intrusion to the Hollywood skyline. And they’re not the only ones. The Planning Commission meeting was packed with residents who opposed the development, but construction workers and developers argued in favor of all the jobs this would create. Others like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce consider the high-rises a push forward for the city. The City Council still needs to approve this development by the New-York-based company Millennium Partners.
Why are so many city officials split on this development? Will construction of these high rises bring in more jobs? Will it drag on and create air pollution for local residents? Will the Hollywood high-rises be a terrible addition to the Hollywood skyline or will they transform the city for the better?
Guests:
Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles city councilman representing the 4th district, which stretches from Koreatown to North Hollywood
Dana Perlman, Los Angeles City Planning Commission
NPR pulls the plug on Talk of the Nation, questioning the relevance of call-in radio shows
NPR has decided to cancel “Talk of the Nation,” a 21-year-old call-in show produced by Boston affiliate WBUR. Starting July 1, “Talk of the Nation” will be replaced by “Here and Now,” which falls into the increasingly popular “news magazine” style.
Bedrock NPR programs like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” operate as news magazines, and in recent years, traditional call-in shows have often been replaced with co-hosted shows with pre-produced segments.
Which style of programming do you prefer? Would you rather call in and engage on the air, or listen to more pre-produced content, magazine style? Are call-in shows becoming obsolete in the era of the online comment? What is the listener’s place in news radio dialogue?
Guest:
Gabriel Kahn, Professor of Professional Practice & Co-Director of Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship (which studies business-model disruption in media) at the School for Communication and Journalism at USC (University of Southern California)
Plagued by crime, Mexico creates new police force
One of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s major promises in last year’s election was that he would create a national paramilitary police force to fight the country’s high rate of violence. The national security commissioner has said the goal is to put 10,000 of these military-trained, but civilian controlled officers, on the streets by the end of the year, and expand to 40,000 by 2018.
But some local civic groups are concerned about the wisdom of such a strategy, and want the President to let Congress debate creating the paramilitary force. Former president Felipe Calderon implemented a system that uses actual military forces to fight local crime, which resulted in 70,000 deaths in a six-year period, and continues to draw criticism for major human right violations.
How will Peña Nieto’s strategy differ from his predecessor, and why should we believe that it will cut down on death and corruption?
Guest:
Shannon O’Neil, Senior Fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti on the coming season and the weight of expectation
Major League Baseball’s season kicks off Sunday night, with the two Texas teams going at it, but the rivalry most worth watching in 2013 could just be the one in our own backyards between the Dodgers and Angels.
Both teams have been on a spending spree lately. The Angel’s signed left-fielder Josh Hamilton to a six-year $125-million contract during the off season, and not to be outdone, the Dodgers enlisted the services of Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu and Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig, neither of whom have played in MLB at the cost of over $100 million.
"I think our guys are in a good spot and that they know what's at stake, they know that the ownership has gone beyond the norm to make this franchise as great as it has been in the past to revitalize it. I think that they pay attention to that and they know that," said Dodgers' General Manager Ned Colletti. "Does that mean that they're going to be able to do more than they've typically done? What we have to do is keep it steady, keep our focus on what you can do, what you can control and who you are."
Despite an arms race that seems equally matched, the Dodgers are leading in the rhetoric department. Club co-owner Magic Johnson recently told the media that if the Dodgers don’t make it to the World Series it will be considered a bad year at the club. Big money, big expectations.
"I think we're going to have ourselves a good season," said Colletti. "I don't predict how you're going to finish, or how many games you're going to win or this or that. That's for people who don't have any skin in the game or don't have a true bearing on it.
History has shown that big spending doesn’t necessitate World Series wins, so what other changes are being made that will transform the Dodgers into a trophy winning side? Do the Dodgers have the depth and leadership to compete? Will the hype and pressure inspire or distract?
Guest:
Ned Colletti, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers
FilmWeek: A Place Beyond the Pines, The Host, Blancanieves, and more
Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Wade Major and Henry Sheehan to review this week’s releases, including A Place Beyond the Pines, The Host, Blancanieves, and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
A Place Beyond the Pines
The Host
Blancanieves
Guest:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com
The troubled genius that was Dennis Hopper
Who was Dennis Hopper? The better question may be what wasn’t he? This actor, filmmaker, art collector and photographer lives on as an off-beat icon in entertainment history. The public remembers his life as much as his roles in “Easy Rider,” “Apocalypse Now, and “Blue Velvet.” Although he had no formal art education, he was also known for his portraits of celebrities like Andy Warhol and Jane Fonda. Hopper filled his house with paintings by artists such as Julian Schnabel, Roy Lichtenstein, and Warhol. In 2010 he filed for divorce with his fifth wife while being terminally ill with cancer that led to his passing that year.
Author Tom Folsom couldn’t resist the roller coaster of Hopper’s life. In his biography, “Hopper: A Journey in the American Dream,” Folsom wanted to know Hopper’s off-screen life. Folsom told the Wall Street Journal that he saw Hopper as a “modern Don Quixote who spent his life in search of his American dream.”
What private details did Hopper disclose to Folsom? Was Hopper an artistic savant or a manic? Why did Hopper have such a draw on the public? Will Hopper’s tale become legendary or forgotten with upcoming generations?
Guest:
Tom Folsom, Author “Hopper: A Journey into the American Dream,” (ItBooks, March 2013); Folsom is a writer, director, and producer of documentaries; his previous book, “The Mad Ones: Crazy Joe Gallo and the Revolution at the Edge of the Underworld” was a New York Times bestseller