USC lured a world-renowned neuroscience lab away from UCLA. Are private universities poaching prestigious faculty? Also, will paying for television channels a la carte versus in bundles hurt or help consumers, and what does the closing of Hollywood Park signal for horse racing? On Filmweek our critics review The Great Gatsby, and Source Family members tell us what really happened in their 1970s commune.
UCLA brain drain to USC
USC has lured a world-renowned neuroscience lab away from UCLA. Described as perhaps the world's premier lab when it comes to finding insights about the brain in massive amounts of data from image scans and genetic tests, leading professors Arthur Toga and Paul Thompson have reportedly been pursued by USC for years with promises to expand their research, connect with other schools and disciplines like medicine and engineering, and offer them upgraded facilities. UCLA's neurology chairman said he had known for months that they were talking to USC and other universities but that the professors never divulged specifics to allow UCLA to make a counteroffer.
This isn’t the first time that USC or another private university has poached professors from the UC system, but if reports are accurate, the professors will be taking nearly 100 members of their staff with them.
Does this spell doom for UCLA’s entire neuroscience department? Will it affect other departments at their school? Is private school poaching a trend that’s been picking up in recent years, or something that has always been a factor in higher education?
Guests:
Sanden Totten, KPCC Science Reporter
Dr. Paul Thompson, Professor of Neurology, starting at USC's Keck School of Medicine next fall
Robin Wilson, Senior Writer at the Chronicle of Higher Education
McCain introduces bill that overhauls cable TV business
Disgruntled cable subscribers tired of paying for channels they never watch have a new advocate in the form of Senator John McCain. The Arizona lawmaker yesterday introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act 2013, which would give cable viewers the right to choose which channels they want to buy.
Currently, television networks like Viacom and Disney sell their channels to cable companies in bundles. The bill would force these networks to unbundle their products, giving cable companies the ability to purchase channels a la carte. The thinking is that cable companies would thus be incentivized enough to let customers do the same thing.
This is Senator McCain’s second attempt to rein in out-of-control cable bills. His 2006 bill fizzled and went nowhere.
Is giving consumers the right to cherry-pick which channels they want to pay for the best way to lower cable bills? Consumer groups think so, but the cable industry argues that a la carte would actually hurt consumers.
Guests:
Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog
Steve Effros, cable industry analyst and former head of the Cable Telecommunications Association
Final stretch for 75-year-old Hollywood Park horse-racing track
After 75 years of horse racing, Hollywood Park will have its last run on December 22 of this year. Track President Jack Liebau has told the California Horse Racing Board that Hollywood Park is not requesting 2014 racing dates and has notified current employees of the track’s closing.
Because of dropping profits, the land is going to be used for various new developments such as residential housing units, a park, a movie theater, offices and a hotel, according to the Associated Press.
"It had a neat history with the city's history and that's something that can't be replaced anywhere," said Steve Andersen, Southern California Correspondent for Daily Racing Form. "It's had a great role in horse racing as a vital venue in the spring and summer of each year...It really served well the people who lived on the Westside of town whether you were coming from Santa Monica or down to Torrance or Long Beach, so it was your local track for racing."
Hollywood Park opened in 1938 and once hosted Seabiscuit and the first Breeders' Cup in 1984. However, due to dwindling attendance at races, the rising cost of keeping horses and internet betting, the track has not been able to sustain itself. And it’s not alone—It’s the second horse racing track to close since 2008.
"I'm really surprised that it has gone all the way through to 2013," said Andersen. "In 2005, if you'd have said, 'OK lets have an answer how long will it go?' I would have said 2010. Of course that was before the recession hit, which made real estate and commercial and residential development almost impossible. Now they think they can develop this property in the next 12 months."
Can horse racing survive in California? What happened to the crowds that it once drew? What will happen to the more than 1,000 horses that the track houses?
Guest:
Steve Andersen, Southern California Correspondent, Daily Racing Form
Filmweek: The Great Gatsby, Peeples, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor, and more
Larry and KPCC critics Wade Major and Henry Sheehan review this week’s releases, including The Great Gatsby, Peeples, And Now a Word from Our Sponsor, and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
The Great Gatsby
Peeples
?
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor
Aftershock
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and Host/Producer, IGN DigiGods
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com
Alynda Wheat, film critic for People magazine
Instant cult classic: 'The Source Family' documentary
Los Angeles in the 1970s was an era of many self-styled spiritual groups and communes. One of the most visible was based around the popular, celebrity-filled, Sunset Strip vegetarian restaurant, The Source. Owner Jim Baker was a former karate champion, World War II vet, and ex-con with a knack for the hospitality business. Once he underwent a spiritual transformation and became “Father Yod,” he also showed a knack for gaining followers. Baker staffed The Source with members of his spiritual community. Many of them lived together in a rented Los Feliz mansion.
The new documentary, “The Source Family,” tells the story of a man who saw himself first as a guru, then as God, and, finally, as a very flawed man. Members of the commune are interviewed about what drew them to the Family. It’s a look back at an L. A. decade unlike any other. What was the appeal of commune living? Why couldn’t it sustain?
Guests:
Isis Aquarian, Source Family member
Electricity Aquarian, Source Family member
Jodi Willie, director of The Source Family