Sunset Junction denied permit

In the face of unpaid fees totaling more than $400,000, the Los Angeles City Board of Public Works voted Monday to deny a permit for the Sunset Junction Street Fair, scheduled for next weekend. Despite testimony from local acts and other supporters, the board voted 3-1 to bar the event, with member Valerie Lynn Shaw the lone dissenter. Members could reconsider their vote on Wednesday. However, fest organizers would have to see a swift financial windfall for the event to come off, since organizer Michael McKinley and attorney Jerry Neuman both told the board that Sunset Junction had only $50,000 on hand. The Aug. 27-28 lineup for Sunset Junction, which has been mounted in Silver Lake for three decades, included the Butthole Surfers, Bobby Womack, Hanson, the Melvins and Lil Jon. More than 90 acts were booked on six stages. At issue were nearly $267,000 in unpaid fees from last year's fair plus an additional $142,000 levied for this year. Money goes to pay for city and police services tied to the sprawling festival, which closes several blocks of Sunset Boulevard. City ordinances mandate that fees be paid prior to the issuance of the required permit. Neuman contended at the board hearing that the fees levied upon Sunset Junction were "unreasonable," and McKinley and Neuman offered to try to come up with the $92,000 shortfall in this year's fees by this Wednesday if a permit were granted. "I'm asking please to find a reasonable way for the event to move forward," Neuman said. However, the majority of the board members were unmoved by Neuman's plea, and noted that to date the city has not received a penny of the '10 or '11 fees. Debate counterpoised the obvious benefits to community services supported by the fair and local businesses vs. the budgetary demands of a municipality facing a serious fiscal crunch. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Tony Scott Rounding In The Wild Bunch

He's focusing on the Western rebootWhile the large news today continues to be about his brother Mister Ridley, Tony Scott clearly does not desire to be excluded from the data cycle. He's now entering talks with Warner Bros. to defend myself against the studio's reboot of Mike Peckinpah's 1969 Western classic The Wild Bunch. If he is doing proceed by using it, the concept is going to be believe it or not questionable than the thought of making new things within the Edge Runner world. Peckinpah's film adopted a maturing number of outlaws searching to create the last large score about the Texas-Mexico border and also the problems they face because the Old West they understood vanishes around them. John Helgeland is aboard to create a brand new script for Scott and producer Jerry Weintraub, but it features a approach to take until sometimes it can go before cameras. And before he is able to even consider planning for that Bunch, Scott still needs to shoot biker drama Hell's Angels. The director apparently wants Shaun Bridges to star for the reason that film as gang leader Sonny Barger, but Bridges' schedule is rather full at this time, with the self-entitled album he's just made and it is touring cheap he's devoted to make R. I. P. D. for Universal and also the Seventh Boy for Warners. So even when he is doing say yes, Angels will not roll until the coming year in the earliest. Could another thing sneak in before either of individuals movies will get going? Unlikely, since Scott is focusing on Angels next, there is however always his new take on the top Gun, John Grisham adaptation The Connect and also the lengthy-bubbling Potzdamer Platz...

UKTV DEAL: Scripps Pays $390M For Virgin Media's Stake

Scripps Networks Interactive and Virgin Media announced the agreement today.UKTV is one of Britain's leading multichannel TV programming companies. Scripps Networks will pay about $390M to purchase Virgin Media's 50% common equity interest in the UKTV partnership and also will pay about $163M to buy the outstanding preferred stock and debt owed by UKTV to Virgin Media. BBC Worldwide is the other 50% stakeholder in UKTV. Completion of the transaction is contingent on regulatory approvals in the Republic of Ireland and Jersey. UKTV is a significant opportunity for Scripps Networks Interactive to participate in a thriving multichannel dual-revenue stream media biz in one of the world's largest television markets, according to Kenneth W. Lowe, Chairman/President/CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive. "Making a solid investment in UKTV and entering into a strong partnership with BBC Worldwide reinforces our core international strategy which we believe will create significant long-term value for our shareholders." Related to the transaction, Scripps Networks Interactive and BBC Worldwide are negotiating an agreement whereby, after completion, BBC Worldwide would have the option, via a combination of cash and a package of digital rights for UKTV, to increase its shareholding from 50% to a maximum of 60%. Scripps Networks Interactive's existing voting rights and Board representation would be unaffected by this proposed arrangement, which would be subject to BBC Executive and BBC Trust approvals.

Buddy Holly gets new twist for 75th anni

Randall Poster applied his skill in contemporizing vintage artists with a tribute to Buddy Holly, above. Producer Randall Poster.Tribute album "Rave on Buddy Holly," released a little over a month ago through Hear Music and Fantasy/Concord, is the first in a series of efforts to mark the 75th birthday of the rock icon early next month, including the dedication of Holly's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tribute albums are hardly novel, of course, but the scope of this one, and its provenance with one of Hollywood's most storied music supervisors, make it notable.The project is the brainchild of Gelya Robb and Randall Poster, the latter best known for his long track record as a music supervisor for the likes of Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Todd Haynes. Aside from the unusual caliber of artists contributing tracks to the record -- ranging from Paul McCartney to Florence and the Machine, My Morning Jacket, Lou Reed and Cee Lo Green -- the project is notable for its multigenerational tack, as well as its thoroughly nontraditional approach to a canonical artist's catalog. Poster has become something of a specialist in contemporizing vintage artists, and his work with Haynes in particular has set the precedents for the Buddy Holly project. When David Bowie put the kibosh on plans to feature his music in "Velvet Goldmine," Poster compiled a soundtrack of glam-rock covers and stylistically appropriate originals from the likes of Radiohead and Pulp. In crafting a soundtrack for 2007's experimental Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There," Poster turned to such unexpected performers as Stephen Malkmus, Sonic Youth and Mark Lanegan to reflect the diversity of Dylan's oeuvre."The nice thing bout this undertaking was that I didn't have to fit any of the music into a scene in a movie, so that was liberating for me," said Poster.Much like his work with Haynes, Poster sought to avoid the early rock period trappings that could have easily consumed the project, kicking the record off with the Black Keys' version of "Dearest" that tackles the Holly standard with an almost Zen-like minimalism."We tried to make the record as tough as we could make it, and tried to get people who could render the emotional core of the songs," Poster said. "We weren't looking to do anything too frilly or too fully adorned; we really wanted to speak to the heart of the repertoire."Except for that loose guiding principle, Poster and Robb gave the contributing artists free reign to interpret the material, and most embraced the freedom. Patti Smith reimagined "Words of Love" as a grandmotherly lullaby, while Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas reworked "Rave On" as a moodily down-tempo dance track and Modest Mouse transformed "That'll Be the Day" into a spooky No Wave experiment that Poster described as "veer(ing) toward the edge of sanity." In any case, there's little here that could be comfortably played in a '50s diner, which was part of the plan."As the album evolved, we became more interested in making sure that we were paying tribute to the different sounds of Buddy Holly -- Buddy Holly did rockabilly, he had a country-western influence, and he had very much been taken into the race repertoire and R&B realm. That was where we did our best curating, I think, in just making sure that he was included in all of his musical incarnations."The record peaked at No. 15 on the album charts after its late June release, and while those aren't Adele-level numbers, it's certainly far higher than any Buddy Holly material has charted in decades (2008's compilation "Not Fade Away" peaked at No. 101). If the album continues to gain traction, it could provide a model for creative exploitation of deep catalogs beyond the endless succession of compilations and remasters."We're hoping we're going to get to do some more of these things," Poster added. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Edge, Corson promoted at RCA

In the wake of Doug Morris' arrival as Sony Music Entertainment CEO, RCA Music Group has solidified its executive ranks with the elevation of Peter Edge to CEO and Tom Corson to president-chief operating officer. Edge, who had been president of A&R since 2007, will report directly to Morris. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the group and its labels, now comprising RCA, Jive, J and Arista. Move was widely expected following the departure of former RCA/Jive Label Group chairman-CEO and A&R mover and shaker Barry Weiss for Universal Music Group. Promotion puts an established A&R leader at the top: Edge has signed or helped develop such acts as Alicia Keys, Dido, Mario and Jamie Foxx. Company's breakout acts Marsha Ambrosius and Jazmine Sullivan were also his charges. Corson, whose history with the division dates back to J Records' inception in 2000, will now helm promotion, marketing, publicity, digital, sales, international, video and operations for RCAMG. He was most recently exec VP-general manager of the unit. He has taken a leading role in label projects by Kings of Leon, Rod Stewart, Ke$ha, Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull and Jennifer Hudson. Morris said in a statement, "Sony Music is well positioned for success with a deep lineup of many of the most accomplished creative and operational executives in the industry. The enhanced roles for Peter and Tom, who have long played integral roles in the achievements of the RCA labels, underscore that strength." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

'Star Trek 2' Is All About 'Starting Over,' J.J. Abrams Says

Another run-in with J.J. Abrams, and another tease for "Star Trek" sequel news coming "soon." This time, however, when MTV News caught up with Abrams at the CBS TCA party, where he was promoting his upcoming show, "Person Of Interest," he gave us an actual time frame for when we can expect to hear the official sequel announcement. "We met yesterday," Abrams said of his "Star Trek 2" writing dream team comprised of Bob Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. "We had a big, endless meeting and I think we'll have something to talk about very soon." So how soon is soon? "I think within the next month or so we'll be able to tell you what's going on and when and all that," Abrams revealed. "We're working really hard and this is all to make sure that no one -- cast, crew, mostly the audience -- isn't disappointed by what we do," he said, admitting he feels "sorry" for the delay. "[The audience] is the only master we're serving." When asked to pinpoint the specific challenge involved in continuing the story of Kirk, Spock and the Starship Enterprise, Abrams said they try not to think of it as a sequel. "The odd thing about the first one we did is it was already sort of a sequel in a weird way," Abrams said of the 2009 box office hit. "It was a reboot, but not. I think the most important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if anyone has seen the first one or not. It doesn't matter what the first one was, in a way. This has to be a movie that stands on its own," he explained. "You can't just assume that everyone is going to love the characters because they are played by great actors, or they might have liked the first film. It's really about starting over and at the same time, you really want to make sure you hold onto things that worked in the first one, so it's the obvious stuff." When do you think Abrams announce the film's release date and production plans? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!

'Jersey' premieres to eight.8 million audiences

The growing season-four premiere of MTV's ''Jersey Shore'' came a set record 8.8 million audiences Thursday. The entire would be a 4% increase within the 8.5 million that viewed the 3rd-season premiere in The month of january. Thursday's airing was the 3rd-most viewed series telecast in MTV history, behind two other third-season ''Jersey'' episodes. Within the 12-34 demo, the episode came an 8.2 rating and 8.two million audiences, a notch below the growing season three premiere. This season's edition from the megahit reality series was shot in Italia and also the cabler has spinoff plans already going ahead. Personas Snooki, JWoww and Pauly D. all will be observed in new programming in 2012. Also, Mike "The ProblemInch Sorrentino has signed a development cope with MTV and can apparently be observed in an airplane pilot later this season. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

'Shark Week' Exclusive: Attack of the Andy Samberg (Video)

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