Smithsonian Hands Over TV Contract

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Drzyzgula <bob () drzyzgula org>
Date: May 26, 2006 8:08:53 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: WP: Smithsonian Hands Over TV Contract


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/ 
AR2006052502242.html

| Smithsonian Hands Over TV Contract
| Lawmakers Get the Details Of a 30-Year Arrangement
|
| By Jacqueline Trescott
| Washington Post Staff Writer
| Friday, May 26, 2006; C01
|
| The Smithsonian Institution is locked into its
| semi-exclusive television contract with Showtime Networks
| Inc. for 30 years, Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small
| told a House oversight committee yesterday.
|
| Filmmakers, historians and members of Congress have
| criticized the contract, which has never been made public.
|
| Small disclosed several other details about the deal:
|
| · The Smithsonian is guaranteed $500,000 a year, and can
| earn additional money if Smithsonian on Demand, Showtime
| programming based on Smithsonian holdings, is popular with
| cable subscribers.
|
| · Showtime invested "tens of millions of dollars upfront"
| to start Smithsonian on Demand.
|
| · The Smithsonian can do six television programs a year
| with other filmmakers outside the Showtime contract.
|
| Summoned by the House Administration Committee, chaired by
| Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-Mich.), Smithsonian officials
| explained how the deal originated and what the new
| partnership means to scholars and historians seeking
| access to the Smithsonian's voluminous collections and
| its experts.
|
| The committee was given a copy of the 170-page contract,
| Ehlers announced as he opened the hearing, but he said he
| would keep it confidential. He added that the first copy
| he had received was incomplete. "Large portions of the
| contract were redacted in the version that was submitted,
| making it difficult to gain a complete picture of its
| substance," he said. He thanked Small for providing a full
| text, but some committee members said they hadn't had time
| to read the entire document.
|
| ....



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