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Pittsburgh Applause October October, 2018 Digital 86 Harassment Scandal Hits Mattress Factory Less than six months since its One young man on the staff has The unnamed young man has visionary founder's death, the been indicated as the primary per- since left the museum's employ. Mattress Factory is experiencing petrator of these alleged incidents. The actual date or circumstances its own #MeToo Moment --- and At press time, his name has re- of departure remain unknown. it has led to the suspension of its mained unavailable. execu- On the morning of September 28, tive di- Apparently the museum re- Natasha Lindstrom of the Pitts- rector. sponded with an internal investi- burgh Tribune-Review reported gation that only led to the young that the Mattress Factory board First man's “will soon announce a number of reported having "received and completed actions” to address the situation. on Sep- workplace harassment training." By that same afternoon came tember 25 by public broadcaster He remained on staff as Lud- word that Michael Olijnyk was WESA-AM, a group of women erowski's associate and successor being placed on "temporary paid met in February with museum Michael Olijnyk reacted in a leave" by the board. officials to present allegations of retaliatory manner to those who sexual harassment and/or assault. signed a letter requesting he take Read Bill O'Driscoll's full report At least two women said that they stronger actions. Formal com- at: http://www.wesa.fm/post/ were victims of rape. plaints since have been filed with mattress-factory-staff-say- the National Labor Relations museum-downplayed-sexual- "None of the women ever re- Board. Some foundations and assault-allegations-retaliated- ported the incidents to police," other funding sources are believed against writes WESA's Bill O'Driscoll. to be reviewing their future sup- "But both the alleged victims and port. others who have worked at the Mattress Factory say the mu- seum’s response has been deeply Entertainer Bill Cosby has been sentenced to 3 - 10 years in prison for troubling, from downplaying the aggravated indecent assault. His case has been one of the key severity of the allegations to re- elements in the growing interest in curbing sexual harassment taliating against critics. The result and assault. has been months of internal ten- sion at the internationally known This has led TheWrap.com to compile a fascinating and troubling list contemporary-art landmark on of Cosby's accusers which can be read by clicking the montage of the North Side, with employees images below. contending that museum manage- ment did not take their fears --- or their safety --- seriously enough." That the Mattress Factory would be caught up in such as a situation may be a surprise for many peo- ple. Founded by and operated for decades by a woman --- the late Barbara Luderowski --- the mu- seum has been known for being progressive on many fronts. Pittsburgh Applause 2 Pittsburgh Applause Moonves Out; CBS Reshuffles Top People Changes are being made at the ing & Governance Committee, Meanwhile, rumors have resur- leadership of CBS Corporation said in a press release. “We are faced that the family of Sumner since the ouster of chief Les fortunate to have Dick in this Redstone --- which has control- Moonves over sexual harassment leadership role.” ling stakes in both CBS and its allegations. former parent firm Viacom --- Broadcasting+Cable's Jon Lafay- may try again to re-combine the Directly ette reports that Ianniello's pay --- two companies. and indi- about $22 million in 2017 --- will rectly, remain the same as his COO in- CBS Cor- come. The agreement states that poration own television and radio there will be no higher ranking stations in Pittsburgh, most nota- executive and that he'll receive bly KDKA-TV. "good faith consideration" to be- come the permanent CEO. Richard Parsons, the former head of Time-Warner, has been It appears that Moonves' depar- named interim Chairman of the ture (and that of "60 Minutes" Board. Joe Ianniello has been executive producer Jeff Fager for named acting Chief Executive similar allegations) is not ending Officer (CEO) of the company. the scandal for CBS. The Holly- Pittsburgh’s decades-long He had been the Chief Operating wood Reporter's Jeremy Barr re- relationship with CBS —-and Officer (COO). ported on September 29 that the this with Les Moonves —- is company "has received subpoenas the subject of a special feature “Dick Parsons has a combination from both the New York County section in this month's issue. of deep industry knowledge and District Attorney’s Office and the unmatched corporate and board New York City Commission on STARTING ON experience,” said Candace Be- Human Rights" relating to the inecke, Chair of CBS’ Nominat- internal investigations. PAGE 9 Pittsburgh Applause 4 Pittsburgh Applause Filmmakers Sells Building; Moves HQ The financially struggling Pitts- The crisis' ramifications have af- between $3 million and $4 million burgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh fected outside organizations. The for the North Oakland site. Center for The Arts (PF/PCA) Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film has finalized the sale of its North Society had planned to hold Pitz also reports that PF/PCA Oakland headquarters, reports the screenings for its annual Reel Q board president sent a letter to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's festival at both the Melwood and stakeholders on September 14 Marylynne Pitz. the Harris. The sale has forced the explaining that the contract pre- society to cut in half the usually vents the organization from re- two-week program as only the vealing details until closing, they films scheduled for the Harris can hope the process will be "as trans- be screened. parent as possible." Operations other than the two North Oakland has long been the remaining theaters are being con- organization's primary facility. It solidated at the Pittsburgh Center houses the offices, class rooms, for the Arts in Shadyside. PF/ support spaces and the Melwood PCA is reportedly $500,000 and Screening Room. PF/PCA also needs hundreds of thousands of operates the Harris Theater, the dollars to renovate the Center, Regent Square Theater and the which is a former mansion. The Pittsburgh Center of the Arts. organization had been seeking VideoHouse Buys Ohio Firm’s Assets One of Pittsburgh's leading media VideoHouse rather than function clients of both companies to now firms --- VideoHouse --- has ac- as a subsidiary. The $2.3 million access our powerful expanded list quired the assets of First Call deal involves First Call's entire of services. Our goal is to provide Uplinks, the company has an- fleet of satellite uplink trucks and convenience to our clients as we nounced. state-of-the-art television produc- can cover production services tion equipment. VideoHouse will from concept, through production also absorb all key First Call staff and transmission.” members. They will operate what will now be VideoHouse branches FULL DISCLOSURE: Video- in Ohio and elsewhere (the com- House has a long-standing rela- pany's headquarters remains in tionship with Pittsburgh Applause Pittsburgh). publisher/editor James A. Rich- Formed in 1989 and based in ards, primarily as sponsor of the Youngstown, First Call Uplinks is “Together, our companies will Pittsburgh A&E Book described in a press release as offer a wide variety of production (www.pittsburghaebook.com). "the region’s leading provider of and transmission services to the mobile satellite uplink services to broadcast, media and television major broadcasters and corpora- production industries --- all under tions for national news, sporting one roof,” said Ron Bruno, Presi- events and media tours." dent of The Videohouse, in the same press release. “This acquisi- The purchase means that First tion we are announcing today Call will fold completely into [September 11 - ed.] will allow www.pittsburghapplause.com www.pittsburghaebook.com Pittsburgh Applause 5 Pittsburgh Applause AEG Buys PromoWest Productions It was officially announced on PromoWest Productions was “It’s a good time to sell,” Stie- September 27 that a division of founded by Scott Stienecker in necker told TicketNews.com's Anschutz Entertainment Group 1983 and is responsible managing Olivia Perreault. “The concert has acquired the operator of Pitts- the indoor/outdoor venues Stage industry is at an all-time peak. I’m burgh's Stage AE. AE in Pittsburgh and Express 58 and I’ve been doing it for 40 Live in Columbus. The company years. It was time. In seven years also operates other Ohio venues. I’ll be 65," hinting at his retire- ment. A press release issued September 27 explains that PromoWest Pro- Stage AE (after naming sponsor ductions will remain its own unit American Eagle Outfitters) AEG Presents is part of Anschutz under Stienecker's management. opened in 2010. Entertainment Group, a subsidiary The release quotes him as saying of billionaire Phillip Anschutz's “I believe our partnership with privately-owned, Denver-based AEG Presents will provide us an Anschutz Corporation. AEG is the additional collection of resources world's second-largest presenter and assets that will allow us to of live music, after the publically continue to build on our achieve- traded Live Nation. The subsidi- ments and take our company to an ary is based in Los Angeles. even higher level.” Manfred Honeck Re-Ups With PSO Manfred Honeck is extending his Orchestra. For the next decade, season of Heinz Hall for the Per- tenure as the music director of the Honeck conducted orchestras forming Arts as the symphony’s Pittsburgh Symphony Orches- throughout Europe. He made ac- home. I look forward to continu- tra (PSO). claimed guest appearances with ing to tour and record with this the PSO in 2006 and became mu- orchestra and more music and The an- sic director in 2008.
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