NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

First public photos of Blue Ivy go online

LOS ANGELES

She’s been a sensation since she’s been born, and now Blue Ivy has made her public debut.

Five photos of the 1-month-old were posted by her parents — Beyonc and Jay-Z — on a page at the blogging service Tumblr. The pictures at http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com include a close-up of the baby and two of each parent holding her. Blue Ivy is their first child.

A statement next to the photos reads, “We welcome you to share our joy.” The couple also thanked the public for respecting their privacy.

Beyonc and Jay-Z are the latest celebrities to shun big bucks from the tabloid press for exclusive rights to baby pictures and instead post the photos on a public website for free. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon debuted their twins the same way last year.

Residents strike back at Lucas film empire

NICASIO, Calif.

Marin County’s planning commission will hear arguments for and against allowing filmmaker George Lucas to expand his movie-making empire in the quiet hills just north of San Francisco.

Some Marin County residents are balking at the planned 270,000-square-foot digital media production compound on historic farmland known as Grady Ranch.

They worry the facility will constrain their lifestyle with additional noise, traffic and harmful environmental impacts on the pristine countryside.

But Lucasfilms officials insist the compound will be similar to the Skywalker Ranch, a sound facility hidden in hills for 32 years without complaint. They will hide the new digital filmmaking structure in the hills and work to mitigate traffic while protecting hundreds of acres from further development.

Both sides will face off at the planning commission Feb. 27.

Detroit Symphony webcast sets record

DETROIT

The Detroit Symphony has set what it believes is a record for the most viewers of a live, online performance by a U.S. symphonic group.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra said Saturday a Friday performance of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances” drew about 15,000 viewers.

New York-based digital media expert Vince Ford told the orchestra live web-casts by other ensembles get about 10,000 viewers.

Detroit Symphony officials say about 50,000 people have listened to its webcasts since they started 10 months ago.

They credit the recent increase in viewers to partnerships with Russian classical music platform ParaClassics and Detroit Public Television.

The concert was simul-cast on ParaClassics’ website.

Associated Press