Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 44

4fi EO CONNECTICUT VING SECTION TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 1987 C2 TELEVISION C4-5 COMICS Le Funelle Channel 61's troubles illuminated no joke Striking a chord for music Conductor urges firms to hire core musicians gtffw i 1 wtM I By STEVE METCALF Courant Music Critic Wl hen Aetna Life Casualty Co. agreed to help underwrite the National Symphony Orchestra's J.S. tour this year, it received, in addition to the good will and exposure that such largesse is supposed to produce, a valuable bonus: entitlement to a few hours of the personal time of the symphony's incandescent, internationally celebrated conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich. The Washington, D.C.-based orchestra will play Thursday night at Bushnell Memorial Hail in Hartford, but Slava as the Russian-born conductor and cellist is jocularly known in the music world will be whisked to Aetna's headquarters late Thursday morning for a round of handshakes and thank yous, culminating in a tasteful luncheon in one of the company dining rooms. But the purpose of the gathering is not merely social.

Those invited to the luncheon primarily will be dozens of area corporate, municipal and independent events planners. These are the people who conceive and execute meetings, receptions, parties and other social occasions, often with considerable budgets at their disposal. Thursday, with the compelling figure of Rostropovich urging them on, they will be exhorted to consider a novel way to support local musicians by hiring them. "We could have done the usual thing and had a fancy cocktail party for our top-drawer agents, or something of that kind," says Jason Wright, an administrator in Aetna's department of corporate communications. ''But we decided that instead of doing that, or having corporate arts people over and putting the bite on them once again for more arts giving, we would use this opportunity as a real marketing vehicle for promotion of the local music scene.

In this case, we're focusing on the Hartford core orchestra." The core orchestra is the term given to 26 orchestral musicians who, under a groundbreaking contract signed last year, form the nucleus of the Hartford Symphony, the Hartford Chamber Orchestra and the Connecticut Opera orchestra. The musicians, who are on full-time, year-round contracts, are supported and employed by the three organizations, but the economics of the arrangement require that additional outside engagements be found. As Rostropovich and other speakers will remind the events planners Thursday, a full-time roster of musicians is a necessary base for any city that aspires to have a stable, healthy musical life. And in order for that Bushnel Memorial Hal National Symphony Orchestra at Bushnell increase funding of the arts in Hartford. musical group for an employee's event in the cafeteria here at Aetna.

If someone had told us of the core orchestra's availability, we certainly would have used them." To underscore the point, members of the core orchestra will be on hand Thursday, performing before, during and after the luncheon. "Very simply, to keep the core idea going, we have to generate a certain amount of revenue," says George Osborne, general director of Connecticut Opera and the Chamber Orchestra. "Fund-raising is one way, but we also have to get more services that produce a fee. This kind of playing, at events and receptions and so forth, would not be the main thrust of the core's activities, but I've noticed that an awful lot of functions have live music. Our musicians could obviously do a number of those." Osborne acknowledges that having classically trained musicians appear as window dressing for social occasions might not always be highly fulf tilling for the players.

"There may be some potential for danger if we got too much of that kind of thing, but for now it's not a problem," he says. "Besides, we feel that the exposure may lead to more See Conductor, Page C3 was to readers Dsrbsra T. Roessner Some have bad knees or arthrit- -ic joints, and some are perfectly spry. Some are elderly, some are teenagers. Some live in college dormitories, some in the wilds of Vermont and some in the wilds of Manhattan.

They all want one thing, though, and they want it now: Le Funelle. I'm stunned. When a press release plugging this new biodegradable, wallet-sized means of enabling a woman to urinate like a man standing up, that is came across my desk a month or so ago, I did what any periodically desperate, uninspired columnist would do. I lunged at a quick way to fill half a week's quota of verbiage, one that would require me neither to flail away in some moral thicket nor bare the peculiar dynamics of my family life. I could simply describe Le Funelle in all its glorious detail.

I thought it would make an entertaining piece. I thought, basically, that it was a good joke. The readers didn't laugh. They called. They wrote.

Dozens of 'em. Scores of 'em. They begged for a phone number. They pleaded for an address. They wanted to know how, where and from whom they could purchase their own cache of Le Funelle.

They wanted Le Funelle for themselves, their wives, their daughters. One guy said he wanted to sell Le Funelle door-to-door along with "imitation perfumes" and condoms. "I'm telling you. For young girls between the ages of 18 and 25, this is the sleeper issue of the day," one woman told me. "I have two daughters that age, and these kids are very paranoid because of AIDS and herpes.

When they move into college dormitories, these fears are immediately brought to the fore. "They're afraid to go to the bathroom. They think of dropping out of college and coming home to live. College careers are being spoiled. These young girls are being made to feel they have psychiatric problems because they have this fear of disease." The woman said that immediately after learning of Le Funelle, she called her daughters to let them know help was on the way.

(I hope she also told them AIDS and herpes aren't transmitted through contact with toilet seats.) "I know they're going to be talking to all the girls on their floors," the woman said. "They're going to be talking to the boys, too. My daugh- ter's boyfriend says he and his father always put a piece of toilet paper on the handle before flushing." Another woman, with children in their 20s, said she wanted to buy Le Funelle for her daughter who lives in New York City and travels widely, as well as for her son and his girlfriend, who live in a cabin in the Vermont woods and have no indoor plumbing. "In the middle of a cold winter night, well, you know, it could come in handy. All they have is an outhouse," the woman explained.

"And they have a lot of company coming and going up there. I just thought it would be nice to have a package of. these things around for female visitors." She added she wouldn't mind getting a couple of packages of Le Fun- elle for herself. "I could really use them for traveling. I was on a train trip last summer, and when I opened the door of the bathroom and looked in, I just said, Ugh.

No An elderly woman called to say she just had fractured a rib and that, compounded by her substantial weight, it has made it difficult for -her to "get up and down a lot" Besides, she said, she always carries paper toilet seat covers in her purse. Those seat covers work most of the time, but sometimes you do have problems with them. Fd just like to try this other thing. There're a lot of germs you can catch out there these days." The budding entrepreneur was reluctant to discuss his interest in Le Funelle, other than to say it would fit nicely with the other products he had in mind for his door-to-door sales. "Those would be my primary prod- -nets condoms, imitation perfumes and Le Funelle," he said.

What a telling trinity for our time. By the way, I am not in the ness of hawking products. But because Le Funelle now has. given me not only one column but a sequel Le Funelle is made by the Aplex 1720 S. Amphlett Blvd.

Suite 217, San Mateo, Calif. 94402. OK, OK, there's also a toll-free number (800) 433-3553. Contract disputes withsyndicators signal tightening Jsmcs Endrst ON TV he picture is changing at WTIC (Channel 61), but until the independent station settles some unresolved contractual disputes between itself and two major syndicators MCA Television and Embassy Communications it's unclear whether the station's future will be bright or dark. The most noticeable change ap A peared this month when Channel 61 pulled shows supplied by MCA and Embassy in the 5 to 8 p.m.

prime-time block, including "Knight Rider," "The Facts of Life," "Silver Spoons" and "Maude." 1 The MCA and Embassy shows, along with movies and specials, 7 are no longer part of Channel 61's program library and have been of- David Hassel i fered to other hoff of 'Knight stations in the market, including WFSB (Channel S) and WTXX (Channel 20). Channel 61's problems with syndi-cators are not unique though the station's take-it-or-leave-it stance maybe. Throughout the country, indepen-; dent stations have been facing in-creasingly tough times. Spiraling program prices, a windfall of view- ing alternatives on cable and a softer advertising market all have contributed to scaled-back profits and, in some cases, irretrievable losses. in December, Grant Broadcasting System, a Miami-based company that owns independent stations in Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia, filed for bankruptcy after falling about $24 million behind in payments to program distributors.

Other independent television stations followed suit in an attempt to fend off creditors and reorganize, setting off a wave of concern among syndicators. MCA, in fact, just announced write-downs reflecting the decline in value of their programs, largely attributable to the uncertain financial position of many independents. Hal Haas, vice president and treasurer of MCA said, "We know it's a troubled market out there and have said so. We think there are unprecedented financial difficulties being experienced by a large number of television stations." Stations such as WTXX (Channel 20) confirm that, like other independent stations, it has renegotiated the terms of some of its contracts. Geoff Rose, vice president and general manager of Channel 20, said the station began renegotiating with a number of syndicators a year ago in anticipation of a buyout by general partner Michael Finkelstein.

Those situations were "favorably resolved," Rose said. He added, "It never got to the point where the product was pulled. This Channel 61's dispute is far more serious." Arnold Chase, president and owner of WTIC, said talks began several months ago with many of the station's program suppliers, and agreements have been reached with all but MCA and Embassy. Anticipating the completion of a merger between Arch Communications which owns Channel 61, and Chase Broadcasting the parent company of Hartford radio stations WTIC-AM and WTTC-FM, Channel 61 sent out a surprise mes- sage to syndicators. In a letter dated Dec.

17 from Channel 61's vice president and general manager, Edward T. Karlik, the executive talked about the Grant Broadcasting bankruptcy filing and said, "Arch believes it can offer a more attractive alternative." The alternative was that Arch would pay only for shows delivered or due for arrival by Dec. 31, 1986, and that payment would be made "if you agree to terminate your relationship with Arch," absolving the station of future contract obliga- tions and costs. Karlik's letter also mentioned that "Arch has a nrasnective hnvpr who 3 would be interested in discussing the purcnase or some or all of such programming at more realistic current market prices." Se Channel, Page C3 Am Mstislav Rostropovich, who will conduct the Memorial Hall Thursday, is also seeking to KBut we decided that we would use this opportunity as a real marketing vehicle for promotion of the local music scene. In this case, we're focusing on the Hartford core orchestra.

Jason Wright Administrator, Aetna Life Casualty base to flourish, it must be active. Thursday's invitees will carry titles such as vice president of communications or senior meeting planners, Wright says. There also will be officials from the city of Hartford and private entrepreneurs who arrange or plan social events. Among the firms represented will be Cigna Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Travelers Connecticut National Bank and Pratt "The idea is simply to make them aware of what we have here in town," Wright says. "Last summer, we hired a three-piece Bold pair behind Janet Jackson's hits it By DENNIS HUNT Los Angeles Times Joe Jackson, the father of the Jackson clan that features Michael and Janet, is known around the music business as an in-timidator.

The word is that Papa Joe knows what he wants and invariably gets what he wants. James "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis, noted producers and composers, also do things their way or not at all. When these two forces clashed, something had to give. It turned out to be Jackson. But it was probably the happiest "loss" of Jackson's life: Harris and Lewis turned his daughter Janet into a superstar.

They wrote and produced her album "Control" one of the best albums of 1986, which has sold more than 3.7 million copies and yielded four Top 10 singles: "Nasty," 7'What Have You Done for Me Lately," "When I Think of You" and "Control" The success of Jackson's album was the highlight of a fairy-tale year for this pair. In one week in late October, three of their singles were in the Top 10 Jackson's "When I Think of You," the Human League's "Human" and Robert Palmer's "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On," a 2-year-old composition resurrected by Palmer. The pair also produced and composed Top 10 "Tender Love." To do their best work, these producers contend, they need to be in complete charge. So their issue with Joe Jackson, who is also Janet Jack- son's manager, was control over the young singer. Her father wanted the album recorded in Los Angeles, where he could keep his eye on the project and his daughter.

But Lewis and Harris who had been recruited by executive John McCain refused. It was a gutsy move considering that, in 1985, they did not have the clout they have now. They were hot in the black music and dance market but were not well-known outside that circle. Their plan was to take Janet Jackson back to their hometown, Minneapolis, far from the glitter and distractions of Hollywood and the interference of manager-fathers. "It was hard for Joe to let go of her," Harris said in a recent interview here.

"We required that they put her in our hands. We had to do it on our turf, with no bodyguards, no star trips and none of Joe Jackson's people hanging around making suggestions." Previously, she had recorded two rather unsophisticated albums aimed mainly at adolescents. But Harris and Lewis set out to liberate the real Janet Jackson. Part of their method was simply getting to know her and making her feel comfortable with them. "We spent a week getting her to open up to us," Harris said.

"With artists, you sometimes have to be a psychologist, a counselor, a masseur anything, even a chef. Terry cooked her some home-cooked meals because she was sick of eating hotel food." Lewis added: "We got into her head. We saw what she was capable of, what she wanted to say, where she wy ted to be, what she wanted to 3 James "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis insisted they have full authority over the production of Janet Jackson's "Control." a bassist while Harris played keyboards. They started producing and composing in earnest while they were with the Time, which they had joined in 1981, fresh from a band called Flyte Tyme. "In the back of our minds, we were interested in producing and composing as long as we can remember," Harris noted.

"I'm not surprised that we wound up doing this full time." be. We put together some songs to fit her as we saw her, as she revealed herself to us. It was as simple as 'that" Producing and composing used to be just secondary activities for Harris and Lewis, who have been working together on and off for 10 years. In the early '80s, most of their time was devoted to playing in the Time, a band of merry funksters that Prince discovered and nurtured. Lewis was.