The Dothan Eagle from Dothan, Alabama • 15

Sil JIRV tSSaa ia Ljjyga a VIDEO 'Pig' Hit 'Babe' moves to small screen as a video release Page 4 MS entertainment Racism in Hollywood riday March 22 1996 Section This Oscars caught in angry controversy By John Horn AP Entertainment Writer BEVERLY HILLS Calif Acade my Award debates usually are limit ed to the trivial: Armani or Karan? Did Jack Balance read the wrong name' Was Letterman tunny or a disaster? The mounting controversy swirling around this awards show is far more seri ous and divisive On the eve of biggest night several filmmakers and politicians say the Academy and its membership is a lily white club whose members shun the works of black artists The critics point to the 166 Oscar nominees of whom just one is black: live action short film writer director Dianne Houston The nominations the critics say prove that blacks are second tier citizens in the film busi ness that Hollywood executive offices are no more integrated than a 1950s Alabama lunch counter a white elite running this says Tim Reid the black writer director of the critical ly acclaimed new film Upon a Time When We Were (eligible for next Oscars) think if got their tickets for the Lakers game they ve done their part tor race rela tions no question the demographics (reportedly less than 4 percent black membersnip) ao not reflect the which is about 12 percent black One Academy member says like Ivory soap 994 percent pure Others say the Acade members are largely older and heavily Jewish Some of the faultfinders I now including the Rev Jesse Jack son plan to protest I' internationally televised awards 1 show although it is unclear what form the protest might take I can deny there is racial exclusion in the movie Jackson says The critics say several prominent performances by black actors should have earned nominations this year including Angela Bassett from to Laurence ishbume from Mor gan reeman in and Denzel Washington and Don A A I I Ri Cheadle from in a Blue director Carl ranklin and Ken neth score from also have been mentioned as should'have been nominees In the last three years there have been just four blacks nominated in the leading and supporting acting and directing cate gories Recent nominees who have lost include Samuel Jackson and Bassett Love Got to Do With Academy officials say criticism of the nominations themselves is groundless for several reasons or one thing the Acade my only reflects the makeup of Hollywood not doing any of the hiring and firing or another Whoopi Goldberg and Quincy Jones who both are black are the host and producer respectively of the 1996 ceremony inally some of the most acclaimed white performers from Nicole Kidman Die to John Tra volta also failed to be nomi nated have not only nominated African American performers but also awarded them says Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis noting that Washing ton himself won an Oscar for the work is there we have shown an ability to recognize and reward ilmmaker Houston the only black nominee agrees with Davis that the complaints are misguided cannot sin gle out this year as a banner year for racism says Houston nominated for making the short film Morn ing disagree with the notion that progress being made not she said is an issue about minorities get ting a chance to work in the Davis says we recognize some one who been elevated The Oscars are a natural target because they have come to represent Hollywood across not only the United States but also the world They are the public face on what is largely a very private business urther more an Oscar protest or boycott is bound to attract global media attention seek not to embarrass the enter tainment Jackson said in a letter sent to studio executives to educate the public that the standards of fairness should also be applied to the film and televi sion The Academy is largely white because Hollywood itself is Gays are far more rec ognizable and powerful in the movie business than blacks There are few promi nent black executives and none in leader ship positions Since executives tend to make movies they understand a narrow spectrum in the corporate office yields a narrow spectrum of movies and employment opportuni ties there a great number of people in the decision making process who are black? No there are says Houston the situation is constantly changing I think Hollywood has its head in the Reid thinks it does The former star of in Cincin and said he took his film Upon a to every major studio and independent company and failed to click with any buyer is no knowledge of or respect for the black Reid says veys show one out of four movie ticket buy ers is a person of color they spent $15 billion at theaters last year But the studios are very myopic about that audience Anytime a movie like to surprises people it should prove to you that the audience is out Road life tough for singer By Michelle Jorns Eagle Staff Writer Doug Supemaw the Academy of Country 1994 nominee for Best New Male Vocalist of the Year Joves his job but he misses his 7 week old son Jesse Being on the road is hard on this 35 year old family man from Hous ton Texas With the success of his third album Still Got and a national tour he had any time to relax in a while Supemaw said When he does get off the road Supemaw spends time with is his wife and six children only thing I hate about it is I coach my little Supemaw said in a telephone inter view is difficult balancing person al needs yours and theirs is a The Giant Records artist will per form at Sunday Doors open at 7 pm for the 10 pm concert Tickets are now on sale for $10 and $12 at Supemaw got an early start on his music career He began writing songs and poetry when he was 8 he said He continued writing songs in high school and left college to play with a band called The Occasions along the South Atlantic coast Growing up the country music star had no formal music training Singing was something that came to him naturally After college Supemaw moved to Nashville Tenn in 1987 He took voice lessons while working as a staff songwriter with a music publishing company The desire to be an entertainer was too strong to ignore so Super naw returned to Texas He organized a band called Texas Steel now known as Supemaw has stood by his band even when he was urged to take on Nashville musicians as a tour band a chemistry and sinceri ty between myself and my band that translates to tire he said something that worked hard on and very exciting on Still Got is third album and his first for Giant Records The first single Enough hit number two on the country charts most popular song to date Call Him stayed at the no 1 spot on the charts for three consecutive weeks His pre vious albums are and Rio and Thoughts rom A Shallow The video for Call Him was nominated for Video of the Year by both the Academy and the Music City News Supemaw said he is proud to be a beneficiary of the new found popular ity of country music is more of an interest in talent and that means more great he said Turn Up The Radio I I JAY HAREEAGIE Sometimes just got to crank it up and sing along with the radio It is also the Wiregrass Atlanta Braves flagship station and broadcasts Dothan High School football games in the fall Please see Radio 7 By Randy Roughton Eagle Staff Writer WAG (1013) olavs adult contemporary with emphasis on a blend of love general manager Jim Powell said a blend of music you would want to listen to when in a romantic mood especially if had a hard owner Ron Wilson said music that will help soothe your mind and massage you and put you ma WJJN (921) rs the area in some rhvthm and blues as also airs African American history notes and other educational tidbits A local talk show is aired on Saturday morn ings and gospel music on Sundays Radio brings us morning laughs songs to sing along with in fire car and a voice on local and national issues Since Agnes Simpson started the first sta tion in the area with WOO in 1964 Wiregrass radio has never offered as many choices as it does today This may not be areas like Atlanta but there is a station for most musical styles from the urban sound of WJJN to the easy listening of WRJM The Rose and everything in between Now there is even a Hispanic station with sis ter AM station WAG major change seen in area said BJ Kelli WKMX operations manager and morning personality the number of different outlets have increased from seven or eight to 13 list of radio stations has 36 different signals that people in the Wiregrass listen riend In Crisis In the TV age radio has sometimes been described as a background medium but crisis sit uations and major news events can push it into the forefront People rushed to their cars to hear the 0 Simpson murder trial verdict in October and a couple of days later radio helped keep the area informed as the next storm swept through During Hurricane Opal WOO and WD JR were on the air most of the night informing listen ers of damage and how to remain safe we have radio during Hurricane WOO general manager Leigh Simpson said would have been a lot of scared peo ple that night Our whole staff really pulled togeth er with our hurricane coverage that was the longest and most interesting night of my life other than the birth of my Jerry Broadway said just opened all four lines and took between 400 to 600 calls from people who talked about hurricane damage in their Oldest Stations When WOO (997) first went on the air in 1964 it was the only signal on the dial in the Wire grass Today the scanner will make at least a dozen stops before it returns to 997 Thirty years ago WOO specialized in playing adult contemporary music along with hits from the previous 30 years Today the format remains the same with the only difference being the three decades date to the 1960s play music that appeals to the entire fami Leigh Simpson said we say everything we play we have the family in mind and ask ourselves you want that said or played in front of your 10 year Local radio stations view themselves as not only an entertainment outlet but also public servants WOO also has an AM station that is 24 hour snorts talk excerrt for Sunday when it airs black gospel music WOO AM is the second old est station dating back to 1948 The oldest station is WAG (1320) now ttie only full time Hispanic station Latino in a state of urban station mixing as well The station 1 I I 1 I a 9 I I I The Dothan Eagle.