Smithsonian TV deal Irks Investigators

SMITHSONIAN TV DEAL IRKS INVESTIGATORS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: John Heilprin]
Two filmmakers were refused access to the Smithsonian Institution's collections for their projects but researchers generally have not been restricted so far by the Smithsonian's semi-exclusive deal with a cable network, congressional investigators say. The public has justifiable concerns nonetheless about the 30-year contract between the Smithsonian and Showtime Networks Inc., a cable network owned by CBS Corp., according to the Government Accountability Office. "It is too early to determine the long-term impact of the contract," Congress' investigative arm said in a report Friday. "Access to the Smithsonian's collections and staff for research purposes remains unchanged, but the direct impact on filmmakers will depend largely on how many request permission to use a substantial amount of Smithsonian content." The GAO also criticized the Smithsonian for not providing enough information to the public about the contract and for assuring filmmakers their access would not suffer based on analyses that rely on "incomplete data and oversimplified criteria."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SMITHSONIAN_SHOWTIME?SITE=MIDTN&S...

* Smithsonian Institution: Additional Information Should Be Developed and Provided to Filmmakers on the Impact of the Showtime Contract. (GAO-07-275)
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-275
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d07275high.pdf