| 1. WOODSTOCK’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL CANCELED BY LEAD INVESTOR: Woodstock 50, an event slated to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famed music festival, has been canceled, according to a statement from its lead investor Dentsu Aegis Network. However, Michael Lang, the festival’s promoter, has denied the event has been canceled. The festival was scheduled for August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York, with headliners including Jay-Z and the Killers. The New York Times: “The agency believed that production milestones had not been met and was concerned about delays in acquiring permits, as well as a reduction in the originally planned capacity, from 100,000 visitors a day to 75,000. … A stronger statement by the festival’s organizers, quoted by the Poughkeepsie Journal website, said, ‘Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival’s cancellation,' and said they would seek a 'legal remedy.’ Lang said that all acts had already been paid in full, leaving open the possibility that he could rescue the festival with another backer. He is no stranger to last-minute saves. The 1969 Woodstock festival lost its original venue, in Wallkill, New York, and relocated to Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York, just weeks before it took place. It was unclear what prompted the timing of Dentsu’s announcement. The company declined to make any further comment. Several major music agents and acts booked for the event said they had not received any notification of cancellation.” 2. MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS WILL HEAD TO NEW JERSEY AND LAUNCH TWITTER EXPERIENCE: The MTV Video Music Awards are heading to New Jersey for the first time. The 2019 ceremony will take place August 26 at the Prudential Center in Newark. The network also announced it has partnered with Twitter to launch a new fan experience called the MTV V.M.A. Stan Cam, which will let viewers vote on which camera feeds they want to watch during the show. Variety: "For select V.M.A. performances and show moments, MTV will ask followers on Twitter to pick among three celebrity audience members to feature on a live-reaction cam. MTV also expects the V.M.A. Stan Cam to serve up behind-the-scenes moments with talent backstage. MTV made the announcements at Twitter’s Digital Content NewFronts presentation Monday. MTV also is considering inserting the Stan Cam fan-selected live-streams into the live TV broadcast during commercial breaks, in a picture-in-picture corner window." 3. AIRBNB TO OPEN NEW HOTEL CONCEPT AT ROCKEFELLER PLAZA: Home-sharing company Airbnb has partnered with New York real estate developer RXR Realty to convert New York commercial properties into its version of hotel rooms, which it describes as a “new category of urban lodging.” The hotel rooms will have living rooms and kitchens and can only be booked through the Airbnb platform. The companies are launching the project by converting 10 floors of Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan. CNBC: “They are also exploring collaboration at other RXR properties, including a development across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Airbnb has partnered with property developers in the past on Airbnb-branded apartment complexes, but with its RXR partnership, Airbnb is for the first time collaborating on hotel-style units. In a press release, the two companies say they will collaborate on design and services. RXR will be responsible for the execution and management of the locations, while the Airbnb platform will be used to market and book rooms. A third-party operator will manage daily operations.” | 