News for
"Omnibus" (1952)

photos

board

trailer

details

2 articles from 2004

21 May 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

The heirs of Leonard Bernstein and onetime television producer Robert Saudek on the one hand and Wesleyan University on the other are locked in a legal battle over commercial rights to seven episodes of the seminal TV series Omnibus in which Bernstein lectured on the structure of numerous classical compositions alongside an orchestra that played passages of the music, the Hartford Courant reported today (Thursday) The heirs claim that Saudek willed the Omnibus tapes to Wesleyan with the understanding that the university's rights to the series would be limited to educational use. Wesleyan denies the claim, saying that any commercial use "would significantly diminish the value of the collection."

Permalink | Report a problem

30 March 2004 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Alistair Cooke, who pioneered the television magazine format as host of Omnibus from 1952-1961 (it aired on each of the major networks) and later went on to host PBS's Masterpiece Theatre for 22 years, has died in New York at the age of 95. He had been heard on the BBC's Letter From America for 58 years, airing his final commentary on Feb. 20.

Permalink | Report a problem

2 articles from 2004