A&E briefs: Ann Powers named L.A. Times pop critic

Ann Powers named L.A. Times pop critic

Ann Powers, a native Seattleite who was a rock critic at The New York Times, The Village Voice and Blender magazine, and a senior curator at Experience Music Project at Seattle Center, has been named chief pop-music critic at the Los Angeles Times.

She replaces Robert Hilburn, who for three decades held the same post — an especially significant position as it's in the recording-industry capital of the world. Hilburn was known for both his passionate, highly opinionated reviews and his insider coverage of the music business.

Powers, 42, grew up in Magnolia, where she attended Our Lady of Fatima grammar school. She started writing about music for The Rocket, a local music monthly, while still a teenager. She was lured to New York in 1992 by The Times senior pop-music critic, Jon Pareles. Powers left The Times to become an editor at The Village Voice but returned to The Times after three years. While in New York she also appeared regularly on VH1.

Also while in New York, Powers married Eric Weisbard, a rock critic. In 2001 the two joined the staff of EMP, where they both worked until last May.

She will join the staff of the Los Angeles Times late next month.

Patrick MacDonald, Seattle Times music critic

Oscars audience smaller than 2005

Sunday's Academy Awards broadcast, where "Crash" won the Oscar for best picture, drew preliminary ratings on the ABC network that were 10 percent lower than a year earlier.

Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, the No. 2 ranked network for the season, was watched by 27.1 percent of U.S. households, compared with 30.1 percent last year, ABC said, citing Nielsen Media Research data from 55 U.S. markets.

This year's broadcast began 30 minutes earlier than last year.

Bloomberg News